Hold your heads up oh fine coves and the Mad, bad, drunk and lazy of the Holy Eastend for you continue to play that blinder. Our Cow Shed is setting it's own path and not being influenced by the face painted whooping whopperism of Soccer AM. The adage is being applied thus:
"We don't want bland generic songs, the type which can be found throughout the sea of half empty modern concrete bowls that we come across on our travels- Leicester till I die? Hurry up then."
A lofty goal of trying to be amongst the consistently noisiest in the championship was set and City's fans are now noted to be as good as any in the division by others. This is an achievement to be proud off when we only have 1200+ in the stand and no pay on the day. The goal now has to be a maintain the momentum the stand has and hope that if City do move Eastend style support is in the clubs minds although the signs so far look anything but encouraging.
We as fans do have a role to play. Much has been made by internet killjoys of Johnson's lauding above other stands of the Eastend. Johnson has it right. The benefits of positive support are quite simple to understand and fans won't help refs make those decisions they should not get wrong by appealing for sweet FA. It's a game of small margins and our support urging players on after every ball can make one or two moments turn in our clubs favour.
We've said all along that positive support gets through to the players. It's unbelievable and makes you feel ten inches taller, two yards quicker and work even harder
GARY JOHNSON
When you hear the fans you tend to want to fight more for the result
PAUL CHEESLEY
Lets make BCFC's players proud to play for us. Some of em might well be mercenary blockheads but we can still attempt to affect them even so.
A small bout of the told you so shall start here as in a previous edition of Three Lions and a Robin we encouraged fans to congregate further forward in G block away from the rear section. Well due to minor problems along the walkway [presumably?] the back is now taped off and the outcome has been? Don't move noisy bastards this is how a traditional end is meant to work with the noisiest being the focal point in support of Gods own red and white warriors of BS3.
The Eastend is now benfitting from an extra 20 watts of Piezo Dynamic technological supporting equipment output after one of the Wesson Super Mare sorts shelled out £50 to get our stand a needed upgrade. Evidently it can be heard warbling away from the Atyeo and moved one fan on the Dolman top wonder what the sound coming out of the tannoy was!! No doubt at some point Mr and Mrs Curmudgeonly will complain but it has it's benefits. The lovely Euro style supporting equipment has a sort of air raid siren facility … it goes WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO. One idea is to use that air raid WOOOING thing followed by BOOM BOOM JAMIE McCOMBE BOOM BOOM JAMIE McCOMBE when the great Red Troll of the West lollops forward for a corner in front of our sacred Cow shed. It' ll work if only we could remember to do it. It is also worthwhile membering that we use it only with the blessing at this point of BCFC. So no getting all self indulgent roaring through the thing constantly as it there to add to the atmos and above all:
Double plus serious Megaphone etiquette
- Thy shall not use the holy Piezo Dynamic technological supporting equipment to shout at the away fans from F block.
- Thy holy Piezo Dynamic technological supporting equipment shall only be used within G block.
- Thou shall not use the holy Piezo Dynamic technological supporting equipment to utter profane language but only to offer support to Gods red and white Warriors of BS3 and homage's to the mighty cider apple.
- Don't bloody take over!!
This should all add to the Eastend's general cacophony of noise along with Mabel. But it has to be done sparingly - point 4 Wessun mentalists or the batteries will come out!
Burnley saw the farewell to shores new of an Eastend stalwart in the shape of
The Lung bursting Eastender [AP]. A fitting send off saw the old, new and fuckin old taking drinks early doors in Hotwells at the Mardyke before moving on gracefully to the Nova Scotia. Mirth and strangeness ensued at the sight of numerous balclavad'd up blokes looking a bit too much like Loyalist Paramilitaries wandering around clutching pints of apples, a drum and Piezo Dynamic technological supporting equipment. The imbibing of apples, the sense of occasion saw suitably deranged support of the team inbthe Eastend drawing plaudits from Burnley support to make Wurzel blush:
"The Bristol City Fans behind the goal where the away fans sit are a credit to themselves, their team, and football in general. I know the stand is brilliant for acoustics, but what a racket they made. Almost constant singing from kick-off to end. Although the drummer did his best to ruin it for them (thank god we never got one), they sung original songs, and loudly. I don't think I've ever heard anything like it at a ground before."
