Incredibly, astonishingly, QPR face the prospect of going into their final game of the season against Leeds still not knowing the outcome of the FA’s inquiry into the Alejandro Faurlin transfer.

QPR (1st) v Leeds United (7th)

Npower Championship >>> Saturday, May 7, 2011 >>> Kick Off 12.45pm >>> Loftus Road, London, W12 >>> Live on BBC1

At the end of the 2004/05 season, with QPR ensconced in the middle of the table, manager Ian Holloway used his final press conference after the last game at Cardiff for a good old fashioned rant – about players’ shorts, the FA, the referees, finances, agents and anything else that took his fancy. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to do the same.

The final match preview of this incredible season is one I’ve been looking forward to writing for some time. What I should be writing about is that seeing a QPR player lift a trophy is a dream I’ve held since I was a little boy who used to go to the games on my dad’s shoulders. I should be saying that it’s a tragedy that rather than standing next to him and our best mate Stuart as Adel lifts the elusive silver jug into the air this Saturday afternoon, I’ll be standing pretty much alone because cancer took them both from me before they could witness this momentous event. I should be talking about the tidal wave of emotion that will sweep over my body when that trophy glints in the sun and is then thrust into the air to the acclaim of 18,000 ecstatic QPR fans.

But as I sat on the tube home this evening thinking of what to say, all I could feel was anger. Growing anger. I shouldn’t even be writing this now – the plan this week has been to delay the match preview for 24 hours and write it on Friday night once the verdict of the FA’s hearing into the Alejandro Faurlin transfer had been made public. But now we’re told that the FA will not be releasing the decision at 4pm on the Friday as previously planned, and all they can say is that they will let us know what the outcome is “as soon as possible” after that time. Friday night? Saturday morning? Sunday? Monday? Next week? Your guess is as good as mine, because we’re merely supporters so we don’t matter mate. Now fork out another £30 for a poxy England friendly would ya, they’ve got a giant white elephant that looks like a shopping basket to pay for you know.

I have, to this point, largely resisted any criticism of the Football Association over this whole saga. The whole sorry situation is QPR’s fault. It was QPR who signed a South American footballer in a deal that was a bit suspect from the start, it was QPR who entered into a third party agreement with that players’ representatives at the very time that the intricacies and illegality of such deals were being poured over in the media because of Carlos Tevez, it was QPR who put the paperwork through the FA with one fee on and then trumpeted the signing as a club record £3.5m deal when it was nothing of the sort for the sole reason of appeasing fans saying they weren’t spending enough on players, it was QPR who then appear to have made an absolute cock up of correcting the situation in October last year bringing a further two charges upon themselves and it is the QPR legal team who sought to delay this hearing for as long as possible into the season.

QPR and Gianni Paladini, and whatever the bloody outcome of all of this the time has long since passed for those two to part ways. Even if we’re not guilty of anything it’s only a matter of time before the Italian drops us in it again – Paladini inflicted crises have come around on average once every 14 months or so during his seven years with our club and while he continues to put his own popularity ahead of the club and being professional he is a loose cannon we can no longer afford to have rolling around.

To this point the FA is blameless. However, that is no longer the case.

The FA has been looking at this deal since September. It is they who waited until March to bring any charges, it is they who set the hearing for the four days before the final match of the season, it is they who spent the days before the penultimate match of the season privately briefing the gutter press that QPR would be deducted thousands of points, it is the FA that further prejudiced its own case by writing to all the other clubs explaining the new play off dates in the case of a QPR points deduction, and it is they who have put out this ludicrous statement this evening.

Apparently the result won’t now come through at 4pm on Friday. I’m sorry? Did I miss a memo? When was the deadline for the result ever 4pm on Friday? The big problem with this whole shambles has been the same problem I found when my dad was wasting away in his hospital bed – it’s the open endedness of it all, the not knowing, the waiting and suffering that’s actually worse than the final act. I’ve been saying for weeks on here that it’s ridiculous that we have been kept in the dark about when the result of all of this would be known while still being expected to turn up to Football League games and pay upwards of £25 to sit and watch matches that may turn out to be meaningless. Finally today they tell us when the verdict will be known, but they reveal it in a statement that says a deadline we didn’t know existed will not be met, and then don’t go on to say when they will actually deliver a verdict sticking us right back at square one again.

Who is judging this case? Who is on the panel? What is being said at this hearing? What evidence is being offered? You’re not allowed to know mere supporter. There is no public gallery or press bench, there is no openness at all. The best we can do is scour Twitter feeds from people who have “sources”. Whatever this punishment is you’ll have no idea how it was reached, or why. This is a similar justice system to the ones used in North Korea and the Philippines – bizarre sentences handed down for no discernable reason and with no explanation. UEFA and FIFA don’t call the FA the most shambolic governing body of any footballing nation in the world for nothing. We’re now going to have a league season finished, play offs ready to start, and nobody very sure whether they’re promoted, in the play offs, or finished for the year.

