Summary

  • Four Championship games on Wednesday

  • Results: Swansea 0-1 QPR, Watford 2-1 West Brom, Wrexham 1-0 Oxford Utd, Sheff Wed 0-1 Middlesbrough

  • Owls fans stay away from Hillsborough leaving thousands of empty seats

  • Second-placed Boro cut gap to leaders Coventry to one point

Send us your views

  1. All angles coveredpublished at 19:42 BST 22 October

    Championship

    BBC Local Radio

    Because of broadcasting rights we are unable to bring you audio commentary of tonight's games online.

    Your BBC local radio station will have commentary and we will bring you a flavour of their output alongside our live text commentary.

  2. No power, no partypublished at 19:40 BST 22 October

    Wrexham v Oxford United (19:45 BST)

    Ian Mitchelmore
    BBC Sport Wales at the Stok Cae Ras

    Around half an hour before kick-off the power here at the Stok Cae Ras was completely wiped out.

    The emergency lighting quickly kicked into gear, and we now seem to have full power back. For the time being, at least.

    Not the ideal start to proceedings, but all power puns for tonight's match report are more than welcome.

    NB: Confirmation we will have a five minute delay to kick off in North Wales.

  3. Wrexham make four changes; U's unchangedpublished at 19:38 BST 22 October

    Wrexham v Oxford United (19:45 BST)

    The Wrexham team shown in formation to face OxfordImage source, Opta

    Phil Parkinson's bid to end a four-game streak without a win sees him make a quartet of changes to his Wrexham side.

    Liberato Cacace, Nathan Broadhead, George Thomason, and Matty James all come in at the expense of Ben Sheaf, Ryan Longman, Lewis O'Brien, and Josh Windass.

    Oxford haven't changed a thing with the starting XI, after beating Derby for their first three points at the Kassam at the weekend.

    The only alteration to the matchday squad is Luke Harris taking Tyler Goodrham's spot on the bench.

    The Oxford team shown in formation to face WrexhamImage source, Opta
  4. Bad at home, meets bad awaypublished at 19:36 BST 22 October

    Wrexham v Oxford Utd (19:45 BST)

    Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson looking dejectedImage source, Getty Images

    Wrexham have never gone so far into a Football League campaign without winning at home – losing two and drawing three of their five at the Racecourse.

    Boss Phil Parkinson said: "I don't want us to be too fixated on 'we have to get this home win'.

    "We have to concentrate on the quality of the performance throughout the game and if we do that, it'll give us the best chance to get the result.

    "It's about alleviating that fixation on the outcome and concentrating on what we've got to do to get there.”

    Oxford have beaten Bristol City on their travels this season, but since the start of last season, the only ever-present side in England’s top four tiers with fewer away league wins than their three are Southampton (2).

    But the U’s secured their second victory of the season, and their first at home, against Derby on Saturday.

  5. Three changes for Swans; Five for QPRpublished at 19:34 BST 22 October

    Swansea v QPR (19:45 BST)

    The Swansea team to face QPR shown in formationImage source, Opta

    Swansea City drop Josh Key, Ronald and Zan Vipotnik to the bench.

    Their replacements are Malick Yalcouye, Eom Ji-Sung and Adam Idah.

    QPR make five changes from the side beaten by Millwall on Saturday.

    Rhys Norrington-Davies, Liam Morrison, Harvey Vale, Michael Frey and Jonathan Varane are all on the bench.

    In come Amadou Mbengue, Sam Field, Isaac Hayden, Koki Saito and Rumarn Burrell.

    Ilias Chair is also among the substitutes having been out injured since the second game of the season.

    The QPR team to face Swansea shown in formationImage source, Opta
  6. Challengers, mediocre or worse?published at 19:32 BST 22 October

    Swansea v QPR (19:45 BST)

    Swansea boss Alan Sheehan coaching on the sidelinesImage source, Shuttershock

    Ten years ago this was a Premier League fixture but of their 52 league meetings down the seasons only six of them have come in the top flight.

    Therein lies the problem for these two sides - are they promotion challengers, mid-table fodder or, well, worse than that?

    Swansea's home form is hardly giving the locals cause for optimism - they've failed to win any of their past four Championship games on their own turf not that boss Alan Sheehan is sweating on things at the moment.

    "You go through the results most weeks in this league - it's not settled down," Swansea's head coach said.

    "I think the floor of the league is slightly higher this year with the competition, while there's probably 15 teams within the league that think that if they make a push, they can be in a decent place."

    QPR's six-match unbeaten run came to an end with their 2-1 derby defeat by Millwall at the weekend, but that should not overshadow their strong reaction to that 7-1 aberration at Coventry in August.

    It's 14th against 11th and kind of has the feel of a draw about it but if there's a winner they might take a step out of the shadows.

  7. Hornets swap out four; three Baggies changespublished at 19:30 BST 22 October

    Watford v West Brom (19:45 BST)

    The Watford team shown in formation to face West BromImage source, Opta

    All change at the Vicarage, as Watford make four alterations and the Baggies three.

    James Abankwah, Marc Bola, Jeremy Petris, Rocco Vata come into the starting XI for Javi Gracia's return to the dugout in Hertfordshire, in place of Caleb Wiley, Moussa Sissoko, Edo Kayembe and Kevin Keban.

    Alfie Gilchrist, Ousmane Diakite, Aune Heggebo have all been added to the West Brom side by Ryan Mason. Out go George Campbell - for the first time since the opening weekend - the injured Toby Collyer and Josh Maja.

