Queens Park Rangers extended their lead at the top of the Championship with an important come from behind victory over second placed Cardiff City.

The game did not start the way the London side would have hoped as Craig Bellamy gave the Welsh side the lead after thirteen minutes, as Jay Bothroyd capitalised on a slip by Kaspars Gorkss slip to provide an assist to the on loan Manchester City striker.

However Gorkss made amends for his mistake just five minutes later by converting Tommy Smith’s cross to draw the London side level.

The scores remained level until well after the hour mark as both sides probed and created chances in a tense encounter.

In the end it was poor defending that allowed the deadlock to be broken, with Cardiff failing to deal with a 68^th minute corner that Adel Taarabt was able to smash home.

Cardiff however will feel that they deserved an equaliser and a point after Jay Bothroyd was brought down by Matthew Connolly with five minutes to play, however the referee did not concur and Taarabt’s goal turned out to be the winner.

This victory extends QPR’s unbeaten run to nineteen games and puts them within one game of their previous record run, however the key statistic for Ranger’s fans will be the five point lead they now hold at the top of the table.

The season is far from over and there are plenty more twists and turns but this is a morale boosting victory that has put the club right back in the promotion driving seat.

As for Cardiff this was always going to be a difficult game and with a three point advantage over fierce rivals Swansea, this will be just a speed bump in their challenge.

When you go to watch your team you often meet characters like this, but it isn’t too often you get to capture it on film. A sneaky QPR fan turned his attention away from the 3-1 defeat to League Two outfit Port Vale and captured a Rangers fan who was attempting to let Neil Warnock know his feelings from a distance. It’s not clear if the players got the message, but the man a few rows behind heard it loud and clear. Credit for finding this must of course go firstly to the uploader 10wal, but also to my mate Rich who posted this on facebook. He is a Brighton fan, so I’m probably guessing that he got it from their message board North Stand Chat. Good capture Seagulls.

Striker Marlon King has recently been released from prison and after his freedom he conducted an interview with Sky Sports where many thought he came across as quite genuine, although others saw him as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. King still protests his innocence over the offence that saw him given an 18 month jail sentence (reduced to 9), in which he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a female when out at a London night club and he is determined to show that he was mistaken in identity. If King is to prove this then he has a lot of work to do, as his previous 13 criminal convictions prior to this one paint a picture that probably already made up people’s minds that this is a bad apple. Now that King is a free man, his agent wasted no time in trying to find his client a new club, offering him to a number of Championship clubs and even Premier League ones. Neil Warnock is taking him under consideration and some have claimed that Coventry will be King’s next destination. But does the former Gillingham man really deserve another chance to work in this line of work?

King is a striker, but he won’t exactly set the world on fire and he’s unlikely to bag you 20 goals a season, but the job he does up front is important for whatever striker he supports and he can be a useful target man. His most recently club was Wigan, but found himself loaned out to Hull and Middlesbrough when they participated in England’s top league, showing that many managers in the game feel he is a useful player in the Premier League. It is highly unlikely that any Premier League team will take on a 30 year old who has just come out of prison, but it is understandable why many Championship teams may be considering him. He has ability and at the age of 30 he should at the height of his talent and the fact he is on a free transfer makes him even more appealing.

But then there’s that image. I’ve been on an away day to Oldham when they had Lee Hughes up front for them and the amount of abuse he still receives from away fans is intense. In 2004, Hughes was jailed after he caused a fatal car crash which saw one person dead; Hughes fled the scene and handed himself in 36 hours later. People shout things like “They should have thrown away the key” and fans were keen to let Mr. Hughes know that they thought he was a “sick human being” – I could write a number of other things they said, but I’m sure The Gaffer wouldn’t be too happy seeing them on his site! Basically, the majority of football fans you meet will use it against the player and you’ll find few who feel that players who are guilty of such unspeakable crimes should never be allowed to play the game again. King may want to clear his name, but he’ll always be labelled as one of those players.

