CliftonCliff

5 hours ago, Davefevs said:

It was.

Mardon was the one who scored at the right end.

That would explain my confusion.

13 hours ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

Scored the OG in the first leg up there.

Was that not Mardon?

30 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Tbf I think missing 5 home games in a row would be around 2 months of not attending home games. 

So what? The underlying issue is frankly outrageous. You are obliged to pay some four or five months before the season has even started in order to secure the seat that you wish to reserve for your use (alongside mates, whatever), at which point you cannot possibly know for sure what changes in your circumstances might occur over the next year that could affect your ability to attend. A club then tries to impose a rule that says something like “fail to attend for x amount of games and you will be deprived of the right to the seat, your payment for which we’ve had sitting in our bank account for months “. Screw that. It’s your bloody seat, the club’s been paid for it, they don’t then get to tell you when you can and can’t make use of it. Who in their right mind would purchase a ST subject to those conditions? The only sane response to such a proposition is **** Off!

23 minutes ago, RED4LIFE said:

Surely not? You'll be telling me Elton John has split up with his wife, Renate next

I did look for another thread on this but couldn't see one.

Mods, please feel free to merge/delete.

I posted a new thread on this topic over a week ago, on May 22nd, when BBC Sport first ran the story that he had been selected. One person replied and then it would appear the thread was locked. I have absolutely no idea why, but as you will have gathered from the facetious replies it is, I'm afraid, old news.

26 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Alternately, and more sensibly: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” - George Santayana.

One of the great quotes, that. Profoundly true. He could be a City supporter.

Jantzen Derrick

One for the oldies amongst us. Could be frustrating and inconsistent, but very, very skilful and watching his football intelligence allied to that of John Atyeo was something I have never forgotten. Went from City to Paris St. German in an era when it was rare for English footballers to play in Europe.

Totally agree with honourable mentions to a number of others, including Reid, Bryan and just possibly Doherty, but I honestly believe Jantzen was the more gifted. I once spent part of an evening in a pub talking to Geoff Merrick, when he and JD were both were still in their playing careers, and he could not speak highly enough of him. My personal boyhood hero.

Not sure if this is already old news, but BBC Sport now running a story to the effect that McKenna has as good as said he's out of there. Chelsea, Brighton and - inevitably - Man U are apparently among the likely/possible destinations, though the latter seems to be speculative, whereas the former two are believed to be showing genuine interest.

Not that this makes any great difference to the tone of the debate here. Manning to Ipswich still about as probable as me making the England squad, but it does seem increasingly likely there will be a managerial vacancy in Suffolk...

Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but I haven't seen it elsewhere on the forum. RM has been named in the Scotland squad for Euro 24. I think this is provisional and I believe it remains to be seen whether he makes the final cut, but always good to see a current BCFC player get international recognition.

…. and they’ve now amended it.

1 minute ago, Midred said:

BBC has Sykes as CB?

They invariably get it wrong.

1 minute ago, Dan Robin said:

What an impact by Sykes!

Which should surprise nobody. He’s been doing that ever since he got here.

Don’t want to sound churlish and it was a cracking finish, but thank Christ he finally got something right.

Bloody hell. What did I say earlier about my over 70s walking football defending? I take it back. This is worse.

4 minutes ago, Red Army 75 said:

Really bad Cliff. But looking at the 2 sides we have put out in the friendlies I’m not surprised. I’m not enjoying watching city at the moment. But these friendlies are awful 

They’re looking like a bloody pub team at certain moments. I’ll cut them a bit of slack for the number of injuries and withdrawals, but there’s no excuse for some of what we’ve seen in the opening 20 minutes. Worryingly poor.

Just now, Red Army 75 said:

Pathetic from England. 

The defending reminded me of my over-70s walking football team. Gobsmackingly bad.

13 hours ago, Nugget said:

I just don’t get why SL doesn’t think, “I’m not getting any younger, you can’t take this (money) with you” & just go for it or let someone have a go that can rather than keep making mistakes over and over. Create a legacy, stop taking the cheap options that stroke the ego, get some decent folks in & let them cook.

