Rs set for final home game of Championship campaign against Blues

Brent & Kilburn Times: James Perch (right) will leave Queens Park Rangers this summer (pic: Steven Paston/PA)James Perch (right) will leave Queens Park Rangers this summer (pic: Steven Paston/PA) (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Saturday could well be an emotional afternoon for Jamie Mackie, who is set to play at Loftus Road in a Queens Park Rangers shirt for the final time.

Mackie is out of contract in the summer and the Rs have already announced that the Scotland international will depart when his deal runs out.

The 32-year-old could bid an emotional farewell to the west Londoners if he appears in their final home game of the season against Birmingham City on Saturday.

In two spells with the Rs, Mackie has made 149 appearances for the Loftus Road outfit, scoring 24 goals.

The forward will always be remembered by QPR fans as being a part of the team that won the Championship in the 2010/11 season.

After joining that summer from Plymouth Argyle, Mackie was an instant success as he scored a debut goal in a 4-0 win over Barnsley.

The former Exeter City man was vital cog in boss Neil Warnock’s plans as the Rs secured a return to the Premier League.

Mackie is not the only man to be waving goodbye to Loftus Road this weekend, with defender James Perch also departing this summer.

And boss Ian Holloway hopes both players get the send-off they deserve from the QPR fans.

“Saturday is an opportunity to thank Jamie and James for their contribution to QPR,” Holloway told the club website.

“They’re two fantastic pros and they deserve a send-off from our supporters, as well as their fellow team-mates, at Loftus Road.

“More so, it’s an opportunity for us — the management and the squad — to say thanks to the Rs fans for their support this season.

“The fans have been unbelievable in backing us this campaign, in what has been a season of transition, and we want to thank each and every one of them — but we will only be able to do that if the supporters stay off the pitch.”

As for the clash with Birmingham, QPR will hope to sign off from Loftus Road for the season with another victory over the Blues this weekend.

When the sides met at St Andrew’s back in December, a brace from Jack Robinson, who himself may play his final home game for QPR this weekend, handed Holloway’s men the win.

A similar result on Saturday would not go amiss as QPR look to end the season on a high.