Older City Fans - Cheer Me Up With Tales Of When Things Were Worse!

[054123]

Having followed city for the last 25 years, I cannot remember a period of sh1te lasting this long.

We have been poor for 4 years. Even in our play off year we traded on belief and hardwork, but not out and out talent. We have never had a team talented enough to compete at the higher end of this level.

We simply tread water year on year and as good as Steve Lansdown is covering the losses and funding the odd player, it feels like the equivalent of paying the electric bill so the life support machine can keep running another season. Yes we are alive but not living.

Sorry to sound depressing but it is really wearing me down.

I need some older heads to tell me that's its been worse, but will get better!

Being in a lower league doesn't automatically count as I've had some great times in div 3!

[TRL]

At the end of the day, we have been in the Championship longer than we usually are. And ulike the time we went up with Jordan, but ended up going down with the likes of Loss and Ian Brown, it would seem on paper we have a better squad.... On paper.

I will say that god awful side Osman got dealt due to the disgrace of a board at the time. Were truely woeful on paper, and pretty woeful on the pitch.... But they did put in effort, and I can't remember heads dropping as much as this team. But they knew they were shit, so nearly any result they got was a bonus.

I have said before, we are a better Div 1 team, big fish little pond, as soon as we reach this division we are the opposit. At best I see us treading water until the FFP takes hold.

Dels has a hard jo on his hands to keep us in this division.

But to answer your question, we usually end up playing guff at this level, it's nothing new

[Betelgeuse]

I've been watching City since 1992 and we've either been a top half league 1 club or a struggling championship level club. We've had a decent run in this league to date but the past 2 or so seasons have been very poor and it seems that league 1 beckons again someday soon, then follows a 5 or so year spell when we try to get out of that league and the cycle continues.....

[Guest]

Been following for 45 plus yrs things could be better but could also be worse.

It is but a moment in time, todays game is history already.

Enjoy what we have and who we support for what it is.

We aint never gonna be Manure, we aint never gonna be gas. We are Rollercoaster City !

[havanatopia]

I think my first match was wacking Coventry in the top flight on boxing day 5-0. From about that point on, in 1979-ish, its been down hill all the way until Terry Cooper came along. I recall us hitting 92nd and having to go to the Shay in Halifax. I was there.. cold, horrible tin shed of a place, wet and miserable but there was more fight in the likes of Bob Newman and Bobby Hutchinson and the like, even if they were not up to much, than the players we have now. So while it was low grade football at the foot of the table I actually had a ball. Today, you simply expect a decent game because players get paid bucket loads and the effect of that is that fans today demand results and if they don't get them they want the gaffer sacked. Frankly, when you pay the exhorbitant fees to watch these days I think every fan has every right to be critical.

[slartibartfast]

Having followed city for the last 25 years, I cannot remember a period of sh1te lasting this long.

We have been poor for 4 years. Even in our play off year we traded on belief and hardwork, but not out and out talent. We have never had a team talented enough to compete at the higher end of this level.

We simply tread water year on year and as good as Steve Lansdown is covering the losses and funding the odd player, it feels like the equivalent of paying the electric bill so the life support machine can keep running another season. Yes we are alive but not living.

Sorry to sound depressing but it is really wearing me down.

I need some older heads to tell me that's its been worse, but will get better!

Being in a lower league doesn't automatically count as I've had some great times in div 3!

Mate, in the mid 60's- mid 70's we had (I think ) 11 seasons in this division.

Do you know how many seasons we were fighting the drop ?

EIGHT, so ways to go yet !

[fulham red]

Class myself as an older City fan. Been watching for 48 years or so. To be honest can't remember much real excitement, except the odd (lost) play-off finals since the brief stay in the top division in the 70s. Underachievement and disappointment seem fairly constant companions over the years. So not much has changed. Get used to it. Still wouldn't change my team for the world though.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Tobe fair todays performances had an Osmanesque like but ultimately rubbish whiff about it

Do you know what?, that is probably the best post of the day by a country mile and sadly with a total whiff of reality lingering within it.

[BigTone]

I need some older heads to tell me that's its been worse, but will get better!