I understand that sentiment, but as I commented on another thread recently, SL is at heart a money man, not a football man. It would be like asking him to change his DNA. When he reaches the end of his days, the criterion by which he judges his own success will be how much he’s worth, not where BCFC stand in the league pyramid. His early professional training was in accountancy and he’s still a bean counter when it comes right down to it. Bankers exhibit the same mentality. It’s how they keep score and demonstrate who’s got the biggest dick, and explains why they continue to accumulate wealth when they’ve already got far more than they can possibly use. It will go against every bone in his body to accept a huge financial loss. I find it contemptible and it’s certainly dysfunctional, but it’s the way some people are, and I’m afraid SL is one of them.

14 hours ago, Dr Balls said:

Bit that’s what you get for dispensing  with an experienced manager and replacing him with an inexperienced coach. And the same could be said about sacking an experienced CEO and not replacing him at all, but instead relying on the son of the owner (one of only 2 board members and the other is the company accountant) and the development (academy) manager to cover that role. Nobody in their right mind would run a business big or small like that, so why has Lansdown Snr let it happen? 

You’re absolutely right and you’ve summarised it very well, as have many others, repeatedly. I’ve written practically identical posts myself. I’ve pretty much stopped now, because it’s become an absolutely futile exercise. We’re preaching to the converted: nobody else is listening. The only people who can do anything about it certainly aren’t.
 

I think a kind of paralysis has set in at the top:the classic rabbit in the headlights response, if you like. They’ve frozen and don’t know what to do. At some level they must know they’ve screwed up spectacularly, but are either in denial or cannot bring themselves to admit, perhaps not even to themselves, and certainly not publicly, that they’ve got it horribly, horribly wrong - again. And again, and again. SL, with his Bristol Sport vanity project and his blind insistence on handing huge responsibility to his sadly very limited son, who lacks the qualifications and experience required, has painted himself into a corner he can’t get out of. It’s like watching the proverbial car crash in slow motion.

I am becoming resigned to the possibility that it will only get turned around, if at all, by us all having to watch, helplessly, as the disaster unfolds, until the current ownership finally departs in disgrace, reputation in tatters, and a huge, bottom up rebuild commences. I hope I’m wrong, because if I’m not, I will, frankly, almost certainly be dead by the time it plays out and the story comes full circle.

Negative, defeatist, call it what you like, but those are not characteristics that I would normally associate with myself and over sixty years of support should be enough to demonstrate that I’m no quitter, but I cannot see how the present incumbents are going to reverse the trend, and neither can I see them letting go of control. I do, quite literally, despair.

9 hours ago, Frenchay Red said:

Why not join Senior Reds Cliff. Make new friends with a shared love of the club. Some who go home and away to every game. Some who go to every home game, some go occasionally and some who no longer go. It's a good mix. Ex players such as Geoff M and Paul C and Tom R are regulars and if you talked to the right person you would know exactly why Nige was sacked.

Thanks for that, mate. I’ll certainly bear it in mind. I do already lead a fairly busy social life and, in addition to the guys with whom I attend games, I regularly rub shoulders with quite a few fellow supporters of a similar age through my walking football activities. I was aware of the Senior Reds but have never really thought about joining. I wouldn’t rule it out, though, especially with that little tempter you threw in at the end there! (Wouldn’t we all like to know what went on there?)

13 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

This Cliff, this.

When my dad was given the news that his cancer was terminal it was in the Covid period. I remember him crying, and one of the things him saying was that he’d never get to Ashton Gate again. And he didn’t - he was gone before the grounds reopened. His name and memory for me is all over the ground though and I feel closer to him there than anywhere else.

It’s what you love. And it’ll be what you love irrespective of what’s served up because it’s a huge part of your life. I’d renew if I were you, come what may.

