Exclusive Chat With Chairman.

[Puckle_red]

"I'm sorry but Bristol City are a small club, always will be a small club" - Educate yourself with our history. You'll find we're a club always punching above our weight but we are a good sized club, a unique club and a club who have proper support. We are not a "small club" never have been and never will be.

[Monkeh]

you can't simply just get rid,

they are under contract you can't breach that you have to honour you know its the law,

as for the ground we are build a new ground because Ashton Gate is not fit for the future that is planned for the club we miss out on 8 million a season simply because there are no corprate facilites or exe boxs at ashton gate, thats why,

Also new ground you become alot more attractive to investment, as much as you don't like it football is a BUSINESS! its smiply not about just whats on the pitch any more,

A new bigger modern ground is cheaper to run easier to attract new players a will generate more income even if crowds stay the same as they are at ashton gate,

[WhistleHappy]

you can't simply just get rid,

they are under contract you can't breach that you have to honour you know its the law,

as for the ground we are build a new ground because Ashton Gate is not fit for the future that is planned for the club we miss out on 8 million a season simply because there are no corprate facilites or exe boxs at ashton gate, thats why,

Also new ground you become alot more attractive to investment, as much as you don't like it football is a BUSINESS! its smiply not about just whats on the pitch any more,

A new bigger modern ground is cheaper to run easier to attract new players a will generate more income even if crowds stay the same as they are at ashton gate,

... thats the problem, opting for play-stations was a big mistake.

[the1stknowle]

if davidson had Lansdown cash we would of had the most expensive team ever to be relegated from the championship, your even too young or don't remember, but Scott was always sticking his nose into first team affears and buying players not required, half the reason John Ward went,

You think board interference is bad then it was much worse back then,

As for lack of ambition how the **** can you accuse anyone at the club of that at the moment aren't we trying to build a new 92 million pount ground as well as spending 4.5 million on the training ground and between 2 - 5 million on players ever freaking season since we got promoted,

Yes belt tightening is going on but thats because we lost 12 million last season and from what I have heard we are going to lose 8 - 10 million by the end of this year, where the hell do you think the money comes from to balance the books to keep the tax man away?

have a word with yourself please

Agree with this - at least about SL. To accuse him of a lack of ambition is madness. The man sold a sizeable chunk in his business (and at a price where if he'd have been able to wait an extra year the price would have tripled) in order to guarantee funds for a new modern stadium he is largely personally funding.

That is exceptional ambition.

He also funds a 12mil a season loss. Say his fortune is 500m. Say in cash, he has (optimistically) 100m. So he can fund us for 8 years if he only spends his cash on his football clubs annual losses. And people say he should throw more money at the club?? Come on.... 12m a season plus personally funding a majority of a 100m pound project. How is that a lack of ambition? Who are these mystical ambitious chairmen we are comparing him against?

He acknowledges himself he made a bad appointment in Tinnion. But GJ was an excellent appointment and was a goal away from paying off to the tune of 100m quid- whatever "reasons" naysayers will try to manufacture about "why" GJ nearly got us to the prem, fact is he did. Then established us as a mid-table side in the division. That is definitely not failure.

Steve Coppell was an appointment that showed ambition (obviously in retrospect it went wrong but what an appointment when it was made). Millen, yeah probably a knee-jerk reaction but he kept us up and he was gone in one year - that is hardly unnecessary loyalty or dragging of any feet in changing things.

Anyway, we can't appoint Martin O'Neil on 40k a week and give him 30million quid to spend. And it's nothing to do with ambition. From next year, that will be against the rules. All chairmen know the FFP is coming in next year and it will take 2-4 years to prepare for it whilst old contracts run down. Therefore preparations for FFP in the championship have to begin now.

It's like saying if we were really ambitious then we'd try to play with 12 men a bit more often.

And how can anyone but Maynard be to blame for his contract? Why on earth would he sign when he can pick up a multimillion pound signing fee and get to play in the top division if he just waits it out? I wouldn't sign no matter what the club offered me. He's making the sensible career choice. And it happens to all clubs. Man Utd, City, Arsenal.. I just dont see how the Maynard thing shows a lack of ambition.

Might not seem like it, but for me, we're a club on the up generally just going through a sticky start to a season. Moving towards self-sufficiency is the only way to go and so ploughing money into club infrastructure at this moment in time (ie a shiny new stadium with extra revenue generating potential) is the best way to prepare for the future.

The other best way is to find a man you believe you can place your trust in for the next four or five years to build a team. The arguments on here are nonsensical re "experience or up-and-coming". No one is going to win that argument in that way. You can find examples in our history and throughout football of successes that have been surprises from lower leagues and ones that have worked out with a lot of experience. Similarly you can find failures from both.

