Average attendance

[Jack Dawe]

15 hours ago, Chairman Mao said:

That doesn't include all the outlying areas of Bristol and the lack of rivals the club has. Swindon, Cardiff and Rovers are about it. PNE has Blackpool, Burnley, Accrington, Everton, Liverpool, Bury, Manchester City and United all within 1 hour

But the game began up there, it is "their" game, and all those local derbies only a few miles between them, created tremendous interest, rivalry, one-up-manship, civic pride and "passion." Traditions were formed, and passed on. Meanwhile, when we got to the top, in the early 1900s, where were our local rivals? What were Rovers doing (looking bitterly on from the safety and comfort of less competitive football. Nothing's changed)? Where were the local rivalries to spur us on and create interest? There weren't any.

In our first season in Div 1 1906/7, the only other top flight club in the south of England were Arsenal. The nearest other games would've been Brum and Villa. The other 16 clubs were in Nottingham or further north. We were isolated, miles from anyone. It must've cost us a fortune, away games (physically and every other way). And the tradition of following your team away - Burnley to Blackburn/Preston/Bury/Bolton/Huddersfield/ Bradford etc - was almost a non-starter for us in the Edwardian age, save for big occasions. It was certainly more of an effort and expense. 

Looking back on it now, it looks like a magnificent achievement to have got to the top, finished second once, reached a cup final, lasted five years amongst the great clubs of England (while Rovers were playing ? Other amateur nobodies) and produced England internationals. Talk about #makingbristolproud? We did that, 100 years ago. No wonder Rovers are bitter. But to then go 65 years without any more was probably what put paid to Bristol becoming a "football city" and the sort of tradition and interest there is in the north of England. 

And what have Rovers done to create a "tradition" in this City? No wonder they envy us. Their greatest fear must be that we reach the top again in the coming years.

All those clubs, even Bury, won things (apart from Accrington). Winning things (ie FA Cup, Football League, not jpt or Div 3 South or Anglo Scottish cup) and having great players and local rivalries (based on success, not Div 3 derbies), this is the glory, the moments and memories that create tradition and "hotbeds" and that play a big part in keeping people bound to a club, passing the love onto your kids (which is not how I got hooked) and staying loyal, in the often vain hope that "one day...."

We never had that. We had a chance but it fizzled out. And we spent 65 years going between 2 and 3. 76-80 was another opportunity but that ended in calamity, and by then the game had lost popularity nationwide, violence in the stands and negative, dirty, cynical football turning people off in their thousands everywhere.

We missed the boat. The 1920s and after the war were the boom time for football, had we been at the top in those years or won the FA cup, then football might've captured the imagination here in Bristol like up north. But we were trying to get out of Div 3 or struggling to stay in Div 2 in those years. 

And so our crowds, our "support," reflect all of this.

We should stop beating ourselves up because Bristol is not as football "daft" as the north or the midlands. Our support is alright - nothing to shout about, nothing to be ashamed of.