It was a unique career move for the QPR man and speaking to the QPR match day magazine in 1992 he explained the decision.

He said "I didn't pick up a tennis racket until I was 33, when I was playing football in the American league for Atlanta and living in Williamsburg. Some friends over there got me hooked on tennis and I carried on playing when I got back from England.

After I retried in 1968 I got all the necessary tennis coaching qualifications and turned pro in 1970. I carried on in tennis until my knees have out but I spent a very happy 17 years coaching at the Barn Elms Sports Centre in Barnes".

QPR was Brian's fourth league club he played for after coming into football through the RAF. He was born in Wales in 1933 and was posted to Uxbridge for his national service and impressed many with his performances for the camp football team. Among his colleagues were Eddie Firmani of Charlton who recommended Brian to his club but Brian turned down Charlton due the date of his trial clashing with an important game for the camp team.

He ended up signing for Reading on April 1st 1954.

He recalls: "I don't know whether April the 1st was significant, but I had a very mixed time at Reading. My form went from brilliant to mediocre and after one season I wasn't worth another contract.

"I was obviously finding it difficult to adapt to league football because the same thing happened the following season at Southampton. I finally established myself during the three years I had at Bournemouth. The highlight of my time was the 1957 FA cup run when we beat Wolves and Tottenham then lost to Manchester United.

The game against united was only ten days before the Munich disaster so I was one of the last people to play against the great players like Duncan Edwards, Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor."

"I was happy at Bournemouth until the manager left and I soon asked for a move and Alec Stock brought me to QPR. "

Brian's goal record was superb for Rangers scoring almost two for every three games played. He became one of our deadliest ever strikers. In his second season at the club he equalled the club record for goals scored in a season with 37 goals and the following year he broke the record getting 38 goals. He immense contribution to the club helped us to within a whisker of promotion in 1961.

"When I signed for QPR, Alec Stock had just been named as the new Manager," said Bedford.

"I travelled up to West London to be interviewed by the Club and Alec said 'You'll score 30 goals a year for me son!' Just like that! So I said 'You're joking?' as my record down at Bournemouth was something like 32 goals over three years. But Alec said 'Yes you will!' And he wasn't far wrong, was he?"

Stock's all-out attacking policy was really beneficial for the strikers at Rangers and Bedford was happy to rattle home goals by the truckload.

"Alec played a big part in my goalscoring. We used to play with those old fashioned players called wingers. We always seemed to get good wide men at the Club like Mark Lazarus who could provide excellent crosses. So I was the benefactor of that.

"Then we would have one inside-forward who dropped deep. I was the inside-right and I would play up front alongside the centre-forward.

"Bernie Evans was my strike partner in my first few years at Rangers. He was a big, strong boy who was pretty useful in the air. So it was just sort of...BANG...flick on...run on...BANG...GOAL...and that's it! Very simple stuff.

"I was a very direct and hard-running player. I could hit the ball with both feet and I was good with my headers.

"I've still got the pen, plaque and two trophies that the QPR Supporters' Club presented me with for my goals in the 1961/62 season. I got six hat-tricks that year, including four in a game against Southend United.

"I recall that the top wage in the Third Division - which Rangers were in at the time - was about £35 to £40 a week. Ridiculous really! But it was still much better than the average working man's salary. Not only that, as far as I was concerned I was getting paid for something I loved doing. That was a big thing for me.

"There was certainly much more emphasis on attacking football in those days than there is today. A lot of teams nowadays play with just one lone striker, which I think is ludicrous. I call it 'dinosaur football.'

"When I see one man up front on his own, I feel so sorry for him, because he is on a hiding to nothing and it is not good entertainment for the fans."

The arrival of Jim Gregory as chairmen saw him leave QPR for Scunthorpe in 1965 but he had left his mark at Loftus Road and helped lay the foundations for Jim Gregory's glorious era at Loftus Road.

"Jim Gregory was appointed as Chairman of QPR and he started pouring some money in with new players being signed. Unfortunately, I was just starting to go a little bit over the hill as far as age was concerned. I was nearly 32 years old then. The Club had to offload some of the playing staff and I was one of them, I'm afraid.

"I had six very happy seasons at Rangers. Then they transferred me to that Godforsaken place called Scunthorpe! I don't think Alec Stock wanted me to sign for any other London team or any nearby club in case I embarrassed him.

"It was very sad. I didn't like leaving Loftus Road. But you have to move on don't you? That's life."

It's just a shame QPR fans didn't get to see Brian in a much better team as if he had played in that 1967 cup winning team, who knows how many goals he would have got for the club. Brian went on to play for Brentford before moving out to America where his tennis career began.

Brian returned to Loftus Road as Stadium Manager until he was made redundant in 1992 and now lives in Cardiff.