Supporters Trust pull it off yet again

[NickJ]

There is already a thread about last night's anniversary dinner, but from somebody not there, so let me just say that, yesterday evening, the Supporters Trust yet again excelled themselves. Its just a handful of guys (and gals) working entirely voluntarily for the love of our club. They would have put a phenomenal amount of work into arranging yesterdays event.

Thanks to all of you.

I actually found it a tad emotional when the Ashton Eight were all announced as they came in, and one or two of them clearly were too.

A highlight for me was speaking to a few of them, and some interesting comments they made.

Sir Geoffrey Merrick told me that he did not regret staying at City when Arsenal made the offer for him and Tom Ritchie, because it would have meant that he would not have captained Bristol City to the first division. On the other hand, when I asked him how he felt playing out of position to accomodate Norman Hunter's introduction to the team, he did admit that he was tempted by a number of offers, one of which being to go to Wolves as captain.

Gerry Sweeney told me that he really did mean that lobbed goal against Peter Shilton and Nottingham Forest, it wasn't a cross - I was stood in the old Park End that evening, and remember thinking it looked like a cross, but if Gerry says it was deliberate, that's good enough for me. His pride in playing almost 500 games for Bristol City also came through quite strongly. He mentioned that in those days, there was a core of Bristolian players complemented by a number of Scots who had come to regard Bristol as their home, and that was definitely a factor in the success at that time.

Chris Garland owned up to not doing a lot in that famous game at home to Liverpool, the one before the even more famous Coventry game - apart from scoring the goals that kept us up that is!

David Rogers made a very impressive speech, and Sir Geoffrey made a very impassioned one, he clearly was angered by the way in which the directors at that time handled certain things.

All in all, a top night.

PS - anyone from the ST - I had a cheque for my table last night, but forgot to give it to anybody, please PM me with an address of where I can send it.

[Dollymarie]

Thanks Nick, it was a great night. Am still trying to recover, and was still there (along with several others) at half 12 this morning.

All the hard work and effort that went in was worth it, plus I hope a few more people got to see what having a Supporters Trust can do. Last nights event wouldnt have happened if it hadnt been for the Supporters Trust, and I'm not trying to big ourselves up here, just stating the facts that for some months now a handful of us City fans have been working bloody hard to make last night happen. The thankyou to the AG8 was long overdue, which was why we felt we had to do something. I was only 3 back in 1982, but being a City fan I have grown up knowing how important what they did was to the club we have today.

I also hope that last nights event will encourage more people to Join the Trust, and get involved in making events like last night happen.

Thanks to the club for providing us with the Dolman hall, the bar facilities and the security blokes, the bulk of thanks however has to go to the Supporters Trust, who organised all that happened last night.

And finally thanks to all of the 8 for attending, without them our club wouldnt be here today, and without them last night wouldnt have been the success it was.

We have raised enough money for the commemorative plaque in recognition of the Ashton Gate 8.

[blackthorn slice]

Thanks Nick, it was a great night. Am still trying to recover, and was still there (along with several others) at half 12 this morning.

All the hard work and effort that went in was worth it, plus I hope a few more people got to see what having a Supporters Trust can do. Last nights event wouldnt have happened if it hadnt been for the Supporters Trust, and I'm not trying to big ourselves up here, just stating the facts that for some months now a handful of us City fans have been working bloody hard to make last night happen. The thankyou to the AG8 was long overdue, which was why we felt we had to do something. I was only 3 back in 1982, but being a City fan I have grown up knowing how important what they did was to the club we have today.

I also hope that last nights event will encourage more people to Join the Trust, and get involved in making events like last night happen.

Thanks to the club for providing us with the Dolman hall, the bar facilities and the security blokes, the bulk of thanks however has to go to the Supporters Trust, who organised all that happened last night. to all involved i like to say thanks for a cracking night.

And finally thanks to all of the 8 for attending, without them our club wouldnt be here today, and without them last night wouldnt have been the success it was.

