Why Is Lansdown So Bad?

[Show Me The Money!]

He's put his hand in his pocket many times to fund new players and is owed a lot of money by the club which he is in no real rush to take back. We've spent far more on players than the majority if not all other league 1 clubs.

He loves the club and wants it to succeed.

Ok so he may of made a mistake in appointing Tinnion (Or not getting in an experienced coach to work with him), but regarding all our other managerial appointments, they've all had his total support and have had money to spend which the majority of clubs, even championship clubs, don't have.

So recent managers haven't brought us the success we demand but we have all thought at the beginning of each season that we were a very stong team with a good manager and should go up.

It hasn't happened, but what more do you think that Mr Lansdown could do.

[LSN]

He's put his hand in his pocket many times to fund new players and is owed a lot of money by the club which he is in no real rush to take back. We've spent far more on players than the majority if not all other league 1 clubs.

Warranted, he has put his hand in his pocket for players when the manager asks. Which is what a chairman is there for. No different to any other chairman who should be looking to take a club forward. He also has good sentiments towards the Academy, as am I. But unfortunatley this is as far as I can agree with him.

He loves the club and wants it to succeed.

Like all of us, doesn't pick up an argument.

Ok so he may of made a mistake in appointing Tinnion (Or not getting in an experienced coach to work with him), but regarding all our other managerial appointments, they've all had his total support and have had money to spend which the majority of clubs, even championship clubs, don't have.

Tinnion had to let Lita go, that's £1 million extra cash. How much money did Tinnion get to spend? Not a lot, mostly free bees or the couple £150,000 players. He did not get the support of previous managers, which in my eyes was the stupidest of things to have done, especially being his first ever season in charge. I just do not feel Tinnion was given the right amount of support.

So recent managers haven't brought us the success we demand but we have all thought at the beginning of each season that we were a very stong team with a good manager and should go up.

Yes, like me I always seem to think we should go up. But that's the ambition the board sets.

It hasn't happened, but what more do you think that Mr Lansdown could do.

OK here is my list:

Appoints Tony Pulis ahead of Peter Taylor/ David Moyes. Why? What had he done? Illegal tapping up of Pulis (unprofessional) loss of £100,000, payment to Gillingham.

Sacks Pulis, has to pay up his contract. Money wasted.

All plans for Williams stand rebuilding are scrapped. More money wasted for architect.

Appoints Wilson ahead of Taylor again.

Gives Wilson 4 years which was good. Made right decision of getting rid of Wilson.

Liam Rosenior going for free. Bad contract terms, bad organisation.

Appoints Tinnion. Why? Isn't given sufficient money to replace players such as Coles, Doherty or Lita.

The Badge. The East End. 2 of the most important things about Bristol City Football Cllub that I love and they mess about with it.

The way they single out the fans that I attend City matches with. ie letter about swearing for G block, yet nowhere else where even racism is being heard. Then they thank the whole of the stadium for language improvement, no mention of G block, even though we were the only ones to be singled out.

The general running of this club, with fans being conned into more money making ideas, poor service and poor plans. The 'buy a brick', one minute the stand is going ahead, next minute it isn't.

Question marks over the selling of Ashton Gate - can you really trust this man?

[milo1111]

totally agree. i don't see what more the bloke could of done. there are many worse chairmen in the country i can assure you. ok the tinnion appointment was a disaster, made possibly more with the heart than the head, but at the time i also thought that tins could do the business and as he was city through and through would finally lead us to the promised land.

hindsight is a great thing. but steve landsdown has always done what he thought best for the club. GJ was top of most of our lists when the last manager was due to be appointed, now people are criticising him for this. would you of rather of had lennie lawrence or that unknown who used to manage dundee utd?? give the man a break

[Guest WillsbridgeRed]

A comprehensive list there LSN - You forgot the thousands wasted on the doomed severnside project

[tin]

The problem I have with Steve L is simple. He says he's Chairman but he isn't running the club on a day-to-day basis, Colin Sextone is. This man knows nothing about running a football club and because of this, the board are alienating fans with their constant 'spin' and lies to us. Lansdown is a fan and was a decent Chairman before handed over responsiblilty to Sextone and he does deserve a lot of credit for the way he seemingly single-handedly keeps the club afloat but that doesn't mean he's immune from criticism either.

