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Legalise it, regulate it, tax it. Improve education, reduce crime and ensure that the product is not cut with toxic substances.

Talk about stones and glass houses.

Wow. That’s a long time to have to listen to him.

I’ve seen this before, but thought I’d share. Absolutely brilliant.

The loopholes to which he refers seem to be instances of tax avoidance, i.e. where tax payers legally reduce the amount of tax liability they have, by using the provisions of the tax regime. Derby, on the other hand, failed to pay the tax liability they had incurred over an extended period of time and I’m guessing that their tax liability would have been realised after their accountants had first applied all the legitimate means of tax avoidance available to them! The other issue is that much, if not most, of the outstanding tax was accruing during the period when Morris was spending big on players ( transfer fees and wages) in his attempts to secure promotion. We now know that this was being done by cheating the ffp rules, including selling PP to himself for £80m - an independently valued open market value, that has stood the test of time! It wasn’t that Derby could not pay the taxman, but that they chose not to pay the taxman so they could afford to maintain a challenge for promotion. Imagine if I tried to excuse non-payment of my tax bill because to do so would not enable Mrs Downend to keep her wardrobe stocked with the latest clothes, have the 3 foreign holidays she wants and to have the new car every year, I don't think I would receive any sympathy whatsoever from the taxman. Our owner is a tax exile, which, while morally annoying to many ( including our own fans), is perfectly legal. However, as far as his football club is concerned, he has ensured that have operated within the same ffp rules that Derby flagrantly flouted, and took appropriate steps to comply, even when it meant selling some of our best players , which compromised our on field competitiveness. His club also maintained their tax obligations to HMRC, while I’m sure that withholding tax payments would have given more money to spend on the playing squad. Many of us are old enough to have witnessed BCFC almost going out of business in 1982. That was caused by what were, with hindsight, some poorly judged contract decisions and the club was saved by fans of the club raising the money to rescue us. It was not as a result of withholding payments from the taxman and then expecting the tax man i.e. the taxpayers of the country at large, to take the hit.

To be honest I actually have no problem with pitch invasions, providing the context. If it's a promotion (especially a long awaited one) then I think it's the beauty of football to see jubilant scenes from supporters with their players. If it is a major cup triumph to reach a final for a smaller club, again no issue. Reaching a playoff final i'm a bit 50/50 with. Forest haven't reached Wembley since 1992 and this is the closest they've got to the top flight since 1999. I have no issues with their fans being jubilant on the pitch. It was an emotional game which they managed to win. It's just a natural human emotion to react with pure jubilation like they did. The issues with pitch invasions are -End of season mid table 'lets go out and make a tit of ourselves' types. -Going onto a pitch to threaten and attack opposition players. -Going over to the away fans to goad. -Kids running on the pitch looking to get shirts off the players I'm sorry you either have the beauty of seeing jubilant scenes or you just sterilise football even more and take the risk that you may have a minority of thugs out there to cause trouble, or you ruin it for everyone and ban it completely. As ever, context is key

You understand the political concepts of left and right, correct? Rangers have strong links to the nationalist far right. I have no time for them, or Celtic for that matter either. I have no idea why any Bristol City fans would care about them.

Apart from.when he's creating, or tracking back or holding up the ball or making Intelligent runs or drawing players out of position Apart from all that he's quite anonymous

I actually think it’s a good appointment for both of them.

Maximum sentence at magistrates Court Graham , although the district Judge could have sent it to Crown Court for sentencing if he believed he had insufficient sentencing power. Assuming he has no or little previous , Its probably quite a stiff sentence compared to a similar occurrence on Park Street or similar on a Friday night He will only serve half as well if he behaves For me sentencing is insufficient across the board and 2 years and 10 year ban would be more appropriate IMO

One chap I worked with suffered a major accident which ended his working career. As he was a Man Utd fan , one of the lads sent Manchester United one of his autobiographies and asked if there was any chance of Sir Alex signing it , explaining the reason. I have tbh I wasn’t expecting much success The book was returned , almost by return , signed by sir Alex , and ......ll accompanied by a 1 & 1/2 page handwritten personal letter , from Ferguson , addressed to the guy , about United , the accident ,and wishing the lad all the best for the future. I thought that was brilliant

You’d be mistaken for thinking that this was a Rangers forum by reading this thread, not a Bristol City one. Well done Frankfurt! I don’t care about some far right team from a few hundred miles away.

