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Lansdown and Ashton have beaten me.


FallenRobin

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35 minutes ago, Fatalist said:

How about Sunderland, Hull, Bolton, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Reading, Bradford City, Swindon, Barnsley. What are they thinking now?

Yeah of course, but does that mean we shouldn't even try?

There isn't room for every team there - but as a supporter I'll admit I'd rather have the excitement / depression of some boom and bust rather than monotony with the most excitement we get amounting to looking at the extra 3 points in the table we had one year compared to the one before. At the moment as the opening post was saying, we don't have a long term strategy to enable us to  do anything beyond tread water it would seem in some regards.

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3 minutes ago, IAmNick said:

Yeah of course, but does that mean we shouldn't even try?

There isn't room for every team there - but as a supporter I'll admit I'd rather have the excitement / depression of some boom and bust rather than monotony with the most excitement we get amounting to looking at the extra 3 points in the table we had one year compared to the one before. At the moment as the opening post was saying, we don't have a long term strategy to enable us to  do anything beyond tread water it would seem in some regards.

It's not about not trying but a obsession with something that's not what its cracked up to be. Enjoy where we are and hopefully some decent football which has been lacking recently COYR

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5 minutes ago, Realist said:

It's not about not trying but a obsession with something that's not what its cracked up to be. Enjoy where we are and hopefully some decent football which has been lacking recently COYR

SL wants sustainability - I agree.

How do we do that? Get promotion, even one season hands it on a plate.

And, what is the point of professional sport if you don’t aim to get as high as you can.

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6 minutes ago, Realist said:

It's not about not trying but a obsession with something that's not what its cracked up to be. Enjoy where we are and hopefully some decent football which has been lacking recently COYR

Why do you call it an obsession? You're using emotive language intentionally to imply something.

It's not an obsession but it's a goal we're aiming towards, and one I'll be very pleased when we achieve. I can both want to be in the Premiership but also enjoy the journey - they're not mutually exclusive!

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46 minutes ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

I assume you are aiming this reply at the OP @FallenRobin?! Well, we do need fans like him or her, people who have dedicated over 4 decades of their lives to supporting our club and who feel passionate enough to pour out their heart on a public forum. What we don’t need is ‘fans’ who arrogantly dismiss people like that ...

Out of likes.

But 'like'.

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2 minutes ago, NlGHTMARE said:

I’m thinking premier league is shite, and if we smashed the championship, winning it in style like Leeds have this season, that season will be way better than any subsequent season in the premier league. Promotion to the Premier league as got to be the ultimate aim of any club in this division, but getting there is the reward, being the best team in the championship that season is the achievement. Playing in the premier league is an anticlimax and the novelty soon wears thin. 

True story 

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3 hours ago, Cowshed said:

A cat 1 academy can cost in the region of two million pounds a season. Covered for seasons by a Reid or Kelly.

Southampton have covered the cost of their academy ten fold and use the cash it raises to progress the academy and bolster the first team. There is a righteous circle of capitalism there.

How much money have BCFC reinvested into their academy that has made the clubs big sums of money? Well the academy has been downsized in its reach and plays and trains its games at Wise. The money made by academy players has not been put into significantly improving the academy and increasing its coaching reach,

BCFC have a smaller development coaching team than Exeter City who do not have a cat 2 or 1 academy. Exeter do have more contact with kids one to one through out the South West. They coach more. 

Post may become a bit of a sermon now, apologies if it meanders  .. But it is not just a question of ££'s.

It is about longer term strategy. It about having coaching philosophies in place and sharing them in an effort to get talent into the club and having a joined up functioning pathway to get that talent into the XI. 

Mr Lansdown and Jon toyed with the five pillars then decided to do something else. That sounds harsh but the intent the FC and the now departed Amy Kington(seriously good at her roles!) and co had is not matched now. It is gone and it looks to be that Bristol Sport meddled in the running of the FC because they did not see merit in elements of youth development. Amy Kington was looking to run satellite centres across the South West to rival other clubs - That intent was abandoned and centres almost all of them were closed down. By? It appears Bristol Sport.  

Southampton's academy is a long term project evolving over decades and fundamental to the FC - There is always good players in the building .. A phrase used by Southampton coaches because there are, will always be because they don't fanny about with it. They do and will because its truly important.

 

Yep, good points.

I think a Cat 1 academy is also about the facilities that you have to have to go along with the actual yearly financial investment.

The development at Failand is a huge step up on the previous set up. Hopefully alongside it, the club will look to possibly push towards being a Cat 1.

