As Championship watchers cream their knickers over every team in the league still technically being in contention for either promotion or relegation with four games to go (What A League™), 15th placed QPR head to 16th placed Preston for Good Friday’s big one.

Preston (10-19-13 DWLDDL 16th) v QPR (12-14-16 LDLDWD 15th)

Sky’s Super Saturday Brunch Spectacular >>> Friday April 18, 2025 >>> Kick Off 15.00 >>> Weather – Grey, windy >>> Deepdale, Preston, Lancashire

When Prometheus descended from heaven with the fire he had stolen, Zeus was so angry he chained him to a rock at the mercy of an eagle with a taste for human liver and sent Pandora with her box to punish the mortals for accepting the gift. That, as far as anybody can reasonably tell, is what kicked this whole thing off.

Through periods both Cretaceous and Jurassic, through ages of ice and bronze, there have been revolutions industrial and French. Human life, and belief systems, have manifested and prevailed. Man versus nature, the road to victory.

There once was a dream that was Rome. You may have heard about it. They laid out a society across seven hills and spread an empire over thousands of miles. They built roads, and aqueducts, and undersoil heating (but not in Rotherham). They plumbed flowing water, and effective train Wi-Fi, because people with flowing water and effective train Wi-Fi do not rise up and rebel. Have you been to Nimes? Nimes is lovely this time of year.

A supernatural race of evolution and intelligence, of deep thought and fine art, ruled by emperors clothed and otherwise. Augustus, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius. Nero fiddled while his city burned, but did launch a chain of most excellent coffee shops. And at the heart of it all was sport.

Amphitheatres and coliseums, built to resemble planets, stretching pale stone into the sky, reaching for the stars. When they pit lions versus Christians in those places, when they made gladiators of everyday boys and gods of everyday gladiators, they had this in mind I’m sure. It was all leading this way.

Preston North End were first to play a card. Founded in 1880 after five years pissing about playing cricket, they wanted in at the start of this thing. They were founder league members in 1888. A year later they won the whole lot without losing a game, and the FA Cup without conceding a goal. The Invincibles were champions again a year later but have only won one FA Cup since, in 1938. They have lain in wait. They wait. That’s what they do. Ahab says, 'I don't care who you are, here's to your dream’. Old sailors return to the bar, ‘here’s to you Ahab’. And the fat drummer hit the beat with all his heart. Here’s to waiting. Waiting for this.

Queens Park Rangers were more coy with their hand. They existed in separate forms and different grounds, leagues southern and regionalised, at Park Royal and White City. Identity disguised, camouflaged, so as not to arouse suspicion and fear. Jim Gregory got them fight ready - a League Cup in solid silver, a stadium built from the ground up, a beating blue heart for Shepherd’s Bush. Genius has occurred between these four walls – Marsh, Bowles, Wegerle, Taarabt. They scored the greatest goal of all time in 1997 - a dreadlocked warrior climbing into the air to take his shot. But it was all merely a warmup act.

The existence of these two behemoths for the thick end of 150 years has been about this and this alone. Yours too, though you may be too scared to admit it. You may work in an office, or under the pale blue sky. You may have achieved. You may live in a big house. You may be a rogue. You may have nothing. You may be an educated man, a family man. When you look into the eyes of your kids, you know, and they know too. It’s all secondary. Merely marking time. Marking time for this. For this moment.

It's Preston North End versus Queens Park Rangers in the battle for 16th. And I’ve got a really good feeling about it.

Links >>> Sounds familiar? Oppo Profile >>> Early Taarabt magic – History >>> Simpson eh? Referee >>> Preston Official Website >>> Lancashire Telegraph — Local Press >>> From The Finney — Blog >>> Deepdale Digest — Blog >>> PNE Online — Forum

Below the fold

Team News: The easing of relegation fears and the end of the losing run has, not surprisingly, coincided with steady trickle back to fitness of injured players. Koki Saito was back last week after his ban with Michi Frey and Rayan Kolli on the bench. Ilias Chair and Frey have both trained this week, while we await news of Sam Field who was terrific at Oxford but then missed Bristol City. Kenneth Paal was replaced by Harrison Ashby for the City game but was only supposed to be out for a week.

