130 years of support

[Jerseybean]

OK I’m bored already without a City game to look forward to until 10 December.

Starting to think about looking even further ahead, to 2024, when BCFC celebrate 130 years. In 1894 Bristol South End Football Club was formed and played their games at St. John's Lane, Bedminster. Hopefully the Club will commemorate this appropriately.

Wondering if through OTIB we can find families who can evidence support spanning these 130 years. I’m thinking there must be current City supporters who can trace and evidence that their parents, grandparents, great grandparents and even great, great grandparents supported City.

Let’s hear from you if you can demonstrate a 130 year family connection of support. 

Potted history: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/fanzone/club-history/potted-history/

 

 

[Wanderingred]

My grandfather who was born in 1899 used to go when he was a boy during our first spell in the top flight, so that’s about 110-115 years of support for City in my family….. I’ve no way of knowing if his father was a supporter though, I’ll see if I can find something! 

Edited November 13, 2022 by Wanderingred

[eardun]

1 hour ago, Jerseybean said:

OK I’m bored already without a City game to look forward to until 10 December.

Starting to think about looking even further ahead, to 2024, when BCFC celebrate 130 years. In 1894 Bristol South End Football Club was formed and played their games at St. John's Lane, Bedminster. Hopefully the Club will commemorate this appropriately.

Wondering if through OTIB we can find families who can evidence support spanning these 130 years. I’m thinking there must be current City supporters who can trace and evidence that their parents, grandparents, great grandparents and even great, great grandparents supported City.

Let’s hear from you if you can demonstrate a 130 year family connection of support. 

Potted history: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/fanzone/club-history/potted-history/

 

 

It’s crying out for the South Stand to be officially named the South End given our roots (even though it used to be the East End!)

[sglosbcfc]

58 minutes ago, Wanderingred said:

My grandfather who was born in 1899 used to go when he was a boy during our first spell in the top flight, so that’s about 110-115 years of support for City in my family….. I’ve no way of knowing if his father was a supporter though, I’ll see if I can find something! 

Love stories like that

[exAtyeoMax]

1 hour ago, Wanderingred said:

My grandfather who was born in 1899 used to go when he was a boy during our first spell in the top flight, so that’s about 110-115 years of support for City in my family….. I’ve no way of knowing if his father was a supporter though, I’ll see if I can find something! 

my grandad was born in 1901, I don't know when he started supporting or whether his parents did before him but I would've thought it would be either just before WWI or after, when he started work.

[A Horse With No Name]

Thing is, back in the day you didn't support City, or Rovers. You supported football, often going to City one week and the other lot the next. Not sure this would actually count as supporting City as such.

[BTRFTG]

1 hour ago, CrackingCheeseGromit said:

Thing is, back in the day you didn't support City, or Rovers. You supported football, often going to City one week and the other lot the next. Not sure this would actually count as supporting City as such.

So true. My paternal family were a stone's throw from AG & though City through and through happily went to Eastville if City weren't at home as 'away' travel was strictly high days & holidays & in a lifetime of support could be counted on the fingers of two hands. It was also the case that most of City's core support worked Saturday mornings (in my old man's case on the tugs Saturdays whenever the tides dictated,) hence football was an 'afternoon activity' after work.

Its for that reason football thrived in the industrial north, where when the various 'Workplace Acts' gave folks Saturday afternoon's off it came at the price of shops, pubs and clubs being closed until early evening such there was little else to do other than watch or play football.

[Port Said Red]

3 hours ago, CrackingCheeseGromit said:

Thing is, back in the day you didn't support City, or Rovers. You supported football, often going to City one week and the other lot the next. Not sure this would actually count as supporting City as such.

That's partly true, my father was born in 1923 and went to both City and Rovers games with his uncle from an early age. He said everyone went to both, but everyone also picked a favourite. Luckily for me he was always a red. Football was even more massive in those days, but away travel was rare, although reserve games could get crowds of 5-10k if there was interesting opposition.

He claimed he saw Tot Walsh's last game for us, that would have been when he was 5 years old so how much he actually remembered I don't know.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Port Said Red

[Red-Robbo]

6 hours ago, Jerseybean said:

OK I’m bored already without a City game to look forward to until 10 December.

