havanatopia

Question is... will he help fire them to promotion next term? Easter also linked; who would you rather have?

You should be the replacement for Amarillo. Nice one!

I think you make some very valid points Chivs. I started this thread to open a debate and this is exactly where I, like Sir Colby, think we WILL finish in the top half. Why?... as you say.. 1. Team Spirit 2. GJ's management skills 3. We are still on a high from last season which DOES count for quite a lot IMO 4. And we do have some good players. The sooner we play one of the parachute payment teams the better in order to judge ourselves. However GJ, I am sure, will be re-doubling his efforts to sign a striker and in light of Brooker's new injury worry.

Just looking at the mouth watering new signings at the Valley compared to The Gate and it illustrates the huge gulf between top of the Championship [expected] and somewhere below half way [? educated guess on these differences] In Svetoslav Todorov Portsmouth Nicky Weaver Manchester City Jose Vitor Semedo Sporting Lisbon Yassin Moutaouakil Chateauroux Patrick McCarthy Leicester City Chris Iwelumo Colchester United Luke Varney Crewe Alexandra For sure we cannot expect to compete with such a list BUT...should even the likes of me, ever Mr. Patient, be starting to worry just a little that we may only, at best, actually need to be satisfied with simply 'making up the numbers' ?? To all intense and purposes we will be playing a Premiership team when the Charlton fixtures come around so I suspect, as of today's date, we really do now need to keep our expectations firmly on the ground.. comments welcome.

Precisely.

Midland Red... you have missed the essential point of my thread because I acknowledge the prices [may] have had to go up. If you read it again over a nice cup of ground coffee you might see it differently and correctly.

UNBELIEVABLE. The problem, clearly, is the Premiership cash. Having said that on scant evidence of our new league we are still one of the highest. City must hear what the fans are saying even if they do nothing they must hear our voice. Would like to compare more with the Championship and League 1 & 2 - where we are all in roughly the same boat.

I have been looking at Colin Sextone's reply to the complaints of the big season ticket hike. While I believe the man is stuck between a rock and a hard place; i.e. revenue needs to catch up with higher wages etc, his explanation of exactly why he has put them up so much and how they lack any real incentives or loyalty discounts is staggering in it's utter lack of empathy. As I understand it a season ticket for an adult in the Williams is above £400.00. I believe Oldham, who missed out on promotion, is actually pretty similar...so, OK so far, perhaps. But why is it that a Sunderland season ticket can be had for a paltry £144. A Premiership team. I believe that is an adult ST. Now, even if it wasn't I believe it is still lower than our Under 16 price. There are any number of comparisons... S****horpe is a good one...£289...QPR....£350. Wigan, one league above us is, apparently cheaper even than Oldham. What is going on??? Well, it seems quite simple... top flight football can effectively hold prices down and even reduce them due to the 'lottery' win of Setanta sport and Sky pouring tens of millions in per team even if they finish 20th. We all know, pretty much, about all of this. I only see the gulf widening and many clubs who do not have such affluent revenue generators will see fit, forced, however you wish to word it, increase ticket prices and, more to the point, punitively. All of which, perhaps, is of little or no fault to Bristol City. BUT...Mr. Sexstone, the fans deserve a somewhat more respectful explanation and, for example, why discounts and/or incentives were not put in place over and above City Foundation members. Lets not forget that many season ticket holders are not City Foundation members but have been buying ST's year in and year out for a very long time. Why, for example, could you not offer a reasonable discount to a second person accompanying a season ticket holder who has held that ticket for at least one season; loyalty. Or, offer a non-season ticket holder a discount for every 4th match; loyalty. Or, give a 10% discount for any fan buying a home ticket who produces an away ticket; loyalty. We have given loyalty in bucket loads this season, home and away... how about some in return..instead a slap in the face is what we are offered and then a somewhat patronising explanation. By all means follow the mantra of our Chairman and keep a keen eye on revenue and expenditure but while you are about it have a thought, once in a while, for the very people who perhaps keep you where you are. Empathy is everything in this business and, right now, many fans feel they are not on the receiving end of much of it. We all of us want success; we have tasted it this season. Don't drive loyal support away for the sake of the incessant drive for corporates because when finally the bad times return which is as sure as night following day, the corporates will be the first to desert and where will you be then?

far too many tompo, Royal Disgrace Mail!!... thanks again and great to meet you and the other lads.. J is safely back in Anguilla now..a 4 day round trip!! just emailed me to thank me for twisting his arm to come and you as it happens. i am sure we will catch up with a match next season.. The Valley looks tempting?

