Bristol City -- 2nd in League One last season v. QPR -- 18th in Championship last season ------ 11 August 2007 15:00 Ashton Gate ------ 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).
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!
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...
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.
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
The commentator says Sahar is ill. Rehman is on the right with Mancienne partnering Stewart. We're underway!
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.
[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.
Good to hear Parker set her straight on that moronic "QPR supporters with a soft spot for Chelsea remark"
A couple of dodgy moments in the back for our boys, but it's still 0-0. Yeah, Mancienne or Sahar on the back of a QPR shirt doesn't mean a "soft spot" for the holders of their contracts.
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.
West Brom scores at Burnley. Barnsley has drawn level with Coventry. 7 goals in the Championship thus far.
Bailey seems to be doing fairly well. Nardiello is getting involved, too. Haven't heard much from Blackstock yet. You know, yet another of the West London clubs with less debt than we have.
Nice free kick from Rowlands. Over the wall and on target, but tipped over by the keeper. Corner for the R's... Rowlands sends it in. Keeper misses, Rehman gets contact, keeper tips it away. Foul on the R's.