BigAl&Toby

@Lanterne Rouge you fishing with @Robbored He’s wrong. Rare I know but he’s wrong. Come on @Robboredsurprise us. Admit it. You’m wrong….. Not like many years ago. Night game twas. At the Vetch. Christ almighty twas dark that night. Kept back for ages. Kettled at every street corner. Thankfully South Wales finest illuminated our walk back to the car with the lights from the helicopter. Oh yes. Back in those days we were kept back. Not today though. Something to do with “our rights” I’d guess….. ?

Ha. I think the idiots this side of the bridges forget that too. If they don’t then why only sing it so loud and proud when the “sheep shaggers” are in town? Bizarre. Ooh arrrr. I don’t think any if us can read or right. We’m all able to drive tractors mind…. ?

Glad you picked up on it! Chap behind us in the South Stand seemed to get very excited when he saw the sheep coming his way. Mind you he is Welsh…… Goes by the name of Griffiths ?

No you wouldn’t. He’s a handsome looking young man. Good luck.

Yes. Twas King. Presumably to upset the Welsh. The irony. Old Big Ears used to be The Prince of Wales….. Good to see the old inflatable sheep tossed about though…..

@glynrileywhat an interesting view. So to be a good ref you need to have played the game? Is the same true when giving an opinion? To give the opinion that the ref is shit you must’ve been a ref? Odd. FWIW I thought he was pretty good. Got caught up with what might be seen as an obstruction but he was in the right position on his diagonal. Apart from that I thought he did ok.

Spot on. All very well talking about being a strong ref and being able to handle it but that’s not the point. Its kids football. Yes they want to win and parents want their kids to do well but there comes a point when those parents overstep the mark and don’t set a good example for their kids. I stopped doing kids football because it wasn’t worth the hassle. Mind you that was back in the days when St Paul’s City and The Mill YC used to square up to each other at Eastville Park. Or Tiverton would do the same at Elmore….. When reds had to be and were strong…..

In a word? Nope. I scored one of my best ever goals in an illustrious career of both playing and reffing. New Cheltenham playing fields one Sunday afternoon when I used to do the kids league. Parent and child abuse galore - as in abuse from. Goal stood. I never reffed kids football again…

And second half when he came well out if his area. I reckon Capn Dan might be moving on (up - great half time track) in January. Might provide a bit of cash and free up wages. Wouldn’t be a big loss if you ask me…

@Davefevs big fat and fat cigars. And curly mullets…. Started to go down hill when the Fatman arrived in what was then the Great Mills Western League. Threw money around like confetti and bought success. You should’ve seen him in the bar post match holding court…. My Christ…. Twas the Western League after all. Then he moved on. Players et al moved. Success followed elsewhere. Then there was the double glazing salesman….. Took a small club into the mighty Western League. Similar to the Mercedes Man from Cossham Street…. Bought success and moved on…… Oh yes. Those was the days……. Shame about Bitton. My closest County League side at the time. Along with the mighty Cadbury Heath. Mind you that was over 20 years ago. A lots changed and a lot hasn’t. What’s the difference between Bitton folding and Wasps and Worcester folding? None. All boils down to greed. And egos….. Talking of which wonder how Steve’s portfolio is doing at the moment? Does he get a winter fuel allowance? What? What have I said? ?

James? Matty James? Inconsistently useless. Williams? Inconsistently fit. And inconsistent at delivering from a deadball position. Weimann? Too old. Worth a few more seasons. Same with Wells. Time will tell with others - Tanner, Wilson, Atkinson. I fear they’ll possibly end up like others before them. Mediocrity enables mediocrity to shine. Hope I’m wrong but I fear many more seasons where we bleat on about FFP, being happy with a top half finish, etc. etc.

@Davefevs bilge? Bilge? I’ve not heard that for years! ? Too much spent - no, wasted - on players who simply weren’t and aren’t good enough. Is it about money though or mindset. Wages or wasters? What I’d give to go back to the days of TC. No real money but my Christ what a mindset. No fancy 4x4s with blacked out windows or AMG badges. And this is progress…….

@Major Isewaterin a few short words? Not that many. I posted something similar the other day but it might’ve been too tenuous. We recruit beneath from lower leagues and wonder why we struggle. We have happy hunting grounds in non-league football. We loan out to non-league football for those who are deemed up and coming to get game time. We buy injury prone or those in the autumn years of their careers. And guess what? We yo yo. We rely on the same old players and the same old tried and tested - and found out - tactics and we get what we’re given. Scott, Semenyo, Conway and Benayrous (spelt right?) are amongst the very few that have any quality that I’d want to keep. Add HNM perhaps but that’s about it Sadly.

@Neganthat might well be true but: Didn’t he have someone in behind him to make up for his defensive frailties & Ever wonder why no one else came in for him? Defensively - and bear in mind we sit first row behind the goal - he’s poor. He might well look reasonably solid bringing the ball forward but defensively he’s poor. And when he’s brought the ball out and it breaks down - as it so often did - those defensive frailties became even more apparent. Play K or K behind Kal and it might work but Kal doing what he did earlier in the season ain’t the answer.

Come on. There must be some footballing maestros on here who can tell us a witty story from their non-league days…. @Davefevsyou must have a tale to tell. I’ll give you one. There once was a junior referee in the Suburban League. ‘Twas a sunny Saturday afternoon. On a pitch down by Manor Farm. There was a wayward shot on goal. Dasilva-esque. Appeared to be going wide, until the kids stood by the post tapped it back into play for the forward to run onto and smack it into the back of the net. The ref was blinded by the sun and didn’t see the kids tap it back in. He awarded the goal. Everyone went ballistic. Who was that “******* clown”? Hmmmmm. I wonder ?

