Jerseybean

So it’s a 100 miles or so up the M5 to the West Midlands, we have been allocated 1,200 tickets. Last time out at their place, on New Year’s Day, we shared the points https://youtu.be/Y0jdYhaNGoI Here’s a little trip down memory lane, I was at Highfield Road in May 1977, for the infamous Coventry versus Bristol City relegation game. For younger fans, the situation was that one of Coventry, Sunderland, or us would be relegated depending on the result of this game. Hordes of City fans made the journey which led to the kick off time being delayed, there were 36,903 in attendance. Coventry were two up when we staged a recovery, first of all Gerry Gow made it to 2-1 and then Donnie Gillies equalized in the 79th minute. In the meantime, it became clear that Sunderland had lost their game. This of course, all predates mobile phones. A remarkable thing then happened. The Sunderland final score was announced over the PA system meaning everybody - including the players - were well aware that if Coventry and City played out a draw, they would both survive. For the remainder of the game both teams played the ball around the centre circle with the odd back pass. The game subsequently finished 2-2 City and Coventry stayed up and Sunderland were relegated. Needless to say this caused much unrest, and the media had a field day, the following day’s Daily Mirror, stated Jimmy Hill “raced to the announcer’s box with the result [from the Sunderland game], screaming ‘Get it on the board’ ”. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/day-bristol-city-game-led-66455 https://youtu.be/E38dbwFdNS4 https://www.ccfpa.co.uk/?p=31625 Kasey Palmer and Jay DaSilva are both regulars for them this season. Their match guide: https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2024/january/news-matchday-guide-vs-bristol-city/ On Friday night while we were battling against Forest they drew 1-1 away at Sheffield Wednesday. In January they added Victor Torp. The 24-year-old Danish central midfielder signed for an undisclosed fee from Norwegian top-flight side Sarpsborg 08. They are in very good form, having won five and drawn one of their last six league games and have only lost once at home this season. Head-to-head record couldn't be much closer. Won: 25 Lost: 25 Drawn: 24 Referee is Leigh Doughty he will have the help of assistants Richard Wild and Matthew Jones. Neither side has played under Doughty this season as the official awaits awarding his first penalty of the campaign in the second tier. We beat them 1-0 back in October in a game in which they dominated for the majority of the first half, they had 15 corners in the game to our two! Rob Dickie got his first City goal just before half time to secure a hard fought home victory from a City side which was hard hit by injuries (regulars Wells, Tanner, Williams, Naismith, Vyner and Atkinson were all missing and Knight started on the bench due to illness) Highlights: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/extended-highlights-bristol-city-1-0-coventry-city/ Coventry chatter Lady Godiva was a real person but never rode naked through the streets to free the people from taxation. The story emerged 250 years after her death, probably invented by Benedictine monks. Coventry pioneered town twinning in Europe and now has 26 towns and cities, including Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Dresden and Jinan in China. Its first German twin city was Kiel in 1947. The first smokeless zone in Britain was introduced in Coventry in 1948 and the city is also the