Starting to think about looking even further ahead, to 2024, when BCFC celebrate 130 years. In 1894 Bristol South End Football Club was formed and played their games at St. John's Lane, Bedminster. Hopefully the Club will commemorate this appropriately.

Wondering if through OTIB we can find families who can evidence support spanning these 130 years. I’m thinking there must be current City supporters who can trace and evidence that their parents, grandparents, great grandparents and even great, great grandparents supported City.

Let’s hear from you if you can demonstrate a 130 year family connection of support. 

Potted history: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/fanzone/club-history/potted-history/

 

 

 

I can't say for sure, but all my great-grandfathers - who all died before I was born - worked in South Liberty pit at some time or other, and all lived in Bemmy Down/Ashton/Southville from the late Victorian times.

Certainly, all the older generation of my family I remember from my childhood were City supporters and most of them were born in the 1890s/1990s/1910s. It's a fair chance they watched Bristol South End and its illustrious successor when the teams were in their infancy. 

[sglosbcfc]

18 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

That's partly true, my father was born in 1923 and went to both City and Rovers games with his uncle from an early age. He said everyone went to both, but everyone also picked a favourite. Luckily for me he was always a red. Football was even more massive in those days, but away travel was rare, although reserve games could get crowds of 5-10k if there was interesting opposition.

He claimed he saw Tot Walsh's last game for us, that would have been when he was 5 years old so how much he actually remembered I don't know.

Yes, that is my understanding, even though footy fans might have watched matches at Ashton and Eastville they only supported one team. My Dad lived in Eastville and watched Rovers one week and City the next. However, he said the experiences were very different, with the Rovers it was just watching a match, with City he was desperate to see them win, and it felt much more at stake.

[Tinmans Love Child]

5 minutes ago, sglosbcfc said:

Yes, that is my understanding, even though footy fans might have watched matches at Ashton and Eastville they only supported one team. My Dad lived in Eastville and watched Rovers one week and City the next. However, he said the experiences were very different, with the Rovers it was just watching a match, with City he was desperate to see them win, and it felt much more at stake.

My Dad is City through and through (he was born in Pill) but used to watch Rovers if City had no game, in fact he met my mum at Eastville (my mums family are from Kingswood and are Rovers) as the City away match had been called off, the hand of fate!

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

My dad don't like football he's a darts man.  So nope. 

[Med/MadHatter]

My Grandad was born in 1899 and supported City all his life, one of his ambitions was to watch Bristol City win a Wembley cup final, had to wait until The Freight Rover in 1986, but man he was so happy! 

[Rocking Red Cyril]

5 hours ago, eardun said:

It’s crying out for the South Stand to be officially named the South End given our roots (even though it used to be the East End!)

What about naming  it the 

South East End 

Sits with tin hat on

 

 

[ExiledAjax]

The oldest City artefact I have seen is a collection of season tickets from the late 1890s issued to a Mr. W. Shambrook. Don't know if that surname means anything to anyone?

[Port Said Red]

5 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

The oldest City artefact I have seen is a collection of season tickets from the late 1890s issued to a Mr. W. Shambrook. Don't know if that surname means anything to anyone?

I did a quick Google search for Shambrook, Bristol UK and the first result suggests that, if this is a relative, allegiances have changed in the family.

 

[ExiledAjax]

1 hour ago, Port Said Red said:

I did a quick Google search for Shambrook, Bristol UK and the first result suggests that, if this is a relative, allegiances have changed in the family.

 

It's a long shot right? Probably better getting down the library and digging through the archives tbh. But an adult season ticket from 1896 means a DOB of probably 1880ish as a minimum. 1896 is pre-union of South End and Bedminster, so this person was there from the very beginning of the club.

Edited November 14, 2022 by ExiledAjax

[Port Said Red]

41 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

It's a long shot right? Probably better getting down the library and digging through the archives tbh. But an adult season ticket from 1896 means a DOB of probably 1880ish as a minimum. 1896 is pre-union of St Johns and Bedminster, so this person was there from the very beginning of the club.

It's also interesting that the idea of a season ticket was such an early innovation, for some reason I would have thought it was an idea that came later.

