Merrick's Marvels

Yep £3.20 for a pint of Gold and water and a treat for the dog. Job's a good un.

Top tip: try reading the whole thread before posting, otherwise you run the risk of disagreeing with points that no-one's actually made.

Proper job racing today, enjoyed that. Youngest rider to ever win an Alpe d'Huez stage, too!

The discussion over an increased capacity is predicated and there being a need, i.e. we're in the Prem and there's a need for extra capacity. So, yes, all very hypothetical but it's not an obsession with increasing for increasing's sake. (And it beats checking the transfer forum every 5 minutes for tenuous links to players we've never heard of and will never sign.) As for the teams you list - they're all yo-yos (if only, of course!). The discussion we're having, as stated, is predicated on City enjoying a sustained spell in the Premier League, at which point, it's generally agreed, 25,000 seats for home fans would not satisfy demand - we're not the other bloody lot, revelling in how many fans they've got outside grounds - why wouldn't we want as many City fans as possible attending games if we became an established top flight team? Pigs might fly but worth debating during the slow summer months

Personally, I'd have thought the complexity of dis-entangling Bristol City FC from Bristol Sport would be far more off-putting

Come on, you can't say that and then just walk off! There has to be some Yank with more money than sense who's interested in owning a soccerball franchise in the wild west country.

There's plenty of ways to increase capacity. Might cost a few bob but can't imagine it would deter investors, especially not as all this is predicated on us being in the Prem. As if! But I didn't say that, so we're talking at cross purposes.

Agreed and interesting that you know plans exist - are you Richard Gould, "Sandhurst"? 100%. With bells on. This is it. The argument that you don't actually need the income because you get so much TV money anyway kind of misses the point. Bournemouth can come up with as many excuses as they like about why they're not increasing their capacity - we all know the real reason though - no-one's interested in them; there aren't 30,000 Bournemouth fans gagging to get in every weekend - if you live on the south coast you support Plymouth, Saints, Pompey or Brighton depending on your location. Bournemouth are an irrelevance.

I would disagree with that 100%, given the advances in design and engineering Agreed. Even leaving the Atyeo to one side, stick another tier on the South Stand or on the Lansdown (binoculars might be required by fans in the latter)

I don't get why buying up those houses is necessary anymore. In this day and age, it must surely be possible for someone to design a stand that's a bit taller but still doesn't impinge on the houses behind. Might need to be a bit funky but funky's fine - it would be good to have one stand that's architecturally interesting and unique, that makes our ground identifiably Ashton Gate, identifiably BCFC rather than some soulless new build bowl that could be anyone's ground from the outside. But I digress. There's plenty of room between the houses and the back of the Atyeo and, anyway, hasn't the old "right to light" argument been abolished? Personally I think the houses in Ashton Road are a red herring. The stand won't be redeveloped because we don't need the extra seats right now. End of. The only way that will change is if we establish ourselves in the Prem for a good few years and it's a 27,000 sell out every week. Pigs might fly too, mind.

Perhaps there's been a development regarding Wells?

Was in Wickes recently and they confirmed they've been given a date by which to vacate, not that I can remember it! I do remember thinking "that's not long" though. Apologies if this is old news - not read the Wickes parking thread.

It's the Home Office - the very definition of a shambles.

Agreed, he's played in central areas before but is now being asked to execute some different movements and actions. A highlights reel is, obviously, not the whole picture but in the Sykes one posted here when he signed, it's all him facing forwards and bombing on into the opposition penalty area - whereas now I get the impression his role might be slightly different, judging by the Fleming video (haven't watched either of the friendlies), certainly in the build up phase when we have initial possession.

Then why in the 'Fleming mic'd up' video does Fleming spend time explaining to Sykes how he wants him to dro into space to take the ball off our defenders even though he's got an opponent up his arse, pop a pass, spin and take the return, now facing forwards - all the while Sykes saying (words to the affect) "but I'm not used to playing like that"? Sounds very much like he's learning a new way of playing to my amateur ears.

Definitely think he's got something about him, so was surprised to find he has just a 1 year contract, ending 2023.

Doesn't improve our starting XI in the way Wilson does. And possibly the way Naismith might (who knows yet if Kalas-Klose-Naismith is an upgrade on Kalas-Klose-Atkinson?) But it's very early days for Sykes and, unlike Wilson and Naismith, he's being asked to play differently to the way he did at his previous club, so he's going to need time to change, adapt, find his feet. Whereas Wilson and Naismith can just carry on doing what they've always done - they can be integrated much easier. Imo Sykes won't be a starter when everyone's fit but, if he can get up to speed, he'll add much needed depth to the squad - we need to get to a position where we have a strong bench as last season there were times when it was far from that (Brum away springs to mind - it was basically Max O’Leary and some kids).

That comes when Semenyo and Weimann are playing - we have no-one else capable of duplicating their movement. Scott can also provide something different. If he can get in the side.

Watch the 'Curtis Fleming Mic'd Up' video that was put out last week - barring a change in formation, which seems highly unlikely, Sykes is being asked to play a role he's completely unfamiliar with. Whether he can get to grips with it is anyone's guess at this stage.

Just before the trip to Austria - local press published the following on 24-6-22: "Well, the only thing I will say on this one is I think I should manage people’s expectations that we don’t expect to see him in the squad this season. “But in terms of making comments about timings or statements, you know, I’m not going to make any further comments on that but it’s very, very unlikely we’ll see him.

The manager

"We were somewhere around Hounslow on the edge of the North Circular when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive..." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge gasheads, all swooping and screeching and diving around the minibus, which was going about a hundred miles an hour to Wembley. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! Who are these goddamn animals?" That explains everything!

Adding a striker to the coaching pool.

Not for long, at this rate

Robert Maxwell - say no more!