Lilly Livered Fans That The Team Mirror.

[Cliftonville]

Not sure about this.

Where are these fans at other championshp clubs that turn the mediocre into something they are not?

As I see it City fans are no worse than others, actually compared to other clubs in this division Ashton Gate still has some edge.

Interesting point regarding academy players failing to visit a school. Maybe if BCFC worked harder on and off the pitch at establishing itself as a real community based club and cared more this would foster more enthusiastic fans.

[Rich]

You surely don't believe what you have just written, that it has anything to do with the fans. If that was the case how do you explain Arsenal being a top 4 club or Wigan in the Premier League.

Stop looking in the mirror for the reason why the club is on the slide, I can tell you now it has nothing to do with fans of the club and everything to do with what a bad job the current and previous managers have done in the transfer market after spending a small fortune.

The set up of the club has been dreadful, league 2 standard in fact, still no scouting network of note and still no sign of 1 academy player who has made the grade after all this time. The board have been too willing to hand out easy money to every manager without ever seemingly questioning how it will improve our shortcomings of the previous season, that's what's wrong with the club, not that the fans don't sing a song or two.

You have not read my post properly or have not understood it.

Of course the fans can share part of the burden of blame, we are a major part of the club.

It's not the fault of fans that don't sing a song or two. It's the fans that sit there waiting to be entertained, who aren't vocal, don't encourage the players, or demand more from the players other fans, management and board of directors.

They will sit in silence for the majority of the time, uttering moans about this or that player, they'll rarely help the team with encouraging shouts of "man on" or "well done" when deserved. I think that basically City fans are a rather reserved bunch, until riled. There are so many other examples but not all are that way inclined, so don't think I'm attacking everyone.

So to explain why Arsenal and Wigan are top division sides, listen up, take off your blinkers, stop the snide remaks about looking in the mirror and learn.

Arsenal reside in the capital of Enland with some 8 million people to glean support and players from, they have never been out of the top flight, attract large gates, always have and can afford top players.

Wigan were wrestled into the top flight by their wealthy football loving chairman, he then kept them there, then they received the TV money which keeps them there (just).

In other words, if you can get good players and keep them, then you should be more successful.

[Rich]

Admirable sentiments, but if it really was our fault, we'd have done something about it by now.

I'm not saying it's all the fans fault but we could possibly do a bit more.

Is it our fault we don't have a Metro, stadium, Arena?

[screech]

You have not read my post properly or have not understood it.

Of course the fans can share part of the burden of blame, we are a major part of the club.

It's not the fault of fans that don't sing a song or two. It's the fans that sit there waiting to be entertained, who aren't vocal, don't encourage the players, or demand more from the players other fans, management and board of directors.

They will sit in silence for the majority of the time, uttering moans about this or that player, they'll rarely help the team with encouraging shouts of "man on" or "well done" when deserved. I think that basically City fans are a rather reserved bunch, until riled. There are so many other examples but not all are that way inclined, so don't think I'm attacking everyone.

Your post describes about 90% of all English football clubs. The fact we are not getting results at all at the moment and have played pretty shit for 3 years has a bearing on the way the support is. Best atmosphere at the gate for as long as I care to remember was under Gary Johnson, our most successful period in donkeys years. Coincidence, no,

We were successful, had regular visits from the anti christ Holloway, Warnock, Simon Jordan etc etc that added an edge to the matches.

We are not alone in poor atmospheres, being outsung at home, moany old buggers, the silent types, you wait and see when one of our players puts his first hard tackle in and gets up and chases down an opposing player, the crowd will react to it. Ashton gate is a great place when the fans can see a trier or two on the pitch. I think you could have posted that on any football forum and you would have had most football supporters saying, he's talking about my club.

[Rich]

PS:- The yardstick at BCFC will always be how many of the current squad would sacrifice what the Ashton Gate 8 sacrificed?.

Amen.

]

Thank you for disecting my post and deriding it.

You are correct that our players are handsomely paid, you then say the fans mirror the players. You are having a laugh aren't you!

The only person writing drivel is yourself, eg : "the only thing the team senses is that playing for BCFC interferes with their social once sometimes twice a week".

"The yardstick at BCFC will always be how many of the current squad would sacrifice what the Ashton Gate 8 sacrificed?".

