fgrsimon

10 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

You don't know that and neither do I, none of us know. I have worked at a multitude of companies in my working life, and would be hard pressed to tell what any of the bigwigs do other than try to look important when anyone is looking.

When I first started in IT at a pensions company, the chairman was up in the Ivory towers on the top floor. Occasionally he was needed to sign an important document or something. The girls on reception knew to phone him, before anyone went up, to make sure he was actually awake in order to avoid embarrasment. He was something to do with Arsenal too, in the Peter Hill Wood era.

Nothing much has changed in the last 30 odd years, across several companies. They come in, spout the usual bollocks, inevitably screw up sooner or later, depart suddenly (to pursue other opportunities), move on somewhere else and the cycle restarts. Usually ex public school, oxbridge types.

And then there are the American companies...

Impossible situation this season. Probably smallest budget in the league (FGR's budget last season was way higher than Cheltenham) and let their best player Alfie May and others leave in the summer with no adequate replacement. He'd scored 43 goals in 2 seasons.

They were favourites for relegation this season before it started and barring a miracle they will be relegated whoever the manager is. Most of the very small clubs that they could compete with got relegated last season. 

17 hours ago, Leveller said:

As you well know, Beck used every trick in the book to find “marginal gains”, tricks which have become legend, many being to unsettle the opposition before they even got on the pitch. One of his tricks was to order the groundsmen to leave the grass longer in the corners of the pitch, so the ball would hold up more, helping his wingers get in crosses to Dion Dublin and John Taylor.

Dave Brailsford at British was I think the biggest proponents of 'marginal gains' theory. However as it's subsequently turned out that might have been other, ahem, "methods" being used.....

9 hours ago, phantom said:

The club are aiming to sell 10k against Arsenal and Man Utd and tickets are already on sale in the Dolman Centre blocks for both these games due to the high sales already -of course both of these sides have high profile England internationals in their line ups and like the Liverpool game the other year at AG8 many will be attracted to the fixture by the name of the opposition

Would genuinely be amazing if the women get a bigger gate than Rovers for one game this season. 3rd biggest football club in Bristol etc...

46 minutes ago, HitchinRed said:

Surely an agent works on behalf of his client (ie the player). However, as been pointed out several times on GasChat, the  player was absolutely desperate to sign up for the gas. Therefore its difficult to see why the agent would deliberately ruin the deal. I’m sure somebody on GasChat will be able to explain this to the other inbreds.

It's easy, the agent must be a s***head!

4 hours ago, Boring Sag said:

No. I believe you're confusing Jonson Clarke-Harris for Stefan Payne. Clarke-Harris and Rovers seem to have had a pretty good relationship since he joined.

Apart from the season he turned up about 3 stone overweight of course...

Yes watched the first 4 so far and really enjoying it. 

I did wonder about the standard of the opposition though, can't believe that a battle-hardened top National League Chesterfield 1st team wouldn't have walloped a team of misfits who'd only been together for a few days (a bit cruel admittedly but you know what I mean). Presumably it was a Chesterfield youth squad or something ?

That Iranian guy looked excellent and I will keep track of his career. It sounded like he was on track for a promising career at Bolton but he and his family got arrested on suspicion of immigration offences which were subsequently thrown out of court. I can see how that could certainly derail a career! Felt so sorry for the ex-Southampton player who'd had such horrendous injury problems, 3 ACL tears, reminded me of Christian Ribeiro who was such a promising defender here a few years back.

2 hours ago, Dr Balls said:

Without more detail it’s impossible to be too specific. However in simple terms, the surgical options for bacterial infections are either “incision and drainage [of pus]” for abscesses and collections, or an excision of infected tissue, be that skin, muscle, bone or something else. Neither are good, as you would normally hope that antibiotics alone should treat most bacterial infections.

Yes agreed, I've got a bit of medical knowledge (former FIBMS) but bacterial infections are not good in general and requiring surgery, even less so.  So potentially a bit worrying but hopefully surgery is/has been successful and being young and hyperfit is always on your side.