[LSN]

A comprehensive list there LSN - You forgot the thousands wasted on the doomed severnside project

another one?

[NickJ]

He's put his hand in his pocket many times to fund new players and is owed a lot of money by the club which he is in no real rush to take back. Incorrect. See below.

We've spent far more on players than the majority if not all other league 1 clubs. If you mean on player wages, yes. If you mean transfer fees, no. In the past 6 seasons we have made a combined surplus of £3.5 million on disposal of player contracts - and that excludes this season and the sale of Lita.

He loves the club and wants it to succeed. I 99% believe and hope you are correct.

It hasn't happened, but what more do you think that Mr Lansdown could do. Given our position, in terms of outcomes, quite a lot. In terms of effort and commitment, I have no reason to question that.

SteveL has invested £x million in shares (I don't know the amount, because that will be a private agreement between him and whoever the shares were purchased from). That money has not all gone into Bristol City, some of it is paid to the former shareholders. I think there may have been a share issue to the benefit of Bristol City a couple of years ago to which SteveL contributed; I don't have the time right now to research the details of this.

The above share capital SteveL will expect to sell one day - though given the losses of the past 5 years, I would think he would make a big loss on his investment if he were to sell right now.

I am not suggesting SteveL ever invested to make a profit, no sane person would invest in a football club unless they had intentions of asset stripping (by extracting assets or dividends from profits). And I think Steve is neither insane or an asset stripper.

Other than share capital, SteveL has invested a few hundred thousand of loan stock, generating 7% interest.

Up to this point, I am not aware that SteveL has ever made significant donations to Bristol City, other than his unpaid time.

So the notion that SteveL continually puts his hand in his own pocket is fanciful.

Now, in SteveL's defence.

1) He is no different than the majority of football chairmen in respect of the above.

2) When referring to SteveL, we should remember that he has a fellow director and majority shareholder, Keith Dawe, who we never hear anything about; in the past there were other directors and of course there are other shareholders.

3) SteveL and Keith Dawe are about to jointly loan Bristol City £4 million interest free. We could survive without this, but on the surface it appears a generous gesture. What we do not know at the moment is the impact and intentions as regards the restructuring of the finances and the Ashton Gate stadium. I have a link to my question to SteveL somewhere on this forum for those that havent seen it, though as I write it has slipped I think to the second page.

Those are I believe the facts.

[Show Me The Money!]

Good points both ways there which I take fully on board.

One thing I did forget to mention though is how some here on the forum have said that Lansdown and other board members should resign.

Lansdown has said on numerous occaisions that if somebody else who has the same ambition as he has and can take the club on further he would be more than willing to step down.

Apart from that joker a fair few months ago who wrote to the evening post claiming he could get together a consortium to raise however million it was and take the club to the prem in 2 years or whatever it was, nobody has shown any interest.

He's more than welcomed the supporters trust and would welcome more people on the board.

I take on board and agree to an extent with the mistakes that have been made but overall I think we have a bloody good chairman.

For me football can be a lot about luck. We as a club are due some I belive.

[cider head]

The problem I have with Steve L is simple. He says he's Chairman but he isn't running the club on a day-to-day basis, Colin Sextone is. This man knows nothing about running a football club and because of this, the board are alienating fans with their constant 'spin' and lies to us. Lansdown is a fan and was a decent Chairman before handed over responsiblilty to Sextone and he does deserve a lot of credit for the way he seemingly single-handedly keeps the club afloat but that doesn't mean he's immune from criticism either.

you got that spot on there mate.

Steve Lansdown delegates work out to complete muppets, from the top right down to the grass roots

and in return he ends up with the stick.

[Guest Ronmeister]

Whatever Steve has or hasn't done, in the 2 1/2 years Roman Abramovic has been at Chelsea they have made severe problems; keeping Ranieri on, buying Mutu, etc.

But I'm sure you wouldn't turn him down, eh, LSN?

[LSN]

Whatever Steve has or hasn't done, in the 2 1/2 years Roman Abramovic has been at Chelsea they have made severe problems; keeping Ranieri on, buying Mutu, etc.

But I'm sure you wouldn't turn him down, eh, LSN?

you say that knowing that whatever trouble abramovich gets himself into, he can buy his way out of that trouble.

With Lansdown, all these mistakes he has been making, he makes a big deal with the £2 million loss each financial year. If he thought about what he is doing more and the consequences then he wouldn't have to moan.