Pure unadulerated drivel, base on what? hypothetical scenarios? How do you know what the situation would be?

PS: From your sanctimonious stance on high, obviously you must be god, now piss off.

[Rich]

Nice area, nice housing, nice living standard, nice supporters, nice team, all middle of the road= middle of the football league.

Do you really live in Bristol,for every nice area there's an iffy area,nice living standards,mine for one has taken a battering over the last few years,nice supporters,when the team are showing some passion and are up for a fight we can be very hostile as many opposition managers have said in the past,as for middle of the road not me or any of the people I go with,not in a million years ,I've managed to keep a bit of that edge from my youth thank god.

I think GJ alluded to the fact that this area is considered a nice area and it is, even in a recession it's not doing too badly up to other areas. I believe that makes us a tadge softer, less demanding, less tough if you like. And I think that this might rub off on the players and staff after a while.

[Rich]

Nice area, nice housing, nice living standard, nice supporters, nice team, all middle of the road= middle of the football league.

Do you really live in Bristol,for every nice area there's an iffy area,nice living standards,mine for one has taken a battering over the last few years,nice supporters,when the team are showing some passion and are up for a fight we can be very hostile as many opposition managers have said in the past,as for middle of the road not me or any of the people I go with,not in a million years ,I've managed to keep a bit of that edge from my youth thank god.

Fair play for keeping your edge, I'd like to think that I have an edge as well.

As I see it, the further north you go, the towns/cities get tougher and more working class. They have an edge, a desire and it's plain to see. We might have rough tough people and areas but not as many as those ooop North. We are southern softies by comparison.

[Rich]

Your post describes about 90% of all English football clubs. The fact we are not getting results at all at the moment and have played pretty shit for 3 years has a bearing on the way the support is. Best atmosphere at the gate for as long as I care to remember was under Gary Johnson, our most successful period in donkeys years. Coincidence, no,

We were successful, had regular visits from the anti christ Holloway, Warnock, Simon Jordan etc etc that added an edge to the matches.

We are not alone in poor atmospheres, being outsung at home, moany old buggers, the silent types, you wait and see when one of our players puts his first hard tackle in and gets up and chases down an opposing player, the crowd will react to it. Ashton gate is a great place when the fans can see a trier or two on the pitch. I think you could have posted that on any football forum and you would have had most football supporters saying, he's talking about my club.

You are correct that many clubs suffer poor atmospheres at various times and most clubs can fall into this bracket.

I just believe that we suffer it more and more regularly. When referring to the GJ era, you hit the nail on the head, we are not a succesful club and if we could help the team a little more then perhaps we'd be a bit more succesful.

Ashton gate can be a great place with passionate support, it's just that it rarely is and when we're having a bad time it gets worse.

Now is the time to get behind the team, to help them, encourage them and most of all, keep it up.

[Sargent Pepper]

Great post by the OP. He's not saying it is the fans fault or that it will turn our season around, just simply that we would have done our bit. If you dont like the manager/board/players then sing for the badge on the shirt, thats what everyone criticises players for.

Of course it's far easier to sit back in your armchair and say "i told you so" i guess

[Esmond Million's Bung]

]

Thank you for disecting my post and deriding it.

You are correct that our players are handsomely paid, you then say the fans mirror the players. You are having a laugh aren't you!

The only person writing drivel is yourself, eg : "the only thing the team senses is that playing for BCFC interferes with their social once sometimes twice a week".

"The yardstick at BCFC will always be how many of the current squad would sacrifice what the Ashton Gate 8 sacrificed?".

Pure unadulerated drivel, base on what? hypothetical scenarios? How do you know what the situation would be?

PS: From your sanctimonious stance on high, obviously you must be god, now piss off.

Don't tell me to piss off, just go on living in dream land, for me it's been 55 years of support (long before you were born judging by your childish riposte) and I have seen it all in that time.

of course the fans mirror the players, do you think the atmosphere would be so bad had we continued our good start to the season?, 4/5 years of dross many fans have had enough.

if you want evidence of my yardstick just look at Portsmouth, most modern day players do not care about the clubs or the fans and they have little or no honour, they would have seen Portsmouth go to the wall because of the money they were owed, the Ashton 8 didn't.

