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If that's white - ie, refined - pasta, and people are filling their faces with that shite, and as much protein as they can chew, and no veg, then they are going to get fat - or, fatter - and will get diabetes, endure increasingly terrible health problems, and also be constipated, with limited need for wiping their backsides. They'll probably eat the toilet roll, when the pasta runs out.

The "blitz spirit" is a bit of a myth, sadly. At the time it was necessary to talk up our heroic "keep calm and carry on" (a poster that was mocked up, but never used, apparently) response to being bombed, for a number of reasons, including propaganda and showing Jerry we would not be cowed. People need to remember that all countries tell stories about themselves, their origins, and their finest moments that show them in a glowing, golden light. It was created at the time, and was a "fairytale." See Richard Overy, Prof of History. He has written a book about this.

That moment you describe there was reality crashing through the reinforced concrete walls of lies, certainty and delusion. Decades of it. Momentarily, a (small) crowd of poorly dressed people collectively see themselves for what they really are. There is no hiding place. No delusion to escape to and bask in. At that eerie, silent moment, none of the usual lies, the bollocks, the bullshit and delusion work anymore - all that was swept away, leaving only truth and reality. This is what we are: non-league shite.

Blimey - who were you playing, the blue half of Bristol?

Before the league game at Newport early in '84/85 season, which was on the Saturday, we played them at AG in the first leg of the league cup a few days before, midweek. They were being escorted in (or out, forget which now) by the plod and chanted "Saturday, Saturday, Saturday" to the locals eyeing them up. I don't remember Newport doing anything here but over there it was different.

Leeds were in there in early 90s. As was I. Not a peep out of the locals. Leeds taken out and marched around the pitch and onto Stratton bank. Locals find their voice! Swindon win, though (good side. Hence the visit). In early 80s, City were in the main stand, unchallenged. It changed from taking yer end (boot boys), to larging it in your seats (casuals, in golf clothes!)

Can they not Drain The Swamp?

Geoff Dunford's electric milk float has been in the garage, I think - his milk float brings all the gas to the mem

Where is the fella on this forum upsetting himself last year (was it?) when we "only" took whatever we took to West Brom midweek, insisting Rovers would take more blah blah blah? Where are you????!!!! Rovers have been there a couple of times now, St. Andrews, Brum in a cup replay, and Cov in LeagueNowhere, and as we told upset bloke on the West Brom thread, the numbers tend to drop off after a few visits in a shortish time. Same for us, same for them. Same for most clubs, other than the biggest. Context is important. Minus context, we can say: we took 1300 further away last night, they took 300. Therefore, we are MASSIVE. Actually, that's what they would be doing, so why don't we? City: 1300, Rovers: 300. Conclusion: We are MASSIVE, they are tinpot.

To be fair, I remember them playing it on the deck a bit with David Williams at sweeper (I think) in about '83. Yes, they definitely passed the ball on the floor a bit, in 1983. Then Gerry Francis arrived .....

48 people who would've attended were away?

Looks like 5 thousand to me. Including the bird in the red bobble hat

I cut some mistletoe (growing on a crab apple tree) earlier, it made me think of them, up that Mem.

My understanding he's only "gone" there to collect the away shirts .... from the game when they borrowed some shirts

Tbf, it was pissing it down ...... no, sorry, that was yesterday. As you were

Great story, well done. And a foster carers too, hats off

I can't see it getting that cold....

In true Bristolian / West Country / BCFC fashion, I just can't be arsed with running for hours on end. It's such a bloody effort! And requires so much enthusiasm. I much prefer my own take on high(ish) intensity interval training whereby you get much of the benefits of hours plodding the pavements in a much reduced amount of time (thereby freeing up time to then slouch on the sofa, eating cake and browsing otib, which requires much less effort and is more suited to the natural Bristolian / West Country disposition). I like to get the old fast-twitch fibres firing and stoke the growth hormones with a quick dash up an incline, hill, set of stairs, escalators at shopping centre, vomitories at football stadium, or such like. The Lansdown Upper, Christmas Steps, Jacob's Ladder steps Falmouth (if it were on me doorstep), I do love a flight of steps. My 14 year old early this year beat me in a short dash for the first time, so that's the end of that. I won't be quicker than him again. I might still be able to beat him over the long haul but I can't be bothered with that. He probably couldn't either. So, it's short bursts of reasonably high intensity for me, followed by the all important "intervals" which are critically important, and longer in duration.

To also be fair: 735 Janners at Port Vale. In L2. Bristol to Lincoln: 183 miles; 3 hours 4 mins. Plymouth to the Potteries: 240 miles; 3 hours 54 mins.

