Is Pearson Right? - Stay with the Players?

[Tomo]

I was at Newport v Crawley today reporting on a 'bottom half of the table' League 2 fixture. 

Newport were losing 2 nil until the 83rd minute. No fans left, they were still 'on side', singing and supporting their club.... 

They roared on their team, no booing, no moaning and celebrated 2 goals in the last 10 minutes to earn a draw. 

It got me thinking, our fans may have been heading to their cars on 80 mins? 

Respect to the fans at Newport today

I know we have much higher expectations but it makes you think how lucky we are

 

 

 

 

 

[Dr Balls]

1 minute ago, Tomo said:

I was at Newport v Crawley today reporting on a 'bottom half of the table' League 2 fixture. 

Newport were losing 2 nil until the 83rd minute. No fans left, they were still 'on side', singing and supporting their club.... 

They roared on their team, no booing, no moaning and celebrated 2 goals in the last 10 minutes to earn a draw. 

It got me thinking, our fans may have been heading to their cars on 80 mins? 

Respect to the fans at Newport today

I know we have much higher expectations but it makes you think how lucky we are

 

 

 

 

 

Links to the thread on our recent home form. Our fans are so pessimistic at the moment because we have seen so little in the way of performance that might give any hope that the players can stage a comeback. Even the singing section have gone very quiet recently, which says it all really.

[tin]

I said the same to a mate yesterday. We both remembered our days on the East End when it was support the City no matter what, and there were some worse performances back then as well. Some of our ‘fans’ at the Gate have no idea what the word support actually means, in contrast to our away support, and that must affect players’ confidence IMO. Negativity doesn’t help anyone.

[Northern Red]

Remember that game at Leeds a few years ago under LJ, we were 2-0 up and cruising, then their crowd decided that they'd had enough of giving their players stick and started to get right behind them and created a raucous atmosphere for the last half hour or so.

Sure enough, the players responded and salvaged a draw. Nobody who saw that would say that the crowd didn't have a big impact on things that day.

[iamalagerdrinker]

2 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Remember that game at Leeds a few years ago under LJ, we were 2-0 up and cruising, then their crowd decided that they'd had enough of giving their players stick and started to get right behind them and created a raucous atmosphere for the last half hour or so.

Sure enough, the players responded and salvaged a draw. Nobody who saw that would say that the crowd didn't have a big impact on things that day.

I remember seeing one Leeds fan start whirling his scarf in the air next thing I knew everyone was doing it and they was unlucky not to win!

[exAtyeoMax]

7 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Remember that game at Leeds a few years ago under LJ, we were 2-0 up and cruising, then their crowd decided that they'd had enough of giving their players stick and started to get right behind them and created a raucous atmosphere for the last half hour or so.

Sure enough, the players responded and salvaged a draw. Nobody who saw that would say that the crowd didn't have a big impact on things that day.

I remember that, it was incredible. Never heard anything like it before or since!

[RedRock]

I think even ‘back then’, it was a defining moment that triggered the crowd - a harsh sending off, one player rolling his sleeves up and getting stuck in, a couple of brilliant solo runs. 

Was it not Huddersfield in GJs reign and after a 8-9 match series of straight defeats with the future looking grim , Cotterill rallied the crowd with a couple of mazy runs and the buzz and winning ways returned.

Not sure we have any on the pitch ‘leaders’ now who could trigger that crowd response (maybe Alex) ….. so a harsh sending off it might have to be! 

[Lew-T]

22 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Remember that game at Leeds a few years ago under LJ, we were 2-0 up and cruising, then their crowd decided that they'd had enough of giving their players stick and started to get right behind them and created a raucous atmosphere for the last half hour or so.

Sure enough, the players responded and salvaged a draw. Nobody who saw that would say that the crowd didn't have a big impact on things that day.

That game comes up a lot on the EFL classics on Sky. The wrong reasons of course for us…

Ryan Kent should have put us out of sight.

[Winterstoke toad]

Being honest our home fans are awful when it comes to trying to lift the team . People always say we need good football to create an atmosphere but anyone who was at that Leeds game when we were 2 goals up will tell you that atmosphere can definitely change the result of a game . 
 