I'd much rather the club found the best and most ambitious manager to fit our circumstances rather than changing the game plan and deciding to throw money at the situation.

Players you can argue are different. But I just don't think where managers are concerned that there is any evidence that shows that cheaper is necessarily worse. You say Keith Millen, I'll say Brian McDermott (or Pep Guardiola!). He says Billy Davies, I'll say Glenn Hoddle or Peter Reid. Inexperience doenst guarantee failure, experience doesnt guarantee success. But the opposite is true too.

And so I'm glad the board are taking their time. They will get to see the interviews that we don't. And they seem to be determined to ignore extraneous criteria and find the best man for this particular job.

So much division on this forum that some of us are bound to be disappointed they didnt go with "our man". But I dont think the posts about never going again if they appoint Robins or Tisdale or Davies or Hughes.. are that helpful or fair and I hope the board ignores those considerations and just go for the one they feel is best for us having seen them in interview.

[Hicksy-BCFC]

What I am referring to is an ambition well beyond getting out of L1.

We seem to always be a club that "settles" for someone because they may be a cheaper option.

Keith Millen

Brian Tinnion

Both prime examples in recent times.

Now Gary Johnson, I take your point Riaz that he did well for us. But it also underlines my point, we had a manager who is a bottom tier manager, he is good in L1 and L2. He did what we wanted, but we should have got rid of him earlier. He wasn't a manager for this level.

The fact that he is now managing a tinpot club like Northampton Town pretty much underlines this - Good Championship or Top division managers are not to be found in L2.

If he is so good where are the line of clubs queueing up for him??

We've been a club for too long that has average players at best, a jobs for the boys network backroom staff and just a lack of vision or ambition to go beyond lower Championship status.

Have a look at our old players - how many have gone on to play above where we are??

Bradley Orr?

Now where have others gone -

Enoch Showumni - L1

Jamie McCombe - L1

Jennison Myrie Williams - L1

Phil Jevons - Last seen in L2 - not sure where he is now

How many of our current players would be wanted by clubs higher up than us?

Nicky Maynard.

Maybe the odd one or two - the rest would be in L1.

We're bottom for a reason. Ordinary players, lack of ambition, settling for the cheap option and sets of fans who just settle for this as well.

[Alex_BCFC]

Steve Coppell was a big name that showed 'ambiton'. Didn't work out. We need to go the Swansea route I think and many of their fans would have been moaning at the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as the cheap option etc.

[Matty-H]

Steve Coppell was a big name that showed 'ambiton'. Didn't work out. We need to go the Swansea route I think and many of their fans would have been moaning at the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as the cheap option etc.

Coppell showed ambition? I've seen more ambition from a Labour MP and that's saying something. Bollox to preseason and two weeks later I'll **** off with no explanation

[the1stknowle]

What I am referring to is an ambition well beyond getting out of L1.

We seem to always be a club that "settles" for someone because they may be a cheaper option.

Keith Millen

Brian Tinnion

Both prime examples in recent times.

Now Gary Johnson, I take your point Riaz that he did well for us. But it also underlines my point, we had a manager who is a bottom tier manager, he is good in L1 and L2. He did what we wanted, but we should have got rid of him earlier. He wasn't a manager for this level.

The fact that he is now managing a tinpot club like Northampton Town pretty much underlines this - Good Championship or Top division managers are not to be found in L2.

If he is so good where are the line of clubs queueing up for him??

We've been a club for too long that has average players at best, a jobs for the boys network backroom staff and just a lack of vision or ambition to go beyond lower Championship status.

Have a look at our old players - how many have gone on to play above where we are??

Bradley Orr?

Now where have others gone -

Enoch Showumni - L1

Jamie McCombe - L1

Jennison Myrie Williams - L1

Phil Jevons - Last seen in L2 - not sure where he is now

How many of our current players would be wanted by clubs higher up than us?

Nicky Maynard.

Maybe the odd one or two - the rest would be in L1.

We're bottom for a reason. Ordinary players, lack of ambition, settling for the cheap option and sets of fans who just settle for this as well.

I understand what you're getting at here but I just don't get the "GJ was out of his depth" argument. If he was out of his depth finishing 4th, 10th and 10th then surely more than half the managers in the division were out of their depth. He quit and was snapped up pretty quickly by Peterboro and had them around the play-offs when he fell out with the chairman. And again he was quickly snapped up for employment.

For me, it's too simple to say he was out of his depth because he is now managing in L2. He had a reasonably successful championship career, no? Surely you dont have to have had a promotion to the premier league to be considered a championship standard manager?

[Alex_BCFC]

Coppell showed ambition? I've seen more ambition from a Labour MP and that's saying something. Bollox to preseason and two weeks later I'll **** off with no explanation

The appointment was ambitious no doubt about it. Obviously what followed was a disaster which was my point.

