City's Biggest Mistake

[The Fat Controller]

Didn`t Ward want that fella from Fulham (name escapes me), but club wanted Benny the Ball.

 

 

My recollection is Ward asked for a DoF and asked for a specific bloke (escapes me who, but I think he was ex gas). Anyway, board said you can have one but actually this is the bloke (Benny) and Ward threw his toys out of the pram.

 

Ray Harford maybe?

[alexukhc]

Not signing Emerson Thome

[Nogbad the Bad]

Ray Harford maybe?

 

Ray Harford it was.

[cidered abroad]

Every club makes mistakes ,some very costly,some plain incompetant what do you think was ours ?

For me it was the over reaction to the Gary Collier situation placing all our players on excessively long contracts to stop them leaving for nothing like the aforementionned defender .

This very nearly put us out of business for good as we all know .

After this what do you think was the worst mistake ?

Combined with the long contracts fiasco, was the gate money fiddles which distorted our attendance figures and the board's refusal after the first year and a half, to fund the recruitment of First Division standard players.

We stayed FOUR SEASONS in the First Division with a minimum of money spent on the playing staff at a time when with sensible player recruitment, we could have become a long term member of the elite.

We have never recovered from that time although I genuinely believe that there are some green shoots of recovery visible. Only time will tell but the club has wasted the last thirty five years because of the greed, stupidity and downright deliberate mismanagement of the years between 1976 and 1980.

[Rich]

Combined with the long contracts fiasco, was the gate money fiddles which distorted our attendance figures and the board's refusal after the first year and a half, to fund the recruitment of First Division standard players.

We stayed FOUR SEASONS in the First Division with a minimum of money spent on the playing staff at a time when with sensible player recruitment, we could have become a long term member of the elite.

We have never recovered from that time although I genuinely believe that there are some green shoots of recovery visible. Only time will tell but the club has wasted the last thirty five years because of the greed, stupidity and downright deliberate mismanagement of the years between 1976 and 1980.

Not far off the mark there but, I think we invested in quite expensive tried and tested pros and our youth system was abandoned to pay for it. I think it's been said that we were one of the highest payers at the time. The result was that our other pros turned out to be not up to scratch and we had bugger all to fall back on once relegated.

The worst decision had to be, not offering Gary Collier a better contract, believing he would be a nice lad and re-sign for us, instead of getting a big fat payday at Coventry, they gambled and lost.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

Ray Harford maybe?

That was him.

[1960maaan]

One for the oldies, even older than me maybe.

Why did Gary Collier leave, money? Can't have been ambition, I rated him. Streets ahead of Dave Rodgers, who was an honest no nonsense defender. Collier I always thought was a classy centre half.

[Malago]

A little perspective. Bristol City Football club has been in existence for about 120 years. What has happened in the recent past, i.e the last 30 years is largely irrelevant in regard to the club's status in the football world.

For a brief period in the 1900s we had one of the best teams in the country. We lost a cup final to a club called Manchester United, who went onto be one of the biggest clubs in the world. It was their first cup win.

Without doubt our biggest mistake was not building on that team and establishing ourselves as one of the elites of English football.

All these references to John Ward, Gary Johnson, etc ad nauseum are, in a historical context, irrelevant. For whatever reason, our status as an "also ran" club was set long ago, and we have been playing catch up, with very little success, ever since.

[S. Bristol Born & Red]

Letting Gordon Owen take penalties.....

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

A little perspective. Bristol City Football club has been in existence for about 120 years. What has happened in the recent past, i.e the last 30 years is largely irrelevant in regard to the club's status in the football world.

For a brief period in the 1900s we had one of the best teams in the country. We lost a cup final to a club called Manchester United, who went onto be one of the biggest clubs in the world. It was their first cup win.

Without doubt our biggest mistake was not building on that team and establishing ourselves as one of the elites of English football.

All these references to John Ward, Gary Johnson, etc ad nauseum are, in a historical context, irrelevant. For whatever reason, our status as an "also ran" club was set long ago, and we have been playing catch up, with very little success, ever since.

But clubs like Norwich, QPR,Coventry and Watford were mediocre until relatively recently, but have been reasonably successful since. I understand what you mean, but things can change rapidly, dependent on circumstance, thus rendering past failures irrelevant. Look at Reading....a poxy little club that are regarded as a reasonably sized outfit now.

[old_eastender]

As OP says nothing really compares with the mismanagement leading up to an following on from the Gary Collier saga which very nearly put us out of business.

 

Next biggest failure after that was GJ refusing to invest in a goal scorer in Jan 2008 when automatic promotion was there for the taking.

