Leveller

I’m sure you’re right about the watering - he probably did that and the long grass thing too. It doesn’t alter my point about LJ.

Chances are, he’ll take the job, improve them slightly, avoid relegation, and everybody will still be arguing whether he’s average or terrible!

Has anyone else read Jonathan Sayer’s book (“Nowhere to run”, I think) about buying Ashton United? They’re a Manchester club in tier 7, and JS and his dad decided to take over, being genuine long term fans. For context, Jonathan is one of the actor/writers behind the “Goes Wrong” plays and TV shows, so is relatively well off, but knew little about football admin, except from a fan’s perspective. This isn’t exactly the Wrexham scenario though! Its an interesting read, but not as funny as I’d hoped. It does shed some light on non league management and recruitment though, in particular the difference between contract and non contract players. It’s also good on the angst that owners can suffer when faced with bad decisions and pure bad luck.

He very probably did. Let’s not forget that LJ was born in Newmarket and spent his childhood watching Gary who was assistant to John Beck at Cambridge United, during their phenomenal rise up the league. Now Beck’s tactics may have been derided, but they were based on analysis that was light years ahead of most other coaches, which led him to believe that direct football was the route to success. And of course it was, up to a point. 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. So it’s highly likely that LJ’s views on marginal gains derived from his experience of Beck’s methods, either directly or via Gary. And he would have been aware that other managers might follow Beck’s example so the grass would be at different lengths in different places. Thus, relying on players’ instinct during the warm up could be seen as over simplistic and a bit late in the day. I think the story originated in this article by Gregor McG in 2017, actually an interview with McAllister. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jamie-mcallister-explains-bristol-city-704346 ‘The Bristol Post asked how the different height of the grass might influence the game plan. "It can do [influence a tactic]. If the grass is a bit long then you might be able to leave it [the ball] in the corner a bit more, it'll hold up," explained McAllister.’ The article also uses the “marginal gains” phrase. So the echoes of John Beck are clear. JB wasn’t popular, but his attention to detail clearly left its mark.

Well they better had measure the grass, considering there are rules about how long it should be.

I’m never quite sure why people make fun of measuring the grass. Clearly it’s an important factor in playing passes along the ground. We also water the pitch just before every kick off, presumably to ensure the ball zips over the surface. Nobody jokes about that. It’s known that some hoofball clubs leave the grass long in certain areas, isn’t it? And I believe Arsene Wenger used to go on about it too.

Interesting to see that Lauren Jones and Carrie Jones are both from Newtown, so there’s probably a long-standing connection. Also where my Dad was from.

Exactly. There’s quite a lot of hypocrisy here - people want small away crowds at Ashton Gate but large away crowds when we travel. Understandable but illogical. On another issue, for those who want home and away fans in the Atyeo - genuine question - does the concourse allow segregation if the seats are divided up?

Hated for being nice. I’ll take that. Apart from me being a rabid atheist of course.

Thank you for explaining my point more clearly than I did. I’m not suggesting these kids are fascists (which I said before) nor do I know if they are actual fighters. However, they are consciously associating themselves with a fighting culture (surely this is hard to deny) and also with Bristol City. I find that unpleasant. I’m aware that some on here disagree and are far more accepting of a certain level of violence.

Why?

Out of interest, if you’re local, can you get tickets in the home areas, or do Leicester sell out?

If you don’t know about the links between Italian Ultras and neo fascists, that’s not my fault, nor is it weird. Nor of course the echoes of the British Union of Fascists (the Blackshirts) under Oswald Mosley. Not all Ultras are fascists, but some are, and the look is not just a coincidence. These kids of course may well also be unaware and blindly following a fashion. But the masks and Casuals tag suggest a desire to link with violence and that’s enough to condemn them in my eyes.

It’s nothing to do with being well dressed - it’s the association of the Ultra look with Italian fascists (and the masks with sex offenders.) Apart from that I’m sure they’re very neat.

Yet OTIB goes into meltdown if a naive away fan wears their team’s shirt in “our” stand, with plenty of contributors honestly opining that they deserve to get attacked. Double standards.

Simple - they look stupid and pathetic and they’re associating themselves with our club. If it was a photo of teen Gasheads dressed like that there would be a storm of mockery on here. As there has been in the past.

Quite happy to judge people if they’re an embarrassment to the rest of us.

Some were crap, some weren’t. Just like now.

What do you think was particularly wrong with goalkeepers back in the day? Do you suppose Pickford is better than Gordon Banks was, for example? I appreciate some are now very big and no doubt fitter

That’ll be the away squad you’re talking about.

Money like that can’t be used within FFP unless you actually have the turnover that big crowds or EPL TV income produce.

Still worth a double take seeing Taunton Town above Yeovil!

Charlton have won one match and had lost four on the trot. Guess who Bristol Rovers’ only win of the season was against?

Presumably for a single chance,no. But for match it could be several.

Despite Lansdown’s falling short of the ambitions he had for the club, his ownership still looks lower risk than any purchase by an overseas buyer. Be careful what you wish for.