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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
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How many miles Blackburn Rovers fans will rack up on the road next season
The 2025/26 Championship line-up has been confirmed and Rovers supporters will have to rack up the miles again if they are to visit every ground next season. There are more long journeys on the agenda following Ipswich and Southampton's relegations in addition to the likes of Norwich and Portsmouth. Supporters who head to any of those grounds will rack up more than 500 miles across both legs of the journey. The average trip for Rovers fans in the Championship next season works out at 161 miles each way, setting off from Ewood – Made an immediate return to the Championship after clinching the League One title with a record 111 points, having spent big on the likes of Jay Stansfield. Past form: Andre Dozzell scored the only goal when the sides last met in February 2024. The last victory at St Andrew's was in the FA Cup a year earlier after Auston Trusty's own goal in extra time. The trip: 112 miles BRISTOL CITY – Secured a play-off spot on the final day but were well beaten against Sheffield United in the semi-final. Now speculation over head coach Liam Manning's future amid strong links with Norwich. Past form: Rovers suffered a narrow defat at Ashton Gate in January despite Andi Weimann's goal. The last win there was in December 2019 when Bradley Johnson and Adam Armstrong both got on the scoresheet. The trip: 198 miles CHARLTON – Gearing up for life back in the Championship after beating Leyton Orient in the play-off final last weekend following a five-year stay in the third tier. Past form: Rovers won 2-0 on their last trip to the Valley in February 2020 thanks to goals from John Buckley and Tosin Adarabioyo. The trip: 247 miles Charlton clinched the final promotion spot (Image: PA)COVENTRY – Another side who came up short in the play-offs after an impressive second half of the campaign under Frank Lampard. Past form: Rovers were beaten 3-0 on a miserable night at the Coventry Building Society Arena in January. The last victory there was in October 2020 when Rovers produced an emphatic display to hit four past the Sky Blues. The trip: 128 miles DERBY – Looking to build on survival under John Eustace, who left Ewood Park to join the Rams several months ago. Past form: Rovers were beaten 2-1 at Pride Park in March as Eustace secured his first three points in the job. The previous trip was in October 2021 when Ben Brereton Diaz bagged a brace in a victory by the same scoreline. The trip: 112 miles HULL – Searching for a new manager after parting ways with Ruben Selles despite finishing above the relegation zone. Past form: Rovers won 1-0 at the MKM Stadium in December as Selles watched from the stands after being named the new boss. Callum Brittain's cross-shot was diverted by Sean McLoughlin into his own net. The trip: 110 miles IPSWICH – Looking to make an immediate return to the Premier League after finishing in the bottom three. Sam Szmodics made his return from injury last weekend, coming off the bench for the final 12 minutes against West Ham. Past form: Rovers lost a seven-goal thriller on their last trip to Portman Road in September 2023 despite Szmodics and Arnor Sigurdsson's strikes, plus a Harry Clarke own goal. The last victory there was in November 1994 with Alan Shearer, Tim Sherwood and Chris Sutton all on target. The trip: 258 miles LEICESTER – Another club relegated from the top flight, ex-Southampton boss Russell Martin has been linked with the vacant position in the dugout. Past form: Rovers' last trip to the King Power Stadium in May 2024 was a rather memorable one as the side secured a 2-0 victory thanks to Szmodics' brace to avoid relegation on the final day. The trip: 135 miles MIDDLESBROUGH – Aiming to improve on their 10th-place finish, missing out on the play-offs following a disappointing end to the campaign. Past form: The Riverside has been a happy hunting ground for Rovers in recent seasons. There were 1-0 victories in the league and FA Cup over the past year thanks to goals from Dom Hyam and Weimann respectively. There was also a 2-1 win in October 2022 after Sam Gallagher's brace. The trip: 102 miles MILLWALL – Another side who missed out on a top six spot on the final day following defeat down the M65 at Turf Moor. Past form: Rovers were beaten 1-0 at the Den in December after Mihailo Ivanovic's last-gasp winner. A year prior, Joe Rankin-Costello and Brittain's goals completed an impressive comeback in the capital. The trip: 248 miles NORWICH – Searching for Johannes Hoff Thorup's successor after finishing in 13th place and, as mentioned earlier, have been heavily linked with Bristol City boss Manning. Past form: The points were shared at Carrow Road last August after Yuki Ohashi's equaliser in the final stages. The last victory there came a year earlier when Szmodics' brace followed Tyrhys Dolan's early opener, although Rovers played the final half hour with 10 men after Scott Wharton's red card. The trip: 268 miles OXFORD – Finished in 17th place and four points above the relegation zone under Gary Rowett, who took charge in December after Des Buckingham's departure. Past form: Rovers were beaten 1-0 at