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Galle is, indeed, a most beautiful cricket ground located in a wonderful historic, picturesque town with really friendly people and exquisite cuisine - fresh fish and just about every fruit and vegetable you can think of, which sort of sums up Sri Lanka in general. I have been fortunate to have visited the country, although, regrettably, not during the cricket season, and enjoyed a truly wonderful few days in what was then the New Oriental Hotel located within Galle Fort, which wasn't new at all but (Dutch) colonialism in all its splendour. Some may have forgotten, but Galle Stadium was severely damaged in the 2004 tsunami.

If he can turn that around he can take over from Holden!

Proper club! Back then a night out in Bristol was raw, special and superb - the kids had a riot and enjoyed every minute - we didn’t wake up every day and think “what can I be offended about today?!” - unlike today’s millennial snowflake darlings, we just got on with it - we went at it hard, on a tide of ska, punk, reggae and mod music - we didn’t care about anything, we just went for it - The Specials, The Beat, Madness, The Selecter, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Bob Marley, The Jam, The Who and The Kinks provided a spectacular backdrop to our teenage angst - we identified with everything they had to say because they realised who we were and they just ‘got’ us - we suddenly belonged and we enjoyed ourselves ... I miss those frenetic nights so bl**dy much - the 70s and the 80s shaped so many people on here - and those decades still make us who we are today ... great, special memories - cheers, and apologies for the rambling post ...

Dad????????

There was Scamps too, next to Hofbrauhaus, Friday nights venue and there was Lourdes? on Fairfax street, by the time you got to the top of the stairs you were level with Union Street. A bouncer once pushed me down the steps, but I was so drunk, I rolled all the way down and landed on my feet and walked off to the next club.

We can all agree 2020 has been a year like no other any of us have experienced before, and with that has brought many added pressures to people at a time of year where suicide rates increase. Please, if you feel alone or are struggling, try to talk to someone. Life might not always feel like living and you may feel like you are at rock bottom, but the world is a much better place with you in it. Personally this site really helps me, I have really low and negative days but keeping in touch with the Bristol City family is a massive thing. If anyone ever feels alone, please reach out. You can message me, or one of the many other supportive posters on here, or even talk to someone. I won't divulge personal information but I can't thank those people enough that have picked up when I've been struggling and taken the time to message me. We come from all backgrounds, beliefs, age groups and football teams etc, but I believe everyone on here would look out for a friend in need. A few of the Bristol City social media accounts shared the below today. Hopefully it'll also appear on the official website too.

And the Rockpile ?

He really should be concentrating on the Preston game tomorrow.

Were you seachin' in the sun for another overload ? ?

Amazing reading this thread. Well done to everyone especially @phantom. Why we all love OTIB.

Jesus - seems like most of us spent the early mid 80's getting pissed, watching strippers and getting stoned in Rasta clubs!

Was she moonlighting as a taxi driver then? ?

Bristol Rovers are considering ways to help ensure the season is completed safely amid Covid-19, such as potentially scrapping the team bus for away games, says boss Paul Tisdale. Football is under scrutiny from the government and Public Health England with coronavirus cases rising. Clubs have also been issued guidance by three major professional bodies within the game around player behaviour. "We've got to be so careful," Tisdale told BBC Points West. "We're even talking about now, for away travel, not having a team coach and going independently. "I'd love it if football can continue through to the end of the season, we've got to do everything we can to make that happen." Rovers, who had to manage their own outbreak last month in suspending two games, have had extra hygiene protocols put in place by Tisdale. The former Exeter City and MK Dons boss confesses to wearing gloves in the dressing rooms "for the past four or five years" to avoid the passing of germs, while players are also requested to fist-pump rather than shake hands. One of the requests of the joint Premier League, English Football League and Football Association guidance for players is to consider the need for distancing around goal celebrations. Those protocols also concern travel, time spent in the dressing rooms and warm-ups, as well as interactions with match officials and opponents after games. "It's one of my pet hates, over-celebrating, so it's music to my ears," added Tisdale. "It's a sensible thing to suggest but quite a difficult thing to apply and make happen, because by definition we're in the middle of a fight, a battle and competition and the enjoyment and excitement you get from scoring a goal is going to take some level discipline to avoid that. "Celebrating in the dressing rooms is an obvious own goal, I don't think we need to be doing that."

Well this thread has gone to shit over the last couple of days..! I know it's good to recall days gone by, but I think it needs a different thread for it, instead of this tiresome not taking the piss out of Rovers..! It's like you are talking about a night out during the last season that they finished above us, in faint and distant adols of ancient history..!

GP 200 Li 150 Ended up with a Vespa Cosa 225 Combo Used to write for Scootering mag from 1999 - 2003 - No #1 of Ronnie Biggs SC out of East Anglia 1999 - 2004 Got a heap of 'furthest travelled' trophies in a box somewhere! Happy Days - really miss them!

That's why I've always chosen Lambrettas ?

