Deep within the BBC Television centre in White City, London, QPR players congregated around a small TV set to watch the final game of the season. Ten days earlier, QPR had beaten Leeds at Loftus Road to complete their League campaign, sending them top of the old First Division. Because of Liverpool’s involvement in the Uefa Cup, the Merseyside club still had to play Wolves. The game at Molineux was crucial, as only one point separated the teams.

“It would not happen now,” says Gerry Francis, QPR captain that season, who saw the second half at the BBC. “It would have been fairer if Liverpool and QPR had played at the same time.” Despite trailing 1-0 with 15 minutes to go, Liverpool scored three times to claim the title. “How many chances will QPR have of winning the championship?” said Francis.

QPR’s manager, Dave Sexton, had built a strong team, including Francis, Stan Bowles and Frank McLintock. They remained unbeaten in the League at home. In 1979 the club was relegated to the Second Division, but, for 10 days at least, QPR were the best team in the country. [The numbers refer to a photograph, which is not carried on the website.]

1 Steve Jones A former QPR apprentice, Jones did not play for the first team. In 1979 he moved to Walsall and then to Wimbledon, where he remained until 1982, when injury ended his career. Owns a nightclub in Windsor

2 Tommy Cunningham Signed on a free from Chelsea in May 1975, Cunningham made 30 appearances before moving to Wimbledon in March 1979. He played most of his career at Leyton Orient and later became assistant manager at Brisbane Road. Now director of football at Harlow Town in the Ryman Division One North

3 Tony Tagg The central defender played four times under Sexton before moving to Millwall on a free transfer and then Wimbledon. He later became a taxi driver

4 Don Givens Givens won 56 caps for the Republic of Ireland, for whom he scored 19 goals. He coached Arsenal’s youth team and then worked in Switzerland. He has been Ireland’s under-21 coach since 1999

5 Martyn Busby Busby had two spells at QPR. He also played for Portsmouth and Notts County. He broke his leg during his second spell with the club and then became manager of non-League clubs Beaconsfield United and Maidenhead United. Runs a painting and decorating business near Slough

6 Phil Parkes If Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton had not been around, Parkes would have been England goalkeeper for many years. He won the FA Cup with West Ham in 1980 after they smashed the transfer record for a goalkeeper (£560,000) and he played 344 games for both clubs in a career that spanned 22 years. Returned to QPR in September 1991 as goalkeeping coach, but now runs a building firm in Reading

7 David Webb Best known for his 1970 FA Cup final-winning goal for Chelsea, Webb formed a solid defensive partnership with Frank McLintock. After QPR, he played for Leicester and Derby before managing Bournemouth, Torquay, Southend and Chelsea. He runs a property business

8 Keith Pritchett A Scot who played for Wolves, Doncaster, QPR and Blackpool, Pritchett spent most of his career with Watford. Emigrated to New Zealand, where he became a manager and then a football writer

9 Richard Teale Understudy to Parkes, Teale made only two appearances before moving to Fulham in August 1976. Runs a building firm in Eggham, Surrey

10 Ron Abbott Spent his entire, but admittedly short, career with Rangers, making 54 appearances. Once the central defender left QPR, he became a London taxi driver