[ExiledAjax]

23 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

It's also interesting that the idea of a season ticket was such an early innovation, for some reason I would have thought it was an idea that came later.

It's amazing how familiar it is. A booklet containing all the Western League fixtures for Bristol South End. Also contains a summary of the club's bylaws, details of the subs the players paid - 2 shillings 6 pence for both men and ladies, adverts for scarves in club colours available to club members, adverts for J.A Tomlinson tailors (cycling suits for 21 shillings).

I suspect we need to remember that although the late 1890s is the genesis of our club, organised football and indeed sport in general had existed in England for decades prior. A team like Notts County, Forest or Villa had existed for 20-30 years by 1896, plenty of time to invent the season ticket. Indeed a search for "oldest football season ticket" brings up reports of a Burnley FC season ticket from the 1884/85 season, a full 12 years before our earliest surviving ticket.

[cidered abroad]

My paternal grandfather was born in Claverham and taken to South Wales circa 1880 by his parents. One of his brothers, thus an uncle to my father, lived in Coronation Road.

Those who lived in the Rhondda, would travel by paddle steamer to Howells to visit them. If City were at home, all males in the family went to Ashton Gate. My father thought this was around 1910 so just after the FA Cup Final. These family visits stopped with the outcome of 1914-18 war.

Dad moved to Bristol in 1935 and immediately followed City, never the rubbish at Eastville. He also introduced me to rugby at the Mem and I still have an ST for Bears.

I started at City in April 1950. Dad's last game was in 1982 in 4th Division after 1982 financial fiasco.

I'm still wasting money on a season ticket and travel expenses from / to Burnham On Sea. One day I might finally realise how much time and money that I've wasted - probably when I'm being delivered to the local crematorium!

[BigTone]

9 hours ago, Lorenzos Only Goal said:

My dad don't like football 

Mine neither. He's a Palace fan.

[KernowRed]

3 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

The oldest City artefact I have seen is a collection of season tickets from the late 1890s issued to a Mr. W. Shambrook. Don't know if that surname means anything to anyone?

Your W Shambrook could be William Shambrook, born 24 Jan 1870 Clapton, to Stone worker, Samuel and Jane Shambrook who came from the Peter Tavy area of Devon and lived 1881 at 7 Melbourne Tce, Bedminster . He married Sarah Ann Bidgood in 1900 and lived at 27 Cotswold Rd, Bedminster [Windmill Hill?].

He was a Chocolate Moulder in 1939 and died 1964

[handsofclay]

My paternal grandfather was born in 1888. He died in 1963. When my grandmother died in 1976 we inherited a trunk of my grandfather's keepsakes including a postcard of the Bristol City record breaking team of 1905-06 rather the worse for wear. He was a City supporter all his life and I am guessing he was attending matches before that promotion season. 

[TV Tom]

My dad used to tell me how his dad, who was born in 1881 used to climb trees with his mates outside the ground on St. John’s Lane and watch City 

[ExiledAjax]

33 minutes ago, harrys said:

My dad used to tell me how his dad, who was born in 1881 used to climb trees with his mates outside the ground on St. John’s Lane and watch City 

 

5 hours ago, handsofclay said:

My paternal grandfather was born in 1888.

I mean this with no offence at all, but it is wonderful that someone alive today can have a grandparent born all these years ago. What a link to the past your families are.

I think it brings home how the 1880s, and therefore the time when football was being created, was both so long ago and yet is also so close to us now. 

I was born in 1988, and can't really imagine my (as yet nonexistent) grandchild writing about me in 2122. Quite incredible.

Thank you for sharing your stories.

[Lanterne Rouge]

It always brings it home to me when I think that I have supported City for fifty years now and that is getting on for 40% of the club`s entire existence.

[handsofclay]

1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

 

I mean this with no offence at all, but it is wonderful that someone alive today can have a grandparent born all these years ago. What a link to the past your families are.

I think it brings home how the 1880s, and therefore the time when football was being created, was both so long ago and yet is also so close to us now. 

I was born in 1988, and can't really imagine my (as yet nonexistent) grandchild writing about me in 2122. Quite incredible.

Thank you for sharing your stories.

