Opening the East End was never about selling season tickets it was about promoting BCFC via the vibrancy of it's support, providing an area of the ground for vocal support to gather and attempting to keep the support we have who are disillusioned by the lack of atmosphere at the Gate while attracting lapsed fans back. It was all part of a bigger picture where fans young and old, paying on the day or possessing season tickets would gain a firm niche in the future of Bristol City fc by simply relentlessly supporting the team.
Opening the East End was going to be an act that would help heal much of the antagonism between fans and board by offering both fans and club a new start which combined with promotion "should" have left an enduring feel good factor around the ground.
Fans had promised to not simply do nothing if the East End was opened hence Ideas like Forza East End were formed, a pro East End fanzine set up, new flags designed and purchased for the East End, East End badges appeared all before the season started with the view of promoting our club. In turn it was expected the club would give the stand a fair chance of success!
Quickly it transpired that BCFC was to offer no under sixteen season tickets and under sixteen prices well above those of the Atyeo. This act ran totally against East Enders wishes of the stand being for all and acting as a place where young supporters would start a life time of support, attracted by the spectacle of noisy support and being for families wanting to take part not just spectate.
More followed the as club seemed to be giving out contrary advice to fans wanting to purchase season tickets for the East End and a yes you can no can't purchase tickets on the day for the East End approach.
The QPR game saw a superb Murray strike but supposed fellow fans criticised the behaviour of support in the East End while seemingly ignoring fans being ejected from another stand in the stadium. Such was the severity of the so called trouble in the East End where no punches were thrown between supporters over a thirty feet gap that the Evening post, Western Daily press, Sunday Independent or any QPR website failed to mentioned it.
Following a meeting between the Supporters trust and the club to discuss amongst other matters ticketing for the East End the following statement was issue on the trust website :-
The club wishes to clarify that a minimum 1,000 tickets will be available for sale in the East End for future home games (this figure includes season tickets). Depending on demand, this could increase for certain games. Tickets are already available for Scunthorpe and can be purchased in advance up until 11am on the day of the game.
In the following days fans were not allowed to buy tickets for the East End v Scunthorpe and Man City. The club staff then stated that only season ticket holders would be admitted in future despite this information clearly being the opposite to what was advertised on City's website. Finally after the news had been emblazoned over the one team in Bristol forum and yet another PR gaffe became apparent the club put out an announcement:-
Following discussions with Avon and Somerset police, the club have announced the East End will be only used by season ticket holders unless demand dictates otherwise. Incidents at the QPR game led to six arrests and a subsequent review by police and club. For the current time, tickets will only be sold in the East End for overflow purposes should sales dictate Further discussions are due to take place with ;police in the near future.
This decision clearly was in stark contrast to discussion only the previous week where the club had clearly informed the Bristol City Supporters trust that the stand was open to all. If there had been a proper process of consultation with supporters groups important points would have been noted ;-
Police and the safety officer do liaise with each other.Stewards are given a briefing by the chief steward or the training officers and information such as such as tickets sold and any problems expected by the club is shared.
This was a policed match where risk had been identified but police were not in position at kick off time.
Segregation netting was not in place in the manner it had been v Brentford and Rotherham allowing fans to simplly walk around it from both sides.
There were only minor incidents with just juvenile and rather embarrassing posturing between fans despite the inherent risk present in having no police and only a few stewards between thousands of supporters fifteen minutes before kick off time.
Six fans being arrested is six too many but if convicted they will be punished by the courts and banned like they should be. But When the above is taken into consideration it seems inconceivable that a appropriate response to a tiny group's stupidity but also a failing in basic stadium management is to punish the innocent. Surely sense should prevail and good will be extended by BCFC to its own supporters in the East End.
A scenario where the East End is only used where, "demand dictates" looks like expediency and is guaranteed to foster yet more ill will towards BCFC. BCFC cannot be happy with the present situation where City fan is segregated from City fan, fans in the East End cannot even watch games with their own families unless they also buy season tickets and where fans have purchased season tickets for a stand where they truly believed being able to bring friends along was part of the deal. This action after just ninety minutes v QPR simply looks utterly wrong and unjustifiable unless there was really no desire from Bristol City fc to open the stand in the first place.
Bristol City fc has to be better than this, restore what was originally in place for East Enders, was campaigned for by Bristol City supporters and supported by fellow fans wanting others to have a choice. We can then all get back to what is important, supporting the team.
"It was a great atmosphere and I always thank them anyway even when we get beat but I thought the lads behind the goal there worked very hard there in keeping going, on occasions when it was quiet, they got their songs going and suddenly all around the ground joined in, umm and you have to give credit where credit is due, they gave us
some good support just at the right times and you need that support when there is only one goal in it at times "
Gary Johnson on Bristol City world after City v Scunthorpe.
An East Enders appeal
A clever chap once came up with the line "an away match" at home regarding the East End. It f###ing is from now on despite all the wasted talk on BCFC of the East End being - " about including all walks of life regardless of how large their disposable income is and proving that "Bristol your City" really means "your", The 242 fans in the East End have been shafted by BCFC and now just have to get on with supporting the team without their mates, families or guests from other clubs being able to join in or experience what is going on. Unless of course ££££'s come into and the East End can be used because the attendance will dictate it.
