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When have the club ever let us down ?


Major Isewater

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A genuine question . 
 

We have all got angst in our pants over the lack of Chris Hughton but in reality when have the club ever let us down ?

I am not talking about playing or not playing this or that player but more globally.

We have been happy with how the club have been doing business over recent years , seemingly becoming professional after so many years of amateurism.

They have genuinely tried to improve on and off the pitch even if we as fans don’t always agree with their efforts ; Pulis, LJ , Ashton Vale ... 

Should we just , perhaps, trust them to do the right thing ? 
 

 

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It felt like in 2013 we meekly accepted relegation and a sell off of our assets - that felt like a letdown.

Appointing Millen was a letdown.

Arguably David James was a letdown in a different way - negligent waste of money and a player the management didn’t want which led to his departure.

Personal gripe but I think the logistics of how AG has been reorganised is a bit of a letdown, the atmosphere is poor due to singers being far from away fans. Very hard to reverse.

Obviously on the whole they're prudent and sensible - not perfect though. I’d argue a bit naive and headstrong.

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I would say in making the appointment of an manager with very limited experience in the lower leagues in Lee Johnson at a time when the player budget was sufficiently high to attract an experienced Championship manager.

And we may be about to do the same again.

Tinnion's appointment was an honest mistake that most of us thought would have turned out much better but LJ's appointment was called correctly at the time and every year since as being simply wrong; if you are assembling an expensive experienced squad then you match that with an expensive experienced manager.  It's that simple. 

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Many football fans expect immediate success.

We are about where we should be based on the size of our club. I'm happy not to reach the PL straight away but the fans rightly should expect to see more attractive football than we've seen recently.

I feel we're very fortunate to have the owners that we do. If the strategy is to keep cautious and sustainable while other clubs crash and burn around us, I can see the logic behind that. That would make the Holden appointment logical too. Especially considering the current financial climate.

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2 minutes ago, Keith Welch said:

Many football fans expect immediate success.

We are about where we should be based on the size of our club. I'm happy not to reach the PL straight away but the fans rightly should expect to see more attractive football than we've seen recently.

I feel we're very fortunate to have the owners that we do. If the strategy is to keep cautious and sustainable while other clubs crash and burn around us, I can see the logic behind that. That would make the Holden appointment logical too. Especially considering the current financial climate.

So are expectations different for Holden? LJ had very clear targets of achieving top 6. He was sacked when he didn’t. After 5 seasons of (almost) year on year progression, is it unreasonable to expect a top 6 push?

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8 minutes ago, Keith Welch said:

Many football fans expect immediate success.

40 years waiting for a return to the top flight doesn't seem like expecting immediate success to me.

50 clubs have played in the Prem. We're bigger than Oldham, Bradford, Barnsley, Swindon...

I don't believe many people would say that City fans were traditionally impatient...but they might be about to be!

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4 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

So are expectations different for Holden? LJ had very clear targets of achieving top 6. He was sacked when he didn’t. After 5 seasons of (almost) year on year progression, is it unreasonable to expect a top 6 push?

The big problem that every sports club, not just football, has is the uncertainty for the future. COVID hasn’t gone away and the revenue streams are diminishing or stopped completely. 
 

It’s ok to rely on the television money but how long are the tv companies going to pay top dollar for a product that needs them ? 
 

‘ You don’t accept our new reduced offer then you don’t have an audience for your sport . You die. ‘ 

Progression has turned into survival and without wishing to sound overdramatic there are going to be massive repercussions if the clubs cannot get fans back into the grounds. 
 

Mr Lansdown is not a gambler even if his softly, softly approach seems inadequate for a club pushing for the Prem I am reassured that we will at least have a club to support when the dust settles. 

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Off the top my head:

Ducking out of the required managerial appointment (if it's Holden)

Quality of football for the last 2 years

Ducking out of the signings required in 2018

Ducking out of the signings required in 2008

Coppell Failure

Travelling to Leeds to watch the Hunt and David James show

Appointing Millen

Appointing Tinnion

Appointing Jimmy Lumsden after Joe Jordan

Appointing Russell Osman

Appointing Benny

Not turning up and being humiliated at Rovers in 1990 

Play-off final 2004

Play-off final 1988

Sitting through 6-0 home defeat against Cardiff

No Sell on clause for Andy Cole

Almost every year in a major cup competition

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3 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

The big problem that every sports club, not just football, has is the uncertainty for the future. COVID hasn’t gone away and the revenue streams are diminishing or stopped completely. 
 

