Orients 1976 5 a side win subject to a bung?
Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 2:22 pm
Stan Bowles claimed he took a bung to play poorly in the final for QPR against Orient
1976 5 A Side Final
Stan recalled one year which seemed to sum up his life and career, when in 1976, QPR reached the final against second division Leyton Orient. Stan said ‘I had a good mate who was an Orient supporter – Jewish Dennis he was called … he’d backed them (Orient) to win the thing, £1,000 at 8-1. He said to me, ‘If I was to go hooky in the final he would see me right for a grand (£1,000). Well, I only stood to get £200 if we won the final, so was rather reluctant to turn him down.I scored a goal but we lost 5-1, Gerry Francis (QPR player & England captain at the time), said to me afterwards, ‘I don’t understand it Stan, you played brilliantly all night apart from the last game, I suppose you must have been tired’.
Bung
Bowles (who actually played for Orient & Brentford in this event in the later years of his career) did state ‘As far as league football was concerned I was never, ever approached to throw a game or even heard of anyone who had been. I would never consider taking a bung even if I had been approached. The five-a-side competition was a bit of friendly fun while the football league was all important.’ Well it certainly mattered to a lot of other players, particularly the smaller clubs who had the chance to pit their skills against the capitals best players, with Wycombe Wanderers managed by Martin O’Neil winning the last two years of the tournament (94 & 95).
1976 5 A Side Final
Stan recalled one year which seemed to sum up his life and career, when in 1976, QPR reached the final against second division Leyton Orient. Stan said ‘I had a good mate who was an Orient supporter – Jewish Dennis he was called … he’d backed them (Orient) to win the thing, £1,000 at 8-1. He said to me, ‘If I was to go hooky in the final he would see me right for a grand (£1,000). Well, I only stood to get £200 if we won the final, so was rather reluctant to turn him down.I scored a goal but we lost 5-1, Gerry Francis (QPR player & England captain at the time), said to me afterwards, ‘I don’t understand it Stan, you played brilliantly all night apart from the last game, I suppose you must have been tired’.
Bung
Bowles (who actually played for Orient & Brentford in this event in the later years of his career) did state ‘As far as league football was concerned I was never, ever approached to throw a game or even heard of anyone who had been. I would never consider taking a bung even if I had been approached. The five-a-side competition was a bit of friendly fun while the football league was all important.’ Well it certainly mattered to a lot of other players, particularly the smaller clubs who had the chance to pit their skills against the capitals best players, with Wycombe Wanderers managed by Martin O’Neil winning the last two years of the tournament (94 & 95).
