Time for SL to make a statement and act

[GBF]

This club is in dire need of some positive leadership

The fan base is very close to switching off and withdrawing  support.  It is not hard to understand the fans frustration

1. The board have failed to deliver on the expectations that they set themselves when sacking Lee Johnson

2The football served up at Ashton Gate in the last 2 years is some on the most unenjoyable/ unwatchable  I have seen in over 40 years of supporting the club

3 Everyone is disillusioned with the state of play and looking to blame someone for the mess we are in

4 The Board have failed to communicate clearly the financial impact of the COVID pandemic on our finances and combining this will financial fair play the constraints which have been placed on NP and his ability to reshape our playing squad

5 Our playing squad in inadequate for the stated objectives of the Club ( to get into the play offs) and in truth this squad would struggle to achieve that in League 1

I am of the opinion that the following things need to happen to get a positive vibe back into supporting our club

1. The Board  to put out a statement clarifying where we are financially and thereby justifying the lack of investment in the playing squad this season

2. The Board to apologise for the current lack of quality in the football being played and as gesture in acknowledging that it has fallen well below its intended standard to reduce all ticket prices to a flat fee of £10 per person irrespective of age for all remaining matches this season

3 To compensate season tickets that renew for next season before a specified date with a reduction in price of £100 per adult on the price they paid this season as a reward for sticking with the club during this period To review price on non adult season tickets that renew but rather than money off perhaps get a free First team Home shirt 

4 The supports trust/ Club to make a real effort to improve the non football bit of the match day experience to entice as many of us as possible attend matches, get behind the team, and maintain the fan base at a time when the football being played is hard to watch

Could we 

a) Immediately reduce purchase price of all drinks consumed at the ground on match days to being the lowest available locally eg Pint for £4 Soft drink £1  Let’s get people into our stadium spending money and creating an atmosphere 

b) Could we see if we could get well known local bands  or bands that play popular music well to play on the concourse to raise money for local charities  could we promote the bands that are playing in the pre match build up

c) Could the Sports Bar and allTVs in the ground have the sound on when playing the early kick off premiership game on a Saturday 

d) Would it be possible to organise a Q&A session inside the concourse of the stadium with a former club player or manager each week pre kick off in the way this is often done in corporate areas of the ground We could start off with anyone of the Ashton Gate Eight and again could collect for charity  If this was done at 12 30 on 3pm kick offs for 30/45 minutes you may get up to a 1000 people turning up earlier to hear them speak whilst sharing drinks with their friends

e) If we are not selling out offer 500/1000 tickets per match to a different local school to distribute each match

f)  Let’s get people into the grounds concourse for 12.30 on a Saturday where there are things to do , see and hear a former City player, listen to music, watch the live premier game and eat food and buy drinks served by the Club

In return us fans need to:

1) Get behind the team and the Club and recognise that sometimes your club/ team isn’t as good and you want it to be but it will only get better if we are all pulling together

2) Turn up as much as possible and ideally take friends to matches assuming the Club offer cheap tickets  

3) Loudly support the team and help make it a harder place for opposition teams to play

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dredd]

Sounds like you want the club to make less money, whilst acknowledging we’ve lost loads due to covid

[GBF]

Not my intention but when you reduce prices you need a greater % increase in volume to compensate 

[And Its Smith]

There are other threads about Lansdown. This could be merged 

[Wiltshire robin]

6 minutes ago, GBF said:

Not my intention but when you reduce prices you need a greater % increase in volume to compensate 

Yes 

would be better if they reduced ticket prices they would get higher attendances leading to more people spending money in the ground .

The current hierarchy at the club would never do it though .

[slartibartfast]

23 minutes ago, Dredd said:

Sounds like you want the club to make less money, whilst acknowledging we’ve lost loads due to covid

I don't get it.......there are 18 clubs above us,some with a lot less average gates than we get, and yet it only seems to be us struggling financially (not to mention on the pitch )! Why is that ?

[sh1t_ref_again]

5 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

I don't get it.......there are 18 clubs above us,some with a lot less average gates than we get, and yet it only seems to be us struggling financially (not to mention on the pitch )! Why is that ?

Because Ashton sold the family silver and invested the money whilst being wine and dined in knightsbridge on some prem cast offs on huge wages and fees

[GBF]

Good point.   
 

But my point is I don’t really know   You can make assumptions based on what COVID may have done to our finances but I am not aware of statements the Club have made  as to where we stand .

