italian dave

Dead right on that last point. (And the first one too ?). The stewarding at AG does seem unusually inconsistent and unpredictable though. The point @Harry makes above. Things like being able to get all the way to the Dolman entrance without having to show a ticket whilst on the other side of the ground you have to show one to get within 100m of the stadium. The best stewards always were (maybe still are) at Brentford. High five adults as well as kids, welcome to Brentford, have you had a good journey, here’s where you need to go, and pretty much always discreet, friendly, sensible inside the ground.

Thanks for dropping by and glad you enjoyed the result. It’s funny how results against local rivals seem to go in phases. It’s been so long since we played ours competitively that a whole generation can’t remember it. But when we did, we had a decade when we couldn’t beat them for love nor money - including one occasion when we played a two leg cup tie, managed a win away and then lost at home to go out! And yet either side of that were decades where we won almost every time. So, just console yourself with the fact that when you do turn it round it will give you a long spell of superiority! Enjoy the rest of the season: maybe see you at Ashton Gate next season - although probably best you don’t go looking at the current thread about that possibility!

Where we were: 12th in the Championship. Where we are: 13th in the Championship. And I’m only joking! I know there’s lots more to it than that etc etc and getting into that will hijack the thread even more!!

I’d be interested too, but not sure that’s quite the right question. Encroaching on the pitch is an offence under the Football Offences Act, I believe. That’s a bit different from just ‘being difficult’.

Yeah, completely with you on that. I just thought (hence the double edged sword reference) that it would be a chance to “welcome” him back to Ashton Gate, and a chance to thump his side twice ?

Coming down, I’d guess most people’s favourite would be Everton. For me, WHU - purely because it would be a new ground. Up: Ipswich is a bit of a double edged one! Wycombe creeping in would be another shorter away trip next season which would be nice.

We’re pretty close now though, aren’t we? I don’t think anyone would argue we’re not getting value from Wells and (injuries aside) Kalas - and to the extent that we’re not, that’s entirely down to pre and post covid market changes. Look, we may not be 100% there, but the general consensus seems to be that we made huge strides this January. And I’m not suggesting that there’s no place for debate about the merits, consequences etc of previous management regimes. There’s a long thread elsewhere and you and I have shared discussion there. I just find it tiresome now when so many threads get taken off tangent by this. And this thread is a good example: what’s started as a very good natured question about whether we’d turned the corner, what’s happened over the past 8 weeks or so, what difference that had made, whether that should give us hope that it will be sustained….all interesting stuff. And then one poster has the temerity to suggest that they’re not 100% convinced, and immediately we get the “yeah, but…..Lee Johnson/Mark Ashton” and lo and behold we’re into that whole debate again, and along comes the forum troll to pitch in with Gary and with Danny Wilson. Just tedious.

It seems pretty self evident that it IS debateable: there’s three pages of it. I just find it odd that after a series of events involving an illegal encroachment onto the pitch, encouraged (or at least allowed) by a parent, followed by what sounds like quite viscous assaults on at least one steward, after all that your only concern is that the parents take action against the stewards. Personally, I’m with @Gasbuster in feeling that if the parents take any further action it should focus on making sure their children know how to behave in future.

Look forward to a penalty-fest at Ashton Gate in a fortnight then!

Well, there is. Where the line is, and which side this was, may be debateable,

Think there was a shed.

@JoeAman08 is a poster on here, not my “mate”. And he didn’t compare NP with anyone. That was you.

Oh, no. Here we go again. Can’t we give it a rest? Ancient history now.

The Streets of Laredo…..Johnny Cash

Yep.

Given that Nakhi got away with it last week, we can’t have too many grumbles about that one. And yes, I know the offence on Nakhi was a different level,.

To be honest, I’d hope we were already ahead at that stage. We’re pretty much nailed on to miss it when we do finally get one! ?

On the first point…..yep, sadly so……although it’s part of a much bigger issue about wealth and inequality in Britain. On the second, not sure that’s an issue of elitism…the opposite. Internet and something to connect to it are as a ‘utility’ nowadays - which is what the price increases they’re allowed to get away with are outrageous. But that’s probably for another thread!

I’m pretty sure they’ll have made this decision after looking at the data they have for entry times. And they’ll be confident that at worst it won’t affect queue times. To be honest, my experience at supermarkets is that it’s people paying with their phones who are quickest. The slowest are those paying with good old fashioned cash. Who wait until everything is packed and then seem surprised to remember that they have to pay, rummage around in a bag trying to find a purse, then count out every last coin to see if they have the right money!

If you can afford Premier League football then you can probably afford a £75 phone. And if you’re on a low income you’re likely claiming Universal Credit which you’d be expected to do digitally. They’re by no means a luxury nowadays.

Not sure that is the most unreasonable bit. You remember to charge your phone before setting off. A bit like you remember to pick up your paper/card ticket before you set off now.

Either that, or there are some that are so rare that they only live along an old railway line in Sheepway and haven’t been discovered there………yet ?

I think in City’s case it’s probably more accurate to talk about minimising loss than maximising profit! But slightly more seriously, I think that whilst we’d all love to have the phone answered first time whenever we call, we also call constantly for us to go out and spend money to improve the squad. My personal experience is that buying tickets online is pretty easy and straightforward and not a bad experience at all. I bought my Cup ticket on Monday evening, and literally 2 minutes from clicking the link on my email to having the ticket printed off. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to steer as many as possible to that route and the point @Hittheginger makes above is a good one: not saying City do this but it’s not uncommon for companies to actively disincentivise customers from phoning to do things they could do online by deliberately making them wait longer if they use the phone. I am no IT expert, but I wouldn’t argue with your suggestion that the IT looks like it needs an update: it’s not very intuitive, it seems quite clunky at times, but I’d probably rather that was where any investment went.

So, Paul Ince at Reading is 7th longest serving………and he’s been there 9 months. Astonishing.

My pond is ready and waiting….?