[CiderHider]

Only people who have very little brainpower think SL is bad, people on this forum who take cheap shots at him are just incognito Sags....ignore them like most of us do.

[Guest bristolbred]

Steve Lansdown delegates work out to complete muppets, from the top right down to the grass roots

and in return he ends up with the stick.

Serves him right for not being strong enough to stand on his own two feet!!

Money does not make a man!!

Self belief does!!.

[Mr Mosquito]

you got that spot on there mate.

Steve Lansdown delegates work out to complete muppets, from the top right down to the grass roots

and in return he ends up with the stick.

Also don't forget the little things that have been done to alienate BCFC supporters by Lansdown's muppet men like not being able to hang up the yellow subber flag in Dolman G block.

[England]

So recent managers haven't brought us the success we demand but we have all thought at the beginning of each season that we were a very stong team with a good manager and should go up.

Speak for yourself pal, I criticised from day one so don't include me in your fairy land

[mozo]

What actually happened to the Lita million?

If it disappeared, where were we when we last saw it???

[Mr Mosquito]

What actually happened to the Lita million?

If it disappeared, where were we when we last saw it???

Who knows where the Lita £million has been spirited away to, other than Keith Dawe and Steve Lansdown?

[Chappers]

What actually happened to the Lita million?

If it disappeared, where were we when we last saw it???

It went to cover Club debts - Before making cheap comments, look at what the Club spent over the last 4 years backing Wilson and Tins. Look at what Pulis wasted. Look at what we spent after our last promotion. Our Managers have had significant money to spend, and we have not had the promotion to recoup it. We cannot keep spending money we don't have, nor expect the Directors to keep baling us out. And how much have our 3 Cup runs raised this season?

We should be grateful that he will still back the Manager for signings, but have to be realistic.

[old spot]

Only people who have very little brainpower think SL is bad, people on this forum who take cheap shots at him are just incognito Sags....ignore them like most of us do.

Well if he isn't bad, he certainly is not good!!

Because of the massive losses the club is making he decided to sell our best player along with a fair few others to try to cover some of the losses, and now we are currently 2nd bottom of the third division, out of all 3 cups to lower league opposition (loss of potential revenue), just sacked and paid off the manager we were to "judge him" on, appointed a new manager (the equivalent to a major player signing in cost) who is now trying to get rid of most of the squad he inherited and bring in his own players, presumably at considerable cost!!

All this while gates are at their lowest for years after allready losing 1000 season ticket holders!!

Then there is the restructuring of the company, which is yet to be explained to many peoples satisfaction!!

Then the new stand fiasco, which must have cost a large amount of money, and time, as well as forcing fans to move, increasing junior and student season ticket prices in the process, yet we have thousands of empty seats every game!!

Add this record to many other issues where the club has alienated its loyal fan base ( i won't list them all as they have all been debated to death on here), then his record as director and chairman is not great is it??

If his biggest defence is that he is bankrolling the club, then all i can say is that a club at this level, with the massive fan base (over 8000 season ticket holders last season, more than many's average gate) is losing such massive amounts of money while being so spectacularly unsuccesful, then it can not be being run very well.

At the end of the day the buck stops with the chairman, but i agree with others, that he and his fellow director need to look at whole staff structure and get to grips the mess that this club is undoubtedly in.

The unfortunate truth is that they have put the club so much in debt to them, there is no one out there that can take over!!

[NickJ]

Who knows where the Lita £million has been spirited away to, other than Keith Dawe and Steve Lansdown?

RedG, I am questioning a lot of things regarding the state of Bristol City finances at the moment, see my numerous other posts, but that comment is just plain daft.

[cider head]

Well if he isn't bad, he certainly is not good!!

Because of the massive losses the club is making he decided to sell our best player along with a fair few others to try to cover some of the losses, and now we are currently 2nd bottom of the third division, out of all 3 cups to lower league opposition (loss of potential revenue), just sacked and paid off the manager we were to "judge him" on, appointed a new manager (the equivalent to a major player signing in cost) who is now trying to get rid of most of the squad he inherited and bring in his own players, presumably at considerable cost!!

All this while gates are at their lowest for years after allready losing 1000 season ticket holders!!

Then there is the restructuring of the company, which is yet to be explained to many peoples satisfaction!!

