The ones that remember the dark days

[kiwicolin]

I was just talking to my partner Margaret and asked her about Bristol City dark days , when it was minutes before closing Bristol City FC for good. If it did happen and what she would have done then .

What about others? 

She said there would be no football to go and watch. Never to support the other team but be a long distance Liverpool  supporter,  her second team. She remembers those days with tears in her eyes and now hangs on to every moment of Bristol City. COYR 

[Lanterne Rouge]

Probably would have gone and watched Taunton Town but wouldn`t have enjoyed it much. Could never have switched to another league club.

[JamesBCFC]

Was all before my time, but I don't think I would have ended up rovers.

My dad took city as his second team when he moved to Bristol, so it's likely I'd have ended up watching Mangotsfield, Manor Farm and Hallen, just a bit more frequently. I probably would have followed Arsenal like my dad too I suppose.

[archie andrews]

i'd have gone to eastville every game without fail.......

[cityexile]

Would have followed Bristol City mark 2. Would just have to have done a Wimbledon. No doubt in my mind really that is what would have happened.

[Lanterne Rouge]

6 minutes ago, cityexile said:

Would have followed Bristol City mark 2. Would just have to have done a Wimbledon. No doubt in my mind really that is what would have happened.

I don`t know if it would back then. What was the deal with Accrington and Bradford Park Avenue when it happened to them? Did they stay in business in some form or fold and reform years later?

[Southstandoriginal]

30 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said:

I don`t know if it would back then. What was the deal with Accrington and Bradford Park Avenue when it happened to them? Did they stay in business in some form or fold and reform years later?

Both went out of business after a few years in non league then reformed by fans later. Accrington, Wimbledon and Newport have done brilliantly to get back into the league after starting from scratch. Bradford PA have almost no chance of doing that with the Bantams on their doorstep. Lets hope Hereford can follow suit.

[22A]

1 hour ago, Red Right Hand said:

Could never have switched to another league club.

Same here. I'd have kept an interest with football in general.

I've now lived in Peterborough longer than in Bristol, but I only go to London Road when City are the visitors.

[1960maaan]

I remember going to Newport expecting it to be our last game, I didn't know what I would do and even started thinking about a life without football !!  

At that time I would watch any football, I used to stop by Baptist Mills school if there was a game on but there is/was/and always only one team for me. I've watched, and enjoyed other teams but it's not the same.

[Lanterne Rouge]

1 minute ago, 1960maaan said:

I remember going to Newport expecting it to be our last game, I didn't know what I would do and even started thinking about a life without football !!  

At that time I would watch any football, I used to stop by Baptist Mills school if there was a game on but there is/was/and always only one team for me. I've watched, and enjoyed other teams but it's not the same.

No me neither. I get the same feeling from watching a neutral game as I do at a friendly, just can`t get into it to the same extent. I suppose living in Taunton at the time the question would have been` Do I start going to Yeovil?`. They were the best level of non league locally at the time so it could have happened I suppose and I guess if I had, I would have ended up supporting another league side after all.

[robinreliant]

5 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

I remember going to Newport expecting it to be our last game, I didn't know what I would do and even started thinking about a life without football !!  

At that time I would watch any football, I used to stop by Baptist Mills school if there was a game on but there is/was/and always only one team for me. I've watched, and enjoyed other teams but it's not the same.

I went to that game as well. But the feeling of relief and pride when we survived thanks to the eight will live in my mind for as long as I live.

[1960maaan]

3 minutes ago, robinreliant said:

I went to that game as well. But the feeling of relief and pride when we survived thanks to the eight will live in my mind for as long as I live.

I loved the reformed team, kids mainly but committed . The 4-2 over a rising Wimbledon still stands out as a great result from those times.

[kiwicolin]

Listen to Geoff Twentyman on BBC Radio Bristol 6 pm tomorrow ,

Clive Whitehead will be on there and will be talking to Geoff Merrick about the old days.

Be very interesting to hear.

[REDOXO]

There are plenty who remember it all. It was not just about the players but the staff who lost their jobs. I believe the father of someone very famous was among them!

disaster was avoided but the casualties were many and what happened to save us could simply not happen today as the rules were changed partially because of the reformation of a new club. 

We have struggled for 35 years to get over it and we would still be struggling still without SL regardless of what some on here may have you believe. 

