BigAl&Toby

22 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

But surely, according to @Robboredthe Swans fans will still be in the ground.

He said they are never, ever let out at the same time as the home fans. Surely he`s not wrong?

@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…..

9 minutes ago, A Darkwood Red said:

The idiots over the bridge always forget God Save The King is their national anthem.

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….

3 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

I`m glad you added `about` to your final sentence...................

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

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

He certainly is! You wouldn’t have thought that the lad on crutches who walked out with Wade Elliot is the same guy.

Hope his operation is a huge success. 

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…..

4 minutes ago, glynriley said:

They’re shit. It’s not rocket science. Most refs are poor. Why do you think a premier league ref is doing a championship game? Most refs are shit, they don’t understand the game. Most of them have never played at a decent level. 
Todays ref has been shunted down a level , because he’s no good. 

@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.

6 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

Maybe we have different views on what constitutes an issue. Parents shout at refs every single game I am at and that is under 12s.  

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…..

2 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

Not a dig as such as I thought he had a reasonable game (let down by his assistants as usual), but can any referees on here tell me if he should have called a drop ball in the first half?

I know that if the ball hits the referee it's a drop ball, but surely the same should be true when, as happened today, the referee clearly obstructs the defending player? (Scott) 

Luckily Swansea wasted the breakaway, but if they had scored I think there would have been a lot of very annoyed fans and players.

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…

On 24/10/2022 at 12:12, Davefevs said:

Egos.

Far cigars eh @BigAl&Toby?

@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?

4 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

James, Williams, Weimann?

Wells has scored a good number this season but age isn't on his side.

Are we writing off Tanner and Wilson already.

Atkinson not a relative success and with age on his side?

There are others I could argue on but longer injuries, older or inconsisrent I accept.

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.

34 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

The whole league is inconsistent.

How do you explain today?  The better team won.  Just like we did on Tuesday.  Give Reading credit for being that bit sharper, that bit better in the final third / set plays.  Lots of things to pick City up on today, but sometimes an opponent has to be given credit for nullifying us.

We are a team in a rebuild.  Have you not learned anything other than to expect inconsistency in this phase?

I take heart we are mid-table, gradually getting players back fit, having seen a squad get stretched over a condensed fixture period.

So many fans started the season with “Nige has til the World Cup, if we are in relegation trouble, he’s got to go”.  Well, we aren’t in trouble, we’ve showed some great football at times this season, and some below par…but the focus is negativity.

What do people realistically expect?  Moon on a stick it seems.

Blige, I do

@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…….

33 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Our results are not surprising due to the inbalance of our squad.

We have many ,quality, but past their prime, Martin, James, King … and the others ,in the main quality , yet to reach their prime Scott,Conway, Vyner …

Can we expect them to perform at the top of their games twice a week? 
 

@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.

34 minutes ago, Negan said:

Naismith made mistakes granted but he was Luton’s best defender in a play off finishing team. We can see his quality, he’s a good defender imo and we are A LOT better with him in the team, when he was playing we actually looked some what decent. Now we look like poverty . Think he’d be even better with Kalas alongside him. 

@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?  

6 hours ago, Portland Bill said:

.

No, there will be an assessor at the game. They will also use tv footage when concluding their marks etc.

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.

1 hour ago, Portland Bill said:

The referee and linesman have an assessor sitting in the stand scrutinising every decision. If any of the four officials saw it then it has to be dealt with properly.

All four are in constant communication.

The laws of the game are the laws of the game, the officials have to adhere to them, regardless how petty people think they are being.

If they don’t, their marks from the  assessor will reflect that they are incompetent.

Officials aren’t allowed to use common sense, even when they would like too. That’s the modern game for you.

 

 

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….

5 hours ago, gl2 said:

F.F.S yes, if every team below us win their games in hand we are one place above relegation, then take into account our undoubted form.....Rubbish.. who wouldnt be. Add in our next 3 games WBA, Reading and Swansea 

What has happened since the break? we are a shadow of what we were before, maybe the next W, Cup break will reverse our form? as I cant see multi million pound transfers for many of our lot in the next window.

