Testimonial Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 Just an early alert that we will be holding another "After The Match Debate" at The Three Lions in Bedminster on Saturday after the Forest game. Geoff Merrick will be the guest panellist with Richard Latham hosting the debate and City fan Mark Tovey introducing those City fans wanting to ask a question or make a point. We will be recording from 6pm and the programme will be online on www.sportuk.tv from around 9pm we reckon. For those who can't get to the pub but would still like to be involved or ask a question, we have set up an email address which you can use to ask Geoff Merrick a question in advance: debate@sportuk.tv There will also be a text facility for you to send a question to between the end of the game and the start of our recording - and there will be prizes to be won too !! Please have a look for further details: www.sportuk.tv Oh yes it is free to view thanks to our generous local sponsors. Thanks Sportuk.tv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pepsi&shirley Posted November 9, 2008 Report Share Posted November 9, 2008 Just an early alert that we will be holding another "After The Match Debate" at The Three Lions in Bedminster on Saturday after the Forest game. with Richard Latham hosting the debate and City fan Mark Tovey introducing those City fans wanting to ask a question or make a point. We will be recording from 6pm and the programme will be online on www.sportuk.tv from around 9pm we reckon. For those who can't get to the pub but would still like to be involved or ask a question, we have set up an email address which you can use to ask Geoff Merrick a question in advance: debate@sportuk.tv There will also be a text facility for you to send a question to between the end of the game and the start of our recording - and there will be prizes to be won too !! Please have a look for further details: www.sportuk.tv Oh yes it is free to view thanks to our generous local sponsors. Thanks Sportuk.tv Ill be their for sure..Ive always loved the elephant man.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenun Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 Here's a special preview for Saturday's debate from a man who should clearly lay off the cake: http://www.sportuk.tv/pages/misc/081115_af...ch_debate.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belfastcityfan Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Sorry if this is a stupid question but do you have to watch this online? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belfastcityfan Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Ill be their for sure..Ive always loved the elephant man.... That was John Merrick you berk You do remind me of him thou MD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC&T Board Members Blagdon red Posted November 11, 2008 SC&T Board Members Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Sorry if this is a stupid question but do you have to watch this online? You can watch it in person and/or take part at the pub (though I guess if you're in Belfast, that's not an option). As for watching the subsequent broadcast, yes it's only online ... and its' free to watch. You can also send in questions in advance to Testimonial (Nigel Turner), as per his post above. Here's the e-mail: debate@sportuk.tv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimonial Posted November 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 You can watch it in person and/or take part at the pub (though I guess if you're in Belfast, that's not an option). As for watching the subsequent broadcast, yes it's only online ... and its' free to watch. You can also send in questions in advance to Testimonial (Nigel Turner), as per his post above. Here's the e-mail: debate@sportuk.tv Thanks for making that point. we would love City fans from anywhere in the world to get involved, not just those who go to the game or who can get to the Three Lions for the recording. Please use the email address for any advance questions - especially anything specifically for Geoff Merrick. I will also be posting a text number in the next couple of days. The idea of that is to give fans leaving the game the chance to comment even if they can't make it to the pub. so long as you get your questions into us before 6 o'clock on Saturday we will be able to include them in the recording and then you will be able to log on later on Saturday evening to hear the answer. We could also do with as many people as possible in the pub being brave enough to step up to the mic and ask a question. So if you have got something to say please make an effort to be there in person or use the email or text. I really believe that this concept will catch on and can become a regular feature. Thanks - we look forward to all your comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belfastcityfan Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 Sent in my question, I hope Geoff gets a chance to answer it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippycar Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dazzler Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pepsi&shirley Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 That was John Merrick you berk You do remind me of him thou MD I do remind you of him....How very dare you Peter... Anyway I know who Geoff merrick is you "berk"... Will he be wearing that bag/cloth over his head????? :noexpression: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megansdad Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Just watched the dvd of the Arsenal game first of our time back in the top division. Great team we had then with merrick and Collier a very solid centre of defence, gerry gow in the middle and of course big paul cheeseley up front. Where might we have been today had we not lost cheese to injury and gary collier to freedom of contract. 