@RedEd73 we’ve got 3 season tickets in the South Stand. I know others around us who have season tickets too. We rarely use all 3. In the past I’ve offered them up in return for a donation to CHSW. If you and your kids ever fancy them then get in touch. You’d be welcome to use them. Alistair and Toby.

How many times have we heard that? How many times have we hurled that? Let’s have a heated debate. About referees, linesmen, 4th officials et al. At the Preston game we had the first half throw in debacle. Linesman didn’t know. Referee didn’t know. We all wait ages. Up goes the flag. Ridicule….. Same one checks the nets for the second half and we shout out “hope you’re better this half”. He looks up, laughs and gives us a smile. An official with a personality. Bit like The Milf. The only official I ever met who could run backwards and grin like a buffoon. So let’s have them. Your musings about the men - and women - in black. Whether they’re from the hallowed turf at BS3 or the ruts of the Netham. What else is there to do on a Sunday? Strictly? ?

I’ve checked with my man. No assessors present any more at PL or Chumpionship. All done remotely by a committee. Perhaps that’s where it’s all gone to pot. Assessors now only in Leagues 1 & 2. And “up the Downs”. ? Anyway I’m just pleased I was able to tell me Milf story! ??

With little to do on this fine sunny Sunday I find myself thinking. Thinking hard….. Where have we acquired the finest starting 11 we’ve ever seen grace the BS3 sward? And those same bunch. When they’ve been sent out on loan to learn their trade, where do they go….. Is there a link between all of that nonsense, the ability they demonstrate week in week out, and should we really expect anything else? We seem to have a number who were born locally and have come through the youth set up. Admirable. But when they go out on loan where do they go? Non-league. To get playing time….. And where do we recruit from? Oxford seems a favourite hunting ground. Oxford. **** me. The centre of the footballing universe. But hang on. We’ve recruited from foreign shores too. And from clubs above us. Joe Williams for instance. And the man of whom many just can’t get enough. He who came as part of a package from Chelsea…….. Neither of whom can either cross the ball or play a dead ball with any real degree of success….. See? We buy players who at best are mediocre or are, at worst, others cast offs or who no one else wants. When we were last in a bidding war to get someone? You buy mediocrity and guess what? You end up with mediocrity. Imagine the conversation between Lewis Hamilton and his team. He’s just lost the FIA in dodgy circumstances. Look boss. It’s the car. It ain’t good enough. What you saying Lewis? We need a better car boss. I can’t compete with that Ver Stappen chappie with this crock of shit. Got it Lewis. We’ll see what we can do. How about this beauty? **** me boss. Where did you find that? ebay Lewis. See mate. It’s even got your name on it. If Bristol City can buy beneath them and expect miracles then so can we….. **** that boss. It’ll be a challenge. A real challenge. But I’ll give it my best shot. And we all know how successful Lewis was. Moral of the story? You can’t polish a turd. You buy a turd and guess what? It is a turd.

I’m not sure that’s quite right - that officials have an assessor in the stands. Used to happen and I well remember sitting in on a debrief by Roger don’t you know who I am Milford. The Milf - and he wasn’t - would swan in, his lovingly coiffured locks flowing behind him, wearing his designer rain coat - you could tell it was designer as he didn’t unpick the little label that was stitched on the cuff. He’d then sit down and when everyone was sitting comfortably he’d begin…. Nowadays I think EFL officials are assessed remotely. Might be wrong but I wanted to tell my Milf story in any case…. ?

Realistically we weren’t that much better before the break. We were lucky and being close to Top Two lulled us - once again - into a false sense of reality. We are where we are because we’re poor. Very poor. Amongst a generally mediocre league. We have too many inconsistently poor players. The return of Naismith will add very little. Neither will Nige deciding Capn Dan has paid his penance. Mediocrity reigns supreme in BS3. From top to bottom. Thing is I’m buggered if I know what to do about it or who might contribute to a change in circumstances. Sad state of affairs really.

I’d agree with some of this. Before the break we were playing well - eventually. Thing is there were times when we were equally bloody poor, and bloody lucky. If we’d gone Top Two then that would’ve been lucky and masked our true ability. Fact is we’re nowhere near good enough to compete with those who are, and those who’ve sussed out how we’re set up. Having said we wasn’t there today. Sad signs that with £70 a month going out me and the boy and the £300 banner didn’t fancy it. House is looking nice and clean mind! ?

Well, well, well. Maybe it was all planned. Maybe he’s waiting in the wings, waiting to do a Winston. Nothing political about the post but a simple, easy question. Who would you like to see return to the hallowed turf in BS3. Player, manager, backroom staff. And why? @Robbored will go for his beloved Danny Wilson ??……. Me? Terry Cooper - player or manager. A man who demonstrated values and commitment that few now no longer possess. Them’s the breaks. Over to you!

This might well have been brought up before but if it has it’s passed my old failing eyes by. Noticed it a few times now and again last night. Chris Martin makes his usual huffing and puffing cameo appearance. The man in black blows three peeps on his Thunderer and Big Chris trottingly trudges back from whence he came…. The rest traipse round the pitch lapping up the adulation of the clapping hoards….. Why doesn’t Chris? Is he exhausted and needs to get in the ice bath? Or is he unhappy he’s only had a few minutes? What’s the etiquette? Anyone know?

When it comes to making an investment I ask myself 2 questions. Firstly would Steve and Maggie do? If it’s something that they’d consider then it passes my first investment selection criteria. Then I ask myself can Kwasi touch it or say something that’ll **** it up. If the answer is yes then that trumps the first. Upon reflection I think I’ll give them a wide berth…..