Six of the Best - QPR

West Ham United welcome a host of their former players back to the Boleyn Ground this Sunday, when Queens Park Rangers visit in the Barclays Premier League.

R's boss Harry Redknapp, goalkeeper Robert Green, defender Rio Ferdinand and striker Bobby Zamora all played for the Hammers and will be trying to get one over their old Club.

Before this weekend's derby, however, we remember six classic victories over Sunday's opponents.

West Ham United 2-1 Queens Park Rangers
Championship
6 November 2004

West Ham's last home victory over the R's came just under ten years ago, when both clubs were in the second tier of English football.

Two goals from Marlon Harewood - among the 22 he notched that season - were enough to see off the west Londoners, who briefly levelled through Kevin McLeod.

Harewood's 84th-minute winner helped West Ham gain revenge for a 1-0 defeat by the same opponents just three weeks earlier.

West Ham would go on to win promotion to the Premier League that season, defeating Preston North End in the Play-Off final, while Rangers finished down in eleventh.

West Ham United 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Premier League
25 November 1995

West Ham-QPR clashes have been few and far between in recent years, so we have to go back 19 years for the Hammers' last top-flight triumph over the R's,

Tony Cottee's 84th-minute strike settled this clash, which moved the Hammers up to tenth in the Premier League table.

Tenth is where the Hammers would remain come the season's end, but QPR would suffer the pain of relegation, ending second bottom and five points adrift of safety to drop out of the Premier League three years after being founder members.

West Ham United 3-1 Queens Park Rangers
Division One
20 August 1985

West Ham United ensured their Boys of '86 season would get off to a positive start at home by defeating QPR 3-1 in August 1985.

Having been defeated at Birmingham City in the season opener, West Ham bounced back in style thanks in no small part to home debutant Frank McAvennie, who had arrived from Scottish side St Mirren. He scored twice, with Alan Dickens also on target, to begin his West Ham career in style.

McAvennie scored 26 league goals in his first campaign with the Hammers, who finished the season in third place - their best-ever league performance.


Frank McAvennie

West Ham United 3-0 Queens Park Rangers
Division Two
21 April 1981

West Ham were on the march to promotion when they hosted Queens Park Rangers in April 1981.

The Hammers had been top of the table since November and were on a 14-game unbeaten league run when the R's came across town.

Ironically, it was QPR who had inflicted their last league defeat, but West Ham showed them who was boss on this occasion, with Paul Goddard plundering a hat-trick.

The championship would go the Hammers' way, with nearest challengers Notts County a full 13 points behind.

West Ham United 2-1 Queens Park Rangers
FA Cup fifth round
15 February 1975

West Ham's successful 1975 FA Cup campaign included a fifth-round victory over Queens Park Rangers in February that year.

Having already seen off Southampton and Swindon Town by 2-1 scorelines, the latter after a replay, QPR were next in line.

Keith Robson and Pat Holland scored the goals to seal the Hammers' progress after Dave Clement's opener for the visitors from Robson's short back pass.

West Ham subsequently defeated Arsenal, Ipswich Town and Fulham to lift the trophy for the second time in their history.

West Ham United 2-0 Queens Park Rangers
Division Two
19 March 1949

West Ham's first Football League victory over QPR came in the 1948/49 season in Division Two.

Terry Woodgate and Bill Robinson were on target to seal the 2-0 victory which kept the east Londoners eighth in the table.

Come the season's end, West Ham would be one place higher, but ten points off promotion. QPR ended in a mid-table 13th.