There's no point in my eyes, having Failand as it will be in 2021; if you're not looking to increase the overall size and capability of the whole Academy.

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13 minutes ago, IAmNick said:

Why do you call it an obsession? You're using emotive language intentionally to imply something.

It's not an obsession but it's a goal we're aiming towards, and one I'll be very pleased when we achieve. I can both want to be in the Premiership but also enjoy the journey - they're not mutually 

Because the prem is the be all and end all for most folk, hence the chuck millions at it and achieve the "dream" then what?? Chuck more millions. If were gonna do it, let's do it right 

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20 minutes ago, Cowshed said:

Ok.

How many development centres do Bristol City have to feed players into its Cat 1 academy? North Somerset and ?

How many development centres do Exeter have to feed players into its Cat 3 academy? Axminster, Bridgewater, Exmouth, Ottery St Mary, Taunton,South Devon, Yeovil and I have missed several. 

Exeter also run a network of pay, coach and play centres across the South West. Exeter also run frequent talent identification days across the South West. 

The above is a cost effective network to identify and nurture talent the South Wests richest club does not have. 

 

Fair point. but what good has it done them ? im sure its a steady source of income. As i said we have looked to improve on all fronts, We have invested money into scouting and analytics and we can identify talented players at any stage in their career , granted its been patchy but long gone are the days of Styvar and Moateb. They have to rely on local players so will invest in youth teams and local scouting. It would be good to see local representation in our squad but like i said we have invested in all fronts and perhaps the academy route is not a viable option when you have the premier league teams pinching these young players off the smaller clubs, didn't Chelsea take Ethan Ampadu off Exeter a while ago ?

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1 hour ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

I assume you are aiming this reply at the OP @FallenRobin?! Well, we do need fans like him or her, people who have dedicated over 4 decades of their lives to supporting our club and who feel passionate enough to pour out their heart on a public forum. What we don’t need is ‘fans’ who arrogantly dismiss people like that ...

Well said SIr

The post you responded to and some of the other dismissive posts from some of the apparent Superfans on here are nauseous

The irony is that the OP has probably been to more City games than most of them , and through the darkest days, as many of us ' grumpy old ones ' have 

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4 hours ago, Bat Fastard said:

Leaving aside the fact that you are an impudent young wretch, you may just have something here.  Of course I distance myself from your description of the motivations of aged gentlemen, because nobody would ever call me a gentleman.  I cannot understand why people who have watched the ups and downs of Bristol City over more than half a century can suddenly jack it all in because they do not like the appointment of a new manager.  The aches and pains of old age are difficult and awkward to live with for many Jurassic types but this should not be the butt of humour.  I have seen many older than myself gamely ascending the steps of the Dolman and taking just as long to descend.  The body may be failing some of those old contemptables but their spirit and desire to "JUST BE THERE" should be respected.  Those who fall be the wayside may just be of weaker mind and maybe weaker bladder that makes trips to Ashton Gate too difficult.

As for the noise, well most of old gits really get stuck in and sing along. If you can sing you are not dead - RESULT!  Many of us remember the past and standing on a terrace where the Dolman now stands or singing in the East End. The football was up and down in those days but we were there for the love of our club - and that is the same reason that drags many of us back and will do until they turn on the afterburners in the crematorium and burn the old fans wearing City shirts. We have not all given up the ghost yet and will hopefully haunt Ashton Gate for many years to come - in body and/or in spirit.

I have no problem with those who struggle up the steps of the Dolman due to infirmity. Quite the opposite. I bet they shout louder than me. It’s the jack it all in types because “fings ain’t what they used to be” that I was trying to persuade, with a bit of a humorous jibe, to stick with it (or take a stick with you). COYAR (come on you aged Reds). What else is there to spend your pension on?

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1 minute ago, Sheltons Army said:

Well said SIr

he post you responded to and some of the other dismissive posts from some of the apparent Superfans on here are nauseous

The irony is that the OP has probably been to more City games than most of them , and through the darkest days, as many of us ' grumpy old ones have '

Not really, we go to football to unwind not write essays on how sh*t were are. Maybe they should get a new hobby

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6 hours ago, FallenRobin said:

This is my first post and also my last post but after the events of the last few days or should I say weeks it has led me to want to express how I feel about the football club I followed for almost all of my life and in excess of four decades. I am unloading. 

 

 

Football as we all know is a series of highs and lows and is bred on passion and desire and an ongoing thought that all is possible. Or should I say hope is eternal.

 

Bristol City as a club is historically placed in around the low 30th position in the all-time leagues. So the history has essentially been moving between the second and third levels of football and very rarely has the club ventured into the fourth level or indeed into the highest level now known as the Premier League.