I need a Hernia op which I've been putting off for too long and this is not encouraging me to go for it. Gulp!

On 16/08/2023 at 23:13, Sir Colby-Tit said:

I think it's because we've consistently underachieved for a club playing in a city the size of Bristol, but miraculously they've managed to be consistently shitter than us , making them the most bitter football fans in the entire football league.

I've thought this many times. Lets face it, City have achieved the square root of fa in, what 130 years of existence and supporting them has been a largely unrewarding activity to say the least. For 95% of that time Rovers have been worse. It's no surprise at all then that their supporter base is so bitter.

53 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

Strikes me as deja vu from Eliasson, Dave - a player with undoubted ability but who we seem to have no clue how to utilise effectively. 

See also Sammy Smodics

2 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Been to The Venue a few times if you mean the New Cross one in 2017 to 2020. Tender to be on a Saturday night.

Seemed okay but I think they have cleaned up a bit, depends when you went. I know the security was pretty rigorous there.

In respect of The Venue, to my disappointment and that of some mates, I seem to recall going there in 2021..about 2 years ago to the week maybe- post Covid and finding it still had not reopened! Remained the case last time I was in the area too.

Used to be a good live music venue in the 80's and 90's. Saw Spiritualized* there for one of their very early gigs. Not really a typical 'Milwall' band but mind-blowing loud and white light intense. Long 2 Nightbus journey home to N London though.

* Probably means nothing to anyone born after the 80's but a reasonably well known band in 90's, popular enough to sell out Royal Albert Hall and Hammersmith Appollo later in their career

25 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

I’ve never been to Bournemouth but I can confirm you’re 100% correct. 

The players don't have to live in the town/city itself though. Middlesbrough (a genuine shithole if ever there was one!) players live somewhere like Yarm which is very nice. There are lovely places within easy commute of Wolverhampton.

Can't turn down £20/25 million unfortunately. He could get an career threatening injury in the next game and that would be that.

Just echoing others in that it's annoying that it's bleedin' Bournemouth (again)! For most of my life I've considered them on a level, at best, with the Gas for God's sake! It still seems more odd to me Bournemouth and Brentford being in the PL than Luton, who I've actually seen in a top flight game plus remembering David Pleat dancing on the pitch, winning League Cup etc.

2 hours ago, RedRaw said:

Not according to these wet wipes…...

The other possibility is that they appeared to have disregarded is that this new investor couldn't afford to buy Bristol City.

I think some of them think the new investor is the Crown Prince of Jordan or something due to some speculative horseshit posted by a user yesterday?

Oh well, things could be worse, we could have knocked down the Atyeo and started building its replacement before getting Planning Permission...

3 hours ago, pongo88 said:

So, it’s a stand with a few bits of metal that can be bolted together, in no time at all, and just plonked on the ground. A few weeks ago they were comparing it to the Atyeo stand! The Atyeo, which is a proper stand, took months to build. It’s neatly 30 years old but obviously futuristic compared to the Rovers latest effort 

 

One thing about this is that if they eventually manage to build/assemble this thing, when it comes to redeveloping the Atyeo, we can just knock it down and start building whenever SL wants. No need for any of this Planning Permission malarkey, I'm sure our friends from Horfield will be fully behind us...

Seriously though, if roles had been reversed and we had done this, imagine the outrage from their side.

7 hours ago, bcfc01 said:

Its likely that they thought they could submit a planning application themselves, hence the comical "plans" submitted back in April. I would think an agent was hired late in the day once BCC asked for some proper documentation.

I'm pretty sure that a part of the problem is that things like this are done very differently in the Middle East and a few backhanders or 'deals' help 'smoothe through' the processes there.

It seems there's a culture at Bristol Rovers that nobody challenges things at all - from JBs communications, to signing criminals, to the owner saying the new stand can be designed and built in a couple of months.