Surely we're bigger than them ... er, silly me! What am I thinking? Surely we're bigger than that?

You mention "realistic" there and I think this is the key:- reality (ie that which cannot be denied or fibbed about or dreamed up or manipulated or massaged in the mind: the league table, which does not lie remember) has them wedged between Mk Dons and Shrewsbury, and trailing "the likes of" Wycombe, Fleetwood, Burton and Rochdale. Who wants to dwell on and inhabit that reality, that undeniable, unbearable truth? When you can dream up your own more pleasant, alternative "reality" where your support could be up there with West Ham or Blackburn (imagine imagining your support could be "right up there" with Blackburn!) I know what I would do, if we were wedged between Mk Dons and Shrewsbury, and trailing the likes of Wycombe. ...... and your crowd was smaller than Leyton Orient, of L2, at the weekend.....

There will surely be furious, feverish, frenetic excitement in the heat and the sweat of the Tents this week as they await news of the latest football club going into administration and bankruptcy and they prepare to cry: "Bolton 2019!" along with Southampton 2009!, Chester 2010! Aldershot '92! Accrington Stanley '66! Portsmouth whatever year it was, Rangers 2012!, Huddersfield 2003!, and Leeds/Leicester/Hull, and of course, City 82. Must be exhausting for them, but as we know, fiscal propriety and scrupulous boardroom and administrative conduct is what they are passionate about, known for around the football community and quite simply it is what they do. Along with the other thing what they always do.

What have they ever actually done, you ask? They won the Third Division decades ago. Wow. And they have never "shafted" any players, local businesses, any one or thing ever, like what we did. Rather one day like a lion than 100 years asleep. Or sheep, or something. To be fair - not mandatory on this thread, but hey: let's give it a go - it's more like: rather "about an hour like a lion and the rest of the day a cross between a sloth and a goat than 100 years as Bristol Rovers." Not as snappy, clearly, but it'll do.

Rovers are older than us, too, they were around before us but, crucially, in my opinion, they played safe anchoring themselves in the safe harbour of the Southern League, not having the gumption to go out into the choppy waters of the new-fangled professional national, Northern leagues. Meanwhile, we were the upstart, younger brother that came from nowhere and took the leap into the shark-infested waters out beyond the comparatively gentle Southern League (largely amateur, anti professional. Unlike the northern Football League, ruthlessly professional. Cut throat) blazing a trail. And not only that, but succeeding, gloriously, almost immediately. We cut a dash, for a while. And were inches from glory; we touched greatness, briefly, but it slipped away. We were amongst the big boys. And then we went back there again with a team we made ourselves in the '70s. Rovers have always remained tied to mother's apron strings - taking shelter in the safe harbour of League One and Two, with even a dip back down into the part-time rubbish whence they originated when L2 was too much/rough for them - sucking their thumb, afraid to risk anything more, watching us while we have gone out into the world and tasted some of it's delights and disasters. The delights we enjoyed, they bitterly, and enviously resent; the disasters they revel in. They have no glory of their own to eulogise. They had five or six years in the Second Division in the 1950s where they mixed it with, for them, the big boys, and must've thought their moment had come, but it never happened. Back to mummy ever since. Rovers have never gone bust like us (1982), because they have never gone boom! like us (not that our boom! is anything to write home about, really). They would never dare! They've never had the bottle (the imagination/the audacity/the ambition/the gumption/the delusion). They won't let go of mummy. They like to see it (1982) as evidence of their moral superiority, when in fact their infatuation with our "moral failing" is a defence against their own fearfulness, timidity and sense of inferiority. They are still a Southern League club, at heart. They despise us because they despise themselves and their gutless, pathetic, fearful dependence on the safety of "mummy" and inability to make or even have a bloody good go amongst the big boys, where the glory is to be found. Like we're currently doing (the Championship, now, is a level way beyond anything they have ever experienced). Again. Not that Miah and co will admit this, or even recognise it.

You might also mention City go boom! every now and then, too - like right now; and in the 70s; and long before that - also "impacting on local businesses." Just for balance. You seem somewhat fixated on the bust whilst overlooking the boom - I'd imagine reaching the FA cup final had a positive affect upon "local businesses" not to mention "local" civic prowed and the subsequent impact on the "local" workforce and economy. Likewise, playing in the top division of English football more than once. Do we have the numbers to illustrate the respective "impact on local businesses" of the two Bristol clubs over the last five/fifty/one hundred years? Would that be of any interest to you?