The FA has never been shy of embarrassing itself before, and has done so on multiple occasions, so we shouldn’t be surprised that it’s happily doing so again. They should be ashamed of the way this is turning out. One wonders whether Npower are regretting their decision to take up sponsorship of what is now a complete and utter farce.

The happiest day of my life, originally pencilled in for this Saturday, will now have the same cloud hanging over it that the last happiest day of my life (last Saturday at Watford) did. That nagging doubt that they’ve delayed all of this because they know what they’re going to do, they know we’re not going to like it, and they don’t very much fancy a televised riot taking place at Loftus Road this Saturday at 12.45pm. In the real world we’d be made to stay at work on Friday night until this job is done, but this is the FA’s world now – and don’t we all bloody know it.

Five minutes on Leeds

The Leeds story is depressingly familiar – top flight mainstay mismanaged, fallen on hard times, suddenly finds itself playing a first round fixture in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Northern Section. Norwich, Forest, Southampton, QPR, Leicester and others have all been there – although the collapse of Leeds United from European semi finals with Valencia down to League One games with Hartlepool was probably the most extreme example of the art, and the mismanagement that caused it was absolutely catastrophic.

We’ve all heard the Peter Ridsdale stories before – the thousands of pounds spent on fish, Seth Johnson going into his office looking for £20k a week and coming out with double that, millions upon millions upon millions of pounds thrown around in the pursuit of a dream that they came tantalisingly close to reaching. Leeds are only just recovering now, and they did that in highly questionable circumstances with chairman Ken Bates screwing over the club’s creditors by hauling them into, and out of, admnsitratuon while still owning the club – essentially ridding it of its debts overnight without anybody who was owed money getting what they were owed. Bates then oversaw a couple of seasons of progress on the pitch, while the club was owned by anonymous backers who could not be revealed. Only this week, when Bates apparently bought the club from them, has that situation been resolved.

There was brief hope of a reprieve, when Kevin Blackwell hauled them kicking and screaming to the Championship play off final in 2006, but they were soundly beaten by Watford and the side that returned for the following season was an unimaginative shambles with Geoff Horsfield at the top and a hollow vacuum at its heart. Blackwell made way for Dennis Wise midway through that campaign but he couldn’t save them from relegation to the third tier with a plethora of dodgy loan signings – Leeds were out fought and thought by a QPR team swiftly filled with characters like Danny Cullip, Adam Bolder and Lee Camp by John Gregory who performed miracles at Loftus Road to ensure Rangers survived against the odds.

Leeds didn’t care for this very much at all. Their ever loveable fans invading the pitch before the end of their final game of the season with Ipswich and attempted to get the match called off with a small riot – this scenario at Loftus Road live on the television could well be the reason for the sudden delay in our hearing. The rest of the Championship bid them farewell like you may do with your in laws after Christmas – big smile, celebratory drink, vow never to see the horrible bastards again.

Leeds were left to fall into the Sheffield Wednesday trap of assuming a return would be automatic because of the sheer size of their club, and off they went with their factually incorrect ‘Champions of Europe’ chant to Yeovil, Hartlepool and other glamorous flesh pots of the British Isles. New owner Ken Bates, of Chelsea infamy, put the club into administration with debts of £35m, and then scandalously bought it back for himself offering to pay the creditors 1p in the pound, and eventually settling on 8p under protest. The Inland Revenue, owed more than £7m in unpaid tax, revolted and Leeds were deducted 15 points for the start of the following season. Quite how Leeds’ owners are able to pass the league’s ‘fit and proper person test’ when nobody actually knows who the Forward Sports Fund is, and Bates isn’t willing to divulge, is as much a mystery as it is a farce.

Wise left to join Newcastle midway through the season and Gary McAllister replaced him as manager, guiding Leeds to the play offs where they again brought joy to the nation by losing in the final against Doncaster Rovers. Much like their previous play off final failure Leeds suffered a hangover the following season and McAllister was sacked in December after a run of five straight defeats. The Scot still seems unable to shake the idea that he’s an undoubtedly nice fella, but not really management material and to go with his poor spells as boss at Coventry and Leeds he has this season presided over the collapses at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa as an assistant.

