QPR, Plymouth Argyle deal was the start of something special: View | OneFootball

From the second Jamie Mackie took to the Loftus Road pitch you always knew he was going to endear himself to the fans.

The amiable character that he is, the forward’s stereotypical all-action performance on his debut for the club saw him find the back of the net within an hour of competitive action for the Hoops, and so a love-affair was born.

The frontman went on to make 150 appearances for QPR over two spells, and was something of a fan-favourite by the time he left the club for the second time in 2018 to join Oxford United.

Joining the club during their astronomical rise to the Premier League, Mackie was influential in the R’s winning promotion before featuring regularly in the top tier in his first spell, with his tireless performances winning the hearts of the West London faithful.

Jamie Mackie career appearances, goals and clubs

Mackie began life at the previous incarnation of Wimbledon Football Club, before joining the newly founded MK Dons for a brief spell, until he kickstarted his career with Exeter City in the top tier of non-league football.

His spell at the Grecians took a while to get going, but once it did, the goals were flowing for the frontman, with 12 strikes before the New Year tempting Devon neighbours Plymouth Argyle into a move for the then 22-year-old.

Moving between the two rivals could have been a tough manoeuvre for such a young player, but Mackie took to life on the green side of Devon like a duck to water, with two goals on his debut in a 3-0 win against Barnsley immediately wiping the slate clean.

Never one to be troubling the division’s top scorers, the striker went on to find the net five times in his next season, before registering eight in 2009/10 as the Pilgrims dropped down into League One.

Mackie makes QPR switch

Mackie wouldn’t be going with them though, as Queens Park Rangers had their ears pricked up by the frontman’s bargain price following Argyle’s demise, with the selling club in financial difficulties at the time.

Plymouth’s loss was Rangers’ gain in the long run, as Mackie once again netted on debut against Barnsley to lay down an early marker for his new side.

Eight goals in his first seven league matches proved it all; the striker immediately felt at home at Loftus Road, and was thriving in a frontline that consisted of Patrick Agyemang, Hogan Ephraim and Heidar Helguson, as well as the mercurial Adel Taarabt.

A late leveller at Derby County only served to make that early impact all the stronger, while braces against Ipswich Town and Leicester City made him an invaluable member of Neil Warnock’s side.

And even when the goals weren’t flowing you always knew what you were going to get with Mackie on the field, with his tenacity in hounding defenders and goalkeepers when out of possession, always going to get the fans on side, while he had pace to burn with the ball at his feet.

A serious leg break in January 2011 saw his first season with the R’s end early, before his enthusiasm was back in spades by the time QPR had reached the Premier League, where he went on to feature 31 times to help his side beat the drop.

You could say if it wasn’t for Mackie all football fans wouldn’t have experienced the greatest ending to a Premier League season of all-time that year, with his stooping header putting his side 2-1 up against Manchester City on the final day, and we all know how that one panned out.

Alas, another season at the top tier proved to be too much for Rangers as they finished bottom of the pile, but you can rest assured that Mackie was at the top end, putting in the hard yards when given the chance to do so, although he wasn’t always in Harry Redknapp’s plans.

The decision to leave the striker out irked a lot of QPR fans, so the decision for Mackie to leave must have been all the harder when he was told he wasn’t in the first-team plans for the following season.

And just like that, the three-year relationship was over. Mackie had to make do with spells at Nottingham Forest and Reading in the meantime, while Bobby Zamora, Andy Johnson and Charlie Austin were up front at Loftus Road.

Mackie returns to Loftus Road

There is a saying in football that you should never go back to a former club, but Jamie Mackie didn’t listen to that old adage and never regretted it for a second.

As soon as QPR came calling for a second time, Mackie jumped at the chance to be reunited with the club he knew he was loved at, with Chris Ramsay getting the band back together after the big-earners had departed.

He said at the time

"I played my best football in my career at this football club, it is a perfect fit for me. You walk in and see some familiar faces, the same people in the background, it’s great to be back.

"It doesn’t even feel like I’ve signed for a new club, it was like I was always there."

And so it continued, it was like he had never been away. Harrying defenders, blistering past them when in possession, and chipping in with the odd goal or two a season.

In a time when things weren’t always going so well for Rangers on the pitch, Mackie’s infectious nature so often got fans out of their seats, even if his final product could be lacking.

Six years of dedicated service will always be remembered at Loftus Road - through the thick and the thin - and he will always warmly be welcomed on his return to the club.

Not bad for a bargain deal, but he had something money couldn’t buy, and that was that desire and love for the game that oozed out of every footstep in a blue and white hooped shirt. That alone can take you places and embed yourself in the heart of the thousands who watch each week.