"The Wedlock stand (mainly away fans) had a segregated section for home sections. one annoying drummer and all standing with no hassle from the ground authorities. Made sure we couldn't be heard and generated some good noise for the home team; shame all grounds don't take such a sensible approach."
"I thought the City fans were superb in the wedlock stand, non-stop home support is rare"
"fair play to your fans they never stopped singing all afternoon best iv heard for a long time even when you went 2-1 down. Had to laugh at the cider army never thought I hear the worzzels song at a football match, pure gold! Once again just how it should be"
Bristol City might be seen as some unfashionable backwater club but our fans are setting themselves apart. This is such a massive contrast to only two season ago when many fans were consistently embarrassed by our lack of vocal support and comments by our Chairman that "we were a traditionally quiet crowd"! It emphasises why fans lobbied the club so hard to try and restore the Eastend to pay on then day [ho hum!] City support and why we need a part of the proposed new stadium that is participating fan friendly. If the club want to see this type of support continuing in any move then it is paramount the design reflects this [it's not even close].
As foreseen "Never Mind the Warnocks this is the Eastend" went a bit of a pisser like. Streamers got launched all over the bloody place but what a merry debacle it was. The stand was buzzing by kick off even if the display wasn't. Its all good and that pre match buzz was evident in the support provided which was much of the reasoning behind it. The two are linked and it shows how a display can raise the level of support even before a ball is kicked instead of this sullen "the team has to raise the fans" bull! Something again will be attempted in the Eastend but we want to see the other stands join in. Lets get two or three stands doing whatever they want approaching kick off and we will have several stands with up for it fans ready to roar every player on.
So in the words of the wonderful Chemical Brothers we are going to "DO IT AGAIN" but we want to do it better and a bit differently. Lord Sean Donnelly of the 3 Lions West Street has offered use of his pub for another flag day early next season to help raise some money. But what we really need is hands to clean up the gert mess which is caused and that is the one which puts the peepaw involved with this off doing it all again sooner. If you really want to see more of this livenin up Ashton Gate and helping to raise the atmosphere in one end at least help out via : Forza Eastend http://www.ziderheads.co.uk
Barnsleys keeper was greeted with a well over due return to an eighties pastime of sledging the goal keepers goal kicks via WHOOOOAAAAA YOUR SHIT followed with ever more ridiculous ARRRRRGGHHHH 's. All very silly on a gutful of cider and not so easy with a smokers cough but Keepers have had it too easy in front of the Eastend. It's time for every Keeper and opposition player taking a corner to be greeted by hoots of derision and cranking up the intimidation will have players shanking the ball into nowhere.
''Gary Johnson is asking supporters to join the East End carnival for Saturday's home match with Blackpool. With the Seasiders likely to bring less than 200 supporters to Bristol, the club has released 1,000 seats for sale to home supporters in the Wedlock Stand. With a sell-out figure of 1,200 season card holders in that stand, it could mean up to 2,200 fans filling one half of the stand come Saturday afternoon. "They've been bouncing around for ages in there and it's helped no end," City manager Gary told www.bcfc.co.uk today. "It's great that the club has been able to get more fans in that area and anyone buying a ticket for the East End should be prepared to sing, bounce and join the carnival."The vociferous support has been fantastic, so thank you.''
BOUNCING …Lordy a Monster has been created! Like that thur Piezo Dynamic technological supporting equipment and Mabel the drum this should not take over the Cow Shed. Johnson said [IT WAS SAID NOT SAYS] grew out of a Yellow Sub Chant in 2007 as a response to comments made by the manager about getting behind the team … JOHNSON SAID GET BEHIND HE TEAM! The bouncing bit was added on a cold tuesday night in the Eastend V Ipswich and then some bright spark came up with Dolman stand bounce two years later. Its not totally original as West Brom bounce to Boing Boing while Glasgow Rangers have their Bouncy Bouncy. The Glasgow Rangers point was relevant to the Eastend as a few of the 242 Eastenders early last season had wanted to do something similar without blatantly copying like dullards from Reading would off the Gers as they also follow the Teddy Bears.