Going to many grounds over the years the flatness in atmosphere from home fans  always seem to be at grounds like Ashton gate and reading where home fans creating an atmosphere are in a tiny little section. Grounds with home fans stood behind a goal for example elland road and as much as I hate to say it Cardiff makes it a lot easier for people to get encouraged to make an atmosphere.

[Harry]

It’s been this way ever since the rebuild unfortunately. 
The concourse offers food, drink and a TV to watch the game. 
I know fans who spend most of the game on the concourse, just having a few beers and watching it on the tele! 
Loads of fans watch the first 25 mins or so and then retire to the concourse for the rest of the match. 
The very fact that the game is being shown on the TV’s draws fans to the area. 
I guess City can’t have it both ways. Either keep everyone inside the stadium and engender 90 minutes of support, or put the game on the tv in the concourse and take loads of extra revenue on food and drink. 
The concourse enables City to maximise revenue at the expense of the physical support. It’s the way they want it. 
 

Newport, of course, do not have a concourse for loads of fans to piss off to when they get bored and fancy a pint instead. 
The emptying of Section 82 and other areas is 100% down to the convenience of the concourse. 

[Tomo]

12 minutes ago, Harry said:

It’s been this way ever since the rebuild unfortunately. 
The concourse offers food, drink and a TV to watch the game. 
I know fans who spend most of the game on the concourse, just having a few beers and watching it on the tele! 
Loads of fans watch the first 25 mins or so and then retire to the concourse for the rest of the match. 
The very fact that the game is being shown on the TV’s draws fans to the area. 
I guess City can’t have it both ways. Either keep everyone inside the stadium and engender 90 minutes of support, or put the game on the tv in the concourse and take loads of extra revenue on food and drink. 
The concourse enables City to maximise revenue at the expense of the physical support. It’s the way they want it. 
 

Newport, of course, do not have a concourse for loads of fans to piss off to when they get bored and fancy a pint instead. 
The emptying of Section 82 and other areas is 100% down to the convenience of the concourse. 

Agree mate, but they were still supporting their side post 80 minutes and were 2 nil down. Like all fans they do enjoy a half time beer / pie but return to their seats

[Tony Tootle]

Absolutely right. Football is very much a game of confidence. I understand why people feel they have the right to chastise players when they feel they are not performing having parted with their hard earned cash. However, this is completely counter productive and you can see the confidence drain from certain players in our team when the fans get on their back. One of the reasons I stopped bothering with a season ticket was the amount of vitriol from the thickos I used to sit near who would engage in this sort of thing. Do the team a favour and yourselves and always think positive and good things will come.

[DaveF]

45 minutes ago, Harry said:

It’s been this way ever since the rebuild unfortunately. 
The concourse offers food, drink and a TV to watch the game. 
I know fans who spend most of the game on the concourse, just having a few beers and watching it on the tele! 
Loads of fans watch the first 25 mins or so and then retire to the concourse for the rest of the match. 
The very fact that the game is being shown on the TV’s draws fans to the area. 
I guess City can’t have it both ways. Either keep everyone inside the stadium and engender 90 minutes of support, or put the game on the tv in the concourse and take loads of extra revenue on food and drink. 
The concourse enables City to maximise revenue at the expense of the physical support. It’s the way they want it. 
 

Newport, of course, do not have a concourse for loads of fans to piss off to when they get bored and fancy a pint instead. 
The emptying of Section 82 and other areas is 100% down to the convenience of the concourse. 

How bizarre! Might as well watch it on RobinsTV and get your friends round.

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, Northern Red said:

Remember that game at Leeds a few years ago under LJ, we were 2-0 up and cruising, then their crowd decided that they'd had enough of giving their players stick and started to get right behind them and created a raucous atmosphere for the last half hour or so.

Sure enough, the players responded and salvaged a draw. Nobody who saw that would say that the crowd didn't have a big impact on things that day.

Pedant alert, but it was actually under Cotts, the first point we got back in The Championship under him after defeats at Wednesday & home to Brentford when Freeman was sent off.

[Northern Red]

4 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Pedant alert, but it was actually under Cotts, the first point we got back in The Championship under him after defeats at Wednesday & home to Brentford when Freeman was sent off.

