I Thought Bs3 Was A Post Code

numbeast · August 15, 2011

When Adam Baker interviewed Steve Lansdown before and after the last game of the season SL said he would still back the club financially and his and the club goal was Premier League football. On his succession to the Chairman's post Colin Sexstone reiterated this goal and stating the club knew what positions needed strengthening. Keith Millen has said in all too many interviews that the club must push on and promotion was achievable and he had a list he was working through to provide strong competition for those positions for those weak areas and named those areas as left back centre half and creative midfield. From what we've seen these are the BS3 as in Bull Sh1ttng 3.

Since we've sold the majority of season ticket we were going to sell the tune appears to have changed. Steve Lansdown seems to have closed the coffers to the current manager to sign anyone who would command anything more than a nominal fee, Sexstone say we've got too many on the books and have to off load player who clearly seem to be sub standard and no one wants or are willing to come close to matching the wages we pay them and dear Keith has been unable to sign anyone other than the free agent Kilkenny from his list that would improve the areas of weakness but recruited a winger and a target man for "the future"

I've been a City fan for 40+ years and remember 1982 all too vividly and as such would happily accept relegation over administration or folding altogether and I know we must cut our cloth. But what annoys me is the BS coming out of the board and management just to sell season ticket. All 3 have said they want to get City promoted this season, well I want an Aston Martin but they cost money hence I'm contented with the car I have and the owner/chairman/manager need to realise if you want the Aston Martins (or Premier league) you have to shell out more than the price of a secondhand Escort. I feel the club have mislead supporters into believing that we would invest in the squad at the same time keeping our best players (although I think you can count on one hand the players worthy of this league let alone Premier League quality) Colin has highlighted Blackpool and Burnley as club we need to emulate but Blackpool shelled out £500k for Charlie Adam and Burnley bought Chris Eagles so the idea they got promoted on free agents and bargain basement signings is not really true.

In truth I would have bought my season ticket regardless (I renewed in Feb not knowing what league we'd be in this season) and although I don't want us to get relegated, if we do I'll renew next season as I'm sure will many others because most of us love our club whatever division we're in. I just want the bull Shi'ite to stop, give us the truth from the start and stop fobbing us off and lying. I don't care if the board can give us premier league football or can't stop us playing in League one next term but please give us, the paying life blood honesty, respect and the opportunity to respect the current CUSTODIANS of OUR CLUB

bs3 · August 16, 2011

I was only talking yesterday someone who said the same thing. This is a very important post because either we have been led on by the club or something have drastically changed in the last few months. There is questions needed to be asked of how the club is run and what direction the club is going.

simonwheeler · August 16, 2011

Brilliant post - Could not have put my current feelings any better

bs3 · August 16, 2011

I also want to make the point of expectations. The prospect of promotion have come from the club not the fans . On countless occasion SL , KM and CS as said promotion is our aim. So what really gets my goat is when some one bemoans the quality of football the usual suspects of "super fans" accused the normal fans of being fickle and having to high expectations well in fact what they are doing is accepting poor sub standard football and running the club down by having a complete lack if ambition to improve this club.

Bristolian76 · August 16, 2011

It definitely seems like the tune has changed over the past month or so

Barrs Court Red · August 16, 2011

They reel the same shit out every year, regardless of it being true or not.

More fool you for believing it.

madmax · August 16, 2011

Post of the year so far! :winner_third_h4h:

For me personally if we have a season simiar to last year, I doubt I will renew my season ticket next season. I struggled this year for me and my son to get one and I was optomistic about the season. But financial climate is biting hard and I have to decide what I will do. I appreciate we are two games in to the season but as with the OP false promises from all involved at the top of the tree at Bristol City Football Club are making me feel it was just to get us to buy a season ticket.

I have to say I am disappointed that we have to sell before we even loan in a player as this is telling me like what has already been said, we have no financial backing. Also my fears are starting to be realised that since SL stepped down, he has forgotten about the club and imo will probably sell.

Some say he is waiting for the stadium before deciding his next move...i.e. no stadium = he will sell. May be true, but if we don't loan or buy now, the gamble by the current board will fail and Sexstones first season at the helm will be a relegated one.