How can you evaluate the last transfer window until you know the constraints the manager was working to?

 

[Loosey Boy]

SL has simply got to back NP - whether this is in recruiting another coach to his management team or doing whatever we can (subject to FFP) in January.

What we can’t do is continue to chop and change the manager - we need stability and build over a period of time…..I’m still hopeful that Nige will sort us if he’s given the chance.

We always knew that this season was going to be frustrating - we can’t spend the money that Ashton and Johnson wasted. If NP had the warchest spent by LJ, I think we’d be top six.

Yesterday was a new low and having been at the game yesterday, supporters are turning against the team, rather than NP.

[REDOXO]

48 minutes ago, GBF said:

This club is in dire need of some positive leadership

The fan base is very close to switching off and withdrawing  support.  It is not hard to understand the fans frustration

1. The board have failed to deliver on the expectations that they set themselves when sacking Lee Johnson 

Since sacking Lee Johnson  :laugh:  years before that!

2The football served up at Ashton Gate in the last 2 years is some on the most unenjoyable/ unwatchable  I have seen in over 40 years of supporting the club

Last 2 years :laugh: as above!

3 Everyone is disillusioned with the state of play and looking to blame someone for the mess we are in

Yup same for years

4 The Board have failed to communicate clearly the financial impact of the COVID pandemic on our finances and combining this will financial fair play the constraints which have been placed on NP and his ability to reshape our playing squad

The board have failed to communicate almost everything as Steve is not accountable to anyone but himself  The board is a sham to give Jon a job

5 Our playing squad in inadequate for the stated objectives of the Club ( to get into the play offs) and in truth this squad would struggle to achieve that in League 1

Enter Johnson and Ashton STEVE is completely on the hook for those two and them blowing his money  

I am of the opinion that the following things need to happen to get a positive vibe back into supporting our club

1. The Board  to put out a statement clarifying where we are financially and thereby justifying the lack of investment in the playing squad this season

:laugh: as above 

2. The Board to apologise for the current lack of quality in the football being played and as gesture in acknowledging that it has fallen well below its intended standard to reduce all ticket prices to a flat fee of £10 per person irrespective of age for all remaining matches this season

As above  :laugh:  you really are meandering now, so you want season tickets partially refunded?!

 

48 minutes ago, GBF said:

3 To compensate season tickets that renew for next season before a specified date with a reduction in price of £100 per adult on the price they paid this season as a reward for sticking with the club during this period To review price on non adult season tickets that renew but rather than money off perhaps get a free First team Home shirt 

AGH YOU DO! 

4 The supports trust/ Club to make a real effort to improve the non football bit of the match day experience to entice as many of us as possible attend matches, get behind the team, and maintain the fan base at a time when the football being played is hard to watch

Could we 

a) Immediately reduce purchase price of all drinks consumed at the ground on match days to being the lowest available locally eg Pint for £4 Soft drink £1  Let’s get people into our stadium spending money and creating an atmosphere 

 

b) Could we see if we could get well known local bands  or bands that play popular music well to play on the concourse to raise money for local charities  could we promote the bands that are playing in the pre match build up

c) Could the Sports Bar and allTVs in the ground have the sound on when playing the early kick off premiership game on a Saturday 

d) Would it be possible to organise a Q&A session inside the concourse of the stadium with a former club player or manager each week pre kick off in the way this is often done in corporate areas of the ground We could start off with anyone of the Ashton Gate Eight and again could collect for charity  If this was done at 12 30 on 3pm kick offs for 30/45 minutes you may get up to a 1000 people turning up earlier to hear them speak whilst sharing drinks with their friends

e) If we are not selling out offer 500/1000 tickets per match to a different local school to distribute each match

f)  Let’s get people into the grounds concourse for 12.30 on a Saturday where there are things to do , see and hear a former City player, listen to music, watch the live premier game and eat food and buy drinks served by the Club

In return us fans need to:

1) Get behind the team and the Club and recognise that sometimes your club/ team isn’t as good and you want it to be but it will only get better if we are all pulling together

2) Turn up as much as possible and ideally take friends to matches assuming the Club offer cheap tickets  

3) Loudly support the team and help make it a harder place for opposition teams to play

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll summarize! Dear Jim Er I mean Steve. Could you fix it for us to win a few. Thanks GBF on behalf of everyone!

