RedRock

Just be thankful social media didn’t exist when we all wore brown boots, white navy bags, vests, and tied rayon scarfs around our wrists and/or heads. These lads look positively mainstream as opposed to us freaks.

Thought it was a pretty evasive performance, which is worrying as it begs the question why did he feel the need just to ‘dead bat’ fundamental questions concerning the Club’s future. If, as he stated, he knows nothing about potential new investors (thought that was his specialism), very little about the Arena project and has not apparently engaged with Nige on an extended contract, for a Club CEO this isn’t just a bit worrying, it’s friggin alarming. Something’s, amiss here. While highly appreciative of what Steve has done and understanding his view that he’s put and continues to put £millions into the Club so he sees himself, quite justifiably, as the ‘main man’ this CEO interview just reinforced the Club’s ‘you’re customers, not fans’ approach.

Just looking at the images of the development plans for the ‘Sporting Quarter’ in the Post and comparing it to the photograph of Rovers new ‘stand’. Puts things into perspective a bit ?. Will Steve ‘bail out’ when his Bristol Sport vision is on the edge of fruition? Possibly not. For all the references to money spent, a lot of that is likely to be recouped via the sale of the development land. No doubts he will make an ultimate loss on his Bristol Sport idea but that may not be as massive as it currently appears on paper. Doubt whether he would have engaged in the very profitable local land dealings if it wasn’t for his involvement at The Gate. So there are ‘trade-offs’ to his funding of City in the business sense. One suspects the negotiations are very complex with the added element, I suspect, of Steve wanting to keep a role in the Bristol Sport empire. It could well be he will keep a controlling interest in everything bar the football. How this all pans out is going to be very interesting. At worst we are going to be the core element of a sporting stadium complex that is by far the best in the SW Region, up within the top 20 in the Country, with a Championship Football Club becalmed in mid-table with a bit of an uncertain future. At best, we have great sporting facilities and a new owner of a football club who has vision, energy and football-investment nouse to take us on to the promised land. As alluded to in a previous post, who Steve engages as the new owner/investor is going to be critical in terms of his legacy, at least for us. I think when Steve came in he said he was fed up with Bristol sport generally being treated as a laughing stock by sports fans elsewhere around the Country. We are at a critical stage of transition. With the right moves, we could just make it to the big stage. Mind you, still puzzled why we didn’t add a couple more players to the squad as - while I’m fully behind the ‘small squad’ concept - we are wafer thin. A couple more injuries and/or suspensions could spell disaster.

Superb 3 points. Well done lads.

Don’t disagree. Some fatigue setting in for a few of us who been here before, got the t-shirt, as we prepare for yet another spin of the wheel. Near sixty years of hurt (aside from our brief foray in the top league) is beginning to take its toll ….. it is indeed the hope that kills you! Shirley though, the law of averages dictate it must be our turn soon. Keep the faith and just think you could have been born a Rovers Supporter.

I think his interest waned during the latter years of LJ. Sure the idea was to pass responsibility for the running of the Club to Jon, assisted by MA with (relatively) small cash injections as necessary. He was planning to going off to enjoy a leisurely retirement watching City from afar. Jon though went awol and MA seemed to just take control for his own benefit. Steve has been lumbered with the overseeing the running of the Club, which over the last few Seasons has cost him £10 millions annually. I suspect he derives little enjoyment from his involvement. Frankly, probably views it as a right pain in the ar$e. Think he has had more than enough. Think most of us in his position would be of a similar mind. Clearly bad judgements were made on appointments, when to invest and when not, the lack of building a decent scouting network and a plan to build a cohesive team. However, on the upside we now have a decent stadium, training facility and an Academy the envy of many. I think the Bristol Sport concept is sound too and IF the sporting quarter is delivered, a unique sporting complex and one to be proud of. The Holy Grail has not been delivered though and, ultimately, he will be judged on that by many. However, solid foundations are in place to push on to the next stage. Vital now he passes the baton on to someone who has the means and ability to realise our dream. Fear is if it’s a Glazer-type enterprise then everything he’s invested in the Club is likely to be rendered worthless. I’ll judge Steve’s involvement in our Club based on who takes over.

Think we must be edging close to a take over. All beginning to add up. Silent Owner, Chairman and invisible CEO. Doesn’t look particularly positive either if the prospective new owner isn’t sanctioning spending. Unless, that is, they have the same view as some of us that the current scouting network isn’t fit for purpose. Feel for Nige who has kept to his brief with diplomacy and managed to keep us in the Championship despite taking on a dysfunctional first team squad and massively reducing costs. Start to the Season has been a bit ‘iffy’ though, with many of the same old issues raising their head. Hey Ho. The hamster returns to the wheel.

Congratulations! Back to the football.

Project Manager tore his ACL. Architect out with pulled hamstring and Owner has tightened purse strings.

Served a few Enforcement/Stop Notices in my early days. Assume that is still an option for the Council. Possible The Sags have some form of political assurance that won’t be happening as that Meccano Kit would be very fiddly to dismantle. All a bit nawty. As ever, fingers pointed at the planners, but anyone with half a brain could see their initial submission was totally inadequate…. and by the sound of things the Council are STILL waiting for information to be supplied material to the assessment of the proposals. The blame here lies - as on most occasions - with the Applicant together with the politicians for desperately under-resourcing Planning Departments.