Its been worse and will get better

[gavlin]

Yes I will give you a period in City's history which was more painful than now and believe it or not it was in the early days of Alan Dicks management tenure. We were known as the Division 2 Houdinis as for four or five years we were regularly in a relegation battle. Some times going right to the last game to avoid relegation. Dicks kept his job twice because of League Cup runs to the semi finals. His other saving grace was a scouting network north of the border and locally recruiting quality young players that produced the squad of 1976. The irony is that this was a manager given time to produce a successful side.

[Aizoon]

In the very early 60's when Peter Doherty very nearly destroyed this club.

In the late 70's and early 80's when the board killed this club but BCFC 1982 arose from the ashes.

In the early 90's under Russell Osman when the team was quite simply unwatchable.

Should I go on?

[BristolCity?]

You know things are bad when the gasheads start piping up again!

[TRL]

In the very early 60's when Peter Doherty very nearly destroyed this club.

In the late 70's and early 80's when the board killed this club but BCFC 1982 arose from the ashes.

In the early 90's under Russell Osman when the team was quite simply unwatchable.

Should I go on?

Ah es, but Osman could get even the worst players to defend! We could do with him back here right now as a defensive coach.

[GrahamC]

Can't believe someone on here said Rob Newman wasn't "up to much", a bloke who captained a side at the San Siro and who pisses over anyone we currently have at the back or in centre mid...

[crusader]

Osmam was both a good manager and excellent coach, the players at his disposal was shocking.

Current players arent that bad, the Manager is Woeful

I dont care the formation, get players behind the ball and win games 1-0 if we have to.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Osmam was both a good manager and excellent coach, the players at his disposal was shocking.

Current players arent that bad, the Manager is Woeful

I dont care the formation, get players behind the ball and win games 1-0 if we have to.

Yep, went to much bigger and better things, this good manager and excellent coach, who can forget his work at? and then? and of course not forgetting?.

Very convincing in escape to glory.

[Aizoon]

Can't believe someone on here said Rob Newman wasn't "up to much", a bloke who captained a side at the San Siro and who pisses over anyone we currently have at the back or in centre mid...

That Pelé was overrated too

[pongo88]

Yes I will give you a period in City's history which was more painful than now and believe it or not it was in the early days of Alan Dicks management tenure. We were known as the Division 2 Houdinis as for four or five years we were regularly in a relegation battle. Some times going right to the last game to avoid relegation. Dicks kept his job twice because of League Cup runs to the semi finals. His other saving grace was a scouting network north of the border and locally recruiting quality young players that produced the squad of 1976. The irony is that this was a manager given time to produce a successful side.

I remember the Alan Dicks period and he did bring in some really good Scotish players for next to nothing. Unfortunately Del's Scottish scouting network only seems to produce players who are past their sell by date.

[ashton_fan]

In our first season in Division 1 in 1976/77 we were bottom of the league for ages and our final games were against Man Utd, Leeds (one of the top teams then), Liverpool and Coventry. We still managed to escape, so don't get too despondent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyZ2FytJkA0

[ralphindevon]

Just as I passed my driving test and could go to all the City games I wanted, happened to coincide with us becoming the first team to get relegated from top to bottom divisions in consecutive seasons.

What with going bust during that time as well, it was a difficult time to say the least.

[Grandad48]

Have been a city fan for many years and I think the worst time in our history must have been the drop from the old first division in consecutive years to the old fourth division and almost dropped to what is now the conference premier league.

Those were black days, a rubbish board who nearly an closely put the team in to oblivion.. But the club has fought back and I am convinced given time and patience and with Del at the helm we will pull through this blip in our current history. Always Believe

[Red-Robbo]

I think the three successive drops were my low point. At that time, our official name was Bristol City Relegated.

[Timbo7]

Osman's Unwatchables winning at Anfield OR McInnes' Misguideds losing at Crawley - your choice

Never before on the field of Ashton Gate has so much been spent by so few (i.e. SL spending twice as much as all the supporter put together) to achieve so little

There is simply no evidence of DM being expected to perform miracles without spending money - Davies and Baldock simply would not have fitted in to Russe's five-year plan (Wembley Way in five years without spending a bean etc.)