Sometimes not going for the 'ambitious' option is for the best.

[Hicksy-BCFC]

I don't want to drag this into a Gary Johnson debate, and I am a guy who was grateful for what he did for us don't get me wrong - I don't believe he was a manager who could handle bigger named players or players with reputations.

Good managers don't tend to be found managing Northampton Town in League 2.

I think that everyone has their level.

Johnson is a good L1 and L2 manager - in those divisions, the style suits his and the players suit his style.

You're not going to get players with reputations, and the style of football is different.

He excels with workman-like players, no need for width (remember his talk of squeezing the middle?) and a big set of centre halves etc - (come on how did McCombe ever get a game in a Championship side).

When you reach this level it takes a better manager, a manager with the ability to push on. Millen clearly wasn't it and Johnson began to struggle. He rode for large parts off the back of any promoted side wave of confidence.

L1 and L2 is not the place to find quality managers with experience.

How much time do you think Chelsea and Liverpool spent looking at managers down there when considering their replacements.

Oh yeah Villas-Boes and Dalgleish - not exactly Northampton Town experience.

We need ambition.

Wolves had it, Leeds have it and you know what I bet, Forest's appointment is better than ours.

I hope I am proved wrong and we bring Dave Jones in.

I have a horrible feeling though it will be Robins or a bloke from St Johnstone FC.

[Hicksy-BCFC]

The appointment was ambitious no doubt about it. Obviously what followed was a disaster which was my point.

Sometimes not going for the 'ambitious' option is for the best.

That's true - every appointment is a gamble - but you play the risks game.

Appointing someone who knows the Championship (Dave Jones took Cardiff City to Wembley 3 times and to an FA Cup Final, Billy Davies took Derby up and Forest up to play offs in successive years) certainly reduces the risks.

You appoint guys who "have seen it and done it" - they know what to do. Why do you think Premier League sides look for experience of highest level football??

Appointing Coppell was a gamble and failed my risk test - appointing someone like Davies or Jones is hardly the same.

However bringing in a Scot nobody has heard of and who manages in a terrible division, has no Championship management experience is far riskier.

[Alex_BCFC]

That's true - every appointment is a gamble - but you play the risks game.

Appointing someone who knows the Championship (Dave Jones took Cardiff City to Wembley 3 times and to an FA Cup Final, Billy Davies took Derby up and Forest up to play offs in successive years) certainly reduces the risks.

You appoint guys who "have seen it and done it" - they know what to do. Why do you think Premier League sides look for experience of highest level football??

Appointing Coppell was a gamble and failed my risk test - appointing someone like Davies or Jones is hardly the same.

However bringing in a Scot nobody has heard of and who manages in a terrible division, has no Championship management experience is far riskier.

Dave Jones and Billy Davies know the top half of the league with large resources available. I wouldn't back them with our situation.

To me bringing in a manger who hasn't worked with a small budget at this level without much experience of winning relegation battles is a far bigger risk than someone like Robins.

[ashtonvale]

Appointing Coppell was a gamble and failed my risk test - appointing someone like Davies or Jones is hardly the same.

Are you saying you predicted Coppel was a risky appointment and voiced that opinion when it was announced he had the job?

[Hicksy-BCFC]

Dave Jones and Billy Davies know the top half of the league with large resources available. I wouldn't back them with our situation.

To me bringing in a manger who hasn't worked with a small budget at this level without much experience of winning relegation battles is a far bigger risk than someone like Robins.

When Dave Jones took over at Cardiff City they were bottom but one and throughout the early part of his management with them, they faced winding-up orders, bankrupcy, an inability to sign players and he relied on loanees.

The fact he has experience with them of the highest levels of the Championship is because he took them there.

With Davies, Derby hardly spent a fortune when he took them up?

[bcfcmike]

Dave Jones and Billy Davies know the top half of the league with large resources available. I wouldn't back them with our situation.

To me bringing in a manger who hasn't worked with a small budget at this level without much experience of winning relegation battles is a far bigger risk than someone like Robins.

I have seen you say that on a few different threads now??? I dont think they were working with large resources we all know that the forest chairman has been pulling back the purse strings for the last few years thats why him and BD fell out come the end im sure?? And for Cardiff well they were in bloody administation, Jones even had a transfer embargo to deal with at one point, so had to settle for bringing loans in like Craig Bellemy for 5k a week.....i dont think we have ever had a manager except maybe Coppell that could of pulled that one off, these players just wont come and join any manager??

To want to bring in someone like Robins or the Jock over someone like Jones or Davies i just think is total madness.

[Hicksy-BCFC]

Are you saying you predicted Coppel was a risky appointment and voiced that opinion when it was announced he had the job?

