Sod And This Season Reminds Me Off The Early Days Of Dick's Era.

[gavlin]

There are a lot of similarities between this season and the early part of the Dick's era, Dolman wouldn't splash the cash. Remember the chants from the East End of Cheque Book, Cheque Book on a number of occasions. But Dick's success was founded in this period when he started bring on younger players the first of which was Chris Garland. Dick's was allowed time even though the threat of relegation loomed over the club for a number seasons. There was a season in the early seventies where we drew game after game and it looked like relegation was on the cards until we started to win and win again as the confidence and belief of the players grew to help City retain their Division One status. Dicks was a quiet man and I see similarities between him and SOD. Lets give him time.

[italian dave]

I agree. It took AD several years to turn it round, and to turn us into a club that was able to sustain a genuine promotion challenge. It's going to take 1-2 years now - and those who seem to think that "transition" simply means replacing a few faces, and should take a couple of months, are deluded.

I'm just back from Port Vale: gutted by the last 3 minutes - but even more disappointed to read some of the comments on here - inevitably most from people who weren't there! And who seem to be waiting for a chance to have a pop at SOD or their particular player.

We played really well today. We controlled the game for 80 minutes, we dictated the pace of the game, the workrate was great, and it was great becasue it wasn't just running around for the sake of it, it had a purpose. They all worked really hard to support each other. We've got the signs of a good balance in the side at last, the ability to switch things around when we need to. We defended well: the back 4 were all good. I can't remember the last time the opposing fans applauded a City player when they were substituted. And - after 2/3 seasons of dross, its actually good to watch too.

On the down side, we wasted chances - although we were also desperately unlucky with a couple that hit the inside of the post. We didn't kill the game off as we should have done, and as our play deserved. And another individual error cost us dearly.

But I am convinced that we're getting there. And what will help us get there is if some so called fans would get off SODs back. The very last thing that we need right now is to lose another manager. We need patience, and we need to hold our nerve. We have turned it round, but we're still at the bottom - but as long as we stick with it we're on the way up now! But as with AD, it won't happen overnight, but we'll be a stronger club for it.

[pongo88]

Very true.

Dicks was assistant manager to Jimmy Hill at Coventry and Hill recommended him for the job. (For those who can only remember Hill as a TV pundit, in the 60’s he was a very successful manager with Coventry, and took them from division 3 to division 1)

Luckily for the club, in those days managers were given more time. If Dicks had been managing today, he would probably not have been given time to build a team, but would have go the sack instead. IMO the club have recognised that SoD has a long term rebuilding programme to manage, and whatever this season’s results, he will be given time to see it through.

[S. Bristol Born & Red]

I support SO'D fully, I think he'll get it right, but managers these days don't get the time they did in the past to turn things around.

[Aizoon]

The only reason AD was given the time was because of that FA Cup win at Leeds. We were 21/22in the Second Division at the time and his neck was on the block. Maybe we'll win at Old Trafford in January or maybe the board will show that they've got some cojones.

[MrBibs]

The only reason AD was given the time was because of that FA Cup win at Leeds. We were 21/22in the Second Division at the time and his neck was on the block. Maybe we'll win at Old Trafford in January or maybe the board will show that they've got some cojones.

Or maybe we'll win at Wycombe on Tuesday,

Can see a decent JPT run this season just maybe counteracting 'indifferent' league form and being enough to give him the time he needs.

Here's to S O'D being given enough time as there's no miracle cure out there if he does go.

[Guest]

There are a lot of similarities between this season and the early part of the Dick's era, Dolman wouldn't splash the cash. Remember the chants from the East End of Cheque Book, Cheque Book on a number of occasions. But Dick's success was founded in this period when he started bring on younger players the first of which was Chris Garland. Dick's was allowed time even though the threat of relegation loomed over the club for a number seasons. There was a season in the early seventies where we drew game after game and it looked like relegation was on the cards until we started to win and win again as the confidence and belief of the players grew to help City retain their Division One status. Dicks was a quiet man and I see similarities between him and SOD. Lets give him time.

Cant remember A.D off loading all his best players when he got here? Who is the new Chris Garland, John Galley, Gerry Gow, G Merrick ? Sorry but we seem to have a load of tat at the moment, there maybe those who think we have all great players.....they aint.

How much time should we give, as the poll asks? the clock is ticking, improved results before xmas or he should be shown the door i.m.o.

