HDU Members Spotlight: Jonathan Hughes (NSW)

Mark Davis
Aug 10
3 min read

This is the last of our pre-season Hoops Down Under Member Spotlights for Season 2025-26 (thanks to everyone who took part! I got some great feedback!) And we finish up in Sydney, New South Wales for the final Spotlight where we catch up with long time Rs tragic Jonathan, another ex-pat who has been cheering on the Rs since 1974!

*Jonathan moved to Australia in 1997 and has continued supporting his beloved Rs Down Under.*

Q: Hi Jonathan! How's it all going? So how long have you been a QPR fan?

A: Since about 1974. My father grew up in the Hammersmith / Shepherds Bush area and so our family were all brought up as Rangers fans. Once I was deemed old enough - from about 1978 - he used to let me go with him to alternate home games on a shared season ticket with one of my brothers, in F block in the South Africa Rd stand. One of my Grandads also used to go with us until he moved away from London later in life. Once I started work I used to buy my own season ticket. When I was young we used to go to the odd London away game but then in my teens I started to go to away games more often, probably peaking in 1982/3 when we won Div 2 under Terry Venables! That year was a cracker from a footballing perspective and I went to most of the away games, which was eye-opening given that period had a fair bit of crowd 'trouble'. I was a season ticket holder every year until I moved to Oz in 1997.

QPR v Chelsea Program from Div 2 1982-83

Q: What is your most favourite QPR memory to date? A: Difficult to call this but probably the Zamora goal in the Championship play off final. Most memorable season for me was probably 82/83 but there were also the two seasons of our 13 in the top flight in the 80/90s when we finished fifth - 83/84 and 92/93. In the latter season we finished above all the other London clubs, which is difficult to imagine ever happening again! 😢 Oh and there was the 4-1 win at Old Trafford on New Years Day in 1992. I also really enjoyed attending the 2x FA Cup Finals v Spurs in 1982 even though we lost!

Q: Who is your all time favourite QPR Player? And Why?

A: Probably Stan Bowles as an old-school larikin with amazing skill. But hard to call, there have been many over the years!

Q: Who is your all time favourite QPR Manager? And Why?

A: Terry Venables - he got us into the top flight, excellent tactician and was ahead of his time! Frustrating that Barcelona nicked him off us but I couldn't blame him for wanting to go!

QPR's Terry Venables and Stan Bowles during training in London, 25th January 1974.

Q: Who is your current favourite QPR Player? And Why?

A: Probs Jimmy Dunne mainly because he always gives 100% plus he has re-signed. Not sure he is a RB though!

Q: Where would you like to see QPR in say, 5 years time (2030-31)? How do QPR reach this achievement? A: Obviously like anyone else I'd love to see us in the Premier League but to get there - and stay there - the club is going to have to be run very astutely, which has been beyond us for a long time now. You only have to look at how the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brentford and Palace have been run for many years to see that it can definitely be done as a 'smaller' club but the player recruitment & sales, the youth recruitment & management - as well as several other aspects - have to be handled much better than we seem to be capable of. Maybe Nourry and his team can do it...but the jury is still out. I think we can be optimistic about the upcoming season - to a point - with our new French Coach, arguably a slightly stronger squad and a kinder fixture list for the first 3 months but let's see what happens. The one thing we all know is that supporting this club is always a rollercoaster ride!