It’s ok to rely on the television money but how long are the tv companies going to pay top dollar for a product that needs them ? 
 

‘ You don’t accept our new reduced offer then you don’t have an audience for your sport . You die. ‘ 

Progression has turned into survival and without wishing to sound overdramatic there are going to be massive repercussions if the clubs cannot get fans back into the grounds. 
 

Mr Lansdown is not a gambler even if his softly, softly approach seems inadequate for a club pushing for the Prem I am reassured that we will at least have a club to support when the dust settles. 

Maybe when the dust settles there may only be 2 Divisions left. Hopefully we will be in one of them.

 

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6 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

The big problem that every sports club, not just football, has is the uncertainty for the future. COVID hasn’t gone away and the revenue streams are diminishing or stopped completely. 
 

It’s ok to rely on the television money but how long are the tv companies going to pay top dollar for a product that needs them ? 
 

‘ You don’t accept our new reduced offer then you don’t have an audience for your sport . You die. ‘ 

Progression has turned into survival and without wishing to sound overdramatic there are going to be massive repercussions if the clubs cannot get fans back into the grounds. 
 

Mr Lansdown is not a gambler even if his softly, softly approach seems inadequate for a club pushing for the Prem I am reassured that we will at least have a club to support when the dust settles. 

Well said major 

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19 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

So are expectations different for Holden? LJ had very clear targets of achieving top 6. He was sacked when he didn’t. After 5 seasons of (almost) year on year progression, is it unreasonable to expect a top 6 push?

I think the expectation will be the same.

@Major Isewaterall clubs in the same position in reality.  At least we’ve built some contingency in FFP terms to remain competitive.

Holden will need a statement in recruitment to quieten the restless natives, or perhaps getting Diedhiou to extend.

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39 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

A genuine question . 
 

We have all got angst in our pants over the lack of Chris Hughton but in reality when have the club ever let us down ?

I am not talking about playing or not playing this or that player but more globally.

We have been happy with how the club have been doing business over recent years , seemingly becoming professional after so many years of amateurism.

They have genuinely tried to improve on and off the pitch even if we as fans don’t always agree with their efforts ; Pulis, LJ , Ashton Vale ... 

Should we just , perhaps, trust them to do the right thing ? 
 

 

Have had some disappointments over the 58 years but the club has never ever let me down 

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27 minutes ago, Eddie Hitler said:

I would say in making the appointment of an manager with very limited experience in the lower leagues in Lee Johnson at a time when the player budget was sufficiently high to attract an experienced Championship manager.

And we may be about to do the same again.

Tinnion's appointment was an honest mistake that most of us thought would have turned out much better but LJ's appointment was called correctly at the time and every year since as being simply wrong; if you are assembling an expensive experienced squad then you match that with an expensive experienced manager.  It's that simple. 

I dont think LJs appointment was "correctly called". He didn't get us promotion, but many expected much worse than what actually happened.

We had a fantastic cup run and beat Man Utd then took Man City all the way in two legs. We were flying in the league until the tiredness and steam ran out, playing very attractive football. Unfortunately Lee never really recovered from the hangover of that capitulation and losing his best players.

I'd have preferred a more experienced manager in hindsight, but I dont think Lee was a failure here. He made us an established Championship side that struggled to get over the finish line for whatever reasons. It's hard to say that anyone else would definitely have done better.

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10 minutes ago, Kingswood Robin said:

Off the top my head:

Ducking out of the required managerial appointment (if it's Holden)

Quality of football for the last 2 years

Ducking out of the signings required in 2018

Ducking out of the signings required in 2008

Coppell Failure

Travelling to Leeds to watch the Hunt and David James show

Appointing Millen

Appointing Tinnion

Appointing Jimmy Lumsden after Joe Jordan

Appointing Russell Osman

Appointing Benny

Not turning up and being humiliated at Rovers in 1990 

Play-off final 2004

Play-off final 1988

Sitting through 6-0 home defeat against Cardiff

No Sell on clause for Andy Cole

Almost every year in a major cup competition

Yup i’d go with all of those. 

What is the most frustrating part now is we are so close, a top class training facility months away from opening, a top class stadium already with scope to expand even more if required and all that is lacking is a few final pieces to the jigsaw. In many way’s the infrastructure is pointless in this sport if you don’t invest where it matters.

