Jon Lansdown email

[Ziderarmy]

I assume everyone has had the Christmas email off Jon. I guess it’s a form of communication and the academy info was interesting but it does feel a tad “off” that Nigel Pearson and his staff don’t get a mention / thanks seeing as it’s a 2023 review and he was in charge for the bulk of it. 

[Natchfever]

5 minutes ago, Ziderarmy said:

I assume everyone has had the Christmas email off Jon. I guess it’s a form of communication and the academy info was interesting but it does feel a tad “off” that Nigel Pearson and his staff don’t get a mention / thanks seeing as it’s a 2023 review and he was in charge for the bulk of it. 

Jon is a *** tbf..

[Homer Simpson]

For a team that has not appeared in the top flight for over 40 years and almost went out of existence in that time, including a visit to the bottom of the whole league. I think to average over 22000 is fantastic. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to you all.

Thanks for the entertainment all OTIB contributors.

COYR IN 2024.

[italian dave]

8 minutes ago, Ziderarmy said:

I assume everyone has had the Christmas email off Jon. I guess it’s a form of communication and the academy info was interesting but it does feel a tad “off” that Nigel Pearson and his staff don’t get a mention / thanks seeing as it’s a 2023 review and he was in charge for the bulk of it. 

He (or whoever wrote it for him) probably realise they’re on a hiding to nothing if they mention him by name and if they don’t! 

[GrahamC]

11 minutes ago, Ziderarmy said:

I assume everyone has had the Christmas email off Jon. I guess it’s a form of communication and the academy info was interesting but it does feel a tad “off” that Nigel Pearson and his staff don’t get a mention / thanks seeing as it’s a 2023 review and he was in charge for the bulk of it. 

Nope, not had it.

Doesn’t sound like I’m missing much.

[sh1t_ref_again]

1 minute ago, GrahamC said:

Nope, not had it.

Doesn’t sound like I’m missing much.

On behalf of the club I’d like to wish you all the best this Christmas. We hope you have a fun festive season and a safe time with family and friends.

As another year ends, I want to thank you for your support over the past 12 months. You continue to turn out in great numbers, home and away, and that support has only increased this season.

Our average home attendance is now over 22,000 – up nearly 2,000 on last season – with 15,000 Season Ticket holders. That is a fantastic fanbase and I know Liam and the players greatly appreciate the backing you give them.

The same goes for Lauren and the women’s team who have broken their own record three times for a crowd at Ashton Gate, including 14,000 for the Manchester United game. There are now 1,800 City Women Season Ticket holders, many watching women’s football for the first time.

Both teams are benefitting from our Academy system, with the men having an average of six academy graduates in the first team matchday squad and the women eight.

For the men’s team we have the highest percentage of minutes played (33.7%) by club-trained players in the top two divisions in England – players who have been with us for at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21. We are sixth in the top five European leagues behind only Athletic Club, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and SC Freiburg. The Academy will remain a strong focus for us going forward.

We have had three debuts from the Academy this season so far, Joseph James, Jamie Knight-Lebel and Ephraim Yeboah, and a lot of credit should go to all those involved in developing the next generation of players.

Academy players are integrated into the first team environment when the time is right and we believe that, given Liam’s experience in developing players and supported by Brian Tinnion, we will have many more coming through.

Liam has settled in well and, while it is going to take time, everyone is fully behind him, Chris Hogg and the rest of the staff.

I firmly believe that we are heading in the right direction and we are all looking forward to 2024 with a lot of optimism.

There is plenty of work to do, on and off the pitch. You will have seen that we have announced the accounts for last year with a significant loss although we are continuing the recent trend of reducing those losses each season.

It was good to hear your questions and views at the Fans Forum last month and at the recent Senior Reds Christmas lunch.

Please be assured that we want to listen to you and improve because ultimately we are all seeking the same thing – a growing Bristol City, playing at the highest level and inspiring our community.

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

[petehinton]

October - “we’re replacing Nige to give us the best chance of promotion this season”

December - “Liam is settling well, but it’s going to take time”

The three musketeers really do contradict themselves at every turn

[Merrick's Marvels]

17 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

We are sixth in the top five European leagues behind only Athletic Club, Olympique Lyonnais, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid and SC Freiburg. The Academy will remain a strong focus for us going forward....

To what end?

Would be my question.

To help Bournemouth succeed? (Other tinpot over achieving clubs are available).