MM

**Roger Red Hat** · August 16, 2011

+1

**steviestevieneville** · August 16, 2011

**Sniper** · August 16, 2011

Brillian Post! :clapping:

I feel exactly the same and wanted to post something similar a few days ago, but didn't quite know how to word it, and with the current feeling on here at the moment, thought I'd get slated.

You've summed it all up for me and more in this one post.

Anyone remember this little gem amongst others!

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Nyatanga-says-City-quality-reach-Premier/story-13084415-detail/story.html

Nyatanga says City have quality to reach Premier

Afternoon and a vast majority will set out with the belief that their favourite team has what it takes to mount a promotion challenge in what is arguably the most competitive league in Europe.

City are one of only six clubs in the English second tier never to have enjoyed Premier League status and their fans will once again be living the dream.

For that reason alone, Ashton Gate regulars will be filled with a sense of renewed optimism when the talking ends and the serious business gets under way at home to Ipswich Town today.

And the feeling that City are ready to improve dramatically upon last season's 16th-place finish is also held by the players and staff.

Indeed, Wales international defender Nyatanga is positively bullish about the team's prospects at the outset of a campaign he insists is laden with opportunity.

Asked to assess City's prospects over the next nine months, the former Derby centre-half refused to sit on the fence and said: "We have to believe a top-two finish is possible." :rofl2br:

He added: "As a team, we have to build on last year. We struggled to begin with and found ourselves dragged into the relegation fight.

"But things improved after October and, at times, we showed promotion form to get out of trouble.

"We need to show that kind of form from day one this time. If we can do that, and I see no reason why we should not, then we can be up there challenging.

"Our goal has to be the top two and, failing that, the top six. We have a very ambitious manager and it has to be that way."

Millen has retained his best players and added to his squad during the close season.

Midfielder Neil Kilkenny,from Leeds, winger Yannick Bolasie (Plymouth), striker Ryan Taylor (Rotherham) and right-back Jordan Spence, who is back for a second spell on loan from West Ham.have been brought in

Although the return of Spence, who enjoyed a successful spell at Ashton Gate last season, puts added pressure on Nyatanga to hold down a regular place in the starting line-up, the Welshman welcomes the additional competition.

He said: "I think it is fantastic that the manager now has a selection headache. There are 46 games in the Championship, plus cup ties, and you need a big squad if you are going to be successful.

"Every player wants to be in the first team and I am no different, but you know that is not going to happen every week.

"But competition is vital, because it helps push players forward and I'm sure everyone will be given the chance to show what they can do at some stage of the season.

"Jordan Spence, Neil Kilkenny, Ryan Taylor and Yannick Bolasie have come in during the summer and the manager has a problem, which is great."

The Casual Connoisseur · August 16, 2011

Fantastic post, very well put. As for that Nyatanga interview, a complete pr exercise and utter bs, shame he is not as good a footballer as he is liar!

Jesus · August 16, 2011

Best post I've read in a while. I properly threw my toys out of the pram yesterday so apologies for that also.

**downendcity** · August 16, 2011

While I agree with most of what the OP says, in particualr abou the messages given out by owner/chairman/manager about our aims for the new season, I think he is misreading the situation regarding SL's financial support as he implies that we can only bring in players on free transfers or nominal fees because the owner has shut his cheque book.

When SL stepped down I am sure that he and CS commented that the way the club had been run finncially had to change, so that in future the club had to operate within it's financial means. I am also certain that SL said he would conmtinue to support the manager in the transfer market, providing a sound case could be made for any proposed purchase.

The key thing here is that the club now has to operate within it's financial means, and I take this to mean that the club's day to day expediture has to be covered by the club's income. Our biggest day to day expenditure is on players wages, and with our huge squad I suspect that we are already at the limit of the salary budget. I also think this is the reason why Millen has to move players out before he can bring new players in, not SL's unwillingness to get his check book out to pay a transfer fee. I am pretty certain that SL will continue to back the manager by funding transfer fees in the future, subject to the new player's salary being affordable within budget, but he is not going to provide the club with an overdraft facility so that it can continue to live beyond it's means.