 

Bristol and Bristol City in particular is rather an anomaly when it comes to footballing performance. If we look at the size of the city it is abnormal in the fact it has never had a Premier League football club. There are 50 clubs that have had premier League football. So in the case of Bristol City you have to say that the club in terms of crowd potential or supporter potential has dramatically underperformed for all of its history.

 

When you add in the fact the club is located far from other English Premier League clubs the potential catchment area far exceeds that of just the Bristol and local Bristol population.

 

After the 1980s when the club almost ceased existence there has been a period of normality in the sense that club has bounced from the level two and level three football leagues.

 

The last 20 years have been essentially the years of ownership of Mr Lansdown. Based on the league position he has replicated exactly what the club has been achieving in its history.

 

The ownership of Mr Lansdown has provided and ownership that has interest in the city of Bristol but also a British ownership that is seen as stable and supportive of the local football team. As a billionaire Mr Lansdown is one of the richest people in the country and has seen fit to invest and spend some of his fortune on the sporting clubs of Bristol.

 

The most notable expenditure has been to create a new Ashton gate. Which was greatly needed as the ground was on two sides almost derelict and had seen no real investment for over 40 years. Of course the investment in the ground is different to investment in the football team as it is a tangible asset that has an ongoing value. During this phase of investment the football club and the stadium were separated. This has been explained as a requirement to maximise the return on the stadium performance as an income generator. We were also told him not to be concerned as the overarching ownership remains the same. However it should be very clear the football club does not directly own its ground anymore. We were told not to be concerned as of course the owner of both entities is the same person. Up until now or even up until any time in the future that is no cause for concern however it does leave the potential to sell the Ashton Gate stadium to a third party or indeed so the football club without the ground. Or it could be said that the link between the various sports and the Ashton gate area redevelopment for a new basketball ground and various other facilities such as a hotel is actually a real estate project and would have an intrinsic value should the owner decide to sell in future. It is certainly not true that money has been spent without some regard to receiving a future repayment of the money loaned or made into share capital. What we do have is an excellent championship football stadium. It will remain extremely disappointing that the full potential of Ashton Vale was not available to us due to the planning restrictions placed on that site. I called the ground a championship ground due to its overall capacity which places it in a league of championship stadium (31 st by capacity in England that matches our historic league position more or less) .. The only slightly surprising aspect of the Ashton Gate development was that with the real estate that has been subsequently purchased it would have been possible to move the stadium to have enabled the correct redevelopment of the Dolman stand and the Atyeo stand. So yes we have a great facility compare to the dilapidated buildings that existed before but it just demonstrated how far the club have fallen behind. We should thank Mr Lansdown for investing in this capital project because without it the club was quite clearly behind almost all other top two division football club stadium facilities. It would also make the club far easier to sell if Mr Lansdown ever considered moving away from Bristol city football club.

 

Additional to this there is in progress the building of a new training facility. Again this has been long overdue and is an area where the club has been deficient compared to comparable teams at the level we are playing out. So in some senses it is still a case of catching up. But we are catching up.

 

This is where the positive aspects of the club have been progressed under Mr Lansdown though what has been highlighted over the last 5 to 6 weeks is that on the pure footballing level there is much to be desired in terms of a genuine strategy to make Bristol City a Premier League football club.

 

Since we have returned to the championship after a very impressive promotion from league one under Steve C the picture has been somewhat confused. Under Steve C we achieved a promotion I would suggest almost in an old fashion sense. The manager defined a very clear playing style and recruited the players to match it and created an incredible sense of togetherness and team spirit. We have seen this in the past under the guidance of Gary Johnson who did a similar job of putting together hungry young players who were out to prove their ability at a higher level. So we do understand what it takes to make a successful football side. But during this period what has seem to be lacking is an overarching policy or strategy at the football club to create a sustainable long-term success.

 

We have  at various points in time made a play to suggest we are creating a pathway of youth development to 1st team and we wish to become a powerhouse of youth development and providing opportunity for players to develop their football in careers. However as soon as we find a number of players breaking through into the first team we then fall into the trap when presented with money to spend on reverting to type and going out and try to buy players for an instant success. There does not appear to be a clear footballing strategy that will take Bristol City from being a team bouncing between the second and third level is a football and a genuine prospect of a Premier League and sustainable Premier League football club. In recent years we have seen clubs with less resources with less spending, less finances progress to the Premier League and stay there. It is very hard to understand what is the underlying strategy Bristol city football club has under Mr Lansdown to genuinely change the perception of the club from also rans into a potential Premier League side.

