Today I'm going back 26 years to 1995 and York City's visit to Loftus Road to watch a League Cup (or Coca Cola Cup if you prefer) Third Round tie against Queens Park Rangers (QPR).
Famously, in one of the greatest League Cup shocks of all time, York had knocked out Manchester United over two legs in the previous Round (and Rochdale in the Round before that!). Less famously, QPR had disposed of Oxford United 3-2 on aggregate, a measure of revenge for QPR in a repeat of the Final of nine years earlier.
In front of an attendance of 12,972, the match was only eight minutes old when Paul Barnes bundled the ball over the line from approximately two inches to give York another shock lead on the ground of First Division opposition. Sadly York's lead didn't last long with QPR's equaliser coming from Trevor Sinclair following a majestic through ball from QPR player-manager Ray Wilkins. It remained 1-1 until half time but Andrew Impey put QPR's noses in front in the second half with a rasping shot from the edge of the box. QPR's decisive third goal was scored by Danny Dichio who got onto the end of a free kick to volley home from close range. York's remarkable League Cup campaign was over but no York fan would ever forget that night at Old Trafford in the Second Round.
Daniele Salvatore Ernest Dichio played professional football from 1993 until 2009 and can be regarded as something of a journeyman pro having played for eleven clubs in that time including spells in Italy and Canada. QPR was the club where it all started for Dichio and he played more League games for QPR than for anyone else. In total for all his clubs Dichio made 415 League appearances scoring a respectable 112 goals. In 2007 Dichio made a little piece of history by scoring the first ever goal for new MLS franchise club Toronto FC and, less wonderfully, he also became their first player to be red carded later in the same game.
QPR would go on to play eventual winners Aston Villa in the Fourth Round going down 1-0 at Villa Park. Villa trounced Leeds United 3-0 at Wembley to equal Liverpool's record at the time of five League Cup wins. Liverpool continue to hold that record currently although it is shared with Manchester City with both teams having won eight League Cups each. QPR ended the 1995/6 Premier League season in 19th position and were comfortably relegated by five points.
CRB Match No. 992
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