cidered abroad

Reference the old programme for an FA Cup circa 1953;or 54.

Both clubs then had to change shirts if normal colour clashed. As both clubs wore white shirts as second shirts, they tossed a coin. Rotherham won and wore white shirts.

City borrowed a set from Rovers so wore blue and white quarters. City from Third South lost to Second Division Rotherham.

I'm unable to add any more 4 goals but here's one on a slightly different slant.

In 1963 against Southend two City players, Barry Meyer and Bobby Williams, scored a hat trick each in the first half at the Covered End. Result was a 6-3 win so no City goals in the second half.

Personally, I would prefer that Kalas leaves on the summer. I prefer now that we recruit younger and hungrier centre backs.

The major reason is that Kalas is or was a very good defender but his big problem for me is that he doesn't lead but tries to deal himself with every opposition attack. It must be very difficult for the other defenders to know if they should be going for the ball when such a colleague wants to do everyone else's job.

We are building a squad and team that will hopefully be successful due to teamwork.

4-0 now

Birmingham are 3-0 up in the first 15 minutes at Palace.

3 hours ago, Silvio Dante said:

Today was the last away game I’ve planned to attend this season. My record in the five games attended has been…

Watford - lost 2-0

Cardiff - lost 2-0

Birmingham - lost 3-0

Luton - lost 1-0

Reading - lost 2-0

So, played 5, lost 5, no goals scored, 10 conceded.

Anyone have a worse record in their time watching City?

Please stay at home!

My opinion is that we have varying weaknesses in the squad and as we are possibly only half way through the rebuild from the dark days before Pearson arrived.

Thus it's difficult to judge the quality of most of our squad. Goalkeeper is a prime position and Max has done quite well so far. One can say the same for several others. One of the defenders, Zak Vyner, has done much better this season than anyone thought possible.

Others like Pring have done well. But unless we can fit each of our less experienced players into a team that is perfect, it will be impossible to give definitive opinions as to the quality of each player on our squad. Yet a team is the sum of the parts of it.

I note that Vyner may not yet have been offered a new contract; is Max in the same position? If  so does this tell us that NP has doubts about them ? He has various positions that need new blood before goalkeeper and right centre back are considered. He may think that those like Max, Vyner and others will be able to improve alongside better newcomers and so gives them a chance mainly because we can not change every squad member in one transfer window. As we build, we'll find out who isn't going to to make it with us.

12 hours ago, BCFCOFSWEDEN said:

If we want to come to Premier League or at least the Play offs next year, we cant have Vyner in the starting eleven.

I know some of you hates me for saying this but its the truth.

I also know that he has made his best season ever, but…….

One I have followed since 2015 in under 23's.

Every sane City fan and Pearson would agree that he's had a very good season. Much as I agree, I have some doubts that he will be able to significantly improve again next season. With Kalas possibly going, an injured Atkinson, who is also still quite inexperienced at this level, I don't want to see Naismith at centre back.

Therefore I believe we will bring in at least two centre backs and maybe two full backs, right and left.

And probably a more consistent, solid midfielder to replace Williams and/or Scott.

1 hour ago, Sir Leigh of Somerset said:

Alec 'no prisoners' Briggs (left back).

I think he is the only right footed left back that I've seen at City. Maybe one or two for a game or two, but Alex did it for five years after Thresher retired from kicking Mike Somerville and Stan Matthews.

Brilliant and nostalgic thread.

4 hours ago, RoystonFoote'snephew said:

Although I never saw him play Ernie 'Ginger' Peacock was the hardest player most of my uncles generation could remember.

Having said that though I recall a programme back in the 70s or 80s where players were asked for the hardest man they ever faced. While Harris, Bremner, Hunter and Souness all got several mentions Mike Summerbee said Mike Thresher. In one of his first games as a young winger for Swindon he came across City's Thresher and said in the first 5 minutes he'd been put in the stand 3 times. 