 

We will return now to the youth team and the development of young players for first-team football. When there is the possibility to invest outside a Financial Fair play into the youth and Academy it feels bizarre almost that Bristol City does not have a category one Academy. After the fantastic work of Amy Knighton to obtain the category two status it could have been of envisaged that once we had returned to the championship that the club would want to become the regional centre of young player development and of course recruitment of major talent in the Southwest. If you compare the incredible facilities of Southampton who have returned to the Premier League some years ago and maintains the Premier League position with little difficulty and with an incredible development of youth players through to their first team. You can see that there are strategies that the the club could follow (if you take into account the regional pool that Bristol city could have )there was a possibility for Bristol city to by now have dramatically progressed its ability to attract and hold onto major youth talent. It is very clear the club does not believe that is a viable strategy for its future . That's in itself may not be a problem as there are other examples of clubs competing at our level without having an academy the prime example would be Brentford FC who got rid of the youth academies and rely on an under 23 football team and picking up ex Premier League discarded players or players discarded from other leagues in Europe. It is a choice but Bristol City does not appear to have made any choice and is neither doing one thing or the other.

 

This brings me to the Lee Johnson era of the club. I really do not wish to enter into a long winded argument regarding Lee Johnson because he has just left the club and clearly is someone that had a great work ethic and tried his very hardest to achieve success in his role and he should be lauded for that. The issue during the Lee Johnson era is one that is another example of where the club has no clear strategy. Despite a wonderful cup run where the club and team started playing in a style of football which was exciting and enjoyable and indeed put the club into a different spotlight it was not to be long lived and became an exception rather than the norm of how Bristol city football club played football. During this period it was also clear that there was very little connection between the recruitment and the playing style of the team. A lot of that was due to the fact the team had no fixed playing identity as it was changed on a regular basis game to game and within the season on multiple occasions. This meant it was almost impossible to define what players were required because the target was being lost. There was also clearly a disconnect between the type of players we should be buying and the quality of players that we bought in. This period of time also coincided with a dramatic increase in the spending on player wages and transfer fees. The club during during its time in the championship has tripled its spending on wages and dramatically increase the transfer fees paid. Some notable money has been spent and some would question if it is spent wisely. On one hand you can point to the players that have been sold and indeed we have made record incoming transfer fees. Initially that money was generated from players from previous management and scouting networks. The notable fee for Jonathan Kodjia was the catalyst for the spending and transfer activity the club has been going through in the last three years. We have seen great numbers of players signed with a few players making it through to be regular first-team players. We then had our own homegrown talent sold in Joe Brian and Bobby R and then Aden Flint and subsequently Lloyd Kelly all players that had nothing to do with the scouting network instigated by Mark Ashton. You do have to give credit though to the work that Lee Johnson did on Bobby Reid and developing him into an attacking force and also the development of Lloyd Kelly through to one of the most exciting left-sided defenders in the English game. But lo and behold here we go again , signing a 30 year old centre forward and a record  club signing being a centre back. Will we make money on those deals ? It is a return to type , it is what we used to do. It is as if we forget our mistakes .

 

We now start to come to the crux of why I feel frustrated and disappointed at the actions of Bristol City. There has been an increasing level of detachment from the management of the club and the fan base. There has been an increase in the amount of dubious communication of fact. And by this I mean that the club has made numerous announcements that quite frankly have been false if we are being generous but outright lies if we are being rigourous.

 

That Lee Johnson had to leave the club was a long overdue change. He was placed in a position that he was inadequately prepared for and subsequently paid the price for that lack of preparation for the role. His inability to convey a level of leadership and clarity of thought are two elements in the skill bank of a very successful manager , and were for  Lee Johnson missing at this point in his career. I do wish him well and I do hope he learns from the experience but he is demonstrating that maybe he is more of a Sean O'Driscoll than a Pep Guardiola. Faced with a change one would have assumed (following various interviews with Mr Mark Ashton) that the club would be prepared for any eventuality. We were advised by Mr Lansdown that the club was looking to make a change to bring in fresh ideas and to take the club to another level. During what was explained to be an intensive and rigorous recruitment process we have ended up with our new head coach being one of the key people behind the failure of the previous team. This is all the more surprising as the new head coach has no management experience of note and is not someone who would be employed by any other championship side as the lead coach indeed it is questionable if even a league one club would have given him a role as a number one. We were then told that the head coach had identified a need to bring in some experience coaches. During interviews Mr Mark Ashton made it clear that it was Dean Ashton that had identified the people that he wanted to bring in and agreed with the appointment of the two new coaches. This was a blatant lie as one of the new coaches in an interview explain that they did not know Dean Holden and had to call him to find out what his ideas were for the football club going forward. This is another example of the type of cynical lying to the fans or should I say customers as the club clearly feels they are now that leads one to feel there is a lack of integrity at the highest levels at the club. The Talksport interview with Mr Lansdown , just a few weeks ago could not have been more in contrast to the announcement of Dean Holden. It was as if Mr Lansdown was talking about another football club.

