All those anti-Lansdown people......

[054123]

28 minutes ago, Tipps69 said:

But where could we be without his input? If all this money has got us nowhere?

We'd be even further down the football pyramid (in all likelihood).

I'd say that's only one possible outcome.

A as I've posted elsewhere financially sound div 3 purgatory is not the end of the world. 

[Tipps69]

21 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

I'd say the odds would be Tipps (and any of us can only guess) but I'm not sure we'd be a million miles from where we are now 

What I would say is we wouldn't have a really decent stadium that should serve us well for years to come and be a big help,with revenue streams - Great from SL here , and very sensible as I think he wants to leave a legacy and he's ensured that

Purely for balance we could have appointed the right manager at any time since we had JJ in 1990 who could have taken us into the Prem (Especially back when it was a flatter playing field in Championship) and our stature and wealth would / could have been established from that - it's all conjecture , of course but was perfectly feasible

 

I think what you've said is exactly right & I think in the past we've hoped to achieve things on the cheap rather than grasping the bull by the horns & actually making things happen, we've allowed other clubs to take what's available & it's left us all wishing for what if?

Maybe we have been a decent manager here or a proper striker there, short of getting us all what we want.

We live in a society where everyone wants success & there is only so much of that to go around unfortunately.

[054123]

21 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

I'm as pd off as anybody 054123 but what we will have is a cracking stadium with the benefits (Revenue streams etc) that it brings so 'we' will have something to show for it and should reap the benefits for years to come

It's just been so long.

I have backed and believed and whatever'ed Lansdown for a very long time and the season has just brought all that failure to the fore.

Ive never been critical of the off the field stuff, but on the field I just have had enough. I cannot stomach having to  play Rovers nextra year for no other reason than we have stood still for 16 years, despite having a billionaire local in charge.

It's madness when you think about it.

[BobBobSuperBob]

2 minutes ago, 054123 said:

It's just been so long.

I have backed and believed and whatever'ed Lansdown for a very long time and the season has just brought all that failure to the fore.

Ive never been critical of the off the field stuff, but on the field I just have had enough. I cannot stomach having to  play Rovers nextra year for no other reason than we have stood still for 16 years, despite having a billionaire local in charge.

It's madness when you think about it.

%100 with you on this mate

[Tipps69]

27 minutes ago, Lucan said:

It's very easy to point at a few clubs that have struggled, but what about Swansea? Fulham? Bournemouth? Burnley? Reading?  All clubs that are of comparable size historically, but have seen at least a few seasons of PL football since SL took over and haven't gone to the wall as a result....

It's natural that some clubs that fall out of the PL will struggle afterwards.  This isn't a new phenomenon... after all our own BCFC managed to plummet down the leagues once upon a time.

I think you would also find that most Charlton and Coventry fans actually wouldn't trade places with City if it meant writing off their history.  Why would they?   

And I think this is why so many of our fans expect better because clubs of similar size or even smaller have had their taste or are still having it & I think that's been down to them 'going for it' when the opportunity presented itself (us in 2007/08) but instead we watched & hoped rather than investing in it. A calculated gamble then & we could of been trading places with Hull & instead of yo-yoing between League One & Championship, we could of made The Premier League & who knows where we could now be?

[The Hustler]

I think Lansdown is a good, honest family man with the club and Bristol at heart.

The problem is that he cannot do it all on his own. He is the wealthy owner who signs off the cheques. Where are the board in all this to steer the ship?

They are the faceless and gutless ones who need to take a long look at themselves...and I include Lansdown junior in this who knows as much about running a football club as my mother does.

Dont vent at the owner, vent at those entrusted to steer the ship and are employed to do so.

 

[Tipps69]

4 minutes ago, 054123 said:

It's just been so long.

I have backed and believed and whatever'ed Lansdown for a very long time and the season has just brought all that failure to the fore.

Ive never been critical of the off the field stuff, but on the field I just have had enough. I cannot stomach having to  play Rovers nextra year for no other reason than we have stood still for 16 years, despite having a billionaire local in charge.