I’m a Newcastle fan and you’re probably aware that my team has the notorious Joey Barton. Barton receives the same abuse Hughes does, although he hasn’t committed a crime such as murder, he has several incidents that have involved fighting, often fuelled by his alcoholism. I sometimes feel a little bit sorry for Barton (not just as a Newcastle fan), because his half brother was involved in a racially motivated murder of a young boy, something which has led many to label Joey himself as a racist, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The minute you’re a prison alumni, such as Barton or Hughes, then all of a sudden people’s perception of you changes and its a heavy social load on anybody. Barton will always be labelled as a horrible man, but that is because you rarely hear the good he does from the likes of Sky Sports News and the BBC. I don’t say his actions were nothing, it is never right to assault anyone for any reason, but Barton has taken massive steps to improve his life; he hasn’t had a drop of alcohol for two years and the number of charities and good causes he is involved in and contributes to is countless. He rarely speaks about them and they’ll rarely make the headlines because who is interested in that? If you’re reading this Mr. Barton, I’m more worried about what that horrible moustache is doing for your image lately!

I do think at times celebrities and sports personalities are protected too much when it comes to the legal system, but if people are really keen to turn their life around and contribute something to society then why stop them? Craig Bellamy is another example, he is a player that everyone expects is a horrible person due to the fact he is always complaining on the pitch. I’m not a fan of Bellamy anymore (if you know about his bust up with Shearer, you will understand why Newcastle fans don’t respect him), but I had a mate who’s mother worked as a receptionist at a children’s hospital in Newcastle. She wouldn’t have a bad word said about Bellamy because there was one child in particular he would put things off to visit and he was one of the friendliest footballer’s you could ever meet, a lot of the time he wasn’t even going along with the club or to improve his image or anything – he just did it because he wanted to help.

I’m not a believer in capital punishment or the death penalty – you want an eye for an eye then you’re a hypocrite. I don’t think King deserves absolute forgiveness – he was found guilty of a crime and was rightfully punished for it – his actions were disgusting. The fact is most of this could be stopped with the right guidance, players like Barton and King are from areas of the lowest economic class – crime is everywhere in their environment. The majority of people who are in prison come from these sort of areas, as a lack of opportunities and no prospects can lead a number of people to crime and I don’t want to get into the whole “nature/nurture debate” but you basically learn from your environment. Sir Alex Ferguson once said he believed that if Paul Gascoigne had signed for Man Utd instead of Tottenham (he chose Spurs because their chairman bought Gazza’s parents a new house in Gateshead), he wouldn’t have had as many problems with things such as alcoholism and depression as he had. You give some of these lads all this money and put them in a competitive and alpha male environment and they’re going to go on their instincts and act out when things don’t go their way.

To say that Marlon King can’t go back to work is somewhat illegal, but in my opinion he should give proof that he is really making a positive effort to rehabilitate himself and become a positive part of society. We are supposed to live in a forgiving society, but this is the second time King has come out of prison (the first was for purchasing a stolen BMW, he was found not guilty of assaulting a police officer though) and that would lead many to think that he already had his second chance. The money footballers earn make this a difficult subject for many, people do not like the fact that an ex-convict can walk out of prison and then receive their yearly salary in one week and in King’s case, some of his previous offences are disgusting and it is understandable why so many believe he is a terrible person.

For me, I look at the likes of Tony Adams and Paul Merson who made big mistakes in their career but were keen to see that they could prevent this in the future by starting the sporting chance clinic which has helped the likes of Joey Barton get his life back on track. Merson is now a loveable pundit for Sky Sports and Tony Adam’s is managing some Azerbaijani team (success) and their past problems are almost overshadowed by the fact that they now play a big part in helping people learn from their mistakes. Mr. King could take a note out of their book, he is certainly not a household name or what I would consider a role model to young kids (if anyone wanted to put that as their argument then present me the child who dreams of becoming the next Marlon King) but a lot of these players changed their ways and decided they would help others. If you want to get back involved with the profession you love after ruining your chance then why not help prevent this from happening in the future.

I’m all for King returning if he wants to stop young players in similar situations to him make the same mistakes – if he is helping the problem as opposed to being part of it then his past issues and offences should not even come under consideration. But there is always that fear: fool me 14 times, shame on you – fool me 15 times, shame on me.

