Progress under Lansdown

[BigAl&Toby]

Yep. Serious question.

We can talk about an improved stadium.

We can talk about players who we love to laud as being “one of our own”.

We can talk about an improved academy set up.

We can even talk about Bristol Sport and all that goes with that 

But what actual progress has Mr L brought to Bristol City FC?

I’m struggling to see it. Anyone care to help me?

 

[cityexile]

7 minutes ago, BigAlToby&Liam said:

Yep. Serious question.

We can talk about an improved stadium.

We can talk about players who we love to laud as being “one of our own”.

We can talk about an improved academy set up.

We can even talk about Bristol Sport and all that goes with that 

But what actual progress has Mr L brought to Bristol City FC?

I’m struggling to see it. Anyone care to help me?

 

Disappointed today is an understatement. However, have to be fair and say three seasons in a row an improved position is in the bigger picture ‘progress’. I think we would have been very happy with top ten at the start of this season.

Even that statement however does hide a lot of worries. It is not exactly a straight line this season. We just needed poor mid table form to get in the play offs from half way and blew it. Geninue concerns over next right now.

[AshtonGreat]

And who is the improved stadium for anyway?

[Ivorguy]

Personally think it is pushing things to use the words progress and Lansdown in the same sentence

Wish Harry had left the club to Marina

[chinapig]

1 minute ago, cityexile said:

Disappointed today is an understatement. However, have to be fair and say three seasons in a row an improved position is in the bigger picture ‘progress’. I think we would have been very happy with top ten at the start of this season.

Even that statement however does hide a lot of worries. It is nor exactly a straight line this season. We just needed poor mid table form to get in the play offs from half way and blew it. Geninue concerns over next right now.

A balanced response. There has been self evident progress yet there is also grave cause for concern.

I'm just not getting the sense that Lansdown or Ashton recognise the concerns, while LJ does but is thrashing around for solutions in his usual gung ho fashion.

[Sweeneys Penalties]

the club is financially stable... and that's a better position than it's been in for the majority of my years on the Planet. Apart from that, building foundations of where we are today was slow, and I suspect any improvement on where we are at the moment will also be slow to the point of being imperceptible

[bristolcitysweden]

SL should stop calling himself "Advisor" as he knows nothing about football. Financer  is more relevant and he should appoint people with documented knowledge of football.

[054123]

11 minutes ago, BigAlToby&Liam said:

Yep. Serious question.

We can talk about an improved stadium.

We can talk about players who we love to laud as being “one of our own”.

We can talk about an improved academy set up.

We can even talk about Bristol Sport and all that goes with that 

But what actual progress has Mr L brought to Bristol City FC?

I’m struggling to see it. Anyone care to help me?

 

I tried having this debate last year.

It did not end well for me.

My point was that should we end up back in div 3 with Rovers, footballing wise was it worth it? 

[054123]

1 minute ago, chinapig said:

A balanced response. There has been self evident progress yet there is also grave cause for concern.

I'm just not getting the sense that Lansdown or Ashton recognise the concerns, while LJ does but is thrashing around for solutions in his usual gung ho fashion.

Has there really, aside from the shiny off the pitch things? Are we really any better than the div 2/3 yo yo team of the last 30 years?

15 years Steven Lansdown has been at the helm, Avery long time to achieve his footballing goals.

[Wanderingred]

15 minutes ago, BigAlToby&Liam said:

Yep. Serious question.

We can talk about an improved stadium.

We can talk about players who we love to laud as being “one of our own”.

We can talk about an improved academy set up.

We can even talk about Bristol Sport and all that goes with that 

But what actual progress has Mr L brought to Bristol City FC?

I’m struggling to see it. Anyone care to help me?

 

Well, when he took over we were around 8th in league 1 with an average attendance of around 11000 in a dated stadium with little non match day revenue streams.

Now we're 22 league places higher, averaging nearly double that in a fantastic stadium that is raking the money in.

What exactly are you struggling to see?

Stick to criticising the people that deserve it... The players and manager. (Yes I know somebody is going to say that SL appoints the manager)

[BCFC Rich]

14 minutes ago, BigAlToby&Liam said:

Yep. Serious question.

We can talk about an improved stadium.

We can talk about players who we love to laud as being “one of our own”.

We can talk about an improved academy set up.