Forget the clubs make believe " riot" v QPR so far support in the East End has been superb and has improved since opening day. After the bombshell that only season tickets holders would be able to access the stand unless it is convenient for Colin Sex it was quiet surreal walking into a stand v Scunthorpe which was 75% empty. After all the effort Bristol City fc decided to place an asbo on it's own support which just seemed to spur Wurzels young and old on in the East End even more moving Gary Johnson to comment - "It was a great atmosphere and I always thank them anyway even when we get beat but I thought the lads behind the goal there worked very hard there in keeping going, on occasions when it was quiet, they got their songs going and suddenly all around the ground joined in, umm and you have to give credit where credit is due, they gave us some good support just at the right times and you need that support when there is only one goal in it at times ".
V Man City the numbers were down even more and Wurzel City was outnumbered ten to one stirring Wurzel fans to move the bar a bit higher and this time barely shut up for ninety minutes much to the bemusement of the Mancs to our left.
Gary Johnson knows the score "I am a fan of having that stand open"! Unfortunately somebody somewhere seems to disagree with our manager that having the East End open [truly open] makes no difference to the players or atmosphere at Ashton Gate. Those points were laboured ad nauseam by Bristol City fc but Johnson disagrees and match days the songs can now be heard spreading from the East End through N and G block, in short it is working despite Bristol City attitude.
As fans we can't do anything about the numbers residing in the East End as you can't promote fresh air and state "come in the East End" because…………! We can continue to support the team at all times though. So how best to continue doing this and hoping it will continue to spread around the ground? The majority already sing in the East End and having unreserved seating gives the stand it's own dynamic where you can see young un's in their middle and to the right side and rear older Wurzels including a few faces from the eighties, seventies and even chaps of the sixties. Lets have Wurzel songs one after the other I am the cider drinker, blackbird, combine harvester and the anthemic Mother f###er drink up thy cider . We have a ready made repertoire of West Country beauties specific to Bristol, Somerset, the West, cider and City lets use them to get behind the club. Think of the stupefying looks on the faces of the hairy Northern as this baby can be heard .
When the moon shines on the cow shed
And we're rollin' in the hay
All the cows are out there grazing
And the milk is on its way
I am a cider drinker
I drinks it all of the day
I am a cider drinker
It soothes all me troubles away
Ooh aargh ooh argh aay
Imagine our East End fellows then following it up with yet more cider inspired homage in front of Northern monkies by bellowing!
Where be it Blackbird to?
I know where he be,
He be up yon Wurzel tree,
And I be after he!
Now I sees he, And he sees I,
Bugger'd if I don't get 'en
Wit a girt big stick I'll knock 'im down
Blackbird, I'll 'ave thee!
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
'Ow's 'E Fadder?
It's going to have the gravy stained hairy Northern ones jaws dropping but theres still morer cider hymns to follow and it's time for more the all mighty omnipotent Combine Harvester bursting forth from the East End cow shed -
I drove my tractor through your haystack last night
(ooh aah ooh aah)
I threw me pitchfork at your dog to keep quiet
(ooh aah ooh aah)
Now something's telling me
That you'm avoiding me
Come on now darling you've got something I need
Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester
An' I'll give you the key
Come on now let's get together
In perfect harmony
I got twenty acres
An' you got forty-three
Now I got a brand new combine harvester
An' I'll give you the key
Swithching from the Wurzels tip and into something a little different with this new ditty hailing from BS4 -
The famous Bristol City went to Rome to see the Pope
The famous Bristol City went to Rome to see the Pope
The famous Bristol City went to Rome to see the Pope
and this is what he said
Free Cider for the masses
Free cider for all
Barcelona Real Madrid I don't give a shit as long as theres cider in my jar
Finally it's the last attack, Wurzels knock out blow with our anthem drink up thy cider. The Northern Hairy ones will not know what to make of it at all and may truly end up believing we are all straw chewing yokels in a City over ran with cow shed dwelling smelly farmers which just happens to have a bloody good bridge.
Drink up thy zider George, pass us round the mug
Drink up thy zider George, the garden's ver'nigh dug
Thy cheeks bin gettin' redder
From Charter'ouse to Cheddar
An' there's still more zider in the jug ……..you surely know the rest!!
Rovers songs! lets stick em all together one after the other, Knockneed Hen, Stapleton road, my ole man, first you buy your levis………………it can be done Wurzel cider brothers and sisters we can make the East End work even better for the benefit of the team. Every corner kick has to be accompanied by sound when at our end and if City go one down instantly out comes the "C'MON UUUUU REDDDSS" like it did from Wurzels past in the B Block in the eighties and early nineties. Going one down is the cue to get louder, it's an insult, utterly utterly wrong, the temerity of it and must be accompanied by even greater efforts red Wurzel bretheren.
When the mighty fellow Wurzel Andy EastEnder flexs those powerful vocal cords rises and gives it his ferocious sugnature-
Give us a CCCCCCCCCCCCC
Ceeeeeeeeeee
And the IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Eyeeeeeeeeeeeeee
And a TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
And a YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Who's got a fat Dziekanowski
All East End chaps must then follow with -
To the tune of ''one team in bristol
"we got a fat Dziekanowski,
fat Dziekanowski,
we got a fat Dziekanowski
If we can get others to maybe transfer their season tickets to the East End and wring every last ounce of support out of the stand Bristol City fc might review their unjustifiable stance. It is an away match at home in the East End now but one where Gary Johnson and the players have shown their appreciation. Lets keep it up! We fellow red and white coves have to be utterly relentless in our support showing that vocal Wurzels are still a part of a bigger picture and an Integral part off Bristol City fc's future.
There are only 242 of us but unlike too few in the rest of the ground you have proved
the East End creates its own atmosphere instead of the team having to first create it. Keep it going chaps and Lady chaps you are doing the team and yourselves proud even if the club do not seem to want you at all.
BRING THE NOISE - FORZA EASTEND
