Remembering the Ashton Eight

[brady bunch]

Red Goblin,

once again you are top value for money!! But for the first time in my life (gulp) I cannot fully agree with you on this matter.... I think bucksred and co have the morale high ground on you...

However, when my 3 lines on the Euro millions comes good later this week, I will splash a large chunk of the 120million in my back pocket on buying both the ground and the club and at that point I will ask you to be Lord protector of Aston Gate BCFC1982!!

We can then sort out a charity match with all money raised going to the 8 guys in question...

[Old Dazzler]

While we're thinking about those who did their bit for the cause in 1982, what about those who bought shares in the club at that time? The later share issue folk had a rather nice plaque in the Willims stand, but so far bog all for those who put their hands in their pocket in the dark days of 82.

And RG's right: this club is sleep walking its awy back into trouble. In 1982 the new board assured the fans that it would pay its way and that nothing like the disaster which almost befell us could happen again. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!

I am sure (as one of the shareholders who "invested" in the club at the time) that the chance was given at some stage in the 1990s to cash the shares in at double the price. This would have given me the sum of £60.

I cannot remember the reason, but it may well have been when Scott Davidson was Chairman and the club were in the process of changing its official name from BCFC (1982) back to Bristol City Football Club. What I certainly do remember was that the option of cashing in was part of a legal obligaton that the club had to fulfill in order to make the change, rather than a "goodwill gesture"!

Anyone else remember this "generous" offer?

[cider head]

s. connors & the carrott crunchers released the song (in the link below)

to help raise money for bristol city in 1982

http://www.subcider.co.uk/sub/connors%20-%...stol%20city.mp3

[22A]

As I posted elsewhere, you can see these 8 plus the rest of the then City team on Sky channel 442 between 6.00 and 7.00pm Monday 20th. They are showing highlights of three games from September 1980 and one is City v Notts Co.

[Mr Mosquito]

Red Goblin,

once again you are top value for money!! But for the first time in my life (gulp) I cannot fully agree with you on this matter.... I think bucksred and co have the morale high ground on you...

However, when my 3 lines on the Euro millions comes good later this week, I will splash a large chunk of the 120million in my back pocket on buying both the ground and the club and at that point I will ask you to be Lord protector of Aston Gate BCFC1982!!

We can then sort out a charity match with all money raised going to the 8 guys in question...

If you have won the Euro £millions then there will doubtless be many others, beside me, wanting to be Lord protector of Aston Gate BCFC1982!!

I may not occupy the moral high ground on this issue but nor do the directors that left ye olde BCFC in such a mess and owing so much money to so many people including the Ashton 8. With the directors of the old club, apparently, having such a vast personal fortune between them surely they could have honoured all the contracts without the club having to be reformed as BCFC1982 and causing so much anguish.

In the BCFC centenary videos of 1997, I understand that Geoff Merrick and Co of the Ashton 8 were even willing to take a wage decrease in order to save the club !!!! So why did the directors of the time not take this avenue to save the club and the livelyhoods of the Ashton 8?

Was the late Archie Gooch, BCFC director, able to have his shares in the old BCFC honoured in the form of shares in the new club i.e. BCFC1982?

So many questions regarding the running of BCFC prior to the collapse in 1982 that it's a can of worms that needs investigating for BCFC not to make the same mistakes again.

[bucksred]

Red Goblin,

once again you are top value for money!! But for the first time in my life (gulp) I cannot fully agree with you on this matter.... I think bucksred and co have the morale high ground on you...

However, when my 3 lines on the Euro millions comes good later this week, I will splash a large chunk of the 120million in my back pocket on buying both the ground and the club and at that point I will ask you to be Lord protector of Aston Gate BCFC1982!!

We can then sort out a charity match with all money raised going to the 8 guys in question...

Blimey, me and moral high ground!!! ck me, THATS a first, but thank y'all, me dear old mum would be gobsmacked at that!!

[M_Porter]

We as a Supporters Trust aren't in it for the politics we are organising this event in recognition of the 8. Its not a greenun's band wagon. If you don't believe in the recognition is due to the 8 thats fair enough, however i believe the majority of City fans recognise the 8 as saviours of OUR football club.