Then the new stand fiasco, which must have cost a large amount of money, and time, as well as forcing fans to move, increasing junior and student season ticket prices in the process, yet we have thousands of empty seats every game!!

Add this record to many other issues where the club has alienated its loyal fan base ( i won't list them all as they have all been debated to death on here), then his record as director and chairman is not great is it??

If his biggest defence is that he is bankrolling the club, then all i can say is that a club at this level, with the massive fan base (over 8000 season ticket holders last season, more than many's average gate) is losing such massive amounts of money while being so spectacularly unsuccesful, then it can not be being run very well.

At the end of the day the buck stops with the chairman, but i agree with others, that he and his fellow director need to look at whole staff structure and get to grips the mess that this club is undoubtedly in.

The unfortunate truth is that they have put the club so much in debt to them, there is no one out there that can take over!!

can't argue with you there spot, as for the staff structure i agree is a mess,

we got more media spinners than those running the board room and

the football team...

as i posted elsewhere

Lansdown is surrounded by spin merchants

lansdown delegates to much, look at our who's who at city.

we got 1 chairman 1 director

1 club president

8 vice president? (more than running the football team)

1 honorary president (a cricket player)

1 chief executive

1 P/A TO chief executive

1 Financial accountant

5 people looking after the football

thats first team reserves and academy

no scouting system in place

10 jobs that are media related, more than the sodding football

team.

1 chaplin (the club will be needing him / her soon)

1 dentist

full list here http://www.bcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/WhosW...,,10327,00.html

in short we got more spin at this club that a tumble dryer.

to many fobber off's than real money decision makers and thats

where the problem gets with lansdowns own admission about richard

gould deliberately leaking the badge design.

compare us in staff to say doncasters staff they have a board room

we got a commercial media circus.

doncaster.

http://www.doncasterroversfc.premiumtv.co....,,10329,00.html

[Guest North Street]

He's put his hand in his pocket many times to fund new players and is owed a lot of money by the club which he is in no real rush to take back. We've spent far more on players than the majority if not all other league 1 clubs.

He loves the club and wants it to succeed.

Ok so he may of made a mistake in appointing Tinnion (Or not getting in an experienced coach to work with him), but regarding all our other managerial appointments, they've all had his total support and have had money to spend which the majority of clubs, even championship clubs, don't have.

So recent managers haven't brought us the success we demand but we have all thought at the beginning of each season that we were a very stong team with a good manager and should go up.

It hasn't happened, but what more do you think that Mr Lansdown could do.

Listening would be good, entering into meaningful discusion were then club justify their decisions eg Williams 500, the reduced capacity increase is now becuse you have a good view statement, the East End and the g block just to start. It would be even better if they actually liased with supporters before making decisions.

If i was an impartial observer looking in and saw where BCFC were when Steve started finacially and the position the club were in i would think???! ? As for relations with support that does not look to good either!

[swindlered]

There are few consistently good managers. Lansdown has just been unlucky in that the Tinnion appointment back-fired and the Johnson appointment looks to be going the same way. (How many times has Johnson criticised the players in public? No wonder they're incapable of winning a game. If my manager repeatedly called me useless I wouldn't bother either).

Only time will tell whether he is a good chairman or not. If we go down the club will hit a lot of financial problems as gates plummet further. As a minimum I expect we would lose the academy. At the worst we could lose the ground. I don't think SL wants to do this but he has the power to do so and that is not a good thing.

[Guest Ronmeister]

Well if he isn't bad, he certainly is not good!!

Because of the massive losses the club is making he decided to sell our best player along with a fair few others to try to cover some of the losses

Rubbish, Lita wanted to go, and SteveL did all he could to keep him here, but with Leroy wanting to leave and a £1 Million offer on the table there was little more he could do. Doherty & Coles were a major part of the "drinking culture" that is BCFC.

I can't say anything about the other parts of the post because all in all I agree. HOWEVER, I don't think that all the blame can be put on SteveL for this, as I'm not Colin's greatest fan and Steve always has Bristol City's best interests at heart and puts a lot of effort into this club each and every campaign.

[Guest pirate100]

He doesn't know what he's doing anymore. City would be better off with Dunford...lets be honest!

[Mr Mosquito]

RedG, I am questioning a lot of things regarding the state of Bristol City finances at the moment, see my numerous other posts, but that comment is just plain daft.

