Those three relegations in 747 days

[White Stripe]

Things could be worse.  Some of us lived through our nosedive from the old First Division to the Fourth Division. It wasn’t pleasant, although hitting rock bottom wasn’t the end of the world.  Thank god for Terry Cooper, someone who, imo, truly is a City legend.

Recently I came across the article “THE STORY OF BRISTOL CITY’S THREE RELEGATIONS IN 747 DAYS” and thought it might be of interest.  For those who haven't read it, here is the first paragraph: "Just 747 days. That is the time it took Bristol City to travel from a final-day trip to White Hart Lane on 3 May 1980, taking on Tottenham Hotspur in the First Division, to them facing Hull City at Ashton Gate on 28 August 1982, for their first ever game in the Fourth Division.”

Here’s the link to the article: https://thesefootballtimes.co/2017/09/20/the-story-of-bristol-citys-three-relegations-in-747-days/

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Interesting link, shall look forward to reading...thanks for posting.

However the timing is also.. interesting.

Could be worse? Yes obviously but relative to the needless trajectory the timing is really interesting.

[22A]

Wolves suffered a financial crisis during the early-1980s recession that led to the club coming close to liquidation in 1982. In the five seasons between 1981–82 and 1985–86 Wolves were relegated four times (although there was also one promotion in 1982–83), meaning the club ended up in what was then the Football League Fourth Division (now EFL League Two) for the first (and so far only) time in the club's history. 

[White Stripe]

5 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Interesting link, shall look forward to reading...thanks for posting.

However the timing is also.. interesting.

Could be worse? Yes obviously but relative to the needless trajectory the timing is really interesting.

Imagine the armageddon on social media if we had to field a student from Bristol University though! 

 

[ralphindevon]

22 minutes ago, White Stripe said:

Imagine the armageddon on social media if we had to field a student from Bristol University though! 

 

If he scored in the FA cup against the Gas I’m sure social media would love him

[GrahamC]

I did live through it, I saw pretty much every home game in the 79/80 season, went home & away in the 80-81 season, saw the vast majority of games in 81/82.

It was shit but “this it could be worse” stuff really winds me up.

This is the equivalent of “we could be Watford & keep changing out manager” or “we could have Vincent Tan”, we’re mediocre, have achieved far less than those 2 clubs & it is simply because of our owner.

[1960maaan]

The bit that shows where I thought we were going ...

Over the course of the next two seasons there were gradual improvements, to the extent that in 1978/79 Bristol City were closer in points to the European places than they were to the relegation zone.

I was convinced the next step was Europe, never even considered relegation , and relegation , and relegation. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

14 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

I did live through it, I saw pretty much every home game in the 79/80 season, went home & away in the 80-81 season, saw the vast majority of games in 81/82.

It was shit but “this it could be worse” stuff really winds me up.

This is the equivalent of “we could be Watford & keep changing out manager” or “we could have Vincent Tan”, we’re mediocre, have achieved far less than those 2 clubs & it is simply because of our owner.

Partly agree albeit Watford went straight through 2 divisions in the late 1990s when Davidson was our owner.

We went up with them, then finished dead last in 1998-99 while they won the playoffs.

We never had the Watford and Udinese tie-up either. Albeit Lansdown could have bought our way up yes, in the earlier days.

Edited March 13 by Mr Popodopolous

[White Stripe]

32 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

I did live through it, I saw pretty much every home game in the 79/80 season, went home & away in the 80-81 season, saw the vast majority of games in 81/82.

It was shit but “this it could be worse” stuff really winds me up.

This is the equivalent of “we could be Watford & keep changing out manager” or “we could have Vincent Tan”, we’re mediocre, have achieved far less than those 2 clubs & it is simply because of our owner.

I get that. There's no excuse for the level of imbecility (and worse) we saw with the sacking of Nigel, nor the reckless spending in the past, the paucity of quality footballing experience at Board level and on and on it goes.  Plus all the clubs that have left us in their rear-view mirrors, including Hull City.

Saying 'It could be worse' - well in a lot of ways back then it was - I've still got the "Now or never" badge somewhere.  It was a throw-away comment because I had a flashback to standing on the uncovered area between the East End and the Williams, there was plenty of room, with a mate of mine and he was moaning about something or other. I don't remember the game. I remember that after the game we wandered over to the Adam and Eve in Hotwells for a few jars.  

[Superjack]

It could be worse. 

Guess what? 

It SHOULD be better!

[cidered abroad]

1 hour ago, GrahamC said:

I did live through it, I saw pretty much every home game in the 79/80 season, went home & away in the 80-81 season, saw the vast majority of games in 81/82.

It was shit but “this it could be worse” stuff really winds me up.

This is the equivalent of “we could be Watford & keep changing out manager” or “we could have Vincent Tan”, we’re mediocre, have achieved far less than those 2 clubs & it is simply because of our owner.

A lot of us did. The 1-7 defeat at Northampton was watched on a Sunday afternoon by, I was there, by around 2,500 City fans. When we scored at 0-5, my wife laughed when she told me to sit down and shut up.

The standing City fans gave the boys, and many of them were under 19, a rousing departure from the pitch at the end of the game. Proud of the boys and the old uns like Ritchie.