Steve Coppell is one of the best English managers of the last twenty years. Coppell is a manager who always does well at unfashionable clubs and has a list as long as your arm of promotions. He started at Crystal Palace where in a nine year spell he lead the club to promotion, an FA Cup final and finished third in the top division the highest position in the clubs history. All in all he has had four spells at Palace, his second spell saw him reach the playoff final but lose out to Leicester and he returned for a third spell after a bizarre period at Manchester City where he left after just six games including a 2-2 draw against QPR. His third spell at Palace saw him win promotion again but he was moved to director of football after the clubs relegation the following season. As the club faced bankruptcy in 1999 he came in again and kept them in the Championship before leaving the club in 2000. His next club was Brentford where he produced a very good side who were ten minutes away from promotion to the Championship but were denied by Reading for an automatic spot and lost to Stoke in the playoff final. He moved onto Brighton where he was relegated before building a side that would win promotion the following year. He was gone when that promotion was achieved though as he moved to reading where he spent six years. He reached the playoffs once before walking away with the title in 2006 and helping Reading reach the Premiership for the first time. He guided them to a top half finish in the Premiership winning the Manager of the year award but relegation followed and after defeat in the playoffs the following year Coppell stepped down as manager and has been out of work until his move to Bristol City last summer. A shrewd move by City and one which should
see them have another good season.
Bristol City had a frustrating season in the end last year which proved to be the last for Gary Johnson as manager. They started the season well losing just one of the first eight games of the season which included the bizarre 1-0 win over Crystal Palace which saw Palace saw a goal which hit the back of the net and came out but the referee gave a goal kick. It was enough to send Neil Warnock crazy and Bristol City took advantage winning with a late goal. Fortune did not smile on them all season though as they struggled to turn draws into wins and failed to win key matches against sides pushing for promotion. They relied heavily on the goals of Nicky Maynard as they stayed around mid table and the addition of Patrick Ageymang did not have the desired effect as they lost 6-0 at home to Cardiff on `dave's` debut. A run of seven games without a win had them nervously looking down rather than up before a win over West Brom settled the nerves and they looked pretty secure even when Gary Johnson parted company with the club. City finished the season well with impressive
wins over Swansea, Derby and Barnsley and came close to ruining
the party at Blackpool where a late equalizer sent the home side
into the playoffs.
Nicky Maynard Nicky Maynard had a good second season at Bristol City and is certainly a key player for a club with promotion on the agenda this season. Maynard hit ten goals in his first season but fired in twenty one goals last time out including some spectacular goals along the way. His strike at Loftus Road was voted goal of the season by the BBC and the Football League and he scored plenty more outstanding goals as he hit volleys from distance and some skilful individual efforts. Maynard is quick, good on the ball and is quickly turning into an excellent finisher. Any striker who scores 20 goals in a season
is worth looking at and Maynard has quickly established himself
as one of the best forwards in the division.
A new manager is in town and hopes are again very high for Bristol City to make that leap to the Premiership. Coppell has bags of experience in building sides who can win promotion and usually starts with a solid defence, looks for flair from the wings and always looks to get the ball in the right area for the strikers. It's simple stuff really but usually works and Coppell already has the nucleus of a good side at City. Cole Skuse is very decent central midfield players and he'll be joined by Kalifa Cisse in the middle for what should be a formidable test for any side. Coppell will rely on the goals of Nicky Maynard up front and if he can add another striker then they won't be far away. I expect City to do well again this season, they have finished in the top half every year since promotion in 2007 and I don't expect that to change this year. They'll go close to another attempt at the playoffs if they can turn some of those draws into wins but I think they'll finish just outside the top six.
They first entered Division 1 in 1906 as Second Division
champions, and as newcomers became known as the "Bristol Babies",
a nickname that would last into the thirties. They were runners-up to Newcastle in their first
season in the top flight, and in 1909 reached the FA Cup final,
where they were beaten by Manchester United at the Crystal Palace
in London. But these achievements were not consistent, and in
1911 City were relegated back to the Second Division. They have
not repeated the heights of the 1906-1909 era since, and did not
even return to the top flight for 65 years.
