My view-we are the Robins, history & tradition dictate we must stay the Robins, a new logo is fine but both Robin and Suspension Bridge should be included-there can be no less imaginative nickname than "the Reds", and while I am 100% behind the board on most things this is not one of them.

over to you:

Hi ! I totally agree with all the outrage at the proposal to scrap the robin. This cannot be allowed, what can possibly be gained? As far as I can see the only thing that gives the club a naff image is that we have a rubbish old clock and no form of scoreboard. If the robin should go does that mean the clock would have to be replaced to remove the image ?

Regards James Elliott, age 24 - a very frustrated Robin

As regular readers will know I was a little disappointed with the tone of the last Issue of One Team In Bristol, and even more so by the article appearing in the Green'Un by its editor Robbo. Rather than simply write to OTIB I thought an open letter on the site more appropriate. So her goes.

Dear Robbo,

When I last got copies of OTIB late last season I was surprised by the negative tone of most of the articles, and if memory serves you blamed this on the lack of positive comment from contributors. I collected my copy this weekand and was quite amazed by the continued cynical and generally unsupportive tone-as editor you must take responsibility. Indeed your editorial seeks to criticise the board over the trivial issue of availability of ticket information(more of which later) but makes little mention of the positive actions taken, to give us,what many respected commentators consider, a team to challenge for the title. We are currently the bookies favourites and one might have expected your Fanzine to reflect that optimism. Alas in both OTIB and your latest Green'Un article, where in my view you have an even greater duty to accentuate the positives, I find little evidence of the enthusiasm and optimism of the average City fan that I see in the Internet mail list.

This desire to criticise astonishes me since I assume you commenced OTIB out of a genuine passion for the club. If I am correct then you should want the club to succeed and should be encouraging as many City fans to get down to the Gate and support the club. A read of OTIB and your Green'Un article would hardly set the pulses racing. Yet there is so much about which we should be positive, as borne out by the Blackpool game, where we completely outclassed a team which had just beaten Man City in the Coca Cola cup.

To the facts:

• Your editorial talks of the imperative of a good start to the season, and quite rightly welcomes the new faces, but rather than congratulate the board on their excellent summer of transfer activity, including some superb tribunal results you chose to say that the activity came "7 months too late".

• Instead of looking forward you look back to "a disappointing end to last season, psychologically we threw the towel in once we ensured a play off place"-come on we did superbly to get to the play offs after an excellent 5 match winning run. Given the additions to the squad clearly there are grounds for optimism.

• A jibe at new coach Terry Connor, whose career was ended at Ashton Gate when playing for us lest you forget, simply because he celebrated his then team equalising at the Gate is at best unhelpful.

• But what really got me was the criticism of Scott for publishing ticket details in the Evening Post and your suggestion that the mail database should be used instead. No praise for putting his hand in his pocket and forking out to help bring new players to the club, but criticism over a trivial issue and if I may say a pretty ludicrous suggested solution. Instead of anyone needing ticket info picking up the phone you suggest the club spends upward of £2,000 to send ticket info via a mailshot to the database- come on-as BT say its good to talk!!!!
• After an Interlude for letters Duncan Finbar Saunders chips in with more backward looking criticism of departures from the Gate:
• Of Ago "we lose him for bugger all. More cash down the pan and back to boring football."
• Of David Seal"who else could do the unexpected, take your breath away, excite-score goals"
• well there was little that could be done about Ago, while I for one would chose to respect the judgement of two managers and two coaches who worked closely with Seal and in the end were happy to see him go. Sure he scored some cracking goals, but there must be more to the situation than meets the eye.
• In any event the arrival of Steve Torpey and Colin Cramb should be adequate compensation!!!!!! No doubt John Ward had his plan throughout the summer-why not give him the benefit of the doubt??
• And then there's the Clevdon Codger- well where does one start
• " I was appalled by the pathetic play off performances"
• " I am quite sure that if Joe Jordan and Gerry Sweeney had been boldly backed by the board they would have guided our team to automatic promotion, instead JJ was progressively isolated and denied assistance to strengthen the side."
• Pity Clayton Blackmore had to return to Middlesborough, though I am sure the board would not have sanctioned buying him."
• I enjoyed the wide wing play that Jordan tried to develop but I doubt if we'll see the likes of Gav and Smudger again."
• "The arrival of Sean Dyche looks promising... and the press in the pigeon loft will be cooing with delight as the copious copy for the new head coach, promising of instant promotion as predicted by his sports psychologist!! Well we'll see-reckon it could also, mean instant relegation."
• Thankfully Smiffy comes to the rescue at this point with an article that seeks to be positive, and aptly summarises how our relationship with the Rovers should be -well done Smiffy!!!
• But that apart the best contributions come from the Fanzines of Wycombe and Doncaster providing excellent insight into their feelings about our two new acquisitions, who were clearly highly rated.
• The Green'Un article is perhaps a more important place in which to seek to reflect the positives since anyone buying OTIB will by now know what to expect-me included I guess. But the casual City fan is hardly likely to encouraged back to the Gate by a headline" Forget the feel good factor-we have!" and the suggestion that at Grimsby "we eventually surrendered the opening game, holding out for a point."
• and this about the Coca Cola "This was the unique 8-0-2 format from the new dream team of Ward and Connor... The game ended goal-less.Our tactics and second half performance were summed up-albeit a little prematurely-by one guy in the Williams Stand, who shouted "Ward out!"
• "Still if you think City have problems just think what sort of season a team who were incapable of even scoring against us on Tuesday have in front of them!!!" reflecting the insane Bristolian desire
• I was at neither game but all the commentaries I have read from fellow Web users were fullsome in their praise of the new look side, especially the performances of Colin Cramb, Steve Torpey and Mickey Bell, and without exception all saw something substantial upon which to build. You brush aside an excellent first half performance against the Gas when by all accounts we should have been several goals up and prefer to concentrate on a poor second half. To what end.
• This is a new season, a new squad has been assembled and an air of optimism seems to be gathering within most City supporters-why not try and reflect this? You have a position of some responsibility and it would be far better to use it for the collective good, rather than simply to criticise. Why not build on Smiffy's article and seek to encourage improved relations with our cross town rivals, why not seek to encourage the missing thousands back to the Gate through seeking out the successes that are being achieved? Why not be positive, and supportive of the board and their efforts- you never know you might just enjoy it!!!!! Together we can achieve the success we crave.