The amount of fake Stone Island at Ashton Gate is a far more serious epidemic than cocaine use imo.

Difficult to discern what rational argument might underlie this rant but it looks like whataboutery, perhaps to do with tax avoidance. Like saying "I stole £10 but that person over there stole £50 so I should be let off". There is a difference between tax avoidance through legal means (much as I dislike much of it) and simply not paying your taxes then expecting the taxpayer at large to take the hit. As I say, the argument is not entirely clear but suffice it to say that once you start hurling abuse you have probably lost the debate anyway.

You are talking b******s %100 I promise you I assume you are referring to the low life minions who run it around the streets Behind those minions are layers and layers going upwards that accumulate wealth at a staggering rate .

Doubt if its petrol these days, far too expensive !!! They do say that's its cheaper to buy cocaine and run everywhere than it is to take the car out.

Cocaine use is a scapegoat for the real offender which is Alcohol abuse but nobody wants to talk about that.

There is no doubt that cocaine use among football fans (and society in general) is on the rise. I was happier when ecstasy was the drug of choice in the 90s. The cocaine lifestyle is volatile, addictive, expensive and longterm pretty grim imo

Completely rebuilt the club from top to bottom. It wasn't a five minute fix, but to borrow a phrase from someone else "these things take time". He was the boss, and what he said goes, cross him and you were off - biggest two examples being Beckham and Stam (the latter he admitted he regretted a lot). Any of this sound familiar? We are seeing a rebuild ourselves, nothing on the scale of Man Utd in the late 80s/early 90s, but there similarities. A manager who will call a spade a spade, and if you don't like what he's doing, then off you go. I'm not saying we're going to be the next Man Utd, but rebuilds take time, and if not done right, e.g. right throughout the club not just the first team, then you won't see success over a sustained period. Pearson may not even be "our Fergie", but he's going the right way to get the rebuild going.

In fairness I don't blame them. I didn't hang around to see Brighton and Hull celebrate!

Only takes one idiot with a blade in a melée like that and we've got real bother then

Unlucky Swindon. From just pre season (with only 6 players) to Play Off SF at season end is an awesome achievement.

Swindon players jostled and punched Wtf is it with the current morons

I agree, pretty much the only way is up for Hibs after a terrible season. Johnno has contacts in the English lower leagues and will be able to get some decent players up on reasonable money. If you were a decent League One player would you rather look forward to 20,000 sell outs at 4 Edinburgh derbies plus the chance to play at Parkhead and Ibrox in front of 50,000+ gates and the chance to win silverware or play at the Memorial Stadium..admittedly that would also be in front of 50,000 (43,000 in the car park).

Thank you. You can drink way over your normal limit when on coke, but its the effects of the booze, not the gear that makes people act like *****.

PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD TALKING ABOUT FOOTBALL There is a reason why we have a whole section dedicated to political discussions

for me i want to see 30 seconds before the clip starts , how can it be judge on the last bit

I think the policing minister would do well to look closer to home if he wants to start the crackdown on cocaine use!

??? ??? I just hope he’s here long enough , that he , and his aides have enough time to develop and set the culture here that will remain for a long time post his tenure. Not easy to maintain it - Look at United now , things did change almost as soon as Fergie was out the door, even after all his work Leeds / Revie. Forest / Clough the same Pearson may or may not have his own success here, but more likely IMO , is he is setting someone else up for a real chance of success with the squad and culture he will leave, with a culture that exists beyond the first team The appointment post Pearson is probably as an important appointment as I’ve seen in my time (If the Club are serious about pushing on)

It’s frankly bizarre how these supposed Bristol City fans are getting all salty and defensive about a team who play in another league. Bringing up my unfortunate situation in Shanghai as well… pretty low blow that, considering how badly I’ve been struggling. Keep it coming though, it’s making me enjoy their failure even more.