Yes, Millen is now suffering compared to previous managers, but this is what SL alluded to at the time he stood down as Chairman i.e. the club could no continue to operate financially has it had been and that money had not been spent in the best way possible in the past. There is no way the club could continue to see debts growing at the rate they were, and whenever the decision was taken to address the financial situation it was bound to have an impact. It is just unfortunate that we feel it partuicularly now because we can all see that the playing staff needs to change in key areas.

Ron · August 16, 2011

Promotion is our ambition, improvement is our expectation. Subtle difference.

**Nogbad the Bad** · August 16, 2011

I don't think we've got a huge squad at all. It's not that unusual for even league1 squads to comprise 30 professionals and I read an article recently about City having 43 pros. at one stage in the 60's and a new manager being forced to get rid of 7 immediately. Still leaving a bigger squad than we've got now.

As recently as August '99 City had 39 professionals on the wage bill.

I think it's not so much City's squad being unusually large, whether for this division, or historically, more that we pay very average/poor players ridiculous salaries.

As for ST's, I can't believe there are too many who purchase or not dependant on the spiel coming out of the club.

Our 9/10,000 or whatever the final figure was are mostly people who are happy to commit to buying a ST to watch Bristol City in the Championship - we are all well aware, whatever the club say, that our best player could be sold at any time, and on past experience there will be times in the season ( like now) when the football will not be enjoyable. Not one of us, surely, thought there was any chance whatsoever of a promotion challenge this season.

In the main we are simply supporters who are keen enough on the club to go along for the ride whatever happens and the number enthused by ridiculous proclamations from the club of our supposed ambitions must be few and far between indeed.

I stopped listening to the completely unnecessary and sometimes laughable BS highlighted by Numbeast many years ago.

On the whole we're clued up enough about Bristol City and football in general to know the reality of City's prospects for ourselves and base our ST purchase on that.

BCAGFC · August 16, 2011

Perhaps the board haven't been able to cover the gap in funding for the stadium and so SL is using some of the playing budget to cover it instead.

Something has definately changed in the last month or so, think SL is just going through the motions now and could well sell if the conditions are right.

BCAGFC

**GrahamC** · August 16, 2011

Perhaps they simply thought they'd be able to get rid of some (any?) of those 5 or so that are currently deemed surplus to requirements, but they haven't.

numbeast · August 16, 2011

I take your point but doesn't this make the signing of Bolasie and Taylor seem even stranger? I'm sure we've all been in the situation where money is tight, at those times spending has been prioritised and the essentials bought before lifes little luxuries. As I said I'm not against limiting funds, in fact I'm all for it. But we need to allocate the available funds to areas of most need. After these area are covered then think about bargins for the future. Remember Taylor was set to join Millwall before we upped our wage offer.

Snufflelufagus · August 16, 2011

Maybe when only about 14000 turned up for SL's last game as chairman he thought. Not many are really that bothered. i would have fully expected a full house.

BCAGFC · August 16, 2011

You could be right but I just cannot believe that no teams from L1 or L2 have bothered to take a loan chance with Stewart, Johnson or Hunt.

I am sure the club would let them go if it saved 1k per week off their HUGE salaries but another problem may be that the players don't want to drop down a division or 2.

In that case, they have to GET REAL, they are surplus to requirements here, not good enough for our standard of football and need to move on ASAP so we can bring in the players we need.

BCAGFC

glynriley · August 16, 2011

Really? You would have to be an ego maniac to think more than your average crowd were going to turn up to send off a chairman of what , 9 years? Not saying he hasn't done a huge amount for the club but I'm sure he never expected 20K to turn up to say goodbye.

Andy Horsman · August 16, 2011

As others have stated, this is a great post!! I feel exactly the same. Had the club been honest about the apparant situation from Day 1, I genuinely believe that the overwhelming majority of posters on OTIB and other City supporters would have united and rallied behind the club. As it is I feel like I have been conned. Not happy and will really think very long and hard about renewing again.

**RedRock** · August 16, 2011

I take your point but doesn't this make the signing of Bolasie and Taylor seem even stranger? I'm sure we've all been in the situation where money is tight, at those times spending has been prioritised and the essentials bought before lifes little luxuries. As I said I'm not against limiting funds, in fact I'm all for it. But we need to allocate the available funds to areas of most need. After these area are covered then think about bargins for the future. Remember Taylor was set to join Millwall before we upped our wage offer.