It's madness when you think about it.

I think the start of the season & being in a play-off position got a lot of people's hopes up that this could actually be our year, fuelled by actually spending in the transfer windows & we got carried away with the hope that has sadly fallen away in a way that no one could of dreamed of.

[CotswoldRed]

Very few are anti Lansdown. 

Being knocked down because we dare to criticise his actions is counterproductive in the long run. 

[054123]

Sadly I saw this season for what it was at the very start. The whole nonsense with transfer window was when it started. We signed nobody of quality for this league yet it was apparently the best window ever. Villa had one of the worst 45s I've seen in it.

All that said, my mate suggested 5 years ago why not just go shit or bust with the football as opposed to this slow lingering death.

[cidered abroad]

9 minutes ago, Tipps69 said:

It was mentioned in his interview tonight, getting rid of LJ now will put the club back years & it seems like to me he is hoping beyond hope that we manage to finish 21st or better & then he can re-evaluate with more time to decide on what actions to take.

Does anyone in their right mind believe that relegation to League One is progress? The aim this season was stated as giving it a go or words to that effect. Many took that to mean going for the play offs and some even thought automatic promotion.

Most, however, believed that mid table security and obscurity was thing most needed at this Club. Not another bloody relegation scrap, the fifth or sixth out of the last six or seven seasons.

I believe in what SL is trying to do with Bristol Sport and how it may develop in the future to become more like the European concept as at Barca, Benfica, PSV, etc. But if the two flagship parts of BS are both relegated as seems to be very likely, that is not progress but a great big kick in the teeth to all City fans who have turned out in larger numbers than we've had for nearly twenty years and a record ST sale of over 14,000 and the Bristol Rugby followers who stuck with the club through the sale (or theft) of their Memeorial Ground and seven long years in rugby's second tier.

SL appears to have seen the light with the appointment of a rugby Head Coach of international quality so why does he believe that a complete rookie without any big achievements as a player or manager can be the best for City. I accepted an almost deliberate relegation under RO'D as it helped to clear out the remaining overpaid dross but going down this season is totally acceptable and if we do, then I will cease my 67 year support and ask for the return of my £80 of shares that I paid for in 1982 to save us. I and a significant number of others have had enough of the endless failure on the pitch. 

[Davefevs]

22 minutes ago, Tipps69 said:

But some of the personal insults that are aimed at him are in my opinion out of order & anyone who has ever met & spoke to the bloke will undoubtedly notice his passion for all things Bristol City & now sport.

but you're trying to change the views of people who aren't for changing, with posts that will wind them up.  I know that isn't your intention, but you fuel their fire.

No one, except those very high up in the Club will know who has & hasn't been approached over the years to take charge of the football club, the same goes for players that may or may not of been approached to play for us.

But one thing is for sure, SL wouldn't allow just anyone to fritter his money away.

He's clearly someone who puts a great deal of trust into people he hires & I think he's got to that stage where he feels he has to show just how much he trusts LJ.

and that is fine....just don't expect everyone to agree or be reasoned in their rationale for thinking differently.  If the support of LJ by SL is a warning to those players who think they can oust the head coach and are bigger than the club, it might be a master stroke.  That's not my thoughts though.

In literally a year, we have gone from the vast majority being very happy with the appointment of LJ & MA (given a few months) & being very happy with all the players that were signed (even into this January) to now people wanting LJ, MA & to some extremes even wanting SL out.

i'd question why you aren't thinking "what has changed" and challenging your own thoughts.  I've analysed the changes that I've seen or think I've seen and I've posted loads on it (as you'll know).  I didn't change my view of LJ on a whim, it was a few strange decisions that made me revisit some earlier, and then the continuation of these that makes me think he is t the right man.  If I was truly a bit of a 'benefit if hindsight' person, I might claim he got lucky last season, it was all a fluke, or it was down to Pembo.  But I'm not that type of person or poster, nor do I believe that to be true.  I think he inherited a squad that was together for each other, and together with him, they galvanised each other.  Fair play.  He's allowed that togetherness to erode.  He admitted himself.