In my day while the usual suspects, including Gerry Gow, have been mentioned I'd like to add Gordon 'Crunch' Low to the list. 

Oh yes,yes,yes for both the Threshing machine and Denis Law's best man at his wedding.

4 hours ago, Red hot poker said:

Top hard men got to be Norman Hunter  & Gerry Gow   Though Forbes philipson Masters & Gerry Harrison weren’t shrinking violets 

As I'm so old, I will add to those two by nominating Ernest "Ginger" Peacock. 

A Bristolian and even harder than nails as a defender or midfield! What a midfield three in a modern 4-3-3.

6 hours ago, archie andrews said:

Dave martin.... 

A head case!

1 hour ago, Stockwood gate said:

I got a bad record this year , Birmingham away 0-3, Huddersfield 0-0 , Cardiff 0-2 and to Watford Saturday not holding much hope

Stay at home!

1 hour ago, REDOXO said:

Pearson said that Andy King could one day manage the club. I’ll be amazed if he leaves, it’s just about a job that suits all party’s

I haven't heard that. I've been thinking along the lines of Euell being NP successor. But Andy King is clearly one who is making the transition from full time player to management/coaching at a sensible pace.

As for the rest of the comments, this thread has been, so far, a very sensible set of comments.

I know NP has said the group of forwards are OK but if a quick, tall striker became available at our pay rates, another one would not surprise me.

At back four and midfield, I can't add any more to what others have said. So am interesting few months to come this summer.

Why did they end up non League a few years ago? I seem to remember that it was for financial irregularities.

Anyone know?

I just looked it up. 30points deducted for financial irregularities. 30 points so it must have been very serious.

Once a thief, always a thief in my opinion. So once a cheat, always a cheat!

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

When we finally reach the Prem you can be sure that p.p. will end. 

If we stay up, we will benefit. Even a season ending in relegation would be a big financial benefit for us assuming that we didn't do as Forest did last summer. If we keep most of the players who took us up and integrate a couple or three that would stay on even if we came back at end of first season.

If we are sensible financially, it will be good for us

52 minutes ago, fisherrich said:

Went to Chelsea v Leeds at the Bridge a few weeks ago. Lively day out in London.
If you think City fans moan, you want to hear Chelsea fans moaning about Potter and the team.
On a different level! Great ground Stamford Bridge and fans close to the pitch. Hope City play there some day.

We have never in our history won a league match at Stamford Bridge.

But then, it's the same for Chelsea at Ashton Gate.

2 hours ago, handsofclay said:

I vividly recall walking out of the ground after Joe Royle's four goal debut in 1977 and hearing two blokes in front of me berating him for missing what they considered a sitter. It wasn't a little moan but a full on moan about it. I was a teenager at the time and these blokes were in their forties so I would guess and say that they are no longer with us...although it seems their descendants are.

I could understand it slightly if the game finished 4-4 but it was a comprehensive 4-1 victory. I thought every City fan would be ecstatically happy, like I was. So I learned from a very early age that there are always some miserable sods around and that they derive their brand of happiness from finding faults to have a good moan about.

I bumped into Royle on the way into the Gate when we played Wigan about four years ago. He was surprised that I thought his best ever game at Ashton Gate was in a League Cup tie . Everton slaughtered City 5-0 and he was brilliant leading the Everton attack. I was also there for his four v Boro.

Morons like that get their reverse enjoyment by moaning at everything. If City performed brilliantly in every match and walked away with the league every year, they would still find something to criticise. They

slag because that's how they get their kicks in life.

I bet that they go berserk at the doctor's or A&E if their broken finger nail isn't considered as life threatening!

You need to laugh at them to shut them up.

16 minutes ago, fanjita said:

Give him 10 mins against QPR so him and the crowd can say their goodbyes. 

Make it the Burnley match so we can all show our gratitude.

