Now you're gonna believe it

By Chris Charles

Rangers ended 21 years of hurt

Oxford United, Cardiff City, Vauxhall bloody Motors - you gave our boys a hell of a beating.

But now we're back - and this time it's serious.

After 21 years of hurt, QPR's victory at Hillsborough - securing promotion back to Division One - was one to savour (unless you list the Owl and the Robin among your favourite birds).

What better way to go up than beside 8,000 kindred spirits at the best ground in the division? Winning the play-offs might top it, but we don't tend to mention the 'p' word around these parts any more.

Rangers being Rangers couldn't possibly do it the easy way. At 2-0 up and cruising, they went and let in a goal, leaving everyone peeping between their fingers as Sheffield Wednesday smelled blood.

Thankfully, former QPR man Chris Carr saved the day with a spectacular own goal. Ian Holloway decided not to take him on, but that spell with the team hypnotist before he left obviously worked wonders.

Bizarrely, the Sheffield Wednesday PA announcer conceded defeat five minutes before the end of the match. "Well done Rangers on winning promotion, but can the fans please stay off the pitch at the end?" she pleaded.

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It was either a cunning piece of reverse psychology or the weary words of a woman resigned to Wednesday's fate - having sat through each and every home game this season.

After narrowly avoiding Kevin Gallen's flying boot after the match (the bloke next door wrestled it away from me - and no it wasn't still attached to Gallen's foot), it was time to head south and really get the party started.

Even three hours on a standing-room only train could not dampen the spirits, particularly with QPR's very own male voice choir performing in coach C, plus a steady supply of over-priced booze from the buffet car (which ran out before Kettering).

And then there were the Japanese tourists who stopped to take pictures as the chanting masses danced their way through St Pancras station.

Back in Shepherd's Bush, the returning hoards met up with those who had watched the game on the big screens at Loftus Road - and promptly set out to paint the town blue and white.

Among the revellers at O'Neill's was one Zenya Blackburn, daughter of Rangers chairman Nick, who proceeded to regale a few of us with tales of the day.

The congratulatory calls to her dad from the likes of David Dein and Sam Hammam, the old man's lucky socks, her lucky pants - you know, the usual.

Was it the socks what won it?

Sadly, he wasn't able to join us, so we had to resort to plan B - singing drunken QPR songs into the chairman's answerphone. Bet he's playing them to everyone. Ahem.

Still, providing we're not disqualified for having 12 players on the pitch or a bald tyre on the team coach, we really are in Division One.

Which means I can finally lose my lucky beard. Tell you the truth I'm getting quite attached to the old fella and might even decide to...

What's that dearest? Yes, just getting the razor out now.