Tonks55

Perhaps this should be on a different thread (Mods feel free to move and retitle) but here is Chris Garland in the South St team. (with the ball at his feet!)

As you might have guessed, I was a product of South St, school and played in a pretty useful South st, team a few years after Chris Garland. Nobody famous from my year although there were some pretty useful footballers nonetheless (at age 9/10 years of age!), who no doubt had great careers in local football all the same.

Although both from the area. they went to different primary schools. Chris went to South st. whereas Geoff went to Luckwell. Chris was coached by a teacher, Mr Vokes, who was involved in the Bristol Boys football set up. A brilliant teacher, as well as a football coach, he also coached other Bristol city proteges such as Peter Rogers and cousin Martyn Rogers, who both played league football albeit not at the level that Chris Garland reached. An extract from Geoff Merrick's biography below is interesting where he refers to playing against Chris Garland. I also remember a post from another OTIB member who played against a South st. side where a rampant Chris garland scored 10 goals in an 11-1 beating. 'I loved playing outfield although at one time I really fancied myself as a goalkeeper, and on a few occasions I played in goal for the school. My favourite player was Tony Macedo, who was Fulham’s goalkeeper. I thought he was brilliant and decided that goalkeeper was the position for me until Mr Prewitt and my dad had a gentle word in my ear about how the team needed me outfield. I wished I had gone against their advice in a local derby Life with the robins and beyond 26 against South Street School, who were just up the road from us. Mr Prewitt gave us a little team talk and warned me of their star player, a blond lad called Chris Garland. Mr Prewitt told me to watch Chris as he was an exceptionally good player. Chris was two years older than me and he lived in Ashton, which was right next to Bedminster, and although I cannot remember the result I do remember he ran rings round me that day and when we tussled for the ball, he punched me in the eye. Chris would become one of my great friends on and off the pitch; we shared some great times and some not-so-great times together at Bristol City and he will always be special to me. I did well with Luckwell but as I said I never really had any thoughts of being a professional player. Mr Prewitt, however, believed in me and put me forward for the Bristol Boys trial at Bower Ashton, which was just up the road. The Bristol Boys had various age groups and they would play against other teams from different towns and cities. It was really prestigious to be selected as many lads who were picked through the years became professional players. I was about 11 and did well enough to get in the team.'

The Guernsey Grealish Scott Vs The Brummy Grealish. Scott....better?

I sat up to gone midnight watching MOD (that's late for a pensioner), mouth watering at the prospect of their coverage of our game, having listened to their orgasmic commentary on a 15 year old Sunderland player who only managed a disallowed tap-in. What did I get? I had to wait until the very last game for 1 minutes coverage, with no mention of our promising youthful future! Disappointed or what!?

True - he would have been on the bench (at the most!) ?

JP just said he has only played 114 minutes all season due to injury, so if he had signed that contract that was on the table we would neither have got 'playing value' from him nor it is doubtful we would have got a fee from anyone as anyone with a good medical team would have found him out! So perhaps leaving for nothing was the best result for us! The again that is a whole new debate and as my granddaughter tells me 'Let it go!'

Good old Jonathan Pearce got in the obligatory namecheck of Bristol City today in the Qatar v Senegal game referring to Fammy as our ex-striker!!

Was in the dug out when the IRA blew out the front of Maggs department store, about 400 yards away. Didn't hear a thing above the base playing in the club!

NTTDS - if you 'facebook' then join Steve Sutor's 'Old Football photos' page where he regularly posts Green Un pages from the past. See https://www.facebook.com/groups/227604377375687/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=2694582284011205

Being 'Devils advocate' for the moment, would Semenyo be as effective starting a game, when his opponents are as fresh as he is? Older OTIBers will remember David Fairclough, the original supersub, who scored for fun, but only when he was brought on mid second half. Mind you, I do agree with the previous comment that changing our style to 'lump' the ball forward once he was brought on would seem to be counter productive. He will need to start at some point, when injuries/loss of form/Suspensions kick in later in the season. All the while the starting line up continue to deliver then 'don't fix wot ain't broke!'

Ah, so not a City player then! I assumed it was as the kit resembled our 'Hirerite' kit from 88-90. probably pictured in Charlton Athletic kit. That's some afro!! Thanks, Sturny As he is now with his 'summer cut'!

Random photo on (Bristol) Facebook page. Anybody any idea who this is? I presume its an ex city player given the kit and the seating in the background. There again it may be some random 'afro'!

Great article...which has changed my opinion on the 'Pearson debate'. If the actions of Pearson (and Gould) in reducing our costs to below FPP limits and subsequently save us a points deduction for next season (whilst still keeping us in the Championship) then that is an achievement that should be lauded. Although we may have to sell the family silver, Pearson has given that silver a good polish and we may get a better price even in a depressed market (the family silver being the likes of Scott, Massengo etc). My expectations for next year have been managed however!

