Loftus Road is a football stadium in London, W12. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers and has a capacity of 19,105.

History

The stadium was first used by Shepherd's Bush F.C. from 1904, an amateur side that disbanded in World War I and QPR moved there in 1917, from their previous home of Park Royal Showground.

During the summer of 1981 an artificial pitch was installed at Loftus Road, the first such surface to be used in British professional football. But it was removed in April 1988 because of football legislation and replaced with grass.

It was home to Wasps R.F.C. (now called confusingly London Wasps) for a number of years - who moved from their home in Sudbury, near Wembley in Middlesex. The stadium was also used by Fulham F.C. for 2 seasons between 2002 and 2004.

The ground has more recently played host to international football/soccer matches, notably involving 'home' ties for the Jamaican and Australian soccer teams to capitalise on the large Caribbean and Antipodean populations in West London. In addition, in 2004 as part of the Gillette Tri-Nations Rugby League competition, New Zealand played Australia (Australia winning by 32 points to 16). In 2005, Great Britain lost to New Zealand at the stadium in the same competition, 26 - 42.

Trivia

• The stadium's highest recorded attendance of 35,353 was in a game against Leeds United on 27 April 1974, before it was converted into an all-seater stadium, in the 1980's.

• Their supporters' unkindly nicknamed the ground "Legoland".

External link

• Queens Park Rangers' Website

Sports venues in London | Football venues in England | Queens Park Rangers F.C. | Fulham F.C. | Rugby union stadiums in England

Loftus Road