Football is still supposed to be an entertainment for it's fans and 4/5 years of mainly spineless performances especially at home, is the reason why on sunday BCFC will be lucky to break 10k, people have got better things to spend their money on, times are hard and the knock on is many season ticket holders have said this is their last season and once lost these fans will be difficult to entice back. if you pay money to go to a gig of an artist that you love and that artist is drunk falling about, singing out of tune and basically taking the piss out of the fans, would you encourage that?.

[Rich]

Don't tell me to piss off, just go on living in dream land, for me it's been 55 years of support (long before you were born judging by your childish riposte) and I have seen it all in that time.

of course the fans mirror the players, do you think the atmosphere would be so bad had we continued our good start to the season?, 4/5 years of dross many fans have had enough.

if you want evidence of my yardstick just look at Portsmouth, most modern day players do not care about the clubs or the fans and they have little or no honour, they would have seen Portsmouth go to the wall because of the money they were owed, the Ashton 8 didn't.

Football is still supposed to be an entertainment for it's fans and 4/5 years of mainly spineless performances especially at home, is the reason why on sunday BCFC will be lucky to break 10k, people have got better things to spend their money on, times are hard and the knock on is many season ticket holders have said this is their last season and once lost these fans will be difficult to entice back. if you pay money to go to a gig of an artist that you love and that artist is drunk falling about, singing out of tune and basically taking the piss out of the fans, would you encourage that?.

If you don't want someone to tell you to piss off, don't be so supersilious and critical in your respone to a genuine post, which is after all, someones opinion. Any childish remarks were started by yourself in your derisory comments. As for the ashton 8 and your analogy, the 8 had little option other than to accept their pay off, what would you do, accept a pay off or get nothing? Portsmouth fc are still a legitimate company and have had lots of help unlike BCFC in 1982, to compare the two is simplistic. Your analogies like your assessment of my age and my posts is flawed, most probably due to your confused superior self belief, how can you compare a drunk falling about artist at a gig, taking the piss out of the audience with a footballer, is proof indeed, of your distorted opinions. The only thing that you may or may not have witnessed during your period of support, if it is unbroken support that I have not, is the promotion year of 1965. So I will claim that i have been there, seen it, done it and i hasten to add, that my support has never waivered unlike yours which appears to have.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

If you don't want someone to tell you to piss off, don't be so supersilious and critical in your respone to a genuine post, which is after all, someones opinion. Any childish remarks were started by yourself in your derisory comments. As for the ashton 8 and your analogy, the 8 had little option other than to accept their pay off, what would you do, accept a pay off or get nothing? Portsmouth fc are still a legitimate company and have had lots of help unlike BCFC in 1982, to compare the two is simplistic. Your analogies like your assessment of my age and my posts is flawed, most probably due to your confused superior self belief, how can you compare a drunk falling about artist at a gig, taking the piss out of the audience with a footballer, is proof indeed, of your distorted opinions. The only thing that you may or may not have witnessed during your period of support, if it is unbroken support that I have not, is the promotion year of 1965. So I will claim that i have been there, seen it, done it and i hasten to add, that my support has never waivered unlike yours which appears to have.

Hypocrite

[Ashton1]

What a bunch of weak assed fans we have. What's the matter with you lot, where's your stomach for a fight?

It's no wonder our team are described as weak and futile in their efforts, they mirror our fans, or at least lot's of them.

I'm fed up with opposition teams and fans beating us at every aspect of football.

We are regularly outsung and seem to accept being beaten, by both opposition teams and their supporters.

That is the reason we are never successful. We are not committed enough, not regularly vocal enough, not demanding enough and certainly not passionate enough.

I believe our players realise this after a while at the club and know that, unlike some more passionate football clubs, they don't need to bust a gut to get their wages.

It's our fault. Get angry, demand more from the players, get behind the players when they try, tell them when it's good, give the ref and linesmen a hard time. Don't give up after a set back with a whimper, because the team will surely sense that and follow suit.

By the cringe, COME ON Grrrrrrrrr.

Nice area, nice housing, nice living standard, nice supporters, nice team, all middle of the road= middle of the football league.

Ah well, never mind.

Been trying to remain positive and get behind the team for 30 years, but theres got to be a limit surly

No wounder the crowds are around 12k, when we could easily attract 10k more with a little consistency!