 

But what the appointment of Dean Holden really highlights is that there is no underlying understanding at the club of what is required to take them from being a second and third level football team through to a Premier League football side. There is no one at the club advising the owner with any level of experience that carries any credibility in the football world. It would appear that Mr Lansdown has decided to allocate all responsibility of running the club to Mr Ashton. This is rather bizarre because Mr Ashton has left previous roles or been forced at a previous roles and not under a moment of success but rather lack off. That someone of the vast business experience of Mr Lansdown should give so much responsibility of running the football club based on no solid foundation is staggering . There is no serious intention at the club to create a footballing culture that is defined as the culture of Bristol city football club. There is no detailed mapping of how we are going to develop youth players through to the first team all playing the same type of football and with the same values skill sets and philosophy. Mr Lansdown has given the responsibility of signing players to Mr Ashton. Who continues to claim it is down to the first team coach to have the final say. If for example we take the recent signing of two new coaches neither of whom were known to the new head coach yet he was saying to the media that it was Mr Holden that made that decision. It was clearly not Mr Holden that made that decision and it was clearly not Lee Johnson who made final decisions on many players that were signed. The coach in that case was placed in a position of having to accept the players that have been put forward to him by Mr Ashton in a take it or leave it situation. There are far too many players that have been signed that were never used by the first team coach and clearly did not fit his plans. This looks to be a trend that is going to be continued. Maybe Mr Lansdown feels that due to the sales of Webster for example that Mr Ashton is doing a great job. It could be said that Mr Ashton is very good at selling players but equally that is in the administrative role and is not a football one. What is clearly missing in my eyes is the lack of clarity of football vision and I know I have repeated this now on numerous occasions but this really is the only way to Bristol City will change their history of being a second and third division club. Mr Ashton is nowhere near adequately prepared to make that change. What is worse is that during a vigorous five weeks of investigation into potential coaches to take the club forward the only solution they came up with was a coach that was already at the club and part of the failed system. If the club had a professional top-notch top-level system in place we would've had a list of ideal candidates well organised well defined long before we came to dismissing Lee Johnson. Indeed there seems to be no sense in having fired Lee Johnson if the solution is what we have today. How Mr Holden was unable to explain to Lee Johnson the error of his ways when he was number 2 ( if he was such a strong person) is rather bizarre and rather worrying. That his first decisions in his role were to say yes to the coaches that Mark Ashton proposed to him in record time is also a concern going forward. It would've been far more believable or credible on his behalf if he had identified coaches that he had worked with or now wanted to work with to be part of his team. What transpired was a rush job finding people that were readily available in record time due to the start of training. This shows the lack of preparation and the lack of detail in the application of any form of strategy for the footballing side of the club. When Mr Ashton also suggests one of the new coaches was involved in the promotion to the Premier league of a previous club, when that person was actually involved with the youth team highlights further the hyperbole (if Mr Ashton knows the truth) or incompetence (if Mr Ashton really believed it). This is another example of how the club has no credibility. Certainly for me.

 

But it's also clear that there are examples within Bristol sport of a different approach. People of course have pointed to Pat Lam and the approach with the rugby team. What is interesting in the approach to Mr Lamb is how he defined his objectives when he joined the club. What he was looking to do was to create a world-class of the field coaching team and set up to match the playing style that he wanted to introduce from you through to 1st team at the rugby club. Exactly what the football club is missing and is the crux of why I feel so disconnected with Bristol city for the first time in my life of following them.

 

The continued lies, the continued nonsense or hyperbole has to stop if the club wishes to progress. It is hard to understand if Mr Lansdown desires the situation so he can have a direct influence on the football club. Has it now become or was it always a personal plaything that he wants to do with as he wishes. He has certainly shied away from employing top-level footballing professionals that would suggest he wants to keep it that way. Anyone coming in with a level of understanding of higher level football would surely not stand for the interference of someone of the level of Mr Ashton (They would find him out in seconds) and certainly would not welcome direct influence from a club owner over their working day.