Rough days. But I will carry that afternoon in the Muller Road end always! Completely mental in there when Hirst scored!

 

[cityexile]

30 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

There are plenty who remember it all. It was not just about the players but the staff who lost their jobs. I believe the father of someone very famous was among them!

disaster was avoided but the casualties were many and what happened to save us could simply not happen today as the rules were changed partially because of the reformation of a new club. 

We have struggled for 35 years to get over it and we would still be struggling still without SL regardless of what some on here may have you believe. 

Rough days. But I will carry that afternoon in the Muller Road end always! Completely mental in there when Hirst scored!

 

All true, but so have bankrupcy laws. I do read comments occasionally about we could not get away with what we did then nowadays. All true enough. but best guess if it happened now we would, like others have done, simply have gone in to administration. 

As you say, tough times. Easy to reflect on when watching them at Wembley v Bolton not that long afterwards!

[22A]

3 hours ago, 1960maaan said:

I remember going to Newport expecting it to be our last game, I didn't know what I would do and even started thinking about a life without football !!  

 

Loads of programme collectors went to that game to buy the programme assuming it would gain value being the last programme for a club. The national T.V. news  showed the equaliser in the 1-1 draw and commentators asked "Will this be Bristol City's last goal?"

[Guest]

4 hours ago, City169 said:

Was all before my time, but I don't think I would have ended up rovers.

My dad took city as his second team when he moved to Bristol, so it's likely I'd have ended up watching Mangotsfield, Manor Farm and Hallen, just a bit more frequently. I probably would have followed Arsenal like my dad too I suppose.

Equally before my time. Kudos to those who stuck around; maybe I'm yellow bellied but there has been once when I've genuinely lost interest and that was so recent it's scary. 

Had we stuck with SOD, we'd have been down this 'fan' until the change. I can remember that Xmas clearly, there was absolutely no way then I'd imagined getting a season ticket for the year after. Thankfully SC not only saved us, he restored pride and I found the love again which sustained the whole of his time here. 

[robinreliant]

1 hour ago, 22A said:

Loads of programme collectors went to that game to buy the programme assuming it would gain value being the last programme for a club. The national T.V. news  showed the equaliser in the 1-1 draw and commentators asked "Will this be Bristol City's last goal?"

Do not include me in that as I was a true fan going back to 1964. All true fans were worried sick and the relief was unbelievable. Very difficult to describe to the young fans of today.

[Kodjias Wrist]

Couldn't imagine what the feeling was at that time. You wouldn't see 8 footballers do that in today's world.

It's always sad when you hear of scenarios such as darlington and more recently Torquay.

Credit to all the fans who kept cheering them on from the terrace and all who donated to keep the club afloat! Top fans indeed!

 

[GrahamC]

I was a 46 games a season fan in those days, I only missed about 3 or 4 games between 1980 and 1986.

My guess is I'd have played on Saturdays if City had folded, I'd never have had the interest to watch anyone else.

[Honiton Tony]

Whats this second team ?

[downendcity]

20 hours ago, 22A said:

Same here. I'd have kept an interest with football in general.

I've now lived in Peterborough longer than in Bristol, but I only go to London Road when City are the visitors.

Just the same for me 22a. Lived up this way since '85 and have only been to London Road when we've been playing there.

As for our darkest days, I had moved down to Eastbourne at that time and feared the worst. I was only pleased that living away from Bristol meant that I would never have had to address the question of whether to go to Eastville as an alternative.

 

[Major Isewater]

I like football but Bristol City are a passion.

 

I  'feel ' City but have no or little emotion in watching other clubs.

[EstoniaTallinnRed]

I watch football here as the season starts in April and finishes in November, but as soon as the season starts there,  I listen to City's games via Radio Bristol's commentary, so local football takes a back seat. BTW Estonia's Premier League is about the same standard as the Conference, but they do try.

[Nogbad the Bad]

On 4/17/2016 at 16:37, 1960maaan said:

I remember going to Newport expecting it to be our last game, I didn't know what I would do and even started thinking about a life without football !!  

 

I remember we were debating this in the pub before that Newport game. There was depression round the table at the very real prospect that the coming few hours would see us witnessing our very last Bristol City game. The consensus, as we gloomily supped our pints, was if the worst happened we'd all be supporting no one but the England team in future - although there were some thoughts of becoming permanent residents in the away end at Eastville.