He did however leave a side that contained Jermaine Beckford, Luciano Becchio, Fabian Delph and others and Leeds actually made a positive move for once by bringing in former player and fine manager Simon Grayson from Blackpool. The turn around was remarkable but they were again beaten in the play offs, this time by Millwall at the semi final stage.

Last season they started as clear favourites to win League One and did indeed race away at the top to start with – eight straight wins to start the season was the club’s best ever run at the beginning of a campaign. Everything seemed to be going swimmingly, they even beat Man Utd 1-0 at Old Trafford in the third round of the FA Cup, and scored late to take Spurs to a replay after that as well. What happened then has never really been explained. Grayson is clearly a fine manager, as we will come onto shortly, and the team Leeds had at their disposal last season was the best League One will see for a generation. But they completely collapsed.

Norwich City quickly overhauled their nine point lead at the top of the table and all of a sudden, just two wins and a draw from eight matches later, Leeds were staring down the barrel of another play off campaign as Millwall and Swindon came up on the rails. Walsall won at Elland Road, Brentford took a point, Charlton closed the gap to two points in third at one stage. They were in trouble and nobody could really put a finger on why. The cup run may have served as a distraction, along with constant speculation about Jermaine Beckford whose status at the club was up and down like a bride’s nightie as he refused to sign a new contract and courted Premiership clubs ahead of an inevitable summer move. They lost four games in March, including a 2-0 home defeat to Millwall, and dropped to fourth.

In the end they got lucky. A rally in April saw them win three consecutive games to climb back to second, although they lost against league leaders Norwich which meant Millwall were still in the driving seat until they lost a late game in hand against a poor Tranmere side with nothing to play for. The black was over the pocket, the white was well placed, Leeds chalked their cue – Bristol Rovers came to Elland Road on the final day of the season with one foot already on the plane to Tenerife.

They went one nil down to Rovers, and then down to ten men when Max Gradel threw a tantrum on a level not seen on a football pitch for many years. Eventually Jonny Howson and Jermaine Beckford scored in a narrow 2-1 win – but by Christ they made it needlessly difficult for themselves.

Back in the Championship Leeds found a division with no obvious title contender, and no threat being posed by the relegated Premiership clubs. They’ve threatened to make a serious impact on it, and going into the final game of the season still have half a mathematical chance of making the top six – QPR lunacy not withstanding. Their problem has been an inability to stop conceding goals, and centre halves of a better quality than Alex Bruce must be top of Simon Grayson’s shopping list this summer.

Manager: As a player Grayson was a dependable right full back who played predominantly with Blackpool and Leicester but also notably with Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers. A Leeds fan as a boy, and player as a trainee coming through the youth set up at Elland Road, Grayson was the reserve team manager at Blackpool in 2005 when the Oyston’s surrendered their grand plans of progress under former Scotland captain Colin Hendry and sacked the Pat Butcher look-a-like with relegation to the bottom division a distinct possibility.

Grayson was thrown in initially as a caretaker, but did such a superb job he was hired permanently and laid a platform at Bloomfield Road that Ian Holloway and the Tangerines are still benefitting from today. For a rookie manager Grayson showed great knowledge and tact in the transfer market – picking up players like Jason Wilcox, Marcus Bean and Ian Evatt who were really solid, dependable figures for the level of football Pool were playing at. They stayed up with something to spare and then in his first full season in charge rocketed straight through the league to win promotion via the play offs – Yeovil Town their victims in the final in what was a club record tenth straight win.

He then revelled in keeping Blackpool in the Championship despite pundits queuing up to tip them for an immediate return. Again his transfer dealings were second to none with players like Kaspars Gorkss and Wes Hoolahan discovered playing in the backwaters of Latvia and Scotland and added to the team with great effect at minimal cost. When those two, and more besides, were picked up by perceived bigger clubs on the cheap Grayson simply replaced them with more fine buys.

It was inevitable that a big club would come calling, and he was even linked with the assistant manager position at Old Trafford before finally answering the call from Leeds. After everything he had done for Blackpool it was a shame he had to part on bad terms to manage the club he supported – he forced the Tangerines’ hand by resigning when they refused initially to let him go to Elland Road.

As the previously mentioned former Premiership sides have found, promotion from League One is not an easy thing to win but Grayson has now brought one big and one small club out of that division and made a really decent fist of the Championship. A second promotion could beckon and his stock really will be sky high then – although as a supporter it’s hard to envisage him ever leaving of his own choice but if he continues in his current vein it may well be Leeds cast in the Blackpool role of fending off interest in him from clubs higher up the food chain.

Three to watch: Leeds have the worst home defensive record in the top half of the league (37 conceded), the worst away defensive record of the top ten (35 conceded) and the worst goal difference of the top eight teams (+10). It doesn’t take a genius to work out where summer transfer activity may focus. There’s been a 5-2 defeat at Barnsley and a 6-4 home set back against eventually relegated Preston just to reinforce the point.