I'm talking about the game at Elland Road under LJ. It was on Sky in the 17/18 season.

[GrahamC]

14 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

I'm talking about the game at Elland Road under LJ. It was on Sky in the 17/18 season.

Got you! 

The one I was thinking of went the other way, we were 2-0 down with about 2 minutes to go, we had already lost our first two & then Agard scored & in injury time Flint bundled one in at a corner.

Maybe because it was so early in the season but those there definitely stuck with us.
 

[Harry]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

Agree mate, but they were still supporting their side post 80 minutes and were 2 nil down. Like all fans they do enjoy a half time beer / pie but return to their seats

Yep, half time. But, like in the days of the old Ashton Gate, 5 minutes after half time the bars close. And there’s no tv to watch the game on. So the only place to go is back to the stands. Our fans now have the luxury of drinking all game and watching it on a Tv in the concourse. 
There’s a surprising amount of fans that happily do this. 

[MarcusX]

29 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Got you! 

The one I was thinking of went the other way, we were 2-0 down with about 2 minutes to go, we had already lost our first two & then Agard scored & in injury time Flint bundled one in at a corner.

Maybe because it was so early in the season but those there definitely stuck with us.
 

I tell this story often, but having just met a couple of girls from Leeds on holiday and being in the area for work they persuaded me to watch the game with them in the Billy’s Bar at Elland road. When that equaliser went in I’ve never been so scared to move or speak in all my life 

[MarcusX]

23 minutes ago, Harry said:

Yep, half time. But, like in the days of the old Ashton Gate, 5 minutes after half time the bars close. And there’s no tv to watch the game on. So the only place to go is back to the stands. Our fans now have the luxury of drinking all game and watching it on a Tv in the concourse. 
There’s a surprising amount of fans that happily do this. 

No matter how shit the game is I’ll never understand the logic of watching a game on TV when it’s happening live right outside. That’s US culture where the games go on all day/night and not much happens.

[cheese]

1 hour ago, DaveF said:

How bizarre! Might as well watch it on RobinsTV and get your friends round.

Yes, but you'd have to arrange for your friends to also come with you to some foreign country (virtually of course!).

[W-S-M Seagull]

It was embarrassing at Coventry that at 1 nil our fans rather than getting behind the team instead were singing Pearson our chants. I'm sorry but that really is embarrassing during a game.

[Philly The Kid]

IMHO the lack of atmosphere in most grounds these days is directly attributable to all seater stadia. On cold days standing around encouraged you to stamp your feet to keep warm and do a bit of shouting!!
Anyone who's been to German grounds will tell you the standing areas are always more raucous. I used to go to Union Berlin at the Alten Försterei  which is a brilliant little ground, they've got the balance just right. St Pauli at Hamburg too. We need to get standing back. This corporate matchday experience for the average fan is all too American.
Probably just a bit too old fashioned! but the days of the east end and the open end freezing your tits off but shouting and balling, stomping and clapping you felt so much more involved.

Edited January 3, 2023 by Philly The Kid

[Pezo]

You've got to have something to get behind even if it's just an outside chance of a comeback some memory and evidence that your team is still in the game, let's face it we give away soft goals, find it hard to break teams down and tire as the game goes on - hardly a recipe for making anyone think we have a hope of finishing strongly and mounting a comeback, it's more likely that as we tire we will concede leading to more anxiety as we finish rather than hope.

There is an element of us becoming customers rather than supporters as well, our fanbase has been successfully socially engineered in the last 20 years to be like this, with the cost of football as it is we have to produce an entertaining spectacle, and we just don't.

[sticks 1969]

8 hours ago, Harry said:

It’s been this way ever since the rebuild unfortunately. 
The concourse offers food, drink and a TV to watch the game. 
I know fans who spend most of the game on the concourse, just having a few beers and watching it on the tele! 
Loads of fans watch the first 25 mins or so and then retire to the concourse for the rest of the match. 
The very fact that the game is being shown on the TV’s draws fans to the area. 
I guess City can’t have it both ways. Either keep everyone inside the stadium and engender 90 minutes of support, or put the game on the tv in the concourse and take loads of extra revenue on food and drink. 
The concourse enables City to maximise revenue at the expense of the physical support. It’s the way they want it. 
 