birthplace of the Green Party in this country, originally called the People Party and founded by two solicitors. Two-Tone music, British Ska, came out of Coventry in the late 1970s, through bands like The Specials and Selecter. Ghost Town, the Specials’ biggest hit, was actually written about Glasgow, not Coventry. The phrase ‘Sent To Coventry’ had its origins during the Civil War, when captured Royalist soldiers from the King’s defeated Scottish army were imprisoned in the heavily fortified and strongly pro-Parliament city and given a hard time by locals. During the Second World War, Coventry suffered one the most devastating bomb raids to ever fall on UK soil, but, was Coventry really sacrificed for the war? The ‘Coventry Conspiracy’ …that Winston Churchill had prior warning of the attack on Coventry but chose not to do anything about it as it would have alerted Hitler to the fact the Allies had cracked the Enigma codes, lives on. You’ll find this theory in history books and even through word of mouth, where people still speak of the city’s sacrifice ‘for the greater good’. With so many theories about this so called sacrifice, it is hard to know what to believe, but, the fact remains that Coventry was heavily bombed, yet, rebuilt itself through the ashes of destruction to become the thriving city it is today. The classic 1969 film ‘The Italian Job’ features a famous car chase scene which was filmed in Coventry! Although the film is set in Italy, this specific scene (a Mini Cooper being chased by a bus) is actually set on the ring road around Coventry’s city centre. If you watch closely, you can see some of the city’s famous landmarks, such as the Lady Godiva statue, Broadgate and Whitefriars Gate. A commemorative plaque has since been put up on the ring road to mark the spot! Coventry is the most central city in England. Okay, the actual centre of England is in a little village called Fenny Drayton, but Coventry is just 12 miles (18 km) south-west of the country's geographical centre. Watering holes Coventry Building Society Arena, Judds Lane, Coventry, CV6 6GE, https://www.coventrybuildingsocietyarena.co.uk/visiting-us/food-and-drink/ Coach and Horses, Longford Road, Coventry, CV6 6BG (has a long history https://pubhistory.historiccoventry.co.uk/main/pub.php?pg=coach_horses_longford) The Longford Engine, 270 Bedworth Road, Coventry, CV6 6BP Further from the ground but worth a visit are: Old Windmill. Friendly 15th-c pub with lots of tiny rooms (known locally as Ma Brown's); exposed beams in uneven ceilings, inglenook woodburner, seven well kept ales including Theakstons and Timothy Taylors, real ciders, good local pork pies; juke box and occasional live music, sports TV, darts; dogs welcome; closed Mon lunchtime, otherwise open all day from noon (till midnight Fri, Sat), busy at weekends. About a 15 minute drive from the ground. Old Windmill, 22 Spon Street, Coventry, West Midlands, CV1 3BA, (024) 7625 1717 Town Wall. Busy 19th-c city-centre local surviving among new-builds; eight well kept ales including Bass, Brains Rev James and Theakstons, Weston's cider, enjoyable good value pub food (not Sun evening, Mon) from lunchtime sandwiches up, unspoilt basic front bar and tiny snug, etched windows, bigger back lounge with actor/playwright photographs and pictures of old Coventry, open fires; big-screen sports TV, juke box; no children, dogs welcome in bar, closed Mon lunchtime, otherwise open all day. Quarter of an hour drive from the stadium. Town Wall, Bond Street, Coventry, West Midlands, CV1 4AH, (024) 7622 0963 COYR

