Perhaps my memory is poor and selective but that was probably the worst City performance I have seen since we got relegated from the old Div. 2 fifty years ago. I see the same problems now as then although playing on a cabbage patch then didn't help. Poor communication, dreadful passing, players not accepting responsibility and taking no risks where we might threaten the opponents. Shocking shooting. I think we damaged (or close to it) the left hand corner flag with at least 3 shots from the right hand side. We have no leaders on the pitch - not so long ago we had Bamba, Morrison, Gunarsson, Peltier, Hudson etc. How we could use someone like them now. Without radical change we will be celebrating our 125th year with relegation. I bumped into a former poster after the game, same of you will recall HT (Hannah). Now a sergeant in the police force. The true crowd was little more than 8,000 despite the official attendance being 15k. I commented how she must have had a quiet night. Apparently they had to throw out 3 Preston fans (out of a grand total of 94) for generally being very pissed and not behaving. One of those was dressed as a snow man. Must have thought he was at Derby.
I remember meeting HT at the Ricoh many years ago when all your visits were bubble trips hahaha No need for any worries like that nowadays
The other 125 still in the bar then. Apart from the 3 chucked out. I must admit it didn't look 200+ but I bow to your greater knowledge. Made a good noise at the end. Early Christmas.
Last time I met HT she was a spotter looking for trouble makers. You would be in trouble Robbie. Some young yob was being acquainted with a brick wall. Face first. Rule No. 1 - Don't mess with HT!!!
You know people talk about the attendances in the rock bottom days at Ninian Park. There was what about 2500 on a good day, but the difference then was the players probably earned the same as the spectator but they still gave 100%. But it was still a day out and a pint was what then less than a quid and we had an enjoyable time. Last night was painful. It was soulless. It was pitiful. I have bumped into a few mates today, stalwarts since whenever but who suffered like I did and we really thought sod it, however much we love the club if they ain’t going to love us back then they can do one.
Afraid that's the game in general nowadays... At the risk of sounding like a misty eyed old codger (and knowing I'm younger than a few on here) generally the atmosphere used to be better at Ninian Park than it is at the CCS, regardless of numbers. That's not me seeing things through historical rose tinted specs mind, there were plenty of bad days when I stood on the Bob Bank with as you say, less than 3,000 in the ground, watching us get neat by the likes of Scarborough, but the dodgy food and drink were cheap, there were generally far more songs sung (and far more witty ones or specific ones for players) and at least we KNEW the players we had were freebies and cast offs, so expectations were invariably lower. Since we moved, yes it's a more comfortable stadium and we have, on rare occasions generated decent atmospheres, but sadly, since the red re-brand and after numerous awful seasons the connection between the team/the club and the fans has started to wither and die. The newer, younger fans haven't known anything except Championship level football or above and so have much higher expectations than any of us back in the day for the most part (certainly from the early 80's onwards anyhow, I can't speak for those of you that saw some of our better days in the 60's & 70's). We are all bombarded by football commentary, analysis and stinging criticisms the moment things start going wrong. Society in general is less patient, less tolerant and all expect something entertaining in return for their money and any failure is to be dismissed as poor value. It grates me to the core when the team get booed off after a defeat. Why should that be acceptable? None of the players are intentionally bad and if they fail and fail after a poor performance just walk away, say nothing... nowadays it just seems that (with very little exception) defeat - you boo, draw - you walk away generally nonplussed, win - you applaud - all regardless of actual performance levels and that's just symptomatic of the attitude of a modern fan base. Nowadays because of the cost, because of the way football has turned fans into 'customers' and because the working class connections have gone (don't get me wrong, the community stuff the club does is great but lets face it, you aren't likely to bump into many of the players having a quiet pint in a local where the fans frequent and we all know that even bang average players nowadays are earning a VERY good wage) and with the modern craving for instant success it's all just getting very 'bland'. Clubs are like most things these days, totally hermogenous. We all like to think our clubs are special/different somehow but they aren't.... Sorry, I've gone on a bit of a rant I know but I do just feel that football in general has lost its soul (just look at the joke of the World Cups being awarded) and our club, along with pretty much every other one is exactly the same... success helps stave off some of the doubts sure, but even our two Premier League promotion seasons were tinged with apathy or even (in the case of the Malky promotion) outright disgruntlement at times.
Good points BB. I've never booed the players nor left a game before the final whistle although with games like last night I scuttle away once the final whistle is blown. I feel you have rose tinted specs about Ninian Park. While there were some brilliant days/nights there were just as many awful ones where I'm pretty sure the stands emptied quickly and while I can't remember any booing I'm pretty sure it happened. Right while we have a much better stadium in terms of access, security, comfort etc the proportionate number of fans in a stadium over 50% bigger makes it, like last night, feel deserted when only about 25% of seats are taken. It is what it is. Us complaining about it won't change anything. The only thing that can make it better is for the players to turn up and play like they mean it. Until that happens it is going to be boldly miserable and we had plenty of games like that at Ninian. I heard last night - resident conspiracy theorist again - that Abraham is trying to organise a Tan Out Protest March from the Napier in Canton before the Jacks game. Hope they have plenty of begging buckets to raise the money to pay him off.
By then Tan will have given Riza a war chest to buy enough players to get us to mid table before another financial splurge pre season to launch us back to the PL. Or he’ll do nothing, allow Riza to get in some journeymen to try to stop the inevitable relegation.
