Bristol Oil Services

Well said, mate. Beats me why Nige won't play Bobby Reid, Webster, Brownhill, Big Fam, Patterson, Joe Bryan, Marlon, Flinty, but I suppose he knows what he's doing

Got any more?

Ashton Gate has long been a ground where liveliness and crowd involvement have been swiftly pounced upon. Watching old "Big Match" programmes from the 70s it amazes me that the fences went up at AG at either end before many others and when grounds such as Upton Park or Highbury never had them at all. The East End was also divided up into small sections (divide and conquer?) while much larger ends such as the Kop were left as originally built decades before so that there was a seething mass of people. Never understand why this had to happen on the East End, and so reducing the capacity, but not the Kop. While Cotts was here we had the club or Bristol Sport appealing for nice, family-orientated moderate language and so on, and Cotts urging us to get a bit revved up and maybe "influence" the ref a bit. They even thought about allowing West Ham to bring a bloody bubble machine, ffs! (Unless that was not the case?) The whole AG experience now is about comfort and convenience and having it nice and easy, including visiting team and supporters.

As Graham says, Bob's mother died that year, 1990, possibly over the summer but I can't be sure now of exactly when that year. Bob was 23 at the time. He also had a six month old child, his first child, at the point we sold him. I think he had a house in Worle (others will remember) but his child at this point was with its mother, in Newcastle. Why were mother and child in Newcastle, not in Worle? To be close to her mother/family? Don't know. Bob was commuting Bristol - Newcastle - Bristol at the start of that season. He has said before that he was doing this commute "every day," which can only have had a negative impact, you would think. Joe Jordan, who signed Bob, and turned his career around, left for Hearts. So, Bob, recently bereaved, working away from his partner and first child, commuting the length of the country, then sees his mentor leave the club and the mentor's assistant, Jimmy Lumsden, appointed. That's Jimmy Lumsden who had himself lost his teenage son about 12 to 18 months prior to the start of the 90/91 season. I think there's enough here, @ashton_fan, to understand why Bob's form dipped after a great start to 90/91, and in my view why Lumsden made the, as Graham also says elsewhere, terrible decision to sell him. Bob is also on record as saying that when Lumsden told him about West Brom's interest/offer, he didn't want to leave.

No? But his automobile is large, isn't it?

He does, every matchday, as he finds himself driving home behind the wheel of a large automobile, struggling to recognise his beautiful missus and his beautiful house

Apparently more than happy with @HMSpisstheleague and the course she is currently steering. Full steam ahead, are the orders. My source tells me.

Why did firms want to run amok in the Dolman?

They came in Feb 87 top of Div 3, with SO'D bossing their midfield. Bought 1200 which was loads for them. 14,500 crowd. We won 2:0, they went up as Champions.

I think the element of "banter" and teasing and devil's advocate is being lost here. My opinion on DD is not what it was in 1993. Looking back on August '92, we had copies to shift and putting DD on the cover shifted copies (more than 3,000, iirc). This might've coloured opinion at the time! My point is lots of people liked the idea that Dziekanowski played for their club (like they once did Norman Hunter and Joe Jordan, and still would now even if they had not been the success they were), making do with the rare flashes of brilliance produced; that for many people football is about more than the pure objective. 8,500 paid to watch Osman's team of triers finish higher in the table than the ultimately disappointing DD/Cole team that drew more than 11,000.

root and branch? Won't work with gash dieback.

Morning, or afternoon?

If you want. Billy Woof is captain, mind ....

Anyone over 50 remember Billy Woof? Played for Middlesbrough, early 80s. You think I make this up, but it's true: Mr and Mrs Woof of Gateshead had a boy in the 50s and they called him William. Anyway, he's in my Great Name X1 along with Steve DEATH, Reading keeper in the 70s. 1. Steve DEATH 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Billy WOOF 10. 11. I could use some more (come on, it's another tedious international break, with not enough to moan about with the City as we speak), help me out here ....

So it's Bristol City FC you're cross/upset with, more so than Dziekanowski. The people that replaced Joe Jordan with Jimmy Lumsden, amongst other things. Dziekanowski is the symptom of a poorly run club, not the cause. Lumsden, by the way, moved Bob on because Bob was struggling with the loss of his mother (and so the loss of his form) and Jimmy, with his own unresolved grief, was coming to work to get away from all that. He couldn't be doing with it, not at home and at work, understandably. Is my speculative opinion. We did replace Dziekanowski with lots of "effort" and it worked for one season (but shaved a fifth off the average attendance). Then we were relegated.

How far in to his contact was Tomlin when he was managed by Harris, though? Just had a look and Cardiff extended Tomlin's contract on 10 Jan this year, and Harris was fired eleven days later. It's worth noting that Tomlin would've seen LJ fired at any other club than this one with this owner, on the run we were on in winter 16/17.

True, but where Warnock differed from LJ was he got him out of the squad and out of the way much sooner, and so Tomlin did not de-rail their season, like he did here in 16/17. It's a subtle difference but a substantial one. Cardiff with Tomlin managed by Warnock finished 2nd and went up; City with Tomlin managed by LJ finished 17th and only were certain of staying up after the 45th game. It wasn't until April and the 41st game, and after a nonsense of a press conference in which we were told there was no problem just supporter "noise," that LJ was ready to accept he couldn't "manage" Tomlin like every other manager, and he dropped him from even the bench and picked Taylor and team unity instead. Then the record signing was sold that summer, one year into his contract.

Here you are @GrahamC - here's some Bristol City imagination! Amazing what you can "see" in BS3 when you put yer mind to it. Marvellous stuff

I would say that, to follow Bristol City, myth is pretty vital. The reality is somewhat grey, and disappointing. And Russell Osman. Allow your imagination to run free a little, every now and again ....

Who do we copy, though? We have to copy someone (getting it right). Steve has referenced Norwich (can see us copying them in the Prem, were we ever to get there) and Burnley. It's not like Steve's going to bring an original or unique approach to all this, or come up with an idea that works that no-one has previously thought of or implemented successfully. We need to copy someone. Who is it to be?

Then perhaps Steve needs another football club somewhere overseas with whom he can get around some of the many obstacles to success he appears to find insurmountable. Get rid of the rugby club - who's he going to buy or sell from/to Bris rugby (actually, Bakes/Joe Joyce swap deal, that might work ....)

You're a vicar, covering two parishes. All makes sense, now

Or, our time was 2017-19. Or 1975-1979. I'm not sure All Things Come To Ye Who Wait (whilst complying dutifully by ye Financial Fair Play). Abraham Lincoln said: "Things may come to those that wait, but only the things left by those that hustle." And Watford, and others, hustle. While our Steve, bless him, crossing his "tees" and dotting "eyes" and getting his returns in on time every year, still waits ....

You don't have that problem with a "souless bowl" of a ground, so time to make their minds up: you want to be an "authentic" 70s throwback (ie skint, and no choice in the matter) or a 21st century club, like 95% of the pyramid?

3 points "good for body and mind" in winter, too ....