Is the sky the limit?

[where's the joy]

How far do we feel we might ever go if we have a real climb up the table? champions league?

After 53 years of following city through thin and thin (punctuated by fleeting dances with sexy football eg 2016)

I really don't know what more we can expect.

Went as a neutral with some pals to see Leeds at Tottenham and was blown away by the ground and atmosphere. The game wasn't great but the stand behind one of the goals made Borussia Dortmund's stands look small; like a colosseum with steeply raked seating. It is light years beyond the new Ashton Gate, (but they are deeply in debt).

Now I am a big SL fan, given the integrity he has shown and the statesman like qualities you want in an owner. Goodness knows he has tried to support us more than any other fan, albeit some of his selections of head coach/manager have been weird.

This city could support 40k crowds if the football was half decent. Will we ever get to the promised land, will we all be on Zimmer frames when we do?

[Super]

At the moment although we are a promotion away it seems a long way. If it doesn't happen in my lifetime then so be it i won't lose any sleep.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Super

[pillred]

1 minute ago, where's the joy said:

How far do we feel we might ever go if we have a real climb up the table? champions league?

After 53 years of following city through thin and thin (punctuated by fleeting dances with sexy football eg 2016)

I really don't know what more we can expect.

Went as a neutral with some pals to see Leeds at Tottenham and was blown away by the ground and atmosphere. The game wasn't great but the stand behind one of the goals made Borussia Dortmund's stands look small; like a colosseum with steeply raked seating. It is light years beyond the new Ashton Gate, (but they are deeply in debt).

Now I am a big SL fan, given the integrity he has shown and the statesman like qualities you want in an owner. Goodness knows he has tried to support us more than any other fan, albeit some of his selections of head coach/manager have been weird.

This city could support 40k crowds if the football was half decent. Will we ever get to the promised land, will we all be on Zimmer frames when we do?

I have said it on another thread the last time city were in the top flight after the game I would normally stay out carry on drinking and usually end up in a nightclub till 2 in the morning, now I have 2 pints after the game a takeaway and in bed by 11 the reason the last time we were in the top flight I was 24 early next year I collect my state pension so be under no illusion barring a miracle most people over 40 have little chance of seeing us in the prem, sorry to be so negative but that's what supporting city for 50 years does for you.

[glynriley]

8 minutes ago, where's the joy said:

How far do we feel we might ever go if we have a real climb up the table? champions league?

After 53 years of following city through thin and thin (punctuated by fleeting dances with sexy football eg 2016)

I really don't know what more we can expect.

Went as a neutral with some pals to see Leeds at Tottenham and was blown away by the ground and atmosphere. The game wasn't great but the stand behind one of the goals made Borussia Dortmund's stands look small; like a colosseum with steeply raked seating. It is light years beyond the new Ashton Gate, (but they are deeply in debt).

Now I am a big SL fan, given the integrity he has shown and the statesman like qualities you want in an owner. Goodness knows he has tried to support us more than any other fan, albeit some of his selections of head coach/manager have been weird.

This city could support 40k crowds if the football was half decent. Will we ever get to the promised land, will we all be on Zimmer frames when we do?

Short to medium term..? IMO no. We've had 2 opportunities under SL's tenure and failed to grasp the nettle on both occasions. GJ's play off season was obviously the bigger chance than LJ's 'cup run season' . But we failed to back the manager sufficiently both times in January. I don't really see that changing.

Unless NP can pull a rabbit out the hat and do some wheeling and dealing in the freebie/cheap option market I think we'll probably end up going down before we go up

[Waconda]

Southampton level for me.

Established mid/lower Prem team and odd decent Cup run.

Worst of all worlds would be "doing a Derby" going up for a season, getting hammered every week, relegated, struggle, parachute payments run out, continue to chase the dream and .............. well you know the rest.

[beaverface]

1 hour ago, where's the joy said:

How far do we feel we might ever go if we have a real climb up the table? champions league?

After 53 years of following city through thin and thin (punctuated by fleeting dances with sexy football eg 2016)

I really don't know what more we can expect.

