Olé

Spoke to him once outside Ashton Gate when he was in charge on the subject of racism at football. Ended up talking for over half an hour. Was a really thoughtful and considerate bloke and would have thought represented the club well. RIP.

On the basis that no others are reported as terminating early and assuming City's first team does not get through shirts at a much faster rate than other clubs, there is something not being said here. So following logic, the only unique thing to us versus other clubs as far as I'm aware, is that our shirt sponsor has changed their logo and knowing how stage managed brand transformation is, they would quite likely have offered to pay to replace all the players shirts even if each have a supply of 6 per player for the season. City call in the request, supplier no longer solvent and can't accommodate a whole new line of printed player shirts, City cite breach of contract and take Huboo's new brand cash to O'Neils to get it done. Unless other Hummel clubs change shirts mid-season then I can't see a more logical explanation especially as training gear for non matchdays (ie stuff without huboo Huboo on it) doesn't seem to be affected.

And we had O'Neil written on the shirt that season as well

And capitalised the h Maybe this is a spot the difference competition?

Swear I saw a Bristol Sport logo on the sock at the start. Don't start that shit again.

And they appear to do Bristol Rovers kit too https://www.oneills.com/uk_en/shop-by-team/soccer/soccer-clubs/boca-juniors.html

Wolves is currently on the longest streak I believe. Across Europe's big 5 leagues plus the Championship, on a 2 season timeframe we've actually moved one off the bottom and above them on penalties awarded as well as matches per penalty etc. - but fans of feeling hard done by will be pleased to know that we're still worst in the Championship on any measure from 2 seasons up to 5 seasons, and worst even in Europe over 3 seasons.

As storylines go I did not have us ending the penalty drought via a referee who was close to having me believing an EFL fix was a real thing. Gavin Ward went full homer during a drizzly afternoon in Sunderland, waving off every upended City player while awarding a free kick to Sunderland for their equivalents, often in the same passage of play. But Jay DaSilva being literally rugby tackled left him no opportunity to extend our 469 day wait. The official did not allow play to stop so Rob Atkinson could be stretchered away with a suspected ACL injury, let Sunderland feel so comfortable they literally climbed aboard an irrepressible Alex Scott and at one point had the insanely brazen cheek to allow a home player to be treated, give City the drop ball, drop the ball, then stop play after City did too good a job from the restart, implying his OWN drop ball had been taken too quickly. His last gasp award was the very least City deserved after having the better of an end to end first half - in which new signing Anis Mehmeti was almost unplayable. Inside 10 the away side, tigerish all day, won it back in midfield and Scott threaded it to the winger who roamed down the left but was crowded out and a goal kick wrongly given. Then he won a free kick which was played inside for Joe Williams to slash a distant shot wide. Atkinson went down over the touchline from an innocuous clash - eventually stretched away - and inside 20 City nearly scored an epic goal of Messi proportions as Mehmeti wriggled away from 3 markers fed it to Sam Bell who exchanged with Scott, nearly sent Mark Sykes clear with a through ball but his classy back heel put Mehmeti back in from the left, stroking a perfect finish around the keeper and just off the inside of the far post. The ball spun right along the goalline before being bundled away and from the resulting corner Scott danced past defenders in the box and cut it back for Mehmeti who saw not one but two close range shots blocked as City scrambed to convert, the ball finally spinning back to Scott who again faced up the goal at the near post but fired narrowly into the side netting. Mehmeti continued to terrorise them, winning another free kick. On the half hour a continued City pressure this time on the right saw Scott blocked off and bundled over from a throw in and while Ward waved it away Sunderland's long ball sent Amad Diallo clear but sub Tomas Kalas slid in to prevent the one on one. Before half time Sykes charge was upended in the area (obviously not a penalty), the hosts got into the box for two Diallo chances, while Scott was hacked down inevitably nothing given. After the break it was City again. Right from the restart Kalas won it in midfield and fed it to Mehmeti who comprehensively beat the full back again, roared into the box from the byline and cut it back but no one had space to finish. Next Scott nearly threaded George Tanner clear on the edge of the area with a 90 degree ball, but the keeper beat the wing back to the pass. Mehmeti went clear again and saw a shot blocked for Sunderland to break on the right and flash it across goal. City were by far the more convincing when in possession - and on 54 Scott won a free kick and Bell saw his header deflected back only for Williams to volley high and wide. At the other end Zak Vyner gave the ball away cheaply and Edouard Michut strode upfield but dragged an early shot well wide. Then a sucker punch - Scott sent Sykes away in a 3 on 2 but City hesitated, Sunderland broke to Jack Clarke in the left channel to curl home. 1-0 down in a match they had the better of, City made a triple switch - Nahki Wells, Andi Weimann and Harry Cornick on for star man Mehmeti, Tanner and Bell. In truth a change of shape nullified the visitors who appeared disjointed in the final stages. Then ref Ward with his inexplicable drop ball - allowing full back Ajibola Alese to claim City's dangerous through ball with his hands and demand the retake of his own drop ball (no, seriously). City clung on and Max O'Leary made point blank saves twice from Patrick Roberts as the home side finally looked on top - but the away team looked fitter, stronger and their heads never dropped. With five minutes left Cornick held it up on the left, laid it back to Williams who swung in a cross fellow sub Weimann met far post and headed down for Cornick himself arriving near post to hook in, defenders somehow clearing their lines. Nigel Pearson's last gamble was to throw on Jay DaSilva for Williams in the final minutes and City pressed after Wells, on the stroke of normal time, slipped inside and squared it to Cornick in the area who couldn't find the angle - but deep in injury time DaSilva raced in from the left, clear from Trai Hume who in a despairing tumble grabbed the wing back by the legs. Even Ward couldn't airbrush it, a first penalty in an agonising 68 game run. Travelling fans (at their furthest trip of the season) celebrated the moment and Sykes played joker, keeping home players guessing and needling the wrong taker, only for Wells to step up and drill it left of the keeper into the bottom corner. Up in the distant, lofty away end, pandemonium as a curse lifted. 37,000 fans silenced by only our second league penalty in 114 matches. On full time Pearson and team lapped up raucous applause. O'Leary 6 Tanner 7 Pring 6 Vyner 6 Atkinson 6 Williams 6 James 8 Scott 9 Bell 7 Sykes 7 Mehmeti 9 Kalas 7 Wells 7 Weimann 6 Cornick 6 DaSilva 7