Something similar to what was happening here during the LJ/MA on the playing side. Happily we got everything off the pitch pretty much spot-on since Ashton Vale was refused.

5 hours ago, Homer Simpson said:

Apparently taken today. Looks like they've got the internal walls up. 

 

Yep pretty much good to go I reckon!

Well for the 24-25 season at least.

10 hours ago, Eddie Hitler said:

 

Realistically he should be heading for a Division 3 or 4 club as that's his current level.

It will take the pressure off and give him the opportunity to regain his former ability.

I think his going to any Championship club would be a disaster for both him and the club.

I have enough confidence in our current recruitment team to know that he won't be coming here.

Yes I don't think the high intensity of the Championship would be good for him at all. SPL would be a good move, if not Celtic/Rangers, one of the best of the rest teams, Hearts, Aberdeen (I would say Hibs but I'm not sure LJ is the manager he needs right now). Somewhere he can have a few 'off' games and no-one would notice too much.

5 hours ago, phantom said:

If you are close to FGR you will know why he was sacked 

You'd also know why DV got himself in trouble last December 

I dont know about Harry, I used to be close but I don't know anyone on the inside these days. I bailed out when DV changed the club colours from black&white to Ecotricity green. As per Cardiff there are some things you just don't mess with.

All I've heard is rumours of a training ground bust up and/or DF and the new DoF being on different planets.

I'm racking my brains about DV last December, do you mean the Palestinian flag thing?

I have very little to do with the club these days but did go to the Fans Forum with DV and DF in March for the want of anything else to do of an evening. DF came across as very amiable and positive but clueless as regards to modern lower league football.

One thing that did shock me was that someone suggested from the floor that they appeared to have signed the worst centre-forward and goalkeeper in the world (Bakayoko and Doohan signed by new HoR Steve Grieve in January). Vince smiled and said something along the lines of 'there are some in the club that wouldn't disagree with that'! I thought, blimey that ought to do wonders for their confidence!. The whole Forum is on YouTube if anyone is interested. To be fair, both players have been utter shite apparently but...

It's certainly been a soap opera for the last 12 months and has helped keep me sane through some difficult times!

2 hours ago, richyy66 said:

Seriously some of the objections are laughable. Although we did have similar when trying for New Ashton Vale Stadium.

This objection made me chuckle from local resident of Horfield

 

 

- one of the objections actually mentions dog walkers!

1 hour ago, Leveller said:

Exactly what I thought. Seems such a nice bloke.

The other thing about Nakhi is his injury record, can't actually remember him missing a game through injury! Even that Holden/Pearson season where the treatment room must have resembled the London Dungeon, I think he played or was on the bench in pretty much every game?

What were the odds of 2 ex City players being in such a list??? Matt Smith (is rubbish!) now at Salford City apparently.

Lots of 'noise' around Luton in the PL but to me Bournemouth are and have always been, a lesser club than Luton. Could say the same about Brentford too but they didn't buy a place in the PL as Bournemouth did.

Thirty, even twenty years ago, if some one had said we'd be a league below Bournemouth  Brentford and Luton, you'd have thought things would be going very badly for us...

2 hours ago, Davefevs said:

No need to apologise.

As for McKenna, he looks a good manager.  I watched his contract interview this morning, I see honesty and humility.  I see clarity in what he’s trying to do.  I’ve listened to several others from him, he was a very good recruit.

Like all supporter groups there are good and bad.

One of your TWTD posters said today he couldn’t name one Bristol City player, and yet we are obsessive because we know yours.  I think that says more about their football knowledge than anything.  Another said not one Bristol City player would get in Ipswich’s eleven.  Those are the bad examples.  But there are others who seem to have a bit more realism (like your manager) about what a step up the Champ is.

Before reading this thread I could only name 1 Ipswich player - Wes Burns, he couldn't get in our team when he was here and certainly wouldn't today either.