 

So I find myself in this horrible dilemma I do not support how the club is being run I do not support the appointment of Dean Holden. I do wish him well on a personal level of course, why not, however I do wish him to fail simply because the club is delaying yet again the implementation of a footballing strategy and culture that will change for once and for all in my lifetime Bristol city football club from a grossly underachieving club to one that can finally compete at the top level. That means the Premier League.

 

That so many fans have been upset by the recent behaviour of the club is no surprise although it might well be a surprise to the club as they have been so detached from the true feelings of fans for quite some time. It is very notable that so many fans are having to justify why we have to get behind Dean Holden and of course fans will always get behind the manager at least at the start. But it is simply ridiculous that the club has gone from a situation five weeks ago of firing a manager saying they were going to make changes to take them to the Premier League (this came from the owner of the club not fans it should be added) but yet a moment of potential excitement of cleansing the last two years of frustration and boring football and disillusionment into a moment where we could all get together and get behind the club and make a big difference but what do we have? We have a situation where people are having to justify why we made such a ridiculous decision and the fan base is completely upset frustrated and disbelieving at the total mismanagement at the football club. This is yet again a huge opportunity missed to take the club forward and it really was quite simple this time yet we've managed to make it far too complex and take away a massive opportunity to create some stimulus and inertia to take the club forward. It is no different to how we made such a colossal mess of a promotion from league to how the following season for various reasons we lost all of that momentum in the space of a few months. (There were a multiple of reasons of course but the result was we made a monumental error). It has even been left to the fans to try and pretend that this was due to the issues created by COVID-19 and the financial impact it will have on the football club. This this was denied by the club of course (although normally you have to doubt what they say) but in this case it had no bearing on the decision to employ Dean Holden. It was not a cheap option it was the option they really wanted. But isn't it crazy that fans on their own to try and make sense of the appointment are creating reasons for the clubs decision that are false. After the rather divisive years of Lee Johnson it really was a chance to get the fan base back online. But instead we have an even bigger problem because so many people no longer believe it what Mr Lansdown is doing.

 

I finish by saying that I find it very hard to support Bristol city football club anymore. I do not recognise the club I do not know what they're trying to achieve and I do not understand how so much money could be spent badly. We are no closer to having a true Premier youth academy as we are to having a genuine Premier football side as we were 20 years ago. It seems the club is a personal toy of Mr Lansdown as he refuses to employ competent people of the highest order ,which he can clearly afford,  but has decided not to do. Indeed maybe it is time to put the club up for sale, there are many good owners as bad owners and with a renovated ground the club may just attract someone who can deliver what Mr Lansdown is unable to do. He can keep the rugby and enjoy the success that is coming very soon, but with football there is a huge blind side that after decades he is unwilling to address. Only he can answer why and he can also put it right, but by employing people that can advise and help him. If not his legacy will be evaporating fast. The most unsuccessful billionaire in football. So I do not want to waste my energy and my time ,my life following something that has become an entity that I cannot relate to on so many levels and has lost the soul and connection it had for me. So I am walking away. I do not believe in or support the club anymore. No not to go to another club, I will pick and choose my football from non league to Prem but my Bristol babe has died, and until there is a notable change in approach it will remain that way.

 

I do not expect others to agree and I really don’t care, it is personal it is how I feel not about how you feel. I just needed to unload.

 

I wish you all a successful season.

 

Good bye BCFC

 

Thanks for taking the time to elaborate on your personal thoughts.

Unfortunately, your views will likely be lost on the majority of those who regularly post on this forum. I myself could clearly see the lack of desire from Mr Lansdown to reach the Premier League way back in January 2008 and nothing I have witnessed behind the scenes at the Club has gone anyway in proving my initial fears as being anything other than correct. 12 years on, the desire to reach the top division by the Owner is exactly the same. 

 

 

 

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Just now, TedsHeadIs Red said:

I have no problem with those who struggle up the steps of the Dolman due to infirmity. Quite the opposite. I bet they shout louder than me. It’s the jack it all in types because “fings ain’t what they used to be” that I was trying to persuade (with a bit of a humorous jibe) to stick with it. COYAR (come on you aged Reds). What else is there to spend your pension on?

I get that and the types who want to stop watching City because of a change of manager seems particularly daft because we never ever get to choose managers, players, directors or much else.  If we know we cant change it then jacking in one of the great loves in life seems to be a bit of an over reaction in my book. I feel that being a City fan is part of what I am and I could not change even if I ever wanted to - and what rational person would choose to change.  I really find it hard to understand this.  I supported City home and away throughout most of the time I lived in London for 39 years so being retired in rural Somerset is easy.  The Covid19 is an issue though and because of my situation I cannot risk exposure to infection until vaccinated. but I want every other bit of the fix I can get -even watching games online and taking part in this forum with so many negative posters. Nothing will blunt my enthusiasm!