First out of the door, if Simon Grayson has any sense, should be Alex Bruce who is not even as good at football as I am. If his last name was Smith or Jones or anything other than Bruce, and his dad was a cabbie or a brickie or an estate agent or anything other than a former Man Utd captain, then he would be doing an everyday job, just like the rest of us who have no footballing ability whatsoever. You can forgive the family loyalties that saw him attached to Birmingham for so long when his dad was manager but Ipswich fell into the trap of thinking there may be a little of his father’s magic in there somewhere and despite proving conclusively over several seasons at Portman Road that there absolutely wasn’t Leeds leapt straight in to sign him when his contract ended last summer.

To the clear horror of his father, regularly filmed shaking his head in the stands as Bruce commits one howler after another, young Alex disobeys the clear and obvious rule of centre half play with ridiculous frequency – never let the ball bounce. He gives whoever he is playing against a chance – he’s good for a goal a game. He’s the manager’s annoying son everybody had in their junior Sunday league team, always getting to play despite being crap just because of the ball sack he came from in the first place.

The man having to back him up is another player who has perhaps been given a leg up in his career by his surname – Kasper Schmeichel. Now as tough acts to follow go, I can’t think of one much tougher than keeping goal as the son of Peter Schmeichel. Christ, you only have to look at the way Old Trafford has eaten alive the various attempts at replacing the Danish legend over the years to know they are big gloves to fill. Schmeichel has flattered to deceive for much of his career – he looked like he was going to be an absolute star when he was Man City’s first choice at the start of Sven Goran Eriksson’s reign but he soon dropped out of contention, and he did himself few favours by chasing the big money at Notts County, despite the move relegating him four divisions.

The most noticeable thing about him at Leeds this season, for me, has been the clear change in his physique. His chest must be twice the size it was 18 months ago now, and he’s actually starting to look like a goalkeeper physically able to command his area and intimidate opponents in the way his father did. He’s still young and quite naïve in a lot of the things he does, but he’s a far better keeper than he was a year ago and looks like a good signing for Leeds.

As does Max Gradel, the former Leicester trainee who scored twice against us at Elland Road back in December. Despite a fantastic season in which he has scored 17 goals from a wide area, I’m still not Gradel’s biggest fan. His technique and temperament are suspect for me, although he’s made me look an idiot for saying so all season by scoring and performing consistently.

Links >>> Official Website >>> Message Board

History

Leeds: Schmeichel 6, Connolly 6, Bruce - (Bromby 11, 7), Collins 7, McCartney 6, Kilkenny 7, Howson 7, Johnson 7, Gradel 7 (Sam 76, 7),Becchio 8 (Paynter 90, -), Snodgrass 7

Subs Not Used: Higgs, Faye, Somma, McCormack

Booked: Connolly (fighting)

Goals: Gradel 25 (assisted Becchio), 70 (unassisted)

QPR Kenny 7, Orr 6, Gorkss 6, Connolly 5, Hill 4 (Hall 46, 5), Derry 5, Walker 5, Mackie 6, Smith 6 (Ephraim 75, 5), Taarabt 6, Hulse 6 (Helguson 75, 5)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Clarke, Rowlands, Tofas

Booked: Orr (foul), Hill (foul)

Earlier in the 2006/07 season, right at the very beginning of it in fact, Rangers and Leeds shared the spoils in an opening night Loftus Road thriller. After a meek 2-0 defeat on day one at Burnley QPR looked set to par the course again when Eddie Lewis gave the visitors the lead midway through the second half. Step forward young Ray Jones, who combined with Shabazz Baidoo in the final half an hour of the game as a substitute to win QPR a famous point. Rangers drew level from the penalty spot after a generous decision from referee Kevin Friend who adjudged Gareth Ainsworth to have been fouled in the box. From the kick off Geoff Horsfield restored Leeds lead with just eight minutes to go but Baidoo scrambled and equaliser and Jones went within a whisker of winning the game outright in stoppage time.

QPR: P Jones 9, Bignot 4 (Baidoo 76, 8), Rose 4, Stewart 4, Milanese 5, Ainsworth 7, Lomas 7, Rowlands 7 (Bircham 89, -), Cook 7, Ward 7, Czerkas 5 (Jones 54, 7).

Subs not used: Cole, Kanyuka.