To keep the wage bill down because the owner's lost interest?

Because the last time I looked, no-one ever got promoted from the brutal Championship with a team full of kids. So it's to flog them and build that "nest egg" isn't it?

"Never get too attached to players" - Steve Lansdown, quote unquote.

So long as that's clear.

Edited December 24, 2023 by Merrick's Marvels

[cidered abroad]

3 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

To what end?

Would be my question.

To help Bournemouth succeed? (Other tinpot over achieving clubs are available).

To keep the wage bill down because the owner's lost interest?

Because the last time I looked, no-one ever got promoted from the brutal Championship with a team full of kids.

Famous words from Alan Hansen.

[GrahamC]

7 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

To what end?

Would be my question.

To help Bournemouth succeed? (Other tinpot over achieving clubs are available).

To keep the wage bill down because the owner's lost interest?

Because the last time I looked, no-one ever got promoted from the brutal Championship with a team full of kids.

Plus as my other post says, our figures in this regard are hugely inflated by a small squad & injuries.

Numerous Academy players have been on the bench (Nelson 9 times) with zero minutes, aside from Yeboah, loads of the others, Knight-Lebel, Backwell, Araoye, Wiles-Richards have been there simply because there was no one else. James was given a debut at Cardiff because we had about 10 players out, Manning didn’t even put him on a bench that wasn’t full very soon afterwards.

Meaningless stat.

Edited December 24, 2023 by GrahamC

[pongo88]

Oh no - other people have had the same greeting as me! I’m distraught as I thought it was a personal message, just to me, to thank me for putting up with my years of suffering. 

[Numero Uno]

I replied “**** off you daft lying *** and take Sid with you”………..do you reckon he will receive it?

[sh1t_ref_again]

2 minutes ago, Merrick's Marvels said:

To what end?

Would be my question.

To help Bournemouth succeed? (Other tinpot over achieving clubs are available).

To keep the wage bill down because the owner's lost interest?

Because the last time I looked, no-one ever got promoted from the brutal Championship with a team full of kids.

We can all try to be negative about anything in an attempt to have a dig, but I like seeing academy players coming through, we have limited recourses so we have to be realistic on what we can afford, so better our own than paying for someone else's

Helping tinpot Bournemouth, by selling Semenyo is probable what saved us from failing FFP and possible points deductions, also the Scott money (although not strictly an academy product) will allow some investment going forward, star players will always want to move upwards, its the way of football

Owner lost interest, who knows, but JL seems to be taking more active interest and it is the Lansdowns money that will have just written off £22m in loses, so if he is loosing interest, we are lucky he is still happy to put his hands in his pockets

Its not a team full of kids is it, they tend to be on the bench supplementing the mix of players we have

[J.V.F]

7 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I replied “**** off you daft lying *** and take Sid with you”………..do you reckon he will receive it?

Hopefully

[Charlie BCFC]

42 minutes ago, Ziderarmy said:

I assume everyone has had the Christmas email off Jon. I guess it’s a form of communication and the academy info was interesting but it does feel a tad “off” that Nigel Pearson and his staff don’t get a mention / thanks seeing as it’s a 2023 review and he was in charge for the bulk of it. 

He should really, on the pitch overall think we’ve had a good year. Ended last season very well including the Man City game of course and heading into Christmas we are better off than this time last year. Him, Fleming and Euell deserve a lot of credit for it 

[Numero Uno]

2 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

We can all try to be negative about anything in an attempt to have a dig, but I like seeing academy players coming through, we have limited recourses so we have to be realistic on what we can afford, so better our own than paying for someone else's

Helping tinpot Bournemouth, by selling Semenyo is probable what saved us from failing FFP and possible points deductions, also the Scott money (although not strictly an academy product) will allow some investment going forward, star players will always want to move upwards, its the way of football

Owner lost interest, who knows, but JL seems to be taking more active interest and it is the Lansdowns money that will have just written off £22m in loses, so if he is loosing interest, we are lucky he is still happy to put his hands in his pockets

Its not a team full of kids is it, they tend to be on the bench supplementing the mix of players we have

Not going to get into a mega debate on it but the Bristol Sport structure is a significant factor in our loss making imo. Bristol Sport is all about Steve Lansdown not BCFC. That’s where we are though so we have to hope that LM gets the support of Jon that he will need to move things on otherwise there might be trouble ahead. I think he will be backed.