My grandfather born in 1888 died in January 1963, I had been born six weeks earlier. Unfortunately I never physically met him (his first grandson after three granddaughters including my sister) because it was the big freeze of 62-63. 

Along with the postcard of City 1905 was a typed poem I think he composed called The Ditty of Bristol City about the FA Cup run of 1934-35. I will put it on here when I return to Bristol and turf it out.

[spudski]

My late father and Grandfather were both City fans.

Dad was born in 1934. I'll have to look up when my Grandfather was born. 

Grandfather lived in St John's lane.

Dad was born and lived in St John's lane up until his early 20s.

He told me how he watched City and also cycled to Eastville back in the day to watch Rovers.

He also watched GCCC and SCCC.

Alois "Alec" Eisenträger was his favourite player. I remember getting Alec to sign the City legends book for Dad at a City ' do' back in the day. Lovely chap. True Gentleman.

I also married a girl who's mother is an Atyeo, related to John, and still lives in Westbury. I didn't know at the time of marriage. 

Grandad also had a ' programme/ team sheet' from the 1909 cup final, which I saw as a young en, however I fear may have been lost, as I've searched through Dad's paperwork and can't find it. Fingers crossed it turns up one day. 

 

[cidered abroad]

23 minutes ago, spudski said:

My late father and Grandfather were both City fans.

Dad was born in 1934. I'll have to look up when my Grandfather was born. 

Grandfather lived in St John's lane.

Dad was born and lived in St John's lane up until his early 20s.

He told me how he watched City and also cycled to Eastville back in the day to watch Rovers.

He also watched GCCC and SCCC.

Alois "Alec" Eisenträger was his favourite player. I remember getting Alec to sign the City legends book for Dad at a City ' do' back in the day. Lovely chap. True Gentleman.

I also married a girl who's mother is an Atyeo, related to John, and still lives in Westbury. I didn't know at the time of marriage. 

Grandad also had a ' programme/ team sheet' from the 1909 cup final, which I saw as a young en, however I fear may have been lost, as I've searched through Dad's paperwork and can't find it. Fingers crossed it turns up one day. 

 

I got coaching from Alec Eisentrager via the Eagle comic at Victoria Rooms. Also there was Rovers Josser Watling.

Several of the City fans gave their autograph books to Alec, he got them signed by the whole squad in the season following the 54-55 Champions team and posted them back. I've still got mine.

Also had coaching via Eagle with Harry Bamford the year before he was killed. Really good people all of them who coached us.

Edited November 14, 2022 by cidered abroad

[spudski]

16 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

I got coaching from Alec Eisentrager via the Eagle comic at Victoria Rooms. Also there was Rovers Josser Watling.

Several of the City fans gave their autograph books to Alec, he got them signed by the whole squad in the season following the 54-55 Champions team and posted them back. I've still got mine.

Also had coaching via Eagle with Harry Bamford the year before he was killed. Really good people all of them who coached us.

That's awesome. Thanks so much for sharing.

I never asked my Dad whilst he was alive, but having watched the Bert Troutman movie recently, were City fans accepting of him at first?

Edited November 14, 2022 by spudski

[Port Said Red]

Alec was one of my fathers favourite players over the years too, he said he was the first player he ever saw score a goal with an overhead kick and that he would have been a modern number 10 in today's football. I got to meet him and his wife and talk football a fw times in the 90's as he was a regular (small) customer in the casino that I worked in at that time. Very polite and obviously his long time in Bristol meant that you would never guess he was German, if you didn't already know.

[cidered abroad]

16 hours ago, spudski said:

That's awesome. Thanks so much for sharing.

I never asked my Dad whilst he was alive, but having watched the Bert Troutman movie recently, were City fans accepting of him at first?

To the best of my knowledge, and bearing in mind that Alec had been at City for two years before I first saw him at my first City match, I never heard a bad word spoken about him. He was nicknamed "Gerry" at a time when it wasn't thought of as being derogatory. City fans liked him for his talent and honest endeavour every time he played.

And as for Bert Trauttmann at Man City, he was regarded with the same affection and respect by their supporters. I always wanted to be a goalkeeper and I had three heroes as I approached ten years of age. Bert Williams the Wolves keeper, Trauttmann both of whom I had seen play at Ninian Park with Dad en route to visiting Nana. And Tony Cook who was bravery personified for City.

