Reds caretaker Simon Davey will check on the fitness of defenders Paul Reid, Bobby Hassell and Antony Kay as The Reds play their final Championship game before Christmas. All are expected to be fit however after Reid made a marvellous recovery from an injury he picked up last weekend.
Kyel Reid has extended his loan at Oakwell for another month so is available.
Probable Line-Up:
Nick Colgan
Bobby Hassell
Paul Reid ©
Antony Kay
Paul Heckingbottom
Kyel Reid
Brian Howard
Sam Togwell
Paul Hayes
Leon Knight
Daniel Nardiello
Well if The Reds want to end their 10 match winless streak on the road (which includes 9 defeats) then a trip to Loftus Road is the last place they want to be going.
Barnsley have only emerged victorious from QPR's home ONCE and that was way back on 21st January 1950 when The Reds won 5-0!
A run of 17 visits have ensued since with The Reds taking just 3 draws and they have lost their last 3 at Loftus Road.
The last meeting came on 30th September 2003 when Barnsley had lost only 2 of their first 10 games of the season. QPR promptly thumped them 4-0!!
3 goals in 3 minutes destroyed Barnsley. Ex Red Kevin Gallen (60), Martin Rowlands (61) and Gareth Ainsworth smashed QPR 3-0 up before Tony Thorpe made it 4 on 77.
QPR: Day ,Rowlands ,Forbes ,Gnohere ,Padula ,Bircham (Daly ,87 ) ,Palmer ,Bean ,Ainsworth ,Gallen ,Thorpe
Subs not used: Culkin,Sabin,Pacquette,Oli,
Barnsley: Ilic ,Crooks ,Ireland ,Handyside ,Gallimore ,Austin (O'Callaghan ,76 ) ,Mulligan (Betsy ,65 ) ,Kay ,Lumsdon ,Neil (Gorre ,65 ) ,Fallon
Bookings: Padula (QPR) Kay ,Lumsdon (Barnsley)
Attendance: 11854
Referee: Clive Penton (Sussex)
Barnsley lie 11th after that game whilst QPR sat 3rd
The two teams played out a thriller at Oakwell on 12th April 2004.
Craig Ireland put Barnsley 1-0 up before and Antony Kay own goal and Paul Furlong put QPR 2-1 up.
Then came the real drama.
Danny Nardiello equalised for The Reds on 85minutes before a delightful David Murphy free kick on 89 seemed to have won for Barnsley but a last gasp Furlong effort grabbed QPR a point.
Barnsley sat10th after this encounter whilst QPR were sat 2nd.
Barnsley: Beresford (Alcock ,28 ) ,Austin ,Kay ,Ireland ,Murphy ,Burns ,Hayward ,Neil (Nardiello ,69 ) ,Shuker ,Birch ,Betsy
Subs not used: Handyside,Lumsdon,Tonge,
QPR: Camp ,Edghill ,Palmer ,Bignot ,Rose ,Ainsworth (McLeod ,62 ) ,Gnohere ,Bircham ,Gallen ,Cureton (Bean ,84(Thorpe ,89 )) ,Furlong
Bookings: Hayward ,Kay (Barnsley) Furlong ,Palmer ,Rose (QPR)
Attendance: 10402
Referee: A G Wiley (Staffordshire)
Rangers finished the season in 2nd place and were promoted to the Championship where they have remained since.
Barnsley finished 12th to give them only top half finish since 2000 before last season's 5th place finish. They were 9 points off the playoffs despite being 4th in January.
Onto 2006-2007 and both teams sit in relegation trouble.
QPR who finished just above the relegation zone last term have already replaced Gary Waddock with the experienced John Gregory as manager and although he started off with 2 wins out of 2, a run of 5 successive defeats have left The R's hovering just a place and a point above Barnsley in 20th place.
The Reds have never had a better opportunity to end their Loftus Road hoodoo as The Rs have lost their last 3 home games and haven't won at Loftus Road since the 4th November.
Barnsley though have a truly woeful away record. Since beating Colchester United 2-1 at Layer Road on the 12th August The Reds have gone 10 matches without an away win and have lost 9 of those games. A solitary 2-2 draw at Leeds at the beginning of December their only minimal success away from Oakwell.
A win for QPR tomorrow could take them up to 18th whilst a win for Barnsley would take them above QPR and could move them up to 19th.