Newport, of course, do not have a concourse for loads of fans to piss off to when they get bored and fancy a pint instead. 
The emptying of Section 82 and other areas is 100% down to the convenience of the concourse. 

So very true 

[Mad Cyril]

9 hours ago, Tomo said:

Newport were losing 2 nil until the 83rd minute. No fans left, they were still 'on side', singing and supporting their club.... 

 

 

 

 

To be fair, who in their right mind would want to leave early if you lived in Newport?

[Major Isewater]

The phrase  ‘ long suffering ‘ was invented for us. It’s no surprise that we are ‘ pessimistic ‘. What is incredible is that we keep turning up in numbers. 

[sh1t_ref_again]

10 hours ago, Harry said:

It’s been this way ever since the rebuild unfortunately. 
The concourse offers food, drink and a TV to watch the game. 
I know fans who spend most of the game on the concourse, just having a few beers and watching it on the tele! 
Loads of fans watch the first 25 mins or so and then retire to the concourse for the rest of the match. 
The very fact that the game is being shown on the TV’s draws fans to the area. 
I guess City can’t have it both ways. Either keep everyone inside the stadium and engender 90 minutes of support, or put the game on the tv in the concourse and take loads of extra revenue on food and drink. 
The concourse enables City to maximise revenue at the expense of the physical support. It’s the way they want it. 
 

Newport, of course, do not have a concourse for loads of fans to piss off to when they get bored and fancy a pint instead. 
The emptying of Section 82 and other areas is 100% down to the convenience of the concourse. 

Perhaps they are not the type who are going to get behind the team and support them anyway, if they prefer to stand around and watch it on tv

[real_bristol]

3 hours ago, Pezo said:

You've got to have something to get behind even if it's just an outside chance of a comeback some memory and evidence that your team is still in the game, let's face it we give away soft goals, find it hard to break teams down and tire as the game goes on - hardly a recipe for making anyone think we have a hope of finishing strongly and mounting a comeback, it's more likely that as we tire we will concede leading to more anxiety as we finish rather than hope.

There is an element of us becoming customers rather than supporters as well, our fanbase has been successfully socially engineered in the last 20 years to be like this, with the cost of football as it is we have to produce an entertaining spectacle, and we just don't.

It’s cyclical though Pez. What goes around comes around. Who was it that used to talk about the 12th man, one of the Johnson’s I think. I’ll never forget that Huddersfield game under Gary after he first took over then lost all those games on the bounce. My Dad and I made the decision to go that day because we knew the players needed us, we were going to get behind them regardless. That’s what we need from the fans now as hard as it may be. In my opinion this is what separates the men from the boys. As fans we have to dig deep as well. Ok Pearson has made a few questionable selection decisions but the whole setup just looks better. If we can give these players some confidence, get them on a run, I think they could be unstoppable. 

[NOTBLUE]

How many home games have we won in the last 3-4 seasons,not many,as a result of the lack of wins we turn up expecting the worst and often get what we’re expecting.Do people really think the fans don’t want a good atmosphere,and just want to be negative,of course they don’t,but the football over the last few seasons has been uninspiring to say the least.

[Son of Fred]

18 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

Maybe it's just me, but if i want to be entertained and exhilarated I don't choose to go to a second tier football game. I'll go to the cinema or watch something at the elite level of any major sport. 

I go to Ashton Gate to be part of something more meaningful than just entertainment. I go for the friends, I go for the incomparable joy of scoring a goal, I go out of loyalty to a club who have been a constant in my life for 25 years, a community that has pulled me back from dark times and been a welcome distraction from all the shit real life entails. 

Regardless of results or performance, I owe that club my voice and my support when I am there. 

If those who moan claim their only issue is the results then I've got to ask, in what way do you think logically that moaning will help? If you really sit back and think about it, it's selfish and counterproductive nonsense that typifies the behaviour of toddlers rather than full grown adults. 

If the desired outcome is better results, then support, vociferous and unrelenting support, is the only thing any fan should ever do when they enter Ashton Gate. If that isn't possible then frankly, you're not a supporter but a customer...

