Played for B th BLUES NEWS TAKES A LOOK AT THREE PLAYERS WHO HAVE TURNED OUT FOR BOTH BIRMINGHAM CITY AND QUEENS PARK RANGERS DOWN THE YEARS.
DAVID SEAMAN One of England’s most recognisable goalkeepers, David Seaman would become the country’s second-most capped ‘keeper ever behind the great Peter Shilton. After playing his youth career at Leeds United, Seaman spent two years with Peterborough United before moving to St. Andrew’s in 1984. After enduring relegation from the first division in his first season, the stopper would be part of the group that saw Blues promoted back at the first attempt. He made 75 appearances for Blues before transferring to Queens Park Rangers in 1986. He enjoyed four years in West London, turning out on the infamous plastic pitch as the Hoops became the first team to install an artificial playing surface at their Loftus Road home. The rest, as they say, is history. Seaman would transfer to Arsenal, where he recorded over 400 appearances, winning two league titles, four FA Cups and one European Cup Winners Cup.
DJ CAMPBELL Born in London, DJ Campbell climbed the football ladder in a slightly different way to many of his fellow professionals. After failing to agree to a professional contract, the Hammersmith-born frontman moved into the non-league arena at 19-years-old. There, he would have prolific spells at Isthmian League clubs Chesham United and Yeading. For the latter, Campbell scored a staggering 68 goals in 92 appearances across just two seasons of football. He caught the eye of the wider footballing world when Yeading drew Newcastle United in the FA Cup and would quickly progress up the ladder again, signing for Brentford in the summer of 2005. But the following winter, DJ Campbell would end up in the Midlands - transferring to Blues in January 2006. Linking up with Steve Bruce and his staff, the former Brentford forward fired his team back to the Premier League in the 2006/07 season, scoring 12 goals in 39 outings. After spells with Leicester City and Blackpool, Campbell would make the switch to West London and Queens Park Rangers in the summer of 2011. It was the club he had supported as a boy, but the spell was short-lived. Injuries plagued his two years at Loftus Road and he left having made just 14 appearances for the Hoops.
PAUL FURLONG Another London-born player who had a fine spell in the Midlands, Paul Furlong spent six years with Blues between 1996 and 2002. It was where the veteran forward would enjoy the second-longest spell of his career, notching up 131 appearances in Royal Blue and dispatching an impressive 50 goals. After leaving Blues in the summer of 2002, Furlong signed a contract with Queens Park Rangers, where he had played in the youth team several years before. He impressed further at Loftus Road, helping the Hoops to the Division Two title in the 2003/04 season. At the end of his spell, he had played 162 league games and found the net 54 times. Furlong would turn out until he reached 40-years-old, representing Luton Town, Southend United, Barnet, Kettering Town and St Albans City in the final years of his playing days. 24 | BLUES NEWS
BIRMINGHAM CITY vs QUEENS PARK RANGERS