It all kicks off tomorrow night, as Championship new boys Norwich play host to Watford in the first game of the football league season on a Friday night. This will be the first live game of the English season and I must say that not only as a Championship blogger but also as a football fan I am extremely excited. If you’re a regular visitor on the EPL talk network, you may have seen on Worldcupbuzz that I wrote quite a few live blogs while matches where ongoing and I hope to carry that on for the Championship (although I’m unable to announce particular games yet). There are three live games from the Championship to start the season:

Friday 6th August:

Norwich City V Watford

UK: Live on Sky Sports 3 (and HD 3) – [7.45pm GMT kick off]

USA: Live on FoxSoccer.tv – [2.45pm ET kick off]

Saturday 7th August:

Leeds United V Derby County

UK: Live on BBC One (and HD) [5.15pm GMT kick off]

USA: Live on Fox Soccer Plus & FoxSoccer.tv [12:15pm ET kick off]

Sunday 8th August:

Cardiff City V Sheffield United

UK: Live on Sky Sports 1 (and HD 1) – [12.35pm GMT kick off]

USA: Live on FoxSoccer.tv [7.35 ET kick off]

Ignore the glorified kick about that is the Charity Shield and watch some competitive football this weekend! Middlesbrough are being tipped by many as favourites for promotion this season, but 2010/11 could well be one of the most open and balanced season’s England’s second tier has ever seen. As well as ‘Boro, big things are expected from the likes of QPR, Burnley Nottingham Forest and Reading whereas many predict it will be a difficult season for Gary Hooper-less Scunthorpe, Watford, Barnsley and Millwall. Still, the beauty of the Championship is that it is notoriously hard to predict, last season many tipped Newcastle to have a difficult season and they ended up winning the league! Leicester were promoted from League One and found themselves in the playoff semi-finals. And big spending QPR found themselves in a relegation battle. Last season saw its fair amount of drama and it promises to continue this season! I thought I’d pick out three clubs in particular that I think could have very interesting seasons for different reasons:

Portsmouth:

Narrowly avoiding liquidation, Pompey’s troubles are far from over and the cash strapped club will likely be forced to field a number of youngsters this season as not only do they seem an unattractive proposition for an aspiring player, but their debt’s are so beyond them that they can ill-afford to offer out wages for top players. Steve Cotterill was a great appointment, but Pompey’s goal for this season remains unclear. The club faces a real threat of being dragged into a relegation battle due to the many financial difficulties and in my opinion; anything that keeps them in the Championship should be seen as a success. They may still be a part of the football league, but Pompey are on an uncertain path.

Q.P.R:

Can they finally do it? The 12th man to take charge of QPR in four years, Neil Warnock, managed to keep the club in the league last season and it now appears that he is being backed by many to lead the club onto a promotion push. Some QPR fans are sitting in the fence and are unsure as to whether the club really can aspire to the top of the table, but that doesn’t mean to say that they don’t believe they will have a poor season like last year. The reason QPR will have an interesting season is that there finally seems to be an atmosphere of stability at the club – something they have been lacking ever since the takeover. In my opinion, QPR should be around the play-off area next season, although that could all change if the board decides to keep up its tradition of managerial changes…

Norwich:

The champion’s of League One returned on the first time of asking, something that seemed far from plausible when they were hammered by Colchester at the start of last season. Norwich replied by sacking Bryan Gunn and hiring the very man who had lead Colchester to the Canaries’ humiliation – Paul Lambert. Norwich never looked back and took the league by storm, even avenging the Colchester score by inflicting the same punishment on Lambert’s former team. Lambert is an exciting manager who is plying his trade well and this will be his first chance to manage in the Championship. Top players like Wes Hoolahan and Grant Holt could have easily made my list (below) regarding the Championship players to watch this season and Norwich’s amazing League One form has led many to tip the club for a chance at the play offs. It could be a great season for Norwich and it is great to have their support back in the Championship – the team often filled their stadium last season when in League One.

I wish I could detail every club, but as ever I will be writing throughout the season on various issues and stories that occur. I honestly cannot make a prediction as to who will win the league, although if Kris Boyd remains fit for the entire season then it seems foolish to bet against Middlesbrough. My tip for the season is Nicky Maynard to finish top goal scorer – although Boyd could take the league by storm, Bristol City have shown a lot of ambition in the transfer market this summer and this should help Maynard carry on his great goal scoring record from last season.

