Viewing QPR-Southampton in the USA....Previewing QPR vs Southampton

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If there are any in the United States planning to watch Sunday's QPR vs Southampton game (kick off 4:00 pm London Time which is 11:00 am EST) and want to coordinate viewing the game, feel free to post viewing details here (or email at qprreport@hotmail.com.)

Chicago: In Chicago, for instance, some QPR supporters will be watching at the Grafton Pub and Grille. Watching in the USA: Setanta Sports Details

Chicago "For Chicago fans transmission will start at 9.30 at Lincoln ave pub. (cdt).a Group of us will be there. Fado says they arent carrying but their info isnt always reliable so re check."

Brooklyn: I'll be there in a One Size shirt from 10:30am... Iona
180 Grand St Brooklyn, NY 11211

New Haven, CT- match will be shown at The Playwright in Hamden
1232 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT 06517

Washington DC - Flanagans in Bethesda. (4844 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda)

Northern Virginia - Arlington - Kitty O'Shea's in Arlington, too.


Southampton Official Site
Saints are back in front of the Sky TV cameras on Sunday as they travel to Loftus Road for a 4 pm kick-off against Iain Dowie's Queens Park Rangers.
Dowie enjoyed the longest uninterrupted stint at any of the professional clubs that he played for, during his three and a half year spell with Southampton. Purchased from West Ham United, the striker made over 100 appearances for the club before he was sold to Crystal Palace in 1995.
The Northern Ireland international went on to play for this weekend's opponents in the twilight of his career before turning his hands to management.
The well publicised new ownership of the London club has seen Rangers pushed further into the limelight this campaign and the addition of Dowie as manager this summer will no doubt see them backed as contenders to do well this season.
Meanwhile another ex-Saint, Dexter Blackstock, has featured regularly for the Hoops in the two years since his departure from St. Mary's. He has started every league game so far this season scoring in both of the last two games. The 22 year-old forward has three goals to his name this term having also notched one up in the League Cup against Swindon Town.
One time Saints player Fitz Hall is also a regular at the back for the R's after joining from Premiership side Wigan in January.
Form - Dowie has been steady in the transfer market this summer, with a few permanent additions such as Radek Cerny, a goalkeeper from Tottenham, and defender Peter Ramage from Newcastle. He has further supplemented his squad with a handful of loan players with ambitious futures whilst also making the popular decision to bring Lee Cook back to Loftus Road a year after the winger had left the club to join Fulham.
This week former Italian international midfielder, Damiano Tommasi was added to their ranks. The 34-year-old combative central midfielder made over 250 appearances for AS Roma and has joined the R's on a contract until the end of the season following his release from Spanish outfit, Levante.
The Hoops have taken seven points from their opening four fixtures of the campaign. An opening day victory over Barnsley was soon forgotten when they suffered a 3-0 reverse at Sheffield United the following week, but that defeat remains their only loss so far this season.
Before the international break, QPR signed off with a 1-1 draw at Bristol City, playing most of the second half with just ten men, after Argentine loan player Emmanuel Ledesma was sent off by referee Darren Deadman for a second bookable offence.
After Sunday's game they will be preparing themselves for a trip to East Anglia where they will face Norwich City on the same night that Saints host Jim Magilton's Ipswich Town.
Last time round - Darren Powell and Stern John struck the first and last goals of the game at St. Mary's in February, but it was the visitors who took all three points. A 3-2 win was secured through a Martin Rowlands goal and a brace from Patrick Agyemang. Youssef Safri was also sent of for the hosts late in the game.
Previous Encounters - The corresponding fixture last season saw Saints storm to a 3-0 victory at Loftus Road, with goals from Grzegorz Rasiak and Bradley Wright-Phillips securing the three points in early September.
The first meeting between the two sides goes back to the 1920/21 season when a 2-2 draw was the outcome at the Dell.
In the 64 league meetings between the two sides, Saints have taken all three points on 24 occasions. During the early years of the Premier League this was a regular fixture until Rangers suffered relegation in 1996, the same year that Saints survived the drop on goal difference.
That particular season saw both teams claim a victory over one another, with Saints winning at the Dell 2-0 thanks to goals from Jason Dodd and Matthew Le Tissier. Rangers took their home fixture 3-0 in March of that campaign but ultimately it was to no avail.
Ref watch - Mr. Kevin Friend from Leicestershire will take charge of the game on Sunday.
A regular official in the Championship, he notably took charge of the first leg of the Play-off semi final last season between Watford and Hull City at Vicarage Road.
Mr. Friend most recently took control of a game involving Saints last season, when Sheffield Wednesday were the visitors to St. Mary's in December. The game finished 0-0 and Glenn Whelan of Wednesday was the only player to make it into the book.
In a total of 41 games last campaign; he produced 100 yellow cards, whilst 11 players were given their marching orders by the 37 year-old referee.
On Sunday he will be assisted by, Mr. G.S Evetts and Mr. R.G Vaughan. The fourth official is Mr. T. Kettle.
Did you know? - In the early years of their formation, Rangers were something of a nomadic club, playing in a variety of locations around North-West London. One of those seasons included the gun club at Wormwood Scrubs.
Travel Info - (As of 12th September 2008 from Transport For London)
SAINTS fans travelling by rail from London Waterloo are advised to take the Jubilee Underground line to Bond Street station and change there for a Central Line train to White City.
*If you are planning to make the trip via Shepherd's Bush then please be aware that the Shepherd's Bush station on the Central Line is closed so do not attempt to make that a part of your journey.
However, the Shepherd's Bush station on the Hammersmith & City Line is fully functional and can be accessed via the Hammersmith & City Line from Baker Street. To get to Baker Street from London Waterloo take the Jubilee or Bakerloo Line.
**The Club has also been asked to politely remind fans that alcohol is not permitted inside Loftus Road Stadium, so if you are making the trip to W12 then please do not attempt to take any alcoholic beverages into the ground with you. "
Southampton