 

It starts with us. It's so.much easier for us to change the atmosphere than it is for a team to win a game of football in a ridiculously competitive league. There's is precisely nothing to stop each and every fan from doing that. Nothing but excuses and ego. 

Great post Percy - echoing many of my own sentiments...

Whatever anyone of our support is feeling right now,, chanting "Pearson out" will only effect everyone in the ground negatively - most importantly the players - they,as any of us,are not made of stone.

 

 

 

[Major Isewater]

15 minutes ago, Son of Fred said:

Great post Percy - echoing many of my own sentiments...

Whatever anyone of our support is feeling right now,, chanting "Pearson out" will only effect everyone in the ground negatively - most importantly the players - they,as any of us,are not made of stone.

 

 

 

If fans have a bug bear then by all means stay after the game and moan to your heart’s content otherwise we are supporters who support the team through thick and thin. 
 

[NOTBLUE]

39 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

Maybe it's just me, but if i want to be entertained and exhilarated I don't choose to go to a second tier football game. I'll go to the cinema or watch something at the elite level of any major sport. 

I go to Ashton Gate to be part of something more meaningful than just entertainment. I go for the friends, I go for the incomparable joy of scoring a goal, I go out of loyalty to a club who have been a constant in my life for 25 years, a community that has pulled me back from dark times and been a welcome distraction from all the shit real life entails. 

Regardless of results or performance, I owe that club my voice and my support when I am there. 

If those who moan claim their only issue is the results then I've got to ask, in what way do you think logically that moaning will help? If you really sit back and think about it, it's selfish and counterproductive nonsense that typifies the behaviour of toddlers rather than full grown adults. 

If the desired outcome is better results, then support, vociferous and unrelenting support, is the only thing any fan should ever do when they enter Ashton Gate. If that isn't possible then frankly, you're not a supporter but a customer...

 

It starts with us. It's so.much easier for us to change the atmosphere than it is for a team to win a game of football in a ridiculously competitive league. Theirs is precisely nothing to stop each and every fan from doing that. Nothing but excuses and ego. 

 Well I watched my first game in 1968,so I certainly don’t need anyone to tell me about getting behind my team,I get behind the team every single game,even at my age I still sing,and jump around like a lunatic when we score,I will applaud the team off when we have given everything,not that a lack of effort is the problem.I don’t Boo, I voice my displeasure in the car on the way home,and all my brothers and friends have been going a lot longer than you have.The fact that our home form has been nothing short of embarrassing for the last few seasons seems to escape you,as others have said in the past,we have no players whipping up the crowd,no leaders on the pitch.Going to  the gate on a match day should be fun,but for many it has become a chore.                                  

[Pezo]

1 hour ago, real_bristol said:

It’s cyclical though Pez. What goes around comes around. Who was it that used to talk about the 12th man, one of the Johnson’s I think. I’ll never forget that Huddersfield game under Gary after he first took over then lost all those games on the bounce. My Dad and I made the decision to go that day because we knew the players needed us, we were going to get behind them regardless. That’s what we need from the fans now as hard as it may be. In my opinion this is what separates the men from the boys. As fans we have to dig deep as well. Ok Pearson has made a few questionable selection decisions but the whole setup just looks better. If we can give these players some confidence, get them on a run, I think they could be unstoppable. 

I stand in the corner and give it my all every game so I'm with you and will continue to give it my all to support the players.

That said we have to see what's infront of us and unstoppable isn't the word I would use, I see no evidence for anything other than average at best with the odd drift into uncompetitiveness. I agree that the setup looks better since last year but it's from an extremely low bar where we didn't look competitive and we still have moments of looking like we aren't competitive. I'm not one of those that say I'm only interested in being entertained, I love to see us winning and playing good football is a bonus for me but not being competitive is not good enough for me to feel like I can defend and be be proud of our football club.

Pearson said he was going to build from the back, we're still letting in stupid goals. Pearson regularly references getting a corner or a shot on target was celebrated when he first came in, against West brom we had 1 corner and 1 shot on target in the second half, if it had gone in and we hadn't conceded we would have only drawn the game - that's not good and miles away from being unstoppable.

