TORONTO -- Harry Redknapp got a rude shock after taking over Queens Park Rangers in November 2012. The team was in last place in the English Premier League, its roster filled with bloated contracts and egos. "The attitude stank. Attitude towards the game, attitude towards training," he wrote in his autobiography "Always Managing." "I cant remember a worse one -- and behaviour like that cannot be altered overnight." Redknapp, however, found one kindred spirit. "Within weeks I had worked out that my best player was Ryan Nelsen, a 35-year-old New Zealand international -- and he couldnt wait to get out," Redknapp wrote. "`Youve got no chance, he told me. Not a prayer. This is the worst dressing room Ive ever been in in my life. You havent got a hope with this lot. I dont know how you solve it." Today, Nelsen is in his second season as manager of Toronto FC. He recalls his season with QPR -- his finale as a player -- as a ringside seat on what happens when a dressing room goes wrong. "It was an amazing learning experience for me," he said in an interview this week. Redknapp, whose team was relegated at the end of the 2012-13 season, is on the verge of taking QPR back to the Premier League after one season in the Championship. QPR faces Derby Country on Saturday at Wembley in a promotion playoff worth up to 120 million pounds (C$220.5 million), mostly from broadcast rights, according to a 2013 report by the Sports Business Group at Deloitte. With reported debts of 177 million pounds (C$325 million), Queens Park Rangers could do with hitting the promotion jackpot despite the deep pockets of millionaire owner Tony Fernandes. Among the things Nelsen learned at QPR was the need to get recruitment right, to watch wages and that a good football team needs chemistry off the field as well as organization in it. "It was an environment that probably players were getting paid too much for potentially their mentality to win," he said of QPR. "Young guys probably on too much before they had earned it." There were also older players who might have lost their fire. And second-tier Championship players who had the character desire but perhaps not the talent needed. "Everybody tried their best to get the mixture right, but it just didnt jell," said Nelsen. "It was just wrong." The ill-fated QPR spending spree was funded by Fernandes, a British-Malaysian businessman whose net worth as of February was valued at US$650 million according to Forbes magazine. He took over in August 2011, almost a year before Nelsen came on board. The New Zealand international didnt expect to play much at QPR, thinking his job would be to help then-manager Mark Hughes and successor Redknapp off the pitch. He ended up playing 21 league matches, becoming captain and turning into a fan favourite before leaving in January 2103 to take over Toronto FC. Nelsen points no fingers today, saying the intentions of Hughes and Fernandes "were so right for the club to do really well." The rot had set in too much by the time Redknapp took over. "There had to be a clearout before you could get it back again," he said. There are more fashionable soccer teams in London but Loftus Road, QPRs home in Shepherds Bush, has seen its share of players with flair in Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles and Gerry Francis in the 1960s and 70s. A blue-collar club, QPR won the League Cup in 1966-67 and was runner-up in 1985-86. It was also runner-up in the FA Cup in 1981-82 and was runner-up in the First Division, precursor to the Premier League, in 1975-76. Celebrity QPR fans included musicians Phil Collins, Pete Doherty and composer Michael Nyman. A no-nonsense defender at the end of his playing career, Nelsens work ethic appealed to the QPR fans tired of rental players on big salaries. "I think they just liked that I worked hard and tried to win games," said Nelsen. "People respected that." Nelsen loved the QPR supporters right back. "But it wasnt right off the field," he said of the team. "And that weighed heavily on me because I was kind of brought in to help that out." QPR was relegated several months after Nelsens departure to Canada. According to the Daily Mail, the clubs wage bill was higher than that of Spanish champion and Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid. Toronto benefited from the subsequent clearout, with Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar coming to MLS on a loan agreement. Loic Remy (Newcastle) and Adel Taarabt (AC Milan) were also sent out on loan. Cesar, whose attitude has earned nothing but praise from Toronto coaches and players, says QPR wants him back in August. The team will have to reload if it returns to the Premier League. Redknapp, a master wheeler and dealer, brought in hardened veterans of the Championship to help climb back up the mountain. "He invested really wisely," said Nelsen. "He moved guys that probably had big value. And in saying that, their value has probably increased." Nelsen will be watching closely this weekend. "Ive got a lot of friends on that QPR team," he said. In addition to the big-time Charlies, he remembers of group of honest players desperate to succeed. "And QPR had them. They probably got outnumbered bit a little at the end but those guys, you wish them the best so badly. and for Harry as well, because at his age (now 67) he probably could have gone off and retired somewhere. But he knuckled down in the Championship and you wish them all the success. "All of his coaching staff were fantastic when I was there. And theyve helped me since Ive been here, to tell you the truth." Sam Hubbard Bengals Jersey . He will just have to wait a little longer. Bester grabbed an early lead before Scotlands Darren Burnett took over and ran away with the mens singles lawn bowling final 21-9 on Friday. Mark Walton Jersey . 