Promotion With A "good To Average" Team

[bs3]

Do you mean Andy Llewellyn? You could be right I think he was an apprentice with us

No No It was Chris Honor I was thinking of.

Andy Lou first played for City in the dark days of 82, he was one of the Bristol Babes

[bristolcitysweden]

maybe speaking a bit prematurely, but when you compare the side who got promoted a few years back to that of this seasons, i think our team is just an average side who grinded out a load of results. I aint going to moan, football is all about winning. However, we do need to improve the squad.

97/98

Welch - not the best but good enough

Locke - solid wing back

Carey - good young player, learned from the best

Taylor - my favourite player, captain fantastic

Bell - one of our best players, years of loyal service

Goodridge - entertaining and brilliant but fazed out in old division one

Doherty - young tiger who wasn't afraid to put his foot in

Edwards - experienced, versatile welsh international

Tinnion - best passer outside premiership

Cramb - scored goals and linked up well with whoever he played with

Goater - top goalscorer who went onto great things.

and their teamwork was excellent as well, they hustled the oppostion, scored loads of goals and played lots of entertaining football, and our attendences were higher back then.

Fast forward to 2007 - we have a good team,

a goalkeeper who makes the odd mistake, but then again, who doesn't. Also made some vital saves in recent weeks.

A defence who is just as good as the last promotion era. Carey is on the form of his life, and McCombe is ace. Mcallister and Orr are brilliant full backs.

Midfield is a problem for me, we don't have a tackling midfielder, when we have the ball, we're great. The 3 man central midfield with Johnson jnr, Russell and Noble is great when we have the ball, but i can't see how effective we can be in a higher division when the opposition will hold the ball more often, and with Murray who aint getting younger, and Wilson & Betsy are hopeless, our wingers just aint good enough.

Forwards, no contest, Goater and Cramb were much better than what we have now.

This seasons team has shown a great attitude when it came to grit, determination, teamwork, defensive unit. But in 1998, we were already promoted with many games left to play and we had all those qualities plus we scored loads of goals from all the players.

One final point is that i think Gary Johnson is a slightly better manager than John Ward, considering where we were when he joined us.

I don't mean to sound so negative, but it's just the way i've seen the league so far. And i think we simply have to improve the squad if we're going to stay up next year (if we do go up)

thoughts??

The team that won promotion in 1998 was hardly a football team. More a bunch of professional golfers playing football to get income for partying. When Benny took over it was obvious that the players were not properly trained. The preseason training had to start all over again. Some of the players then had complaints about training to times a day as it would affect their golf. Some players even throw up at trainingsessions having been out in Birmingham partying. I think the current team has a much better chance to stay up should we get similiar signings as Thorpe and Akinbuyi. Remember Benny once discribing Locke as descent player but lively as a container : )

[bristolcitysweden]

Was the current Englands manager in our team that day?

Who was the young Bristol lad who was in the team, he went on to play in Scotland, I always saw him in Papillions night club , what was is name?

Chris Honour?

[WTFiGO!?!]

When Benny took over it was obvious that the players were not properly trained. The preseason training had to start all over again. Some of the players then had complaints about training to times a day as it would affect their golf. Some players even throw up at trainingsessions having been out in Birmingham partying.

Now you mention it, I know a Club accountant who claimed some of the player's of 98/9 were spitting paperballs through empty biro tubes at Benny, such was their disrespect. Just a rumour mind.

I think the current team has a much better chance to stay up should we get similiar signings as Thorpe and Akinbuyi. Remember Benny once discribing Locke as descent player but lively as a container : )

I think in GJ, this solid squad and I'm humbled in saying the current board compared to some of the thing's which were going on back then; we're in with a far better chance of making inroad's if, if: ............

SL has always said he will cough up when required, let's hope GJ can prove some of the doubter's wrong concerning attacking player transfers, not a brilliant track record as it stands.

Let's hope also that SL, KD and CS will start to/continue to listen to some of The People as they object to the emphasis on the coperate vision of the future at the cost of traditionalistic City.

[ukneil]

Just a small observation - if the 2006-2007 team replicates the 1997-1998 team's record of W25 D10 L11, we'll be up...

[East Yorkshire CideRed]

I'd forgoten about Sinclair I could've sworn Waugh was still there. I'm pretty sure it was Leaning seem to remember chasing him across the pitch at full time, all a bit hazey, but thanks for the info

Pretty sure it was Sinclair in goal.

I was forced to miss that match. One of my mates in school the next week told me on the final whistle a load of City fans had deliriously mobbed him and were chanting "Ronnie's got a pencil, Ronnie's got a pencil."

Unless I'm mis-remembering all of this?

[formerly known as ivan]

Bell / Fontaine = Bell

Carey (then) / Carey (now) = Carey (now)

Taylor / Orr = Taylor

Locke / McCombe = McCombe

sorry, don't agree with how you have compared the defence. firstly, mcallister is our first choice left back so you would have to compare bell with him.

and secondly, how can you compare shaun taylor with bradley orr and adam locke with jamie mccombe??? surely you would have to compare fullback with fullback and centre back with centre back?

[Ian M]

97/98 promotion year was similarly built on a strong defence and we are on course to score MORE goals in this season than we did then!

Roll on the final 3 games then if we're on course to score 13+ goals in them!

[Old Dazzler]

Pretty sure it was Sinclair in goal.

I was forced to miss that match. One of my mates in school the next week told me on the final whistle a load of City fans had deliriously mobbed him and were chanting "Ronnie's got a pencil, Ronnie's got a pencil."

Unless I'm mis-remembering all of this?

I'm not sure about who was in goal but I seem to remeber Junior Bent and Nicky Morgan coming on as subs.

[Dolman_Stand]

My comparisons, based on GJ's strongest team, with the 97/98 team would be;

GK Basso/Welch = Basso (Fantastic entertainment & shotstopper)

RB Orr/Locke = Orr (Plays with awesome passion)

LB McAllister/Bell = Bell (Althogh Jamie os our best plaer currently and may well prove me wrong)

CB Carey/Carey = Carey (Better now due to leadership qualities)

CB McCombe/Taylor = Taylor (Just!!!)

RW Murray/Willson/Goodridge = Murray (Always a threat)

LW Tinnion/Showunmi/Betsy/JMW = Tinnion (Obviously!!)

CM Skuse/Doherty = Doherty (Much better winner of the ball although CS is a good passer)

CM Johnson/Noble/Edwards = Johnson (Energy and passing ability Premiership class)

CF Brooker/Showunmi/Goater = Goater (Easy choice due to Brookers injuries)

CF Jevons/Smith/Cramb = Cramb (Provided mix of finishing and hardwork)

Abotu 50/50 then!!

[dezgimed]

Smith and Enoch no chance - bottom division journey men.

PJ - not sure.

Brooker not sure even when fit.

What an absolute joke..

You're pretty much putting Brooker and Jevons in the same boat.

Brooker, fit and on form is probably the 2nd or 3rd best forward in this division.

How quickly people forget how awsome he has been for us the last 3 years.