Edited January 3, 2023 by Pezo

[TheCerneAbbasGiant]

14 hours ago, tin said:

I said the same to a mate yesterday. We both remembered our days on the East End when it was support the City no matter what, and there were some worse performances back then as well. Some of our ‘fans’ at the Gate have no idea what the word support actually means, in contrast to our away support, and that must affect players’ confidence IMO. Negativity doesn’t help anyone.

I absolutely agree. 

[Bristol Oil Services]

16 hours ago, Northern Red said:

Remember that game at Leeds a few years ago under LJ, we were 2-0 up and cruising, then their crowd decided that they'd had enough of giving their players stick and started to get right behind them and created a raucous atmosphere for the last half hour or so.

Sure enough, the players responded and salvaged a draw. Nobody who saw that would say that the crowd didn't have a big impact on things that day.

The thing about us is, we neither get behind and back the team the way Leeds crowd do at their most noisy and vitriolic, and we don't get on their backs with anything like the toxicity that Elland Road can whip up. Ashton Gate is tame. We are pretty much Reading now, Reading without the years in the Prem

 

[Kid in the Riot]

Same as it ever was...

When the football is decent and we're winning the atmosphere is good.

When the football is crap and we're not winning the atmosphere is poor.

I don't know why we beat ourselves up over it. It's the same at pretty much every club in the country. 

[Major Isewater]

9 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

The thing about us is, we neither get behind and back the team the way Leeds crowd do at their most noisy and vitriolic, and we don't get on their backs with anything like the toxicity that Elland Road can whip up. Ashton Gate is tame. We are pretty much Reading now, Reading without the years in the Prem

 

Ashton Gate used to be an intimidating place for visiting teams ( and supporters) who would never get anything without fighting for it. 
 

[Bristol Oil Services]

23 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Ashton Gate used to be an intimidating place for visiting teams ( and supporters) who would never get anything without fighting for it. 
 

Really? Including a matchday programme, or hot food and drink at half-time?

[W-S-M Seagull]

4 hours ago, real_bristol said:

It’s cyclical though Pez. What goes around comes around. Who was it that used to talk about the 12th man, one of the Johnson’s I think. I’ll never forget that Huddersfield game under Gary after he first took over then lost all those games on the bounce. My Dad and I made the decision to go that day because we knew the players needed us, we were going to get behind them regardless. That’s what we need from the fans now as hard as it may be. In my opinion this is what separates the men from the boys. As fans we have to dig deep as well. Ok Pearson has made a few questionable selection decisions but the whole setup just looks better. If we can give these players some confidence, get them on a run, I think they could be unstoppable. 

I think our fans are too entitled  these days for "always believe" unfortunately. 

Edited January 3, 2023 by W-S-M Seagull

[BCFCGav]

46 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Same as it ever was...

When the football is decent and we're winning the atmosphere is good.

When the football is crap and we're not winning the atmosphere is poor.

I don't know why we beat ourselves up over it. It's the same at pretty much every club in the country. 

Yea I don't really back the idea this is an 'us' problem. When you factor in some of the football we've seen over the past 4 seasons, and the too-many-to-count last minute equalisers/winners we've conceded, I think we've done a pretty good job of backing the side. 

I can also see the counter point - we'll need to support the team well to ensure we end the season safely. Let's hope we see some performances that make it a little easier for us to do so. 

[RedM]

38 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Same as it ever was...

When the football is decent and we're winning the atmosphere is good.

When the football is crap and we're not winning the atmosphere is poor.

I don't know why we beat ourselves up over it. It's the same at pretty much every club in the country. 

Exactly. It's always will be a bit 'Chicken and Egg'

It's not always about the result either, performance is key. I don't mean scintillating football but more a degree of effort. 

What I will say though is that I'm not totally for 'get behind the team no matter what'. That just allows their standards to fall and complacency to set in. There is a line that isn't acceptable and Pearson I believe recently crossed that. However I think he recognised this and made amends to change the team and appease the fans. 

I don't like players being booed in particular but what other way is instantly available. Players take the applause and awards when warranted so they really should expect the opposite at times too. If they were really honest it shouldn't be a surprise to them sometimes either.

