What has stopped City reaching the Prem League?

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, bristolcitysweden said:

It's not. It's piss poor.

You say this a lot, but I'm interested to know your take here.

It's a League growing in profile all the time, quite a lot of good sides to watch (sadly we are not one at this time)! If I was a neutral I would for varying reasons at this time enjoy watching Leeds, Norwich, Sheffield United, Derby, when they're on it Brentford, WBA full of goals, Forest (because of Karanka) can be a bit risk averse but can also play some good stuff. Honourable mentions go to Swansea who while rebuilding are quite progressive under Potter, Blackburn look not bad under Mowbray and if they continue on their current trajectory Villa are full of goals.

[22A]

A few random thoughts on this subject.

Go back to City's beginnings and the then Board were innovative off the pitch as well as ambitious on it. As a result they were unanimously elected to the League and only a few years later were in Div 1. Then it stopped; four years at the top, then 65 more trying to get back.Through the 70's hard work on and off the pitch resulted in improvements leading to the 1976 promotion. Then it stopped; four years at the top and currently nearly forty more trying to get back there.

I have heard others state that City have never been ruthless enough. In the Summer of 1977, the Directors should have thanked Alan D for getting City to Div 1 and keeping them there that vital first year. However he had taken the club as far as he could, so relieved AD of his duties and sought a better Manager to progress the club.

2008 City beat Palace and Hull thrashed Watford en route to the Championship play off final. Hull won, were relegated again, but stayed strong. City's League position deteriorated each season until 2013. Hull won automatic promotion whilst the play off final was between Palace & Watford. City were relegated.

We might all be City fans and want City to do well (regardless of Manager), but at times there is so much negativity both on this forum and heard in and around the ground. In 2006 someone asked on this forum "Do you want City in the Premiership". The majority of replies were on the lines of wanting City to be a permanently strong Championship team with a good cup run every few years. Then in 08 we came close to reaching the Prem and so many people changed their minds and are annoyed City aren't in the Prem.

[Guest]

THE OWNER  ......next question

[bcfcredandwhite]

1 hour ago, Loon plage said:

Because relatively speaking (certainly in the case of City) they were just passing through.

If you can identify clubs with a comparable histories to ours that have consistently had larger attendances then fair play to you.

.... probably unintentionally you have illustrated my point exactly. 

There isn’t another club comparable to us that I can think of which has experienced the same attendances as us, let alone higher, with the same level of underachieving. The closest are possibly Forest and the 2 Sheffield clubs - but they have all experienced Prem football during the time we have been wallowing in the lower leagues.  

Its not just the numbers - although it obviously helps with money and atmosphere - which generates morale - it’s the constant negativity about the support. 

Bad performance = negativity = loss of confidence = bad performance = negativity = etc etc. Those Sheff U, Norwich, Southampton, Leicester and Forest fans, when they were in League 1 had a belief that they would find their way again  We don’t - and hardly ever have in my lifetime as a supporter.  

You only have to look at this forum to get a feel for our mentality - and this transmits to the players and the coach, which in turn negatively affects morale and performances on the pitch. 

Remember that although highly paid these people are exactly that: people - human beings - some quite young - who will read all this stuff every week about themselves and feel like 5h1t. They are not machines - never underestimate the power of morale -  borh poor and good. It’s VERY powerful - and we, the fans, are the engine of morale. 

[Bris Red]

Ambition or real desire to actually WANT to get there. Its irrelevant if the fanbase want it or not, the man/the family that matters haven’t wanted it imo. If we can fluke it (2008 almost and last season for half the season) then great in the Lansdown’s eyes but they have no intentions to properly invest to get there. Mid table in the championship will do them nicely 

[spudski]

Very poor infrastructure for pretty much all of the Clubs existence.

Passionate owners...but all had their faults when it came to letting go...

In recent years under SL...money thrown at short term success, with no infrastructure at all, compared to other teams and below in this league. Professionally poorly run.

Heard from Managers from Osman to SoD how shocked they were at how bad our set up was...it was a common theme.

Worst thing that happened in SL's time, was getting to one game away from going up. Thought we were better than what we were...and made massive mistakes afterwards. Absolute massive mistakes.

It's only in the last couple years, since walking away and seeing it from the outside, that SL has got it right.

