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Punching Above Our Weight.


foghornred

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Looking at the Football League I feel that we are a good division one side and when the financial fair play comes in I think that we will struggle in the Championship.

As the financial fair play is based on turnover you only have to look at grounds and crowds,for example Derby county yesterday must have a much bigger turnover than us with their ground with corporate boxes and a crowd of over 23000 for a nothing match for them.

Jon Lansdown stated that Leeds United had a turn over four times more than us which means that they can pay their players four times as much as us.

So you can see why someone like Richard Keogh chose Derby over us and why the better players will go to the clubs with better crowds/stadiums than us.

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Can't agrue with that all true.

It's just that as a club, City hasn't utilsed its catchment area, pool of talent propoerly over the years. I think this is changing but we won't see the change in terms of first team appearences for a few years yet. We have to improve in theis area as we don't have the succesful tradtion like Derby for instance with League Champoinship titles, Premier League status etc to draw upon and increase the fan base.

Steve Landsdown made a couple of realy good points up at Wolves a fortnight ago. Firstly his comments about Southampton constantly being on our turf looking for players and also that we should not get to attached to players. By which I'm assuming he meant that City as a club do get overly attached to certian players and we must buy and sale more prudently and not be afraid to move players on.

If we can be more effcient in player recrutiment and coaching the club can and will improve, there is still a lot that is attractive about Bristol City that will only improve when we finally move ground or redevelop AG. The academy being based at Filton College is a big improvement.

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I agree entirely and I also think the club has recognised this. There is now a greater emphasis on developing young players. The transfer policy has also changed.

On the commercial side Steve Lansdown started to implement an improvement plan several years ago. Unfortunately the Ashton Vale stadium, which should have been built by now, is still no more than an artist’s impression. Ashton Gate re-development is now on the horizon, but if that gets the go ahead, it’s going to be another 4 years ish before it’s finished.

So we have a new re-vamped youth / transfer policy and exciting ground developments, but whatever happens the pay-offs won’t be seen for a few years. Be prepared for a few years of hard times

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Jon Lansdown stated that Leeds United had a turn over four times more than us which means that they can pay their players four times as much as us.

So how come we paid Kilkenny more than Leeds were prepared to, as was reported at the time?

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Cause they know he wasn't worth the wage we are paying him!

Of course, but Jon Lansdown's comments were incomplete. No doubt true Leeds can afford more but nevertheless we paid more than them for yet another average player. Furthermore it was not long ago Colin was telling us we had the 8th highest wage bill. Responsibility for that has to rest with the Board. But perhaps that was his point.

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As reported wrong.

So he chose us over Leeds for footballing reasons? Was it also untrue we offered Stead and Pitman more than Blackpool, or did they not fancy PL football? If we have not been profligate, as Jon seems to imply, why is our wage bill such a huge proportion of turnover?

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So he chose us over Leeds for footballing reasons? Was it also untrue we offered Stead and Pitman more than Blackpool, or did they not fancy PL football? If we have not been profligate, as Jon seems to imply, why is our wage bill such a huge proportion of turnover?

To be fair Blackpool offer awful wages!! That's why they now have a cheap manager.

They offered Robbie Fowler £90 a week last season! It's a joke there.

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