Organising a march and letting off pyros is another level, not sure I can understand that really.

 

[Supersonic Robin]

4 hours ago, Percy Pig said:

Maybe it's just me, but if i want to be entertained and exhilarated I don't choose to go to a second tier football game. I'll go to the cinema or watch something at the elite level of any major sport. 

I go to Ashton Gate to be part of something more meaningful than just entertainment. I go for the friends, I go for the incomparable joy of scoring a goal, I go out of loyalty to a club who have been a constant in my life for 25 years, a community that has pulled me back from dark times and been a welcome distraction from all the shit real life entails. 

Regardless of results or performance, I owe that club my voice and my support when I am there. 

If those who moan claim their only issue is the results then I've got to ask, in what way do you think logically that moaning will help? If you really sit back and think about it, it's selfish and counterproductive nonsense that typifies the behaviour of toddlers rather than full grown adults. 

If the desired outcome is better results, then support, vociferous and unrelenting support, is the only thing any fan should ever do when they enter Ashton Gate. If that isn't possible then frankly, you're not a supporter but a customer...

 

It starts with us. It's so.much easier for us to change the atmosphere than it is for a team to win a game of football in a ridiculously competitive league. There's is precisely nothing to stop each and every fan from doing that. Nothing but excuses and ego. 

Brilliantly articulated 

I can understand the frustration that comes with poor performances/results, but I can never understand booing during the game or leaving early.

I've honestly never got 70 minutes into a City game and thought "Well I'm just not that interested in Bristol City anymore. Might as well leave now." There's a far deeper connection between a fan and their football club than just entertainment.

[Clutton Caveman]

17 hours ago, Winterstoke toad said:

Being honest our home fans are awful when it comes to trying to lift the team . People always say we need good football to create an atmosphere but anyone who was at that Leeds game when we were 2 goals up will tell you that atmosphere can definitely change the result of a game . 
 

Going to many grounds over the years the flatness in atmosphere from home fans  always seem to be at grounds like Ashton gate and reading where home fans creating an atmosphere are in a tiny little section. Grounds with home fans stood behind a goal for example elland road and as much as I hate to say it Cardiff makes it a lot easier for people to get encouraged to make an atmosphere.

More interested in making up clever little songs that nobody knows and so can't join in or skipping out early to be at the front of the beer queue at half time

At Coventry on Sunday their fans sang a lot of simple and well known songs and guess what other parts of the ground joined in.

Football songs do not need to be original or win the Eurovision song contest, they need to be simple and loud. What's wrong with the players name with a bit of clapping in between?

[Winterstoke toad]

14 minutes ago, Clutton Caveman said:

More interested in making up clever little songs that nobody knows and so can't join in or skipping out early to be at the front of the beer queue at half time

At Coventry on Sunday their fans sang a lot of simple and well known songs and guess what other parts of the ground joined in.

Football songs do not need to be original or win the Eurovision song contest, they need to be simple and loud. What's wrong with the players name with a bit of clapping in between?

Spot on mate but it’s not just up to section 82 to start songs the rest of the ground needs to pull their finger out . Without section 82 we’d have one of the if not the most soulless atmosphere going .

[Major Isewater]

4 hours ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

Really? Including a matchday programme, or hot food and drink at half-time?

Correct. Bloody foreigners. Bristol City a local club for local people. 
 

[Son of Fred]

15 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

Bristol City a local club for local people. 

[richyy66]

21 hours ago, DaveF said:

How bizarre! Might as well watch it on RobinsTV and get your friends round.

When we played Stoke there were loads of people in the concourse watching the World Cup Third place play off match. I know our game was shite but why bother going to the ground if you would rather watch a meaningless world Cup game. They could have got that experience watching from their living room with a can....

[Lanterne Rouge]

1 hour ago, Son of Fred said:

Is that January in the s*g supporters` calendar?

[real_bristol]

9 hours ago, Pezo said:

I stand in the corner and give it my all every game so I'm with you and will continue to give it my all to support the players.