We can even talk about Bristol Sport and all that goes with that 

But what actual progress has Mr L brought to Bristol City FC?

I’m struggling to see it. Anyone care to help me?

 

1

You sound like you're performing the Bristol City life of Brian sketch yourself - and all in one post. 'But apart from the improved stadium, the improved academy, year on year progression in league position for the last for years ...'

[The Coach]

I describe Lansdown just as how Thetis saw the future of her son, Achilles.

Your glory walks hand-in-hand with your doom.

[054123]

3 minutes ago, BCFC Richard said:

You sound like you're performing the Bristol City life of Brian sketch yourself - and all in one post. 'But apart from the improved stadium, the improved academy, year on year progression in league position for the last for years ...'

Improved league position? Since when?

it improved, went backwards, improved, went backwards.

as for the off team he field things, you do realise the whole point of this is football, not building a brand to sell on

[LondonBristolian]

Lansdown HAS improved the club. But his tenure has seen jumps forward and jumps backwards. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that, if he walked away tomorrow, he would have done a great deal to bring the club forward, improve the financial stability, professionalism, facilities etc. However what I want to see now that he can actually maintain that and take the necessary actions to keep us moving forward. At the moment I'm still very much in the "Johnson needs to do better" rather than "Johnson needs to go" camp but he needs to show he can do better next season and, if he does not do that, SL has to make the right decision for the club. 

[BigTone]

1 hour ago, BigAlToby&Liam said:

Yep. Serious question.

We can talk about an improved stadium.

We can talk about players who we love to laud as being “one of our own”.

We can talk about an improved academy set up.

We can even talk about Bristol Sport and all that goes with that 

But what actual progress has Mr L brought to Bristol City FC?

I’m struggling to see it. Anyone care to help me?

 

We've come a long way, except where it matters on the pitch

[Cowshed]

16 minutes ago, Sweeneys Penalties said:

the club is financially stable... and that's a better position than it's been in for the majority of my years on the Planet. Apart from that, building foundations of where we are today was slow, and I suspect any improvement on where we are at the moment will also be slow to the point of being imperceptible

The club is not financially stable in the sense it owes tens of millions of pounds to Mr Lansdown, and regularly needs cash injections to cover its operating costs from Mr Lansdown. 

Stable could be viewed as Mr Lansdown is rich enough to service and restructure the loss and debt, and as long as he does (for the foreseeable future) the FC remains stable.

[BigAl&Toby]

3 minutes ago, BigTone said:

We've come a long way, except where it matters on the pitch

Nail on the head.

Bristol Sport is not who I’ve supported through thick and thin for over 40 years.

The brand is great. Lansdown has achieved that.

But frankly this season demonstrates so much. 2nd and 20 points clear of Millwall. Beating Man Utd and taking Man City close. 4-2 up at home to Hull and the dream is alive.

Then fuck me we need an injury time equaliser.

If that’s progress I’m not seeing it. Financially stable, an improved stadium blah de fucking blah.

If Lansdown had only one priority - the same as many of us - Bristol City Football Club - then it wouldn’t have been like this.

[AshtonGreat]

29 minutes ago, Sweeneys Penalties said:

the club is financially stable... and that's a better position than it's been in for the majority of my years on the Planet. Apart from that, building foundations of where we are today was slow, and I suspect any improvement on where we are at the moment will also be slow to the point of being imperceptible

Great - maybe we can finally start spending some money then, rather than wasting everyone's time by fishing around the bargain bin

[havanatopia]

Steve Lansdown deserves only huge respect and praise. He knows if we criticise the manager we are questioning the ability of the man running the team and if it goes on long enough he will make a change one way or another; He sees exactly what we see.

There really is no point criticising someone who has spent tens of millions on the club; it is self defeating and downright disrespectful.

We are in a hugely superior place to the pre SL years.

[AshtonGreat]

6 minutes ago, havanatopia said:

Steve Lansdown deserves only huge respect and praise. He knows if we criticise the manager we are questioning the ability of the man running the team and if it goes on long enough he will make a change one way or another; He sees exactly what we see.

There really is no point criticising someone who has spent tens of millions on the club; it is self defeating and downright disrespectful.

We are in a hugely superior place to the pre SL years.

It's a business, though, not a charity

[Chairman Mao]

If you don't think this club hasn't improved beyond all recognition under Lansdown then you need you head examined. 

