We`re Premier League...

Way back in February I posted about the possibility of promotion to the English Premier League for the club I support. At that point Queens Park Rangers were top of the Championship having only lost three games that far, but I still did not feel optimistic. Over thirty years of supporting the Superhoops, as they are known, had left me expecting disappointment.

In March it seemed that my worst fears were confirmed. The Football Association announced that it was charging QPR with seven breaches of the rules over third-party ownership and agents. These charges pertained to the signing of Argentinian midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in 2009 and his subsequent contract extension. The very real possibility of a points deduction filled media speculation, and when the FA announced that a hearing would take place during the week before the last game of the season it looked like the team's good work would all be for nothing.

A 2:0 victory at Watford in the penultimate game of the season secured promotion for Queens Park Rangers, yet I could not celebrate with the hearing taking place the following weeks. I will not go into the ins and outs of the charges, but needless to say the timing of the hearing caused a great degree of consternation for fans of the clubs at the top of the division, because of the distinct possibility that a legal challenge would throw the play-offs into turmoil. As the hearings progressed I regularly visited fans' forums and other web sites for any news on how things were progressing.

Finally, about an hour before the final game against Leeds United, the FA announced that five of the seven charges were not proven and that the remaining two would not result in a points deduction. I was now in a position to enjoy the last game of the season confident that my team were champions and would be playing top flight football next season. Not even a 2:1 defeat to the Yorkshire side could dampen spirits as Queens Park Rangers lifted the trophy marking the end of a most successful yet harrowing season.