I'm not sure how or why MA has been dragged into this as when all the players were signed, everyone was happy. No one could tell that LT & AM would be such big flops on the back of successful loans but if we hadn't of signed them then LJ & MA would be getting grief for not signing them.

I dragged him in, yep me, because he is next in line up from LJ.  Why is he abdicating to SL.  I like MA, but he should be the man doing the interviews, not SL...but maybe MA wants LJ out, but SL doesn't.  Complete speculation from me, just trying to make sensef his hiding.  I still don't question his signings.  I think they are an excellent group...we just can't get them to perform.  So I'm not questioning MA's recruitment skills, I'm questioning his Chief of Football role.

The trouble is, hindsight is a wonderful thing & everyone can question why we signed a,b & c? And why we didn't we sign d,e & f.

see above para.

SL has done his part of the deal, he has stumped up the vast fortune over the years, he has been let down by any combination of things but luckily for us he sticks with it & continues to fund the club.

Life will go on if SL withdraws.  SL knows this area is untapped, someone from the East might fancy a bit if it, and yes, we might end up with a complete disaster, but we could get a Steve Gibson-type too.

It was mentioned in his interview tonight, getting rid of LJ now will put the club back years & it seems like to me he is hoping beyond hope that we manage to finish 21st or better & then he can re-evaluate with more time to decide on what actions to take.

He doesn't know does he.  Sacking might bring the best man in to take us forward.  Might not.  

That would be seen as failure in the majority of our eyes but none of us know what targets were set before the season started & maybe that's why LJ is still in a job, if his target was to avoid relegation?!?

He's lucky his Balanced Scorecard Objectives have been allowed to change mid-season.  You can bet your bottom dollar his scorecard didn't say 21st or above "on track"!

Maybe naively SL is expecting fans to back the players no matter what during the games, in the real world that isn't going to happen & maybe that's why fans & the club see things differently?

I think the fans have backed the players, bar a few (very few) boos on Wednesday....the boos were aimed at LJ.

 

[Davefevs]

18 minutes ago, 054123 said:

Sadly I saw this season for what it was at the very start. The whole nonsense with transfer window was when it started. We signed nobody of quality for this league yet it was apparently the best window ever. Villa had one of the worst 45s I've seen in it.

All that said, my mate suggested 5 years ago why not just go shit or bust with the football as opposed to this slow lingering death.

As per my post above, I think the signings were good, and will be good in the main.  We've wasted 6-8 months with them though.

[phantom]

Not anti him per se have always found him and Maggie to be very nice people BUT I do trust him to run the club to the best of our abilities and I'm sorry but everyone can see we are free falling out of the league, so I would ask why not fix the problem? 

[phantom]

@Tipps69 have you met Steve? 

[Tipps69]

1 minute ago, phantom said:

@Tipps69 have you met Steve? 

Yes thanks, several times.

[Tipps69]

2 hours ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

How many people have met Neil Warnock?

But I would say more people are aware of how Warnock is (through his interviews & general appearance on tv), compared to how SL comes across in his interviews because hearing him speak in person about the club, he is a lot more passionate than he comes across on tv.

[Tipps69]

8 minutes ago, phantom said:

Not anti him per se have always found him and Maggie to be very nice people BUT I do trust him to run the club to the best of our abilities and I'm sorry but everyone can see we are free falling out of the league, so I would ask why not fix the problem? 

I have said this on the Rowett on R5 thread.

I have a feeling that any new manager / head coach could come in after Newcastle & Villa away.

No one would come in expecting to get a victory out of both or even one of those games & it would put any new guy right up against it from the off, bring him after that & they have Burton at home in front of 20,000+, it's a bit more realistic for a positive start.

Maybe it's wishful thinking?

[REDOXO]

2 hours ago, Cowshed said:

Mr Lansdown has taken steps to avoid hostile take overs and says he would not put the FC at risk.

Why are you doubting his sincerity?

