cidered abroad

I was at the Reading game when City fans smuggled in some pick axes and started demolishing the terrace. Terry Cooper went to that end and pleaded with them to stop. The reply was short and sharp:- You sort the football and we'll sort the coppers! Scary times. Same season, we were kept in at Stockport after the match, only for the law to allow home fans to leave the ground by walking along side of pitch, in front of us. They all hurled coins at us, luckily wife and I didn't connect with any of them.

FC Deportivo Galicia? In North Western Spain or a club of Spanish migrants to South East England?

Yes, if my info years ago was correct. The tram system was powered from a generator in the building in Counterslip, which runs from Victoria Street to Temple Way. It was bombed and the whole system was shut down as a result. Never to return!

Replaced by Wigan, Salford, Macclesfield. Stockport also on the road to recovery?

I've been thinking the same for some weeks. Really puzzled why they went for Salford rather than Bury.

Like many on here, I'm totally at a loss to understand the technicalities of the business accounting world. Except that I have always understood that when money is involved, it is incredible how many ways there are for circumventing the rules. So just a comment on the valuation of a football stadium. When we were trying to get Ashton Vale new stadium approved, we had a purchaser, Sainsbury's, lined up to buy ours. I don't remember the value of the stadium mentioned at the time but it didn't appear to be extortionate. Surely the value of a stadium is not really measured by what it cost, except for depreciation in annual accounts. It has, in my opinion, minimal value as a stadium because unlike a residence or an office block, there will not be many, if any, purchasers. What does one do with a football stadium, if there isn't another football or rugby club in the near vicinity? Pull it down and use the land for another building? Thus, the true value is what it would sell for as building land. Correct? If so the value should be in line with other land in the immediate neighbourhood, if there is any.

That could be a case of separating the football club from the stadium. Like we did many years ago. Not sticking up for Villa, by the way but it could be totally innocent.

The Cheats from Sale managed to avoid defeat. And some rugby fans still believe that it's only footballer's who cheat.

When you go to pay, it takes the 10% off then. My ticket, OAP, is £140 - £14 = £126.

Well done Bris. Five points tomorrow please as celebration.

I believe the following to be factual. The Ashton Gate stadium was owned by Bristol City Football Club until just after the 1982 financial fiasco of which all City fans are aware. I believe that the ownership was transferred around 1983/4 to ensure that if the Football Club ever got into similar financial problems, the stadium would not be lost as an asset. I also suspect that the rental paid by City and Bristol Bears is simply to cover the admin such as tickets, and ground maintenance, as all such employees are now working for Bristol Sport rather than the clubs. The stadium share should halve these costs for each club.

What is your favourite breed of dog? Or do you prefer mongrels?

Are you trying to upset my wife. She spends much of her waking hours, quilting, dressmaking, knitting, crochet. Our dog has a specially made quilt to sleep on. If it was a serious question, quilting is making a quilt with small pieces of material, originally invented to use up scraps and make something useful. But don't start this new hobby on this coming Saturday. Get down The Gate and support Bristol as they fight to gain another win against a side below them in the table, to help avoid the dreaded drop. PS. Three of us City ST holders were at Wales v Ireland. Great atmosphere but one of the three wasn't very happy, cos he's got Irish in him.

You know that for a fact that 50% of the opening match were from or supported Bath? I was there and would guesstimate a 75% Bristol / 25% Bath.

IMO, any good news about any of our clubs is good news and helps to promote the City of Bristol. I wonder how much the fact that the Bears are in the Premiership, makes the City squad more determined to get there? And with both City and Vixens in the 5the round wouldn't an FA CUP Final be great, whichever gender?

I learnt soon after I joined a packaging company at the age of 23, that if the alarms sound, you get the hell out of the factory without even thinking about it. Look silly if it's false alarm? No, just plain common sense. What if the Emergency Services decided not to show up because a false alarm had occurred previously at the same company? Everybody gets fried alive!