Preston are missing their player of the season elect Ali McCann – the Scottish midfielder is likely done for the season with an ankle injury. Likewise goalkeeper Freddie Woodman who so generously donated Lyndon Dykes’ winning goal at Loftus Road this time last year which all but sealed QPR’s Championship survival. Jack Whatmough has a calf problem, Brad Potts is hamstrung and Ryan Ledson is unlikely to feature in a week where it was revealed he’ll likely be leaving on a free transfer this summer after seven years with the club.

Elsewhere: I don’t know if you’ve heard but, with four rounds of Championship football left, every team in the division is still technically in contention for either promotion or relegation. All 24 sides play Friday. I know, I know, be still my throbbing cock etc etc.

At the top, Sheffield Red Stripe have blinked first. The Blades took a week of games against struggling Oxford, Plymouth and a home game with Millwall and turned it into three unlikely defeats. Chris Wilder, who you may recall dancing around on Sheffield pub tables and delivering 15 minute press conference monologues after their victories over Sheff Wed, kicked off with the Argyle players on the pitch at Home Park for “over celebrating”. Now five points adrift in third and facing play-offs they’ve failed in five separate times before, they’re at home to Cardiff this weekend who are desperate for points themselves currently sitting in the bottom three. Manager Omer Riza has sought to rally the troops by describing a lot of the club’s fans as “clueless”. Always a shrewd move that one, Omer.

The top two therefore looks like it’s going to be exactly what we said it would be in the season preview – Red Bull Leeds on top, they’re at Oxford this weekend, and Burnley nil nilling their way to second, they’re away to Watford.

Sunderland have been marking out time in fourth for months already. We might be getting a preview of their play-off semi-final this weekend as they host fifth placed Bristol City. Nobody really seems that keen to claim the sixth spot with Coventry, West Brom and Middlesbrough currently posting three wins in nine games between them. Cov can go a long way towards sealing the spot this weekend if they beat West Brom at home putting a six-point gap between the two sides. A record crowd is expected at The Ricoh for that one. Middlesbrough and Plymouth are both drinking in the last chance saloon for different reasons in that game at The Riverside.

Ther form side in the play-off race, three points back after four wins in five, is actually Millwall. Alex Neil’s Marxist Hunters head to Blackburn this Good Friday.

Down at the bottom, Plymouth’s win against Sheff Utd has them on 40 points, three points and goal difference adrift of safety ahead of the trip to Boro. Luton had a half at home to ten-man Blackburn last weekend and still lost, which doesn’t say much for their chances of closing the gap. It’s do or die for them this weekend in the early Friday game away at Derby, the team they’re trying to catch. Lose and it’s a six point gap with nine to play for. Cardiff are third bottom, only one point away from the Rams but in lousy form and beaten late at home by a crap Stoke side a week ago.

Hull on 45 points and Portsmouth on 46 are probably one win away each. They’re both on the road on Friday with Pompey going to long-since-checked-out Norwich and Hull at Swnselona where Luka Modric has come on board as a new investor this week. Stoke are just about there on 47 points ahead of their home game with Sheff Wed.

Referee: Veteran Championship official Jeremy Simpson has refereed this fixture twice before, sending off QPR’s Jamie Mackie and Alex Baptiste here in 2017. Details.

Form

Preston: It’s probably a good job Preston made the FA Cup quarter-final this year – they eventually lost 3-0 at home to Aston Villa after knocking out Charlton, Wycombe and Burnley – because their league results this year have been duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuull. PNE have won just one of their last 11 league games, at home to Portsmouth five matches ago. There have been six draws in that time contributing to a running total of 19 draws this season, the most in the Football League. The club record for most draws in a season is 20, set in 2005/06.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side have only lost twice at Deepdale all season – their opening home game with Sheff Utd after which Ryan Lowe resigned, and a 2-0 loss to Bristol City at the start of November. That means they’re unbeaten in 14 league games here, though Aston Villa were victorious in that cup game. It’s their best unbeaten run at home since a 15-match sequence between 2014 & 2015. As for home wins though, their total of seven is the same as ours at Loftus Road. That means there have been a whopping 12 draws on this ground this year, three more than Burnley and Stoke who have the second highest totals with nine each. In that unbeaten run of 14, ten of the games have finished level. All nice guy Milutin Osmajic is the top scorer here with 14 in all comps including the opening goal at Loftus Road in the first meeting. Six of his goals have come in cup comps with means Emil Riis is the top league scorer with ten.

