Sheffield Football Club vs. Queen's Park, Centenary Celebration

This match, the world's first ever club centenary celebration, marked 100 years from the day of the founding of Sheffield Football Club, generally recognised as the world's oldest club who still play today.

Programme cover courtesy of the excellent Footysphere.

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Big Story
The headline story in this piece on the Premier League's consideration of Bolton chairman Phil Gartside's proposals for restructuring the league focuses on the nix put on the idea of Rangers and Celtic joining the Premier League, with that immediately ruled out now and forever.

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The Kick it Out campaign for equality and inclusion in English football has been a notable success over the years, and is currently in the midst of a high-profile campaign this month, "One Game, One Community.

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- Visit also the combination messageboard and quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. If you're interested in constantly-updated news re anything QPR-related (not infrequently not found on other QPR sites)and also QPR nostalgia, the QPR Report Messageboard has both - along with assorted eclectic non-QPR football material. Click to continue reading...

It was something of a disappointment that there wasn't a big empty space in this morning's edition of the Guardian's sports section. It would have been the most fitting response to Ken Bates' decision to ban the newspaper from Elland Road as a result of reports written by David Conn about the increasingly murky issue of the ownership of Leeds United.

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The Guardian, and particularly Football Supporters' Federation writer of the year David Conn, have provided Britain's best newspaper coverage of the ugly underbelly of the finances at British football clubs across England for quite some time.

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- Checkout the TWO QPR Reports! This QPR Report site. And, the second combination messageboard and quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. If you're interested in constantly-updated news re anything QPR-related and also QPR nostalgia, this site has both - along with assorted eclectic non-QPR football material. Click to continue reading...

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- QPR REPORT...UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY: Checkout the TWO QPR Reports! This QPR Report site. And, the second combination messageboard and quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. If you're interested in constantly-updated news re anything QPR-related and also QPR nostalgia, this site has both - along with assorted eclectic non-QPR football material. Click to continue reading...

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Right now, Chelsea are hosting the Leaders in Football conference, billed as "the world's most exclusive football business event where 1,000 senior executives linked to International Clubs, Leagues, Federations and Brands come together over 3 nights and 2 days at Chelsea FC to learn, network and do business.

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Yesterday we looked briefly at the concerns about the Football Association's lack of reform expressed by Sports Minister Gary Sutcliffe. But how has the Labour government in its twelve years in power and with a long-proclaimed aim to modernise and promote the broader development of football fared itself in ensuring this happens?

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So, who shall we point the finger of scorn at today?
[Strokes chin in mock consideration]
I know.
Southerners and people from t'other side of the Pennines.
It should possibly be noted as a meagre aside here that, in that we have only a scribbled-in-crayon agenda as to who we target, we tend to piss off everybody in the end. Click to continue reading...

The final installment of David Conn's wonderful illuminating series on the club is up on The Guardian website (and in print no doubt too).
It is a big piece, and brings the 'story' up to date with a look at the numerous changes both on and off the field that have occurred over the past twelve months. Click to continue reading...

"The reality wasn't exactly what was described and sold to me," he said. "In fairness, we were able to go into the transfer market, but there seemed a focus that players had to be sold, and I realised that maybe the resources weren't in place that I thought."
"If you are single-minded, you have to work purposefully," he reflected, "and if you get to a point where it is untenable and not manageable, then you make the decision to walk away.

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An in-depth interview between the chairman and David Conn is up on The Guardian's website, covering a number of topics but mainly centred around the topic of club debt raised as the issue de jour by Michel Platini:

"I could accept the argument if we were artificially building up the club through debt," Khaldoon said.

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Big Story
Whatever the legal niceties of it, the backstory of the Premier League's worldwide poaching of talent is the failure of the Academy scheme domestically, put into place 12 years ago nationwide, but hardly bringing through an amazing stream of talent.

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- For additional up-to-the-minute news about QPR, mixed in with "retro" lookbacks at QPR; along with some items of general football interest: Visit the combination blog and messageboard, QPR Report Messageboard. If you want to offer your own perspective: It's always welcome!
- QPR REPORT Available on TWITTER! Click to continue reading...

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There is, of course, a lot of reaction to digest on the FIFA action against Chelsea announced yesterday for inducing Gaël Kakuta to break his contract with Lens and sign with the London club.

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Last October, then Culture Secretary Andy Burnham put considerable pressure on the Premier League to increase its clubs financial transparency and regulation with a series of penetrating questions which asked the League to "reassess its relationship with money". The League, as David Conn put it, neatly "body-swerved" the meat of Burnham's proposals with its response this year, which we'll continue to look at.

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The only surprising thing about the violence at Upton Park in the Carling Cup tie between West Ham and Millwall was that anybody was surprised by it.

From the moment the draw was made, all the signs of trouble were there. Two clubs with supporters from the lower-end who genuinely hate each other.

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I think Wenger has it right. As one of the most astute men in the business, his contention that the the European Super League will materialize needs to be taken seriously. At this point does anyone not want to see a regular Barcelona vs Chelsea match the results which are not dictated to by a one off encounter and/ or spoiled by refereeing decisions.

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Read the cutting-edge, constantly-updated, football-only QPR Report Messageboard - and quasi-blog)! Simply read about what is happening; what did happen; and what may happen in the world of QPR. And feel free to offer your own perspective. All views genuinely welcome
- QPR REPORT on TWITTER! Click to continue reading...

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- For seriously cutting-edge, continually-updated, news about QPR and football - and only QPR and football - Visit the growing QPR Report Messageboard (and quasi blog)! All perspectives genuinely welcomed!
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - DEXTER SET TO DEPART
- Dexter Blackstock is poised to join Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee. Click to continue reading...