Putting aside the pain of watching us capitulate to the same Barnsley move (and the fact that arguably a free kick should have been given against their player on the front post blocking our (feeble) attempt to get to the cross), I actually think both goals could have been prevented by simply having a man placed on the six yard box, some 2 or 3 yards in front of the post. Such a player would cut out the low, fast cross to the front post. Consequently a higher trajectory cross would be in the air longer and give most 'normal' defence's more time to pick out the cross and clear. There again we are talking about a defence that consistently fails to meet 'normal' standards!

I agree - why would anyone want to come to us? To build a team that would show a (consistent) improvement on the dross we serve up then we need to attract players with a desire to play and not a desire to come here and earn a wadge of money. It is arrogant of the club (and its supporters) to think that all it needs to do is 'flash the cash'. This is how clubs on much smaller resources outperform us, consistently. We need a manager that can create such an atmosphere/ethos at the club - it's been missing since Cotterill.

Only one highlight on there to see - the one that mattered!

Came across this....https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/bristol-city-fc-team-group-197677-back-row-lrmichael-simmons-charles-williamson-brian-mcneill-howard-pritchard-colin-lee-steve-harding-shaun-penny-kevin-mabbutt-john-bain-third-row-alan-dicks-manager-don-mackay-youth-team-coach-bill-tovey--1226917a He is seated front row, far right. If this was 1976/1977 then I reckon that puts Pete at about 65..no age. RIP.

As a defender (many moons ago), often the attacker would cut across your path so, as was pointed out by a number of people, the defender has a choice to pull out or clatter into the BACK of the defender. Thankfully I had a turn of foot in those days (we are talking during the last century here!!) and more often than not I could remain in front of the attacker. I would have been more than a little miffed if a penalty had been given in these circumstances. The key word here is 'BACK' and Semenyo's foot clearly hits the BACK of the defenders leg, before he tumbles. Therefore the defender was (marginally) in front and entitled to follow his path - no penalty. Ironically, Semenyo clearly has the legs of the defender and the same manoeuvre but one step later and he will have got past the defender or got the penalty shout! Mind you its about time a referee got one wrong in our favour and awarded a penalty!!

Sorry, wrong arab!

I believe it relates to an arabic gesture of grief, originating when Cardiff were owned by Mohammed Al-Fayed. This wiki link explains...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ayatollah_(football_celebration)

Every clip I've seen of Paul Cheesely (and there aren't too many around) shows what aerial dominance he had. The ability to leap higher and 'hang in the air' for longer. Such a shame his injury curtailed his career as he would have gone on to greater things. Would he have the same dominance in today's game or have centre halves got better over time - what's reckon?!

If the question is ‘Pearson doing a good, even satisfactory , job?’ then I don’t think too many supporters would answer ‘Yes’. If the question is ‘Should Pearson be replaced?’, then I don’t think as many would also say ‘Yes’. My opinion is ‘No’. Why? Because I don’t think the squad of players he has at his disposal are good enough for this division. Therefore I don’t believe any manager could bring about a change in fortune with the squad as it is. If Pearson is given the funds to significantly strengthen the squad in the January window, but he still fails to bring about an improvement then by all means ‘sack him’. If he is not given the funds and the squad remains the same then it would not be fair to sack him (he might resign however!). Sadly I see a parallel with 1980, when we failed to integrate younger players, preferring to rely on more experienced players (on long expensive contracts), which led to our bankruptcy, in 1982. The exit of the Ashton Gate 8 meant that our youngsters had to ‘step up to the plate’ and perform, although if I remember correctly it still took a season or two, even flirting with going out of the league, before the bounce-back came. In that spell, there will have been plenty of young players that had the talent to have made it to the top but did not have the character to thrive in a struggling team, and dropped out of football completely. This is the parallel that I fear – that many of the current, talented yet exposed young players will not make it as things stand, whereas in a different situation might go on to be top players. The manager during our revival was Terry Cooper, who no doubt faced calls for his resignation on the downslide, but in hindsight was one of our best managers in the last 50 years! So my opinion (and that is what it is!) is that Pearson should be given the time and funds to stabilise the teams performances, so that we can selectively develop the young talent we have (this also includes weeding out the young talent that may not have the mentality to survive). Pearson should not be given, for example £5m and put under pressure to ‘reach the playoffs’. His brief should be spend that money on experienced players that will ‘steady the ship’ and nurture the talent. After all £5m is a fraction of what it would cost to bring instant success.

It's almost as though owners don't realise how bad their teams have become until they lose to us when, in a sudden bolt of lightening, they realise 'Blimey, we must be bad - we lost to Bristol City! Sack the manager!!

From the post heading, I thought this topic was about our approach on the pitch at home rather than who sits where! Whilst having a vociferous home support/tucking the away fans in a hidden corner might 'carry us over the finishing line when it comes to 'winning at home', it wont be enough until the players get us close to that finishing line. Perhaps a more adventurous approach to picking the team at home might achieve that? Ok, we might lose a few more but would also win some more at home (even one win would be an improvement!). Better three points from winning one and losing one, than two points for two draws.