QPR OFFICIAL SITE - THE FRIDAY PREVIEW: SAINTS
It's all change at Southampton Football Club once again, as the Saints embark on another interesting chapter in their illustrious history.
The arrival of Head Coach Jan Poortvliet, the Dutchman, to replace former boss Nigel Pearson, certainly surprised many followers of the beautiful game earlier this summer.
Indeed, his name is not familiar to English football fans and it's fair to say his appointment was not well received by all supporters at St Mary's - with some swiftly dubbing him and assistant Mark Wotte as the Dutch Donkeys.
Known better as the Dutchman who was nut-mugged by Scottish legend Archie Gemmill in the build-up to 'that' goal in the 1978 World Cup, Poortvliet was actually once a PSV Eindhoven defender and part of one of the finest national sides ever assembled.
And he has high hopes of succeeding with the Total Football philosophy at St Mary's this season.
"Total Football means when you have the ball you have to play," he said recently.
"You have to learn you cannot play full speed for 90 minutes. You have to know when to kill a game with possession. But it takes time to learn and you don't have time in football.
"The thing to do now is to survive, show people some lovely football, take points, be safe and go step by step into the right position."
'Lovely football,' as Poortvliet puts it, doesn't necessarily pay dividends in this division though.
After an opening day defeat to Cardiff City, Saints suffered their first home defeat, to early season front-runners Birmingham City, at St Mary's a week later.
A 1-0 victory at Derby County provided Poortvliet with his first league victory in charge, only for Saints to succumb to 1-0 home defeat against Blackpool, in front of the Sky Sports cameras, prior to the international break.
Whether the Dutchman's magic rubs off on his young Saints squad remains to be seen, but with a managerial CV that includes six titles at various levels - succeeding with little or no money to spend - few would bet against it.
Team News
Inspirational defender Michael Svensson has been ruled out for the Saints, after he suffered a minor setback on his return from a long term knee injury.
Fellow defender Wayne Thomas is also struggling, which could mean Chelsea loanee Jack Cork makes his first start in the Championship at the heart of the visitors' defence.
Rudi Skacel could be in contention after playing 90 minutes for the Reserves in midweek, but Jason Euell (shoulder) is out. QPR


Additional QPR vs Southampton previews, posted yesterday and also here


Southern Daily Echo/Adrian Kajumba - Jan's fixture jam means squad rotation
SAINTS head coach Jan Poortvliet will adopt squad rotation tactics to cope with the biggest fixture pile-up to hit the club in years.
The Dutchman gave his players a few days off during the international break after admitting some were tired after playing six games in August.
Saints return to action following the two-week international break in a Sky-televised clash against QPR at Loftus Road on Sunday.
The trip to west London marks the start of a horrendous run of seven league and cup games in just 21 days for Poortvliet’s men.
That will be even more physically demanding than the six games in 22 days with which Saints opened the season.
After their short break Poortvliet’s squad resumed training this week.
And Poortvliet said: “They needed to rest because now we have seven games in a short space and they have to be ready.
“It’s tough but I am confident we can handle it because I know and see them in training.”
Over the next month, Poortvliet said he is likely to make more of the opportunity to rotate his players.
Saints went into the international break on the back of a dismal 1-0 home defeat to Blackpool.
That was something of a surprise result given that Poortvliet’s men had racked up two impressive wins earlier in the week at Derby in the league and Birmingham in the Carling Cup.
But six players – Lloyd James, Andrew Surman, Simon Gillett, Morgan Schneiderlin, Adam Lallana, Lee Holmes and David McGoldrick – started all three games that week.
And ten players have been Championship ever-presents for Saints so far this season, with Jake Thomson, Stern John and Jamie White sharing the role of 11th player in the four games so far.
So it was understandable that fatigue was offered as a possible reason for the display and result against Blackpool.
Poortvliet, though, has vowed to learn the lessons from the week leading up to the international break.
And over the next few weeks, more players are likely to be handed the opportunity to get some playing time.
Poortvliet said: “The Blackpool game gave me a little bit to think about and maybe we have to put some other players in.
“For some players, after two games in a row maybe it is too much to play a third game and makes recuperation a little bit difficult..." Southern Daily Echo

Also: Vital Football/Southampton: Southampton at QPR Preview