The Constant Rabbit

Just heard about this. Didn't see it on news here. No words really. As a parent, I cannot fathom how anyone could do this. Put them in Gen Pop. Job Done.

Owner Dave?

Another one who doesn't get it. Wally didn't 'write-off' £18 million - he converted it to a charge against the Mem. When it's sold - and in terms Gasheads understand - Wally gets all his money back, owns the 'value' of all the players, and a nice new developable 'training quarters' Bristol Rovers FC own NOTHING. Bit like us.

Very astute. Have a sniff around the Lansdown 'philanthropic' works in Africa. Funnily, whilst working to promote better water to locals (and very needed) there happened to be a find of oil / gas / gemstone deposits/insert as you dig around. Luckily the Govt involved included mining rights along with the licence to dig for water. And grants to aid the infrastructure. Including mining projects. Start with Noka Farms and the African renewable energy fund. You will see the same names if you look carefully. Then check those people, and see what they do........ What, you think City went to Botswana to sell shirts?

Goodness, this seems familiar. If only someone had posted this exact same stuff, ooh, say 2 weeks ago...

Spot on While they have no 'religious' Police in Qatar - which means a slightly looser policing of any religious slights (intentional or otherwise)- there is zero tolerance on public drinking, or being drunk in public. Designated areas only for drinking - stray from there, and a very unpleasant stay in the local lock-up awaits. You will go to prison. Make no mistake, being pissed up and wandering around Doha with your mates and chanting and singing gets you a one-way ticket to a red hot cell with 30 locals and a hole in the floor to shit in. Drink if you must in the designated areas - get a cab or hotel bus back to your hotel I can see some serious problems in Doha, with the locals, and Police. The embassy will not be able to get you out of there quickly - it's a Muslim country and alcohol is tightly controlled - and is seen as insulting the prophet by many. Lot of people are going to have a very unpleasant experience if they act as if its just 'another away game' If you can't stay off the beer - don't go. You can find yourself getting sent down for a few years - and middle-eastern prisons are not the place Westerners want to be in.

I did say 'respectfully' and 'not aimed at you'. Sorry for any offence.

Very. Less than SL - he is 1205 on Forbes wealthiest on the planet, but they are still in worldwide business. SL is only involved in 'philanthropic' business in Africa as far as I know. With benefits of course. Why do you think City went on a tour there not so long ago ? The exposure of prem TV advertising, in a base that provides so many income streams, with scenarios that I decribed above makes the whole thing a great deal. Think of another 'prem club in waiting' in an affluent area with so much land to develop. Plus the pull with the council should the new owners decide to base some parts of their businesses in bristol. That all I'm going to say, and I expect a phone call giving me a bollocking within the next day or two. Its east to work out, if you see the big picture. It's been going on for longer. The tour to USA was only part of it. It's just been the timing - brexit etc etc

Both - current will get a great price New - increased income when all streams of potential profit come online. 500 million people worldwide watching BCFC v Man Utd with the new owners name plastered everywhere is such a coup. The new guys should have the sports arm self-sufficient - with prem Football, but the business side is the real deal.

My understanding is all - save for a stake in the Bears for SL. Jon in Bermuda is managing to sub-divide property. Having lived in Bermuda - that takes serious 'influence' - people have to live there 20 yrs to qualify to apply to become 'citizens'. To get PP - Jon must have some serious clout - Houses are extorbitant, more than enough to make a living, a great living, if he can sub-divide on a regular basis. Jon's no Mug, despite what some people think.

