Bristol City v. QPR (11 August: Championship Match 1) [R]

[Atouk]

Bristol City -- 2nd in League One last season
v.
QPR -- 18th in Championship last season
------
11 August 2007 15:00
Ashton Gate
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The new season is here!

Rangers News:

Gareth Ainsworth, Ray Jones, and Pat Kanyuka are ruled out with injuries, as is Simon Walton who will be out for much of the season with a leg break suffered against Fulham. Sampsa Timoska will serve a suspension for his red card in last season's final game, while new signing Chris Barker will serve the first of a three-match suspension.

The Opponent:

Three years after being beaten out for promotion on the final day by the R's, Bristol City secured automatic promotion on the final day of last season. Jamie McCombe (shin) and Ivan Sproule (suspended) will miss the match. Bristol City bought Lee Trundle from Swansea in the offseason for £1m, their primary signing of note as they enter the second tier of English football for the first time since 1999.

The Series:

QPR leads the overall series 28-20-24, 26-18-24 in league play. Bristol City won the last meeting at Ashton Gate, 1-0, back in April 2004. The clubs first met in the 1913/14 FA Cup and first played in the same division in 1922/23 in the old Division 3 South.

The Referee:

Keith Stroud has been assigned. Last season, he handed out 96 yellows and 3 reds in 38 games (1 Premier League, 13 Championship, 8 League One, 11 League Two including a playoff game, and 5 cup games).

He worked two QPR games last season -- our 1-1 home draw with Leicester (Rowlands with a penalty as a Leicester player was sent off; Smith & Lomas booked for QPR) and our 1-0 home win against Preston (Bolder & Cullip booked for the R's).

[QPR Kevin H]

COME ON YOUUUUUUUU
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRsss

[QPR Kevin H]

BBC Radio London have an Rs preview on right now... Biggie interview, etc...

www.bbc.co.uk/london

Quick recap - Biggie says the mood is good related to the possible takeover, although that kind of news is to be expected at a club like QPR.

Excited about the new season and the way the team looks under Gregory.

Spoke about his nagging ankle injury and rehabbing with Ainsworth. Season opener is just "a little too early" for them.

Said giving the captaincy to Bolder was a great decision... "we're good mates". Also mentioned that he spoke to Gregory about it and was thrilled to have worn the armband last season.

On Cook... hard to replace. "Looked to Cookie a lot last season" - they'll have to pick that up from different areas now.

Happy to have the loan signings from Chelsea. "You won't believe" Sahar, even though he's 18.

That was about it - I'm just killing off the rest of a Friday afternoon. Pretty excited for tomorrow morning!

[QPR Kevin H]

OK I think I'm ready for the season... Have my mac, a laptop and a new flat-screen running to keep up with the action. Oh and I'm typing this on my iPhone :)

Just waiting on the team news...

[Atouk]

OK I think I'm ready for the season... Have my mac, a laptop and a new flat-screen running to keep up with the action. Oh and I'm typing this on my iPhone :)

Just waiting on the team news...
:D

Starters are in. Danny Nardiello and John Curtis make their debuts for the R's. Zesh Rehman and Stefan Moore make somewhat surprising starts for the R's.

Starting XI: Camp; Rehman, Stewart, Mancienne, Curtis; Rowlands, Bolder, Bailey, Moore; Blackstock, Nardiello.

Bench: Bignot, Cullip, Cole, Ephraim, Nygaard.

And where the hell is Sahar? The story on the offish just says "and there's no room in the 16" for him.

[QPR Kevin H]

Ben Sahar is out sick - damn!!!

TEAM
1. Lee Camp
28. Zeshan Rehman
5. Damion Stewart
6. Michael Mancienne
21. John Curtis
14. Martin Rowlands
7. Adam Bolder
23. Stefan Bailey
18. Stefan Moore
8. Daniel Nardiello
9. Dexter Blackstock

SUBS
12. Jake Cole (GK)
2. Marcus Bignot
4. Danny Cullip
25. Hogan Ephraim
30. Marc Nygaard

[Atouk]

The commentator says Sahar is ill.

Rehman is on the right with Mancienne partnering Stewart.

We're underway!

[Atouk]

Paul Parker is joining the (lady) play-by-play announcer on the World fee.

Header from 8 yards or so for Bristol City. Camp collects.

[Atouk]

[R] in this thread for all Championship matches (and any other English game of interest)... first spoilers coming below.









Windass has scored already! 3rd minute goal puts Hull ahead of Plymouth, 1-0.

Coventry is up 1-0 on Barnsley. Ipswich is up 1-0 against Wednesday.

And Derby has gotten off to a good start in the Premier League with an early goal against Portsmouth.

[QPR Kevin H]

Paul Parker is joining the (lady) play-by-play announcer on the World fee.

Header from 8 yards or so for Bristol City. Camp collects.
Good to hear Parker set her straight on that moronic "QPR supporters with a soft spot for Chelsea remark"

[QPR Kevin H]

Coventry one up and Derby off the mark in the Premiership

[QPR Kevin H]

10 minutes in... Championship already more exciting than the Premiership (again) :)

[Atouk]

A couple of dodgy moments in the back for our boys, but it's still 0-0.
Good to hear Parker set her straight on that moronic "QPR supporters with a soft spot for Chelsea remark"Yeah, Mancienne or Sahar on the back of a QPR shirt doesn't mean a "soft spot" for the holders of their contracts. :)

[QPR Kevin H]

Ipswich TWO up at home v Weds.

[Atouk]

Bristol City with their first corner. Played short. Bailey takes control for the R's.

Plymouth has scored to equalize with Hull.

Brentford goes up 1-0.

[Atouk]

A little better now for the R's. A little more possession.

[QPR Kevin H]

Brentford goes up 1-0.

Who? :)

Manchester City just scored a nice goal at West Ham to start off the Sven era

[Atouk]

West Brom scores at Burnley. Barnsley has drawn level with Coventry. 7 goals in the Championship thus far.

[QPR Kevin H]

Brentford concede...

[Atouk]

Bailey seems to be doing fairly well. Nardiello is getting involved, too. Haven't heard much from Blackstock yet.Who? :)You know, yet another of the West London clubs with less debt than we have. ;)