Putting everything in place to become a stable professional football Club at this level.

His heads in the clouds if he thinks Prem is possible unless we have a freak season under this present structure. However...we need this structure to become stable and compete imo.

So well done SL...on eventually getting it.

[Frenchay Red]

49 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Shame you’re not old enough to join Senior Reds - SL is our speaker at the Xmas lunch next week.

You could have slagged him off to his face.

It's not next week

[Robbored]

2 minutes ago, Frenchay Red said:

It's not next week

Thanks!   I’ve have turned up a week early...........

[Robbored]

9 minutes ago, spudski said:

Very poor infrastructure for pretty much all of the Clubs existence.

Passionate owners...but all had their faults when it came to letting go...

In recent years under SL...money thrown at short term success, with no infrastructure at all, compared to other teams and below in this league. Professionally poorly run.

Heard from Managers from Osman to SoD how shocked they were at how bad our set up was...it was a common theme.

Worst thing that happened in SL's time, was getting to one game away from going up. Thought we were better than what we were...and made massive mistakes afterwards. Absolute massive mistakes.

It's only in the last couple years, since walking away and seeing it from the outside, that SL has got it right.

Putting everything in place to become a stable professional football Club at this level.

His heads in the clouds if he thinks Prem is possible unless we have a freak season under this present structure. However...we need this structure to become stable and compete imo.

So well done SL...on eventually getting it.

Yet another top post - absolutely spot on.

Sadly too many posters can’t see past the last few results. The wider picture is irrelevant to them.

[BigAl&Toby]

57 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Shame you’re not old enough to join Senior Reds - SL is our speaker at the Xmas lunch next week.

You could have slagged him off to his face.

Not quite old enough. Then again I’m quite happy to tap away on my iPhone. 

That’s what you wanted to say wasn’t it? But couldn’t quite bring yourself to say it...

Not slag him off mind. Just that I happen to have a different view of him than you do. And others.

Doesn't make me a bad person though. Does it?

I happen to think he’s not the philanthropic benefactor that so many do. He’s an investor with an eye on a return. No harm in that of course - as long as he’s consistent.

Tell me this my Senior Red. How would you feel if you’d taken your hard earned pension - away from the NHS I seem to recall - and placed it with HL.

And then you found that it had been mismanaged and you’d lost it? Whilst Mr L twiddled his thumbs in the Channel Islands and didn’t take steps to address the root cause of that underperformance and underachievement.

Don’t tell me. Let me guess.........

[reddogkev]

8 hours ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

Eh?! Your groundbreaking thread during last season pronounced “automatic promotion is guaranteed” - and now you’ve given up?! Your incredibly infectious optimism didn’t last long.....

The sort of outstanding City form that heralded talk of that nonsensical nature seems so long ago, we could almost be talking decades.  I think I first posted that thread after we beat Man Utd; I was brainwashed by the performance and, at that time, would have declared City the best team on the planet.  How times have changed, sigh...

[Davefevs]

14 minutes ago, spudski said:

Very poor infrastructure for pretty much all of the Clubs existence.

Passionate owners...but all had their faults when it came to letting go...

In recent years under SL...money thrown at short term success, with no infrastructure at all, compared to other teams and below in this league. Professionally poorly run.

Heard from Managers from Osman to SoD how shocked they were at how bad our set up was...it was a common theme.

Worst thing that happened in SL's time, was getting to one game away from going up. Thought we were better than what we were...and made massive mistakes afterwards. Absolute massive mistakes.

It's only in the last couple years, since walking away and seeing it from the outside, that SL has got it right.

Putting everything in place to become a stable professional football Club at this level.

His heads in the clouds if he thinks Prem is possible unless we have a freak season under this present structure. However...we need this structure to become stable and compete imo.

So well done SL...on eventually getting it.

Agree with most of this, especially but in bold.

2 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Yet another top post - absolutely spot on.

Sadly too many posters can’t see past the last few results. The wider picture is irrelevant to them.

Spudski must have some incrimating info on you to the same degree Pato does on LJ. #mancrush #stalkeralert 

Seriously though, I think there has been some excellent debate recently.  Just pop the extremists on ignore....saves your scrolling finger too!

