Queens Park Rangers vs Reading

HOOPS
Columnist
talkSPORT REPORTER AND RANGERS FAN
TONY INCENZO RECALLS SOME WEIRD AND
WONDERFUL STORIES...
QPR’S OLDEST
I WAS interested by the fact that David
Marshall’s debut for Rangers against West
Bromwich Albion earlier this month came at
the age of 36 years and 316 days. That puts him
third in our list of all-time oldest debutants.
The second oldest was Roy Bentley, who
made his first QPR appearance aged 37 years
and 94 days.
Born in Bristol on 17th May 1924, Bentley had an
excellent career at Newcastle United, Chelsea
and Fulham. Originally playing as a striker,
he won 12 full England caps and scored nine
international goals.
Bentley moved from Craven Cottage to join
QPR in June 1961. By this stage, he had become
a defender and he made his debut for us on
19th August that year in our 3-0 home win over
Brentford on the opening day of the Division
Three season.
After 52 appearances here at Rangers, Bentley
moved on to become manager of Reading in
1963. He later had a spell as Swansea’s boss
before returning to Reading as club secretary.
Bentley died on 20th April 2018, aged 93.
Meanwhile, QPR’s all-time oldest debutant was
Wales international goalkeeper Paul Jones at the
age of 38 years and 300 days.
Jones, who was born in Chirk, North Wales, on
18th April 1967, signed for QPR in 2006 after
being released by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
His debut came in our 1-0 home win over Millwall
in the Championship on 11th February and he
stayed at Loftus Road until May 2007. Jones
made a total of 26 appearances for us and won
five Welsh caps as a QPR player.
Follow Tony Incenzo on Twitter at
@TonyIncenzo
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