From 1956: Tommy Ray's Open Letter to the R's Manager...
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2025 6:02 pm
Tommy Ray’s 1956 Open Letter to the Queen’s Park Rangers Manager
The following letter from Tommy Ray of the Goldhawk Road, appeared in the
West London Observer on 14th December 1956:
‘Dear Jack Taylor – What is the future for the Rangers? Gates are down, and floodlighting
does not seem to be the answer.
At the time of writing your team has only scored 24 goals in 20 league matches, and there
are only four clubs with a worse record in the Third Division South.
The reason for the lack of interest in the club is simply that the Rangers are a poor and
uninteresting side, with no flair for getting GOALS. For years this has been the root of the
trouble. To win the championship a team should aim to get 100 goals.
I have watched the lads play over a number of years and, in spite of my letter, will continue to
do so; but how I would welcome some colour, some change of ideas, anything but the same
humdrum fare that is served up at the Bush.
How can this welcome, but radical, change be brought about? May I humbly suggest a completely
new approach to the art of getting those all-important goals?
First of the most important changes should take place in the forward line. As I see it, the Rangers
are a bunch of goal-makers instead of a bunch of goal-getters.
The flicks of Balogun are delightful, but the very slow, deliberate style of Cameron is a handicap
to the rest of the line. Leslie Locke is a good player, but he is spending too much time defending.
Longbottom, in all the games I have seen him play, has never impressed. He is poor in the air, easily
knocked off the ball, and not aggressive.
Peter Angell will never be an outside-left. With that beautiful left-foot of his Angell will always be a
half or a back.
Tom Quigley is a basher and a plucky player who, given the right help, could be 100 per cent more
effective.
This is the move that might pay off; shift Mike Hellawell to inside-right, buy a good outside-right
(if you haven’t got any cash experiment with Dean or Knibbs).
Tell Locke to save his energy for scoring, and restore Kerrins to the outside-left position.
And, finally, it’s not too late to win the Division Championship.
Yours,
Tommy Ray,
Goldhawk Road’
The following day the R’s drew 1-1 at home to Reading.
There was a period during March and April when we scored just three goals (all in one match against
Southend) in eight games!
Rangers finished the season in tenth position and Jack Taylor continued as manager until May 1959.
Alec Stock replaced him three months later.
(My thanks to Colin Woodley for unearthing Tommy Ray’s letter)
The following letter from Tommy Ray of the Goldhawk Road, appeared in the
West London Observer on 14th December 1956:
‘Dear Jack Taylor – What is the future for the Rangers? Gates are down, and floodlighting
does not seem to be the answer.
At the time of writing your team has only scored 24 goals in 20 league matches, and there
are only four clubs with a worse record in the Third Division South.
The reason for the lack of interest in the club is simply that the Rangers are a poor and
uninteresting side, with no flair for getting GOALS. For years this has been the root of the
trouble. To win the championship a team should aim to get 100 goals.
I have watched the lads play over a number of years and, in spite of my letter, will continue to
do so; but how I would welcome some colour, some change of ideas, anything but the same
humdrum fare that is served up at the Bush.
How can this welcome, but radical, change be brought about? May I humbly suggest a completely
new approach to the art of getting those all-important goals?
First of the most important changes should take place in the forward line. As I see it, the Rangers
are a bunch of goal-makers instead of a bunch of goal-getters.
The flicks of Balogun are delightful, but the very slow, deliberate style of Cameron is a handicap
to the rest of the line. Leslie Locke is a good player, but he is spending too much time defending.
Longbottom, in all the games I have seen him play, has never impressed. He is poor in the air, easily
knocked off the ball, and not aggressive.
Peter Angell will never be an outside-left. With that beautiful left-foot of his Angell will always be a
half or a back.
Tom Quigley is a basher and a plucky player who, given the right help, could be 100 per cent more
effective.
This is the move that might pay off; shift Mike Hellawell to inside-right, buy a good outside-right
(if you haven’t got any cash experiment with Dean or Knibbs).
Tell Locke to save his energy for scoring, and restore Kerrins to the outside-left position.
And, finally, it’s not too late to win the Division Championship.
Yours,
Tommy Ray,
Goldhawk Road’
The following day the R’s drew 1-1 at home to Reading.
There was a period during March and April when we scored just three goals (all in one match against
Southend) in eight games!
Rangers finished the season in tenth position and Jack Taylor continued as manager until May 1959.
Alec Stock replaced him three months later.
(My thanks to Colin Woodley for unearthing Tommy Ray’s letter)