the Kassam Stadium in January, with Cameron Brannagan getting the decisive goal. The previous trip was a 4-2 victory in November 2017 when Charlie Mulgrew netted twice. The trip: 189 miles PORTSMOUTH – Another side aiming to build on a consolidation season following promotion from the third tier, finishing in 16th place. Past form: Josh Murphy scored the only goal at Fratton Park in March. Rovers' last win there was in February 2018 when Armstrong bagged a brace either side of half time before Lewis Travis' late sending off. The trip: 268 miles PRESTON – Survived relegation on the final day after a difficult campaign under Paul Heckingbottom, who took charge last August. Past form: There was nothing to separate the sides at Deepdale last September in a game remembered most for Milutin Osmajic's bite on Owen Beck, which saw the forward hit with an eight-game ban. Rovers' last away win against their Lancashire rivals was in April 2022 when Gallagher, Buckley, Darragh Lenihan and Travis all got on the scoresheet. The trip: 13.5 miles Rovers will make the short trip to Deepdale again (Image: CameraSport - Alex Dodd)QPR – Also searching for a new boss after Marti Cifuentes was placed on gardening leave last month following a 15th-place finish. Past form: Rovers were beaten 2-1 at Loftus Road in February despite Dolan's second-half penalty. There was an emphatic victory in October 2023 when Sigurdsson bagged a brace, plus goals from Dolan and Szmodics. The trip: 228 miles SHEFFIELD UNITED – Will spend another season in the Championship after falling at the final hurdle at Wembley in their promotion push, losing in the 95th minute against Sunderland. Past form: Rovers couldn't quite find the winning goal at Bramall Lane on the final day which would have taken them into the top six. It is a ground they haven't won at since January 1994 when Alean Shearer struck either side of half time. The trip: 64.8 miles SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY – Finished in the top half but speculation persists around the future of boss Danny Rohl, who has been linked with a couple of jobs in Germany. Past form: Rovers won at Hillsborough in December thanks to Makhtar Gueye's header. The towering forward had to wait a while for his first Championship goal but couldn't have picked a better moment. The trip: 63.4 miles SOUTHAMPTON – Finished bottom of the Premier League on a measly 12 points but there is a renewed sense of optimism following the appointment of Will Still. Past form: Rovers suffered a heavy defeat on their last trip to St Mary's in December 2023, playing the final 35 minutes with 10 men. The last victory there was in November 2001 when Tugay and Craig Hignett both struck on the South coast. The trip: 250 miles STOKE – Finished two points above the drop zone and now looking to push on under Mark Robins, who took charge at the turn of the year. Past form: Rovers suffered a narrow defeat at the bet365 Stadium in March and former loanee Lewis Baker was in the Potters' starting line-up. A season earlier, supporters were treated to a comfortable 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Wharton, Andrew Moran and Szmodics. The trip: 73 miles SWANSEA – Alan Sheehan is entering his first pre-season in charge after guiding the Swans to a top-half finish during his stint as caretaker boss. Past form: Rovers were beaten 3-0 at the Stadium in February and it came as a sucker punch after David Lowe had overseen victories against West Brom and Plymouth following Eustace's departure. The last win over the border was in August 2022 with Szmodics, Brereton Diaz and Travis all on target. The trip: 258 miles WATFORD – Axed Tom Cleverley after finishing 14th despite a strong start to the campaign. Paulo Pezzolano is the latest manager to take charge of the Hornets following promotions in Uruguay, Brazil and Spain. Past form: Rovers were beaten 1-0 at Vicarage Road last October after Edo Kayembe's spot kick. A season earlier, Ryan Hedges produced a moment of magic to secure a narrow win in the capital. The trip: 209 miles WEST BROM – Another club with a managerial vacancy to be filled and the latest reports suggest that Tottenham coach Ryan Mason could be a potential candidate. Past form: The build-up to Rovers' trip to the Hawthorns in February was dominated by the managerial situation but the squad produced a spirited display against the Baggies to secure a timely victory under Lowe. The trip: 106 miles WREXHAM – Looking to make their mark in the Championship after three successive promotions from the National League under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Past form: Rovers have not played a competitive fixture at the Racecourse Ground since March 1982 and their last victory there was in September 1980. The trip: 72.6 miles
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Portsmouth release Yengi as Swanson and Dozzell stay