[Red-Robbo]

There are a lot of similarities between this season and the early part of the Dick's era, Dolman wouldn't splash the cash. Remember the chants from the East End of Cheque Book, Cheque Book on a number of occasions. But Dick's success was founded in this period when he started bring on younger players the first of which was Chris Garland. Dick's was allowed time even though the threat of relegation loomed over the club for a number seasons. There was a season in the early seventies where we drew game after game and it looked like relegation was on the cards until we started to win and win again as the confidence and belief of the players grew to help City retain their Division One status. Dicks was a quiet man and I see similarities between him and SOD. Lets give him time.

Having met Dicksy on a number of occasions I can say he wasn't particularly a quiet man - especially after a few Johnny Walkers!

Whilst it is comforting to think we may be on the brink of a similar golden era I feel that the differences are 1) Football has changed and the chequebook now rules 2) We weren't in the third tier under Dicksy and 3) We weren't relegated under Dicksy.

[sglosbcfc]

Cant remember A.D off loading all his best players when he got here? Who is the new Chris Garland, John Galley, Gerry Gow, G Merrick ? Sorry but we seem to have a load of tat at the moment, there maybe those who think we have all great players.....they aint.

How much time should we give, as the poll asks? the clock is ticking, improved results before xmas or he should be shown the door i.m.o.

We have good players and some that have the potential to be really good players. I think Emmanuel Thomas is already a very good player! Joe Bryan, Jordan Wynter, Derrick Williams, Wes Burns and Bobby Reid are all examples of really young players who have the potential to be very good players.

[Port Said Red]

The pressure was less intense in those days, the only real feedback from fans was on the terraces and maybe the letters page in the Green 'un, Letters tend to be written after a period of reflection, there was no social media and radio phone ins for people to vent their anger within seconds of a result, or in some cases, a goal being conceded.

Having said that, Harry Dolman was a very strong character and would have ignored a lot of any pressure the fans might have applied.

[ciderbeans]

SOD will stay regardless. Look at how much the club has invested in him with the back room staff from forest etc.

Would be back to square one if SOD left as pemberton and Burt would also leave.

Only reason people are complaining is because we haven't had that victory.

In the mean time, if were still picking up points, what's to complain about? The victories will come as we've definately sorted out the performance side of it.

Patience is key

[AshtonGreat]

If SOD doesn't hurry up and win some games, the only similarity he'll have with Dicks is that neither will be managing Bristol City any more

[22A]

AD was appointed in September 1967 and after 12 months there were calls for him to be sacked. The board stuck with him though and City stayed up.

1970 came the League Cup semi final, Galley wasn't sold until 1972 and then in 74 came the cup win at Leeds followed by promotion to Division 1 two years later. AD was finally sacked when following the relegation from Div 1 City made a poor start to the 80-81 season. Alan was Manager for 13 years; in the following 14 years City had seven Managers.

AD was not first choice for the City job. Harry D tried getting Frank O'Farrell from Torquay to take on the job. Frank refused as he didn't like the way City got rid of Fred Ford (AD's predecessor). Some time later FO'F became manager of Man U.

One guy I know suggested City's directors weren't hard hearted enough. At the end of the 76-77 season, the Board should have thanked AD for his services, getting City to Div 1 and keeping them there that first year. They should then have admitted he had taken the club as far as he could and sought a more experienced top flight manager. That policy was adopted by Fulham. When they won promotion from Div 4, a few weeks later the Manager was sacked and replaced with a more experienced man .I believe they've had a new manager for each division they've played in.

[Aizoon]

AD was appointed in September 1967 and after 12 months there were calls for him to be sacked. The board stuck with him though and City stayed up.

1970 came the League Cup semi final, Galley wasn't sold until 1972 and then in 74 came the cup win at Leeds followed by promotion to Division 1 two years later. AD was finally sacked when following the relegation from Div 1 City made a poor start to the 80-81 season. Alan was Manager for 13 years; in the following 14 years City had seven Managers.

AD was not first choice for the City job. Harry D tried getting Frank O'Farrell from Torquay to take on the job. Frank refused as he didn't like the way City got rid of Fred Ford (AD's predecessor). Some time later FO'F became manager of Man U.

One guy I know suggested City's directors weren't hard hearted enough. At the end of the 76-77 season, the Board should have thanked AD for his services, getting City to Div 1 and keeping them there that first year. They should then have admitted he had taken the club as far as he could and sought a more experienced top flight manager. That policy was adopted by Fulham. When they won promotion from Div 4, a few weeks later the Manager was sacked and replaced with a more experienced man .I believe they've had a new manager for each division they've played in.