Just landed at Newcastle - there was no wind at all and the captain even remarked several times that the weather was settled and calm. EasyJet is telling porkies.

As mentioned if you leave just before full time and get a taxi (or a scooter) the 10pm train is doable - I understand others have done that successfully this season. To be honest if you need to work in London on the day after the match, the best solution is to just stay in Bristol for the night and get up earlier, there are plenty of trains which arrive in London from Bristol before 9am. Slightly hijacking your thread - there used to be a 22:36 train to London which me and at least a handful of other London based City fans would take after midweek games and which often had the London based fans of opposition clubs as well. This (plus a 1 hour night bus from Paddington into deepest South London) was part of our routine for 6 or 7 seasons and is sadly missed. During COVID when the train services were scaled back they removed this service but unlike the others, they never brought it back. I wrote to GWR who eventually said it was a Network Rail (who run the infrastructure) decision due to working on the line at night, I wrote to Network Rail to find out why and if this was only temporary, and never got a response. It's very frustrating. Perhaps @Never to the dark side has some insights.....?

I know you know this @Mr Popodopolousbut here you go, live and up to date every day, with exactly the comparison you are making: http://nopen.co.uk It is the teams that haven't played all 5 seasons that are ridiculous. Rotherham has been relegated twice in the 5 years and had 17 penalties. There are 4 teams that have played 2 seasons in League One that have earned (many) more Champ penalties than us last 5 seasons. Summary: http://nopen.co.uk/5YR/

Squad photos are never accurate - since the 80s there's always been someone on the back row far corner already told that he has no future and is staring at the sky or off camera into the distance. At this point it would be cheaper and quicker to make it yourself or ask an AI bot to do it.

Port Vale's record was in all competitions - and keep in mind that before their run of 72 matches (which started very late in the 2020-21 season) they had received 5 penalties that season, 5 penalties the season before, 6 penalties the season before that (16 in 3 seasons). So while WE are "only" on 65 matches without a penalty (7 short of the record), there is no comparison because we're also 111 league games with just 1 penalty, and 5 seasons with just 8 penalties. So if Port Vale was an anomaly, we are something much, much worse. http://nopen.co.uk

Thanks Dan - for everyone reacting to my control remark this is what I meant but it can be hard to get a point across six cans deep into the last train to Euston. ? We always looked like we were organised and had bodies ready to close the angles, apart from Cannon and Evans headers at the start we limited them to shots around the box. Yes last 20 was uncomfortable in a grim inevitability sense but compared to prior games at Deepdale (I was there for the 0-5) we seemed to have their number and you could see how frustrated they were getting unable to create clear cut chances. In my book that's control. Frankly you can be in total control of a match even if you only have 10% possession and a minority of shots IF you limit the opposition in the time they have the ball to playing in front of six or seven players and relying on pot shots or 50/50 headers from crosses. We did exactly that and all the quality and incisive attacking play was from us.