I was puzzled by those signings too. Could this be the makings of a shadow squad ready for Division 1?

If I were funding the salaries of the wasters - the other shadow squad - I'd be pretty pee'd off with football as well. Thanks alot you overpaid lazy gits for destroying our dreams.

**CiderHider** · August 16, 2011

Well written post and a good read. Does nyone really think we are being mislead or dupped though? We know the score don't we, we know our finances and how much SL still puts in, we understand the issues we face dont we?

The club has not broken an promise so far as I know. We all want promotion, pretty football, big name signings and 3-0 wins every week. The reality is not always what we like.

It would have been interesting to have read this had we won our opening games i must admit.

**CiderHider** · August 16, 2011

Look for trouble and you will find it. Lets not forget SL has always said he want's the club to be self sufficient and CS will work toward that. Our model at the moment does not alow us to compete with the bigger teams in this league, this is why SL is driven to get the Stadium build, only then can we start to really compete at the top level, it just tkes time and we have to wait, until then there is no point throwing millions at our squad. Stadium is so important.

I do wonder how the dynamics inside BCFC have changed since SL's exit. I have total faith in CS. How does everyone think the relationship between chairman and manager has changed, if at all? I mean, can we now start to look at non EU players again? Did SL make some funds available for KM, but now CS has said no?

Haha, i'm not saying any of this is true, i'm just thinking out loud. On another point, does there come a time when it appears nobody is interested in our dead wood that we simply cut them lose? If we are going to end up paying ghtem the money anyways, whay keep them at the club dragging everyone down and taking up space? I guess professionally then can still do a job so we cant do this unless they really are totally useless and disruptive.

Br 1st ol · August 16, 2011

I don't think there is a hidden agenda here at all. Long term, the stadium may help establish the club with some stability and financial control. That vision is to be applauded.

It is the short term where there appears to bs an issue. Frankly, and I agree with thus approach, we need to do a housekeeping job on the clubs wages and playing staff, and essentially do a holding job.

Keith, I would argue is not expected to get us up. Just to hold things steady. When all other ducks are in a row, then we would up the ante. The ducks are the new stadium, wage/income ratio, new stadium sponsors etc.

At that point, a bigger manager will be backed with better players.

So a holding job is what is required now - but can this really be publicly stated? This could worry fans, sponsors, management and players who all need that carrot.

Assuming this is the stratedgy, I am fully supportive.

Mr Mosquito · August 16, 2011

Excellent points. Getting back to the top flight of English football - as stated by the 'BS3' - is a marvellous objective for this club. However, it takes money to do it and some decent cup runs would help generate that cash. We haven't had a decent cup run in ages. Failing a big money generating cup run or big cash inputs from businesses, supporters and the Chairman, gaining top flight football looks impossible with the current squad.

Bishops Finger · August 16, 2011

I'd say this hits the nail on the head, a lot of fans I know are asking the same questions, maybe Colin, Guy or Steve L would like to respond to this post and tell us all what the score is, I for one would love to know....

**Red Exile** · August 16, 2011

Spot on...and sums up exactly how I felt this time last year when, having renewed my STs in the Feb when I think GJ was still in charge, and having got all excited at the prospects of SC and DJ and a push for the Prem, we got Keith Millen and his visionary leadership. Needless to say I lived to regret the renewal...and this season we haven't. I invested thousands in supporting the club in recent years, it's saving me a small fortune.

A while back I posted that I was impressed by the realism of the PR coming out of the club...more subdued...

...sadly in the run up to the end of the ST sales they couldn't help spouting the old nonsense.

We were at Ipswich - en masse and in hope...we won't be back for a bit.

REDOXO · August 16, 2011

Sir you put very succinctly what many/most of us feel. It was only a matter of time before the penny dropped and someone would write this, so I'm glad it was done by someone who had the ability to say it well!!

I personally agree their does seem to have been either a change of strategy or the club has hidden its real thoughts, nevertheless the fact is without the help of some new/loaned players we could have real difficulty soon, or Myanard will need to be sold and if neither happen the unthinkable 'a return to the twilight zone' could be a possibility.

Therefore regardles of where we can loan/place/sell players a CB is needed urgently and at the end of the season the real rebuilding of the club will have to begin! One more wage just wont make that much difference!!!

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