Goals: Rowlands 80 (pen), Baidoo 90

Bookings: Stewart 39

Leeds United: Warner 7, Kelly 7, Crainey 5, Butler 7, Healy 7 (Carole 76, 6), Horsfield 8 (Moore 84, -), Lewis 7, Stone 8, Bakke 7 (Westlake 50, 6), Derry 6, Kilgallon 6.

Subs not used: Gregan, Blake.

Goals: Lewis 65, Horsfield 82

Bookings: Crainey 6, Derry 45, Warner 79, Kilgallon 90

Head to Head >>> QPR wins 15 >>> Draws 13 >>> Leeds wins 19

Previous Results:

2010/11 Leeds 2 QPR 0

2006/07 Leeds 0 QPR 0

2006/07 QPR 2 Leeds 2 (Rowlands pen, Baidoo)

2005/06 Leeds 2 QPR 0

2005/06 QPR 0 Leeds 1

2004/05 QPR 1 Leeds 1 (Gallen)

2004/05 Leeds 6 QPR 1 (Ainsworth)

1995/96 QPR 1 Leeds 2 (Gallen)

1995/96 Leeds 1 QPR 3 (Dichio 2, Sinclair)

1994/95 Leeds 4 QPR 0

1994/95 QPR 3 Leeds 2 (Ferdinand 2, Gallen)

1993/94 QPR 0 Leeds 4

1993/94 Leeds 1 QPR 1 (Meaker)

1992/93 Leeds 1 QPR 1 (Ferdinand)

1992/93 QPR 2 Leeds 1 (Bardsley, Ferdinand)

1991/92 QPR 4 Leeds 1 (Ferdinand, Allen, Sinton, Wilson pen)

1991/92 Leeds 2 QPR 0

Links >>> Leeds 2 QPR 0 Match Report >>> Leeds 0 QPR 0 Match Report >>> QPR 2 Leeds 2 Match Report

This Saturday

Leeds have postponed Luciano Becchio’s hamstring surgery in the hope that he can help fire the six goal turnaround needed between them and Nottingham Forest for the last play off spot.

Elsewhere: If t wasn’t for the QPR farce, the Championship would be almost entirely settled. Norwich sealed promotion with a win at Portsmouth on Monday night and will celebrate with their fans at their home match with Coventry this weekend. Leeds could technically get into the top six but need a six goal swing between them and sixth placed Nottingham Forest who are at Crystal Palace. Reading can overtake Swansea and claim home advantage in a play off semi final if they win at home to Derby and the Swans lose to already relegated Sheffield United. Similarly, Swansea can move up to third if they beat the Blades and Cardiff’s annual end of season meltdown continues at Burnley.

Referee: Well as QPR seem to be set for a party, it should be no surprise to find Premiership referee Mark Clattenburg in town. Clattenburg was the referee for our play off semi final victory against Oldham on this ground in 2003, and our promotion sealing win against Sheff Wed at Hillsborough a year later. He has already refereed our home match with Nottingham Forest this season, sending off Radowslaw Majewski in the first half. For a full case file click here.

Form

Leeds: Simon Grayson’s men came into a dodgy patch of form at just the wrong time. A month ago they seemed certain to beat an out of form Nottingham Forest into the top six but Forest refound themselves again just in time, and Leeds have won just two of their last nine games, losing four. Prior to that they’d lost one of ten, which makes the recent trough hard to understand. Away from home this season the Whites have won seven times – but have only won one of their last eight on the road, at Preston.

Prediction: What an odd situation for everybody to be in. I think Leeds’ defence will be too porous to hold us out if we’re in any kind of mood, but it’s been a big week of partying and worrying for our players so that may negate that. Leeds need goals in their quest for the play offs, so they will probably try to come flying out the traps at us. Let’s go for a high scoring draw, seen as the only prediction I’ve had right all season was 2-2 at Cardiff I’ll try it again.

2-2, 14/1 with Boyle Sports and Bet Fred.

Photo: Action Images

eastside_r added 01:05 - May 6 Given the trials and tribulations of this week, I can only offer my usual 'excellent as usual' and add 'wise'. Thanks for this Clive. How the hell are we supposed to get through this weekend.
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hoopstilidie added 01:39 - May 6 Haven`t beaten Leeds at LR since the heady days of the Prem with a certain Mr Ferdinand leading the line, haven`t beaten them AT ALL since the season it all went pop and we left the top flight. An omen? If so, a good one or a bad one? To be honest it all feels a little flat. I think we`ll win it, just. Whether it will matter at all remains to be seen. It all feels a bit like winning a competition to have sex with the Corrs and finding out that you might have to start with the brother first.