I never made it as a keeper or an outfield player even in C of E junior league but have always admired those who made it in the professional game. It's tough enough for anyone but for a German POW to make it from 1948/9 just four years after the end of war, it shows how much they gave to the Clubs they were at, to gain the love and respect that they did.

@spudski

[spudski]

1 hour ago, cidered abroad said:

To the best of my knowledge, and bearing in mind that Alec had been at City for two years before I first saw him at my first City match, I never heard a bad word spoken about him. He was nicknamed "Gerry" at a time when it wasn't thought of as being derogatory. City fans liked him for his talent and honest endeavour every time he played.

And as for Bert Trauttmann at Man City, he was regarded with the same affection and respect by their supporters. I always wanted to be a goalkeeper and I had three heroes as I approached ten years of age. Bert Williams the Wolves keeper, Trauttmann both of whom I had seen play at Ninian Park with Dad en route to visiting Nana. And Tony Cook who was bravery personified for City.

I never made it as a keeper or an outfield player even in C of E junior league but have always admired those who made it in the professional game. It's tough enough for anyone but for a German POW to make it from 1948/9 just four years after the end of war, it shows how much they gave to the Clubs they were at, to gain the love and respect that they did.

@spudski

Thanks so much for the lovely reply.

Being captured and made a pow at the age of 16, must have been traumatic for young Alec.

Being based in Trowbridge as a pow and playing for them after the war, I wonder if there was any connection with big John?

Similarly Bert got scouted playing for St Helens after the war. Again a pow. Before, like you say signing for Man City.

In the film/Doc about his life, it depicted many English fans not liking him and giving him he'll. Apparently even Man City fans booed him before he was accepted and then adored. 

If you haven't seen it, the film is available on BBC iPlayer. It's a good en

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000zhk8/the-keeper 

 

 

 

[Davefevs]

18 minutes ago, spudski said:

Thanks so much for the lovely reply.

Being captured and made a pow at the age of 16, must have been traumatic for young Alec.

Being based in Trowbridge as a pow and playing for them after the war, I wonder if there was any connection with big John?

Similarly Bert got scouted playing for St Helens after the war. Again a pow. Before, like you say signing for Man City.

In the film/Doc about his life, it depicted many English fans not liking him and giving him he'll. Apparently even Man City fans booed him before he was accepted and then adored. 

If you haven't seen it, the film is available on BBC iPlayer. It's a good en

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000zhk8/the-keeper 

 

 

 

When Geoff Twentyman interviewed our ex-Goalie Con Sullivan (a lovely guy who passed away recently- RIP Con) I’m sure he mentioned Trautmann was in Bristol at some point and someone tried to fix him up at City…but City already had AN Other and Sullivan.  Someone can correct me if I’ve got that wrong???

[spudski]

4 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

When Geoff Twentyman interviewed our ex-Goalie Con Sullivan (a lovely guy who passed away recently- RIP Con) I’m sure he mentioned Trautmann was in Bristol at some point and someone tried to fix him up at City…but City already had AN Other and Sullivan.  Someone can correct me if I’ve got that wrong???

Apparently it's mentioned in his autobiography Dave.

 

[Nongazeuse]

My grandad was born in Paradise St, Bedminster in 1885 so may well have watched the team as a lad.

He did later play for Bristol Football Club (the old name for the Rugby club) and I have his cap awarded for 1905-06 season.

[Ivorguy]

My grandfather, from Kingswood, saw City in Cup Final and supported long before that but have no idea of exactly when.

 

As a child I knew of another attendee at our Cup Final.

 

 

[GrahamC]

On 14/11/2022 at 10:29, KernowRed said:

Your W Shambrook could be William Shambrook, born 24 Jan 1870 Clapton, to Stone worker, Samuel and Jane Shambrook who came from the Peter Tavy area of Devon and lived 1881 at 7 Melbourne Tce, Bedminster . He married Sarah Ann Bidgood in 1900 and lived at 27 Cotswold Rd, Bedminster [Windmill Hill?].

He was a Chocolate Moulder in 1939 and died 1964

Loving this, Cotswold Rd is indeed in Windmill Hill, it is one road away from where I now live.

