Cidre Monita

On 07/05/2024 at 10:44, ralphindevon said:

Today marks the 40th anniversary of our victory at Chester City, a win that clinched us 4th spot in the 4th division and promotion.

It was a bank holiday Monday and just a great day from start to finish. My friends and I only decided to go the night before, we lived in Minehead so it was quite a trip. Fortunately when we arrived at Ashton Gate Beryl Fudge managed to squeeze us on a small coach which she’d manage to secure at the last minute.

A sunny day, great music on the radio, a 1-2 victory thanks to a Trevor Morgan double, on the pitch celebrations, bumping into Swansea fans at a service station on the way home…..

Most Importantly, after a catastrophic few years of decline and almost not existing at all, we were back! 

My favourite too. I remember travelling up seeing all the City boys in the backs of transits with scarfs hanging out and the Reflex by Duran Duran on the radio every 5 minutes. Absolutely fantastic day and felt like we had got our club back. Just a shame I was too young to get p***ed when we got home! 

On 06/05/2024 at 14:36, Back of the Dolman said:

No effort was made by the club to give the team a chance of staying up.

I think next season will see a very tough championship and after such a torrid season I think the side will need to start well and build confidence.

They will be seen as a scalp to take by others so they will have to be mentally and physically up for the battle.

I’m not convinced I’ve seen enough from the manager to suggest she is the right fit but I think you have to give her the chance to get the team going again.

Interested to see the attendances next season, bound to be some drop off due to relegation but how big a drop off will be interesting.

I read somewhere that the London Lionesses have just been bought by a massively wealthy owner who was going to throw money at them. A wealthy owner - just like us then! Oh wait…….

Just now, Peter1450 said:

Does anyone wonder if Steve sits in Guernsey watching this nonsense he’s presiding over thinking what a great job he’s done.

I don’t for one minute think he has any shame. Or his lickspittle Gavin Marshall. 

11 minutes ago, Tim Monaghan said:

Frustrated is probably the right word, but certainly not unhappy. That could change following the summer window as I truly believe we’re in the best position we’ve been in for a while. The club think that too. We need to build on some key areas in the squad, and I think we’ve got a real chance. 
 

For what I’m hearing we will shock a few this window. 

Fair play mate, I admire your optimism. I look forward to us causing major ripples in the summer window. Watch out Man U & Co we are fishing in the same waters as you now!! You thought there was no competition for those new South American wonder kids?! Think again!! 

1 minute ago, Tim Monaghan said:

So you’re more disillusioned than 1982? 

Yes. Very different circumstances. We almost lost our beloved club due to over stretching ourselves financially. We now have a local billionaire who has saddled us with debt with no intention of financing a promotion push. You happy with the current situation, Tim? 

1 hour ago, TDarwall said:

I can't imagine a time I will stop supporting the club. This isn't a perfect analogy, but to me it's like saying "why are you so loyal to your family, other families have achieved so much more on fewer resources". 

I think a change of ownership would be for the best, but I won't let my discontent with the owners stop me enjoying something I've done for the last 40+ years.

 

 

Correct. A very far from perfect analogy. Myself and family members will not go to the Gate again whilst SL remains as owner. He has sucked the life out of it for us. Anyway hope you enjoy the new season.  

8 minutes ago, TDarwall said:

Everyone is off course entitled to their own opinion, but this approach to me is contrary to what it means to support a team.

I am with @GrahamC its our club. It would really vex me if we were owned by a despotic regime & whilst I'd hate that aspect of it, I'd still support City, because the club is bigger than the owner, manager etc.

When you break it down, everything about a football club is transient, the only thing which isn't is the fan base.  I 1st went with my dad, now I go with my son. When I'm gone I hope he goes with his children.

Earlier in the thread, I think @pillred said no other medium gets the same sort of loyal support & that's absolutely right.  I love music & there are acts I've really liked & no longer do (hi Morrissey), however City are different, the connection is deeper. I didn't like Pulis, but I supported City when he was the boss. I don't see anything changing that (but Hollowhead would be a test.....).

