Fans Parliament Tonight...

[!james]

Would be interested to hear from anyone who attended the Fans Parliament tonight at AG... will there be minutes published online?

Tweet earlier from the @bcfctweets "Keith Burt, Sean O'Driscoll and Jon Lansdown speaking to the Fans Parliament this evening"

How did they all come across? Especially interested to hear more about Keith Burts role within the club and if he spoke tonight?

How did the discussions regarding season tickets go down with the club? Any developments that can be mentioned on here?

Apologies if this is all going to be published online soon, just curious to know details...

[Kingswood Robin]

Would be interested to hear from anyone who attended the Fans Parliament tonight at AG... will there be minutes published online?

Tweet earlier from the @bcfctweets "Keith Burt, Sean O'Driscoll and Jon Lansdown speaking to the Fans Parliament this evening"

How did they all come across? Especially interested to hear more about Keith Burts role within the club and if he spoke tonight?

How did the discussions regarding season tickets go down with the club? Any developments that can be mentioned on here?

Apologies if this is all going to be published online soon, just curious to know details...

Looks like they played musical chairs.

Don't just stand there with your hands in your pocket Sean, you're out!

[bcfcbs20]

All of them came across really well imo answered all the questions that were asked. The minutes are normally published in a few days.

[LECW]

From what I've read on various social media sites it was very promising and positive about season tickets prices and the future! Onwards and upwards ?

[Kid in the Riot]

Is anyone able to provide a summary of what was said??

[Rocky]

Also interested to hear about ST prices..

[RedRaw]

I wasn't there but I can tell you the price of corporate premier seat season tickets have gone down

[harvey54]

I was at the meeting.

I was a fence sitter until I attended tonight but the talk by Sean and Keith Burt was very encouraging.

The club are actively in talks already with new players with a view to changing the mentality of the team and also with a focus on bringing in strong characters for the dressing room.

The proposals for the season ticket prices were accepted and we felt that the fans were getting a good deal.

The proposals for the alternative plans for the redevelopment of Ashton Gate, should Ashton Vale not be used, were extremely impressive.

The academy appears to be going from strength to strength and we are awaiting the results of the audit.

On the whole, the matters off the pitch are falling into place and the focus on wholesale changes in personnel are going to be interesting.

I left the meeting with a lot of optimism for next season, whereas I had entered the meeting with a very negative attitude.

Watch the City website for the season ticket news soon.

[MichaelRobartes]

I was at the meeting.

I was a fence sitter until I attended tonight but the talk by Sean and Keith Burt was very encouraging.

The club are actively in talks already with new players with a view to changing the mentality of the team and also with a focus on bringing in strong characters for the dressing room.

The proposals for the season ticket prices were accepted and we felt that the fans were getting a good deal.

The proposals for the alternative plans for the redevelopment of Ashton Gate, should Ashton Vale not be used, were extremely impressive.

The academy appears to be going from strength to strength and we are awaiting the results of the audit.

On the whole, the matters off the pitch are falling into place and the focus on wholesale changes in personnel are going to be interesting.

I left the meeting with a lot of optimism for next season, whereas I had entered the meeting with a very negative attitude.

Watch the City website for the season ticket news soon.

Thanks Harvey, sounds encouraging.

[Kid in the Riot]

Thanks for that Harvey, I appreciate there's probably a lot of things mentioned that you are not at liberty to talk about on a public forum but will come out in good time.

[Dynamite Red]

Taken from the bcfc yahoo group

Fans Parliament last night, the main item being a discussion about the club's season ticket proposals for next season which, I should add, met with (almost) unanimous approval from those present. I won't say more as an announcement is due in the next week or so.

However, the evening started with the announcement of Keith Burt as Director of Football followed by a surprise (well to me anyway...and apparently also to Sean) Q&A session with Sean, Keith and Jon Lansdown. I wasn't the only one present who came away excited by the vision, strategy and commitment to see it through (yes, I really am talking about BCFC). Keith Burt's appointment was clearly received very positively by Sean, in fact his words were something along the lines of "if I was the owner this is how I'd run the club". It is very clear that Keith has substantial experience (7 years at Forest) and a strong team of scouts working for him. His role is to find the players that Sean wants, but Sean was very clear that he has the final say, as he has to work with them. There was also a big emphasis on getting players who are the right 'types' - they also made it very clear they know which positions are crucial!

