Before a ball is kicked at the London Stadium on Friday evening, supporters of both West Ham and Queens Park Rangers will pause to remember a goalkeeper who meant something profound to each club. Ludek Miklosko, who died on 14 September at the age of 64 having withdrawn from cancer treatment in December 2024, played for both sides during a career that left a lasting mark on English football's second tier and beyond.
A pre-match ceremony that bridges two clubs
West Ham have confirmed they will dedicate the Championship fixture against QPR to the Czech stopper. Miklosko's family and a group of selected former team-mates will take part in a pre-match ceremony at the London Stadium ahead of kick-off. Fan-led displays will fill two of the stands, a video tribute will run on the big screens, and a special commemorative match programme will be produced for the occasion.
The tributes carry particular weight because Miklosko did not merely pass through one of these clubs: he committed years of his career to each. He made 373 appearances for West Ham between 1990 and 1998, becoming one of the most respected figures the club has seen in the modern era. He then signed for QPR in 1998, going on to make 57 league appearances at Loftus Road before playing his last professional match in March 2001. After retiring, he returned to West Ham as a goalkeeping coach, deepening a connection with the club that lasted the better part of two decades.
What Miklosko gave the second tier
Supporters who watched Miklosko in his prime remember a goalkeeper who combined physical authority with a quiet composure that settled those around him. His time at QPR, though shorter than his Hammers spell, came during a period when the west London club were navigating the Championship, and those fans who saw him at Loftus Road recall a professional who brought experience and calm at a point in his career when others might have coasted.
The fact that both sets of supporters will be in the same stadium on Friday, sharing a moment of collective memory, gives the occasion a rare dimension. Championship football produces few evenings like this: two clubs with genuine, separate connections to the same figure, brought together by the fixture list.
A fitting context for the tribute
West Ham currently sit at the top of the Championship table, with Friday's home game against QPR carrying genuine weight in the promotion picture. The club have built early momentum under their manager, and the London Stadium atmosphere has already proved a significant factor this season. That the fixture lands at this point, against a side that also claimed Miklosko as one of their own, makes the tribute all the more fitting rather than incidental.
QPR travel across London knowing the night belongs, in part, to a player who wore their shirt. The pre-match ceremony will belong to everyone inside the ground; after that, the Championship's relentless demands take over.
Miklosko died last month aged 64. He played 373 times for West Ham and 57 league times for QPR. He is remembered by supporters of both clubs.
Frequently asked
- Why are West Ham honouring Ludek Miklosko before the QPR game?
- West Ham are dedicating the Championship fixture against QPR to Ludek Miklosko, who died in September 2024 aged 64. He played 373 times for West Ham and 57 league times for QPR, giving both clubs a personal connection to the tribute.
- What is happening at the London Stadium before West Ham vs QPR?
- A pre-match ceremony will take place involving Miklosko's family and former team-mates. There will also be fan-led displays in two stands, a video tribute on the big screens, and a special commemorative match programme.
- What clubs did Ludek Miklosko play for?
- Miklosko played 373 times for West Ham between 1990 and 1998, then joined QPR and made 57 league appearances before retiring in 2001. He later returned to West Ham as a goalkeeping coach.