I may think BS is unnecessary bollocks, dislike other aspects of the way BCFC is run but I have no doubt that Mr Lansdown would not risk the loss of BCFC.

I can not believe what I just read and no one has picked it up!

How do you think hostile take overs work?

 

[AshtonG666]

36 minutes ago, Tipps69 said:

I have said this on the Rowett on R5 thread.

I have a feeling that any new manager / head coach could come in after Newcastle & Villa away.

No one would come in expecting to get a victory out of both or even one of those games & it would put any new guy right up against it from the off, bring him after that & they have Burton at home in front of 20,000+, it's a bit more realistic for a positive start.

Maybe it's wishful thinking?

Why would they not expect a win over Villa as they are also in free fall and their recent form is shocking (Newcastle I can understand) 

[REDOXO]

56 minutes ago, cynic said:

Well, its an impossibility to effect a hostile take over of BCFC as the majority of shares are with one person/family, 

I think the poster probably meant an unsuitable buy out - ie vincent tan type scenario.

 

 

Then he just doesn't sell. Hostile really. 

[flipflopcity]

1 hour ago, cidered abroad said:

Does anyone in their right mind believe that relegation to League One is progress? The aim this season was stated as giving it a go or words to that effect. Many took that to mean going for the play offs and some even thought automatic promotion.

Most, however, believed that mid table security and obscurity was thing most needed at this Club. Not another bloody relegation scrap, the fifth or sixth out of the last six or seven seasons.

I believe in what SL is trying to do with Bristol Sport and how it may develop in the future to become more like the European concept as at Barca, Benfica, PSV, etc. But if the two flagship parts of BS are both relegated as seems to be very likely, that is not progress but a great big kick in the teeth to all City fans who have turned out in larger numbers than we've had for nearly twenty years and a record ST sale of over 14,000 and the Bristol Rugby followers who stuck with the club through the sale (or theft) of their Memeorial Ground and seven long years in rugby's second tier.

SL appears to have seen the light with the appointment of a rugby Head Coach of international quality so why does he believe that a complete rookie without any big achievements as a player or manager can be the best for City. I accepted an almost deliberate relegation under RO'D as it helped to clear out the remaining overpaid dross but going down this season is totally acceptable and if we do, then I will cease my 67 year support and ask for the return of my £80 of shares that I paid for in 1982 to save us. I and a significant number of others have had enough of the endless failure on the pitch. 

I think this (above post) is a fair point..  

I don't think you should DOP YOUR CAP at SL but you should respect him for the achievements over the past 10 years or so.. perhaps not as many as we would have liked but the Bristol Sport idea is surely to make money every week and not every other week to sustain the stadium.

On the shares front.. Some of my family lost thousands after the 1982 collapse but still put in money to resurrect the club (I could only afford £10) but it helped. I think SL is committed to BCFC but like other frustrated posting supporters would like him to change the manager.

[Tears in rain]

I don't classify myself as anti Lansdown. Just don't believe the interview was worthwhile today and I would classify myself as Anti-relegation and anti-lg1 again 

[CotswoldRed]

4 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

Then he just doesn't sell. Hostile really. 

Must have meant something else. Would be rather strange envisaging a hostile takeover of Bcfc while SL can't get his hands on the houses in Ashton Road even if he wanted them. 

[REDOXO]

1 minute ago, CotswoldRed said:

Must have meant something else. Would be rather strange envisaging a hostile takeover of Bcfc while SL can't get his hands on the houses in Ashton Road even if he wanted them. 

I have read some utter shit on here Cotswold but that just got my back up. Bloke says something utterly ******* ludicrous and no one knows any better. Sigh. And it just passes. 

[Gert Mare]

I'm not anti Lansdown. What he has invested in this club is phenomenal. I actually think that he has been badly let down by a lot of those who he has appointed and that includes players. I actually believe that the guy he is putting all his faith in now is just bluffing him too and instead of talking the talk LJ needs to deliver and he isn't doing it. I really believe that we are going down I really do. SL has given everything to the wrong guy. Seriously considering my own commitment to supporting the club at the moment. It feels like we are being ran by Rovers fans purposely trying to destroy us. I know that is not the case but it certainly feels that way.

