We're back! The build up to this Saturday's season opener against Barnsley begins with the return of Ash's Connections and Memories column - basically this week an excuse to talk about Trevor Sinclair's goal a bit more.

Thank god the wait is over! No more Saturdays being dragged round Bluewater with the girlfriend, or wandering aimlessly round the flat trying to catch some glimpse of any football on the three hundred odd sky channels. No, because this weekend new-look Rangers get back into action, as they kick-off what we all hope is an eventful season at home to Barnsley.

The Tykes first made the trip down to Loftus Road in September 1948, coming away with a 2-2 draw. Our record since that day is pretty impressive, in front of the Loft last season we continued our good form against Barnsley when goals from Agyemang and Vine secured a pretty comfortable victory for the R’s. In between though there’s be plenty of memorable moments, so for the first time this season we take a walk down the blue and white hooped path of memory lane…

Memorable Match
Queens Park Rangers 3-2 Barnsley
FA Cup Fourth Round
January 25, 1997
This game and the FA Cup run of 1997 in general would normally be nothing to write home about. Yes seeing Rangers get further than the first couple of round of a cup competition is not something we are used to anymore and at least this journey to round five was ended by a hard-fought defeat to then Premier League Wimbledon and not the Northampton, Yeovil or Leyton Orient defeats we are used to now. But what makes this victory over Barnsley the key memory in games played at Loftus Road between the two is one bit of sublime magic from QPR’s Trevor Sinclair.

Rangers had disposed of Huddersfield in the third round after a replay and were favourites in this clash against their fellow Division One team Barnsley. But it was the northerner’s who took the lead through Neil Redfern, who took time out of his busy schedule of being relegated with every team he’s played for to open the scoring on 13 minutes – his tame free kick being allowed to squirm in by Tony Roberts. The R’s quickly replied though with goals from Gavin Peacock and John Spencer, who also scored a perfect hat-trick against the Tykes that season. When Andy Impey got sent off just after half-time it looked like Rangers would just try and cling onto their lead and secure their place in the next round. Trevor Sinclair had other ideas.

When a long ball was knocked towards the penalty box from the right flank there seemed to be little danger with only one man up in the attack and the ball seemingly behind everyone. But Sinclair saw the chance of the spectacular and with his back to goal flung himself into the are and in one movement met the ball with an amazing bicycle kick on the volley that sailed over keeper David Watson. For a spilt second everyone around me was dumb-struck and could not believe what they had just seen. How we would have loved a big screen that day, because seeing it again on the TV that night made the goal look even better. Rangers still found time to make it nervous by allowing Barnsley to make it 3-2 four minutes from time but the scoreline was merely a side issue after Sinclair’s goal.

Modest Sinclair told the paper the next day “I try them all the time in training but they’ve never come off like that.” It was so good that it beat David Beckham’s ‘wonder goal’ against Wimbledon that year to BBC’s goal of the season. Pure class.

QPR: Roberts, Maddix, Brevett, Murray, McDonald, Ready, Spencer, Peacock, Dichio, Impey, Sinclair
Subs not used: Brazier, Sommer

Barnsley: Watson, Eaden, Appleby (Liddell, 76), Bosancic (Jones, 64), Moses, De Zeeuw, Hendrie, Redfearn, Wilkinson, Marcelle (Bullock 64), Sheridan

Postscript: QPR took the thick end of 8,000 fans to Selhurst Park for the fifth round match with Premiership side Wimbledon but the R’s surrendered to a tame 2-1 defeat despite a blinding header from everybody’s favourite boo boy target Mark Hateley. While QPR narrowly missed the play offs at the end of the season Barnsley won promotion to the Premiership for the first time but were relegated straight back nine months later.

Player connections
Kevin Gallen
QPR 1992-2000, 2001-2007
Barnsley 2001
Gallen and his magic hat were at QPR so long it’s hard to forget he played for two other teams in between his two spells at Loftus Road. A product of the QPR youth system and R’s fan, Gallen scored an amazing 153 goals in 110 games for the youth team, breaking Jimmy Greaves long term record. He also memorably partnered Robbie Fowler in impressive England U18 and U21 teams that also included Paul Scholes and Sol Campbell. He was soon knocking on the Rangers first-team door and made his debut on the opening day of the 94-95 season at Old Trafford before scoring on his first senior appearance at Loftus Road against Sheff Wed three days later.

That year he formed an impressive partnership with Les Ferdinand scoring ten goals. That summer however Ferdinand was sold and the pressure on the team and Gallen was too much and saw Rangers relegated the following season. Much was expected of Gallen though and everybody thought he would be the key to Rangers making an instant return to the Premier League. But disaster struck in the second game of the season against Portsmouth when Kev injured knee ligaments whilst scoring a goal in the 2-1 win. It meant Gallen was out for almost a year and half and once he returned looked a shadow of his former self.