My old man (81 now, he still goes) is from BS3 & has been watching City since the mid 50s (saw Atyeo play for England at Wembley), his Dad was born in 1918 & watched City on & off but times were remarkably hard for him, as his own father died at 30, so he started work at 12, so understandably money was tight & although he’ll have watched City pre WW2, he was never a regular, though I do remember my Dad taking him for the final time in the Osman era prior to his death in 1995.

I did my family tree on my Dad’s side & it is solid BS3 all the way back to the 1850s when they moved here from Somerset so if they weren’t reds from the Bristol South End days (one player from then shares my unusual surname, he’s bound to be a relative) I’ll be amazed.

[cidered abroad]

This is a very interesting thread from so many points of view and covering so much of our history.

It's fascinating how many have relatives that have passed on things of interest from the early days in the 19th century and up to the 1920's. In my case there is a spell of thirty years from 1920 that I know little of.

And with old age now we'll established, I find it difficult to remember too many facts from the last twenty years. Living in Portugal for nearly ten years didn't help even though I came back quite often for games and even fitted in two away games at Watford en route back to Lisbon. But since the advent of internet instead of Saturday Green In and extensive coverage of all leagues in all Sunday papers, I've found it difficult to harbour facts and figures that were previously on one page of a newspaper instead of hundreds of net pages.

Anyway I still get a buzz on the lead up to games even if we are the great almost, nearly, never BCFC.

[Red-Robbo]

I usually park up on Chessel Street, a road my great-aunt lived on, walk parallel to my grandparents' house, past where a couple of cousins live, and after a couple of beers, go along the road my parents lived when they were first married, stroll past two uncle's houses on my way to the Gate. How could I grow up anything other than a City fan?!!

I know it sounds a bit New Agey, but just walking those streets connects me strongly to my past and my ancestors. It's almost spiritual, like the feeling Native Americans and Aboriginals have over certain sacred areas. As I walk into the ground and see a sea of faces, I just think "my people".

[GrahamC]

3 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

I usually park up on Chessel Street, a road my great-aunt lived on, walk parallel to my grandparents' house, past where a couple of cousins live, and after a couple of beers, go along the road my parents lived when they were first married, stroll past two uncle's houses on my way to the Gate. How could I grow up anything other than a City fan?!!

I know it sounds a bit New Agey, but just walking those streets connects me strongly to my past and my ancestors. It's almost spiritual, like the feeling Native Americans and Aboriginals have over certain sacred areas. As I walk into the ground and see a sea of faces, I just think "my people".

Me too.

I grew up in East Bristol (St. George) & so didn’t move South of the river until 2001 but it immediately felt to me like I was “home”.

I knew that my old man was from here (he went to Ashton Gate school, FFS) but he’d lived on the other side of the city all of my life & it was only when I did the family tree stuff that I found out how totally ingrained it was in my background, literally no one else hadn’t lived in South Bristol all the way back.

It is the strangest feeling, the roads around where I live now have been inhabited by people who were related to me for 170 years & I completely feel it is my “heimat” as the Germans call it, or homeland.

I just see the North of the city as a totally alien place, though am starting to be more nostalgic about St. George where I grew up.

[sglosbcfc]

4 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

My grandfather, from Kingswood, saw City in Cup Final and supported long before that but have no idea of exactly when.

 

As a child I knew of another attendee at our Cup Final.

 

 

That is amazing, any stories? What a shame local tv didn't interview people in the 1960s when there would still have been a few around who could have told first hand stories.

[Lanterne Rouge]

43 minutes ago, sglosbcfc said:

That is amazing, any stories? What a shame local tv didn't interview people in the 1960s when there would still have been a few around who could have told first hand stories.

I bet they did in the seventies when we went up, folk who remembered our last foray into the top division in 1906. It`s probably in the archives somewhere.

[sglosbcfc]

2 hours ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

I bet they did in the seventies when we went up, folk who remembered our last foray into the top division in 1906. It`s probably in the archives somewhere.

I didn't think of that, someone needs to dig about and then digitalise it all, so it is not lost. That would be amazing to watch, or even read if there are newspaper interviews.