Went as a neutral with some pals to see Leeds at Tottenham and was blown away by the ground and atmosphere. The game wasn't great but the stand behind one of the goals made Borussia Dortmund's stands look small; like a colosseum with steeply raked seating. It is light years beyond the new Ashton Gate, (but they are deeply in debt).

Now I am a big SL fan, given the integrity he has shown and the statesman like qualities you want in an owner. Goodness knows he has tried to support us more than any other fan, albeit some of his selections of head coach/manager have been weird.

This city could support 40k crowds if the football was half decent. Will we ever get to the promised land, will we all be on Zimmer frames when we do?

There's no way we can compete with the new White Hart Lanes of this World, but given a decent vision, we should be able to create our own massive single tiered stand behind the Atyeo if the club aimed high. 

The last thing I personally want to see is a replica of the South Stand at the Atyeo end. That's too much uniform/mechano set style of architecture. We should aim BIG and make it an end to be feared.

[Kingswood Robin]

15 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

Southampton level for me.

Established mid/lower Prem team and odd decent Cup run.

Worst of all worlds would be "doing a Derby" going up for a season, getting hammered every week, relegated, struggle, parachute payments run out, continue to chase the dream and .............. well you know the rest.

They get relegated to the third tier, get promoted again, give us a wave as the go sailing past us on their way back to the PL !

Agree on a Southampton level, or what Coventry maintained for many years.

[Waconda]

5 minutes ago, Kingswood Robin said:

They get relegated to the third tier, get promoted again, give us a wave as the go sailing past us on their way back to the PL !

Agree on a Southampton level, or what Coventry maintained for many years.

They get relegated to the third tier, get promoted again, give us a wave as the go sailing past us on their way back to the PL !

And they are about to be liquidated, hope they savoured that "wave".

[Kingswood Robin]

11 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

They get relegated to the third tier, get promoted again, give us a wave as the go sailing past us on their way back to the PL !

And they are about to be liquidated, hope they savoured that "wave".

Time will tell which one of us is right, but I'm pretty sure it's me !

[tin]

I think we’ve hit our ceiling under SL’s leadership. Beyond that, who knows?

I’ve always believed a city the size of Bristol should be able to sustain a mid-sized PL club. A new owner could be the only way I get to see that in my lifetime. 

[Waconda]

6 minutes ago, Kingswood Robin said:

Time will tell which one of us is right, but I'm pretty sure it's me !

[Ska Junkie]

49 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

Southampton level for me.

Established mid/lower Prem team and odd decent Cup run.

I think this is a realistic aspiration. No reason why we can't do this over time. 

As another one old enough to remember us being at the top table, I would like us to get there again for those younger that weren't around back then. If it happens while I'm still here, even better! 

 

[cidered abroad]

2 hours ago, where's the joy said:

How far do we feel we might ever go if we have a real climb up the table? champions league?

After 53 years of following city through thin and thin (punctuated by fleeting dances with sexy football eg 2016)

I really don't know what more we can expect.

Went as a neutral with some pals to see Leeds at Tottenham and was blown away by the ground and atmosphere. The game wasn't great but the stand behind one of the goals made Borussia Dortmund's stands look small; like a colosseum with steeply raked seating. It is light years beyond the new Ashton Gate, (but they are deeply in debt).

Now I am a big SL fan, given the integrity he has shown and the statesman like qualities you want in an owner. Goodness knows he has tried to support us more than any other fan, albeit some of his selections of head coach/manager have been weird.

This city could support 40k crowds if the football was half decent. Will we ever get to the promised land, will we all be on Zimmer frames when we do?

More likely to be in our coffins or ashes container!

Edited December 7, 2021 by cidered abroad

[Show Me The Money!]

Although we’d all love to think otherwise Bristol and the surrounding area doesn’t have the football passion that the north west, north east and parts of London has.

If we got to the prem we’d likely struggle like most Midlands and east Anglian teams do and just yo-yo at best.

Saying that we could always get lucky and be more like a Leicester.

Not that we are remotely looking like getting promoted any time soon.