NP has a good and not so good record unfortunately cant see anyone else doing much better atm; so we "should" be too good to go down but they are famous last words....worried.

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. 

2 minutes ago, old_eastender said:

What a load of rubbish, we had one superb half season with LJ and that was it.

Prior to the international break I'd say we were playing some of our best football since that one-off half-season. Only individual poor errors stopped us from being top two.

Since the international break it's been poor. As talented as Semenyo is, I would go back to playing Wells & Conway together and bench Semenyo. I don't think he has scored since starting and seems unable to get any interplay going with either Wells or Conway. 

Weimann has been totally ineffective too, time he was benched too, maybe give Kadji a shout and push Scott a bit higher in a midfield 3.

Klose has to play, and for me Pring should be starting over JD every time.

In goal, either give Bajic a go, or bring back Bents, Max is never going to make it for me as a championship keeper.

Talk of sacking NP, is nonsense to me given the restrictions he has had to work with due to the threat of FPP.

 

 

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?

2 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

Sorare, a French company that has created an online digital trading card game (and marketplace) has just announced that it has brought 5 Championship clubs on board. Watford, Burnley, Coventry, Norwich and our weekend opponents Millwall have all recently joined the platform. Sorare will clearly be looking to sign up the whole of the Championship, and that obviously includes our own fine club.

In doing so they allow Sorare to create digital trading cards of their players. These cards are then bought and sold online, at reactive prices, using either cold hard cash (or credit), or Etheruem cryptocurrency. The purchaser can then use those cards to compete in fantasy football style competitions on Sorare's platform. Crucially it is also possible to trade cards between players, in doing so offering the potential to make a profit if you bought a card low and sell it high. The cards are NFTs which means that Sorare can control how many of each card is produced, and so can manufacture rarity and manipulate their market. Therefore some cards cost £10, others are trading at north of £2,000, and some are trading at truly mind-boggling levels of hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds. A nice way to get rich quick you might say...but there's literally only one Haaland card on the system, and if you want to buy it then it's current owner is asking £580,000. A very small number of people will make a lucky packet, the vast majority will probably lose money, or at least spend money in order to take part in the games.

In many ways this is not so different o the old physical Panini and Merlin stickers I used to collect. Those companies also manufactured rarity, they produced special shiny cards, and limited production of the biggest players in order to drive you to by more packets of stickers as you tried to complete your collection. Indeed, a secondary trading market emerged in school playgrounds as well, in which cash was sometimes traded for cards, and cards were regularly swapped. Crucially however, Merlin and Panini did not control that market, did not take a cut of that market, and did not use that market to bolster the value of their Ethereum holdings. Merlin and Panini also did not encourage users to compete - and also offer a method of paying to win by buying better players - with the stickers. You collected stickers as a small pass time, spending pocket money and then chatting to your mates about it.

You can also apply to be an "affiliate" where you promote the platform and get 10% of the revenue generated by people you introduce. So that's like the 

The five Championship clubs to join up have all released identikit press release promising that "By combining a free-to-play fantasy game with digital collectibles - underpinned by non-fungible technology to create digital scarcity for each card - Sorare brings fans closer to the game they love. Sports collectibles have long helped fans celebrate their love of football and with Sorare. [INSERT CLUB NAME] fans can now experience a new world of online fandom where they can own and manage cards of their favourite players and hone their passion for the game."

Only Norwich have included a disclaimer stating that fans should "Please note that the value of Sorare’s digital player cards are forms of non-fungible tokens and that their value is variable and can go down as well as up."

Sorare talks a big game about "fan engagement" and offering clubs a revenue stream, but I fail to see where the true fan engagement is? You don't have to be a fan of Watford to buy the Ismaila Sarr card, and once it's bought there's no further reason for you to look at Watford. 

Ultimately I don't have a massive issue with this idea. People have money and they might want to spend it, that's broadly fine. What gets me is the implication that this is a sensible investment, and the promotion of it by the clubs involved. It's really little more than a pay-to-play gambling scheme dressed up as "fan engagement". I suspect City will sign up for it soon enough, and I just hope if we do then we properly explain it to our fans and make it clear that it is a game, not a financial investment plan.

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…..