# 1976–77 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season

During the 1976–77 English football season, Queens Park Rangers competed in the First Division

## Season summary

In Division 1, QPR struggled to match the previous season's near-championship-winning season. In other competitions there was an early exit in the FA Cup, although the semi-finals of the League Cup were reached, whilst in QPR's first foray into European competition, free-scoring QPR eventually bowed out on penalties in the quarter finals of the Uefa Cup.

## Kit

Adidas remained QPR's kit manufacturers.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 40 | 45 | −5 | 41 |
| 13 | Birmingham City | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 63 | 61 | +2 | 38 |
| 14 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 47 | 52 | −5 | 38 |
| 15 | Derby County | 42 | 9 | 19 | 14 | 50 | 55 | −5 | 37 |
| 16 | Norwich City | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 47 | 64 | −17 | 37 |

## Results

Queens Park Rangers' score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Position |
| 21 August 1976 | Everton | H | 0–4 | | 24,449 | 21 |
| 23 August 1976 | West Ham United | A | 0–1 | | 31,668 | 22 |
| 28 August 1976 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–2 | Masson, Givens | 24,491 | 21 |
| 4 September 1976 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–0 | Gillard | 18,876 | 18 |
| 11 September 1976 | Aston Villa | H | 2–1 | Masson, Clement | 23,602 | 10 |
| 18 September 1976 | Leicester City | A | 2–2 | Givens, Hollins | 18,439 | 12 |
| 25 September 1976 | Stoke City | H | 2–0 | Bowles, Givens | 21,621 | 8 |
| 2 October 1976 | Arsenal | A | 2–3 | Thomas, McLintock | 39,442 | 13 |
| 5 October 1976 | Norwich City | H | 2–3 | Webb, Masson | 16,086 | 13 |
| 16 October 1976 | Manchester City | A | 0–0 | | 40,751 | 15 |
| 23 October 1976 | Sunderland | H | 2–0 | Bowles, McLintock | 22,408 | 13 |
| 30 October 1976 | Birmingham City | A | 1–2 | Eastoe | 31,471 | 15 |
| 6 November 1976 | Derby County | H | 1–1 | Givens | 22,527 | 16 |
| 9 November 1976 | Coventry City | A | 0–2 | | 16,190 | 16 |
| 20 November 1976 | Middlesbrough | H | 3–0 | Givens, Masson, Bowles | 16,037 | 15 |
| 27 November 1976 | Newcastle United | A | 0–2 | | 39,013 | 15 |
| 11 December 1976 | Liverpool | A | 1–3 | Eastoe | 37,154 | 15 |
| 27 December 1976 | Norwich City | A | 0–2 | | 27,343 | 18 |
| 11 January 1977 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2–1 | Clement, Bowles | 24,266 | 17 |
| 22 January 1977 | Everton | A | 3–1 | Masson, Leach, Bowles | 26,875 | 15 |
| 12 February 1977 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–1 | Francis | 18,364 | 15 |
| 26 February 1977 | Leicester City | H | 3–2 | Givens, Blockley OG, Francis | 20,356 | 16 |
| 5 March 1977 | Stoke City | A | 0–1 | | 15,454 | 17 |
| 8 March 1977 | Leeds United | H | 0–0 | | 20,386 | 17 |
| 12 March 1977 | Arsenal | H | 2–1 | Hollins, Francis | 26,191 | 15 |
| 5 March 1977 | Bristol City | A | 0–1 | | 22,441 | 15 |
| 22 March 1977 | Manchester City | H | 0–0 | | 17.619 | 17 |
| 2 April 1977 | Sunderland | A | 0–1 | | 27,550 | 16 |
| 4 April 1977 | West Ham United | H | 1–1 | Eastoe | 24,930 | 16 |
| 9 April 1977 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–3 | | 32,680 | 17 |
| 11 April 1977 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | Masson | 15,445 | 17 |
| 16 April 1977 | Middlesbrough | A | 2–0 | Abbott, Masson | 14,500 | 16 |
| 19 April 1977 | Manchester United | H | 4–0 | Eastoe 2, Kelly, Givens | 28,848 | 15 |
| 23 April 1977 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | Givens | 20,544 | 15 |
| 26 April 1977 | Bristol City | H | 0–1 | | 14,576 | 15 |
| 30 April 1977 | Manchester United | A | 0–1 | | 50,788 | 15 |
| 7 May 1977 | Liverpool | H | 1–1 | Givens | 29,832 | 16 |
| 11 May 1977 | Derby County | A | 0–2 | | 21,312 | 19 |
| 14 May 1977 | Leeds United | A | 1–0 | Eastoe | 22,226 | 15 |
| 16 May 1977 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–0 | Givens | 19,171 | 15 |
| 20 May 1977 | Aston Villa | A | 1–1 | Abbott | 28,056 | 15 |
| 23 May 1977 | Birmingham City | H | 2–2 | Webb, Masson | 14,976 | 14 |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 8 January 1977 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2–1 | 18,285 | Bowles, Givens |
| R4 | 29 January 1977 | Manchester United | A | 0–1 | 57,422 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 | 1 September 1976 | Cardiff City | A | 3–1 | 23,618 | Bowles, Thomas, Clement |
| R3 | 21 September 1976 | Bury | H | 2–1 | 13,069 | McLintock, Givens |
| R4 | 27 October 1976 | West Ham United | A | 2–0 | 24,565 | Bowles, Clement |
| QF | 1 December 1976 | Arsenal | H | 2–1 | 27,621 | Masson, Webb |
| SF 1st leg | 1 February 1977 | Aston Villa | H | 0–0 | 28,739 | |
| SF 2nd leg | 16 February 1977 | Aston Villa | A | 2–2* AET | 48,429 | Francis, Eastoe |
| SF 2nd leg | 22 February 1977 | Aston Villa | Highbury | 0–3 | 40,438 | |