For City to be able to have a better chance of ever surviving in the prem we’d need to be getting 40k+ crowds. I maybe in the minority but if Ashton Vale had gone ahead we would be in a better position to be able to expand to meet such capacities. Going to struggle to be able to do that at AG

[REDOXO]

2 hours ago, VT05763 said:

They get relegated to the third tier, get promoted again, give us a wave as the go sailing past us on their way back to the PL !

And they are about to be liquidated, hope they savoured that "wave".

Yes despite the noise coming from the administrators they still have no favored bid. The January window is looming so unless there are secured funds to get them through to EO January they will be blooding their kids.

Has/would  never happened to us. :laugh:!

HOWEVER ON TOPIC. I was 18 when we got relegated an am 60 now so I have a lifetime of failure with the odd moment. 
 

The underlying premise of the current administration was effectively buy low, sell high and develop the youth. Unfortunately Covid has made assets largely valueless supply and demand at work. But, we have seen several prospects coming through from the academy and this will actually give us an advantage moving forward, when you consider we have Scott, Benny, Bell, Conway, etc etc etc. Semenyo is now back playing and if you throw in James and Williams we are actually in a better position than most to make a tilt at promotion in the short medium and long term. 
 

Derby would kill to be in our position, that is for sure!

[NcnsBcfc]

I don't think anyone else in football can quite believe we haven't been in the top flight for over 40 years now.

A billionaire owner, with facilities that are comparable to a mid table PL team.

Quite how we've never gotten ourselves over the line is a mystery in a way. I think in football, we are quite rightly seen as complete underachievers; and that as a club we are never going to be one of those club that is going to compete.

Look at some of the other teams Oldham, Bradford, Barnsley, Portsmouth, Bolton, Hull, Huddersfield, Blackpool, Birmingham, QPR, Stoke, Swansea, Reading (Christ I'm going to stop now, this is getting too depressing), and so many others; all made it for one season at least to the PL.

Something has to change. Maybe as NP has identified, it's the culture, and attitude of the club. He's certainly the first manager in a while that has spoken about the failings of the club in these areas

When you look at the budget of the club, and the wonderful area in which the majority of us live in; it's always struck me that we've never been seen as a destination of choice for either up and coming players, or seasoned pros.

That however is going to take time, and building a team that players will want to come and play in. One that makes the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, and then shows that they are on the way up. Whether NP will be given time to build from the ground up is a moot point. The current mind set of a large group of fans changes their collective minds, on a game by game basis as to his suitability as a manager.

I still harbour hope that we will get there in the end. It's a lot easier to get there playing in the Championship that's for sure. In the meantime, this season is a long hard slog of 1 goal wins, and other abject performances; that will come from a non cohesive squad.

Let's see what the January window brings. The board seem to be making some noises over some form of backing; and at least our home form has picked up somewhat.

As NP quite rightly says "We know where we are as a club", ie nowhere near where we should be, but at least there seems to be some sort of medium to longer term plan. Rather than the short term MA transfer bingo approach.  

[frenchred]

5 hours ago, where's the joy said:

How far do we feel we might ever go if we have a real climb up the table? champions league?

After 53 years of following city through thin and thin (punctuated by fleeting dances with sexy football eg 2016)

I really don't know what more we can expect.

Went as a neutral with some pals to see Leeds at Tottenham and was blown away by the ground and atmosphere. The game wasn't great but the stand behind one of the goals made Borussia Dortmund's stands look small; like a colosseum with steeply raked seating. It is light years beyond the new Ashton Gate, (but they are deeply in debt).

Now I am a big SL fan, given the integrity he has shown and the statesman like qualities you want in an owner. Goodness knows he has tried to support us more than any other fan, albeit some of his selections of head coach/manager have been weird.

This city could support 40k crowds if the football was half decent. Will we ever get to the promised land, will we all be on Zimmer frames when we do?

