If you would like to send The Incider a letter, please email us at letters@theincider.com

Dear Incider

In the style of that classic British past-time of wanting teams at the top to fail, I must admit to taking perverse pleasure at Arsenal's "plight" at the top of the Premiership. Not only are they unable to keep up with big-spenders Bristol City (they have just spent £250k on a defender as that's all they can afford) but they're losing their talented youngsters to them as well. It's almost as much fun as watching the Gas flounder in their annual fight against relegation from the Football League!

Ian Marriner (Madger)

 

Dear Incider

Now's the time for a flutter on B.C.F.C.

Bristol's red aces have not won a divisional championship since 1955 - Ye Olde Division Three. That was, of course, the equivalent of today's Division Two. However, with the acquisition of Miller and Wilkshire B.C.F.C., in my opinion, now look a safe bet for the championship at last.

So with the beginning of the football league season now upon us why not get off to the bookies to put your money where my mouth is and back our mighty reds. You may still get reasonable odds.

If you want the chance of a lottery-esque payout. why not try one of these Championship accumulator bets:

Man Utd - Premiership Champions
West Ham - Division One Champions
Bristol's Red Aces - Division Two Champions
Huddersfield - Division Three Chamions

or maybe:

Chelsea - Premiership Champions
West Ham - Division One Champions
Bristol's Red Aces - Division Two Champions
Yeovil (the BCFC wannabes) - Division Three Champions

Depending on which players Chelsea's new billionaire Russian boss buys they may just snatch the crown from Man Utd. It is interesting to note that the only time Chelsea ever won a top flight Championship was in 1955 - that was the same year we last won a championship!!!!! So are the omens good for our promotion this coming season? Well I think so, so go fleece the bookies!

Clive John Hudson (The Red Goblin)

 

Dear Incider,

Being a City fan for twenty-odd years, I've learnt to take every game as it comes and not to get too carried away. The lot of a loyal robin is never an easy one and over a couple of decades or so has proven to be a rollercoaster ride for me. Still clinging to memories of past glories, defeat of Liverpool on their own turf, Wembley victory, previous promotions and most recently the Millennium stadium delight at seeing City win some second rate silverware in front of the sea of red that attended. But the memories are always fighting to stay ahead of the bad times. Successive relegations, losing to the Gas and almost going out of business all throb painfully at the back of the mind - and it'll be a long time before I forget about walking along North Street, quietly crying after the play-off aggregate defeat by fierce rivals Cardiff City, with the realisation coming on our own turf!

One last heartbreak was to come with the departure of our adopted Scottish son Scott Murray, knowing that if we had beaten Cardiff and gone on to win promotion, the nippy winger with an eye for goal could still be here. But the arrival of highly-rated Lee Miller from Falkirk soon raised hopes. The fact that City fans were key to initially bringing him to the club's attention is testament to the management, both playing and business management, that are now running the club. We now have a club that is being run on a sound financial basis, aiming to bring us out of debt and into profitability, whilst recognising that we needed to spend to increase our chances of achieving the overall targets. Maybe most importantly, they have shown a real willingness to take the fans seriously. With Danny Wilson agreeing a three year contract, it looks like the management foundation is in place and there to stay. As chairman Steve Lansdown has said, Bristol City need stability. With the finances slowly being turned around and Danny Wilson committing himself to the club for a few years, stability is what we look to be getting a firm grasp of and long may it continue. Better a club in the First or Second Division - even the Third, heaven forbid - than no club at all because its over ambitious spending has driven it out of business.

Whilst Miller has arrived to further bolster our attacking options up front, the supply line had been severely damaged with the departure of Scott Murray. Step in Luke Wilkshire, Middlesborough's Aussie Under-23 international, who has impressed in his limited first team action with the premiership outfit. He is a natural replacement for Murray who can also play more centrally in the midfield. With Christian Roberts capable of playing as a winger, Wilkshire's arrival looks to give us more attacking options from midfield than you might expect from the signing of a young Premiership reserve team player. With a couple of trialists at the club available on free transfers, City look to be improving the squad and building for the future. Even if the signings stop here, we can still be thought of as a potentially better side than we were for the last campaign, where we were unlucky to have found ourselves finishing third. Jermaine Brown from Arsenal enjoying a run out against Salisbury and netting a goal may go some way towards securing him a permanent contract with the Robins. We'll be hopeful that he can emulate the last player to come to the Gate via the Highbury reserves, a certain Andy Cole. Then there's the long awaited return to first team football of Lee Matthews and maybe a return for the great potential that is Simon Clist. Or maybe that's just never going to happen, we'll have to wait and see. Matthews has impressed in pre-season and with the huge level of competition for a start in the attack, things are looking good for the club's striking options.

