to be honest..

[WhistleHappy]

Despite some obvious shortcomings this season, I didn't feel the root of ALL of them lay at the door of the football manager, his staff and his players. The level of trust throughout the fan base for 'the organisation' has without doubt become more suspect in recent times, many of the current 'suits' appear far more anonymous than in previous times. Huge investment in infrastructure has brought a feeling of a club 'going places' and the optimism that gives with that, the connections & bonds that we've traditionally associated between 'the business side' 'the playing & team affairs side' and the 'supporters side' that co-exist and work together to make 'our Club' feel to have distanced and the mutual dependency and trust has without doubt weakened, the sense of 'togetherness' just isn't there anymore in the same way it was.

I don't know what's going on behind the scenes at 'our club' or what 'politics' have and are being played out in the corridors of power and by whom, who are the puppets and who are pulling their strings, but something doesn't feel right.  

In the style of Star-Trek -  ' its Bristol City boys and girls but not as we know it.'

The 'disconnects', the them and us scenarios (despite pr soundbites and lip service) are tangible and feel wider than ever between the suits and the fans, I started this thread acknowledging the shortcomings on the playing side, I'm not however convinced where the major fault lies for those, so despite Steve Cotterill's part in that I still have felt much more belief and faith in him than others within the upper echelons of Dawes/SL's 'organisation'... Bottom line I feel is Steve Cotts was handed an impossible task, (or at the least a very difficult one) within the parameters he and his shorthanded team of youngsters have had to work under. To Steve Cotts credit he stood shoulder to shoulder with the young men in the dressing room, staunchly refusing to blame them or entertain criticism of them and the efforts they continue to put in to the best of their abilities (sometimes limited ability but nobody has thrown in the towel to a man they are trying) ... Mr Cotterill did not let them down.

Steve Cotterill has be scapegoated (that's the price managers pay) for on field failures not entirely if his own making..

Its a sad day for Bristol City as a whole and more so for Steve Cotterill, his young team and the fans who recognise the merits, loyalty and genuine passion for the game -non of which waned one iota despite the incredible pressures he found himself fighting day after day. 

Stand Up You Suits, you know who you are, who need now to acknowledge the parts you've within the BCFC 'organisation'  this year which sadly inevitably led to today's regrettable events.

Walk with your head held high Steve C,  many would have crumbled, you didnt, cheers and best wishes!

 

[WhistleHappy]

PS... A few words missing here and there in above post... and several phrases that needed tidying up/editing  -but nevermind, hope you get the gist.