[Red-Robbo]

Osman's Unwatchables winning at Anfield OR McInnes' Misguideds losing at Crawley - your choice

Never before on the field of Ashton Gate has so much been spent by so few (i.e. SL spending twice as much as all the supporter put together) to achieve so little

There is simply no evidence of DM being expected to perform miracles without spending money - Davies and Baldock simply would not have fitted in to Russe's five-year plan (Wembley Way in five years without spending a bean etc.)

Having to spend twice as much as the gate receipts is just a factor of the monumental wage inflation that's taken place in football since Osman's time. We are also having to compete in a league where a large number of clubs have access to vast wads of cash in so-called parachute payments.

[Frome Valley]

During Russell Osman reign gates dropped to seven thousand. Those who comment on the poor atmosphere now could not have attended then.The ground became eerily quiet except for the barracking of Osman and Leslie Kew.

Away match at Pompey on a saturday away support was only around 300. Osman tactics were so negative many left at half time [0-0] and those who stayed refused to sing. Weeks later Osman scored the winner from a corner at Ashton Gate and was booed back to the half way line.

[oldstandrobin]

Watched first match 1957 and been regular ever since. Watching City is something of a meaning in life.Dad watched them ,grand-dad watched them We have always been on edge,never quite sure where the future is leading but always living in hope that 'maybe one day' we will get there, wherever 'there' is. Took my wife on our first date in 1969 to see a match followed by a drink in the Supporters club and its gone downhill since then !! Seriously BCFC is my club and I know inside we will always be a rollercoaster so to the author of this post I will just say, enjoy it at the Gate or wherever we end up, it could be a lot worse, you could have been born a gas-head. :ill:

[poland_red]

Osmam was both a good manager and excellent coach, the players at his disposal was shocking.

Current players arent that bad, the Manager is Woeful

I dont care the formation, get players behind the ball and win games 1-0 if we have to.

you miss the point, the fact that Osman's players were shocking was down to him - he sacked Jackie ffs!! we went from having a frontline of Cole, Jacki, Allison and Rosenior to having Ian Baird and Liam Robinson... Not to mention has-been's chugging away elsewhere on the pitch like Brian Mitchell and Glenn Pennyfather. Osman deserves no sympathy. I still hate him with a passion for what he did to the club, and will never forgive him for the Jacki debacle. Quite honestly, if I saw him in the street it would fall to a passing good samaritan to restrain me from that clown.

[poland_red]

During Russell Osman reign gates dropped to seven thousand. Those who comment on the poor atmosphere now could not have attended then.The ground became eerily quiet except for the barracking of Osman and Leslie Kew.

Away match at Pompey on a saturday away support was only around 300. Osman tactics were so negative many left at half time [0-0] and those who stayed refused to sing. Weeks later Osman scored the winner from a corner at Ashton Gate and was booed back to the half way line.

the game when he was booed was the game after it was announced he had sacked jackie. weirdly, jacki was allowed on the pitch before half time to wave goodbye to us. shocking how a cult hero could be treated like that. The Osman years were definitely a nadir, and glossed over by the liverpool win.

[TRL]

the game when he was booed was the game after it was announced he had sacked jackie. weirdly, jacki was allowed on the pitch before half time to wave goodbye to us. shocking how a cult hero could be treated like that. The Osman years were definitely a nadir, and glossed over by the liverpool win.

I can't blame osman for getting shot of him. There is only so many times a player can roll in, pissed out of his mind for training with sick in his car.

As much as jacki was awsome on his day, as a manager, you cannot have a player like that on your books.

I blame the board personally, offered the world and made Osman scour the bargin basement.

At least he could make poor players defend, we could do with his defensive coaching right now. They should give him a bell, as far as I know he still lives down at tockington.

[Ron]

Even in the last decade, sitting in the pissing rain at AG in an empty stadium being taken apart by Notts County in the FA Cup without a win in seemingly forever and no end in sight. One of those days that five minutes in you say 'why did I come today'.