Coppell was a riskier appointment than Davies and Jones would be yes.

I didn't predict he would walk out when he did but he has "form" for it doesn't he?

You'd say exactly the same about Kevin Keegan.

[Alex_BCFC]

When Dave Jones took over at Cardiff City they were bottom but one and throughout the early part of his management with them, they faced winding-up orders, bankrupcy, an inability to sign players and he relied on loanees.

The fact he has experience with them of the highest levels of the Championship is because he took them there.

With Davies, Derby hardly spent a fortune when he took them up?

I take your point about Jones working with winding up orders but they still had a decent squad with decent resources to work with (even if they were overspending). He won't have that here intially as we are clearly tightening the belt.

Also didn't Jones take over at the start of 2005/2006 season so surely he was never one from the bottom at the start?

I'm not sure on Derby spending a fortune? They are certainly one of the big teams in the division though as they had recently left the Prem. Not the same as City.

[Alex_BCFC]

I have seen you say that on a few different threads now??? I dont think they were working with large resources we all know that the forest chairman has been pulling back the purse strings for the last few years thats why him and BD fell out come the end im sure?? And for Cardiff well they were in bloody administation, Jones even had a transfer embargo to deal with at one point, so had to settle for bringing loans in like Craig Bellemy for 5k a week.....i dont think we have ever had a manager except maybe Coppell that could of pulled that one off, these players just wont come and join any manager??

To want to bring in someone like Robins or the Jock over someone like Jones or Davies i just think is total madness.

I may have phrased that incorrectly but with the squad at his disposal (like Bellamy), Jones should have had Cardiff promoted with time to spare.

I'm pretty sure Forest would have had one of the larger wage bills in the league although you are right about Davies moaning he couldn't bring in more players. Seeing as he would be extremely limited here in what he could bring in, I wouldn't want him moaning here about it.

[ashtonvale]

Coppell was a riskier appointment than Davies and Jones would be yes.

I didn't predict he would walk out when he did but he has "form" for it doesn't he?

You'd say exactly the same about Kevin Keegan.

well, after us, he has 'form' for it..

when the appointment was made, and I dont mind admitting it, I thought it was inspired .. I was on cloud 9..

but the point I was trying to get to, was that the appointment of coppel failed your 'risk test'... If thats the case i'm in awe..

[Hicksy-BCFC]

but the point I was trying to get to, was that the appointment of coppel failed your 'risk test'... If thats the case i'm in awe..

He walked out on Brentford after 1 year.

He walked out on Manchester City after 33 days.

Both well known before he brought him on.

Keegan is the same, things don't go their way they walk out, both of them.

How many clubs have Davies and Jones walked out on?

[bcfcmike]

I may have phrased that incorrectly but with the squad at his disposal (like Bellamy), Jones should have had Cardiff promoted with time to spare.

I'm pretty sure Forest would have had one of the larger wage bills in the league although you are right about Davies moaning he couldn't bring in more players. Seeing as he would be extremely limited here in what he could bring in, I wouldn't want him moaning here about it.

I see your point, i just think that maybe even SL could even open his cheque book a tiny bit wider if it was someone like Jones or Davies asking for the Money

[ashtonvale]

He walked out on Brentford after 1 year.

He walked out on Manchester City after 33 days.

Both well known before he brought him on.

Keegan is the same, things don't go their way they walk out, both of them.

How many clubs have Davies and Jones walked out on?

neither has Keith Millen.. but thats not the point.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing..

But when Coppel was appointed I was under the, obviously mistaken impression, that all city fans were excited by the appointment and confident that SL had got the man to take us forward.

[Hicksy-BCFC]

neither has Keith Millen.. but thats not the point.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing..

But when Coppel was appointed I was under the, obviously mistaken impression, that all city fans were excited by the appointment and confident that SL had got the man to take us forward.

You had no concerns whatsoever that he had walked out on a club after 6 games before and walked out on Brentford after 1 season?

I thought it showed ambition - but I did have a niggling concern - which I know others did too.

[ashtonvale]

You had no concerns whatsoever that he had walked out on a club after 6 games before and walked out on Brentford after 1 season?

I thought it showed ambition - but I did have a niggling concern - which I know others did too.

well a niggling concern.. is a bit different to failing a risk test..

failing a risk test .. sounds like it was known to be a huge mistake, which I dont think is accurate

[Riaz]

Are you saying you predicted Coppell

I did for what its worth!

[Jordan Tansley]

Are you saying you predicted Coppel was a risky appointment and voiced that opinion when it was announced he had the job?

Wasn't uncommon. I was shouted down for insinuating Coppell was a bottler.

[ashtonvale]

I did for what its worth!

Wasn't uncommon. I was shouted down for insinuating Coppell was a bottler.

hats off to you guys..