Respectfully - Bristol Sport isn't the selling point. It's the already constructed homes, those with PP approval, and the land awaiting PP approval. Bears are break even - the Flyers are an irrelevancy - they were the 'excuse' for a 5000 seater , much bigger 'walk around' indoor venue. The money there is for presentations, shows, conventions, concerts etc. It can be used 300 days a year minimum. The football in the championship isn't an attraction - but to a new owner - think USA and Chinese interest here, the carrot of a team ready made for the prem, with a stadium easy to expand to 35,000 is a part of it too. The hotels, bars, boxes, shops etc will see income sky rocket - and with prem TV money. I struggle to comprehend (not aimed at you) how people constantly fail to separate the Football from the package as a whole. People aren't buying BCFC - they are buying a package of land, houses, offices, venues, hotels - with a brand new stadium om the middle which can host 3 games a week across 2 codes, hold multiple concerts, functions in 2 venues 300 days a week, and hold business meetings in boxes watching City v Arsenal or Bristol Bears v Bath. Plus Failand, and other holdings that the Lansdown family has. The new owners want to do a deal with company 'x' - so they invite the chairman / ceo, a well known Chelsea fan to Bristol via private jet. Limo to the penthouse suite on the top floor of the new hotel overlooking the Suspension Bridge. Dinner in the CBD - working lunch to talk business on Saturday morning - retire to luxury box to watch City v Chelsea. All the deals can be tied up by the accountants and lawyers who lease suites in the new office tower (pp pending). A one-stop shop. Meanwhile - a 5000 concert in the Flyers arena, bars open, take-aways doing business (all in the pending plans) - quick clean up - Bears on Sunday, another concert Sun night. During the week - there will be literally hundreds of spaces to rent for meetings, presentations, weddings - anything really in the stadium, offices, hotels, and stadium. Thats what is for sale - not Bristol City. And the attraction with City is only in the Prem. To be sold for max gain for SL - BCFC must be in a solid, realistic position to go up to the Prem. The new owners will happily splash out, as TV money, sponsorship from multinational companies and interest in their own countries vis TV rights etc will be huge - plus quite simply, the exposure for the new owners will be enormous. The big prem owners didn't buy the clubs for the football. They bought it for the business the exposure gets them, the non-match revenue, and as a place to do business. And in the Prem - the TV and sponsorship covers most of the cost. I hope that explains things much better. It's not about BCFC - it's the whole package. Buyers are waiting - relegation is not an option. I know for a fact 2 other people know the names of 2 of the interested parties - they can step up if they want. 1 Chinese with a growing international presence in their field, 1 from USA, also known in their field but not one of the big players. Both looking to change that. 12 - 24 month time frame. All to be sold - though I believe the current owner wishes to retain a minority stake in the Bears. Source is impeccable, and is in the correct circles to know, been around since Harry and Marina's time - close friends with both and attended Marinas birthday in July.

My take from that: 1) NP has been unwell - and much worse than admitted - for a while. 2) The club will give him time to decide his future, but before the Jan window so a new guy can do his own dealings re: players - so maybe 6 weeks time for a decision 3) The 'press conference' was to find a leak. The leak has been found. As far as SL is concerned - relegation is NOT an option, any replacement will be of the highest calibre available - if they want to come. If NP is able to come back - he will be given as much backing as possible in the Jan window to stay up and push on next year. If NP is up for it, he will be given as much backing as LJ was. Relegation this season is not an option for so many reasons. I'm sure either way - we all wish NP the best moving forward Those wishing ill of him, or suggesting it is all made up regarding his illness - give your bloody head a wobble.

Not without exposing someone - so no.

Some of you might be surprised by what's on the way. A few of you know. The next 24 months will be huge - one way or another.

I have a horrible feeling HNM will be sold in January to fund a Striker, Mid x 2 and Defender from the lower leagues. We'd have to take unders for Han - £7 mil perhaps - and then sit sadly and watch him have a wonderful career in the Prem. Which he will. Is he worth more - hell yeah (hopefully good add-ons will be written in) but buyers will know we are in big, big trouble and have to sell to buy. I honestly have no idea on who we could sign - I don't watch enough lower league games. But I would hope we can add £3 mil from the kitty @Davefevs - can we with FFP? Then 10mil to buy us 4 players to keep us up and develop as they get older. They would have to be 'up and coming' - I'd be furious to lose HNM to sign 4 x 29 / 30 yr old journeymen. What a state to be in. The neglect shown to the footballing side of Bristol Sport borders on the criminal. People say SL took his eye off the ball when the Bears started to do well. No, for me, it was when he finally got his PP for the houses, apartments and hotels which was his goal all along. £150 million SL has spent - pocket change to the money flowing in from all those lovely new homes, offices and entertainment facilities. Apartments are what - £500,000 min each at the AG site while 2 beds appts at AV are selling for £275 - 300,000 each. Do the maths - sell 300 homes / apartments and that's his cash back. PP is for waaaay more than that. Plus the ongoing rental income from offices etc Plus the freehold at AG - once our home. ? Not bad for £150 million. But then again, as SL once said to my old man - it's all about the land, the football is my hobby, the land is my goal. And so we find ourselves with an owner who has fufilled his financial aims, getting older, living away, and losing interest in BCFC. And why wouldn't he. He's a businessman - job done - even retired from LH he is currently the 1205th richest person on THE PLANET - let that sink in - ON THE PLANET - with $2.6 BILLION USD in the kitty Just for a laugh I looked up his interests / businesses - he made £4,000,000 YESTERDAY ALONE in investments. £4,000,000 in a day. My goodness. https://www.forbes.com/profile/stephen-lansdown/?sh=20e936eb50b0 The Bears are winning with little hassle, the Flyers are just an excuse to build a multi-purpose indoor venue (PP made easy), and the employment he creates means the council eventually gives him what he wants to develop to rest of AG and AV. Why would he then have much interest in a club that has been, frankly a failure all it's existence? He's almost done with City. Nige is his last shot at giving a go with our club. Jan is crucial - this will be the last time SL will dip into his enormous wealth to fund players - and I'm afraid (to tie all this up) that HNM will have to be sold off if NP wants and extra £3-4 mil on top of HNM price. Stay up and improve performances - SL will go again and will have one last huzzah at the Prem. Go down, or struggle badly and NP walks - then SL is done with BCFC. And there are buyers waiting.