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isawqpratwcity added 04:03 - May 6 I think you are bang on, Clive. The news for us is going to be bad and the FA desperately want to avoid the spectacle of an mass of angry QPR supporters conveniently gathered together and placed squarely on international television. It would be very ugly, and they know that this is overwhelmingly a situation of their own engineering. I am stunned by the FA's total incompetence. My contempt for them is unbounded. You are right, there is no natural justice here. The club has a moral duty to sue their arses off.

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JB007007 added 08:06 - May 6 Obviously, I'm looking forward to this unique opportunity of seeing my team lift a trophy for winning something at last. I dont think I'm burying my head in the sand here, but I cant believe the FA will strip us of this title next week. If we were to be dumped into the play offs, we would be at a disadvantage as other play off teams would have had extra days to prepare their players for instance. We surely wouldn't be docked enough points to put us out of the frame altogether either so I am trying to remain positive. Agree though, that the celebrations will have a mist surrounding them.

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ShrivHoop added 08:32 - May 6 Bit worried now that I understand that Prem is involved in the hearing. Very concerned that outcome might be that we retain Champions standing so that players retain medals etc but that we are excluded from promotion. Play-offs would go ahead with original teams with the result that only two teams promoted AND only two relegated from Prem.
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WokingR added 08:38 - May 6 You've hit the nail on the head Clive. What should be the biggest day in the clubs, the players and fans recent history is now completely meaningless. I've got my ticket for tomorrow but at the moment can't make my mind up if I even want to be there.
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FDC added 08:48 - May 6 As ever I think you've captured the mood perfectly there Clive. Thanks for all your work this season. At times like these when everyone is confused and angry (seems to be a fairly regular feature of supporting this club of ours) it's good to have your articles around to help make some kind of sense of it all.
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Myke added 10:23 - May 6 Think positive guys! Bearing in mind the FA's history of being spineless, they may well be just waiting to see how far we finish ahead of Norwich, before deducting that exact amount of points so we are champions on goal difference, or even one point more so our 'punishment' is to finished 2nd. Totally confident we will be in prem next season
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SomersetHoops added 10:50 - May 6 I'm another that admires your work Clive. QPR are lucky to have you. Whatever we fans say or think makes no difference to the FA and it should. Whatever the outcome of the hearing the whole affair is petty compared to issues like Leeds ownership and all sorts of things going on at Cardiff that neither authorities in charge seem interested in investigating. It seems we are being pilloried because we fronted up and admitted a slight problem and tried to put matters straight. I can't understand why we are being treated so disgracefully by the FA. Their incompetance has reached new heights with this issue and I hope this performance is put at the top of the agenda for those responsible for investigating whether by such miss-management in this and many other things they should lose the right to control English football. The problem for us is that rarely do the coaching staff and team at QPR work as well as they have this season to deliver what should be a time of great celebration. What we have achieved from where we were should be a matter of congratulation from the FL and FA. Instead they have reduced everyone associated with QPR and many other clubs influenced by this uncertainty to a feeling of dissatisfaction with the game of football in general which runs completely contrary to the stated aims of the FA and demonstrates a total failure to achieve their objectives. This should at the very least result in the resignation of the chairman and whoever else has been involved in the management of this farce.

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Spiritof67 added 11:24 - May 6 Think positive think positive – don’t panic don’t panic! The FA have their own agenda, whatever that is. If they impose/10, 20, 30 points deduction whatever, you are left with the ludicrous situation of teams and fans whose teams are either in the current playoff positions e.g Cardiff and Swansea who would normally be resting players in preparation for the playoff semi finals are now hoping to clinch automatic promotion via finishing in 3rd place. If the R’s are deducted points that drop them out of the play-off places, then meaningless games such as Barnsley v Millwall where any points deduction will see the Millwall fans hoping to sneak into the playoffs. Burnley whose season was over after their defeat at Leeds could sneak into the playoffs with a win against Cardiff. If the FA only allow automatic promotion to Norwich do the remaining teams e.g finishing in 3rd place Cardiff/Swansea appeal against that decision in conjunction with other teams appealing that 7th place should guarantee a play-off place and also the R’s appeal. Not to mention ticketing, policing, travel arrangements, etc in time for the first leg of the semi-finals – what a c**k up. Another rumour, Plymouth are seeking legal advice as the Jamie Mackie deal included a substantial payment if the R’s gained promotion. My head hurts. I’m going to the match to celebrate another 3 points and seeing the R’s as Champions of the 2010-2011 Season. As everyone else who either adds comments or simply reads your articles I would like to thank you for keeping all R’s fans near and far, up-to-date with your informed and thought provoking writing. Keep up the good work.