Slightly overweight and a pace slower Gallen found himself behind Chris Kiwomya, Rob Steiner and even Steve Slade for a place in the R’s frontline. Although there were some highlights Rangers let Gallen go in the summer of 2000 and he joined Huddersfield Town. Gallen never really settled at Town, and although he scored on his return to Loftus Road with the Terriers he later missed a penalty and his stay at the McAlpine lasted just one season.

That summer Rangers now under Ian Holloway and in League One, let Gallen train with the first-team as cash-strapped Rangers tried to bring the former hero back to the Loft. Nothing was sorted on time unfortunately and he joined Barnsley at the start of the 2001-02 season. Gallen scored two goals in ten games for the Tykes but again was never really happy and in November his wish come true and he re-joined the R’s. Over the next five seasons Gallen played a key part in Rangers promotion back to the Championship, forming a lethal partnership with Paul Furlong and being named club captain. He finished his Rangers career last summer joining MK Dons as QPR’s sixth top scorer in their history. Every R’s fan has a place in his heart for Super Kev and his magic hat, he was one of our own. Oh remind me again, what happens when he plays against Chelsea?...........
Did you know? If Manchester United hadn’t signed Andy Cole in 1996, Fergie’s next option was allegedly Kevin Gallen. Imagine that!

Danny Nardiello
Barnsley 2004-05, 2005-07, 2008
QPR 2007-2008
A product from the famous Manchester United youth teams, Nardiello made his debut for the Red Devils in a cup game against Arsenal in November 2001. He struggled however to really make an impact in a team full of superstars, so joined first Swansea and then Barnsley on loan for the remainder of the 2003-04 season. Danny became a firm favourite with the Tykes after scoring seven goals in 16 games that year. Another successful season-long loan followed at Oakwell before Nardiello seeing that he was way down the pecking order at United joined Barnsley permanently in 2005. He became a hero for Barnsley after helping them win the play-offs in 2006, scoring the goal that took the game to a shoot-out, that the Tykes won 4-3 against Swansea.

A year later Danny dramatically turned down a new contract with Barnsley, literally doing a u-turn on the motorway to drive back down to London and surprisingly sign for John Gregory’s QPR. A partnership of Nardiello and Dexter Blackstock look quite promising at the start of last season, but after an a woeful start to the season Gregory was sacked and eventually replaced by Luigi De Canio. Nardiello soon found himself out of the first-team picture at Loftus Road and re-joined Barnsley on loan for the rest of last season. It proved to be less successful, only scoring once as the Tykes avoided relegation, they decided to not to make the move permanent. Going into this season it looked like Nardiello would be given a chance by new R’s gaffer Iain Dowie but he was eventually used as a makeweight in a transfer saga of Gareth Barry proportions to bring Kasper Gorkss to Loftus Road. Nardiello only made eight appearances for Rangers in all and will now be hoping to kick-start his career at Blackpool this campaign.
Did you know? Nardiello could have played international football for England, Italy, Puerto Rico or the USA but chose to represent Wales.

Others: Mike Sheron, QPR 1997-1999, Barnsley 1999-2003. Now youth team manager at Bury.
Lew Clayton, Barnsley 1948-50, QPR 1950-54
Malcolm Graham, Barnsley 1954-59, 1964-65, QPR 1963-64

Fans’ Memories
We got a slap up there when we beat them 3 1 at their place. Wilkins had been CHOPPED and Frank Sibley was in charge. It was like watching Brazil. We played them off the park and had good support. After the game, they attacked anyone. And, I mean anyone - woman, kids, people in cars (like us) on their way home. Old bill just watched on. We beat them three times that season which included Sinclair's over head kick. - Charlie

Remember Mark Perry scoring at their place but as it's the home game it's got to be:
a - Trevor Sinclair's awesome goal
b - John Spencer's left foot, right foot, head hat trick
c - Richard Langley scoring on his debut when we were rock bottom, hadn't won for weeks and Gerry thought about water logging the pitch with the sprinkler system to get it called off. - NorthernR

Going there for the first time. I think they'd won five on the spin. We beat them 3-1 and Mark Perry scored....Who?????????? - Mattnme

I remember us scoring three goals in about 12 minutes against them in about 2003. Was listening at work (still could then) laughing down the phone to my girlfriend who was from Barnsley - her mum was at the game. Two of the goals were about a minute apart. - Bklyn

Ref (a) Trev's goal - awesome and unforgettable but also can't forget Roberts letting an innocuous ball slip through his hands and Andy Impey's superb right hook leading to his sending-off. A memorable game indeed - OldNick

Enfield junior's first ever away game was at Barnsley. We lost 1-0 Kevin Betsy scoring the winner near the end of the game. I remember Doudou coming on as sub, he ran down the wing skipped past a player continued running not aware that he had taken the ball off for a throw in 20 yards back - Enfieldargh

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