We have raised enough money for the commemorative plaque in recognition of the Ashton Gate 8.

[RedLionLad]

Thanks Nick, it was a great night. Am still trying to recover, and was still there (along with several others) at half 12 this morning.

All the hard work and effort that went in was worth it, plus I hope a few more people got to see what having a Supporters Trust can do. Last nights event wouldnt have happened if it hadnt been for the Supporters Trust, and I'm not trying to big ourselves up here, just stating the facts that for some months now a handful of us City fans have been working bloody hard to make last night happen. The thankyou to the AG8 was long overdue, which was why we felt we had to do something. I was only 3 back in 1982, but being a City fan I have grown up knowing how important what they did was to the club we have today.

I also hope that last nights event will encourage more people to Join the Trust, and get involved in making events like last night happen.

Thanks to the club for providing us with the Dolman hall, the bar facilities and the security blokes, the bulk of thanks however has to go to the Supporters Trust, who organised all that happened last night.

And finally thanks to all of the 8 for attending, without them our club wouldnt be here today, and without them last night wouldnt have been the success it was.

We have raised enough money for the commemorative plaque in recognition of the Ashton Gate 8.

Well done to everyone who played a part in making this happen.

3 cheers to ALL of you

[The Fat Controller]

Congratulations on a great event to all involved at the ST.

Well done.

[EmersonsKev]

Was a fantastic and emotional evening at times i found myself with tears in my eyes. Food for Ashton Gate was suprisingly very good and company 2nd to none. It was nice to say thanks to the eight for giving me and thousands of others a football club to support.

People who can only moan and whinge about City should look at themselves and think that if it wasn't the genoristy of a few we wouldn't have a football club. So losing a match becomes insignificant in the grand scale of things.

Big Thanks for the ST's hard work for getting this organised. The ST is starting to make a name for putting on fantastic shows for fans.

[Drew Peacock]

Perhaps they can do something about getting Ashton Road shut to traffic for half an hour after the game

[BristolCity1992]

don't know if it has been said I am sure you all know anyway but saw that Soccer Saturday did a ten minute piece on it and was some great publicity for us, well done to you all.

[Dan Of The Dolman]

I'm glad that there will be a plaque made and that there will be something that can be kept to commerate what these 8 legends have done for the lub, without what they did I wouldn't of had a football club to support it sounds like.

[WhistleHappy]

When you think for the AG 8 its 25 years on - This PLAQUE is well deserved and LONG OVERDUE.

The Supporters TRUST have managed to do such a lot in less than 18 months (Well Done To All Of You) for proving that where theres a will -theres a way.

Makes you wonder why the Supporters CLUB havent managed (or been interested) to do anything - & theyve had a 1/4 of a Century !

Ok they raise some bar take money for the Club.. big bloody deal.. - why havent they insisted that the Club spend a little of that cash on recognising 'the eight' ?

In two & a half decades it wouldnt have hurt one of the business orientated people within the actual football club itself to have shown a bit of heart & done something off its own back.... (no doubt someone somewhere within BCFC has tried -but probably failed to secure a 'Sponsor' to pay for it! ....... - footballs still a 'people' business as well as a 'money' one... sometimes Clubs would do well to remember that!

Well Done Again to the Bristol City SUPPORTERS TRUST... -for showing that this Club through its supporters still has a human heart within it..

Imagine what can be achieved in the next 18 YEARS when you think how far the ST has come in under 18 MONTHS... more power to you!

[Jay]

[cider head]

yep, top night, hats off to everyone.

[Dolman Block B]

[Jay]

Brilliantly put Jay, and with a hint of "pride" may i say..long may it continue mate

Some photos now online.

Link to AG8 dinner pictures

If anyone else has any pictures from the AG8 event and would be willing to share them with the Trust, please drop me a PM or e-mail them to me: jay@bristolcityst.org.uk

Many thanks.

[icamanicity]

Someone should be documenting all this, and plotting a book for future launch, in a year or two, about a success story in the making, could be worth some money to the supporters trust and the club, just a thought..