CiderEagle Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 Bristol City's midfielder Tony Rougier is playing for his own future as well as his club's as Danny Wilson's team take on Hartlepool in the Second Division play-offs semi-final return at Ashton Gate tonight. The 32-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international, who scored in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Victoria Park, will see his contract expire when City's season finally ends. And that, Rougier believes, will coincide with promotion at the Millennium Stadium on May 30. To achieve that, Rougier will have to be third time lucky after two play-off disappointments. Rougier scored an own goal in extra-time as Reading fell 3-2 to Walsall in the 2001 Second Division play-off final. And last May he was one of the Reading squad beaten in the semi-finals by Wolves. City also missed out last year, falling 1-0 to Cardiff in the semi-finals. But Rougier, who joined from Brentford in March, says he has already seen enough quality to take City up this time. "When I was at Reading in a promotion push there was a good team spirit. But I believe the team spirit now at City is even greater. The talent in the two squads is on a par and when Reading eventually went up they did so with the same squad and that set of players recorded a fourth-place finish in ther First Division." Of his own future, Rougier said: "I'm sure if the chairman were to hand me a three-year contract now, I'd play even better. But being serious, I can't afford to have bad games. I'm looking for a new deal with City or with another club if they don't want me." City's captain Tommy Doherty is expected to start tonight after being taken off just after half-time in the first leg following a clash of heads with Hartlepool's leading scorer Eifion Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bristolbred Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 "La, La, La Rougier!!" "He'll Score a goal today!!". :sport19: COME ON YOU REDS!!!!!!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Royal4ever Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 What Rouge is saying is just what I'm talking about guys, keep a promotion team together and you will do well in Division One trust me. You might need a proven goalscorer, but nothing more than that, if that. New signings after promotion disrupt things, don't waste your money, and keep bringing your youngsters through Bristol City are the best footballing side we've played against for many years, so that signals you might just be more successful in a higher division! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 What Rouge is saying is just what I'm talking about guys, keep a promotion team together and you will do well in Division One trust me. You might need a proven goalscorer, but nothing more than that, if that. New signings after promotion disrupt things, don't waste your money, and keep bringing your youngsters through Bristol City are the best footballing side we've played against for many years, so that signals you might just be more successful in a higher division! But we still finished third even though we were better than Plymouth and QPR so we can't be that great. If we get promotion I do feel we'll stay up but it will be very tough. MM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Royal4ever Posted May 19, 2004 Report Share Posted May 19, 2004 If you don't add to the squad I think you'll make the top 30 in the country. I can't see Plymouth staying up, they are just not suited to Division One, they are though very well suited to the bottom two divisions. Bristol City are suited to do well in Division One. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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