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RangerKIK added 11:45 - May 6 FArce or should that read FArse. Honestly what are the FA thinking. To create a situation where the Championship trophy is going to be handed out without it being absoloutely clear it's going to the er champions.......Honestly have I entered the Twilight Zone. This was all so avoidable. It's one of two things now. Either the FA are the most pompous, arrogant, vindictive organisation this side of KGB or they have completely bottled it will let the play offs get under way and anounce a 10million pound fine and tell us it was all hysterical media coverage and a points deduction was never a real possibility. I hope its the latter. I really hope it's the latter as I don't want to end up in jail!!!!!!

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JAPRANGERS added 11:45 - May 6 great stuff as usual Clive! Didn't live in Kettering long I gather??
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JAPRANGERS added 11:47 - May 6 I mean you say you're on the tube??
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dixiedean added 13:04 - May 6 whatever the outcome of the hearing I'd love there to be a fans' demo tomorrow to get rid of GP. If we escape it'll be by the skin of our teeth and no thanks to him as he dropped us in this Sh+t in the first place. Funny that this kind of thing never happened when Sheila Marson was club sec handling transfers - I wonder why ? Was she removed to allow GP a free rein to play his dodgy games unhindered ? That might sound like a spy novel plot, but it's not that unrealistic. The potential fallout from a demotion are limitless- Plymouth sue for loss of money re Mackie transfer, our own players sue us for loss of earnings in Prem/ bonuses etc etc. Too much to even consider. LET'S ALL TELL GP LOUD AND CLEAR WE DON'T WANT HIM NEAR THE PLACE AGAIN.IF THIS GOES WRONG IT COULD HAVE US BACK TO BUCKET COLLECTIONS. GP MUST GO ONCE AND FOR ALL !!

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Doughnut added 13:10 - May 6 If they do deduct points and we aren't Champions or promoted then why bother with the actual game of Football at all ?? At the beginning of each season an FA panel can sit and decide the final table positions without a ball being kicked. QPR ARE the Championship Champions 2010-2011 with regard to the game of Football ..ie the all-round best footballing team in this league, having proven it on the Football pitch. The F.A. deciding league positions has got to stop; that MUST be decided on the pitch!!

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qprinmelb added 13:14 - May 6 Clive, This is my 1st post and I just want to ask you to enjoy tomorrow like it is the day we get the trophy for winning the league with no question marks hanging over us. Why? Because u deserve it so much and nothing should take it away from you! This is the best fan site in sport, your passion for our club is only matched by your tremendous gifts as a writer. You are my QPR bible, if you say it, it is fact. I should've posted last year when you were doubting loftforwords future to tell you how important you are to QPR fans but to think of you not enjoying tomorrow to the fullest is shattering to me. Whatever will happen after tomorrow will happen but at 2.30 tomorrow WE R THE CHAMPIONS. For so many of us we have lived this season through your eyes and words so you have to share the joy of all of us who can't be at Loftus Rd tomorrow. Thank you Clive.

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StratfordBoy added 13:19 - May 6 Guys, do you think that it would be a good idea as a group to write an open latter to the FA to object to the way they have handled the whole affair & copy it to the government minister currently investigating the FA, Uefa & FIFA? Maybe we could add momentum to a reform of the FA if the professional bodies are aware of disatifaction at a grass root level. Just another nail in their coffin. It occurs to me that Clive's piece above captures the feelings of a lot of us quite well.

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Monahoop added 14:09 - May 6 Good write up Clive. Like you I am angry at this whole fiasco. Yes the club, well GP, put it all upon themselves, we can't shy away from that fact, but the way the FA have handled this is appalling and embarrassing to say the least. We are champions as far as I''m concerned and rightfully so. The Football League say we can parade the trophy. If the FA were against that then surely they would have acted on that by now. What about the players winning medals? Will they be dished out? If not, then that is worrying. You can't win one thing and not have the other. Also and I stand to be corrected here, I'm led to believe, that once the season is over points cannot be deducted but can be deducted for the start of the new season. Whatever happens it will be messy, what with rights of appeals etc. If we get let off with a lesser punishment or with one which won't cause more disharmony than there already is, I thnk GP should go. With or without him we will be watched like a hawk in future. Tomorrow, I think all fans going to the game should get right behind the lads and NW and show their appreciation to what on the whole has been a remarkable season given the shambles we have had to endure in the last few seasons. Any trouble will only fuel the fires more for those wretches at the FA. Enjoy as best you can. U R,s.

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AshteadR added 14:20 - May 6 Thanks for the preview Clive. I'm expecting a cracking atmosphere tomorrow and once the whistle blows all focus will be on the game and not the possibility of a points deduction. I really think the FA has painted themselves into a corner and will either hit us with a large fine or a points deduction that will keep us in the top two. Given the time it's taken to bring the charges, set the hearing and hear the case, it's highly unlikely that any appeal would be handled within the timescales required to meet the play-off final deadline of the end of May?

