Spotlight on QPR
We take a look at Queens Park Rangers who have won promotion to the Barclays Premier League.Queens Park Rangers are back in the Premier League after a 15-year absence - subject to an FA hearing.
The West London club - founder members of the Premier League in 1992 - clinched promotion back to the top flight by winning 2-0 at Watford to win the Championship.
Their place at the top table still has to be ratified as they face charges relating to third-party ownership of midfielder Alejandro Faurlin.
The FA hearing is scheduled for 3rd May with the verdict expected on 6th May. Barring a big points deduction, Neil Warnock's men will be back in the Premier League after leading the Championship for virtually the entire campaign.
Fired by the exciting skills of Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt, the Hoops took a stranglehold on the division from the off, winning their first three fixtures with nine goals scored and none conceded.
They then drew 2-2 at Derby County before winning their next four fixtures with an 11-0 aggregate.
That put them six points clear of nearest challengers Cardiff City and provided the momentum for a strong campaign which always looked destined to end with promotion.
The Shepherd's Bush side lost some ground in October with four successive draws which allowed the Bluebirds to overhaul them.
But they quickly recovered, going unbeaten through November - a run which included home wins over promotion rivals Reading and Cardiff.
Successive defeats by Watford and Leeds United proved only a minor hiccup as they bounced back with a 4-0 win over high-flying Swansea City.
founder membersThe turn of the year saw them string together an 11-match unbeaten run and Warnock's men have come on strongly in the run-in.
A goalless draw at home to Derby County on 18th April moved them to within three points of automatic promotion.
They edged closer by twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 at promotion rivals Cardiff City and fans thought the task had been completed with a 1-1 draw at home to Hull City.
The celebrations were in full swing when Norwich City's injury-time winner left Warnock's men technically still needing one more point, despite the cushion of a superior goal difference.
However the 2-0 win at Watford was enough to put them out of reach of their rivals.
They have done it in some style too, with former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Taarabt pulling the strings and also providing some spectacular goals.
Wayne Routledge, on loan from Newcastle United, has been rejuvenated on the wing to provide the ammunition for the likes of Heidar Helguson, Jamie Mackie and Taarabt to score the goals.
At the other end, former Sheffield United keeper Paddy Kenny has proved tough to beat as Rangers secured a return to the top level for the first time since 1996.
QPR were proud founder members of the Premier League and finished fifth in the inaugural 1992/93 season under the shrewd stewardship of their former midfielder Gerry Francis.
They were London's top club after a fine campaign which included a 4-1 win at Old Trafford. The following season saw them finish ninth in the FA Carling Premiership.
third tierAfter Francis left to take over as manager of Tottenham Hotspur in November 1994, he was replaced by Ray Wilkins who, as player-manager, led the Hoops to eighth.
But QPR struggled after selling leading marksman Les Ferdinand to Newcastle United for a club record fee of £6m in July 1995 and they were relegated at the end of the 1995/96 campaign.
That sparked a decline which eventually saw them drop into the third tier of English football in 2001, despite the efforts of manager and former player Ian Holloway.
They remained in Division 2 for three seasons before Holloway led them to second spot and promotion in 2004.
Their fortunes were not helped by turmoil in the boardroom and a succession of managerial changes which saw eight managers in four years.
After Holloway left for Leicester City in 2006, he was replaced by Gary Waddock then John Gregory, Luigi di Canio, Iain Dowie, Paulo Sousa, Jim Magilton and then finally on 1st March 2010, Neil Warnock.
The feisty Yorkshireman had an impressive pedigree having previously won promotions with Sheffield United, Plymouth Argyle, Huddersfield Town, Notts County (twice) and Scarborough.
This is his seventh promotion, equalling the record held by Graham Taylor and Dave Bassett.
Four of those successes came in the play-offs but there was no need for Warnock to worry about that alternative route in the 2010/11 campaign.
After steering QPR to safety in 2010, Warnock quickly constructed a side which took the Championship by storm to restore the club to their former status in the Premier League - subject to that FA hearing.
http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2344499,00.html