Enjoy the season and good luck to your team!

QPR fans have reason to get excited

Back in 2007, when Flavio Briatore and his consortium took control of Queens Park Rangers, there were hopes from fans and promises from the owners that QPR would quickly gain promotion and become an established Premier League side. The owners, who have an excess of wealth at their disposal, were mainly made up men who had made their name in Formula One; the richest sport on the planet. Rumours broke out that Zidane would be coming in to manage the club and Luis Figo would be snapped up by the ambitious club, although whether these moves were actually made remains a slight mystery. Although considering the controversy and indecision of the owners since their takeover, it is likely that they did make such audacious moves and the team who had so much promise in 2007, spent last season fighting a relegation battle with a weak squad. The depth and strength of the squad probably had something to do with the amount of different managers the club has had since the takeover, as when Neil Warnock took charge this season, he was the club’s seventh manager in the past three years.

But Warnock’s appointment (despite the fact the club was still in real danger of being relegated to League One) seemed to signal some stability, as now this ambitious side with a bit of cash behind them had an experienced manager at the helm who was used to being successful at this level. You probably know that Warnock did manage to keep the R’s afloat, and even had to come through a tense game against his former employers Crystal Palace, which leads the hoops into the 2010/11 season win a new hope. I believe that this could finally be the year we see QPR as one of the favourites to gain promotion, as on paper they have the right formula to go all the way to the Premier League.

Four top signings have been made by Warnock already and the experienced coach has admitted that he would like to make four more. As well as Leon Clarke and Jamie Mackie, Paddy Kenny has joined from Sheffield United after a difficult season which saw him serve a ban for a failed drugs test and Warnock was quick to take advantage of Crystal Palace’s former financial problems by snapping up the man who captained his former employers, Shaun Derry. What Warnock has tried to do is create a squad that knows how to play a this level and these signings will provide great depth to the squad that was missing last season. The advantage of Derry and Kenny is that they’re both fairly consistent and will give the club more stability that they’ve often lacked both on and off the field in previous seasons.

The fact that there are four more on the way only shows the intent from QPR to finally realise their ambition of becoming a Premier League side and in my opinion they are looking like a good shout for promotion contenders in a season that looks wide open for most clubs. They may have narrowly missed out on Darren Ambrose who would have provided them with that spark that they often relied upon Adel Taarabt to produce last season, but there are alternatives for the club that they will be exploring. The fact is, this is what QPR should have done in previous seasons, by putting an experienced and knowledgeable manager in charge who knows how to play the field. I wouldn’t go as far to say they will win the league, but in truth it is a possibility if these type of signings continue and they are one of my favourites for promotion. What they need to focus on seeing if they can inject a bit of pace in the side, possibly by brokering a few loan deals, and with the contacts and power the owners have I’m sure they could get the men Warnock would want in his side.

Several teams have managed to put together some pretty decent runs in the Championship this season. All of them, though, are susceptible to poor form and bad results. This is partly because this is a tight league with little difference between top and bottom – especially compared with the Premier League – but also because few teams have the resources to really cope with injuries or suspensions.

Newcastle apart, it’s Queens Park Rangers who have probably received the most praise and media coverage over the last couple of months. Goals have been flying in from all angles, Derby were humiliated on terrestrial television and the passing style insisted upon by Jim Magilton has led to the club being dubbed ‘The Arsenal of the Championship’ on more than one occasion.

QPR, though, have problems. First of all they failed to find much flow against Leicester live on Sky and their winning run came to an abrupt end. A few days later they were denied again by a hard working Palace side who held them to a 1-1 draw. Even Rangers’ recent victory at Sheffield Wednesday needed a late winner to patch over a lack of fluency.

The cliche is that the top teams win even when they are playing badly, so in that respect the win at Hillsborough was an encouraging sign. Yet despite the individual brilliance of Akos Buzsaky, Adel Taraabt amd Wayne Routledge, QPR fans harbour concerns about how far their team can go this season.