Guernsey Boy.... wazzz goinnnnnnnnnnnnnnn onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn... met u outside the burger joint with the anguilla flag.... colonialssss!!! watch those weston wenches... c u next season in the championship. cheers.

Well, so far Megan's Dad seems to have the longest journey from Singapore via New York which is an odd route, My bro seems to be second, Anguilla and also via New York into Brizzle tomorrow morning. Anybody from Easter Island? I think that would about top it. Look out for the Anguilla Flag in the Williams Stand on Saturday... Union Flag in top left with the rest all navy blue and a crest with golden fishes.... http://www.flags.net/images/largeflags/ANGU0001.GIF

Grew up in Congresbury and Clevedon but summer lying on pebbles not really my thing unless u want pot marks on your back so upped and went to Dorset where they have sand.. warmer and kind on the skin but still not warm enough so upped and went to Cuba for the sun and... well u know all the rest of the stuff the place offers.. 8 years away and came back, largely, couple of years ago as I was missing quality third tier football. Missing the sun though and my protege Cuban City supporters who need some new City shirts who will be cheering on the team from afar. A salsa band or cuban cheer leader girls at the pre-match for next season would be great heh? :mafia:

A Wurzel Gummidge Greatest Hits Album.. we know u luv em really! you blew me away with your criticism I got confused... make that a.. Wurzels greatest hits album!!

very droll bristol boy. i like it!! talking of Membury.... friday evening anybody heading west??

a couple more days on this thread and we'll have someone coming from Micronesia.

cripes, two would do me for a whole day!! u need to put a space between thank and you.

Anybody know if the Wurzels have been contracted for pre match entertainment? that would be something.

I got a Millwall v City programme from 28.04.07... u can have that.

2 Mars Bars?

A Mars Bar?

Hope our promotion gets you up and about and on to a fast recovery Bransonmo. Anybody coming in from New Zealand?...or one of the South Pacific Islands? I hear the region is absolutely awash with Bristolians.

Megan's Dad; you seem to be on course for being crowned! My bro is coming via new York as it happens.. then cab over to Newark for flight to Brizzle. I think he flies in day before! Afghanistan man; ditto the respect comment. And same to all others around the world who can or cannot make it but will be flying the flag. There are a lot of us around. p.s. delighted with the Liverpool win tonight. I went severely off Chelski when Robben dived in the box as he usually does... I had the broadest of grins when he missed his penalty! priceless.

My bro is flying in from Anguilla to see the City promoted. Now, he comes home about once a year but this is not a scheduled visit so that, in my book, is pretty dedicated stuff. The distance into Bristol Airport, if he could fly like a crow, would be 3,974.89 miles one way. However, he has to go via Newark which is a lot more obviously. But, for the sake of this little bit of fun we shall leave it as the direct crow flies distance. Is there any expat out there that can top that? If so, he/she deserves a medal. Come on u redddssssssssssssssss. there is no cup for coming....

WARNING - A TOTAL DIGRESSION - but it is the close season. british made, or british owned? if the latter there is not a lot left but here are a few... BRISTOL [YEAH] MORGAN CATERHAM NOBLE ULTIMA CONNAUGHT PRODRIVE - they actually build all the rally cars for Subaru as well. there are a few more companies as well tucked away producing seriously fast and fabulously put together machines. We have, for some time, been number one in the world for ultra specialist car manufacturing... MOST FORMULA ONE TEAMS - are based in oxfordshire, northants area whether british or not. TRIUMPH MOTORBIKES - just overtaken BMW as number one best selling import in the USA BRITISH NAMES AND BUILT - FOREIGN OWNED:- TVR - russian kid MINI - bmw LANDROVER - ford JAGUAR - ford ASTON MARTIN - ford BENTLEY - vw ROLLS ROYCE - bmw VAUXHALL ASTRA - gm [since the 1930's?] No Fords are built in the UK anymore. Only engines in south wales. FOREIGN OWNED BUILT IN BRITAIN HONDA CIVIC [not hybrid] HONDA ACCORD NISSAN MICRA AND PRIMERA TOYOTA AVENSIS AND LITTLE CAR PEUGEOT 206 - NOT FOR MUCH LONGER fascinatingly boring! we may yet see production re-start for MG at Longbridge - its 50:50. There is also a deal on the table for the Smart Roadster to re-appear, british owned, re-built in Coventry and licenced as the MG Midget with a different body. And also rumours the Healey will re-appear now the name is being purchased by a UK/US consortium. something to cheer about despite all the tabloid bollox. cars, as we know them today, are not the future anyway. I too drive a new british made car and it is a fabulously put together piece of machinery.