The world's oldest international football stadium, located in Wrexham, Wales, needs your support to ensure its long-term future, after a recent campaign to save it from speculative property developers. As David Conn reported in the Guardian this morning, "Wrexham fans have launched a petition for the Racecourse Ground to be protected by the local authority from being sold off without a replacement stadium being in place.

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-For truly cutting-edge, continually-updated news about QPR and football - and only QPR and football - Visit the messageboard (and quasi-blog) QPR Report Messageboard. All perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- Messageboard "Rumour" - A number of posters are strongly suggesting Dexter Blackstock is just about gone; joining Nottingham Forest. Click to continue reading...

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For truly cutting-edge, continually-updated news about QPR and football - and only QPR and football - Visit the messageboard (and quasi-blog) QPR Report Messageboard. All perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- Pellicori Speaking re Signing for QPR
- Mail/Ashley Gray - Briatore put the brakes on Ecclestone's plot to buy Roma and chose QPR, says FIFA agent
- There was always a surreal quality to Briatore turning up at Loftus Road with billionaire F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone and Indian industrial tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the world's eighth richest man. Click to continue reading...

• Mark Hughes urges John Terry to take up challenge | Premier League - Times Online

  tags: City

• Manchester City & The Big Four | Twohundredpercent

  tags: City

• Local Perspective: Can Manchester City Crack The Arab Market? - Goal.com

  tags: City

• The Lonesome Death of Roy Carroll: Shifting balance

  tags: City

• Kia Joorabchian should now tell us where the Carlos Tevez £25m is going | David Conn | Sport | guardian.

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For truly cutting-edge, continually-updated news about QPR and football - and only QPR and football - Visit the messageboard (and quasi-blog) QPR Report Messageboard. All perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- QPR play NK Celje tonight Wednesday 15th July (8. Click to continue reading...

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- For cutting-edge, continually-updated news about QPR and football - and only QPR and football: Visit the combination messageboard/quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. All perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- The Change in the QPR Staff Directory
- Oldham and Rochdale Discuss Ground share
- The Holloway Show now on at Blackpool
- Sousa Talking About His Plans for Swansea
- Two QPR Fans Found Guilty
- Analysis of Ken Bates' Libel Trial Defeat
- Another Football Fan Census Questionaire
- Swansea's Scotland to Wigan for Two Million
- QPR's Fitz Hall: Best Sporting Nickname
- Released by QPR. Click to continue reading...

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- For cutting-edge, continually-updated news about QPR and football - and only QPR and football: Visit the combination messageboard/quasi-blog QPR Report Messageboard. All perspectives genuinely welcomed!
- Two QPR Fans Found GuiltyHa>
- QPR's Fitz Hall: Best Sporting Nickname
- Released by QPR. Click to continue reading...

It sounded like a great deal: as this BBC article led with last month, "Wycombe managing director Steve Hayes has offered to write off a portion of the club's debt, in return for becoming majority shareholder." The Wycombe Wanderers supporters' Trust, whose approval was needed for Hayes to gain overall control of the Club, has accepted his offer.

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b+w_geezer has sent a Fulham Finances update through. Things really may be looking up for the club:

I never planned to update my efforts of two years ago on Fulham's finances. However, David Conn did it all in the Guardian on 3 June 09. His article is well worth studying in full, but here are some highlights concerning FFC and selected clubs in our ballpark.

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For cutting-edge, continually-updated news about QPR: Visit the combination messageboard and quasi-blog: The QPR Report Messageboard. QPR and other football news; nostalgia; and posters' views: No focus on politics, films, music, etc. No ad-hominem attacks on fellow posters. Just an (usually) intelligent focus on QPR and Football
QPR's 2009/2010 Fixtures
- QPR's Fixtures
- 2009-2010 FA Cup Round Dates
- Video: QPR vs Chelsea (from 1982)
- Video: QPR vs Barnsley (From 1982)
- 1976 Video: Stan Bowles Breaks an European Scoring Record vs FC Cologne
- 1992/93 Video: QPR vs Manchester United and also Ryan Giggs goal vs QPR
- QPR Advertising Open Coaching Positions (Ladies' Teams)
- The Complete QPR Websites Listing
- Key Dates for QPR's 2009-2010 Season
- Away from QPR Specific: David Conn on Portsmouth's takeover & Finances. Click to continue reading...

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For cutting-edge, continually-updated news about QPR: Visit the combination messageboard and quasi-blog: The QPR Report Messageboard. QPR and other football news; nostalgia; and posters' views: No focus on politics, films, music, etc. No ad-hominem attacks on fellow posters. Just an (usually) intelligent focus on QPR and Football
- Video: QPR vs Chelsea (from 1982)
- Video: QPR vs Barnsley (From 1982)
- 1976 Video: Stan Bowles Breaks an European Scoring Record vs FC Cologne
- 1992/93 Video: QPR vs Manchester United and also Ryan Giggs goal vs QPR
- QPR Advertising Open Coaching Positions (Ladies' Teams)
- The Complete QPR Websites Listing
- Key Dates for QPR's 2009-2010 Season
- Away from QPR Specific: David Conn on Portsmouth's takeover & Finances. Click to continue reading...

David Conn writes about Liverpool's mounting financial problems. Despite record revenues, LFC's parent company, Kop Football came away with huge losses mainly through interest payments. Messrs Tom Hicks and George Gilette have not quite delivered on their promises and although the club is nowhere close to being foreclosed, the stadium plan is effectively on hold. Click to continue reading...