Last 6 QPR v Barnsley Results:
2003/2004:
Mon 12 Apr Barnsley 3 - 3 Q.P.R. (Division Two)
Tue 30 Sep Q.P.R. 4 - 0 Barnsley (Division Two)
2002/2003:
Sat 11 Jan Q.P.R. 1 - 0 Barnsley (Division Two)
Sat 17 Aug Barnsley 1 - 0 Q.P.R (Division Two)
2000/2001:
Sat 17 Feb Q.P.R. 2 - 0 Barnsley (Division One)
Sat 16 Sep Barnsley 4 - 2 Q.P.R. (Division One)
Overall Record:
QPR Wins: 17
Barnsley Wins: 12
Draws: 9
QPR Goals: 62
Barnsley Goals: 64
Records:
Highest Aggregate: 7- Barnsley 7 - 0 Q.P.R. 1950/1951
Highest Q.P.R. score: 4- Q.P.R. 4 - 0 Barnsley 2003/2004
Highest Barnsley score: 7- Barnsley 7 - 0 Q.P.R. 1950/1951
Last 6 2006-2007 Results:
QPR:
16/12/06 QPR 0-1 Wolves (Championship)
9/12/06 Stoke 1-0 QPR (Championship)
2/12/06 Crystal Palace 3-0 QPR (Championship)
28/12/06 QPR 1-2 Sunderland (Championship)
25/12/06 QPR 0-1 Coventry (Championship)
17/11/06 Cardiff 0-1 QPR (Championship)
W:1 D:0 L:5 F:2 A:8 GD:-6 Points:3
Barnsley:
16/12/06 Leicester 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
10/12/06 Barnsley 1-1 West Brom (Championship)
2/12/06 Leeds 2-2 Barnsley (Championship)
28/11/06 Barnsley 2-0 Southend (Championship)
25/11/06 Barnsley 1-0 Ipswich (Championship)
18/11/06 Crystal Palace 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
W:2 D:2 L:2 F:6 A:7 Points:8
Leicester currently lie 20th in the Coca-Cola Championship with 24 points from 23 games, 1 point above Barnsley who lie 21st with 23 points from 23 games.
WHO ARE YA!!!
Full name: Queens Park Rangers Football Club
Nickname(s): Hoops, R's
Founded: 1882
Ground: Loftus Road
Capacity: 19,148
Chairman: Gianni Paladini
Manager: John Gregory
League: The Championship
2005-06: Championship, 21st
Honours
Division Three (South) Champions: 1947-48.
Division Three Champions: 1966-67.
League Cup Winners: 1967 v West Bromwich Albion - (As a 3rd Div. Side).
Milk Cup (League Cup) Finalists: 1986.
Division Two Runners-up: 1967-68, 1972-73.
Division Two Champions: 1982-83.
Division One Runners-up: 1975-76.
FA Cup finalists: 1982
Nationwide Division Two Runners-up: 2003-04.
Records
Highest Attendance 35,353: vs Leeds United 27/04/1974 Division 1
Highest league win 9-2: vs Tranmere Rovers 03/12/1960 Division 3
Highest league loss 1-8: vs Manchester United 19/03/1969 Division 1
Most capped player Alan McDonald: 52 Northern Ireland
Most League appearances Tony Ingham: 519 1950-63
Oldest Player Ray Wilkins: 39 years 352 days
Youngest Player Frank Sibley: 15 years 275 days
Most League Goals in a Season: George Goddard, 37, Division 3 South, 1929-30.
Most Goals in a season: Rodney Marsh, 44 (30 League, 3 F.A Cup,11 League Cup) 1966-67
Most League Goals in Total Aggregate: George Goddard, 174, 1926-34.
Most Goals in Total Aggregate: George Goddard, 186 , 1926-34
Record Transfer Fee Received: £6,000,000 from Newcastle United for Les Ferdinand, June 1995.
Record Transfer Fee Paid: £2,750,000 to Stoke City for Mike Sheron, July 1997.
Man in The Middle:
Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire)
Games Referred This Season: 17
Home Wins: 8
Away Wins: 7
Draws: 2
Yellow Cards: 44
Red Cards: 3
Last Championship Game Refereed:
West Brom 1-0 Derby
2/12/06
Y:2 R:0
Last Barnsley Game Refereed:
Preston 2-2 Barnsley (League Cup)
Barnsley won 5-4 on Pens:
23/8/05
Y:1 R:0
With thanks to www.wikipedia.org and www.soccerbase.com