John Collins (footballer, born 1942) explained

John Collins
Fullname:John William Bashley Collins
Birth Date:10 August 1942
Birth Place:Chiswick, London, England
Position:Inside left
Youthyears1:1950–1959
Youthclubs1:Queens Park Rangers
Years1:1959–1966
Caps1:172
Goals1:46
Years2:1966–1967
Caps2:39
Goals2:33
Years3:1967–1969
Clubs3:Reading
Caps3:85
Goals3:28
Years4:1969–1971
Clubs4:Luton Town
Caps4:42
Goals4:10
Years5:1971–1973
Caps5:97
Goals5:16
Totalcaps:435
Totalgoals:132

John William Bashley Collins (born 10 August 1942) is an English former footballer who scored 108 goals from 417 appearances in the Football League in the 1960s and early 1970s, playing as an inside left for Queens Park Rangers, Oldham Athletic, Reading, Luton Town and Cambridge United.[1]

Collins came through the youth ranks at Queens Park Rangers, turned professional in 1959 and made his debut in a 1–0 win against Barnsley in April 1960.[2] He went on to play 172 league games for Rangers, scoring 46 league goals, then transferred to Oldham Athletic in 1966 and later had spells at Reading, Luton Town and Cambridge United.[1]

Collins became a cult hero at QPR after famously scoring a hat-trick of headers in a game versus Hull City. Collins also scored a fourth, although this was discounted by match official Cedric Tomlinson.

Ken Wagstaff of Hull later described the performance as: "A hatrick of headers - that's certainly something I'd never be able to do."

Notes and References

  1. Web site: John Collins . UK A–Z Transfers . Neil Brown . 26 February 2010.
  2. Web site: 1959/60 . Kenneth . Westerberg . Excel spreadsheet . QPRNet . Ron Norris . 25 February 2010 .