The guy you know didn't take into account our star player being permanently crocked two games into promotion, then? Or the corruption within the club from chairman down to gatekeeper? AD could have done well at the top level, had he not had an albatross round his neck.

PS That's a metaphor - obviously he didn't carry a dead sea bird around with him...

[Sleepy1968]

The guy you know didn't take into account our star player being permanently crocked two games into promotion, then? Or the corruption within the club from chairman down to gatekeeper? AD could have done well at the top level, had he not had an albatross round his neck.

PS That's a metaphor - obviously he didn't carry a dead sea bird around with him...

i remember something about the gatekeepers coming out in the 80s - what was the corruption within the club boardroom? Obv understand you might have to be a bit vague...

thankls.

[ashton_fan]

AD was appointed in September 1967 and after 12 months there were calls for him to be sacked. The board stuck with him though and City stayed up.

1970 came the League Cup semi final, Galley wasn't sold until 1972 and then in 74 came the cup win at Leeds followed by promotion to Division 1 two years later. AD was finally sacked when following the relegation from Div 1 City made a poor start to the 80-81 season. Alan was Manager for 13 years; in the following 14 years City had seven Managers.

AD was not first choice for the City job. Harry D tried getting Frank O'Farrell from Torquay to take on the job. Frank refused as he didn't like the way City got rid of Fred Ford (AD's predecessor). Some time later FO'F became manager of Man U.

One guy I know suggested City's directors weren't hard hearted enough. At the end of the 76-77 season, the Board should have thanked AD for his services, getting City to Div 1 and keeping them there that first year. They should then have admitted he had taken the club as far as he could and sought a more experienced top flight manager. That policy was adopted by Fulham. When they won promotion from Div 4, a few weeks later the Manager was sacked and replaced with a more experienced man .I believe they've had a new manager for each division they've played in.

AD wasn't sacked outright, he was offered a job a 'General Manager', the equivalent today of 'Director of Football', so it was a similar situation to when John Ward left. Funnily enough the season he left we had similar results to this season - for the six matches he was in charge we drew 3 and lost 3. He should have been given more time, there was still a reasonable squad and I don't think we'd have gone down if he'd stayed.,

[Mr Mosquito]

The guy you know didn't take into account our star player being permanently crocked two games into promotion, then? Or the corruption within the club from chairman down to gatekeeper? AD could have done well at the top level, had he not had an albatross round his neck.

PS That's a metaphor - obviously he didn't carry a dead sea bird around with him...

That was awful luck with Cheeseley getting crocked against Peter Shilton and Stoke at home. There again, we still had Tom Ritchie up front but should have immediately signed a top striker to play along side him when Cheeseley got crocked. The benefit of hindsight eh?

To me, the Albatross around the club's neck was the lack of financial support from Bristol's top big businesses of the time. Although we did have the 'Embassy Cigarettes' sponsorship sign above the East End for our top flight days.

[Red-Robbo]

i remember something about the gatekeepers coming out in the 80s - what was the corruption within the club boardroom? Obv understand you might have to be a bit vague...

thankls.

He will have to be vague. Trust me it was there. Money being taken out the club, club assets being used as personal.

[Aizoon]

The pressure was less intense in those days, the only real feedback from fans was on the terraces and maybe the letters page in the Green 'un, Letters tend to be written after a period of reflection, there was no social media and radio phone ins for people to vent their anger within seconds of a result, or in some cases, a goal being conceded.

Having said that, Harry Dolman was a very strong character and would have ignored a lot of any pressure the fans might have applied.

Dead right about HD. He was a lovely bloke but a real hard nut. He was a skilled engineer who invented the modern vending machine and ended up running the company he'd worked for. You can still see BDR on the seat supports in the Dolman.

He was City through and through and, as a qualified ref, knew enough about football to leave day to day management to the manager.

He wouldn't be swayed by panicking fans and, hopefully, neither will today's board, whoever they might be.

[chinapig]

The only reason AD was given the time was because of that FA Cup win at Leeds. We were 21/22in the Second Division at the time and his neck was on the block. Maybe we'll win at Old Trafford in January or maybe the board will show that they've got some cojones.

Very true. There is a certain amount of understandable mythologising about AD. For much of the time he was far from popular; I remember demonstrations outside the players entrance demanding he be sacked, quite apart from the legendary Dicks Out chants. He was though operating in what is now the Championship rather than Division 3, so it's harder to compare with SOD but I'm pretty sure he would not have survived so long if we had been fighting relegation from Div 3.

