handsofclay

With regard to capacities the figures I remember after the Dolman was completed was a 37,000 capacity. In ticketed cup games such as v Leeds and Liverpool in 1974, the attendance was this 37,000 capacity, but v Liverpool in the league in 1977 which wasn't ticketed over 38,000 including myself were there. I remember the following season 77-78 the capacity was reduced to 32,000. I think this was a general reduction in capacities across the whole of football and not because City had breached the agreed capacity v Liverpool.

Those executive boxes, floor upon floor of them, perched on top the old stand must've been a first in world football. Great foresight and a great view too.

Actually, I have always prided myself that I never write anything online that I wouldn't say to somebody's face. On this occasion I have transgressed. I wouldn't say that to his face (and not just because it would mean looking at it).

What, is Notre Dame short of a bell ringer?

Yes, prior to that I thought he was somewhat over hyped by the London based media but the performance he put on that day was world class and like yourself I still rate it the greatest I have ever seen at Ashton Gate. He pulled all the strings in the Arsenal midfield that day. He really was a class above anything else on the pitch.

Reg Varney was only 5ft 2ins if that's small enough?

Also destroyed us at Ashton Gate in the 78-79 season 3-1 to Arsenal. Superb player.

I attended the following season's match at Highbury in March 78, having heard wonderful accounts of the August 76 game, followed it on Radio Bristol with phoned in reports every 15 minutes or so and seen highlights on The Big Match the next day. I hoped to experience something almost as magical. City were 4-1 down after about twenty minutes, I recall looking at the clock at Highbury and fearing that City would concede more than the 9 Rovers had conceded to Spurs in the second tier. City had lost 0-2 home to Arsenal on the day Spurs trounced the Gas and Spurs were at Eastville winning 3-2 the day City were 4-1 down with only a quarter of the game played at Highbury. Fortunately, the score remained 4-1 and City hit the woodwork twice in the second half.

Yes you are correct barely a quarter of an hour into the next game home to Stoke.

I thought that at least one Swansea fan would've lived up to their promise to drive me personally back over the River Severn.

So boss, you honestly don't think it'll be worth my while having a try out for the Bristol Flyers.

As the good Major has confirmed he definitely played in that match and I recall that Richard Keys was the captain.

Yes Atyeo scored England's goal in the 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland that qualified England for the 1958 World Cup. Ireland's goal was scored by another City player, Dermot Curtis. Considering his goal scoring record for club and country plus the fact England lost a star striker, Tommy Taylor, in the Feb 58 Munich air crash, Atyeo would seem to have been a shoe in to make the squad for Sweden. Unfortunately, Walter Winterbottom brought his influence to bear on the selectors by insisting that all the squad were full time professional players. Atyeo was always a part time player on full time wages and could never be persuaded to be otherwise.

Hate to tell you this having helped research David Woods City history books but the City guide who relayed this story to you is conflating facts. Yes, it did occur that City went to Southampton in a wartime match and only about 7 players got there and the rest of the team was made up from spectators after an appeal was made but that didn't include Shankly and Paisley. Lots of future and current footballing greats played at Ashton Gate during the war mainly for forces representative sides such as the RAF XI, including Shankly and Paisley as well as Matthews and Billy Wright (who as a young player was a winger). But 100% no, Shankly and Paisley were not amongst the spectators at The Dell that day who volunteered to play for City.

George Best in the TV AM Robins v GFA Trotters game before the 1986 Freight Rover Trophy Final at Wembley.