And how much is this going to cost the trust?

I see talk about newsletters etc that all costs money....

I have no feeling eitherway regarding this topic but would like answer to my question

mark

[Jay]

And how much is this going to cost the trust?

A big fat ZERO. The newsletter & the A8 event looks to be covered by sponsorship & advertising alone. The last newsletter was produced without the Trust losing a penny and we intend to do the same again this time. Many of those that offered sponsorship last time are willing to do so again (especially with the A8 event as it will be high profile & emotive).

If anyone reading this thread would like to know more about how to advertise/sponsor the Trust newsletter &/or the A8 event, please drop me a PM.

[M_Porter]

A big fat ZERO. The newsletter & the A8 event looks to be covered by sponsorship & advertising alone. The last newsletter was produced without the Trust losing a penny and we intend to do the same again this time. Many of those that offered sponsorship last time are willing to do so again (especially with the A8 event as it will be high profile & emotive).

Well thats great then, i hope it all goes well and the event is good one

mark

[Jay]

Well thats great then, i hope it all goes well and the event is good one

Thanks. Tickets & booking forms will be available soon

[Avonmouth Docker]

.... I think bucksred and co have the morale high ground on you...

Where i have respect for the "Ashton Gate 8", i can't help but think about the long demise of City from the previous 3 seasons, where players on long contracts just went through the motions, week in, week out, not really paying for the best of their ability!.

We can all look back with "hindsight", and maybe if the structure at the Gate was different, then maybe we wouldn't of gone into liquidation, and the threat of going out f the football league?.

I wouldn't praise them up as "hero's", as they could of helped the club long before, by playing decent football and winning points, instead of putting City on the slippery slope of going from the old First Division to the Fourth in consecutive seasons!!.

By all means, lets remember those dark day's of 1982, but remember things could of been, oh, so different, IF those players had played with their hearts, and not their wallets!!.

And IF anything, id rather remember the rebuilding of Bristol City, post 1982, with the great Terry Cooper, who built up a great side out of peanuts!!.

That's my personal outlook on this event, and not a political view in site!!,

s. connors & the carrott crunchers released the song (in the link below)

to help raise money for bristol city in 1982

Remember it well!!, although long lost in the mist's of time!!,

Still got my save Bristol City button badge!!,

[Old Dazzler]

Where i have respect for the "Ashton Gate 8", i can't help but think about the long demise of City from the previous 3 seasons, where players on long contracts just went through the motions, week in, week out, not really paying for the best of their ability!.

We can all look back with "hindsight", and maybe if the structure at the Gate was different, then maybe we wouldn't of gone into liquidation, and the threat of going out f the football league?.

I wouldn't praise them up as "hero's", as they could of helped the club long before, by playing decent football and winning points, instead of putting City on the slippery slope of going from the old First Division to the Fourth in consecutive seasons!!.

By all means, lets remember those dark day's of 1982, but remember things could of been, oh, so different, IF those players had played with their hearts, and not their wallets!!.

And IF anything, id rather remember the rebuilding of Bristol City, post 1982, with the great Terry Cooper, who built up a great side out of peanuts!!.

You are absolutely right. 6 of the players were members of the first team for all or most of our 4 seasons in the top flight and were no doubt on very good money. The fact that these 6 helped get us relegated twice and were heading for the basement begs some difficult questions that were never really addressed at the time, as the focus was more on saving the club rather than performance on the pitch.

The fact is that the ashton 8 were bleeding the club dry and producing performances that they should have been ashamed of on the pitch. I know that we often say this about managers and players these days, that in any profession other than football they would be sacked. I certainly don't think that the way these so-called "heroes" performed would have been tolerated today, I think that they "got away with it" because they were a part of Bristol City folklore by having helped deliver and maintain top flight football for a few seasons.

It galls me that the Geoff Merrick is often critical of the what he saw as the players getting a raw deal, but in truth they got there just desserts. Aitken and Marshall were less guilty, having joined whilst we were in Div 2 and were never much good anyway. The truth is that any players that were worth any money ie Gow, Ritchie, Whitehead, Mabbut, Fitzpatrick, had been sold along the way, and any saleable players at the time of the crisis ie Mick Harford and Jan Moller had to be sold there and then. What we were left with were has- beens that were not worth anything and no other club wanted. We were lumbered with them and they were killing the club.