I'd bite anyones hand off for a point and a committed showing. 4-4-1-1 Solid back 4 as possible Massengo hopefully fit for this. Defensive midfield 4. Williams a chance to return. James unlikely. Palmer as the 1 Wells central as solo forward to latch onto through balls. I'd drop Martin and Weimann OPTIMAL Bentley Tanner Kalas Baker Pring Massengo Williams James Dasilva Palmer Wells Subs: O'Leary, Vyner, Bakinson Pearson Martin, Conway, Simpson LIKELY Bentley Tanner Kalas Atkinson Pring Massengo Bakinson Pearson DaSilva Palmer Wells Subs: O'Leary, Vyner, Martin, Scott, Conway, Simpson, Benarous This is where we are as a club. People slating Nige should just look at the squad we have. Staying up would be a great achievement.

Did everyone forget Tanya? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Oxtoby

That's a sample of children. By Uni under-grads. In The Guardian. Kids say things they don't understand. Australia is incredibly gay-friendly. My son is gay and has had zero issues socially or at work. I live here. Sydney Red does too. I can assure you that you would be pleasantly surprised should you ever venture to Australia. I'll give you 10/10 for spending the time to go searching for an argument though. ?

Off-Topic I see one of their mods Gregsgas has passed away. All Joshing aside, he seemed a decent chap, and the Rovers fans are clearly devastated - which tells you all you need to know I guess. Too young, way too young. RIP Gregsgas. Times like these, the football comes second.

reached 70% total pop vaccinated - so now all over. 80% by next week. ?

So, after the worlds longest lockdown finally ended - I could get a haircut. Legally. In a shop. I needed one. At 08.30 am - it was obvious a hell of a lot of other people did too - queues everywhere - 10 long with one barber working was the average Despair was setting in. I live in a 'being - gentrified' area - meaning some parts were still pretty rough, but in 3 yrs time would be 'respectable' - and pricey. I still needed a haircut - badly. Can't go out into town with hair like mine - quite frankly it was a disaster area. Saw a tiny barbers tucked away in a part of this 'not gentrified' area - no queue outside so in I went. It was like walking into a tiny village pub in Norfolk. Silence. Utter silence as every head in the place looked round with pretty much disbelief on their faces. It was pretty obvious, pretty quickly, that the customers and staff were used to dealing with African customers. Most definitely getting the "is this guy lost" vibe... Did I mention I needed a haircut? I sat in silence. No conversation at all. My turn - got in the chair - shook hands, said hello - got a grunt in reply. Not feeling the love. Talk Football. Always safe. Africans LOVE football. Me- 'Did you see on TV the players stopped the game to get help for a guy in the crowd?' 'Yeah' Me - 'Where are you from originally?' 'Eritrea - you have no idea where that is I'm sure' Me - 'Yeah, next to Ethiopia' 'Yeah, thats right' All ears were listening - mood was getting better.. Me - 'Who do you support in the soccer?' 'Arsenal, doing bit better now' The other Barber leans over and says ' hey who do you support - Chelsea, Liverpool?' Me - "Bristol City" The place erupted - by now there were 8 Eritrean guys in there - "Oh man they are so shit" "Have they even won a game" "have you ever won anything?" "You got West Brom - you gonna get dicked man!" "worse team in the championship" "lost at home to Forest - and they are shit too" Ice broken - good time, and a good haircut. Bought a couple of coffees and had a chat. All of them UK soccer-mad (Its called soccer here as AFL and NRL are called 'Football) It was pretty much exclusively an Eritrean Barbers - I was the only non-african guy in there all year - the guys were apologetic about the initial reception, as usually non-africans just walk straight out again, so they were shocked I stayed. Did I mention I needed a haircut? Bristol City - mercilessly mocked all around the world - certainly by the Barbers Of Eritrea! But hey - at least a couple said they might watch the game.....

The highlights vid is up Taylor pretty much caught the ball off Bentleys save. It is what it is I guess. Maybe a centreback play s up front next game - Martin needs a couple of weeks off - he is spent. Well worth getting up at 5 am for this ?