[Lanterne Rouge]

I`d prefer a statement in a week or so when :

a) we perhaps have a better understanding of NP`s health problems

b) we may have some news regarding Craig Shakespeare

[marmite]

If we wait a week or so for Shakespeare it may be too late.

[weepywall]

Have we got a board ?? I couldn't name one of them apart from the chairman.

[Lanterne Rouge]

9 minutes ago, marmite said:

If we wait a week or so for Shakespeare it may be too late.

I meant wait a week or so before making any statement. I`d hope SL is on the phone to Shakespeare now!

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 hours ago, slartibartfast said:

I don't get it.......there are 18 clubs above us,some with a lot less average gates than we get, and yet it only seems to be us struggling financially (not to mention on the pitch )! Why is that ?

This is a good question. Wondered it myself and there are 2 possible parts- not saying they will answer it fully as I'm still wondering myself!

In some cases clubs will have owners who will just pour money in irrespective- think the Coates family at Stoke, it's not really a business for them, more putting something back into Stoke particularly I expect with Peter Coates. Venkys at Blackburn, well they can certainly afford that, I don't understand what's in it for them given so much invested for so little reward, but they can- Reading's owner would spend more if he could- seems to have a lot of spare cash, albeit they are awaiting a punishment/settlement for FFP breaches- still an ongoing matter.

The second bit. We have, well in theory if we wanted to go promotion or bust we probably could have spent another £20m combined for wages and fees this season from what we are currently- not saying I would advocate the approach but we could. The problem is what happens if we don't go up- would we wish to risk it? See the Reading point.

Still though I wonder- I would say that we are in a similar position to- perhaps better FFP wise- than Middlesbrough and Stoke and clearly better than quite a few but that changes after this season as the profit drops off to be replaced by a loss but FFP aside, it would certainly depend on what SL could/would pour in post Covid. Possible that he is taking a longer term view than some of the clubs mentioned from an FFP perspective ie "If we don't go up after rolling the dice, what happens next year or the year after- we could be in deep trouble if we go for it and it doesn't come off".

Stoke are actually quite an interesting one to compare and contrast with.

Quite a few out of the door but from a worse FFP starting point, barring anything unusual last season, they appear to have added- and yes Collins to Burnley for £12m, maybe more...Wilmot and Surridge for fees, Vrancic on a free. 1st and 3rd of those have growth and sell on potential too.

1. Wilmot
2. Vrancic
3. Surridge

Plus loans for Ostigard and Sawyers.

Could we have signed any- what kinda wages would they be on? By my maths they might have been right up against it either to 2021, 2022 or both.

Think Middlesbrough have been braver too from a similar starting point to us FFP wise, ie from 2018/19 to the present.

Still can't believe that the £30m Impairment of Player Valuations so far appears to have passed muster for Stoke. Then again who knows if we have tried it with a few in 2020/21? Not to that level obviously.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Mr Popodopolous

[Waconda]

In a twist of fate we may have had some luck with Shakespeare, (who by the looks of it is the coaching, organisation and motivational half of the duo) who might be persuaded swoop into to save us.

Basically he would be a "new" manager whilst avoiding the severance pay for the current one.

Could be a win, win, win situation.

Edited November 7, 2021 by VT05763

[Davefevs]

13 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

In a twist of fate we may have had some luck with Shakespeare, (who by the looks of it is the coaching, organisation and motivational half of the duo) who might be persuaded swoop into to save us.

Basically he would be a "new" manager whilst avoiding the severance pay for the current one.

Could be a win, win, win situation.

God, you really have it in for Nige don’t you?

Ever stopped to think that Pearson and Shakespeare were a great pairing because their skills complimented each other?  Or do you just keep twisting the knife (rather than twist of fate), now with your conjecture about roles and responsibilities?

Using things like “by the looks of it” is just pushing your agenda.  Do you know the roles, the involvement, how much each did of what, etc?

Did you look at what happened with Shakespeare as a manager, on his own at Leicester after the honeymoon period?  Ask yourself about those wonderful skills you think he has and why they didn’t do so well on his own?

I, personally have no view on CS, apart from as an assistant he did well under 3 managers.  He did well as assistant with Ranieri.  I guess Ranieri gets no credit from you either.  All down to CS’s coaching, organisational and motivation skills is it?  Does Dean Smith a bit of disservice too.

 

[Waconda]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

God, you really have it in for Nige don’t you?

Ever stopped to think that Pearson and Shakespeare were a great pairing because their skills complimented each other?  Or do you just keep twisting the knife (rather than twist of fate), now with your conjecture about roles and responsibilities?