Ashton 8 heroes? Take a reality check!

[Mr Mosquito]

You are absolutely right. 6 of the players were members of the first team for all or most of our 4 seasons in the top flight and were no doubt on very good money. The fact that these 6 helped get us relegated twice and were heading for the basement begs some difficult questions that were never really addressed at the time, as the focus was more on saving the club rather than performance on the pitch.

The fact is that the ashton 8 were bleeding the club dry and producing performances that they should have been ashamed of on the pitch. I know that we often say this about managers and players these days, that in any profession other than football they would be sacked. I certainly don't think that the way these so-called "heroes" performed would have been tolerated today, I think that they "got away with it" because they were a part of Bristol City folklore by having helped deliver and maintain top flight football for a few seasons.

It galls me that the Geoff Merrick is often critical of the what he saw as the players getting a raw deal, but in truth they got there just desserts. Aitken and Marshall were less guilty, having joined whilst we were in Div 2 and were never much good anyway. The truth is that any players that were worth any money ie Gow, Ritchie, Whitehead, Mabbut, Fitzpatrick, had been sold along the way, and any saleable players at the time of the crisis ie Mick Harford and Jan Moller had to be sold there and then. What we were left with were has- beens that were not worth anything and no other club wanted. We were lumbered with them and they were killing the club.

Ashton 8 heroes? Take a reality check!

Old Dazzler and Duke of Gloucester, you both saw the situation as I did and I followed the City - my beloved home town club - from top flight to Division 4 in successive seasons and it hurt. I've got every respect for former top flight players such as Tom Ritchie who returned to play for us during our darkest days in Div 4 - I even remember him scoring a goal to help us - as a Div 4 club - knock the then haughty and smirking Div 3 Gas out of the FA Cup 1-2 at Eastville. Then Gerry Sweeney of the 'Ashton 8' also showed his love for BCFC by successfully caretaker managing BCFC between the reign of Joe Jordan and John Ward.

[Avonmouth Docker]

Ashton 8 heroes?

Take a reality check!

This is often the case on this Forum, where a lot of posters see life through rose tinted spectacles!!.

Let's remember the Ashton Gate 8, but let's remember them for all the right reasons!!.

Ever since our free-fall from the old First Division, there have been a great deal of "if", "what's" and "maybe's".

IMHO, and remember, this is my own personal view, opinion, point, the REAL HERO'S are those Board Member's, Manager's, Player's and Supporter's who gave their all, when City rose from the ashes of greed like a Phoenix!!. And turned the Club around.

[cockney dave]

WHY DIDN'T THE ASHTON EIGHT NEGOTIATE NEW CONTRACTS?SURELY THEY COULD HAVE ACCEPTED SOME SORT OF CONTRACT,WITH THE PROMISE OF WHEN THINGS PICKED UP AS THEY ALWAYS DO THEY WOULD BE LOOKED AFTER WITH ENHANCED CONTRACTS.OR HAVE I MISSED SOMETHING SOMEWHERE?

[RedTop]

Frankly I am gobsmacked by some of the responses on this thread. It horrifies me how negatively and cynically some people seem to view everything at our club. It seems anything can be twisted to fit the purpose of criticising anything to do with BCFC, even former players.

These 8 guys were not gods. They were not perfect. They were human. Doubtless they were self-interested and not entirely altruistic at every point in their lives. Who among us can cast the first stone in criticising that? But what is important is that this club - our club - would not exists without the gesture these eight individuals made at this crucial point. They did not have to tear their contracts up. Ask yourselves how many footballers these days would be prepared to make themselves unemployed so that a club could stay afloat? There are plenty who would hide behind their agents, aides etc and insist on payment despite earning millions. In fact, you only have to look at Farepak and how customers were left shafted for this coming Christmas to see how some shameless individuals will not give a stuff about the 'man in the street' and will do anything to make sure they get their cut.

So let's cut the Ashton Gate Eight a bit of slack instead of mahhering them, and remember something they did that demonstrates the good side of human nature.

