Yes not good - what are the reasons: Lack of success on the pitch Support split between 2 teams Rugby also in the city
Your first comment is valid - lack of success on the pitch. The other two are not. Sheffield Wed And Utd consistently pull higher gates than City / Rovers so two teams not relevant. Stoke also a two team city. Leicester have football and rugby both pulling 20,000 plus per match. And there are many towns/cities very close to each other where football/rugby union/rugby league are better supported than Bristol where our nearest other football clubs are over forty miles away! We have a population of over one million within a twenty five mile radius yet even a 30,000 gate is only 3% of that. Places like Sunderland regularly pull in 20% and Wolverhampton and Leicester 10% of their populations. If the Bristol clubs, football and rugby, had some consistency of reasonable success, the attendance's would rise. Their problem is inconsistency. As I said one or two years out of every ten is not enough to hold on to the floaters.
I lived right through the 70s boom, and saw exactly the potential (and non-potential reality) of Bristol as a football area. My old Dad used to say exactly what you have said RR, but 4 years of rubbing noses with the big boys and we were still pulling in under 25k at best. Its a bit like footy in the US. Everyone said the world cup in 94 would turn America into a football giant, but its just not in their psych, and they still don't really understand it. Not saying of course that we are quite as un-football as that, but it has a different social dynamic in Bristol to areas such as the north or midlands. It would need a decade of constant success (winning things) to make Bristol into as football conscious an area as Leeds/Manchester/Liverpool/ or even Ipswich. After all, thats how long it took those areas to get there
I'm sorry to disagree but the Board during this time were skimming attendance figures in order to save VAT, Police costs and anything else you want to name. We all knew this at the time, as full houses when Man U and other big clubs came to play were given as 28,000. City would be well supported if we ever had some sustained success in the Championship followed by a promotion to the Prem when we would have full signs up at every match!
The gates were cooked back then,city had 36000 fans in the ground on many occassions,i remenber you could not even have a piss it was rammed in the east end. I remember fans peeing where they stood. This club has massive potential,we need the bottle to be uncorked.
Thank you Red Robin. I'm a bit fed up with being told that we do not support our club. Give us the product and we'll fill Ashton Gate every match. Fighting relegation or failing to get out of Div Three for eight years like under Danny Wilson and others is hardly the recipe for rising attendances.
These young ones have never experianced Ashton Gate as we did back in league 1 days,mental completly mental. This clubs board, were they going to the gate back then ? i wonder if they new what is was like back then, i am not even sure if the current board would have been near the gate back then. Bring success and the gate would not be big enough today.
PRODUCT. And that is why City are so small time. City didn't fill Ashton Gate in the top division .. I was there ... It ain't a football City. Viewing it as a PRODUCT is what put City where they are. QUICK the PRODUCT is good / bad buy more players. MORE, MORE, MORE v think and plan.
Was it. Was it REALLY! As a young kid in dms I can remember it being dull at times. Many times. Highlight often was the Cowboys and Indians in the park.
I remember the big crowds, especially when clubs like Villa (who had a massive support in the 70's) would come to play us. I have the cuttings from the seasons we were in the top flight and recall games where the crowd was reported as 18,000 and yet there wasn't a spare place to stand. As kids as well, my Dad would often push us through and we wouldn't have to pay. Part of knowing the people on the stiles. I don't doubt that with a bit of success we could match a Norwich or Hull
Nor is Wigan, Reading, Swansea and more....but we could be part of something a damn sight better than the last few years A toast to SC who has done a totally brilliant job and without who, we would almost certainly be going down this season. To Cotts !
A lot of guff is talked about back in the day. There were big gates but it was against big clubs but ten thousand disappeared against say Norwich. I can remember a match [3-1?] v Newcastle who were already relegated and they brought less than a 100 fans. Doubt with a bit of success City would match Norwich as their gates are huge v how big Norwich is. Read something silly like 1 in 15 people there go to football while in Bristol it is 1 in 100's.
Lets get back to the championship first,then cement ourselves back in there.Then build for another tilt at the prem.
Fair play Angelic on both comments Yes we could do a Swansea (like we did before) Given enough years at the top and a couple of trophies we could even catch the two clubs from-the-land-of-webbed-feet. My point of course was to emphasise that Bristol is NOT a hotbed, never has been, and would take success on a protracted basis to become so. Therefore the expectations of so many City fans, touching as it seems, is not only unrealistic, it is destructive to our development and childish. We need to lose some of our expectations once back in the Championship (a feat which is certainly not beyond us), and treat each little triumph as a small but vital step in the right direction. I believe with SC in charge we can begin again, and rise up to the level of 2008. Then it is anyone's game. But we certainly have no divine right to be higher. But then neither do Manchester United. On your second point, a first class performance and a real light at the end of what has been a very long, dark tunnel. Thank You Stevey L for bringing to us a real manager
Something of a bullying type of font you use there Cidered. I'm not blind old son, and you will not alter my opinions by using BOLD TYPE
I was posting about the way Swansea progressed. City could have a team with nine over thirtys. The football also is not skilful.
City could have a team with nine over thirtys. Eight including Carey? Expect many to leave. The lack of youthful legs is too restrictive, and evident in recent weeks as City have conceded possession and space relying on a defence performing admirably. You cannot press high up the pitch with old legs, or press for long periods. Experience and responsibilty did help the team defend well against Reid running around too much and Jay Emmanuel Thomas being Emmanuel Thomas.
Does anyone know if there is a prize on this board for novice members who get so many points first go? Big club, small club debate. It´s nothing new I know. I´m sure it´s something we have all given thought to. Thank you to those who have reminded me of past support highs and of the incredible potential that we do have for the future, not just for Bristol but for a large part of the West Country and beyond. After over 50 years a supporter I am still convinced our day will come. Better come soon however.