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15 minutes ago, Furious Custard said:

Fair point. but what good has it done them ? im sure its a steady source of income. As i said we have looked to improve on all fronts, We have invested money into scouting and analytics and we can identify talented players at any stage in their career , granted its been patchy but long gone are the days of Styvar and Moateb. They have to rely on local players so will invest in youth teams and local scouting. It would be good to see local representation in our squad but like i said we have invested in all fronts and perhaps the academy route is not a viable option when you have the premier league teams pinching these young players off the smaller clubs, didn't Chelsea take Ethan Ampadu off Exeter a while ago ?

You are answering your own question. Exeter benefit from identifying and nurturing talent. Exeter lost Ampadu but also had Watkin. There is a cyclic benefit to the club there. This obviously is a good.

You are stating Bristol City are looking to improve on all fronts. I identified one where BCFC do not match Southampton or Exeter. Bristol City's academy has and does make millions for the FC. The academy is clearly viable. That viable as the opening poster notes could have been progressed. Bristol City could easily have been the South West regional centre for talent. 

 

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17 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

Well said SIr

The post you responded to and some of the other dismissive posts from some of the apparent Superfans on here are nauseous

The irony is that the OP has probably been to more City games than most of them , and through the darkest days, as many of us ' grumpy old ones ' have 

Well done Shelts! Us gnarly old City fans who have followed this club anywhere and everywhere for well over 40 years need to support the OP in this thread. @FallenRobin has undoubtedly invested more time, effort, energy, money, commitment and passion into following our club than any of those who decided to reply with childish memes, immature GIFs and sad comments - we’ve seen our club at the top of the top division and at the bottom of the bottom division - and to have our views on the current situation ridiculed and derided is just insulting. Top OP @FallenRobin - your views very much count ...

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25 minutes ago, Realist said:

Not really, we go to football to unwind not write essays on how sh*t were are. Maybe they should get a new hobby

Not meaning to be offensive but, did you really mean that people go to football to unwind? Like in relieve the tensions of a hard week, or relax with a pint and a chat in front of a nice fire, or read a novel? I would think that most people went for a bit of excitement and thrill seeking, in a lively atmosphere watching your team score goals and win games whilst enjoying it with your mates. 

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3 minutes ago, Rich said:

Not meaning to be offensive but, did you really mean that people go to football to unwind? Like in relieve the tensions of a hard week, or relax with a pint and a chat in front of a nice fire, or read a novel? I would think that most people went for a bit of excitement and thrill seeking, in a lively atmosphere watching your team score goals and win games whilst enjoying it with your mates. 

Yes, same thing. Not go home and write pages of how much I hate everything 

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39 minutes ago, Eastendboy1965 said:

I myself could clearly see the lack of desire from Mr Lansdown to reach the Premier League way back in January 2008 and nothing I have witnessed behind the scenes at the Club has gone anyway in proving my initial fears as being anything other than correct. 12 years on, the desire to reach the top division by the Owner is exactly the same. 

 

 

 

Nonsensical. This is an extraordinary conclusion to have reached in 2008 and at any time since... given that Steve L has probably invested over £100 million in the club and the stadium since then, and has absolutely no chance of recouping a penny of that investment unless the football club reaches the Premier League. I'm pretty sure Steve is desperate to reach the Premier League for that reason, and also because of his love and passion for the football club. 

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Correct on the history, a middle of the road club until Alan Dicks a35 yr old asst mgr took over saved us from relegation took us to the promised land.Saved by Coller and Sage and crowds of 4000. Club and Directors could not invest then the downward spiral.Cooper, Jordan started the comeback( still no investment). Until Lansdown. Not only funds but an attempt to put Bristol City on the map by a sustainable project. FFP means we can’t afford the top executives or players it’s a slow process with a stadium holding 27.000. So us old codgers carry on supporting, spending more than we should and waiting patiently to get back to see the team we love. We need City as much as City needs us.

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36 minutes ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Well done Shelts! Us gnarly old City fans who have followed this club anywhere and everywhere for well over 40 years need to support the OP in this thread. @FallenRobin has undoubtedly invested more time, effort, energy, money, commitment and passion into following our club than any of those who decided to reply with childish memes, immature GIFs and sad comments - we’ve seen our club at the top of the top division and at the bottom of the bottom division - and to have our views on the current situation ridiculed and derided is just insulting. Top OP @FallenRobin - your views very much count ...