The man who doesn't get any credit is John Sillett, who was key in the development of young players. Tony Collins was also important. If one, let alone many, of the young players coming through is of the calibre of Garland, Merrick, Collier, Gow, Tainton, Rodgers, Ritchie, Whitehead, Mabbutt etc. I would be astonished and delighted.

SOD operates in a much tougher environment though. For one thing the distribution of wealth was much more even in AD's days, which made it easier to hold onto key players; we were able to turn down an offer.from Arsenal for Merrick and Ritchie because the wage differential was not the huge gulf it is now for instance so the players did not agitate for a move. AD didn't have to compete with clubs getting parachute payments either. Reasons why AD should not be a benchmark for SOD, or any other City manager of current times I think.

[Major Isewater]

That was awful luck with Cheeseley getting crocked against Peter Shilton and Stoke at home. There again, we still had Tom Ritchie up front but should have immediately signed a top striker to play along side him when Cheeseley got crocked. The benefit of hindsight eh?

To me, the Albatross around the club's neck was the lack of financial support from Bristol's top big businesses of the time. Although we did have the 'Embassy Cigarettes' sponsorship sign above the East End for our top flight days.

It was as hard then as it is now to attract top players to Bristol .Cheeses replacement was Joe Royle ,four goals on his debut and real class .

[JOSH17]

Anyone want SOD to stay even if we go down this season?

[chinapig]

It was as hard then as it is now to attract top players to Bristol .Cheeses replacement was Joe Royle ,four goals on his debut and real class .

I'm not so sure. At one point only Liverpool and Everton were paying higher wages, so we attracted the likes of Royle, Hunter and Cormack. We had a replacement for Paul in Colin Lee, who went on to play for Spurs after all, but by then the youth policy had been pretty much abandoned. Imo Paul was going to be the best centre forward in England, better than Paul Mariner, so replacing him was a hell of a problem.

[Aizoon]

It was as hard then as it is now to attract top players to Bristol .Cheeses replacement was Joe Royle ,four goals on his debut and real class .

True, but that was a class player at the end of his career. I honestly believe that Cheesley could have gone on to be as great a player as Atyeo, and that's a hell of an act to follow.

[The Right Honourable Les Q]

The only reason AD was given the time was because of that FA Cup win at Leeds. We were 21/22in the Second Division at the time and his neck was on the block. Maybe we'll win at Old Trafford in January or maybe the board will show that they've got some cojones.

Has Horace any cojones?

[Aizoon]

Has Horace any cojones?

Of course. I don't believe in neutering hedgehogs. It restrains their natural aggression, which can be useful sometimes..

"Gashead, Horace! Bite, Horace!!"

[The Right Honourable Les Q]

It is encouraging to hear that SOD and this season remind many of our more senior supporters (who younger ones would do well to listen to) of early days AD, because others elsewhere seem to find SOD and this season reminding them of SOD and last season. Which is rubbish; he won home games at a canter when he first got here. Built up all this hope and expectation. This season is nothing like last season. We never played Port Vale off the park last season, did we? Tch

[The Right Honourable Les Q]

Of course. I don't believe in neutering hedgehogs. It restrains their natural aggression, which can be useful sometimes..

"Gashead, Horace! Bite, Horace!!"

Could he donate one to Flint, the soppy, gangly, tattooed, sap, getting all tearful yesterday? What's wrong with these young people?

[Port Said Red]

I'm not so sure. At one point only Liverpool and Everton were paying higher wages, so we attracted the likes of Royle, Hunter and Cormack. We had a replacement for Paul in Colin Lee, who went on to play for Spurs after all, but by then the youth policy had been pretty much abandoned. Imo Paul was going to be the best centre forward in England, better than Paul Mariner, so replacing him was a hell of a problem.

I wouldn't say the youth policy had been abandoned, anyone who went to the reserves in those days would see lots of young players coming through. The problem was that AD became too loyal to "his" first team and that coupled with them being comparatively young, meant that it was difficult for the next generation to get 1st team football. They either moved on or stagnated until they ended up at Bath City or somewhere else local.

There were also some issues in that the FA changed the rules over how youth players could be sourced, for years there was a youth team playing in the Glasgow leagues called "Bristol City", a lot of players were brought in through that stream until that kind of practice was outlawed.

[Aizoon]

Could he donate one to Flint, the soppy, gangly, tattooed, sap, getting all tearful yesterday? What's wrong with these young people?

I'm afraid H was in tears yesterday and I wasn't far off. I was just selecting the right single malt to celebrate our first league victory and then that happened