Not sure about that. Think he may have addressed that particular behavioural issue. It’s more the opposite for me. Has the flame gone out? Think it may be a combination of things that may have contributed to that. There are well documented ones outside of football. Just guessing as far as inside of football goes, indeed, it may not be our Club but the football ‘ business’ generally that he now finds tiresome.

Anyone else keep seeing ‘TGH’ and reading it as ‘TFG’ - a previous shirt provider of ours - and optimistically thinking we’ve ditched O’Neills? Mind you, might be a case of frying pan into the fire, as I don’t think they were stand- out shirts design or quality wise.

May be some truth here. Not a body language/behaviourist expert but do I detect a recent subtle shift in mood and conduct from Nige. Whether that’s because SL has reneged on something to do with Scott’s sale, the general ‘mood music’ set by SL, or he realises he’s not going to achieve what he wants with the Club within his own set timeframe, who knows. It is, at least to me, becoming apparent though he ain’t going to stick around after this Season. Not a particularly healthy situation. Can see SL wanting to get things sorted sooner rather than later. However, SLs ability to entice Mark Robins from Cov - who I’m sure has always been and still is one of his favourite choices - is likely becoming increasingly more difficult. So quite possibly we are going to be stuck ‘in limbo’ with an owner who wants out and a manager who is going out. Bristol City eh!

Rather like that Sutton home kit. We know that the design team already have a souvenir box of ‘Man City’ crayons. Wonder if we left them with that shirt template, a few white crayons and maybe a single black one. Give them instructions for a white background, black collar and cuff edging with the sky blue horizontal stripes. Could be half decent as an away kit.

Always held the view that unless you are a truly exceptional talent (eg an Alex) a ‘Mr Versatility’ ain’t what’s needed for any Club serious about getting promoted to the Prem. You need specialists approaching the top of their game. Weaknesses of run-of-the-mill utility players are ruthlessly exploited in this league. It the same when I hear we buy players in that we think can be transformed into something different/adopt a different role. My heart sinks when I hear that said on an incoming player …. of the recent batch definitely heard that for Cornick, possibly also Mehmeti. Rarely do such player transformations work in a positive way.

Unfortunately, I think we’re heading for another period of ‘transition’. Despite a few wobbles, I’ve backed Nige. However, my interpretation from those (unwise?) national press interviews is that he’s not going to continue after his current contract with us expires. That’s not a good situation for the Club to be in. I think Nige views this Season as his final last push. However, unless one or, ideally, both of his match-changers/winners - Cornick and Mehmeti - start delivering we’re going to struggle to push for the play-offs. I think the construction of the foundations for the next regime may already be under way with Steve reserving the majority of the war-chest of finances from Scott’s sale for the next incumbent. Lummydaze, I know ‘these things take time’, but in Bristol City’s case it’s a seeming eternity!

Love to see the stats on our ‘extra recovery time’ performances. You go into the subsequent game thinking we will be a yard faster, stronger, more mentally ‘drilled’ than our opponents and, invariably, we produce a limp-wristed, losing effort. It’s a bit like the ‘big crowds’ syndrome when we do discounts to attract new/floating supporters. We seem to always end up with the worst performances of the Season and losing.

Banging on about this for decades …. our recruitment ‘strategy’ has been all over the place and has rarely hit a sweet spot. Until will appoint a dedicated Head of Recruitment, who has a decent geographical network (UK and Europe) of expert scouts beneath him, supported by analysts, physiologist et al, and who has a clear agreed plan on recruitment we shall forever be languishing between Championship and League 1. You only need to look at goalkeeper acquisitions over the last 5 years to see how random things are… feels like we’re trying to pin the tail on a donkey while blindfolded.

Oh well. Better team won, far stronger with more skill and better movement across the pitch. To think this was their ‘reserve’ team too. Right. Wait another 60 years for the next one.

..and they seem twice the size.

Think BBC commentator is going to need to be substituted. Appears to have a frog in her throat. I’ve transferred ITV.

He’s just popped down to WHSmith to buy a couple of Congratulations or Commiseration cards. Just hope his servant has the pen to hand on this occasion.

Key question: Do we have scouts in England I wonder?

Looking at that photo again. Les Bardsley. Met him in my local in Shaldon. Nicest, most humble chap you could ever wish to meet, and his wife was equally as pleasant too.

Here’s a picture from a programme of that era. If you are ever in the South Devon area, happy to give you the programme. Give my regards to Martin, tell him I’m still in contact with a few of the ‘mob’. Bristol Poly Planning Department was never going to be the same after we left. Probably still paying for the damage caused by our year to various establishments in Sheffield (who left the tap on?), the Lake District (the North vs South battle in the hotel lounge) and - what on earth were our lecturers were thinking - the Hotel Cok, Amsterdam (sheets and toilet rolls decorating nearby trees and what did happen to ALL their courtesy pennants and trophies?). From my recollection, Martin was part-responsible for elevating our qualification to BA level. So thank him for that, good chap. He also played a hand in my 40 yard chip goal in a college league game at St Mathias which still ranks in my top 10 goals scored (and on which Beckham subsequently based his goal on).