1-0 flattered arsenal that day- a DVD well worth buying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nogbad the Bad Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 He will always be a legend as the Captain who guided us the the top flight, but his career took a downard spiral from thereon-in unfortunately. Geoff was an excellent defender, but his "woosh" type distribution meant he was found out at the top level, especially as target man Paul Cheesely got injured so early in our first campaign. Alan Dicks soon realised he had to shore up the defence, where left back veteran Brian Drysdale was really struggling, so he brought in Norman Hunter who oozed class in the central defensive position alongside either Gary Collier/Dave Rodgers who won most things in the air. This combination in central defence meant that Merrick was moved to left back, where he struggled and he also sufferred from bad injuries over the 1st 3 seasons in the top flight. Hunter was without doubt the best central defender I have ever seen at the club. For such a powerful player he had a great first touch and his skill and quality coming out of defence was a joy to behold. Did I forget to mention that he could put in a decent tackle when needed? and his experience of "blind-siding" referees makes some of the players of today (and indeed yesterday) look absolute planks with some of the antics they get up to right in front of the ref. Getting back to Geoff Merrick, as soon as he got back into the team after Big Norm left us, we ended up getting relegated. The fact that he was still there when we went bust and were hovering above the trap door of the basement (all of our saleable players had left by the time of the Ashton 8 crisis) tells me that he was one of our most disappointing players after the euphoria of that promotion night in 1976. Don't agree at all about Merrick's ability to play in the top league. Norman was brought in for his experience and top flight know how as an inspirational figure because City were struggling as a team, even though he was past his best. It was the aging Drysdale who was found out at the top level and Merrick, as the shorter of our two regular centre backs was sacrificed to take over at left back. Surely if Dicks thought Merrick wasn't up to it he would have brought in a specialist left back as well? He obviously thought Merrick was not only First Division class but added to that capable of being versatile enough to switch from his natural position and still be an asset to the team. I agree about injuries taking their toll. Don't forget that Arsenal made a 400k combined bid for Merrick and Ritchie just before we went up ( which the players themselves turned down in order to attain First Division status with City) so evidently they saw Merrick as one of the countries top young defenders who could thrive in the First Division. That was a massive bid in 1975 and soon after Arsenal set a new transfer record with the signing of Malcolm MacDonald for 333k who of course made his debut against City, and Merrick, just a few months later. We all know who came out on top that day..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tompo Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkok Red Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Don't agree at all about Merrick's ability to play in the top league. Geoff Merrick was one of my idols and certainly was good enough to play in the top flight. His whiplash tackles and ability to leap for the ball were second to none. He wasn't called Sir Geoffrey Merrick for nothing. Norman was brought in for his experience and top flight know how as an inspirational figure because City were struggling as a team, even though he was past his best. Actually, Norman wasn't past his best and Leeds let him go too early. In the Sunday People's best player ratings (for the division), Hunter was ranked in the top six for each of the 3 seasons he was at City.....great achievement and testimony to how well he performed for City. Surely if Dicks thought Merrick wasn't up to it he would have brought in a specialist left back as well? He obviously thought Merrick was not only First Division class but added to that capable of being versatile enough to switch from his natural position and still be an asset to the team. I agree about injuries taking their toll. Merrick started off as a left back in his younger days so it was an easy decision to make. However, playing left back exposed his limited distribution and destroyed him a little bit...he was never the same player again when he reverted back to central defence after Hunter left. Don't forget that Arsenal made a 400k combined bid for Merrick and Ritchie just before we went up ( which the players themselves turned down in order to attain First Division status with City) so evidently they saw Merrick as one of the countries top young defenders who could thrive in the First Division. That was a massive bid in 1975 and soon after Arsenal set a new transfer record with the signing of Malcolm MacDonald for 333k who of course made his debut against City, and Merrick, just a few months later. We all know who came out on top that day..... Sir Geoff was one of the top young defenders in the county at that time....however, the combined bid for Merrick and Ritchie was only 200k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkok Red Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimonial Posted November 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exiledinwatford Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Geoff was my particular favorite along with John Galley of course. Most of my football was played as someone who played oa a left sided centre-back alongside a big centre half - I even used to go to the half way line before the game started and make those imaginary headers - same as Geoff used to do when he warmed up! I used to watch him tackle, head and cover - he never seemed to make a mistake. Of course he could have played comfortably in the top league with one of the bigger clubs. It was a pleasure to talk with him at the AG8 dinner - BCFC is a huge part of his life. Not many like him - Carey, Tinnion and Murray are the only legends in the present day. I'll try and be there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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