The reason for this is The Captain Curse. Five separate players have already led the team out this season. Four of those players are currently injured. If Mikele Leigertwood was to be crocked in training this week, the chances are a sixth name would be added to that list. It’s only November!

Rangers are currently chronically low on genuine leadership. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of endeavour. Defender Peter Ramage has a tremendous attitude. Wayne Routledge’s work ethic is outstanding for such a creative footballer. Jay Simpson is a tireless worker up front. But it feels like a quiet dressing room. Teams going for promotion need defiance, they need players in the team that will drive them forward when the going is tough. Sometimes, just playing great football isn’t quite enough.

It all started when poor Martin Rowlands suffered a second cruciate injury in a year while playing in a friendly for the Republic of Ireland, ruling him out for the rest of the season. It was a cruel blow for the QPR captain and also for the team because his energy, his drive and his snappy tackling add an extra dimension to the squad. Gavin Mahon took over the armband and the matchday programme notes as Rowlands prepared for a season watching from the sidelines. Mahon will have been with the club for two years in January and during that time he never missed a game through injury – until about a fortnight ago. He’s now out for four months following knee surgery. While not always a first team regular, Mahon is nevertheless a real leader and was captain of Watford the last time they paid a brief visit to the Premier League.

With defender Fitz Hall seemingly unable to put together a run of games in a QPR shirt without suffering injury, Rangers are certainly lacking a genuine captain. The possible signing on a permanent deal of current loan player Ben Watson in January would help (not least because QPR’s central midfield is now looking a bit thin), but ideally Rangers probably need something extra.

If the club is still in the top six after Christmas, it seems likely that Jim Magilton will be asking Chairman Flavio Briatore for a little more investment (Russell Martin of Peterborough is one name that has already been rumoured in the press). A couple of wise additions in January may well be enough to push Rangers over the line and back into the top flight for the first time in 14 years… unless The Captain Curse continues to strike down QPR’s leaders.

Supporting QPR requires a person to be able to switch emotions between exasperation, anger, incredulity, despair and, on rare occasions, joy on an almost daily basis.

1st September 2007. I stood outside Loftus Road looking in silence at the memorial laid by fans for our young striker Ray Jones who had been tragically killed in a car crash. As I turned to enter the stadium a vehicle pulled up and from it emerged then Chairman Gianni Paladini along with the man about to buy the club, Flavio Briatore.

For years Rangers had been struggling with finances, seemingly always only days away from a second spell in administration (unlike most clubs, QPR emerged from an administration period worse off than when they went in). Now, just as the club had reached the lowest possible point with the death of a young striker, there was just a semblance of hope. As Briatore crossed the road the silence was broken by an ovation. No cheers, just clapping hands, a sign of thanks and appreciation.

For a while, things were actually pretty good as the club turned to an Italian none of us had heard of, Luigi De Canio. Along with a slew of signings including Fitz Hall, Matthew Connolly, Patrick Agyemang and most importantly the sublime Akos Buzsaky and the mercurial Rowan Vine, De Canio dragged us up the table pretty quickly. There was an annoying penchant for conceding late goals and the away form was shaky, but at Loftus Road fans were treated to the best football in years. Two 3-0 thrashings against promotion-chasing sides Stoke and Bristol City in particular were an absolute joy. We were rich. We were scoring goals. We loved the manager. All was right with the world.

But since April of 2008 very little has been right with the world. Buzsaky and Vine both became injured and between them have played less than five times in the last 12 months. The cultish De Canio left the club under uncertain circumstances, no one quite sure whether he was homesick, whether the players were frustrated by his lack of English or whether he was always only a stop-gap to stave off relegation.

In addition, despite boasting a Board worth billions of pounds, season ticket prices shot up – in some cases by as much as 50% when taking into account discounts for the previous season. There were grumbles, but fans conceded that if we wanted success and more good players then perhaps we should have to pay for it.

There were all kinds of rumours about who the next manager might be (the most outlandish being Zinedine Zidane) but in the end the man chosen was a decidedly unglamorous Iain Dowie.

