Legal Disclaimer type thing:
These pages are not endorsed or connected in any way with Bristol City Football Club. Bristol City FC does not contribute in any way to these pages The views expressed in these pages are for personal purposes only and in no way reflect the views and opinions of Bristol City FC Those responsible for putting all this nonsense together really do not gain financially [ quie the bloody opposite actually!]. Please note the views and the little humour expressed here may not be that of the West Street pub dwelling Editor and on occasions who doesn't even understand it all anyway..
Welcome Dear Ciderheads to the 9th
Edition of Three lions and a Robin
Which could possibly be the last, although as Sean Connery said before he joined the SNP, never say never again. Anyways, lots have been going on both on and off the pitch lets start with off the pitch….
It was simple really all we wanted was a new Eastend in the new ground, nothing fancy, low rake, near the pitch, low roof and somewhere to hang our flags up. Knowing the government's obsession with small plastic seats we knew we weren't going to get a terrace of safe standing area as they are now known as - but strongly recommended that the new Eastend be built so as to allow the seats to convert into standing once football fans are treated like adults again.
With talk of the new ground and the success of the partial re-opening of the Eastend the future looked optimistic, on field the team had narrowly lost out entry into the premier league with its bags full of cash and overpaid foreign journey men and their sudden discovered lifelong love of places like Blackburn and er..Wigan. Too bad, inevitably the future, as it so often does, started to warp right in front of eyes. At the clubs open day the chairman back in July 2008 revealed a strange and weird new artists impression of the proposed new ground at Ashton Vale. Unfortunately when we were crying out for photorealism; we got Jackson Pollock stumbling out of Tracy Emin's bed.
The first impression of the new ground was "what the hell is that behind the goal? Is it a giant bus stop? Is it a Zeppelin hanger?" "No its Bus Depot South!" Eventually last month (FEB 2009) we got to see the full plans for Ashton Vale unveiled by the club and HOK. Yes we were right the artists impression of the artists impression was not far off, it was indeed a bus stop with enough space to land a Zeppelin. Perhaps Colin misheard Steve's comments about getting his favourite band down at the new ground? Any way he certainly will need a stairway to heaven to get to the top of that roof.
Anyways now that the dust has settled what have we got?
Instead of two ends behind the goals, we will get half-built temporary stands, with roofs so high, the Bristol balloon festival are interested in using them as storage. The majority of us who filled in the survey, said "No Bowl thank you", we therefore dutifully got one, courtesy of Franchise: MK albeit with two bus stops at the end and two main stands which don't look to dissimilar to what we've already got.
The cauldron of noise has been replaced with a cupasoup .
On the pitch things are faired slightly better every time it looked as we'd sneak into the play offs, some Panto villain such as Birmingham or Derby popped up. A fine run through the end of Jan and Feb saw fears of relegation put down just as St George slayed that Taff dragon. Much the same was going to happen to Crapdiff until Basso…. Ok, you're forgiven, always belieeeeve and all that, at least we didn't lose. Anyway that fine run had only one hiccup and that was to the fake, pub team of northern chancers in their council built stadium on the outskirts of Sheffield. Devoid of any originality or credibility these red and white hoped inbreds attempted to pass themselves of as Bristol city fans. Yes of course Bristol City are great and you want a piece of the Forza Eastend action, but really, no chance, get back down your pit Doncaster. Steal somebody else's songs.
At this point it looks to be it for Three lions and a Robin. This fanzine only appeared due to a meeting with BCFC in January 2007 where the re- opening of the Eastend was discussed to pay on the day fans. If this occurred it was agreed that fans would with BCFC vigorously promote the stand and then in turn the club by the intensity of Eastend support.
Well BCFC we are still waiting for what we sincerely thought we had! So thousands of pounds later spent on flags, drums, megaphones, streamers, balloons , flyers and other random Eastend supporting paraphernalia its time for the fanzine to stand down.
BCFC said opening the Eastend would make no difference! No Wurzel thy bissn't know what thee is on about! Fans in the Eastend by their constant support of the team put that point firmly to bed with a gert smack round the arse. The only thing holding the Stand back now is BCFC and their restrictions.
Ashton Vale may promise a sterile future where fans lose their identity but we still have another three seasons left in the Eastend reverberation zone. For those in there the goal has to be to keep the stand sitting alone as the maddest, strangest and constantly noisiest in the division. In support of our team we can continue to remind BCFC that football is about fans not reducing the day out to a point where "consumers" passively sit on their hands in a open amphitheatre [It Is stadium Mk Dongs this]
stuffed full of bars, food outlets and that essential concourse [The stadium would implode without one!] cutting the stadium in two.
So it's thanks to all who have contributed to editions one to nine and belated apologies to anybody who we forgot or failed to get back to.
Anyway once again drink up thee cider and we'll see thee in the play offs!!