Portsmouth have released Australian striker Kusini Yengi and taken up options to keep defender Zak Swanson and midfielder Andre Dozzell at the was a vital part of the Pompey side that won promotion to the Championship, making 31 appearances and scoring 13 goals across all competitions in the 2023-24 season. But this term he has struggled for fitness and opportunities, making 14 appearances with no moved to Fratton Park from Arsenal in 2022 and agreed a new one-year contract in July. This season he made 32 appearances across all competitions with one joined the Blues last summer following his departure from QPR. He has been a regular in John Mousinho's side this campaign, featuring 41 departing are left-back Cohen Bramall, who the Blues signed in January on a deal until the end of the season, midfielder Tom Lowery, winger Anthony Scully and defender Alexander Milosevic. Goalkeeper Ben Killip - who started Portsmouth's final two games of the season - has been offered a new deal. He joined Pompey on a short-term deal in finished the season in 16th after they confirmed safety with two games to play. 'Not too many decisions to make' - Analysis BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon:Compared to previous seasons there were not too many decisions for Portsmouth's hierarchy to make at the end of this campaign regarding out-of-contract most notable is the decision to let Kusini Yengi depart on a free transfer. The Australian had an impressive debut season in England but failed to score a single goal in the Championship in an injury-hit campaign. The Blues had a option for an extra year, so they could have taken that and looked to sell him, but options years almost always trigger a wage increase. And there is no guarantee of finding a willing buyer nor Yengi agreeing to a Swanson was always going to be dilemma. He has made significantly more appearances in the Championship than in League One, and clearly has the technique and athleticism to play in the second his performances have been up and down. He ended up playing just five more minutes during the remainder of the season after making errors for both Derby County's goals in the 2-2 draw at Fratton Park on 12 April. With Swanson, Jordan Williams and Terry Devlin, right-back is a tough position to call next Bramall showed some bright moments after arriving on a free transfer from Rotherham in January. He will have re-lived the final seconds of the loss at Coventry City in his mind countless times, and Portsmouth already have two contracted left-backs for next season, so it was always going to be a battle to Killip was solid in his two end-of-season outings and showed he would be a decent option as third-choice was already publicly known that Championship survival would trigger a second year on Andre Dozzell's Milosevic did not manage to make a single appearance after joining as a free agent. Tom Lowery and Anthony Scully have both been out on loan this season and were always going to depart.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Initial reaction from Gary Rowett after first home defeat under him
GARY Rowett was disappointed by the overall performance as his Oxford United side were beaten for the first time on home soil under him. The U's lost 2-0 against Portsmouth, with goals coming from Andre Dozzell and Mark O'Mahony at either end of the second half. For large periods, United were clumsy in possession with poor decision-making halting any progress up the pitch. U's head coach Rowett said: 'I thought our performance was just a little bit too rigid in the first half. We needed to play with a little bit more freedom in certain areas and I thought we got into some really good positions. 'It's been creeping in the last three or four games, that final pass and final action to get someone into a goalscoring position just hasn't quite been there. 'That's been the disappointment because we've got into some great positions. There was one where Ruben [Rodrigues] just needs to dink it over the defender for Shemmy [Placheta], and he plays it too hard and the goalkeeper is there. 'They did what they did, which was kick the left back up and go really long with the goalkeeper to try and create a game of seconds and a little bit of a fight. 'I thought when we showed composure, we got into good areas, and in the second half, you could see it. 'We conceded a very poor goal from a set piece with bodies in the box, and we don't deal with it, and you end up 1-0 down. 'We had three absolutely clear-cut chances where we should score all three of them, let alone one of them, and we don't. 'We chased the game at the end, and we obviously left ourselves open, but again it was a poor goal. 'It was a disappointing performance overall, but I think we still did more than enough to get something out of the game, but you've got to go and finish things off.' He added: 'I think we've done enough in the games to warrant people keeping their place, but people have to perform. 'I said that at half-time. I could've taken all the front four off in some ways because we didn't create enough. 'It's not just the four. You can't start dissecting the game and saying it's about the defenders keeping clean sheets and the forwards scoring. 'You have to work hard as a team and be accountable as a team, but certainly when you get into those areas, someone has to produce something. 'There was one where Stan [Mills] flashed a ball across the box and the space was there, and everyone was pulling back for a nice goal. 'You don't score nice goals all the time in the Championship. You have to throw yourself in there. 'There were some areas of the pitch where we certainly need to work hard and be a little bit braver, and throw a few more bodies in the box to score the goal.'