But why? Always back statement with valid argument based on empirical data - all of which is not to hand at the moment Not that I always do

[old spot]

Rubbish, Lita wanted to go, and SteveL did all he could to keep him here, but with Leroy wanting to leave and a £1 Million offer on the table there was little more he could do. Doherty & Coles were a major part of the "drinking culture" that is BCFC.

I disagree about the Lita situation. We would not have been in such a weak position if reading didn't already know how poor our finances were and therefore knew we could be tempted with a straight cash offer. Without the £2 million loss from last season we could have taken a risk on keeping Lita at least until january, and if we weren't doing that well and getting decent gates then put him up for sale!!

doherty and coles is fair enough, as something needed to be done about the drinking!!

I realise ballancing the books in a football club is difficult, but i do think that the chairman is maybe prepared to make a few too many gambles knowing that he can always lend the club some money to solve the short term problems. The problem is these can mount up quickly until we find ourselves in the mess we are now in!! Lita would have been less of a gamble than bringing in Stewart and Bridges as he was a proven scorer in the team!!

HOWEVER, I don't think that all the blame can be put on SteveL for this, as I'm not Colin's greatest fan and Steve always has Bristol City's best interests at heart and puts a lot of effort into this club each and every campaign.

I have to agree about colin s. I do think we maybe target the chairman for critcism more because he is the figurehead, but at the end of the day he does have a large team working for him day to day of which cs is the head.

He is extremely poor at pr with the fans, treating us with contempt, safe in the knowledge that the die hards always stick with their team no matter what.

He maybe very good at the schmoozing with business and corporate clients, but his record with alienating ordinary fans goes back to his days at GCCC, where many members despised him!!

I think Sl would be better getting rid and taking a more hands on approach, if at all possible, as there is a growing number of fans fed up with or chief executive!!

[Show Me The Money!]

Well ok, so people having been pulling apart my post at the start of this thread but nobody seems to of taken on board my other post on here stating that Steve Lansdown is willing to step down as long as someone can take the club on further.

If people want him to go, we need someone else to fill his shoes.

This is what really amazes me about this City. We are one of the 10 biggest cities in the uk and we really seem to struggle to find any big investers.

[Mr Mosquito]

II have to agree about colin s. I do think we maybe target the chairman for critcism more because he is the figurehead, but at the end of the day he does have a large team working for him day to day of which cs is the head.

He is extremely poor at pr with the fans, treating us with contempt, safe in the knowledge that the die hards always stick with their team no matter what.

He maybe very good at the schmoozing with business and corporate clients, but his record with alienating ordinary fans goes back to his days at GCCC, where many members despised him!!

I think Sl would be better getting rid and taking a more hands on approach, if at all possible, as there is a growing number of fans fed up with or chief executive!!

Indeed, my memory was jogged by a poster on the yellow subber forum that remembers us playing away to QPR circa September 2001? Iain Dowie (ex Gas) walked past the pub we were in to be greeted with jeers, Dowie responded by waving and smiling at us. Colin Sexstone, or rather 'Sextoy' as he is now known, stuck two fingers up at the BCFC away support that were cheering him.

Sextoy OUT !!!!!!

[mozo]

It went to cover Club debts - Before making cheap comments, look at what the Club spent over the last 4 years backing Wilson and Tins. Look at what Pulis wasted. Look at what we spent after our last promotion. Our Managers have had significant money to spend, and we have not had the promotion to recoup it. We cannot keep spending money we don't have, nor expect the Directors to keep baling us out. And how much have our 3 Cup runs raised this season?

We should be grateful that he will still back the Manager for signings, but have to be realistic.

The only problem with blaming the managers for mis-spending is that the Chairman and board appointed the said wasteful bosses and gave them the money to spend. Then the board lose more money by sacking managers and buying out the contract of the new boss.

At any successful club, good decision making has to be made from top to bottom. By this I mean anything from the chairman appointing a new manager to the winger choosing the best moment to whip the ball into the mixer.

All-to-often, it seems to me at least, we have seen errors of judgement made at all levels of Bristol City FC. Now we've ended up in a situation where the board, players, and fans alike do not feel valued and nobody seems to enjoy the club anymore.

Back to the point of the thread, Lansdown isn't blameless for me. Nor are the managers, nor the players.