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8 minutes ago, Kingswood Robin said:

Off the top my head:

Ducking out of the required managerial appointment (if it's Holden)

Quality of football for the last 2 years

Ducking out of the signings required in 2018

Ducking out of the signings required in 2008

Coppell Failure

Travelling to Leeds to watch the Hunt and David James show

Appointing Millen

Appointing Tinnion

Appointing Jimmy Lumsden after Joe Jordan

Appointing Russell Osman

Appointing Benny

Not turning up and being humiliated at Rovers in 1990 

Play-off final 2004

Play-off final 1988

Sitting through 6-0 home defeat against Cardiff

No Sell on clause for Andy Cole

Almost every year in a major cup competition

You missed out the Dolman tannoy, and the cold hand driers together with the equally cold pies. The promised chips in the Dolman concourse, Jon's centenary shirt and trap 4 was blocked by a huge log at the last game.

The list of the club's crimes is endless!

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2 minutes ago, CodeRed said:

You missed out the Dolman tannoy, and the cold hand driers together with the equally cold pies. The promised chips in the Dolman concourse, Jon's centenary shirt and trap 4 was blocked by a huge log at the last game.

The list of the club's crimes is endless!

That trap 4 incident was a disgrace...

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1 minute ago, Redpool said:

You’re in Oz. So it’s upside down for you. 

I might be in OZ and have been in OZ for 33 years. Have been back 33 times and also watched City at home on these 33 occasions. I have seen the good days and the bad days. 

It’s not upside down to me and i will always support BCFC. The club has never let me down.

last visit was last year at home to Blackburn when we played crap. But you know what I was proud to take my son with me to BS3. 

My sons kids now run around in OZ wearing city shirts. 

The pastor of the club also resided last December at my dads funeral.

its not upside to me where ever Iam 

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The summer transfer fiasco after promotion from league one.

January transfer after the Manchester games. *Mark Ashton made some strange statement about not going for it this year or something.

Each incident killed momentum. Momentum can’t be turned on like a tap, when it’s there it has to be grabbed by both hands and built on. 

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People can always complain about any number of things, but the thing I find a bit annoying is the gulf between PR spin and reality. SL is forever banging on about the Prem being the goal, but then  the appointment of successive managers and the regular sale of our best players rather undermines the point.

Condensed version: knock off the bullsh*t....

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32 minutes ago, Kingswood Robin said:

Off the top my head:

Ducking out of the required managerial appointment (if it's Holden)

Quality of football for the last 2 years

Ducking out of the signings required in 2018

Ducking out of the signings required in 2008

Coppell Failure

Travelling to Leeds to watch the Hunt and David James show

Appointing Millen

Appointing Tinnion

Appointing Jimmy Lumsden after Joe Jordan

Appointing Russell Osman

Appointing Benny

Not turning up and being humiliated at Rovers in 1990 

Play-off final 2004

Play-off final 1988

Sitting through 6-0 home defeat against Cardiff

No Sell on clause for Andy Cole

Almost every year in a major cup competition

Up the City ?

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In all honestly, the fact the club have clearly tried so hard to improve on and off the pitch in recent years is exactly what makes this appointment so dispiriting.

I feel SL, the board and MA have made mistakes but got more wrong than right on the whole. The youth policy seems to produce genuinely promising players, i'm looking forward to the focus on putting faith in youngsters next season, the club looks more professional and obviously the stadium improvements are all great things.

However, football is a very fragile thing and we've learned in the past how easy it is to suddenly go from being a club on the up to a club on the down. In reality, SL does not have a great record at all of identifying potential managers from within the club. Tinnion turned out to be far better placed within the youth set-up, Millen proved to be a very good assistant but not so much a manager and, whilst LJ did a decent job on the whole, he certainly is yet to prove the outstanding managerial talent that SL and some others supposedly in the know tipped him to be. 

In fact, I'd say all the main examples I can think of where the club has let us down have been when they've appointed an internal candidate as manager and it has gone rather pear-shaped. Hence the current situation not boding well. 

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When has the club exceeded expectations:

1976 - achieving promo to the Top Flight and staying 4 years

1982 - coming up with a novel financial plan to save the club [apologies to the Ashton Gate 8]

1986 - Freight Rover win at Wembley

1990 - promotion under Joe Jordan [inc beating Chelsea in FA Cup] - diluted by losing to Cambridge in FACR5 & surrendering title to the Gas

1998 - promotion under John Ward but coming 2nd to Watford and selling Goater and replacing with McCarthy

2004 - Hartlepool Semi at home  ..... then failing to turn up against Brighton

2008 - Palace semi home & away .... then GJ bringing on his boy not the logical choice of Vasko after Orr went off in the Final

2017 - Man United but then capitulating in 2nd half of the season and never recovered since

There is a theme - BCFC raise expectation then dash them completely!!!!

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