I managed to be outside the Grandstand at Ashton Gate on the Tuesday morning, waiting anxiously for the deadline decision with many others. At one stage I wandered through to the Enclosure to lean against a barrier and quietly survey the ground. A few others did the same but there was no talking, just quiet reflection. The silent empty terraces and stands looked sad and foreboding as we waited for what we fully expected to be grim news. As soon as the positive news came through the clouds lifted and we made straight for Wedlocks for a celebratory pint followed by a mini pub crawl along Hotwell Road.

Sadly Wedlocks,  The Plume of Feathers and The Spring Gardens are either demolished or the buildings unrecognisable now, with little clue to their former use, their long history, or how they were once vibrant crowded places playing an important part in the lives of the local community.

All fine historic hostelries and Bristol institutions in their own way but just a memory now, a fate that could so easily have befallen Bristol City F.C. that day.

 

[TRL]

20 hours ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

Couldn't imagine what the feeling was at that time. You wouldn't see 8 footballers do that in today's world.

It's always sad when you hear of scenarios such as darlington and more recently Torquay.

Credit to all the fans who kept cheering them on from the terrace and all who donated to keep the club afloat! Top fans indeed!

 

The 8 get a lot of kudos now. But you say it wouldn't happen now? Well the club had zero money. The club would have shut and the players would not have got paid simple as that. At the end of the day the players walked knowing they would get hero status rather than staying getting slaughtered by the fans and still not getting paid. Pretty easy decision to make when the outcome I.e. no money is going to be the same either way.

 

There were a few player back then that took long contracts big money and did not perform. 

 

I think the kudos given is a little over egged truth be told. I know I will get slaughtered for these thoughts. 

[Lord Northski]

Went to Newport with my Dad to see the potential last game.

The following week on the big day, I called Ashton Gate alongside a couple of other City fans from the Churchill School pay phone to ask if City had survived. To be told by a delighted City receptionist that we had. 

That was a good day. 

[archie andrews]

44 minutes ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

I remember we were debating this in the pub before that Newport game. There was depression round the table at the very real prospect that the coming few hours would see us witnessing our very last Bristol City game. The consensus, as we gloomily supped our pints, was if the worst happened we'd all be supporting no one but the England team in future - although there were some thoughts of becoming permanent residents in the away end at Eastville.

I managed to be outside the Grandstand at Ashton Gate on the Tuesday morning, waiting anxiously for the deadline decision with many others. At one stage I wandered through to the Enclosure to lean against a barrier and quietly survey the ground. A few others did the same but there was no talking, just quiet reflection. The silent empty terraces and stands looked sad and foreboding as we waited for what we fully expected to be grim news. As soon as the positive news came through the clouds lifted and we made straight for Wedlocks for a celebratory pint followed by a mini pub crawl along Hotwell Road.

Sadly Wedlocks,  The Plume of Feathers and The Spring Gardens are either demolished or the buildings unrecognisable now, with little clue to their former use, their long history, or how they were once vibrant crowded places playing an important part in the lives of the local community.

All fine historic hostelries and Bristol institutions in their own way but just a memory now, a fate that could so easily have befallen Bristol City F.C. that day.

 

fine post that ntb......but what a joke the wedlocks allowed to be demolished by greedy property developers all those years ago and yet nothing being built......hope they gone bust but the club could have done more I feel

[BS2 Red]

I was only 2 when it happened, I do wonder who I would support now if City had folded.

My dad is a die hard City fan, so I can't imagine he would have changed to the Gas. Would I have gone against him or would I now be a plastic Prem fan?

[Nogbad the Bad]

2 hours ago, archie andrews said:

fine post that ntb......but what a joke the wedlocks allowed to be demolished by greedy property developers all those years ago and yet nothing being built......hope they gone bust but the club could have done more I feel

Quite agree, it's easy to spend other people's money but if I were in SL's position Wedlocks would certainly have remained standing, and in BCFC's hands.

It's really shocking to lose a famous old pub right opposite the ground once managed and later named after such a legendary City player.

I read recently that an old pub in London that had been demolished has now been ordered to be rebuilt exactly as it was, inside and out.

That would be a fantastic twist to the sad and depressing Wedlocks debacle.