The resurrection of Bristol City in 2023 went up a gear as Nigel Pearson's men, unbeaten this year and coming out of a busy transfer window, completed an unlikely double away at their bogey side as they pulled away from the relegation places. Mark Sykes and Sam Bell both scored in a game City were in total control of - albeit Preston threatened a late comeback against well organised visitors. Alex Scott was the star of the show in a rare textbook City away win: clearly far too good for this level and head and shoulders above every other player on today's pitch with his close control and vision. Goalkeeper Max O'Leary decided it - perfect in the first half with several reaction saves, and his mistake for Preston's goal in the end only made the game less one sided than it could've been. The game was wide open from the start and Preston, short of form at home came at City. On 5 minutes Tom Cannon's far post header from Alan Browne's cross was batted away by O'Leary and cleared. City looked primed to counter and when Robbie Brady underhit a back pass Mark Sykes needed no second invitation and raced onto the ball and jinked past keeper Freddie Woodman to tap home. Preston might've drawn level, Browne found himself unmarked back post only to volley straight into Max O'Leary's grateful hands. Midway through the half City might've gone further in front from a throw in from the right as Nakhi Wells teed up Sykes to curl into the keepers hands. Rob Atkinson almost had his shirt torn off by Liam Delap who tumbled theatrically for a classic Preston free kick. Inside the half hour another deep cross from the left was headed back in the six yard box by Browne for Ched Evans steer his header inside the post only for O'Leary to brilliantly claw the ball away on the goal line. It was all Preston as the ball was headed around the City box. But Sykes intercepted in midfield and threaded Scott in to slalom at the back line only to be chopped down for a free kick. City looked reasonably comfortable and at half time looked full value for their lead so it was pandemonium in the away end as they bagged a sublime second - 3 minutes deep into injury time Scott somehow controlled a high ball and in a single move danced away from markers and in his own half threaded a perfect release to set Wells clear in off the right to race in and square for Bell to tap in. Preston rallied in the second half and might have tied it up inside 50. Another deep cross from Preston's bodies in the box and launch tactic - this time a ball looped in off the right allowed Cannon to drift away from the last man in the opposite channel to make room to fire a low curling shot towards the bottom corner which O'Leary somehow fingertipped wide of the post with fans off their seats. At the other end after good work by Wells sub Joe Williams - on for Kal Naismith who felt his hamstring in the first half - executed a neat give and go out on the left and with space opening up drove a rising shot just past the angle of post and bar. At the other end Robert Brady stole into a loose ball and slammed a low shot at goal from 30 yards which deflected just outside the near post. For a game where hosts Preston seemed a constant nuisance it was City that enjoyed a spell of possession before the hour, passing it around neatly and in Scott showcasing a talent too precocious and skilled for the 21 others on the pitch. Yet just past the hour as Preston pushed forward to overload crosses Ryan Ledson drilled it at O'Leary who spilled clumsily and Evans fired in to pull one back. As Preston sensed a way back in to a match they were second best in, the game became scrappy as they did their usual combination of brutality and hounding the referee. Never more so than as Wells was caught cynically on the ankle but play was waved on and as the striker reacted and pushed his opposite number the otherwise combative Preston players tumbled and howled for a red card. Straight back to skill as the stand out Scott set off on yet another dancing run at goal - jinking past players and completing a give and go but his square ball to Harry Cornick on the edge of the box was just overhit and Preston broke. Now they were all over City and with 15 left had players lining up in the box for the usual deep cross - only for Brady far post to head so wide it was a throw in. With Wells off City fans came to understand how important he is to controlling the ball in difficult moments, as play came back at the visitors again and again. But led by what is now a well organised side starting from Zak Vyner at the back and drilled in every phase of the game, City closed every angle, simply hounded Preston away from the goal, doing everything to protect their well won lead. There was even time for Evans to stamp on the best player on the pitch Alex Scott while Preston players did their usual crowd scene (is this not weird when the EFL is based up the road) of expecting the home of the EFL to help them out. I don't do this often in my l reports but what a bunch of ******* clowns. Skill wins games and Alex Scott was far too good for Preston as was O'Leary 9/10 times. O'Leary 9 Tanner 7 Pring 7 Atkinson 7 Vyner 8 Naismith 7 James 6 Scott 10 (ten) Sykes 8 Wells 7 Bell 7 Williams 7 Cornick 6 Kalas 7 Weimann 7