Well said @Taz Our "Fergie" has now had 15 months with us and while many City supporters will judge him by the wins, draws, losses and place in the table, and rightly so, a lot has happened so far that we are not fully aware of. Read the current thread about the Medical team led by Dave Rennie. Not the new ideas and how they are used but the fact that one poster has spotted that non coach Rennie the medical man is watching training sessions and by doing so, is ensuring that the lazy trainers work just as hard as the fitness fanatics. I watched the U 23 game on Tuesday. We were able to leave out four or five regular, when fit and on form, under 23's. Because, as Tinman said after, City's U23 side is really an U18 +. Those not playing are considered as full members of the First Team squad. One of Fergies predecessors at Man U was Sir Matt Busby. In the early 1950's he did exactly the same as Fergie and our Nigel are doing. Playing talented kids as regular first teamers. The Busby Babes had four or five elder statesmen and the babes made up a great team. Fergie followed that thinking with the Class of 92. Kids who won trophies! Football is a wonderful game and in many ways a simple game. No need for large squads. No need for too many expensive stars. Just everyone in the club, working for one end result; Success on the pitch. For a pessimist like me, I have a very warm and optimistic feeling about the coming season. Some more will leave the squad and a couple more may arrive. We are looking like a team that will look after each other at all times.

See, I'd support the Staggies - should they ever by some miracle play in Europe - but I'm with those who aren't much of a fan of either of the Old Firm, with their sectarianist fans. "Thick weedgies who never go to church, knocking shyte out of each other to prove their variety of Christianity is better" is how Renton in Trainspotting described it. I just park all that stuff and enjoy the match as a neutral.

As much as Ferguson annoyed me a lot growing up, he is for me easily the best Manager this Country has ever seen and arguably the World. His man management was genius levels.

I agree. I’ve got nothing against LJ, and I’m glad to see he’s got another job. And they’ve got a manager who’s got quite a lot of experience now at different clubs. It’ll be interesting to see how he gets on up there.

Pointless war on drugs. Alothugh its more of an excuse to punish and jail poor people.

Nice little earner for him though when he leaves after 6 months.

Isn't that staring up Angela Rayners skirt or something?

I'm glad there's a general view pic of supporters inside Ashton Gate otherwise I wouldn't have clue what this story is about ?

And there's me thinking we'd got rid of all the Kunz in the medical team. ?

I’ve no reason to defend him - but trial by Twitter/guilty until proven innocent by the peoples court etc… I’ve watched the video a few times and what I see is a melee and McBurnie ‘hopping’ around. Now he could be stamping on him. Or perhaps - this little detail that hasn’t been mentioned yet - he was off balance because of the melee and the fact that he’s hobbling around in a brace with a foot injury….

I was thinking this too. If HMRC & Derby City Council effectively save DCFC then the cost to the the public purse will be incredible money in very lean times. Let's have it right; Derby are, whichever way you look at it, very much the authors of their own misfortune. Derby are just another business that's gambled. And lost. I could be wrong but I doubt that outside of Derby too many people would be bothered if they ceased to exist/became a phoenix club on the Derby Downs.

Yeah that's a good point. I really enjoy seeing young lads come through and in to the first team too. I think I was expecting more from the lads I'd not seen live before (no first team appearances). But it seems some are 16, 17 or 18 which means they have time to develop. On a more positive note, one thing that stood out to me was their understanding of their role in the team, they all held their positions well and worked as a team rather than a group of individuals. Fingers crossed a few more emerge in and around the first team next season. COYR

Err, how far away is Frankfurt? Anyway, well done to the German team. I've no love for Rangers* but sounds like they were a bit unlucky. *Or Celtic, for that matter, or any of that ridiculous religious bigotry rubbish that's associated with them.

I'm suggesting that if the fan had not been there, like the rules say he shouldn't, this topic wouldn't exist. I'm not condoning what McBurnie did in any way shape or form, but it wouldn't have happened had the fan followed the rules.

Absolutely, we'll have No wishy washy liberalism round here.........any fans who run on the pitch should be tied down by the referee, and the players should then take it in turns to stamp on them. A similar type of routine to a penalty shoot out? ?

Ashton was a contractor at that stage, not a club employee. He joined Oxford as CEO very shortly after McInnes's departure. City were not his only client. He might have Stevie Wonder's eye for a good buy, but you are quite correct in saying he couldn't "force" the club to buy anyone. We can't just deploy the standard boogie-man to excuse some of the calamities that went on in that era. We set up poorly, our selections were illogical, substitutions were made too late or with the wrong players, often the team just looked beaten well before the match had ended. All the manager's job.

David Rennie one of the most important signings nige has made.

webuyanystadium.com?

I'll wait to see what actually happened beforehand before commenting - selective clips are unhelpful.

Can we not have mention of "the Gers"? Hate to remind you but "it's a city forum".