[BigAl&Toby]

2 minutes ago, havanatopia said:

Steve Lansdown deserves only huge respect and praise. He knows if we criticise the manager we are questioning the ability of the man running the team and if it goes on long enough he will make a change one way or another; He sees exactly what we see.

There really is no point criticising someone who has spent tens of millions on the club; it is self defeating and downright disrespectful.

We are in a hugely superior place to the pre SL years.

Nothing disrespectful at all. You believe what you like. Has he got Bristol City Football Club’s best interests at heart? Or his own?

Bristol Sport has been Lansdown’s attempt to create a sporting brand for the West Country. He’s created a vehicle to achieve that in a number of ways.

Bristol Rugby and their promotion is one success. His legacy - at the moment - for our football club hasn’t worked.

[BigAl&Toby]

Just now, Chairman Mao said:

If you don't think this club hasn't improved beyond all recognition under Lansdown then you need you head examined. 

Mao. You’re presumably missing an r?

I’ll chat it through though with my psychiatrist 

[chinapig]

13 minutes ago, 054123 said:

Has there really, aside from the shiny off the pitch things? Are we really any better than the div 2/3 yo yo team of the last 30 years?

15 years Steven Lansdown has been at the helm, Avery long time to achieve his footballing goals.

The off the pitch things are part of the whole and important for the long term. Rafa Benitez for instance has been trying to persuade Ashley not just to spend on players but to massively upgrade Newcastle's training facilities and spend more on the Academy.

Lansdown's failure over the years has been to have no strategy and lurch from one extreme to another. Hence the yo-yo club.

Now at least there is a strategy that looks beyond the first 11 at the wider infrastructure a modern club needs rather than it being all change with every new manager.

What I can no longer see is any coherent playing strategy. LJ is at best guilty of over thinking things - the curse of the modern coach imo - so things have descended into chaos and confusion.

If he is still around next season he needs to show he can sort out the basics. Defending seems not to interest him, another feature of modern coaching it seems, but unless our disorganised inability to protect a lead is fixed more yo-yo may indeed be on the way.

[ChippenhamRed]

37 minutes ago, AshtonGreat said:

And who is the improved stadium for anyway?

What are you getting at with this question?

Who loses from having improved facilities?

Existing fans get better facilities

The players and staff get better facilities

There are more seats for new fans, who are more likely to come

The club can generate more money to reinvest in the team and enhance our ability to compete

And, yes, Lansdown makes some money - but it’s not like he’s not due a few quid back on his investment.

So, again, what is the purpose of your question?

[Top Robin]

Steve Lansdownes millions, Bristol Sport, the academy, the shiny new stadium and our financial situation means squat diddly if we are playing poor football and lead by a clueless manager. 

[AshtonGreat]

12 minutes ago, ChippenhamRed said:

What are you getting at with this question?

Who loses from having improved facilities?

Existing fans get better facilities

The players and staff get better facilities

There are more seats for new fans, who are more likely to come

The club can generate more money to reinvest in the team and enhance our ability to compete

And, yes, Lansdown makes some money - but it’s not like he’s not due a few quid back on his investment.

So, again, what is the purpose of your question?

I was asking the question because there are those who think the new stadium is Steve Lansdown's 'gift' to the fans. That's a naive view, in my opinion. Sure it benefits the fans, and to some extent the players (although you wouldn't think it), but SL's a businessman first and foremost. And I mean that with no disrespect.

[finbarr_in_z]

50 minutes ago, BCFC Richard said:

You sound like you're performing the Bristol City life of Brian sketch yourself - and all in one post. 'But apart from the improved stadium, the improved academy, year on year progression in league position for the last for years ...'

Ah, but has he brought peace though? 

Not on here he hasn't.........

[Bazooka Joe]

1 hour ago, AshtonGreat said:

I was asking the question because there are those who think the new stadium is Steve Lansdown's 'gift' to the fans. That's a naive view, in my opinion. Sure it benefits the fans, and to some extent the players (although you wouldn't think it), but SL's a businessman first and foremost. And I mean that with no disrespect.

Unfortunately, they don't realise there's no such thing as a free lunch in the corporate world.

 

 

[Curr Avon]

3 hours ago, AshtonGreat said:

And who is the improved stadium for anyway?

So we can all be miserable in comfort.