Happy Ever After

[mjallen]

Im a Bristolian cider head now living in Scotland. I barely get a chance to get to an AG game. This year i decided, as i normally do, to make the long trip down to watch the league game against our mighty rivals Cardiff City. After breaking down on the motorway to Edinburgh airport at 6am/ missing my flight/ getting a blowout on the second journey to airport in the afternoon/ therefore, running Sproule style down via gates to make that flight...... i arrived just in time at the gate to see witness a footballing disaster!!!! £190 well spent.

Following that defeat and the abysmal run thereafter in which GJ lost his mind and the dressing room spirit i believe many clubs would have gone under or at least struggled to fight off relegation. WE DIDNT. This is because we have quality players in our squad and players with belief and strong desire to play for our club and live in our city.

From a birdseye view i have watched our team pick themselves up from disaster and into a position in which a play-off position in still possible, an incredible achievement.

Next season (although still clinging onto play-off hope haha) our success will not simply be down to the experience of a manager who has been there, done it, got the badge with another club... eg. Coppell, Mowbray etc.

It will come from the making of a consistent brand of winning football created by a good relationship between the manager, the players who have the quality, the chairman, and the strength of support from us week in - week out.

[City Yank]

I think what you say is right on target.... On the cusp of big things (Prem) but a year or two away. I think big Steve L has done a great job of keeping a cool head and making good choices in the face of the pressure from the Cider Army. When the new stadium opens up promotion is around corner

[The Red Planet]

Think you have it right City Yank.

I am certain that Lansdown's strategy is to consolidate our position in the CCC (actually that has already been achieved), bring in the new manager, build the new stadium and then go for the Prem. Dreamland would be promotion at the end of the season before we move in.

Having said that the new manager and SL will be well aware that some of the current squad are not up to playing in the top flight and so I think we are going to see a lot of personnel changes in the squad over the next two years as we build up steam towards the Promised Land !