Club Profile
Queens Park Rangers
For the London soccer tourist, a game at QPR is a great option: a nicer part of town than Millwall, not as posh as Fulham, and not as hard to get into as the big Premier League clubs.
LOCATION: Shepherd’s Bush in West London
CONTACT: qpr.co.uk, 020 8743 0262, #QPR
NICKNAMES: QPR, the Rs, the Hoops (for their shirts)
History
Rangers have been around since the 1880s and played at Loftus Road since 1920, but they never made it to the top (then First) division until the ’60s. They expanded the ground then, and they memorably won the League Cup from Division Three in 1967. The final was 3-2 over West Brom at Wembley, after QPR trailed 2-0 at halftime, with the winner…
Rangers have been around since the 1880s and played at Loftus Road since 1920, but they never made it to the top (then First) division until the ’60s. They expanded the ground then, and they memorably won the League Cup from Division Three in 1967. The final was 3-2 over West Brom at Wembley, after QPR trailed 2-0 at halftime, with the winner scored by Lazarus; we just had to get that in.
That’s the only major trophy they’ve ever won, though they would like you to know it’s more than Fulham and Brentford have between them.
The next year, QPR were relegated; then they made it back up in 1972. The main thing they were known for was being the first team, in 1981, to put in artificial surface, which in the UK is called a plastic pitch (they took it out after five years). That season, they made the FA Cup Final but lost to Spurs in a replay. Then they went back down to the Championship for 15 years.
One thing you’ll need to know about QPR is Zamora’s goal. For the fans, that’s all you have to say. But if not, let’s review. In May 2014, the final spot for the Premier League came down to the Championship playoff final between QPR and Derby County at Wembley Stadium in front of 80,000-plus fans. Bobby Zamora won it, 1-0, late in the game, for QPR. It’s an amazing video to see (and hear!) on the club’s YouTube channel.
Of course, being QPR, they finished last and got relegated back to the Championship the next year. They’ve been there ever since, finishing between 9th and 20th.
2024–25 SEASON: 15th in the Championship, 3rd Round FA Cup, 3rd Round League Cup
2025–26 SEASON: The Championship (relegated in 2015)
Rivalries
Their most bitter foe is Fulham, just three miles away. Brentford is also high on the hated list; any game between two of those three is a West London derby but, with the others in the Premier League this season, we’ll need a Cup draw for those matchups to happen. QPR also hate Chelsea, but they don’t play often, and it hasn’t been competitive…
Their most bitter foe is Fulham, just three miles away. Brentford is also high on the hated list; any game between two of those three is a West London derby but, with the others in the Premier League this season, we’ll need a Cup draw for those matchups to happen. QPR also hate Chelsea, but they don’t play often, and it hasn’t been competitive between them for years.
Women's Team
Queens Park Rangers FC Women play home games at Heston SkyEx Community Stadium in Hayes, near the Heathrow Airport. That is also where they film the training-ground scenes for Ted Lasso. They are in the Women’s National League Division 1 South East, tier
Queens Park Rangers FC Women play home games at Heston SkyEx Community Stadium in Hayes, near the Heathrow Airport. That is also where they film the training-ground scenes for Ted Lasso. They are in the Women’s National League Division 1 South East, tier 4.
Songs
Their traditional theme is a very cool drum-and-horn thing called “Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag.” It’s by an early ’80s post-punk/funk rock/dance-punk band called Pigbag. It sounds like something an impossibly cool marching band might play. QPR fans sing a version of it as well, throwing in “Hoops!” along the way. By the way, Middlesbrough…
Their traditional theme is a very cool drum-and-horn thing called “Papa’s Got a Brand New Pigbag.” It’s by an early ’80s post-punk/funk rock/dance-punk band called Pigbag. It sounds like something an impossibly cool marching band might play. QPR fans sing a version of it as well, throwing in “Hoops!” along the way. By the way, Middlesbrough claims they had this song first.