 

More recently the woeful mishandling of the Nicky Maynard transfer, after all West Ham offered 4.5m at start of the season, and we end up selling him to them in Jan for just 1.75m.

[Red-Robbo]

A little perspective. Bristol City Football club has been in existence for about 120 years. What has happened in the recent past, i.e the last 30 years is largely irrelevant in regard to the club's status in the football world.

For a brief period in the 1900s we had one of the best teams in the country. We lost a cup final to a club called Manchester United, who went onto be one of the biggest clubs in the world. It was their first cup win.

Without doubt our biggest mistake was not building on that team and establishing ourselves as one of the elites of English football.

All these references to John Ward, Gary Johnson, etc ad nauseum are, in a historical context, irrelevant. For whatever reason, our status as an "also ran" club was set long ago, and we have been playing catch up, with very little success, ever since.

Many of the clubs who were big before the First World War aren't now, and some are defunct. Conversely, some big clubs now were minnows or not even founded back then.

The way the club was run financially in the late 70s/early 80s - as exemplified by the long contracts - was its biggest mistake IMO.

[B-Rizzle]

But clubs like Norwich, QPR,Coventry and Watford were mediocre until relatively recently, but have been reasonably successful since. I understand what you mean, but things can change rapidly, dependent on circumstance, thus rendering past failures irrelevant. Look at Reading....a poxy little club that are regarded as a reasonably sized outfit now.

Or Swansea, a league two club now an established premier league side. All within 10 years.

[ashtonphil]

Not getting Norman Hunter signed to a coaching contract just before he left to manage Rotherham (I thinkl I was quite young at the time)

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

Many of the clubs who were big before the First World War aren't now, and some are defunct. Conversely, some big clubs now were minnows or not even founded back then.

The way the club was run financially in the late 70s/early 80s - as exemplified by the long contracts - was its biggest mistake IMO.

Leeds, in their current entity, were only formed in 1919, well after we had entered the league.

Of course the blue-quartered munters were crap then, and are obviously still crap.

[Red-Robbo]

Leeds, in their current entity, were only formed in 1919, well after we had entered the league.

Of course the blue-quartered munters were crap then, and are obviously still crap.

Some things are destined to.be permanent!

[T R]

Another big mistake not buying the land around ashton gate before the houses and business were built. Have been paying for that ever since. Always got to think about the future.

[Maltshoveller]

Bringing in Benny Hill and letting John Ward leave. Think Ward was onto a good thing at the time.

Getting rid of Benny was a bigger mistake than bringing him to the club

[And Its Smith]

Signing Tony Dinning.......permanently

Please see another thread to realise full joke potential.

[OldlandReddies]

Bringing in a mentally unstable manager in Steve Coppell. Messed us right up. 

[Guest]

Another big mistake not buying the land around ashton gate before the houses and business were built. Have been paying for that ever since. Always got to think about the future.

The club owned all the houses behind the Atyeo stand in the 60s apparently

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

Bringing in a mentally unstable manager in Steve Coppell. Messed us right up. 

Where is that fruitcake, now (no pun intended)?

[red84]

The financial ruin is biggest mistake. Others in my time:

Not replacing Shaun Taylor. Irreplaceable maybe?

Wilson not playing attacking vs Brighton.

Lee Miller miss away to Swindon.

Not taking many fans away to Stoke and missing out on automatic promotion.

Laughed at the tony dinning suggestion!

[OldlandReddies]

Where is that fruitcake, now (no pun intended)?

Director of football Portsmouth 

[Shedman]

Lindleys

[Nogbad the Bad]

The club owned all the houses behind the Atyeo stand in the 60s apparently

 

I think that may have been exaggerated over time. I always thought the club only owned a couple of houses and used them as accommodation for trialists and young players from far flung areas of the country.

 

The houses had mature landladies installed in them who acted as mother figures and looked after the likes of Tom and Steve Ritchie, Gerry Gow and others when they first came to Bristol..

[Rich]

Appointing an administrator who had no balls, guile, cunning or fight, to front up the new stadium plans for AV.

[Malago]

I think that may have been exaggerated over time. I always thought the club only owned a couple of houses and used them as accommodation for trialists and young players from far flung areas of the country.

 

The houses had mature landladies installed in them who acted as mother figures and looked after the likes of Tom and Steve Ritchie, Gerry Gow and others when they first came to Bristol..

Mature landladies.

Not afff!

[I am the mole]

Lindleys

wouldnt have thought you would have that rubbish in the Colin Daniel stand!

[dragonreds]