[GrahamC]

13 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I replied “**** off you daft lying *** and take Sid with you”………..do you reckon he will receive it?

Yes & I reckon he’ll definitely act on it too.

Just had it, a real shame he doesn’t take the opportunity to thank Pearson & his staff for their service but not surprised.

In his mind he obviously sees this as improving the absolutely woeful communication that has come out of the club in recent times but it just reads like a lot of self justification to me.

[sh1t_ref_again]

1 minute ago, Numero Uno said:

Not going to get into a mega debate on it but the Bristol Sport structure is a significant factor in our loss making imo. Bristol Sport is all about Steve Lansdown not BCFC. That’s where we are though so we have to hope that LM gets the support of Jon that he will need to move things on otherwise there might be trouble ahead. I think he will be backed.

Not sure I see the Bristol Sport issue, guess will see when further accounts come out, the issue I believe is even to stand still in the championship clubs makes a massive loss

[tin]

18 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I replied “**** off you daft lying *** and take Sid with you”………..do you reckon he will receive it?

Hope so, I also replied! 

[Numero Uno]

Just now, GrahamC said:

Yes & I reckon he’ll definitely act on it too.

Just had it, a real shame he doesn’t take the opportunity to thank Pearson & his staff for their service but not surprised.

In his mind he obviously sees this as improving the absolutely woeful communication that has come out of the club in recent times but it just reads like a lot of self justification to me.

In all seriousness Jon is going nowhere for the foreseeable. My main concern is that Sid hangs around. We desperately need to be looking at his replacement imo, preferably someone who is qualified to be a “Tecknical Director”.

Just now, tin said:

Hope so, I also replied! 

It’s a no reply E-mail!! Sorry to burst anyones bubble!!

[Numero Uno]

2 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

Not sure I see the Bristol Sport issue, guess will see when further accounts come out, the issue I believe is even to stand still in the championship clubs makes a massive loss

As you say let’s see but I cannot believe that such a convoluted structure as we operate in doesn’t have an impact tbh. Yes, Championship = Lose Money but do Preston or Millwall, for example, lose £28m operating?

[Red-Robbo]

23 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Plus as my other post says, our figures in this regard are hugely inflated by a small squad & injuries.

Numerous Academy players have been on the bench (Nelson 9 times) with zero minutes, aside from Yeboah, loads of the others, Knight-Lebel, Backwell, Araoye, Wiles-Richards have been there simply because there was no one else. James was given a debut at Cardiff because we had about 10 players out, Manning didn’t even put him on a bench that wasn’t full very soon afterwards.

Meaningless stat.

Although it's a reasonable Christmas message, I did feel he was rather making a virtue out of a necessity.

We introduce Academy players to the matchday squad because we have such limited resources and recurring injury crises, not because they are all wonderful. 

[Numero Uno]

27 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

I replied “**** off you daft lying *** and take Sid with you”………..do you reckon he will receive it?

@Ghost Rideryou can rest assured I didn’t really. Whilst realising that Jon has been given “his shot” at running it I can confirm that the bit about Sid moving on I absolutely mean and believe has to happen regardless and the sooner the better. We need a far better qualified Director of Football than he is to give Manning and the club “the best chance of success” imo.

[Super]

Here comes another thread about Pearson...

[Numero Uno]

Just now, Super said:

Here comes another thread about Pearson...

Why? You are the first to mention him.

[sh1t_ref_again]

9 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

As you say let’s see but I cannot believe that such a convoluted structure as we operate in doesn’t have an impact tbh. Yes, Championship = Lose Money but do Preston or Millwall, for example, lose £28m operating?

Both those clubs lost in the region of £19m, our figures will still reflect getting some players off the books, can't see Rotherham's, but guess recently promoted, clubs bouncing between Champ and L1 may be a lot lower

[CardiffRed]

1 minute ago, Numero Uno said:

Why? You are the first to mention him.

Apart from the very first post in this thread you mean. 

[Malago]

A classic example of “Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t”

[BCFC31]

It's just the same all crap tbh copy and paste job going on about having the best academy In the world blah blah blah bore off.

[Numero Uno]

Just now, CardiffRed said:

Apart from the very first post in this thread you mean. 

Yeah, correct, but the thread quickly moved away from that until @Superreinvigorated Pearson’s name into the debate.