Mods should this be moved to the all things ex players forum?

Bit more here on Jack Hooper: https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/rising-star-somerset-football-jack-9043622

Not a single shot on target.

Solid, professional, disciplined and hard working team performance, certainly we were in it throughout the entire game. Replay to look forward to. Sounded like great support too.

Thank you I got reasonably first half coverage although it did drop a couple of times

If Williams was playing I’d fear he’d see red based on the way the yellow cards were being issued in the first half.

Enjoyable first half with us playing well, without creating too many golden scoring opportunities, on balance we have been the better team. Big second half needed.

For a superstitious City fan like me disaster has just struck. Just going to walk the dog when his lead broke! Obviously this means that, should we go ahead tonight, we won’t be able to hold onto the lead!

I stand correct.

A middle-aged couple had two beautiful daughters but always talked about having a son. They decided to try one last time for the son they always wanted. The wife got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy. The joyful father rushed to the nursery to see his new son. He was horrified at the ugliest child he had ever seen. He told his wife: "There's no way I can be the father of this baby. Look at the two beautiful daughters I fathered! Have you been fooling around behind my back?" The wife smiled sweetly and replied: "Not this time!"

A sell out. We all enjoyed the last game under the lights at Ashton Gate on 16 January, here’s how the BBC captured it, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67984498 This Friday night under the lights in BS3 promises to be another special one. Forest were held by Blackpool at home in round 3 and won the replay 3-2 with Wood netting for Forest (couldn’t resist) in extra time. Head to head we have won 22, lost 43 and drawn 33. In all fixtures between the two clubs, Forest have a 44% win rate and only a 22% loss rate. However, for the four times we have played each other in the F.A. Cup, going back to 1922, Forest have a 100% win rate (the 1922 tie went to a replay after a 0-0 draw at Ashton Gate, Forest winning the replay 3-1 with Henri Lansbury scoring all four goals) Last Saturday they were away to Brentford it finished in a 3-2 defeat for the away team. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwizg_OryuWDAxV6UqQEHerGBloQtwJ6BAgUEAI&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxKeaR1jQ2w&usg=AOvVaw1fdGCvTbSYU7TVUnx1ooWJ&opi=89978449 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwizg_OryuWDAxV6UqQEHerGBloQtwJ6BAgQEAI&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQLd1JoCWC0&usg=AOvVaw1d2VdgzQnJNzDt2W2UCgY0&opi=89978449 Who would you consider to be the five greatest Forest players of all time? https://thesporting.blog/blog/greatest-nottingham-forest-players-of-all-time Players who have played for them and us include, Jack Hunt, Chris Wood, Henri Lansbury, Peter Cormack and John Galley. In December they named Nuno Espírito Santo as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract to replace Steve Cooper, as the Portuguese returned to the Premier League for a third stint. Nuno pre-match: https://youtu.be/CFd3K3bYsmI LM presser: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/interviews/manning-talks-forest-in-cup/ We will be without Twine (tied, sorry) and Williams (suspended). Officials Referee: Stuart Attwell Assistant referees: James Mainwaring and. Sam Lewis Fourth official: James Bell Forest facts Forest were founded in 1865 and have a rich history spanning over 150 years. Two-Time European Champions One of their most remarkable achievements was winning the European Cup not once, but twice. Under the management of Brian Clough, Forest clinched the prestigious trophy in back-to-back seasons, in 1979 and 1980. Brian Clough’s Legacy Brian Clough is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential managers in the history of Nottingham Forest. He took charge of the club in 1975 and transformed them from a second division team into European champions. Robin Hood Connection Nottingham Forest’s iconic nickname, “The Reds,” is linked to the legendary folk hero, Robin Hood. Robin Hood is said to have frequented the ancient forest that occupied the land where the City Ground stadium is located. The Miracle Men The Nottingham Forest team that won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980 became known as “The Miracle Men.” Their remarkable success against some of Europe’s top clubs was considered a true sporting miracle. League Cups Success In addition to their European triumphs, Nottingham Forest have also achieved success in domestic competitions. The club has won the Football League Cup (now known as the Carabao Cup) four times. Longest-serving Manager The longest-serving manager in Nottingham Forest’s history is Frank Clark. He guided the team for over seven years and etched his name in the club’s folklore. Honorary President Nottingham Forest’s honorary president is none other than former player and manager, Stuart Pearce. He is highly respected in the club and continues to be involved in various capacities. Wherever you are cheering the team on from enjoy the game and be proud and loud!

Their forum has five pages on his move to us…https://www.shotsweb.site/shotsweb/viewtopic.php?t=56409&start=60

Completely aligned with the comments in this thread and made mention of it in yesterday’s MDT. A long-standing issue at BCFC and long-standing frustration of mine. Throw ins are an important element of the game and we consistently fail with them, we either give the ball straight back to the thrower who is closed down with no options, or go backwards (often when we are in decent advanced positions) or simply lose possession as their player wins the ball from the throw. My coaching qualifications are certainly limited but even when I played at a lowly level we had more ideas and routines from throw ins in our locker than City do. Certainly something that needs addressing.

Yep that’s how I saw it. We looked more likely to win it in the second half but overall two well matched teams and a draw was a reasonable outcome. As always I was frustrated +++++ by our shocking throw ins, hopefully LM can address this weakness.

