Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 5: Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers will be tipped as one of the Championship promotion favourites for the 2008/9 campaign, not least because of the financial clout they will have behind them.

Following what has been a turbulent time for the boys of old 'Landon Tarn,' they now seem to be heading for a more stable period in the clubs' history. They will have long forgotten the boardroom misdemeanours and administration problems and will instead look forward to more promising times under the control of Formula 1 tycoons Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore. The club can also boast the financial support of billionaire business man Lakshmi Mittal.

Rangers have announced the ambitious plans of hitting the Premiership under the veil of a 'four year plan' and hope to do it under the management of Iain Dowie who took over from Luigi De Canio on May 14, this year.

The last time we met QPR was the final game of our relegation season in 2005. That day they beat us 2-1 at Loftus Road in a sorry performance from the Reds'. It was also the last game in a Rangers shirt for one Gino Padula, before he joined for us. What former boss Gary Megson ever saw in the long haired Argentinian, we shall never know.

Forest have met Rangers a total of 52 times in all competitions and have won 24, drawn 15 and lost 13. The 2-1 defeat that saw us relegated and destined to three miserable years in League 1 was one of the lowest days of my Forest supporting life. The lads were backed by a sellout away following that day and they put up a sterling effort. It was such a shame that those wearing the Red and White didn't. Still, times are a Changin' for both clubs and it promises to be an interesting season ahead for all concerned. Loftus Road is always a good day out and it's another fixture to relish.