We are thought of in some circles as favourites to win the Second Division. Sky's Chris Kamara also certainly fancies us. Surely this has to be our season? The way that our players have come on in the last season or so, with Danny Coles being a major success story from the Academy and with our shiny new signings, I can't remember feeling as optimistic as this in pre-season, I think I'm walking in a Wilson wonderland in fact.

The future's bright, the future's red and white.

Craig McCormick (Ni Knight)

 

Dear Incider,

It's that time again! The Friday before the start of a new season is the best moment in the football calendar. No disappointments, no embarrassing cup defeats, just pure unadulterated anticipation. From this point we can finish ten points clear as champions and get to the latter stages of the cup competitions. The same old voices on Twentyman Talks Back should be enough to warm the heart of any local football follower.

Of course, the reality will be somewhat different, but there must be real reason for ptimism among the City faithful this season. The loss of Scott Murray to Reading was a blow, but the signings of Lee Miller and Luke Wilkshire have gone a long way to offsetting that disappointment. The capture of Miller in particular was a great coup considering Wigan were also in the running to sign him.

From what we have seen in the friendlies, Miller looks an exciting prospect and with Lee Peacock in scoring form their partnership is one to really look forward to. Wilkshire has yet to make an appearance in a City shirt, but he has made enough Premiership appearances to suggest he will be a quality addition to the squad. Whether he takes the Scott Murray role or not, I'm sure that he'll be an excellent signing.

For the rest of the squad, another year of playing together can only have strengthened their resolve to go one stage further this time around. The stage seems set. The league is weaker this season than it has been for a while. Only QPR should pose any problems if we play to our potential. As fans we'll be there every step of the way - cheering City to what will be a long-overdue promotion season.

Come on you reds!

Andrew McGill (Bishopston Red)

 

Dear Incider,

Now that Gill Holt has gone for a season's maternity leave, I wonder if we will see a decrease in the number of City players requiring treatment for groin injuries?

Mr Disco

Dear Incider,

Another season kicks off and I think back to other random first games from 20-30 years ago.

In the early 1970s at home to Bolton, Bobby Gould tripped in the area and in falling accidentally headed the ball. It went in to give us a win!

There was also the glorious day in August 1976 when we just knew we were going to win at Highbury. I had predicted a 2-1 win though!

Two years later, I was serving with the RAF in Norfolk and we were all sat round listening to the first results come in: “Bristol City two…” I shouted: “Yes” and leapt up with arms raised only to have the other guys in the section laugh as the second part of the score was read: “Wolverhampton Wanderers three”. I just stared uncomprehendingly at the radio and waited for the correction to be announced. I rang home to be told the ref was terrible and had awarded four penalties!

Before the first game of 1979, I was thinking: “Mid-table last year, Europe this year maybe.” In 1980, ’81 and then ‘82 I assumed we were just bound to win and jump straight back up. Then in ‘83, Bristol City 4 - Mansfield 0 and my confidence was
restored.

I have other fond memories of first games:

In 1992 at home to Pompey I hear on the radio: “And after just three minutes we go over to Ashton Gate for the first goal of the new season.” Tht was an exciting game ending 3-3.

The other one was two years ago. I was delivering a minibus full of young people to a camp and at 3pm was midway between Stanstead Airport and the Dartford Tunnel with one hand on the wheel, the other popping stations for goal news. Finally I heard with trepidation that the first goal of the season has been scored at Northampton. Hearing it was a City goal – and then when the second and third went in - made me the most stress free driver on the M11 and M25!

Martin Thorn (22A)