Using things like “by the looks of it” is just pushing your agenda.  Do you know the roles, the involvement, how much each did of what, etc?

Did you look at what happened with Shakespeare as a manager, on his own at Leicester after the honeymoon period?  Ask yourself about those wonderful skills you think he has and why they didn’t do so well on his own?

I, personally have no view on CS, apart from as an assistant he did well under 3 managers.  He did well as assistant with Ranieri.  I guess Ranieri gets no credit from you either.  All down to CS’s coaching, organisational and motivation skills is it?  Does Dean Smith a bit of disservice too.

 

But do you think it could work ?

[Davefevs]

10 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

But do you think it could work ?

Could well do.

Just wondering what happens with Fleming?  Or do you see this as:

- Pearson (Head of Football(ish) title)

- Shakespeare (Manager)

- Fleming (Assistant Manager)

[Waconda]

Just now, Davefevs said:

Could well do.

Just wondering what happens with Fleming?  Or do you see this as:

- Pearson (Head of Football(ish) title)

- Shakespeare (Manager)

- Fleming (Assistant Manager)

This exactly.

Not ITK but perhaps the clearing of the decks on the coaching front was in preparation for something like this in the Summer ?

Alex Ball (as good as he is) does feel like a temporary call up.

Maybe NP is hoping to convince Steve Walsh also ?

Not trying to have a dig but would be interesting to see NPs PPG with CS as assistant and without him.

Plenty of variables to consider but would be good to see.

[Davefevs]

2 minutes ago, VT05763 said:

This exactly.

Not ITK but perhaps the clearing of the decks on the coaching front was in preparation for something like this in the Summer ?

Alex Ball (as good as he is) does feel like a temporary call up.

Maybe NP is hoping to convince Steve Walsh also ?

Not trying to have a dig but would be interesting to see NPs PPG with CS as assistant and without him.

Plenty of variables to consider but would be good to see.

Transfermarkt is your friend.

[grifty]

Not far off the stupidest post I’ve seen on here!

Why should the club make our financial status known to the fans? In turn it will tell every club who will then value their players we try to sign in the transfer window accordingly.

How reducing tickets will make us financially stronger I have no idea.

I get people are frustrated right now, but you need to use an ounce of common sense.

 

[Maesknoll Red]

The only point I’ll add and it’s one I’ve made before, it’s that all clubs that do not receive PP, should be demanding that every club in the championship has the right to put in the equivalent of the highest PP.  I know not all could afford it, but for those that can, they are hamstrung and playing the game with one hand behind their back.  The championship must be the most unfairly regulated league, financially, of any sport in the world.

Surely there must be a legal case if they all stuck together and took a class action.

[Bris Red]

9 minutes ago, Maesknoll Red said:

The only point I’ll add and it’s one I’ve made before, it’s that all clubs that do not receive PP, should be demanding that every club in the championship has the right to put in the equivalent of the highest PP.  I know not all could afford it, but for those that can, they are hamstrung and playing the game with one hand behind their back.  The championship must be the most unfairly regulated league, financially, of any sport in the world.

Surely there must be a legal case if they all stuck together and took a class action.

Agreed and i have never looked at it like that. As you said why shouldn’t the rest of the clubs without PP not be able to pump in the equivalent £ if they have owners that can afford too? 
 

The whole reason for PP was so that the teams coming down were sufficiently supported financially and didn’t go bust as a result of being relegated which is fair enough but why does it stop the other clubs in the league being able to match them financially? Something needs to change IMO. 

[Ivorguy]

23 minutes ago, grifty said:

Not far off the stupidest post I’ve seen on here!

Why should the club make our financial status known to the fans? In turn it will tell every club who will then value their players we try to sign in the transfer window accordingly.

How reducing tickets will make us financially stronger I have no idea.

I get people are frustrated right now, but you need to use an ounce of common sense.

 

Steady!

The club can make an overall statement on financial position without attaching figures to it.  They can also address the important question of why we are in this position.. Sad to say this is another illustration of the owner and his son’s contempt of the fans.

As for reducing prices this is a normal response to encourage more people at lower cost but achieving same income goal.  Used it myself with good outcome in a multi million pound public institution.

But above everything else we need these two men to acknowledge their key role in our decline and indicate the steps they intend to take to rectify this;  but this assumes they are serious about success for City, as opposed to rugby club et al.  I remain unconvinced that they are truly concerned about City being in league 1.