Tony Thorpe scored 56 goals in just over 100 appearances for Bristol City before he moved to Luton on a free transfer. He joined QPR in 2003 and had a pretty good first season at QPR when he scored eleven goals and helped us to promotion. After that though he struggled with injuries and has not been the same since, he left QPR a year later but is fondly remembered as an excellent goalscorer. After promotion in 2004 we nicked two players from City and neither did that well. Aaron brown was a bright prospect at Bristol City and looked to have a big future ahead of him but he suffered a broken leg. He joined QPR on a free transfer but never really looked the same after his injury and he played only a handful of games for us.
He made the move to QPR in 2005 and he started brilliantly looking a quality player in Rangers midfield. He struggled with his temper though and was sent off for punching a Luton player and his fitness began to become an issue as he rarely looked capable of playing a full 90 minutes. Doherty ended up leaving QPR to join Wycombe where he has done well in the lower leagues but will always be seen as a player capable of playing at a higher level but for whatever reason he hasn't been able to do that.
The games between QPR and Bristol City have had an extra edge over the last few years. City fans hated Ian Holloway due to his love of Bristol Rovers so they took great delight in beating us and singing Cheer up Ian Holloway at every chance they got. In the first season down in division 2 we had a decent game at Loftus Road, which ended 0-0 and the away game, saw Rangers totally out played as we lost 2-0. 2002/03 saw two superb games. At Ashton gate we went a goal behind as City tore us apart early on. We somehow got level before half time although we could easily have been 3 or 4 goals behind. In the second half we played superbly winning the game 3-1 and going top of the league for the only time all season. The win meant so much to Ian Holloway and the players seemed united in wanting to win it for him. The home game was a vital one for both teams. It marked the start of a very tough run in for QPR and the 1-0 win gave the team real confidence that helped us beat several of the top sides during the closing weeks of the season. In our promotion season we battled it out with City for that second place. City got a 1-1 draw at QPR after Padula had given us the lead but they struck back within 60 seconds to go away with a point. The return game was a massive one and a must win for Bristol City. They did get the win thanks to Christian Roberts and left both sides level on points with just a few games to play. Rangers ended up winning promotion by a single point. in 2007/08 we opened the season with a cracking game at Ashton gate. Rangers twice fell behind only to grab a draw. Lee Johnsons opening goal was leveled up within 60 seconds by Dexter Blackstock. Rangers played well and perhaps should have won the game when Rowlands hit the post three times but we fell behind to a great strike from Murray in the 90th minute. We were not beaten though and Damion Stewart headed home another equaliser during injury time. The game at Loftus Road was less dramatic
but quite enjoyable for QPR fans. Rangers tore City apart and a
double from Agyemang and one from Buzsaky won us the game 3-0 and
had us dreaming of a late push for the playoffs which never did
come. In 2008 we again visited Bristol on
a sunny August day, this time Dexter Blackstock again gave us the
lead in the first half but City drew level and after Ledesma was
sent off for two yellow cards Rangers held on for a well earned
point. At Loftus Road Rangers played well in
an excellent game between two good sides. Jordi Lopez gave QPR the
lead with a stunning free kick before City equalised with a very
well taken goal by Mcindoe. Rangers won it late on though through
loan signing Abel Tarrabt. Last season it was another early visit
to the Ashton gate and again Rangers went home without a win. Nicky
Maynard scored the winner in a close match which saw Adel Taarabt
and Mikele Leigterwood waste rangers best chances. The return game on Boxing day was due to be my son's first ever QPR match but a trip to hospital before Christmas with bronchitis meant he missed the game and it was one to forget anyway. Rangers won the game thanks to goals from Leigterwood and Simpson whilst Maynard scored a screamer to get City back into the game but it will be best remembered for Paul Hart taking off all attacking players and holding on with eight defenders on the pitch to bring a farcical end to the game. Click on the match for a report of the game from this web site.
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Tom
Doherty was a popular player at City where he was a tough tackling
midfield player and a very good passer of the ball.