We are not Reading who only have one song lets keep the bouncing down for full effect instead of the young un's going Dolman Stand bounce around, Williams Stand bounce around, Atyeo bounce around, Ashton Gate bounce around, Stewards bounce around, Johnson bounce around, Keith Millen bounce around, Ball boy bounce around, away fans bounce around, Spension Bridge bounce around, blade of grass … Please God stop there or we will end up hating it. It should be about spontaneity not distracting our own players at corner kicks by imitating space hoppers every three or four minutes. Our support is about more than one song fellow Wurzels. It's great that it brings attention to our club even BBC and Radio Bristol have been in touch but remember Wurzel it was all about getting behind the team.
The Brian Forest game saw another visit from the Netherlands top fans of Willem II. West Streets pubs were visited prior to the game and all thirty one gained tickets in advance for the Eastend by the clubs safety officer ... Top work there. Post match saw drinks at the 3 Lions followed by drinking till AM at the Miners. There will be another group of Wurzels heading to Tilburg before the end of the season to carry on the party.
In homage to our fine Dutch friends this little ditty plagarised from Willem II has been sung in the reverberation zone as suggested in the last edition of this fanzine. This WILL take hold, sounds great and is the sort of song which all can join in with.
Our name is Bristol City
We play at Ashton Gate
So come on all you City fans come and celebrate
Ohh Bristol City
Cider Army
Cider Army
And finally February saw Bristol City's scary conceptual design for the new stadium first revealed in August 2008 really shown it's feared ugly side. As predicted this build in nerdy speak is: A metaphor of the neo-liberal epoch of the past 15 years where more value is placed on catering for the needs of the very elite of society than the contribution the great unwashed make.
Forget a stadium that is unique, forget a stadium brimming with character and forget a stadium that's is atmospheric. Behind both goals are testaments to BCFC's lack of ambition. City fans are expected to get behind an end that is startling in it's awfulness. One dull open tier, one dull open tier that is part of one continous 360% mind numbing uniform design, one dull open tier that is COMPLETED with a temporary disproportioned high roof giving it a Bus Stop like appearance and the enhanced acoustics for the vocal fan of Ashton Court.
This design is every bit as poor as the Walkers is for the vocal fan. "oh it's the fans that make the noise yadayadayada" opine those won't sit in it. No shit Sherlock but the last two years should have provided an example of how even relatively small numbers of vocal fans make a difference when they are allied to a great acoustic environment in a stand they are proud of. Take away the pride in the stand and their identity starts to diminish. Take away the great acoustics and its gets harder to support the team. Example after example is there in its bland glory all over the Country to learn from and BCFC have chosen to ignore the example of fans under their hooters who have shown how to prevent that reoccurring.
Expect a few tokens to be thrown City fans way like the promise of an unreserved seat for some in this rubbish. Expect wittering about "Top" acoustic experts on the case ahoy. The same "Top" acoustic expert who worked on the HOK cauldron of noise Stadium MK Dongs. The same HOK who built those other cacophonies of sound Wemberlee and the ever vociferous Emirates!
Then there's the future and the idea of having a forty two thousand seater stadium with two tiered stands behind the goals. No Kops here please say BCFC we want a gert concourse splitting "OUR" Home end in two. A united stand provides united support. A split two tiered stand holding eleven thousand at Bristol City will sound like Arnos Vale! Imagine City v Blackpool in that? Their mental drummer will murder us on his own! Let's not forget to hire the top bit out to the Big yellow storage company mind.
If it all goes ahead and we are off to the A370 Fans will make their own mind up about the Bus Stop. Those who want to give this stand a go should contact the Supporters Trust with any constructive ideas they have although there will be no going back to the drawing board.
Sadly the time has passed long time ago for anything fundamental to be altered here and its all going to be about stretching back in those comfy seats enjoying the more congenial feel of the HOK designed stadium experience.
Expect in the too near future ever desperate attempts to rescue the atmosphere: Piped music, Club displays sponsored by McDonalds, Face painting, Jester Hats, Big Wigs and Clapping hands handed out to fans. Till then we still have OUR end. Lets continue to support our team in our own irreverent individual Bristol fashion. We have undoubtedly one of the best if not the best end in the division so lets keep at it. By 2011 we can hope that finally the Eastend will be returned to to support minus restrictions and we can give our club, history, team and stand the season long send off it deserves.
BRING THE NOISE
