please log in to view this image Right from the start let me say I abhor the idea of a United Bristol team and no Bristol City, I've had Bristol City as part of my life, heritage and DNA since earliest lifetime memories, there are those that say we will never have Premier football if we don't scrap our team and join forces with the "gas" and have the one team, so be it, we have survived as a independent football entity for over 100 years on our own, let's keep it that way, I love the identity of South Bristol, Ashton Gate, the Robin, The Wurzels, our Red shirts, Wedlock and Big John, right up to Albert and Stead, The Atyeo, The Williams, The Dolman, The East End, The Open End and of course Crackers Corner. Can you imagine going to see a game in South Gloucestershire as a home game, supporting your team in Blue Quarters, singing that loathsome song Irene and having to hear their waffle about being special fans and being the family club, they irritate me, I get a headache looking at the colour blue, uncomfortable thinking about sitting watching another team apart from City... Then we hear about the world of finance, how with just one team we are guaranteed Premier football, profit will be made from enjoying larger attendances, big buck's from TV money, prawn sandwich brigade occupying prime spaces, chasing larger sponsorships, losing control and contact with our club.. Pardon me, seems all these things we are doing now, in our environment in the West Country we are the best supported club, we are the best bet for continued success regardless of our current situation, why should we join forces with a failed, smaller operation just to satisfy the minority who wish for a one team Bristol... There are those that advocate a union with fancy words, false finance, fantasy dreams but the reality is we neither need or require a unified team, I now await all the dreamers telling me I'm an old dinosaur and I'll continue supporting my team Bristol City FC..
Did Sheffield need 1 team to get to premiership no they had 2 did they have council that helped them improve their stadiums yes does Bristol nope until we have a council who backs sport we is ****ed
Why would us joining up with rovers help us to the prem? They wouldn't bring nothing to the table, That's no disrespect intended there but there a mediocre league 2 team. Don't have the best gates so it wouldn't bring many more to the game and they have no money. Would rather just keep ourselves to ourselves. Bristol City Till Death And Beyond
One team to represent Bristol does on the face of it seem a good idea. However, this would not necessarily be the quick route to the Prem that some think. Bradford still has two teams, one albeit out of the top five leagues; Nottingham has two, one of which County have floundered around the bottom two leagues except for a very brief stay in the 80's, Sheffield has rarely had two in the top league, with both clubs bouncing up and downwith amazing regularity. In Stoke, City have traditionally been the big club with Port Vale a bottom two divisions side. Only in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, if one includes WBA, have two sides regularly in the Prem, so the argument is nowhere near proven. What I think should happen, and I know many disagree violently, is that City and Rovers should ground share. If it is good enough for Inter and AC Milan, Juventus and Torino, Roma and Lazio to share, why not City and Rovers.
It's THEIR you muppet, if you are going to correct us on you're and your, then get your their and there the correct way round. And Cider Abroad I thought that ground sharing was the way forward as then you can have a ground being used by us and the village idiots at least once a week. If we went to share their UWE ground now it will always be classed as theirs because they already got it now. The two teams should of sat down and talked years ago. Before anyone starts shouting from the rooftops about going over to the north side of Bristol, if city bought the Filton airfield and built a new stadium people would go. But it's all irrelevant now, they get their new ground which can hold concert venues etc, I don't care if I put money in their back pockets I do this to some other club to watch good gigs. We get a revamped AG and welcome the Rugby to our stadium which will generate income and possibly more than the village idiots crowds when they get back to the rugby premiership. I was speaking to a Swansea fan the other day who told me they would not know the rugby club play on the ground, a good grounds team would sort the pitch out plus we have been voted one of the best pitches in the league's so we obviously have the staff.
I think it would be violent alright unless it was put out of town. Italian clubs generally dont own their own grounds and share money with the councils as well. That means less money. Many Italian clubs have serious money problems AND dont have the security of owning an asset of a ground bad place to be that. Juventus there for awhile have moved gounds, shared and owned.
Look it would make financial sense to have one club (simple turnover increase of having 19,000 fans), however it would destroy years of history (of both clubs) - for example it makes financial sense for Cardiff to play in red, but we all think that's crazy
There is no sureity that the crowds would increase you would be more likely to get lower crowds with fans of City and Rovers forming their own clubs and refusing to support the Bristol Utd team because however it was set up it would in all probability alienate large chunks of both sets of fans. If over time they could get the alienated fans back is a moot point it would probably depend on how well the other clubs did, Look at AFC Wimbledon or FC United of Manachester Wimbledon in the league pyramid already and the Manchester club probably a couple of years away from joining them.
