Congratulations to Queens Park Rangers on gaining promotion, bar a disaster on goal difference to the Premier League ending a fifteen year wait to rejoin the top tier of English football.
QPR were expecting confirmation of promotion to win today, however failure to win and victories for Cardiff and Norwich mean that theoretically the West London side can be usurped on goal difference.
After a few years of battling with their own lofty expectations the West London club have finally found the right formula to escape the Championship, combining consistency and flair to clinch a promotion that has seemed imminent for most of the season.
The road back to the Premier League has been a rocky one over the years, with relegation, financial difficulties/administration and managerial instability dogging the club at various points.
The financial aspect may have been steadied by the arrival of Bernie Ecclestone, Flavio Briatore and Lakshmi Mittal in 2007, yet this did not bring immediate success or stability to the club.
In the last four years the club has had six permanent managers as the club tried to produce performances that matched the high expectations of the club’s owners.
Having taken over in March 2010, Neil Warnock has however delivered. This is due in no small part to his ability to harness the ability of Championship Player of the Year Adel Taarabt, who with more than 20 goals has provided creative flair and continous excitement.
There may be a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the club, due to an FA charge that relates to the club’s transfer dealings, however today is not about the if’s, but’s and maybe’s but about celebrating an impressive achievement.
I hope that Queens Park Rangers enjoy their promotion party as points deductions, goal difference or worrying about how to stay in the Premier League can wait until tomorrow.
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