Fighting for the West of England

So, now I’ve got that off my chest, I happen to think that this season, more than any, patience is what IS needed from us City fans. After going through the most injury plagued pre-season in memory, Coppell’s untimely walkout & an ever growing difficulty in signing players trouble free, City have found themselves in a somewhat awkward predicament that I feel only time will see us out of.

After the Barnsley home match, I came away with mixed feelings. I thought offensively(American term I believe) we were as good as most matches last season. Adomah gave them any amount of problems with a raw, honest performance, and Clarkson had ,in my opinion, his best game in the shirt. That along with Sproule a constant threat, we looked like we had goals in us the whole afternoon. Defensively, we took a half hour to come out of the dressing room, but, after that it was pretty trouble free.

As we are all saying over here, with our injured defenders on there way back & two new forwards to bolster the attack, it will only be a matter of time before we get our first win under our belts. There is still talk of us bringing in, possibly, a young premiership left sided player on long term loan very soon (something we desperately need) so, things will soon change for the better I’m sure.

But, we have to hope, as we have said at the top of this post, hope City fans Keep the Faith & show a little patience for a couple more weeks & we should start ‘Flying High’

Till next time.
YOU REDZZZZZZZ

Well, hands up, I got it wrong about Keith Millens No2 !!  Steve Wigley, not Colin Lee, but, hey, my sources are not always right… That one came from a guy we know at the BBC World Service so, thought there would be summat in that !    Anyway, gonna stick my neck out again !

Last night I was told by another pretty good source (He’s usually spot on), that Jon Stead was spotted again down at the ‘Gate’ yesterday (19th) so, have City gone again with better terms to tempt him ??    Also, same guy says that Ross McCormack of Cardiff City has gone cold on his proposed move to Ipswich Town, apparently, not wanting to move away from Cardiff being the reason !  His agent has notified us, and we have appeared interested.  Seems like we would fit the bill nicely.

Perhaps it looks like City could end up with at least one of these.  That would do us till Maynard is fit.      Ideally we would also be in for an experienced creative midfield player, but that might come later.

Either way this will probably come too late for Saturday, but at least things look to be happening at last.

Looking forward to the Barnsley match on Sat,  full English breakfast, followed by lashings of Blackthorn cider…… Does it get any better ????      KEEP THE FAITH.

Mark.  xx

On 10th August this year saw the sad departure of Brian Clark, ex City Forward, aged 67. Brian never played hundreds of matches for us, but, 195 appearances , saw a return of 83 goals between 1960 to 1967, this, along with being the son of another City great , Don, means Brian is surely a true ‘Son of City’. He was also a big player in our great promotion side in ’65.    I am a little bit young to remember Brian play, but was fortunate enough to meet him a few seasons ago at a players reunion function at the Gate, and can honestly say, he was a true gent, a pleasure to talk to.  Sleep well.

Back in March, also this year, saw another City great leave us, in the form of Jack Connor, who played at centre half for the Reds during the seasons of 1960-71.   Jack was to go on to appear 355 times in the famous red & white , scoring on 10 occasions.  He , also like Clark, was a regular in the promotion side of ’65.  Jack was 75.  Sleep well ‘Big man’

On a lighter note, as I approach 50 myself in a few months, it was 1969 I made my first trip to Ashton Gate, v Swindon Town in a league match which ended 3-3 (hooked after that classic !).  One of my 1st memories of those early matches, was Jack Connor & Dickie Rooks at the back for City !!!  My God, how did we not win things with those two brutes in defence ?????

I remember, one Reserve match at Ashton Gate when I was around 10 or 11, it was against West Ham and all the talk at the time was about  Bobby Moore might be playing in a comeback match for the Hammers after being out for a while with injury, me & a few mates couldn’t get down there quick enough !  When the match ended, I ran on the pitch, hoping to touch the great ‘Mooro’, only to be knocked flat on my face by Dickie Rooks who I think must have been jogging over to shake the hand of Clyde Best,  Best, actually helped me to my feet, while Rooks just carried on not even noticing !!  God that hurt !!!