In a blaze of publicity, QPR managed to sign Real Madrid starlet Daniel Parejo on a one year loan deal, a player Arsenal were rumoured to have offered £10m for only a few months earlier. There were concerns about the lack of a top class striker at the club, but otherwise hopes were high.

A decent start soon went sour. Emmanuel Ledesma, a loan signing from Italy, scored one of the most perfect hat-tricks I have ever seen against Carlisle in the League Cup, but soon lost form and never recovered. Parejo showed flashes of brilliance, but struggled to adapt to the English game. Both have since left the club early. Dowie’s initial expansive football quickly gave way to a more defensive game, causing rows with Briatore. By October he was gone.

Paulo Sousa’s time in charge has been mixed. Some excellent results – a scintillating 3-2 home win against Preston and a 3-0 destruction away at Blackpool – have been enjoyable, but with Buzsaky and Vine still injured, Agyemang joining them and new signing Heidar Helguson seemingly unsure of fitness from one week to the next, the problem of scoring goals has persisted, resulting in some very dull 0-0 draws.

About a month ago, the club trumpeted the return of the Early Bird Discount Scheme whereby existing season ticket holders and members could buy a season ticket for next season at the same price as last season as long as they bought it by mid-April. How the word ‘Discount’ was allowed to be in that offer has been discussed at length, because there was no discount. In fact, because of the VAT reduction, it was actually an increase on last year’s prices. Having sat through a fair amount of turgid football (although at least for once we have been top half for a whole season) fans were furious.

Revolution has been brewing for some time and the whole sorry mess regarding the sacking of Paulo Sousa for apparently revealing ‘secrets’ about the club to a fan has brought things to a head. Sousa may not have set the club alight, but he has had just six months. He is not responsible for buying players and Sporting Director Gianni Paladini has failed badly in this regard to acquire strikers of an ability to make us into a team worthy of promotion. He continues to appear to wield a disproportionate amount of power at the club despite being a former agent who has never coached, never managed and has been responsible for bringing a number of sub-standard players to the club on big contracts.

Indeed, it seems possible that Paladini’s signing of Gary Borrowdale in January precipitated the current crisis. Borrowdale was signed on loan in November with a permanent signing also agreed. Sousa was not impressed and Borrowdale never started a game and has been shipped out to Brighton on loan. In retrospect it appears possible that this may have caused something of a power struggle between the coach and the sporting director.

Sousa was an outstanding footballer and a man of honour. A few years ago QPR could never have dreamed of attracting a man of his standing to the club, and now it has booted him out on an embarrassing technicality. He deserves better.

The PR machine at QPR has quickly gone into overdrive, relegating the story of the sacking of the manager to the fifth item on its news page only hours after the initial announcement (where Sousa, bizarrely, was referred to as Paulo De Sousa) and proudly crowing about a 5% reduction in season ticket prices, as if that makes everything okay.

Of course, it makes nothing okay. QPR fans are in a terrible situation. We were desperate for a takeover, for someone with money to have faith in the club. Now we have it and the club is a circus, a shambles, an embarrassment. It is starting to make Newcastle look like a well-run ship.

And who is going to manage this club now? No one seems capable of lasting more than around six months in the job and even a minor run of poor results could mean the sack, as could a disagreement with Briatore or Paladini. Some people have mentioned Darren Ferguson or Gary Johnson but neither have any reason to risk their good names. At the QPR circus, the coach cannot be the Ringmaster, which usually makes him the clown.

I go to football for entertainment. On Monday when Rangers will undoubtedly lose to Sheffield Wednesday, I am dreading the ugly atmosphere that will flood the stands.

Sky Sports has announced its schedule of televised Championship matches for the first few months of the 2008/2009 season. Here’s the schedule:

• Sunday, August 10: Nottingham Forest v Reading
• Saturday, August 16: Bristol City v Derby County
• Saturday, August 30: Watford v Ipswich
• Saturday, October 4: Coventry City v Southampton
• Saturday, October 25: Reading v QPR
• Saturday, November 8: Southampton v Bristol City
• Saturday, November 22: Nottingham Forest v Norwich City
• Sunday, November 30: Swansea City v Cardiff City

Chances are quite good that these matches will also be shown on Setanta Sports for viewers in the United States.