That said we have to see what's infront of us and unstoppable isn't the word I would use, I see no evidence for anything other than average at best with the odd drift into uncompetitiveness. I agree that the setup looks better since last year but it's from an extremely low bar where we didn't look competitive and we still have moments of looking like we aren't competitive. I'm not one of those that say I'm only interested in being entertained, I love to see us winning and playing good football is a bonus for me but not being competitive is not good enough for me to feel like I can defend and be be proud of our football club.

Pearson said he was going to build from the back, we're still letting in stupid goals. Pearson regularly references getting a corner or a shot on target was celebrated when he first came in, against West brom we had 1 corner and 1 shot on target in the second half, if it had gone in and we hadn't conceded we would have only drawn the game - that's not good and miles away from being unstoppable.

Good, keep that up. I’ll be honest with you, I’m in the “fortunate” position where I have to watch games on Robins TV so don’t really get a sense of the atmosphere. I was talking about how it was when we were bottom of the 3rd tier and how it should be in my opinion. Now we have a young-ish crop of players and I think we all know that talent-wise they should be well above where they are now. I’ve seen pretty much every game this season on the telly and I just feel that it’s close to “clicking” if that makes sense. If and when it does click I believe the squad can build the confidence and momentum needed to be unstoppable. It’s a matter of opinion but this is  certainly possible. First and foremost players need to show the level of effort they did against Millwall and Cov. That should be enough to get the crowd on board. 

[Tinmans Love Child]

On 02/01/2023 at 21:17, Northern Red said:

Remember that game at Leeds a few years ago under LJ, we were 2-0 up and cruising, then their crowd decided that they'd had enough of giving their players stick and started to get right behind them and created a raucous atmosphere for the last half hour or so.

Sure enough, the players responded and salvaged a draw. Nobody who saw that would say that the crowd didn't have a big impact on things that day.

We had the same at home to Leeds thought under SC, the Lansdown stand hadn't been built, the Leeds fans were singing "there's only one Uwe Rosler" at 2-0 up then we scored 2 late on (both from Flint??) and I think Uwe was sacked a few weeks later!  Atmosphere was great!  Always stay until the end!

Edited January 3, 2023 by Tinmans Love Child

[Lanterne Rouge]

17 hours ago, Tinmans Love Child said:

We had the same at home to Leeds thought under SC, the Lansdown stand hadn't been built, the Leeds fans were singing "there's only one Uwe Rosler" at 2-0 up then we scored 2 late on (both from Flint??) and I think Uwe was sacked a few weeks later!  Atmosphere was great!  Always stay until the end!

The game where Pontus Jansen had to be subbed because he had completely lost the plot and was just running around kicking people. He launched the ball out of the ground at one point after a fouls was given against him.

[Mr Popodopolous]

On 03/01/2023 at 09:48, real_bristol said:

It’s cyclical though Pez. What goes around comes around. Who was it that used to talk about the 12th man, one of the Johnson’s I think. I’ll never forget that Huddersfield game under Gary after he first took over then lost all those games on the bounce. My Dad and I made the decision to go that day because we knew the players needed us, we were going to get behind them regardless. That’s what we need from the fans now as hard as it may be. In my opinion this is what separates the men from the boys. As fans we have to dig deep as well. Ok Pearson has made a few questionable selection decisions but the whole setup just looks better. If we can give these players some confidence, get them on a run, I think they could be unstoppable. 

Strangely before that Huddersfield game there was a game not long before, perhaps defeat number 6 or 7 where we scored 1st...then subsided to 4-1 down v Chesterfield.

Loads of fans left but of those who remained some made a real racket. It wasn't a turning point but elements of darkness before dawn perhaps.

[real_bristol]

1 hour ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Strangely before that Huddersfield game there was a game not long before, perhaps defeat number 6 or 7 where we scored 1st...then subsided to 4-1 down v Chesterfield.

Loads of fans left but of those who remained some made a real racket. It wasn't a turning point but elements of darkness before dawn perhaps.

Absolutely. Dark days come with the territory supporting this club. That doesn’t mean we should resign to relegation mind you and probably why we do back them through thick and thin. Probably more so at the old Aston Gate, but I’ve always felt that the atmosphere was better with less fans. Perhaps when only the hardcore turned up. When we used to get 16,000+ atmospheres went a bit flat.