I agree there were other heroes. I too watched us sink through four divisions in four desperate seasons, and the work of the likes of Terry Cooper did to turn things around at the grimmest moments and bring back the smiles deserves recognition.

But for now, let us pay some thanks and give some credit to eight people who made a financial sacrifice they were not obliged to make, a sacrifice that no doubt hit their families as well as themselves, for the greater good. There are so many people who come on here complaininng that players never think about anything other than themselves, that they don't give a stuff about the badge they wear or the fans that follow them. Well this is one occasion when these eight proved they DID care about the bigger picture.

They deserve recognition from the club and from us, the fans, but frankly when they see how much whinging City fans do these days some of them must wonder why the hell they bothered.

[Old Dazzler]

WHY DIDN'T THE ASHTON EIGHT NEGOTIATE NEW CONTRACTS?SURELY THEY COULD HAVE ACCEPTED SOME SORT OF CONTRACT,WITH THE PROMISE OF WHEN THINGS PICKED UP AS THEY ALWAYS DO THEY WOULD BE LOOKED AFTER WITH ENHANCED CONTRACTS.OR HAVE I MISSED SOMETHING SOMEWHERE?

That is a leading question that I will try to answer and also pose a few of my own.

To answer your question, the accountants trying to save the club saw the fat contracts of some of the players and the return in terms of performance as simply not sustainable given that they were in a desperate relegation battle at the bottom of the old Div 3. What the money men were saying is that the players selected had to go as they were the highest paid players on the longest contracts. Sorry, thats what the media men reported, but thats not strictly true. The 8 players selected for the chop were basically going to be removed from the payroll because they were the worst players amongst the senior pros.

They could not renegotiate their contracts because the club did not want them. Before they left every club in the country was aware of their plight and could have snapped any of these players up on a free transfer - this did not happen to any of the players. Some did find short term deals at clubs after the sackings, rest assured that this would have been at a fraction of the salary they were on at the gate..

To come back to my point about the top earners not all being selected, does anyone remember the reason for Peter Aitken and Julian Marshall being on the hit list - the other six had all played for City for a long time, had played throught the four seasons in the top flight and were no doubt on good money - Div 1 money. Marshall had been signed on a free from Hereford when they were 92nd in the league, and Aitken was a journeyman who has played for the gas and a few other non-descript clubs - hardly big time Charlie's in the world of football finance. But it suited the club to lose them at that time.

OK, Jan Moller and Mick Harford had to be sold , but what about Terry Boyle - he was a Welsh International, had played at a higher level with Crystal Palace and one would assume that his wages would have been viewed by the accountants as being prohibitive, but no he stayed with club. Why? Because he was a fine player and the club accountants were already planning for the future under BCFC (1982).

For the same reason, goalkeeper John Shaw was retained. Again why? He was surely on basically the same as Sweeney, Tainton etc having been our main stopper for the 4 seasons in the top flight. If not he must have been earning far more than Julian Marshall. Why wasn't he one of the Ashton 9? Simple - the club were resigned to losing Jan Moller and although the club could get by with a few youngsters and the likes of Boyle, Paul Stevens, Russell Musker and Ricky Chandler in the outfield, we couldn't get rid of our one experienced goalkeeper.

In other words the club had to re-finance as it had gone into receivership but it had a plan that it was going to push through and had to be ruthless. The Ashton 8 had no choice anyway - after all, who was going to pay their wages if the club had folded??

In other words it was a fait accompli - a 3 point plan 1) Forming a new company to buy Ashton Gate from the old company 2) A share issue to get gullible fans (like me) to part with their cash to finance the new company and 3) Release the eight poorest value-for-money players from their contracts so that the new manager (Terry Cooper) would be able to build a new team without the burden of the absurd wage structure.

And as a footnote, the club sacked manager Roy Hodgson after all this - whatever happened to him?

[swampy]

At the time, we all believed that Thatcher was the Anti-Christ. Short-term that was true. But look at her supply side policies - weakening unions, cutting real benefits, increasing training expenditure, less red tape, fiscal incentives - since when, unparalled growth without inflation. This new economic paradigm has transformed the UK economy. Better than the Bliar Witch project?