### Uefa Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 15 September 1976 | 1st Round 1st leg | Brann Bergen | H | 4–0 | Masson, Bowles 3 | 14,698 |
| 29 September 1976 | 1st Round 2nd leg | Brann Bergen | A | 7–0 | Webb, Bowles 3, Givens 2, Thomas | 11,527 |
| 20 October 1976 | 2nd Round 1st leg | Slovan Bratislava | A | 3–3 | Bowles 2, Givens | 40,000* |
| 3 November 1976 | 2nd Round 2nd leg | Slovan Bratislava | H | 5–2 | Bowles, Givens 3, Clement | 22,001 |
| 24 November 1976 | 3rd Round 1st leg | FC Koln | H | 3–0 | Bowles, Givens, Webb | 21,143 |
| 8 December 1976 | 3rd Round 2nd leg | FC Koln | A | 1–4 * won on away goals | Masson | 50,000* |
| 3 March 1977 | QF 1st leg | AEK Athens | H | 3–0 | Bowles, Francis 2 | 23,009 |
| 16 March 1977 | QF 2nd leg | AEK Athens | A | 0–3 * lost 6–7 penalties | | 35,000 |

## Squad

| Position | Nationality | Name | League Appearances (Substitutes) | League Goals | Domestic Cup Appearances | League Cup Goals | F.A.Cup Goals | UEFA Cup Appearances | UEFA Cup Goals | Total Appearances | Total Goals |
| GK | ENG | Phil Parkes | 40 | | 9 | | | 8 | | 57 | |
| GK | ENG | Derek Richardson | 2 | | | | | | | 2 | |
| DF | SCO | Frank McLintock | 36 | 2 | 9 | 1 | | 8 | | 53 | 3 |
| DF | ENG | Dave Clement | 32(1) | 2 | 7 | 2 | | 6 | 1 | 46 | 5 |
| DF | ENG | Ian Gillard | 41 | 1 | 9 | | | 8 | | 58 | 1 |
| DF | ENG | David Webb | 38 | 2 | 9 | 1 | | 8 | 2 | 55 | 5 |
| DF | ENG | Don Shanks | 6(5) | | 2 | | | 1 | | 14 | |
| MF | ENG | Thomas Cunningham | 3(2) | | | | | | | 5 | |
| MF | ENG | Eddie Kelly | 28 | 1 | 3 | | | 2 | | 33 | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Ron Abbott | 10(2) | 2 | | | | | | 12 | 2 |
| MF | ENG | Gerry Francis | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | | 1 | 2 | 14 | 6 |
| MF | ENG | John Hollins | 40 | 2 | 8 | | | 8 | | 56 | 2 |
| MF | ENG | Martyn Busby | 1 | | | | | 1 | | 2 | |
| FW | ENG | Phil Nutt | (1) | | | | | | | 1 | |
| FW | SCO | Don Masson | 41 | 8 | 9 | 1 | | 8 | 2 | 58 | 11 |
| FW | IRE | Don Givens | 41(1) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 58 | 19 |
| FW | ENG | Dave Thomas | 30(1) | 1 | 7 | 1 | | 7 | 1 | 45 | 3 |
| FW | ENG | Peter Eastoe | 24(5) | 6 | 3 | 1 | | 2 | | 34 | 7 |
| FW | ENG | Mick Leach | 16(7) | 1 | 4 | | | 6 | | 33 | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Stan Bowles | 22 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 39 | 19 |

## Transfers Out

| Name | from | Date | Fee | Date | Club |
| Frank McLintock | Arsenal | June 1973 | £25,000 | May 1977 | Retired |
| Tony Tagg | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | March 1975 | | July 1977 | Millwall |
| Eddie Kelly | Arsenal | September 1976 | £50,000 | July 1977 | Leicester City |
| Phil Nutt | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | July 1975 | | July 1977 | Hounslow Town |

## Transfers In

| Name | from | Date | Fee |
| Eddie Kelly | Arsenal | September 1976 | £50,000 |
| Brian Williams | Bury | July 1977 | |
| Steve Perkins | Chelsea | June 1977 | |
| Paul Goddard | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | July 1977 | |
| Peter Hucker | Queens Park Rangers Juniors | July 1977 | |