Guy Butters leads Albion into battle at QPR tomorrow, trying to press his claims for another contract.

The dependable stand-in skipper is one of several senior players whose current deals expire at the end of the season.

Injured captain Charlie Oatway has already been promised another contract but the rest will have to wait until the Seagulls' fight for Championship survival is resolved.

Butters, 36, said: "It's understandable that nothing has been sorted out yet, because the gaffer has got to see what division we are in.

"I think a few of the older lads feel good enough to have another year but obviously it is out of my hands. You just try to do the best you can.

"I've played every game this season so if I don't get one I can hold my head up high."

Albion offered professional terms last week to ten teenagers, including eight of the FA Youth Cup quarterfinalists.

"They've done brilliantly, coming up from the youth team," said Butters. "A lot of them are going to be shipped out on loan to give them experience and toughen them up a bit so you have still got to have a core of players and mix youth with experience.

"Doddsy (Jason Dodd) and Charlie have been unlucky with injuries but we feel we have things to offer the club. At the end of the day it's down to the people that matter and what they see fit."

Butters is aiming to upset some of his closest friends again tomorrow after heading the only goal early on against Rangers at Withdean on Boxing Day.

"They are QPR fans and two of my mates were in the away end at Withdean,"

Butters revealed. "I was fortunate enough to get man-of-the-match in that game as well.

"When I met them outside the ground I gave one of them the bottle of champagne. He wanted to shove it up my ****!

"There has been a bit of banter flying around this week. One of them sent me a text the other night, saying I would have nightmares about Furlong and Gallen running at me.

"I rang him back and said hopefully Rangers will lie down and give us three points again.

"There's about ten of them going tomorrow so I'm looking forward to that.

"I played at Loftus Road when it was an Astroturf pitch. I like it because the crowd are close to the pitch, like the Baseball Ground used to be at Derby, and that creates a good atmosphere.

"We had tremendous away support when we drew there last season and I am sure there will be a strong contingent of Brighton fans up there.

"I've known Gary Waddock (QPR caretaker) for a while. He used to live near me.

"I hope they do well for the rest of the season so that he gets the job, apart from tomorrow of course. He's a good lad."

Butters, born in Hillingdon, used to go regularly to watch QPR and Watford when he was younger and to Arsenal, although he kept that quiet once he moved to Spurs.

He does not have a soft spot for any particular club, unlike lifelong Rangers fan Oatway, who was raised around the corner from Loftus Road.

Oatway faces another operation on Monday to remove the pins from the ankle broken in a challenge by Marcus Bean when QPR visited Withdean.

Butters said: "It was from the freekick where Charlie got injured that I scored, so I had mixed feelings.

"It has been a big blow losing Chas. He gets around the pitch and grafts and battles and you know when he is not around because he is one of the loudest off the pitch.

"During games a few of us try to give the younger players the benefit of our experience and the people that have come in have done well.

"Charlie had a neck injury as well but, since I've been here, he has otherwise been pretty much injury free.

"It was the same for me at Gillingham. I broke a leg and you think you are never going to play again but he's a fit lad and sooner rather than later he'll be back."

The remaining eight games will have a bearing on whether Butters is back along with Oatway for Albion next season.