Stadium
Loftus Road, will probably seem absolutely tiny when you walk in. It holds 18,439 people in a two-tiered rectangle packed so close to the pitch that you could probably throw a pie from the back row and hit a player. It may have been done, in fact. Watch during the pregame warm-ups as players take shots and miss the goal; some spectator is gonna…
Loftus Road, will probably seem absolutely tiny when you walk in. It holds 18,439 people in a two-tiered rectangle packed so close to the pitch that you could probably throw a pie from the back row and hit a player. It may have been done, in fact. Watch during the pregame warm-ups as players take shots and miss the goal; some spectator is gonna get hurt someday. Another reason it feels so cramped is that, unlike many smaller stadiums in England, there are no gaps between stands in the corners. You really feel like you’re right on top of things here. Also, if you’re more than about five-foot-eight, you may feel like you’re sitting on top of the person in front of you. As for the restrooms: good luck, and we hope you’re not claustrophobic.
The away fans will be in the upper tier of the School End behind a goal. The rowdiest QPR fans, at least by reputation, sit behind the goal in the Loftus Road Stand. They just call that one The Loft. The biggest stand is the South Africa Road Stand; it has the dressing rooms and VIP boxes.
There have been on-and-off plans for years to build a new stadium, which honestly is highly needed. Currently those plans are off, mainly as QPR is stuck in the Championship.
TOURS: Tours are given a couple of days per week as well as on game days and cost £15 for adults.
Going to a Game at QPR
GETTING THERE: The quickest trip is to aim for the White City Underground station on the Central line or Wood Lane on the Hammersmith and City line. From either of those stations, turn right onto Wood Lane, walk up to South Africa Road, and turn left. You can’t miss it from there. It’s about five minutes’ walk from White City and seven from Wood…
GETTING THERE: The quickest trip is to aim for the White City Underground station on the Central line or Wood Lane on the Hammersmith and City line. From either of those stations, turn right onto Wood Lane, walk up to South Africa Road, and turn left. You can’t miss it from there. It’s about five minutes’ walk from White City and seven from Wood Lane. The best way, though, is taking a London Overground train or Tube to Shepherd’s Bush, which is about a 15-minute walk away. Shepherd’s Bush is a cool area, and the walk along Uxbridge Road takes you past restaurants, pubs, and the quite cool Shepherd’s Bush Market. Westfield London Shopping Centre, Europe’s largest mall, is also right there.
PUBS: The traditional fan’s favorite is the Queen’s Tavern right by the ground; it used to be called the Springbok in keeping with the area’s South Africa theme. It will of course be “heaving” but has a good atmosphere; you’ll need a home-section match ticket to get in.
Elsewhere along Uxbridge Road, look for the small and traditional White Horse, which hangs QPR stuff before games but also, oddly, has a bit of a shrine to Newcastle United’s Alan Shearer. Across the road is the spacious Queen Adelaide with a big outdoor area. The Crown and Sceptre, a few minutes’ walk away on Melina Road, is a nice local with a strong QPR bent. All of these will probably require a match ticket to get in.
GRUB: Again, all the action here is along Uxbridge Road—or in the Westfield Mall. Along the road, look for Tai Buffet with Thai, Chinese, and vegetarian options; Haranna Lebanese; Burgista Bros for gourmet burgers; Ayam Zaman for Syrian; or Nando’s for peri peri chicken. You can also grab a falafel in the market or check out the Banaadiri Restaurant.
AROUND THE GROUND: All of this is only about a half hour by Tube from Hyde Park, and even less from Kensington Palace, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum—if these things matter to you.
QPR Tickets
As long as they are in the Championship, tickets are not that hard to come by. If it’s a derby, or if they are having a good season, it could be tough just because it is a small place. If they draw a Premier League club in a Cup, it will be hard as well—but you’ll want to be there. The most recent prices we saw were from £25 to £34. Groundhopper Guides also has seats and hospitality available.
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