 

 

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, Ivorguy said:

The club can make an overall statement on financial position without attaching figures to it.

Here are the dates they e published the last 5 years.

[TonyTonyTony]

4 hours ago, GBF said:

This club is in dire need of some positive leadership

The fan base is very close to switching off and withdrawing  support.  It is not hard to understand the fans frustration

1. The board have failed to deliver on the expectations that they set themselves when sacking Lee Johnson

2The football served up at Ashton Gate in the last 2 years is some on the most unenjoyable/ unwatchable  I have seen in over 40 years of supporting the club

3 Everyone is disillusioned with the state of play and looking to blame someone for the mess we are in

4 The Board have failed to communicate clearly the financial impact of the COVID pandemic on our finances and combining this will financial fair play the constraints which have been placed on NP and his ability to reshape our playing squad

5 Our playing squad in inadequate for the stated objectives of the Club ( to get into the play offs) and in truth this squad would struggle to achieve that in League 1

I am of the opinion that the following things need to happen to get a positive vibe back into supporting our club

1. The Board  to put out a statement clarifying where we are financially and thereby justifying the lack of investment in the playing squad this season

2. The Board to apologise for the current lack of quality in the football being played and as gesture in acknowledging that it has fallen well below its intended standard to reduce all ticket prices to a flat fee of £10 per person irrespective of age for all remaining matches this season

3 To compensate season tickets that renew for next season before a specified date with a reduction in price of £100 per adult on the price they paid this season as a reward for sticking with the club during this period To review price on non adult season tickets that renew but rather than money off perhaps get a free First team Home shirt 

4 The supports trust/ Club to make a real effort to improve the non football bit of the match day experience to entice as many of us as possible attend matches, get behind the team, and maintain the fan base at a time when the football being played is hard to watch

Could we 

a) Immediately reduce purchase price of all drinks consumed at the ground on match days to being the lowest available locally eg Pint for £4 Soft drink £1  Let’s get people into our stadium spending money and creating an atmosphere 

b) Could we see if we could get well known local bands  or bands that play popular music well to play on the concourse to raise money for local charities  could we promote the bands that are playing in the pre match build up

c) Could the Sports Bar and allTVs in the ground have the sound on when playing the early kick off premiership game on a Saturday 

d) Would it be possible to organise a Q&A session inside the concourse of the stadium with a former club player or manager each week pre kick off in the way this is often done in corporate areas of the ground We could start off with anyone of the Ashton Gate Eight and again could collect for charity  If this was done at 12 30 on 3pm kick offs for 30/45 minutes you may get up to a 1000 people turning up earlier to hear them speak whilst sharing drinks with their friends

e) If we are not selling out offer 500/1000 tickets per match to a different local school to distribute each match

f)  Let’s get people into the grounds concourse for 12.30 on a Saturday where there are things to do , see and hear a former City player, listen to music, watch the live premier game and eat food and buy drinks served by the Club

In return us fans need to:

1) Get behind the team and the Club and recognise that sometimes your club/ team isn’t as good and you want it to be but it will only get better if we are all pulling together

2) Turn up as much as possible and ideally take friends to matches assuming the Club offer cheap tickets  

3) Loudly support the team and help make it a harder place for opposition teams to play

 

 

 

 

 

 

The business accumen of a Mollusc 

[Ivorguy]

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Here are the dates they e published the last 5 years.

Great but those accounts are meaningless without detailed commentary

[grifty]

15 minutes ago, Ivorguy said:

Steady!

The club can make an overall statement on financial position without attaching figures to it.  They can also address the important question of why we are in this position.. Sad to say this is another illustration of the owner and his son’s contempt of the fans.

As for reducing prices this is a normal response to encourage more people at lower cost but achieving same income goal.  Used it myself with good outcome in a multi million pound public institution.

But above everything else we need these two men to acknowledge their key role in our decline and indicate the steps they intend to take to rectify this;  but this assumes they are serious about success for City, as opposed to rugby club et al.  I remain unconvinced that they are truly concerned about City being in league 1.

That’s not what he wants though! He wants clarifying where we are financially and a reduction in ticket prices of 2/3rds!!! He’s not suggesting dropping the tickets to encourage more people to turn up.

[Davefevs]

27 minutes ago, Ivorguy said:

Great but those accounts are meaningless without detailed commentary

They run into 30+ pages….you can decipher a lot of info from them.  What additional commentary are you looking for?