It's 60 years since Albion won at Loftus Road - on a day Harburn hit the winner, a Brighton fan ran the line and the ref had to escape via a back door

Angry home fans swarmed around Albion players and the match officials after Peter Harburn’s header on the hour gave the visitors their 1-0 win.

One supporter even got into the referee’s changing room, according to Evening Argus reporter Jack Arlidge. The officials had to leave via a back door as unhappy locals waited outside.

Maybe it did not help that one of the linesmen, Charlie Russell of Northamptonshire, was originally from Brighton and was honorary treasurer of the Albion Supporters Club.

Still, the win kept Albion top of the early-season Division Three South table going into the second week of September and they ended that 1957-58 campaign as champions.

QPR finished tenth, which was a case of job done as teams battled to finish above the mid-way cut-off and avoid being placed in the new Division Four when the league structure was changed in the summer.

Russell would surely not have been allowed to work at an Albion match these days but he took his ordeal with good humour and said it was not the first time he had endured a rough ride at Loftus Road.

He told Arlidge of his clandestine escape: “I have had to use this way out on the last two occasions I have officiated here.

Eric Gill played in Albion's last win at Loftus Road

“Last season I received a well-directed apple in the back of the neck when ‘lining’ in the Rangers v Ipswich game here.”

Harburn met Frankie Howard’s flag kick for the winner at the far post as future England goalkeeper Ron Springett, resplendent in a red jersey, missed with his attempted punch.

Eric Gill was in goal for Albion that day and the match report suggests he was the busier keeper. Gill does not recall the game but can remember what a threat Harburn could be as a target man.

Adrian Thorne is the man whose goal feats are most commonly associated that title success given that he struck five times in the decisive final match against Watford.

But Harburn, a former sailor, scored 20 in the league and was a fearsome sight.

Gill told The Argus: “The game I remember is the first day of the season at Gillingham. I kicked this great long ball downfield. Peter charged forward and headed it in. The keeper was frightened out of his life!”

Only one team went up in those days and Albion had finished as runners-up twice in the previous four seasons.

Gill said: “I don’t think that discouraged us at all. We still thought we could do it.”

Ken Whitfield and Steve Burtenshaw were among the outstanding Albion players in that win before a gate of 10,676 at Loftus Road.

Rajiv van La Parra celebrates after putting Albion 2-0 up at QPR last season

Albion have since returned 11 times. They have drawn six, including the most recent four, and lost on five occasions Their winless stretch at the West London venue is not helped by the fact they did not play there between 1973 and 2001.

They were gifted a point by an own goal 11 years ago but blew a great chance for that elusive win last season when they finished 2-2 after going 2-0 up in the second half.

The 1957-58 line-ups

QPR: Springett, Woods, Ingham, Petchey, Rutter, Andrews, Kerrins, Longbottom, Finney, Smith, Angell.

Albion: Gill, Thomas, Jennings, Burtenshaw, Whitfield, Wilson, Gordon, Mundy, Harburn, Foreman, Howard.