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The left-hander looked strong while throwing 43 pitches in batting practice before Saturday nights game against the Braves.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Cincinnati Bengals spent four months in control of the AFC North, responding to every bit of adversity with a resiliency that hinted at the kind of growth they believed would carry them into January and beyond.And while the Bengals are still heading to the playoffs as a wild card after Sunday nights 27-17 loss Pittsburgh, theyll do it without momentum, without a home game and — even worse — possibly without star wide receiver A.J. Green.Green left in the fourth quarter with concussion-like symptoms after absorbing a punishing hit from Steelers safety Mike Mitchell. He fumbled just before Mitchell drilled him into Heinz Field turf. Pittsburghs Antwon Blake recovered Cincinnatis third turnover of the day and moments later Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was racing downfield on a 63-yard catch-and-run that clinched Pittsburghs first division title since 2010.We had a rough day, Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis said. Its key to take care of the football. We didnt do a very good job of it.The Bengals (10-5-1) is the AFCs No. 5 seed and will play at AFC South champion Indianapolis (11-5) next Sunday as they search for their first playoff win in nearly a quarter century. The Colts drummed Cincinnati 27-0 on Oct. 19. The Bengals responded by going 7-3 over their final 10 games, but two of the losses came to the rival Steelers. Pittsburgh (11-5) is the No. 3 seed and will host Baltimore (10-6) on Saturday night.Cincinnati had trouble keeping Brown in check. The Pro Bowler had 212 all-purpose yards, including a dazzling 71-yard punt return for a score in the first quarter.The victory came at a potentially high cost for Pittsburgh. Running back LeVeon Bell left in the third quarter with a hyperextended right knee following a collision with Cincinnati safety Reggie Nelson.Nelson hit Bell low at the end of a 19-yard reception and the second-year back — voted the clubs Most Valuable Player by his teammates last week — lay on the field for several minutes. He gingerly jogged to the sideline before being taken to the locker room to chants of MVP! MVP! Nelson and Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin exchanged words during the postgame handshake, though both declined to get innto details about the conversation.ddddddddddddHe was talking about some he-said, she-said type of deal, Tomlin said. I dont know what he was talking about.Pittsburgh survived without one of its catalysts thanks to the opportune play of cornerbacks Blake and Brice McCain, who picked off Andy Dalton twice. Dalton completed 27 of 38 passes for 244 yards but both picks were poor overthrows to Green that cut short promising drives.You have to be better, Dalton said. You cant turn the ball over.Still, a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham with 11:14 remaining pulled the Bengals within 20-17 and Cincinnati had possession and a chance when it fell apart. Blake swiped the ball out of Greens hands and chased it down while Green was decked by Mitchell on a legal but decidedly violent collision.Cincinnatis defence forced the Steelers into a third-and-8 on the ensuing drive before Brown shook loose. Ben Roethlisberger, battling an illness that forced him to miss warmups, found Brown along the sideline. Brown split two Cincinnati defenders then darted to his team-record 13th receiving touchdown. The grab also gave him 129 receptions of the season, the second-highest total in NFL history. Roethlisberger finished 24 of 38 for 317 yards and two touchdowns to go with an interception.Green, who torched the Steelers for a career-high 224 yards three weeks ago, was held to eight receptions for 82 yards before leaving. Jeremy Hill ran for 100 yards on 23 carries for Cincinnati.The Bengals have become contenders under Lewis and are headed to the post-season for a fourth straight season for the first time in franchise history. Yet they are still looking for their first post-season victory since Boomer Esiason and Sam Wyche beat Houston 41-14 in the Wild Card on Jan. 6, 1991. Each of the last three seasons have ended with thuds and now Cincinnati must travel to a place where it managed little while getting drummed by Andrew Luck and the Colts.Im looking forward to the opportunity to give it back to them, Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap said. 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