Got no chance how the club is run currently

Edited December 7, 2021 by frenchred

[Garland-sweden]

At the moment the way to PL seems long. On the other hand We have many Young players who can be really good players. Think we have a manager who knows what he doing. 2-3 top players in to our team would be great to next season, money? Midtable this season, top six next.  When thinking of that it can be done. To get there we have to have very good players, thats the tricky one. Hope it can happens in my lifetime, 64 now.

[sh1t_ref_again]

Lets hope the football governance review of PP means that we actually start the season on a level footing rather than effectively completing for 1 promotion place 

[Ska Junkie]

1 hour ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

Lets hope the football governance review of PP means that we actually start the season on a level footing rather than effectively completing for 1 promotion place 

Knowing our luck, we would come down just as it stops! 

[Rocking Red Cyril]

6 hours ago, beaverface said:

There's no way we can compete with the new White Hart Lanes of this World, but given a decent vision, we should be able to create our own massive single tiered stand behind the Atyeo if the club aimed high. 

The last thing I personally want to see is a replica of the South Stand at the Atyeo end. That's too much uniform/mechano set style of architecture. We should aim BIG and make it an end to be feared.

And stuff the away fans top tier of wiliams 

[Wiltshire robin]

I hope I eat my words but it won’t happen under the lansdowns . Been here long enough and still not given it ago other than a play off season after promotion momentum.

If Southampton can sustain prem football there should be no reason why a city like Bristol can’t . Swansea also gave it ago for a few years and ended up playing European football , that is the contrast between us and how other clubs are ran . There owners don’t give it the big talk they just go out and get it done .

[Rocking Red Cyril]

I am.now 59 been going to the gate since I was 12. Was great to watch  those three seasons in the top of flight. Do I expect to see us reach the premier? I hope so but am really not sure. Hey what will happen will happen. Just enjoy the journey

[pillred]

8 hours ago, tin said:

I think we’ve hit our ceiling under SL’s leadership. Beyond that, who knows?

I’ve always believed a city the size of Bristol should be able to sustain a mid-sized PL club. A new owner could be the only way I get to see that in my lifetime. 

Just as sometime a manager has a finite time at a club (Arsene Wenger) I think maybe the same could be said of an owner, maybe it's time for a new man to take over obviously that comes with a risk but as things stand and having waited over 40 years to see us back in the top flight a risk that I would accept the club taking. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by pillred
punctuation

[pillred]

4 hours ago, Rocking Red Cyril said:

I am.now 59 been going to the gate since I was 12. Was great to watch  those three seasons in the top of flight. Do I expect to see us reach the premier? I hope so but am really not sure. Hey what will happen will happen. Just enjoy the journey

Was it not 4 seasons in the top flight?

[tin]

9 hours ago, pillred said:

Just as sometime a manager has a finite time at a club (Arsene Wenger) I think maybe the same could be said of an owner, maybe it's time for a new man to take over obviously that comes with a risk but as things stand and having waited over 40 years to see us back in the top flight a risk that I would accept the club taking. 

January 2022 will mark 30 years of supporting City for me. SL has been at the helm for 20 of those years. Where we are in the football pyramid (lower second division) is exactly where we were when I started watching. Something has to change if I'm ever to see us in the PL. That's more likely to be in the form of a new owner, rather than SL having some sort of epiphany and getting proper football people in the boardroom. Fortune favours the brave. 

[Bristol Oil Services]

Steve Lansdown's the limit, as things stand.

When he's gone, our limits might be in want of adjustment, both upwards and down. Or we might just plod on as we are.

Appy Dozzzzzzzze.......

[steviestevieneville]

Will never happen under the lansdowns 

[Supersonic Robin]

As others have said, I think our highest level (realistically) is probably a mid table Prem side who can give the FA Cup and League Cup a decent go every year.

I actually think it's a fairly reasonable ambition for a club of our size/potential - there are smaller clubs who have done the same or even more. Feels like a long way away right now though

[Son of Fred]

16 hours ago, NcnsBcfc said:

It's a lot easier to get there playing in the Championship that's for sure.

100%..

Some feel we would have a stronger base/opportunity by going down & rebuilding from there....

I don't see that at all...IMO relegation would be disastrous.