Both Sean and Keith come over far better in person than on TV/radio - Sean was smiling & relaxed and even made us laugh. More importantly he talks more sense than I've heard from most managers who have far more sound-bites! For the record, my wife knew Sean when he was a player at Bournemouth and said he's always been very shy and never suffered fools gladly - is it surprising then that he doesn't react well to stupid questions from the media.

We also had a presentation from Martin Griffiths (Bristol Sport) about the proposed stadium redevelopment which has been amended substantially to reflect fans' wishes - and looks a lot better for it! (boxes going in the dolman and not eastend)

The final presentation was a very passionate and enthusiastic talk by Amy Kington (Interim Director of the Academy) about the attempt to obtain Category 2 status for the Academy and the reasons why.

Since relegation became a certainty (and even before) - a number of fans have used words like 'shambolic' and 'rotten culture' to describe BCFC (although personally I've never subscribed to that view). If that's your view - I wish you'd been present last night as I believe, like me, you'd have come away with a very different view. Others who were there came away excited and believing that there has been a very real culture change actually over the last few months (despite relegation).

We have a head coach who's here for the long haul, a tremendously experienced Director of Football, an academy that is showing massive potential, some very good business brains in charge of the finances and last but by no means least, an owner who is a fan, a Bristolian and is still passionately committed to Bristol City. We could be in a far worse position off the field - I firmly believe that, given some time, we'll eventually be in a far better position on it!

[Kingswood Village]

Thanks for posting this dynamite red - any idea when some if the stadium images might be shared with the rest of us?

[NYTRAM]

Thanks to those that went and posted there positive comments, me I'm in the 'Glass Half Full Camp', not a Happy Clapper especially when things are going wrong on match days, but I do cling on to any positives and these reports are obviuosly one of these.

However, there will be the obvious posters who will be doubtful and even sceptical of all that is said until shown 'The Proof in the Pudding'.

So the sooner details are released on 'players signing', 'Season Ticket price structures' that are fair for our position and 'Stadium Plans' released the better and we can all start looking forward with more optimism.

Onwards and upwards. COYR.

[Club and Country]

Actions speak louder than words.

[Kibs]

Actions speak louder than words.

They also take a lot longer and require a bit of patience.

[phantom]

Actions speak louder than words.

They also take a lot longer and require a bit of patience.

The problem for many will be the number of times we have heard "positive" talks by different people, some will see if as "here we go again", others will clearly "see it as progression"

One thing that you both agree on, only time will really tell which way we go - but I certainly know which way I hope that we are progressing

[Club and Country]

I know it takes patenice, and I will give it

Just not gonna get excited over the same positive spiel I have now heard for about the past 5 years and seen nothing to back it up

Here's hoping though.....

[Somerset Red]

I know it's only a minor thing, and who am I to give our manager tips....but...

Sean, next time try wearing something a little less blue eh?

Apart from that, good on you mate. Looks like you could well be the man to sort this mess out.

[UREDS_91]

WHAT IS SOD DOING WEARING A BLUE TOP!!! WHAT A BA***RD!

[Somerset Red]

Just had a thought......Is he modelling next seasons new shirt?

[dezgimed]

More waffle about the academy, where are the first teamers coming through?

All go off on loan to lower league clubs and flop.

[Kid in the Riot]

More waffle about the academy, where are the first teamers coming through?

All go off on loan to lower league clubs and flop.

Reid, Bryan, Burns??

[dezgimed]

Reid, Bryan, Burns??

Aye.

And before that?

Edwards, Wilson, Ribeiro.

And before that?

Brown, Anyinsah, Skuse!!

And god knows who before that. Albeit yes Cotterill was decent and earnt us some cash.

All meant to be the next big thing, mostly turn out rubbish. Been the same for years.

[djb6162]

More waffle about the academy, where are the first teamers coming through?