I made a site that pulls data automatically every day from across Europe so you can see the very latest view of how bad our penalty record actually is. Sorry. http://nopen.co.uk

My bosses cousin so I get sporadic updates. Seemed quite highly rated when he came from Sweden to Notts County. Said he hasn't had a say over transfers and Robbie Savage's kid is incoming via Vince contact to Savage not his.

Don't forget it coincided with Tyreeq Bakinson sitting in midfield spraying forward passes around like peak Xavi, something that came as a surprise to us fans, let alone the opposition who wouldn't have scouted him much nor prepared for that. The minute teams got wise (from memory Boro / Warnock were the first to target him) and his form invariably deteriorated (i.e. he stopped being able to pass to a teammate and lost all confidence), the Holden-ball era was as good as over. He switched in Chris Brunt (remember him!) a clapped out pensioner with all the running of a stone who couldn't manage more than one game a month and from them on he was fiddling around for any plan that might work.

Yes. Clearly a nice bloke but I've never understood the retrospective love in and general rose-tinted affection people now have for him. Spectacularly over promoted and by the end presided over monumentally bad football which as others have said, created zero chances. Just after he left I created this view which I called the Ineptness Index (Shots on Target - Goals Conceded). If that's negative you're ****. Not only did we set an all time championship record for fewest shots in a season, this was his "football" in the context of prior 5 seasons:

The CEO of a business that had posted unprecedented levels of sales over 5 years of £75m (from just 7 players) now describing progress on a "financial reset" is a simply mind boggling reflection of the level of waste, excess and mismanagement presided over by his predecessor given that income. I know there's an element of Covid in the "reset" but there is no excuse for being in such a perilous state had we invested effectively and not like some kind of supermarket sweep lunatic. It would be easy to say Ipswich's problem now not ours, but clearly we're still paying the price.

Might need to notify the people about this because more than twice as many of them keep accidentally going to Bristol City games

Based on some data I collated and published overnight (I suffer from insomnia) In the most recent 5 championship seasons (inclusive of this one), for teams with a minimum of 50 games played (i.e. participated in more than one season at this level) the average number of Championship games per penalty awarded is 8.9 and the average number of penalties awarded per team per season is 5.2. City are currently at 100 games per penalty awarded (1023.6% over average) City have had 1 penalty awarded in well over 2 seasons (90.4% below average) City have had 8 penalties awarded in 4.57 seasons (66.1% below average) City have the lowest penalties awarded of all 30 teams to have played more than one of the last 5 Championship seasons. As in teams who've played just 1 or 1.5 or 2 seasons in the Championship have still managed to be awarded more penalties than City, who have played in all 5 seasons at this level. And Aston ******* Villa have the same number of penalties as us in the last 5 Championship seasons and they've only played in one of them.

I don't think some people will ever know how funny it was watching that block, with the single entry to the away section in the covered end being closer to the Williams than the actual away section, it was like giving away fans a gameshow / talk-show style catwalk entry - enter, reaction to everything around them (mainly Williams), turn, down the stairs and round. And without fail, especially the closer to kick off or more drunk they were, totally distracted by that Williams block.

I don't know if this is a quirk of where and on which foot and from which side we create and score goals at Ashton Gate, but I honestly don't remember a single City player celebrating a goal by running towards Dolman A/B for about 4-5 years and even then it was because the pre-cursor to S82 was right hand side of the Atyeo. Off the top of my head Bobby Reid, Fam's debut, and Tammy for a bit. These days the players instinctively go left at either end to S82 (or to their families?). If they do run towards us in A/B block then they might be surprised to find a very welcoming, warm reception, provided that they can score before the 80th minute because we've all left to go home by then.

The stewards already expect to see season tickets / tickets when entering upper A/B blocks from the stairs even minutes before KO. This is the first season they've been doing it and it's a right pain in the proverbial.