I get wot u are saying but its getting tougher each year!

[Rich]

Hypocrite

I was OP which enabled you to voice your opinion. However, you chose to use that oppertunity to respond in an offensive derisory manner, when responded to likewise you didn't like it, i suggest it is you that is a hypocrite.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

I was OP which enabled you to voice your opinion. However, you chose to use that oppertunity to respond in an offensive derisory manner, when responded to likewise you didn't like it, i suggest it is you that is a hypocrite.

What bollox, the title and first sentence were offensive and derisory and I replied in kind and it was MY OPINION, if you can't take it don't give it flower.

[Rich]

What bollox, the title and first sentence were offensive and derisory and I replied in kind and it was MY OPINION, if you can't take it don't give it flower.

The title and first sentence, could only have been taken as offensive or derisory, by someone that matched the description. As you seem to have been offended by that statement, people can make up their own mind why you seem to have taken exception to my post. It was not aimed at you, so why you responded to it in the way you did, I don't know..

You disected it, numbered it and proceeded to rubbish it, bit by bit, rather than reading it and taking it as a whole, as it was intended.

My intention was not to offend, merely to express my views as a sort of rallying call and that, by highlighting some things, hope that the situation could be improved. I want our supporters to get behind the team and not to have a defeatist attitude, which some most certainly do.

So my little rose petal, I'm sorry if what I have said upset you, or touched a nerve but, I hold steady with my opinion, that, many of our supporters do not have the stomach for a fight and that is mirrored by some members of the team.

Lot's of love, Flower.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

The title and first sentence, could only have been taken as offensive or derisory, by someone that matched the description. As you seem to have been offended by that statement, people can make up their own mind why you seem to have taken exception to my post. It was not aimed at you, so why you responded to it in the way you did, I don't know..

You disected it, numbered it and proceeded to rubbish it, bit by bit, rather than reading it and taking it as a whole, as it was intended.

My intention was not to offend, merely to express my views as a sort of rallying call and that, by highlighting some things, hope that the situation could be improved. I want our supporters to get behind the team and not to have a defeatist attitude, which some most certainly do.

So my little rose petal, I'm sorry if what I have said upset you, or touched a nerve but, I hold steady with my opinion, that, many of our supporters do not have the stomach for a fight and that is mirrored by some members of the team.

Lot's of love, Flower.

Good for you and I hold steady by my opinion, that, many of our players do not have the stomach for a fight and that is mirrored by some supporters and that is completely understandable given the mainly 'turgid' performances over the past 4/5 years.

[Tall King Blox]

http://www.thefreedi...nary.com/turgid

Good for you and I hold steady by my opinion, that, many of our players do not have the stomach for a fight and that is mirrored by some supporters and that is completely understandable given the mainly 'turgid' performances over the past 4/5 years.

Sorry for being a dumb ass but the term "turgid" was just asking for a response,clik the link

[Esmond Million's Bung]

http://www.thefreedi...nary.com/turgidSorry for being a dumb ass but the term "turgid" was just asking for a response,clik the link

Blame Robbored he used this description several years ago to describe performances under GJ.

But this might help.

http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/turgid

[MichaelRobartes]

I firmly believe that BCFC fans, oft much maligned, were the biggest factor in the team crawling over the line to safety last season. The crowds and atmosphere were exceptional at the end of the season. The roar of encouragement after Coventry opened the scoring at Ashton Gate is something I'll never forget.

Those fans owe this football club nothing, in fact it's quite the other way around...

[Tall King Blox]

I firmly believe that BCFC fans, oft much maligned, were the biggest factor in the team crawling over the line to safety last season. The crowds and atmosphere were exceptional at the end of the season. The roar of encouragement after Coventry opened the scoring at Ashton Gate is something I'll never forget.

Those fans owe this football club nothing, in fact it's quite the other way around...

Did they ask you, or was it a choice ?

[REBS14]

I firmly believe that BCFC fans, oft much maligned, were the biggest factor in the team crawling over the line to safety last season. The crowds and atmosphere were exceptional at the end of the season. The roar of encouragement after Coventry opened the scoring at Ashton Gate is something I'll never forget.

Those fans owe this football club nothing, in fact it's quite the other way around...