This is where you can vent your frustration or express your appreciation of developments at the club (I hope I get plenty of the latter because if I do we must be having a good season!!)-I shall put your comments directly on the page and periodically write to Scott Davidson enclosing a copy. I will also enlist any of you who wish to receive the club newsletter if you send me your address:

Anyone from the Supporters club care to give me your side of the present row with the club. At present I am 100% behind Scott and the board-tell me why should I change that view??

To express your view or register for the Newsletter E-mail me here

Fans of the Future

This from Rob Bailey:

It has come to the attention recently of a number of supporters that recently there has been a much higher number of young school chrildren attending matches, some, obviously as a result of the "Fans of the Future" scheme and others as off springs of regular and lifelong fans. This in my opinion is great, it's nice to see the club investing time and money and what will be the future of the club and their supporters and maybe future players. My only concern is the areas of the ground that the new fans furnish, obviously the free tickets given away by our chairman are an exception here, but and increasing number of young fans appear to be either in "A,B, or C Block in the Dolman Stand" or "Behind The Goal" in the Carling Stand. While my friend is happy to acknowledge that every fan "Pays their money and Takes their choice" there is a fear that not only are youngsters exposed to the more aggresive and abusive side of some fans, but some fans are less inclined to "Sing their hearts of for the lads" if the songs in question contains launguage of an "Adult" nature. The proposal was to impose "Age restrictions" on some areas of the ground to protect the young.

Rob did admit that the above was the result of an alcohol induced discussion earlier this week but I think he has a point. The Fans of the Future idea is a good one but I am sure I am not alone in being slightly put off by shrill screams in by left ear and the bashing of seats(incidentally why don't the stewards moderate this behaviour, which is unnecessary and can only do damage and adds nothing to the atmosphere). A child free zone would certainly meet with the approval of some supporters??? some of whom might find the language of the young and their antics spoils their enjoyment of the game.

What do you think??

Youth Policy 14-10-96

From Mike Pritchard I received the following today

"Not wanting to reinforce City fans sometimes parochial obsession with Bristol Rovers but I have heard that Rovers have found another talented young Bristolian striker. I am happy to see City thriving with the aid of a "United Nations" of players but how come Rovers often seem to recruit a greater percentage of local talent. With a city of half a million people, why do City often miss what is under their nose? "

while at the same time I got this from another City fan

"If you come back to Bristol again in the near future, see if you can take in a Reserve team match at Clevedon. Last week the youngsters thrashed Oxford 4-1, Joe's 16-year-old son played at centre half after coming on as substitute, playing alongside 16-year-old Tommy Doherty. Also in that side were Ellis Wilmott, Jim Brennan, Gareth Loyden, Dwayne Plummer, Matthew Hale and Dominic Barclay who are all under 21, plus 'veteran' Scott Partridge who is 22! These are all great young talents with Doherty, Plummer and Brennan especially good, one may even come in when Brian Tinnion is suspended? "

What do you think?

Is Rob Edwards on the verge of a call up for the Welsh? I am told he may be-Bobby if you're reading this let me know!!

The first contribution and inspiration for the page came from Ian Smart who had this to say about the new Ground entry procedures

" can anyone tell me the benefit of selling tickets to two parts of the ground from a ticket office then queing up again at the turnstyles to go into the ground. This is something the old board would have dreamed up. While crowds are small this is not that bad but when the 10,000 plus crowds hopefully appear it will be a nightmare. City should re-think this."

Equally I find it odd that it is not possible to buy tickets for the Dolman Stand except from the turnstiles-Too much change too soon??

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