Not so fast @BS4 on Tour.......from what I read the OP simply wanted to make an anti Lansdown, pro Cotterill, anti Johnson point.

Well I've been going for 40-odd years in all four divisions too, and I ain't having that. I'm supporting Deano and the boys. 

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9 minutes ago, City Rocker said:

Nonsensical. This is an extraordinary conclusion to have reached in 2008 and at any time since... given that Steve L has probably invested over £100 million in the club and the stadium since then, and has absolutely no chance of recouping a penny of that investment unless the football club reaches the Premier League. I'm pretty sure Steve is desperate to reach the Premier League for that reason, and also because of his love and passion for the football club. 

When you are an individual and you have well over a billion pounds, and you pay 20% tax on huge earnings, an investment of 100 million pounds into what you own outright is not as much or, as spectacular as you may first imagine. In contrast, If you are a City season ticket holder, earning an average salary and watching City both at home and away during a full season you are contributing relatively the same commitment into supporting a business that you do not own and have no say in.  

Lets see what happens over the next 12 years.

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2 minutes ago, Eastendboy1965 said:

When you are an individual and you have well over a billion pounds, and you pay 20% tax on huge earnings, an investment of 100 million pounds into what you own outright is not as much or, as spectacular as you may first imagine. In contrast, If you are a City season ticket holder, earning an average salary and watching City both at home and away during a full season you are contributing relatively the same commitment into supporting a business that you do not own and have no say in.  

Lets see what happens over the next 12 years.

Lansdowns is worth 1.9 billion, so 100 million quid is still a massive sum. Obviously fans give a lot more percentage wise, but that's the case at every football club in the country. 

Look at what's happened at Wigan, Bolton, Hull and Charlton, amongst others, where success has been chased, with catastrophic consequences. We should view ourselves very lucky that we have an owner who doesn't want to put the clubs long term future at risk just for a couple of years with the big boys

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3 minutes ago, RalphMilnesLeftFoot said:

People change

Their wants and needs change 

What they want and need from supporting their football club changes. 

I've read the full post and no not dismissing their views, merely pointing out that the post is one long emotional blackmail missive. 

The club, football, the world and the rest has also changed. 

Swinging the bat around purity and wants and nostalgia as per the op isnt going to work. 

There are other clubs and other things that may suit their support better given how they feel. 

That's not dismissive it's recognition that both parties no longer share commonality and have become toxic for each other

What the op does is down to them. 

However the diatribe came with b with emotive caveats that because bcfc werent the way the supporter wanted then they would withdraw support on the provisio that if we were exactly how they wanted they would remain. 

That's blackmail. 

Pretty straightforward 

No, blackmail is when you’re holding someone to ransom.  The powers that be at the Club won’t be quivering in their boots when he says he’s had enough and pleading with him to change his mind, are they?

He’s giving his reasons why he no longer wants to follow City, plain and simple and I have many of the same feelings as him tbh. Some of the comments aimed at him were bang out of order.

If some supporters have an unconditional love affair with this club then fair enough, but not all of us are as tolerant or forgiving when it appears the club are treating us as idiots.  

If trust goes and you fall out of love with the club, what other option is there than to walk away?  Or are you just expected to stay in a shit relationship?

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19 minutes ago, Eastendboy1965 said:

When you are an individual and you have well over a billion pounds, and you pay 20% tax on huge earnings, an investment of 100 million pounds into what you own outright is not as much or, as spectacular as you may first imagine. In contrast, If you are a City season ticket holder, earning an average salary and watching City both at home and away during a full season you are contributing relatively the same commitment into supporting a business that you do not own and have no say in.  

Lets see what happens over the next 12 years.

Right. I'm a season ticket holder and go to quite a few away games. Reckon I'm as keen as SL is to get to the PL. 

Steve will benefit from a return on his investment, while I'll just be going ******* apeshit. We'll both be loving it in our own ways, you can be sure ?

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7 hours ago, cidercity1987 said:

I think a few of you need to spend more time on Twitter and less on OTIB if you don't appreciate the quality and quantity of the OP.

Yea you can tell who has the attention span of a 9 year old. That was basically 1 page from a book. If the best you got is ":laugh: didn't read" try picking one up every now and then. This is a forum for debating about our club, why bother commenting in a thread you have no intention of understanding?? 

 

Fair play for putting in the effort OP, a lot of things I agree with but ultimately I can't stop supporting my club. We can all have our gripes about what is wrong but we as fan's are needed to keep bringing the next generation of fan's coming in and always remember that all the people you talked about in the Op will be long gone someday and we will still be here. Maybe times will be better or worse? who knows but it's all part of the journey!!

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