So how much more of the Lansdown regime are you willing to put up with TD? I have supported the club since my old man first took me to the gate in the late 70’s, but have never felt so disillusioned as I am now. It’s become blatantly obvious that SL has no intention of financing a promotion push, and I believe we are effectively now in a managed decline. If you wish to support that, fine, it’s up to you, but I would rather we have a bit of short term pain for long term gain. I have long come to the conclusion that SL doesn’t have our best interests at heart and will carry on as owner to the detriment of the club. 

19 hours ago, Kingston_Red said:

Why would we back NP he had shown nothing to suggest he was the man to take us forward. 

I’m responding to this KR on the assumption that you’re not an employee of Bristol Sport with an axe to grind. Just a few points below of what NP has done for our club:

- Drastically reduced the wage bill (as per SL’s instructions) following an agreed 3 year plan

- Introduced a playing identity and recruited accordingly. No more scattergun buys in the transfer market and an eye for a bargain. 

- Supporting and guiding Lauren Smith with the ladies team. 

- Bringing through the academy players and closing the gap between the youth and 1st team. Both groups of players training together. 
 

- Further developing Scott and Semenyo into multi-million pound players. Also, bringing through Conway into a top Championship striker with a large price tag. 

4 hours ago, GrahamC said:

We’re not all being “fooled”, it’s our club.

I was here before Tinnion, here before Lansdown & as long as I’m on the planet & well enough to attend, will be here after them, too.

Doesn’t mean I don’t find Tinnion an embarrassment or Lansdown & son poor owners beyond infrastructure.

Yes Graham you are correct it is our club and means a hell of a lot to us all. However it’s now got to the point where I think that buying season cards, or putting any money into the coffers is helping prop up the Lansdown regime. We need rid of these people and it’s gone beyond the ‘careful what you wish for’ stage. Fair play to all you fans that have renewed, but I think it would have made a massive statement if people had withdrawn their support for one season to send a message to SL. I appreciate there are concerns about losing seats and not being able to sit with friends etc, but something needs to change. I honestly find it quite depressing to look ahead with the knowledge that my club will never make it to the promised land under the current ownership. And deep down I think most fans know it too. 

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

what a wonderful season of missed opportunity.

They worked so hard to get promoted last season (always hard when it’s only one promotion spot available), and then playing WSL games at AG too.

We can see from the men’s side, SL is bored of it.

Just sell it / give it away and enjoy Le Mare Golf in Guernsey.  Put yourself and us fans out of our / your misery.

 

 

Perfectly put, Dave. I feel so sorry for all involved with the City ladies they have been badly let down. SL clearly had no intention of making us competitive this season. I think we are heading for a major crossroads soon under the current ownership. On a side note I think Gavin Marshall tweeted something similar to the above tweet, but then deleted it? Either that, or he’s blocked me!! 

19 minutes ago, Randy Marsh II said:

Coming to an Ashton Gate near you in 2024/25

Not hard really is it?;

Good manager + Backed by ambitious owner = success 

2 hours ago, fisherrich said:

Just look at what players have left the club. The former players that left know the club is tinpot, that is why they left. Bristol City will be holding back their career.
Tommy Conway will be the next one. And on it goes.
Just listened to that Tinnion interview again and it’s even worse second time around. Shambolic.

Great post and I totally agree. If the likes of Conway don’t want to sign a new contract then what is the point of us. His mate Scott couldn’t wait to get away….to the mighty Bournemouth! Obviously those two still talk and I imagine have a good laugh at the going’s on at the Gate. It’s hypothetical now of course, but you would think that TC would probably sign a contract if NP was here especially if he’d been backed in the summer with the club showing some ambition. 

