Nogbad the Bad

Yep, I remember that, we went up there a few times before I got him his first ST. City regularly gave his primary school a few free child tickets for that area. Probably about 95/96 season, for some reason I remember Scott Paterson was playing.

I'm very glad the designated family area was in the Lower Dolman when my children were young. Up in the God's, miles from the action, wouldn't have been the same at all, and we'd have sat elsewhere. I can still picture my young son charging down the steps to the track when we scored with dozens of other excited kids to celebrate with the scorer. Children like to be close to the action and see their heroes close up and there couldn't be a more unsuitable area than The Upper Lansdown to put them.

They gave the City lawn such a ridiculously close shave when they sacked Nige that it took months for it to start to regrow. Even then Manning had to adjust the gears on the mower to bring some life back to it.

At the Open Day I joined a big queue behind the Atyeo to meet Coppell. When I got to the front I had my picture taken with him and enthusiastically said, 'Welcome to Bristol City Steve, we're all confident you can really take this club forward'. Bit taken aback by his response, 'I wish I was'.

Sold 7k and asked for more, not sure if they got them. A very well supported club.

Quite a few crowds against the likes of Leicester, Sunderland, Coventry, Ipswich, QPR & Middlesbro' were 16-18k. Not big crowd pullers and at the time not huge away support. I remember being in a crowd of 12k against Middlesbro' on one occasion. Don't forget crowds of 27-33k against the big boys, and even more on some occasions, dragged the average up to 22/23k before the relegation season.

Drysdale was born and brought up in Wingate, Durham and started his career at Lincoln before we signed him from Hartlepool.

Thinking back to that period, starting with the 1970 Spurs semi final, we then had the 2 epic Leeds games, Portsmouth promotion night, the fantastic win at Arsenal & the Coventry escape all within the first 6 years or so of me following City. May have missed a few too. I was at all of them and it was a really exciting time to follow BCFC. OK I was a teenager which no doubt helped, but really each of these games will last in the memory forever with 11 players representing City we were really proud of and identified with and it really magnifies how rare these great events have been since.

I was on the pitch after the Notts County game as well - poor game and result but it didn't really matter, the excitement of promotion was very much still there and the pitch invasion had similar numbers. I've still got a handful of grass from the Portsmouth game selotaped down on a piece of card in the loft, very faded but still very much discernible as grass. Somehow ended up in the Peeler by the bridge on promotion night (not been a pub for a long time now of course) and think of that night every time I'm up that way.

No idea about the London Inn but 2 were hit by a vehicle outside the Black Horse. The driver was jailed iirc.

Fair play to Bruce Halliday, still getting such plaudits at 63.

It certainly will, and also how many non - renewers are adults if they give the usual breakdown.

The moment they sacked the popular saloon manager and appointed a novice barman in his place the last chance saloon lost it's charm and rapidly begun to empty with people contemplating other forms of 'entertainment'. Many fans will have already decided they are not coming back for another session in a saloon with no atmosphere and where the beer's gone right off. I still think it'll be in the thousands.

The women get good attendances but very low prices will be a big factor. It's a family day out but not sure this equates to widespread keen interest outside of matchdays. Hence a City women's show would have very few listeners so it's tagged on to Sounds of the City where there's already a captive audience. I'd be switching off at that stage because I'm simply not interested.

My recollection is Carey turned his back and was remonstrating with the ref, rather than the ref talking to him. As far as I could see Carey was in a world of his own and I didn't see it as an unfair goal. My feeling has always been it was thoroughly unprofessional OTT behaviour from Carey and bloody annoying. Sh*t shirt, sh*t song, sh*t day rounded off by Carey being a bit of a tit.

And when did we last score 2 penalties in the same game by different players?

Don't know what the crowd was that day (certainly much less than we officially get now) but AG was noisy in those days. Not just when the goals went in, but roaring on the players each time they ran at the opposition with real attacking intent.

There have been rumours of a bug in the camp for a while.

I'm only talking for myself, and I'm speaking from my experience of following City away for many seasons (rare these days) when the most important thing after travelling for hours was to see a City win. Not something that happened frequently enough to be too fussy how it came about, and I'd never have preferred an entertaining draw instead of celebrating the 3 points.

You said you'd take an entertaining 2-2 draw with open play goals over an ugly City win from a set piece. Away from home entertainment is not a big consideration and in the Championship an ugly away win will always be acceptable afaic.

It's not our responsibility to provide an entertaining game for opposition fans at their ground. A solid City performance is important but I'll take an away win however we get it, as no doubt will travelling City fans. Home games are different and with Blackburn, Huddersfield and Rotherham coming up we should be looking to win all 3, win them well, and finish the season at AG in style. My expectation as a fan is that Manning will really go for it in these 3 games with an attacking outlook, hopefully leading not only to entertaining games but plenty of City goals.

I only remember SL attending one of the forum meet-ups at the park but he seemed to enjoy both the chatting and the match of about 8 a-side, where he played in defence. Several injuries (typical City) on what must have been the hottest day of the year, the only surprise being he & Maggie didn't join everyone for a few much needed drinks in the pub afterwards. Must be a good 20 years ago now.

I can't agree with those saying that because we won't be in the top 6, or be relegated, that there's nothing to play for. Every City match is a contest between the club I support, and our opponents, which I want City to win, and preferably, of course, win well. It doesn't ruin my weekend if we lose as it once did - I don't expect it to having accepted long ago the passion of youth doesn't last forever - however it still pisses me off if City lose and perks me up considerably if we win. Going to AG should be a largely enjoyable experience, and for me that means the manager putting out a positive City team with the aim of scoring goals and winning the match. Sounds simple enough, it won't always be successful, but no tactics are and when I can see this is at least the aim I can enjoy supporting the team and continue to identify with them, win or lose. We have a good, honest squad who put in 100%, but we also have a coach who has much to prove, imo, as to whether he actually deserves this job, or not, and the performances of these players and this team are largely governed by his selections, instructions and the tactics and style of football he employs. Rather than getting angry about the politics of the club my choice is to move back to the basics of why I went (and returned) to AG in the first place - the atmosphere, the feeling of belonging and the camaraderie and shared purpose with fellow fans, really getting behind a team I quickly identified with and hopefully celebrating the win. I was young enough to not know or even care who was in the Director's Box and, while it's not easy easy to put aside exasperating peripheral matters as an adult I accept have no control over them so getting embroiled in them is not worth my time or energy. In my opinion this squad of players are, so I will continue to support them. I might disagree with, and may even have grown to dislike, some of those in charge - I'll never forgive the sackings of Cotts or NP - but I'm not going to let myself become obsessed by them over everything else, when in truth it's supporting the team that's always been my main interest and focus. As for LM, everything to prove but if he's staying for now as looks likely he shouldn't even consider that means it's OK to regularly bore supporters half to death, he'll never win over the majority of City fans with extended periods of tedious football lacking in real purpose or excitement. He must have a feel for the club and supporters by now and what's expected from a City manager and how his team is expected to play, so he has to show he can change and set up his team to really go for it, especially at AG.

Assumed Man City would be far superior but they really weren't. Without the 3 injuries and the disruption they caused we may well have won it. Poor crowd - I'd like to think it would have been much better supported at AG.

Good effort by Phillips, just past the post.