9 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

From a purely statistical point of view it looks like a bang average season, and in many ways it has been - mid table is mid table at the end of the day. But it's the direction of travel and the emergence of an exciting young team rooted in the academy, playing very good football, that has elevated this season beyond the statistics I think. Plus of course an enjoyable cup run culminating in a high profile game against Manchester City, where we gave a great account of ourselves. Massive summer coming up - working on the assumption that Scott goes, I'm excited to see how much of that money is reinvested in the team, and who we buy.

For me the biggest negative has been the massive downgrade on our kit supplier that has made us look cheap at a time when everything else about the club feels like it's on the up.

Thanks @ChippenhamRed for writing my thoughts. 

This is the first time for many years, apart from Cotts time here, that we are a real football club again. The impact that Pearson,Tinnion and Gould have had is so welcomed after the shambles of the previous four / five years. The fact that we have been giving the Academy boys, a chance at league level in OUR FIRST TEAM RATHER THAN A LOAN AT SOME FOURTH DIVISION OR NATIONAL LEAGUE, where that were getting sub appearances and nothing in our first team.

We haven't won any trophies this season but all players and coaches have shown us that we can win matches without spending thousands of £ on transfer fees and wekkly wages. And without having forty five players in the first team squad.

I remember seeing his father playing for Liverpool when they were in Second Division. Geoff wasn't the greatest footballer to earn a living but he was a good, honest defender back in the days when defenders could dish it out and take it back.

He has been a superb sports reporter especially of football and he will be missed by supporters of all the West Country clubs. Wishing him a healthy and enjoyable retirement. He'll soon realise that he'll never have enough time to do everything he wants from retirement.

Downsey doesn't have any empathy with both football and rugby. He's just spouting what is written on his sheet of paper.

Personally, I don't like the "boxing match screamers" as football and rugby announcers are there to relay facts to spectators. My favourite one is the Liverpool guy. No screaming, shouting, just information that can be heard and understood by the crowd.

The players and fans are there to create atmosphere, not some idiot with a microphone.

PS. Radio Bris commentators were in doubt initially who actually scored. Does it matter who had the last touch. It's a goal for our City!

I couldn't go today but listened to Radio Bristol.

What a cracker of a game and we have just showed our supporters and all the other Championship teams that next season they will need to be on top form to contain us.

And a word about Boro who contributed to a superb match.

Worst memory. The terrible foul on Gerry Sharpe that finished his career. The culprit not even booked. Wish I could remember his name the dirty sod! Just remembered Eric McMordie.

Best memorty. Obviously the match result Joe Royle FC 4-0 Middlesbrough FC.

1 hour ago, Kid in the Riot said:

Could be subconscious bias, or something more sinister. Who knows.

The Negreira case in Spain is pretty remarkable; Barca paying millions of euros to a referee for "consultancy". Not saying that's what's going on in England, but it's extraordinary it happened at all and has been uncovered.

Some of the decisions or indecisions that have crept into the game in the last ten years have puzzled me. I grew up when players could always try to cheat but there appeared to be a basic honesty among players and referees. A mistake wasn't a signal to bully a ref, more likely a quiet word when next passing the ref and a reply along the lines "I might have got it wrong but how many mistakes have you made?" Now any possible error by an official is likely to produce more agro from the players and managing staff than is happening in Ukraine.

But when one considers the number of serious errors consistently made by a refereeing team of four, there is something that needs to be corrected. I don't like events being checked by VAR because it has led, IMO, to referees not making decisions on the spot and leaving it to someone else. Football is a world sport and thus there will be two methods of refereeing in the elite, rich leagues and the rest of the football world. Crazy.

Finally @Kid in the Riot I do begin to wonder how there appears to be similar events even at Championship level, to the Barcelona "Consultancy". Where there is cash involved, there will be the "use of it to encourage illegal purchases". City's penalty record, or more accurately, the total lack over the past two years (yes we got two last month) tells me that the clubs and officials, may be buying "services involving cash movement."