[The Original OTIB]

It's evolution apparently; but this is so slow that even Darwin wouldn't notice it.

[Cowshed]

9 hours ago, REDOXO said:

I can not believe what I just read and no one has picked it up!

How do you think hostile take overs work?

 

You have taken my post out of context. BCFC will not be taken over by anybody, or the ground due to steps Mr Lansdown has taken. A take over can only occur if Mr Lansdown wants it to. The thought that Mr Lansdown would risk BCFC by selling it to any nutter who has the bucks is risible. The opening post is a mite disrespectful. Mr Lansdowns passion for BCFC should not be doubted. 

[BigTone]

12 hours ago, Tipps69 said:

How many of you have actually met the man & actually talked to him about Bristol City Football Club?

 

Oooh oooh oooh, me, me, me

[Major Isewater]

12 hours ago, Tipps69 said:

How many of you have actually met the man & actually talked to him about Bristol City Football Club?

The reason I ask is because for those that have will instantly recognise the passion he has for the football club & how desperate he is for success both on & off the pitch & to make our club something to be available to follow for generations to come.

For all those that question his passion & support, if it wasn't for SL, we could quite possibly not have a club to follow right now & the very fact that he has openly admitted that he questions himself with regards to continuing to do what he does for our club is very worrying, personally!!

We could be left in the hands of someone with a lot less financial clout or in the hands of a foreign owner who doesn't know or care about what Bristol City Football Club means to so many people in the past & the future to come & that isn't something that I wish to look forward to!!

Mr Lansdown has put an astronomical amount of money into Bristol City, far more than anyone else has shown a potential to do, there could be a huge lack of future transfers of players coming into the club, the club has been losing money hand over fist for many years now & it is down to SL that he has managed to take on those losses & to still fork out millions on trying to improve the playing squad let alone what he has done for the behind the scenes of the club.

While we may all feel like we could do better, until you are prepared to put millions of your own money into a loss making venture, I'm afraid you just have to trust the person that is willing & able to do such a thing.

And let's not forget, he doesn't have to do this, he undoubtedly has plenty of people & business that want his money. He has a family that he could just allow all his money to go to in the future, we aren't taking peanuts here, we are talking money that 99% of us could only dream about ever seeing & I've no doubt that all of our first priorities would be to make sure our family are taken care of for many years to come!!

Some of the things aimed at SL over these last few weeks have been embarrassing & people need to get a grip on reality & put things into proper perspective.

It wasn't so long ago that the club was in a real mess & ran a real risk of no longer being here for any of us to follow & without an SL at the helm, that possibility could become reality & then you'll really have a reason to worry because I don't know anyone with the disposable income available to carry on funding the club we love & without that, there is a real risk of there being no more Bristol City.

Please, just remember that if we didn't have SL doing what he does for our football club, there is no knowing where we could be & personally it doesn't bare thinking about because life (in football perspective) could be a hell of a lot worse.

Just be careful what you wish for because there are a lot worse places to be right now!!

You're right we could be staring relegation in the face with a lame duck manager.

SL seems like a lovely bloke but his tenure at the club hasn't changed the fact that footballing wise we are not a lot better off.

He realised the need to overhaul that side of things but when push comes to shove is he listening to anyone ? 

It is as plain as the nose on your face that our coaching team are not performing but Steve being ' à lovely bloke ' is doing his Nero impression to the amazement and dismay of thousands of people both professionals in the game and the overpaying public .

If we hadn't had SL We would have had someone else for better or for worse but as a club we are an attractive prospect for anyone looking to invest simply because of our potential.

Bravo for your defence of the man but Bristol City was here before him and will be after him .

He is just a temporary custodian.

[Barrs Court Red]

7 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

 

as a club we are an attractive prospect for anyone looking to invest simply because of our potential.

 

Is that true though? Evidence is overwhelmingly against that statement for the majority of the last 14 years.