All go off on loan to lower league clubs and flop

Its this kind of negativity and unhelpful comments that the club could simply do without at the moment

Honestly i know you are really frustrated but what would you do as an alternative to the clubs academy strategy ?

perhaps you would close it and carry on blowing millions, presumably on players who have taken their places in the past, and lets be honest, achieved very little in return anyway.

you talk about going off to" lower league clubs", there isn't much lower they can go now is there ? so don't flatter your own club

The academy of the past cant be changed, the investment in the current methods and facilities to assist young players will definitely make a difference toward improving the standards of what we have and will attract more players in the future in my opinion.

Bryan Reid and Burns are not "rubbish" and have not flopped while on loan either, what they don't deserve at present is ill informed criticism without objective and robust alternatives.

By robust i mean sustainable, most households have an income, its simple when they spend that income they have to stop spending.

Football is no different, i have been staggered by the wages the club has been paying versus its gate receipts, playing Russian roulette with its existence and relying on a benefactor to survive. That's what i mean by non sustainable.

The youth policy is absolutely vital to the club, have you not been listening to what Sir Alex did on arriving at Man united and how precious he was about the youth structure.

please i would ask you to show some patience, and by all means criticise the club for a 101 things, but don't lash out at our youth at this moment in time

its about the only positive we have to hang onto at the moment

[dezgimed]

I've no doubt youth has its place, and I'd love to be churning out players every season. What gets to me is the continuous boasting of how good the academy is. Fine, they might be competing well in their respective league, but that isnt important.

[Red Exile]

Thanks for the reports from those who were there - but what is the mechanism by which presentations made to the Fans Parliament get shared with the wider supporter base?

Sounds as though lots of what was said would have a bearing on potential ST sales.

[djb6162]

I've no doubt youth has its place, and I'd love to be churning out players every season. What gets to me is the continuous boasting of how good the academy is. Fine, they might be competing well in their respective league, but that isnt important.

well i agree with you on that bit at least, and yes most of the praise comes from fans who don't watch enough of our youth football and therefore heap pressure on players by putting them on a pedestal that they cant possibly live up to.

I was at Charlton last week, and on an otherwise grim and sad day all round it was worth the cost just to watch Bobby and Joe, shame Toby and Wes did not come on earlier.

Baldock was not at the races and obviously carrying an injury and Taylor not match fit either.

But trust me, these four are not rubbish

behind them i could name another 4, but dont want to fall into the trap and heap pressure on them at this stage.

keep the faith, but it wont happen next year, it will take time

come and watch some U18 football next year on saturday at Failand or Filton,even better tip for you.... go and watch the u15s play, they are a delight to watch.

u16s next year.

I am not talking results, just watch some of those players and i defy you to tell me that with the correct management they are not great prospects.

[gazareth]

Thanks for the reports from those who were there - but what is the mechanism by which presentations made to the Fans Parliament get shared with the wider supporter base?

Sounds as though lots of what was said would have a bearing on potential ST sales.

Dave Lloyd said the minutes would be on the website later this week.

[I BELIEVE]

well i agree with you on that bit at least, and yes most of the praise comes from fans who don't watch enough of our youth football and therefore heap pressure on players by putting them on a pedestal that they cant possibly live up to.

I was at Charlton last week, and on an otherwise grim and sad day all round it was worth the cost just to watch Bobby and Joe, shame Toby and Wes did not come on earlier.

Baldock was not at the races and obviously carrying an injury and Taylor not match fit either.

But trust me, these four are not rubbish

behind them i could name another 4, but dont want to fall into the trap and heap pressure on them at this stage.

keep the faith, but it wont happen next year, it will take time

come and watch some U18 football next year on saturday at Failand or Filton,even better tip for you.... go and watch the u15s play, they are a delight to watch.

u16s next year.

I am not talking results, just watch some of those players and i defy you to tell me that with the correct management they are not great prospects.

Totally bang on. Been at the acadamy recently and some of the talent there is so encouraging, the current 14's (15's next year) are outstanding.

[Red Exile]

Dave Lloyd said the minutes would be on the website later this week.

Thanks - hadn't spotted that.

Strikes me that from what has been written on this thread presentations on the redevelopment of the ground and Q&As with the top folk in the club merit a wider audience.