In other good news... This is pre-emptive EFL measures to help clubs walk the P&S tightrope. Why they didn't do this so much before, I'm unsure- but it seems like the EFL are now! I am assuming it would be or have to be within certain wages/fees/loan fees.

Will certainly be interesting to see what the club does if he does bring a massive turn around in results

In any season if a club returns a profit for FFP purposes there are no further tests. So any club which makes an FFP profit of £1 in 2022 will automatically meet FFP regardless of performance in previous years.

Probably the greatest all rounder ever although there is obviously a lot of competition!

I had a beat up popsicle fizzie...KDD78P. Also a 350 Elsie...HMR 656W (still around, but sorned, apparently). Both great bikes.

Me and Mrs Jacko went in there one time - only because it was free entry chucked in with the admission price to the greyhound racing. No lasting memories of it, mind.

It was Chaplins above and next to the Hippodrome...they moved there from Fairfax Street. As a matter of interest, the Fools and Horses scene with the blow up doll was filmed at the back entrance to the club!

Shit, I bought my AP50 from there too!

Owned and run by Martin and Sue....big City fans.,(Sue being famous for proving she was a Bristol 'City' fan at the Mansfield game at Wembley a year later). After losing the away leg at Hereford in the Freight Rover semi final, Martin promised champagne to the City players if we got to the final in the home leg. True to his word, straight after the game, back to Chaplins to celebrate with the players arriving around midnight. Remember having a long chat with David Moyes who was comparing our rivalry with the gas, with Celtic/Rangers saying it was just as intense and David Harle being absolutely rat arsed! Think I remember getting home around 4am. a great night.

And the best of all Mod clubs - Steamers 300 Scooters some Thursday nights all parked up on the middle strip. Happy days!

What a pleasure it has been to have TMS back rather than the shouty, advert ridden bollocks that is Talksport`s coverage. You would never have known they were all doing it via zoom if they hadn`t told you. Absolutely superb coverage as we have come to expect.

You’re absolutely right. Fortunately I don’t have to work from home, but football brings about a good degree of normality. It’s unfortunate then however that it becomes apparent that the anticipation is much more exciting than the actual product itself.

I used to go to the Mandrake and once a friend of mine had his wedding reception there. (I know this sounds crazy). I got rather inebriated and forgot it was a Saturday afternoon. When I left I thought it was 2.00 am and expected it to be dark. Instead I emerged into brilliant sunshine and just couldn’t understand what had happened.

Popped in once for a dry martine. She moistened up after I gave her a tickle.

Another great little club, commonly known as The Drug Out!

Was in there one saturday night when a rousing chourus of bread of heaven rang out to be met by a volly of steins in the direction of the large welsh contingent a mass brawl ensued splling out on to the street after that it was onto vickys strip club fatastic times to be a teenager

Er..........probably, my mate was manager there in the 80's, a canny Glaswegian ! I used to pop down there Friday lunch times (for their scrummy bangers and mash,I never once looked at a stripper) There was a 5p cover charge at the door, to keep out the riff-raff !

I'm going off at a complete tangent here, but does anybody remember the old Hofbrauhaus in Bristol back in the 1970s? The rumour was that, rather than being imported in barrels from Germany, their beer was made by adding sparkling water to a powder/starter to make the 'infamous' beer. Is there any truth to this or is it simply one of many apocryphallies from my youth?

Yeah, to benefit player welfare apparently. I can see both sides of the argument, a break now whilst cases are high isn't a bad idea if it reduces potential spread (although presumably they're still training), but player welfare will be more of an issue later in the season if the European tournaments do play to a finish with international matches and a Lions tour to potentially follow. And they didn't seem overly bothered about player welfare when they were scheduling midweek fixtures to get last season finished.

Wow!!! Thank u very much, again you will be sorely disappointed when we finally meet. thank you for the thought, been a tough time for everyone, keep smiling people , and always remember football fans are one big family who can listen and help no matter what the problem is. I have weirdly missed all of you, even the abusive ones ?and can’t wait for fans to return to football. deployed to Bristol city centre team so might catch up with some of you before football returns, keep safe everyone ?

Condensed version....thinking of you BigTone. Stay strong mate.

Thanks, and thanks for your kind words. As I write she is due to have a procedure to remove fluid from her lungs. You are 100% correct that she will be getting better care in Flinders rather than the small country hospital that is Victor. My family all live in Seaford on the southern outskirts of Adelaide so Dad has gone to stay with my Sister. Problem is he is 96 so is not handling the situation too well. Mum is 91. We are worried that when Mum passes (which is inevitable) that he will just pine away also. He is not in great health either and each day is a bonus if he stays vertical rather than horizontal with the falls he has. Normally I visit twice a year for 4 weeks but obviously can't do so now. Just want to be with them and do my bit to help. That is probably my biggest downer at the moment. I fully appreciate and understand the situation but my inability to be there for them is eating away at me. Wife is due an op on 7th Jan but they have assured us it's nothing terminal which is a relief. In the meantime though she needs my assistance also as her mobility is very restricted. Trying my best to remain positive but have good & bad moments. No wonder I drink !!!