Both Preston and QPR are in their tenth consecutive season of Championship football. PNE’s highest finish in that time is seventh, lowest is 14th, they’re currently 16th and their average finish including present position is between 11th and 12th. QPR’s highest finish over the same period is ninth, lowest is 20th, they’re currently 15th and their average finish including present position is 15th.

QPR: Rangers have steadied their late season collapse with only one defeat in five games (W1 D3 L1) after losing seven of the previous nine. Three ties in five games follow a run of 14 games without a draw. Away from home QPR have won five times this year, beating the sides currently 24th, 23rd, 22nd, 20th and 17th. Preston are currently 16th. The win at Oxford was not only the highest placed team Rangers have beaten on the road, it was also the first away win following a run of six consecutive defeats on the road for the first time since August 2018, and the first time in a single Championship season since 2006/07

Liam Morrison continues his fine individual stats despite QPR’s struggles this year. He hasn’t lost any of his 12 starts for the club (W6 D6). They have conceded just eight goals with him on the pitch this season across his 941 minutes of action (12 starts and five sub appearances). The team has kept nine clean sheets all season, and Morrison has played in six of those despite only making 17 appearances. Only Coventry City (22) have scored more Championship goals from crosses this season than QPR (14), with three of their last six league goals coming via crosses.

QPR have won seven, drawn three and lost nine of the 19 meetings over these ten seasons we’ve spent together with PNE. Preston stayed unbeaten through the first six meetings in this period and QPR have come on strong since winning five of the last seven and seven of the last 11 meetings. The R’s have won each of the last three including the first meeting this season and have lost only one of the last five games at Deepdale, winning three including the last two. Since a 1-0 win at Watford in the top-flight in April 1988, QPR are winless in their last four away league games on Good Friday (D2 L2).

Prediction: In our Prediction League for 2024/25 we’ll once again be handing out prizes for being top at Christmas and overall winner from The Art of Football - sample the merch from our sponsor’s newly extended QPR collection here. For the first time last year we had joint winners so this season you’ll be hearing from one or both WestonsuperR and SimplyNico in the match previews...

Nico’s Prediction: “We have managed to get to the home straight: 50 points in the bag, eight points clear of the last relegation spot and a goal difference cushion. What could possibly go wrong from here? We are up to Preston next. Their form of late has cratered. That said, we are still without a recognised centre forward who can do a full 90 minutes, but we might be able to make do with a combination of Frey and Kolli. The midfield seems likely to be able to just about hold together, and ditto the defence. This seems set for a scrappy low scoring draw. But what do I know?

Weston’s Call “After getting both score and scorer correct last week I’m hoping I can get on a roll for the season end, would be nice if QPR did the same and with a turnaround in form I see no reason why not. We have a good record up at Preston and with a couple of positive performances in recent matches I think we will grab another draw.”

Nico’s Prediction: Preston 1-1 QPR. Scorer – Karamoko Dembele

WestonSuperR’s Prediction: Preston 1-1 QPR. Scorer – Koki Saito

LFW’s Prediction: Preston 0-0 QPR. No scorer.

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Photo: Action Images

TacticalR added 14:48 - Apr 18 Thanks for your preview. When Preston won the League there were only twelve clubs and no Southern Softies (or Manchester clubs). From Rome to...Preston. Somehow we always end up back at Preston. This leads to soul searching and questions about the meaning of life. At least we can be thankful that it's not a must-win game.
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062259 added 14:48 - Apr 18 relaxed
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