    The West Brom team shown in formation to face WatfordImage source, Opta
  8. Gracia 'looking forward' to reunion with Vicarage Roadpublished at 19:28 BST 22 October

    Watford v West Brom (19:45 BST)

    Watford manager Javi Gracia looking pensiveImage source, Getty Images

    The last time Javi Gracia sat in the home Vicarage Road dugout, his Watford team drew 1-1 with Newcastle in the Premier League.

    Thirteen men have taken that seat since then, including Tom Cleverley, who was playing for him that day, and 2,244 days have passed.

    But the Spaniard is back at the helm and is searching for a first win since he replaced Paulo Pezzolano, having lost to Sheffield United at the weekend.

    "It will be amazing, something really special for me, to be in Vicarage Road, in that atmosphere, to feel what I felt in the past - I am looking forward to that moment and it's something I am going to enjoy,” said Gracia.

    His return comes against West Brom – who he beat in his only other league meeting back in 2018.

    The Baggies beat Preston on Saturday and have eyes on back-to-back Championship wins for the first time since the opening two weeks of the season.

    And their boss Ryan Mason has called for “mental robustness” to get through three games in a week.

    "The players trust us to train them at a level that pushes them in order to play as many games as possible," said Mason.

    "I think when a player gets a bit more experience and understanding of their body you can lean on them a little bit more, but there is also a part of weeks like this where you have to just get through it.”

  9. Three changes for Wednesday; Same again for Boropublished at 19:26 BST 22 October

    Sheff Wed v Middlesbrough (20:00 BST)

    The Sheffield Wednesday team shown in formation to face MiddlesbroughImage source, Opta

    Sheffield Wednesday give a debut to goalkeeper Joe Lumley who has arrived on an emergency loan from Bristol City in the absence of the suspended Ethan Horvath.

    There's no George Brown for the Owls while Gabriel Otegbayo is on the bench.

    Into the side come Sean Fusire and Ike Ugbo.

    Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards rolls out the same side which started last Friday's win over Ipswich.

    The Middlesbrough team shown in formation to face Sheffield WednesdayImage source, Opta
  10. Edwards prepares Boro for 'different' Hillsboroughpublished at 19:24 BST 22 October

    Sheff Wed v Middlesbrough (20:00 BST)

    Media caption,

    The Middlesbrough Head Coach Rob Edwards spoke to Rob Law ahead of the trip to Sheffield.

    When your opponents are rock bottom on and off the field you could be forgiven for counting the three points already.

    That is unless you're Middlesbrough head coach Rob Edwards who has been preparing his players for a difficult atmosphere at Hillsborough in the wake of ongoing unrest among Owls fans over the ownership of their club.

    "A lot of the lads who are here or know the league maybe know a little bit of what is going on at Sheffield Wednesday," Edwards told BBC Radio Tees.

    "We're expecting a little bit of a different atmosphere. We just have to look after ourselves and what we do. That's all we can do and the boys know that."

    Boro need the win to close the gap on the leaders Coventry back to one point while for Wednesday they will almost certainly take anything on offer in these times of crisis.

    Such are the issues besetting boss Henrik Pedersen he had to ask for an emergency loan of a goalkeeper this week with no fit senior 'keeper on the books following Ethan Horvath's dismissal at the weekend.

    Bristol City's Joe Lumley is the lucky man stepping in behind the Championship's worst defence.

  11. Tuesday treatspublished at 19:22 BST 22 October

    Championship round up

    Millwall's players celebrating their win over StokeImage source, Getty Images

    Tuesday proved to be moving day at the top and bottom of the Championship table.

    Coventry's 2-1 win at Portsmouth moves them four points clear at the top ahead of tonight's games but it was musical chairs elsewhere in the top six.

    Millwall moved up to third with their victory over Stoke while Bristol City slotted into fourth place thanks to a 3-1 win over Southampton.

    Charlton scored three goals in 12 second-half minutes on their way to an impressive 3-0 win at Ipswich to jump into fifth spot with Stoke's loss in the capital dropping them to sixth.

    Hull City are up to seventh with their 2-1 slaying of Leicester making it three wins in a row.

    Sheffield United's come-from-behind win at Blackburn moved them out of the relegation zone and dropped Rovers into the bottom three alongside Norwich, who lost at Derby.

    Birmingham's 1-0 win at Preston sees Blues back in the top half of the table.

    Don't get used to the way the table looks, there'll be more changes this evening.

  12. How it standspublished at 19:19 BST 22 October

    Championship table

    The Championship table alongside a photograph of a celebrating Coventry boss Frank LampardImage source, BBC Sport/Getty Images

    Coventry took advantage of Middlesbrough's inactivity last night by stretching their lead at the top to four points.

    So victory for Boro at Sheffield Wednesday is vital to keep the Sky Blues within easy reach while a win for the Owls would at the very least move them off the foot of the table.

    West Bromwich Albion can go third with a win at Watford.

  13. Tonight's fixturespublished at 19:17 BST 22 October

    Championship (19:45 BST unless stated)

    • Swansea City v QPR
    • Watford v West Bromwich Albion
    • Wrexham v Oxford United
    • Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough (20:00 BST)
  14. Good eveningpublished at 19:15 BST 22 October

    Championship

    Hillsborough programmeImage source, Shutterstock

    Tuesday night did not disappoint in the Championship so this evening's eight teams have a lot to live up to.

    There are issues at the top and bottom of the table on the menu so without further ado we'll crack on...