Happy memories.

Mark. XX

My name is Mark, I’m from Bristol, England.  This is my 1st attempt at posting anything on the site, so it will probably be crap !!

Have visited the site on numurous occasions, after my old mate (very old !) Steve Beard put me on to it, then he got Steve Atwell to sort me out a password etc to try and add a Bristol flavour.  This I will try and do from time to time, but, Bill Gates I ‘aint, so, it could take me a while to get the knack.

I have visited NY on a couple of occasions & Bristol aside, it has to be the best place ever ! I felt at ‘home’ the minute I set foot in the place. And so many Reds ?? What more do you want ?

Well, the season has just got under way, and, in true City style, a bombshell right from the start !!  That said, Coppell’s departure hasn’t really rocked South Bristol as much as expected.  He never really looked up for it from the start to be fair, and, with it being so early in the season, it doesn’t seem so tragic. Keith Millen wants the job so much it hurts, &, he genuinely is ‘chuffed to bits’ so I think everyone seems ready to back him all the way (for now !)   Quite honestly, Kelsey Grammer getting Alan Walsh’s daughter up the duff has excited me more !!!!  Get him on board thats what I say ( loads of money)

Great result at Doncaster, never easy getting points up there, so onwards & upwards for the high flying Robins, a win on Saturday against Barnsley and all will look a little more rosey.  Carey & Robeiro look like they are back now so, with Maynard & Haynes fit plus a couple of late signings all could look good come Christmas.

A little bird told me, Millen could be naming Colin Lee as his number 2, & Brendon Batson as Chief Scout, to be announced very soon.

Till next time

Mark. xx

All the way over 'ere and it rains !!!!!

Here’s the revised top 20 for 2010

Top Twenty Reasons to be a city fan (in no particular order)

1. We got Millen

2. We have last year’s Championship goal of the year scorer and almost top scorer and future England stiker in the making

3. We got James

4. We got loads of new signings

5. We still got Haynes, Skuse, Fontaine, Carey, Elliot, Sproule

6. We got art work on our bog wall

and we got some bloke called Banksy doing us art work as well

7. We got the current F1 World Champion Button

Jenson Button City fan

8. We’re getting a cool new stadium

9. We have a money bags chairman who is also a nice bloke!

10. We are getting a Jam tribute band in NYC

11. We’ve beaten Arsenal at Highbury
We’ve beaten Liverpool at Anfield
We’ve beaten Man U at Old Trafford and not only that we are one of a few clubs to have a player score a hatrick against Man U at Old trafford

The elite band of players to score a hatrick against Man U at Old Trafford now numbers four: Kevin, Dennis Bailey, Martin Peters and Ronaldo.

Kevin Mabbut “..the team played fantastically that day and Trevor (Tainton),Gowey (Gerry Gow) and Jimmy (Mann) in particular kept winning the ball in midfield and controlled the game.”
We put three past Chelsea

12. We’ve got the fastest player in the Championship

13. We have A list celebs

(add to that Jenson Button, Tony Robinson and many more….)

14. We have a hot masseuse

15. We eat pasties

16. We drink cider

17. We got songs by the Wurzels

18. We hold the joint record for consecutive wins in the league which is 14 straight wins

* Arsenal (Premier League between 10 February 2002 and 24 August 2002)
* Manchester United (Second Division, 1904-05)
* Bristol City (Second Division, 1905-06)
* Preston North End (Second Division, 1950-51)

19. We got Scrumpy the Robin

20. We got the Red Army

This advert is on behalf of BCFC NYC. Come and join us over here!

• City are one of five teams not to have lost a Championship match in which they scored first this season.

• They have conceded more goals in the last five minutes of league matches than any other side in the division (12).

• Top scorer Nicky Maynard has had more shots on target in Championship games than any other player (71).

• Louis Carey is set to make his 500th league appearance for the club.

If you haven’t done so already then please visit Saint George’s Army which is the unofficial England National Team supporters club based in New York City. This will be the place to interact with other team England fans.

More details to follow closer to the party