Important request from section 82: https://twitter.com/i/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSection_82%2Fstatus%2F1748325795011994030%3Fcxt%3DHBwW3Ia9tYXDpsMwAAAA%26cn%3DZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%253D%253D%26refsrc%3Demail&t=1+1705697344400&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&sig=2c5a3f1222b70c7dd1d4a6e22273082e2cac6ac2&iid=f2ac00b758f6458eabacc52756f27334&uid=115764113&nid=244+272699393

Took the photo on Boxing Day, think it’s a Robin destroying a Hornet So, unusually a suggestion from me, why not go and get yourself a drink of your choice to savour while giving yourself time to enjoy the three clips below, which certainly warrant a viewing. Clip 1. Not Watford related but any excuse for a bit of nostalgia. Almost to the day back in 1977 this happened: https://youtu.be/7CckpWQkO6I Last season it finished goalless, https://youtu.be/A8DTSQlBcH0 Clip 2. On Boxing Day we won 4-1 at Vicarage Road, highlights: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/highlights/extended-highlights-watford-1-4-bristol-city/ LM pre-match…. https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/interviews/mannings-watford-press-conference/ Guessing we will get our first look at Scott Twine in a City shirt. They signed striker Rhys Healey following the expiry of his contract with French club Toulouse, https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65960542 They also signed Reading forward Tom Ince, for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, in June. They re-signed Brazilian midfielder Matheus Martins on a season-long loan deal. The 19-year-old made six Championship appearances for the Hornets in 2022-23 after arriving from Italian club Udinese in the January transfer window. They added former England midfielder Jake Livermore. The 33-year-old, who was a free agent after leaving West Bromwich Albion, had been training with the Hornets and signed a one-year contract. Also signed Danish forward Mileta Rajovic from Swedish club Kalmar for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old agreed a five-year contract at Vicarage Road and the Hornets say he will offer a "towering, physical presence" to their front line. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of our 1994 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, members of the side that night will be celebrated ahead of the game. The club and Former Players’ Association will welcome the following names pitchside ahead of kick-off: Wayne Allison Rob Edwards Russell Osman (Manager) Glenn Pennyfather Leroy Rosenior (Player/Coach) Martin Scott Mark Shail Brian Tinnion Keith Welch Fans are asked to get to their seats early to celebrate the 30th anniversary of a memorable night for Bristol City. Clip 3. Relive it here: https://youtu.be/WHDM5J4ABaI Head-to-head record Won: 38 Lost: 31 Drawn: 31 Officials Referee: Andrew Kitchen Assistants: James Wilson and Nigel Lugg Fourth official: David Rock In December sporting director Cristiano Giaretta left the club and was replaced by Gianluca Nani. Last Sunday they beat QPR away 2-1 with two shots on target. They are fifth in the form table with three wins, two draws and one defeat from their last six league games.

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/video/interviews/mccrorie-watford-press-conference/ Gives good insight into him.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-norwich-sunderland-9043585

Florist 2 up

I recall reading when he joined that LM has a very strong work ethic, this comment from Tommy Conway after the West Ham game reinforces just that…. As south Bristol slept soundly on Tuesday night, Manning was in his hotel room producing a volume for each of the 15 players who took to the field at Ashton Gate. “The gaffer will probably be up until 3am tonight clipping the game, I’m not even joking, and then on Thursday, when we’re back in, everything we’ve done, we’ll go through 20-25 clips of mine and what we can do better,” Conway said. “When he does that for every player, you can see that you’re only ever going to get better. It’s a credit to him, he’s so hands-on, but the hard work he’s going to put in, it’s only going to get him and us to the top.‘

Player ratings, https://www.bristolworld.com/sport/football/bristol-city/bristol-city-vs-west-ham-fa-cup-said-benrahma-tommy-conway-cam-pring-4481039?page=4