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benbu added 15:32 - May 6 This whole thing has been a total shambles and a joke. The FA have been totally useless and their decision to leave this going on and on since March has been ridiculous, considering they knew they wanted to investigate it since September. No thought of the fans as usual (not just QPR fans) but everyone involved in the top 7-8 sides. I still cant believe how strange it was not being able to celebrate properly after winning league at Watford and to still not know saturday (after the final game) is driving me insane. These should be the greatest days of QPR fans lives for many years and we will look back on it remembering this farce. I have waited 25 years to see a QPR player lift a trophy and I just hope when Taarabt raises it above his head it will mean we remain champions as deserved on merit. Immensely proud of Neil and the players, saturday will be emotional but hopefully for the right reasons. I couldnt put it into words how devastated I would be if we were knocked out of top 2 or to not retain OUR title

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isawqpratwcity added 15:35 - May 6 I have been critical of pitch invasions, but be assured, Saturday is the day. The FA will renege on announcing our penalty because they are just to gutless to hear our response on (inter)national TV. Criticise GP if you must (and I agree you must) but remember tbat its the FA that are f*cking us over now. This ridiculous situation is entirely of their own making. They are just delaying their announcement because they don't want the embarassment. Jam it up them sideways. Dear God, they have let this get so out-oi-control, it isn't even about football anymore.

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jfk added 20:42 - May 6 First off - thanks Clive for your brilliant reporting on what has been a brilliant season. This is the first place I come to for my QPR fix, and I often send a snippet or two to other fans who can't reach the site from their work PCs (bizarre what some companies block). I'm as frustrated and bemused about the FA's fannying about as everyone else, but tomorrow is about the team and the manager and recognising them as true champions on the pitch, regardless of what the FA do later. I'm sure we'll all sing our hearts out, and I hope that the team can do themselves proud once again in spite of everything going on. You never know, if we open up a 10+ point gap on Cardiff the FA might have the result they are looking for - a 10 point deduction that they can argue shows a tough stance, while not actually affecting the promotion picture. Fingers crossed URRs

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brewershoop added 23:01 - May 6 Brilliant as ever Clive..a cool head in a crisis is a man to be admired.. As a child of the 70s,growing up on the Suffolk/Norfolk border;i resisted the obvious local attractions & became a QPR fan..having read of the European cup treble winning Ajax side in my Shoot comic,(whatever happened to Jonny Rep?) & subsequently tipping Holland for the 74 World Cup to the derision of the whole school..along came Dave Sextons legendary team that also let the ball do the work while being devasting in the final third..love at first sight & the rest is history..so its much to my chagrin to have to report that Norwich are having an open top bus parade on Tuesday,the road closed signs are already out but to parade what?

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ManinBlack added 23:29 - May 6 Just got home after 3 days away in an area of York known as the Shambles and am rather staggered to re-enter this forum after my absence to learn we are still in limbo about the decision. If we do get presented with the trophy tomorrow then Taarabt must play to collect it so its no good if he is away. I'm sure that is something he would not want to miss. I really don't know what to think regarding our fate. I hadn't thought that the FA could delay the verdict for fear of a backlash from us tomorrow until you mentioned it so that does make you fear the worst. Also if we were not guilty of any wrongdoing you would think that decision would have been made by now. Is it like a jury where all 4 on the panel have to agree before a verdict is given or is it majority vote wins? Part of me thinks they think we are guilty but can't agree on a suitable punishment so they need more time and want to see the final table which does suggest a points deduction. On the other hand no news is supposed to be good news but because nobody will inform us of what's occurring our imaginations run riot. Perhaps it would have helped the FA if an additional box had been included in the local elections with suggestions on what to do about QPR. Joe public could then have given their verdict to help the FA come to a decision. Only fair the people have their say about us as everyone in the media have an opinion.

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NorwayRanger16 added 00:01 - May 7 Clive, fantastic once again. I struggle to put into words my feelings about this complete and utter shamble! Thank you for doing it for me. I have decided that i won't let the FA take away my joy and celebration tomorrow, and i hope i'm not alone. Whatever sweet FA come to terms with later we have to agree to cross that bridge when we get there. So to all QPR fans around the world, especially those lucky enough to attend Loftus Road. Tomorrow the team, management and fans have to rejoyce and celebrate like never before. The team deserves to be celebrated properly for their fantastic achievement this season, 88 points and COUNTING! I'll be glued to the TV here in Norway cheering you on. COME YOU R's!

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