Reading that was genuinely really affecting. It also goes to the heart of the issue, in every sense. Weighing up financial arguments against emotional factors that are impossible to quantify is, well…. Impossible. I’m truly sorry about your Dad. 

1 hour ago, Superjack said:

I understand your sentiment, but this is where the solution lies.

I know, I know. Lansdown, when it comes right down to it (dare I say, in his DNA), is a money man, not a football man. It’s the only language he really understands and responds to, in the end.
 

But I AM a football man. I’m also getting into my late seventies and can’t know ho many more seasons I will see. So am I to walk away, in order to force SL’s hand in some way? And how, exactly? How many other supporters will be willing to do likewise? How many would it take to have an impact on the owner’s behaviour? Do we actually believe that a drastic fall in the number of people attending will actually bring about change, given that they appear to be incapable of making a sound decision? It’s not as simplistic as your comment implies, though I’m with you in spirit.

On 10/03/2024 at 17:26, Silvio Dante said:

Not at all. My club before his, my club after he’s gone. It’ll be like Japanese Water Torture to sit through his “football” but I’ll renew mine and the kids.

Doesnt mean I like the regime. And my micro protest will be to leave it until the last minute. But by god, it’ll be a slog.

Not a million miles from my own perspective. I’ll probably renew, with a heavy heart and absolutely no optimism or enthusiasm whatsoever, but a good deal of anger simmering below the surface that’s been there for a considerable period now and is unlikely to subside anytime soon.
 

Perverse, almost, you could say, I suppose. Why do it, if that’s how I feel? But a history of over 60 years of supporting the club, as did my father from boyhood, is not that easy to walk away from. And yes, my attachment to the surviving members of my friendship group with whom I’ve been attending games for several decades. Those things are important and outweigh, just, my deep and ever growing dislike of the people running - or should that be ruining - the club.
 

I know from talking to those mates and others that I am far from being alone in feeling this way. Not that the ownership gives a rat’s arse, as long as money comes in. I’ve never known such a broad consensus among the fan base or so much antipathy towards the club hierarchy. It speaks volumes about them that they appear to be either unaware of the depth of that dislike or else are indifferent to it. It cannot bode well for the future of the club.

11 hours ago, The Bard said:

Sheff U were shite last season I thought. Didn't understand how they got up. Obviously repeated the trick of winning 1 0 despite being terrible a few times.

Burnley were great at dominating at our level but they aren’t managing that in the Prem.

At some point during last season, I remember posting a comment, in passing and without giving it a great deal of thought, to the effect that I thought Sheffield United were a mediocre side, even at Championship level, were getting away with murder at times, thanks to the kind of refereeing that used to drive NP up the wall, barely deserved to be where they were in the league and would, if promoted, get absolutely mullered in the PL. 

Somewhat to my surprise, some bloke jumped down my throat and gave me a right rollicking about it. I was rather taken aback and slightly peed off, as I didn’t think I’d said anything particularly contentious. I don’t know what rattled his cage and I can’t remember who it was, but whoever he is, I hope he’s reading this thread. Have a nice day, mate.

6 hours ago, Davefevs said:

Great post Cliff.

I’m not a million miles from you, even if I perhaps am more opinionated in my posts.

Thanks, Dave, appreciate it, coming from someone who talks more sense than most. (And without wanting to turn this into some sort of mutually congratulatory love-in, you do yourself an injustice. Having firm and clearly expressed, respectful opinions does not equate to being opinionated. We have plenty of posters who fit that description. You’re not one of them.)

46 minutes ago, Bazooka Joe said:

It looks very much like . . . . .

 

Manning has lost the dressing room.

The Club has lost it's fan base.

The team have lost their last three games.

Most fans have lost all hope.

Those who backed the dismissal of Pearson/appointment of Manning, are lost for words

Tinnion and the Lansdowns have lost their marbles.

Downsey has lost his voice (if only)

 

Have I missed anything?

 

 

 

 

No, that about covers it.