please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Dear not606 News today of a special award to our longest-serving player, more colour being added to matchdays at Ashton Gate, the annual fans' derby and how the Club & Trust is helping to bring safe standing one step closer. First up that award. On your behalf we'll be honouring the outstanding service of Louis Carey this Saturday with a special award to be presented at the match. Ordinarily the Player and Young Player of the Year awards are handed out at the end of a season, but to ensure that Louis Carey’s contribution is fully recognised, a special Loyalty and Dedication Award will be the only one presented this year. Additionally, we've decided to award the Supporter of the Year accolade to all City fans this season, rather than singling out any individual. Full details appeared a few days ago on the club's website. At Saturday's match we'll also be shaking buckets asking you to chuck in a few coins to raise money for new surfer flags to add even more colour to matchdays at the Gate. If you'd like to help with this, there are 10 free match tickets on offer to volunteers, who should arrive by no later than 2pm (buckets to be collected from a table in the Hirerite building. For more info and/or to reserve your free ticket, please e-mail [email protected]). Louis, Marvin and Albert (whose shirts we sponsored this season) and all other players have also been invited to the Supporters Club bar (the former Legends bar) after the game. All fans are invited to join us (subject to capacity limitations). Now onto that City vs Rovers match! The Fans Derby is back on 5th May, kick-off 2pm at Ashton Gate. All gate receipts and proceeds from a post-match raffle (with prizes including signed boots, directors' box seats and a mascot package) will be going to the Bristol City Community Trust. To get the ball rolling, the Supporters Club & Trust is making a donation of £100. Organiser Tim Dicks says "Last year was a great day, some of the kids got the chance to kick a ball around on the pitch and there was lots of banter flying around. Please come and support the lads. Over the last few seasons we've been outnumbered by the Gas, so let's beat them this year!" More details can be found here and here. Also on Facebook here and via Twitter @TheFansDerby. Finally, as you will all know, Bristol City are very keen to pioneer safe standing either at the new stadium or a redeveloped Ashton Gate. A Supporters Club & Trust survey a few years ago underlined the fact that the majority of fans believe supporters ought to have the choice to watch football sitting down or standing up. We, therefore, fully support the club in their aims. However, no club with an all-seater ground can introduce safe standing for football use until the Government says it's OK. In order to win over at least one key MP, campaigners are taking a small group to Dortmund in May to see safe standing in operation and talk to club officials and supporters groups. The campaigners are all paying their own way, however the cost of taking the MP(s) also needs to be covered. Our colleagues at Manchester United Supporters Trust have volunteered to contribute to this and we will match their contribution. If you too feel it is important that MPs get a better understanding of the German football model as exemplified so well on our TVs this week, then please chip in as well via this link to our PayPal account. Should more money be raised from City fans than is required, we'll put it towards the surfer flag fund instead. Many thanks Stuart Rogers, Chair, BCSCT @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ A letter from the Bristol City Supporters Club & Trust on matchday, I have obviously changed some personal names, I'll put copies of these up in future when I receive them....