[spudski]

9 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Yet another top post - absolutely spot on.

Sadly too many posters can’t see past the last few results. The wider picture is irrelevant to them.

Appreciated fella...for what it's worth I think you get some unwarranted stick on this forum. Probably stuff sticks from the past...but you definitely get what's going on at our Club and the bigger picture.

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Agree with most of this, especially but in bold.

Spudski must have some incrimating info on you to the same degree Pato does on LJ. #mancrush #stalkeralert 

Seriously though, I think there has been some excellent debate recently.  Just pop the extremists on ignore....saves your scrolling finger too!

I found out GJ was his love child ;-)...jesting Robbo

[Davefevs]

2 minutes ago, spudski said:

Appreciated fella...for what it's worth I think you get some unwarranted stick on this forum. Probably stuff sticks from the past...but you definitely get what's going on at our Club and the bigger picture.

I found out GJ was his love child ;-)...jesting Robbo

So LJ is RR’s grandson....not SL’s lovechild.  Weird!

[Rich]

Lots of reasons why. Desire or lack of when the going gets tough, is one reason. That in my opinion is throughout the club, right down to the supporters. We are too soft, from top to bottom. There is no reason whatsoever why we should not at least be on a par with clubs like Stoke, WBA, Boro, Palace, to name just a few. We are a big city, with an even bigger catchment area which most clubs would give their right arm for but, we never or haven't pushed ourselves by providing incentives to come to Ashton Gate, we should be pushing ourselves as the regional club. Add to that, we are a relatively middle class city when compared to other big cities and therefore our city support base would naturally be smaller than a comparable city, as it's still a working mans game but the powers that be are in the process of changing that. I could write for hours on this subject but, in my opinion the main reason is a lack of toughness and desire. 

[spudski]

5 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

So LJ is RR’s grandson....not SL’s lovechild.  Weird!

Indeed :laugh:

[reddogkev]

23 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Agree with most of this, especially but in bold.

Spudski must have some incrimating info on you to the same degree Pato does on LJ. #mancrush #stalkeralert 

Seriously though, I think there has been some excellent debate recently.  Just pop the extremists on ignore....saves your scrolling finger too!

I've recently put a few of the non-stop moaners on ignore and it does make OTIB a lot better to read.

[Robbored]

22 minutes ago, BigAlToby&Liam said:

Not quite old enough. Then again I’m quite happy to tap away on my iPhone. 

That’s what you wanted to say wasn’t it? But couldn’t quite bring yourself to say it...

Keyboard warrior eh?

Not slag him off mind. Just that I happen to have a different view of him than you do. And others.

Doesn't make me a bad person though. Does it?

Im not saying you’re a bad person - misguided maybe....

I happen to think he’s not the philanthropic benefactor that so many do. He’s an investor with an eye on a return. No harm in that of course - as long as he’s consistent.

Tell me this my Senior Red. How would you feel if you’d taken your hard earned pension - away from the NHS I seem to recall - and placed it with HL.

And then you found that it had been mismanaged and you’d lost it? Whilst Mr L twiddled his thumbs in the Channel Islands and didn’t take steps to address the root cause of that underperformance and underachievement.

Don’t tell me. Let me guess........

So In  your opinion SL has underperformed and under achieved?

 

 

 

 

[GIBBO THE GREAT]

Steve Lansdown

[Robbored]

31 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Agree with most of this, especially but in bold.

Spudski must have some incrimating info on you to the same degree Pato does on LJ. #mancrush #stalkeralert 

Seriously though, I think there has been some excellent debate recently.  Just pop the extremists on ignore....saves your scrolling finger too!

Dave, I’ve never met Spudski but as I can’t recal a post of his that I haven’t agreed with,  I have a great deal of time for his opinions. He just talks lots of sense inv.

To me he’s the best poster on here and if anyone does a Xmas otib award this Xmas I’ll vote for him.

[bcfcredandwhite]

Realistically, physically there is no reason why we couldn’t emulate Crystal Palace, Watford or Bournemouth - they are no bigger than we are. I won’t count Cardiff, Fulham, Burnley, Huddersfield or Brighton because I think their Premiership days might be short - but they are certainly compatible in size to us. Something has been wrong with us since the early 80s and it’s impossible to blame it all on SL or LJ.  

