ENGLAND Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce has backed Bristol City to make Ashton Gate a fortress next season, ahead of his own visit to the home of the Robins in August when the Young Lions will take on Uzbekistan.

With former England player Steve Coppell now in charge of City, Pearce is confident they will be a force in the Championship, and not least due to the backing of the Bristol fans, something he is hoping to have next month, too.

England Under-21s head to Bristol on August 10 and Pearce will be fielding some fresh faces, who he hopes will give him some food for thought ahead of the naming of his squad for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Portugal and Lithuania in September.

Pearce told the Evening Post: "We're hoping to use this game to take a look at one or two new players at this level.

"We've already seen how well Phil Jones did at Blackburn towards the end of last season and he'll definitely be involved, but he may not be the only one.

"There are a lot of the squad that have had a lot of Premier League experience in the last year and I hope to see some good performances on the day.

"I would hope that the players will be thinking about securing their place on the plane to Portugal with us, and even Denmark next year for the finals.

"It's going to be a good experience for them at Ashton Gate, which is always a venue where we have been well supported.

"It's so important for the younger players to experience an environment like that, and I hope the people of Bristol will turn out to support what are our future generation of England players."

As for City's fortunes in the Championship, Pearce said: "I think in Steve Coppell, Bristol City have got an experienced manager who is more than capable of steering them successfully towards the top end of the Championship.

"He did the same at Crystal Palace years ago and with Reading more recently. There's no reason in my mind why they won't be challenging, and the squad he's got down there are more than used to the rigours and demands of the division, that's for sure.

"As the Under-21s coach, I watch a lot of Championship football, as quite a few of the lads are loaned out, and I know that the standard can be high.

"Bristol City are always likely to be one of the teams there or thereabouts in that league. They have that competitive experience of being there, and I see this season being no different."

● Tickets for the match are now on sale from the hotline number 0871 222 6666, or in person at Ashton Gate and online via www.bcfc.co.uk.

Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for concessions (under-16s/senior citizens). A discount applies for groups of 15 or more booking, with prices then reduced to £5 (adults) and £2.50 (concessions). For more information, call 0871 222 6666.