Agree 100% some of the atmospheres at the end of the season had a huge effect - Leicester is a perfect example

I dont think Del the master tactician should take all the glory, we played our part and quite rightly deserve a pat on the back

[MichaelRobartes]

Did they ask you, or was it a choice ?

Not sure what you're referring to I'm afraid.

[Dorset_Cider]

Off to bed now, need to get rest before getting down to my fighting weight. Any tips on how to lose four stone in four days?

Well not four stone in four days, but I go down 'the swim' for a workout three times a week and tend to swim even more when on holiday!

That I'll get you down to fighting weight ...... try it.

[GlennHumphrys1]

Don't tell me to piss off, just go on living in dream land, for me it's been 55 years of support (long before you were born judging by your childish riposte) and I have seen it all in that time.

of course the fans mirror the players, do you think the atmosphere would be so bad had we continued our good start to the season?, 4/5 years of dross many fans have had enough.

if you want evidence of my yardstick just look at Portsmouth, most modern day players do not care about the clubs or the fans and they have little or no honour, they would have seen Portsmouth go to the wall because of the money they were owed, the Ashton 8 didn't.

Football is still supposed to be an entertainment for it's fans and 4/5 years of mainly spineless performances especially at home, is the reason why on sunday BCFC will be lucky to break 10k, people have got better things to spend their money on, times are hard and the knock on is many season ticket holders have said this is their last season and once lost these fans will be difficult to entice back. if you pay money to go to a gig of an artist that you love and that artist is drunk falling about, singing out of tune and basically taking the piss out of the fans, would you encourage that?.

I actually think this is an excellent analogy.

[Sixtyseconds]

You heard the clarion call.

Lets make Ashton Gate rock like Oakwell and Vicarage road.

[Andy Horsman]

I actually think this is an excellent analogy.

Bristol City FC, the Amy Winehouse of the Championship......

[Rich]

Good for you and I hold steady by my opinion, that, many of our players do not have the stomach for a fight and that is mirrored by some supporters and that is completely understandable given the mainly 'turgid' performances over the past 4/5 years.

So it's a question of the chicken and the egg. Im sure it works both ways with the players inspiring the fans and fans lifting the players. I want to help us get the fan side of things better, and its down to the management and the players to improve their side. I no we the supporters can do our bit and replicate the atmosphere of the latter part of last season as has been said.

[Cowshed]

What a bunch of weak assed fans we have. What's the matter with you lot, where's your stomach for a fight?

It's no wonder our team are described as weak and futile in their efforts, they mirror our fans, or at least lot's of them.

I'm fed up with opposition teams and fans beating us at every aspect of football.

We are regularly outsung and seem to accept being beaten, by both opposition teams and their supporters.

That is the reason we are never successful. We are not committed enough, not regularly vocal enough, not demanding enough and certainly not passionate enough.

I believe our players realise this after a while at the club and know that, unlike some more passionate football clubs, they don't need to bust a gut to get their wages.

It's our fault. Get angry, demand more from the players, get behind the players when they try, tell them when it's good, give the ref and linesmen a hard time. Don't give up after a set back with a whimper, because the team will surely sense that and follow suit.

By the cringe, COME ON Grrrrrrrrr.

Nice area, nice housing, nice living standard, nice supporters, nice team, all middle of the road= middle of the football league.

Ah well, never mind.

Only adding another opinion, but that seems ill conceived. Support bases have been dumbed down and gentrified everywhere.

BCFC would rather have a family experience than intimidating support and prefer adverts to fans creating bold colourful stands. Clubs reap what they sow, and City fans are nowhere near the bottom of this passion league of supports yet.

Fans here are one of clubs redeeming features for myself.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Only adding another opinion, but that seems ill conceived. Support bases have been dumbed down and gentrified everywhere.

BCFC would rather have a family experience than intimidating support and prefer adverts to fans creating bold colourful stands. Clubs reap what they sow, and City fans are nowhere near the bottom of this passion league of supports yet.

Fans here are one of clubs redeeming features for myself.

Exactly and the dumbing down of the rules to change the game into virtually a non contact sport and the almost encouragement of players to act like WWE wrestlers when they go down with little or no contact, the biggest cheers and incitement of fans usually came after determined crunching tackling and players busting a gut to rectify mistakes, it galvanised fans especially when the team was struggling into believing the team were at least going to go down with a fight.