I really fear for us next season if we lose the 3 experienced midfielders in addition to TC and possibly Pring and Knight. It sounds like we will be looking to bring in a beanpole foreign striker which should make for really attractive winning football next year!! 

I would think that both Jason Knight and Bird will be having words with their agents…

37 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I'll hold my hands up, maybe huge regression is overplaying it but the direction of travel is alarming.

No you’re right mate, stand by your guns. Unfortunately I think things are only going to get worse. Remember we have only got 2 fit centre backs and god help us if we lose one/both to injury. 

I think a lot of our fan base will only ‘wake up’ when we’re playing the Gas next year in a league derby and I don’t think they’ll get promoted! 

2 minutes ago, Pippintogg said:

Another poor goal. Keeper stays on the line might have had a chance. Lack quality, poor decisions. 

Losing 3-7!! A shame the fans forum is cancelled this Monday as I had a few questions for Gavin Marshal!! 

The 4th best supported team in EUROPE after Arsenal, Barcelona & Man U going down with a whimper. City in free fall, the ladies already gone and the Bears 3rd from bottom. Hat tip to messrs Gavin Marshall & Stephen Lansdown….continuing to make Bristol proud.

Haha you’ve nailed it pal!! 

2 minutes ago, spudski said:

....from everyone in it together, players and fans under NP, all pulling together, getting it, fighting, respect, understanding...a feeling of we are all pulling in the same direction. A feeling of togetherness. Fighting, supportive, but respectful and knowing our ability and limits. 

To this bullshit within a few months. 

Talk about not understanding football, your fanbase, and totally thinking you and the squad are better than they are. 

Delusional. 

It's a reflection of how many in Government/Politics read and understand the country and what's needed. 

In it for themselves...out of their depth and massively delusional. 

The fact a fan base can see it, call it...but our ' leaders' can't is stunningly. 

' Tecknically and Proffesionally ' sp inept. 

 

It wasn’t broke so didn’t need fixing. Nigel was sacked for non-footballing reasons. 

I reckon we are deep in the brown stuff. If we were losing games 2-3, or 3-4 I’d be a bit more relaxed, but we’ve stopped scoring as witnessed in the last few games. Difficult to see where the goals are going to come from under the current format. Add to this the fact the players may have lost confidence in him and are no longer putting in a shift. 

3 hours ago, Natchfever said:

The point is, as Galley says SL should step in and make things right .

He wont do that but we (or some) hope that he will.

Like some want Tinnion removed. Wont happen so  viewed as a nonsensical pov but nevertheless some live in hope.

To be honest Natch SL has had 20 years to make things right. As I previously said not quite sure what he would do if he did step in as JL/BT are already carrying out his instructions. 

35 minutes ago, Natchfever said:

Missed the point mate.

 

Must have missed it. What was the point you were trying to make? 

21 minutes ago, Natchfever said:

Unless Lansdown sells then the only hope is that he goes against type and steps in as Galley suggests.

Reality suggests that may well be nonsensical but we can live in hope !

With all due respect that is nonsensical. Do you honestly think that JL is acting independently of his father? SL is the overlord of our club and anything his son or Tinman say is direct from the big man himself. Nothing will change until he sells up which will hopefully be in my lifetime. 

1 hour ago, Galley is our king said:

I totally agree with this post. Thank you.

I for one (and I know others) who have already taken the decision not to renew. I've supported City (like you), for many years, 62 and counting but I have rarely felt so disillusioned at the powers that be.

Neither JL or BT have the qualities, qualifications or experience to be in post.

Something must change, maybe SL needs to step in, regain control and put in place a few professional people who know what they are doing because the 2 mentioned above definitely do not...

 

I have been going to the Gate since the 70’s and share your frustration. However people need to realise that SL is the problem and not the potential solution as you suggest. Remember he effectively sacked Phil Alexander (previous premiership CEO of the year) and NP and Rennie et al. Big respect for you fellow red but that your paragraph is nonsense. 

Give Andy King a go and review at the end of the season.