[Davefevs]

4 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Dave, I’ve never met Spudski but as I can’t recal a post of his that I haven’t agreed with,  I have a great deal of time for his opinions. He just talks lots of sense inv.

To me he’s the best poster on here and if anyone does a Xmas otib award this Xmas I’ll vote for him.

@spudski you know his avatar is blowing a kiss at YOU 

[Bristol Oil Services]

1 hour ago, Bar BS3 said:

Would you want premier league football, if it meant you had to face a future similar to that of Bradford, Swindon, Charlton, Sunderland, Oldham, Notts County, Barnsley, Wimbledon, Bolton, Coventry, and such like...? 

But we wouldn't have to. Is this what you imagine will happen under the current decision-makers at Bristol City - boom, then bust?

Who knows, should we make the PL, we might face a future similar to that of Middlesbrough, Southampton, Norwich, even Leicester (minus the Miracle Year, naturally). A future like those four would be glorious and heavenly compared to what we have had over the years.

[CrazyInWeston]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

@spudski you know his avatar is blowing a kiss at YOU 

And then it "goes down" for him 

[spudski]

3 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Dave, I’ve never met Spudski but as I can’t recal a post of his that I haven’t agreed with,  I have a great deal of time for his opinions. He just talks lots of sense inv.

To me he’s the best poster on here and if anyone does a Xmas otib award this Xmas I’ll vote for him.

That's very kind of you Robbo...When I'm signed up as a Senior Red I'm sure we'll meet one day. A few years yet

Love this forum...I like to see it as a pub environment. You get on with some, avoid others, and know damn well it was silly to speak to others when you know better :laugh:

A place where we all have a common passion...whether we agree or not.

Tbh...everyone I've met from this forum have been lovely people... although completely different to how I imagined.

 

 

[spudski]

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

@spudski you know his avatar is blowing a kiss at YOU 

 

1 minute ago, CrazyInWeston said:

And then it "goes down" for him 

I'm having a fun night in with both Avatars :laugh:

[Robbored]

3 minutes ago, spudski said:

 

I'm having a fun night in with both Avatars

I mentioned on here before that my avatar is a dead ringer for my old boss - a very clever lady with two degrees, one medical and the other in biochemistry from Cambridge and Oxford respectively. Not only was she extremely bright she had a  lovely personality with it.

I showed her my avatar once and she laughed and said “I hope I don’t walk like her”.......

[spudski]

2 minutes ago, Robbored said:

I mentioned on here before that my avatar is a dead ringer for my old boss - a very clever lady with two degrees, one medical and the other in biochemistry from Cambridge and Oxford respectively. Not only was she extremely bright she had a  lovely personality with it.

I showed her my avatar once and she laughed and said “I hope I don’t walk like her”.......

I bet she did wish she walked like her

[One Team]

10 hours ago, reddogkev said:

Cardiff, Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Brighton, Swansea, Stoke etc, etc.  You get the drift, just a few of the clubs that in my time have overtaken us and reached the top.

Granted, they are not all still there, but that's not the point.  We often talk about City never being in the Premier League, but there must be a tangible reason  why this has never happened.  We've not even had a rare one-off season like Barnsley or Bradford, even bloody Swindon Town - where you get smashed all season, but at least you've been there for the ride.

So what has truly stopped us?   When you consider the size of Bristol, It is a baffling question, I can't for one serious minute think it is down to SL, it must go deeper.  It seems highly unlikely that promotion will happen anytime soon, as the chances of LJ forging a promotion team at any point in his career looks extremely doubtful.  You can tell the type of manager who knows how to create a championship winning team, and as much as I support LJ, he isn't it.  At some stage in our future, we need to find our next Cotts - the guy who can create the type of team spirit and quality that ran amok in League One.

Will the Premier League ever happen for us?  Are we being stopped by football forces we cannot comprehend?  Interested to read all the responses and hopefully find the answer once and for all!

What’s truly stopped us?

Our lack of ‘identity’ and not having the right ‘DNA’ or a ‘pathway’ to success.

Oh hang on...

[Major Isewater]

42 minutes ago, reddogkev said:

I've recently put a few of the non-stop moaners on ignore and it does make OTIB a lot better to read.

Does it get lonely ?