I have only flown once in such a small plane, in New Zealand, and was terrified without reason I add. A tragic loss of life that could easily have been avoided. Club owners sanctioning a multi million deal for a player, yet allowing said player to travel by the quickest route at probably peanuts compared with value of player and value of player to the club's efforts to stay in Premier League. The cost to a billionaire owner to hire a decent size plane with a full crew, or a chauffeur driven limousine to Paris and then fly by scheduled air line, is negligible compared to the loss of life and loss to the club.

Totally agree RedM. I thought we were robbed or perhaps mugged by a ref who got a lot wrong all afternoon. It's amazing how much cheating by rugby players goes unnoticed by refs and line judges. Obstruction, deliberate wandering around in offside positions, clear forward passes, crooked lineouts and even more crooked feeding at scrums. The only bright side was that apart from a few, 99% of the fans were in their seats, watching the game and giving both teams lot of vocal support. A good match with atmosphere, even if we got the rough end of the luck. It proves once again for me that cheap tickets for Micky Mouse cup ties at rugby have a significant number of attendees who are just on a social piss up and don't give a toss about the match.

The S21 area that I sit in is normally, for ST matches, well populated by other ST holders and genuine rugby supporters who watch the game and vocally support the team. (See note below) On Friday, so many in the South stand, were too busy making regular visits to bar and toilet, chatting with friends, coming in late and going early, to have any real interest in the events on the pitch. I don't understand why people pay an entry fee and higher prices for drinks than a local pub. They appear to have minimal interest in the match. I suspect that a significant number had no interest in the result. Just a social evening. (The regulars near me, probably did not realise it wasn't an ST match until a short time before the game so had to sit elsewhere.)

Good attendance for a rugby version of the Checkatrade cup. Ticketing shambles with many home printed tickets not scanning. Those with them had to queue at ticket office for a reprint. So first twenty minutes or more, people still coming in, not regulars, and looking for seats. Many already in their seats then leaving to get the next round of drinks or going to toilet. Half time, the same as start of game with people wandering back in well after second half started. Cheap tickets, too many non rugby fans just there for a Friday evening boozing social. Thus, impossible to watch the match, absolutely no atmosphere. Many of the crowd probably didn't even know the score. So for me apart from the match result, a miserable evening. I cannot even comment on the Bristol performance because I saw very little if it. @Mkelly The continual movement of people in and out of the seats at rugby is becoming a real nightmare. I understand the WRU are considering closing the bars during the match because it's the same problem at Wales matches. I don't understand how so many people need to replenish drinks in forty five minutes. I don't object to alcohol in the seating areas so a dry area is not the answer. People at theatres, concerts and cinemas don't need to continually go to get drinks during the performance. It doesn't happen at football because of the law but that law, brought in during the crazy hooligan days, is now a godsend as football crowds actually watch the game and create good atmospheres. Are Bristol Rugby and Bristol Sport so desperate for the income from sales during the match? I think not. But this situation is fast becoming so uncomfortable that maybe the genuine rugby supporters will decide to watch it on TV and not bother to come to the stadium. As a dual ST holder, I'm seriously considering whether to renew the rugby one!

Was the recipient in a disabled, wheelchair area? Could be a Stoke fan in that corner as it maybe offered more shelter from the rain?

Accepted. I thought you meant some flares had been lit by the drunken rugby masses. Heaven forbid that they would misbehave. They do use all the usual swear words but only individually and not in organised singing/chanting. Although that will happen one day. The players are being good pros; cheating at every opportunity they can and plenty of back chat to referees. Only things they don't do is mass player protest like football does and walking along the touchline at line outs. It will come one day.

Don't understand this comment. Please clarify.

You should have been on the 23.15 train to Weston/Staunton. Intimate is the best way to describe how we had to jam ourselves in. Good evening, wasn't it!

Three Ashton Gate full houses for me in the last eight months. Nothing like a big crowd, derby game to get the noise levels up. Only hope my old ticker will stand all the excitement this weekend. Wins for Bris and City? Yes please.