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

Dear Incider,

I completely agree with RedTop's view that Rovers' relegation would benefit us. The sponsorship alone would be a huge boost and the additional fan base would push our crowd levels up. That's not because Rovers fans would suddenly start supporting us but because the fans of the future will only have one place to go to - Ashton Gate.

In an ideal world, it shouldn't rankle with us that people call us "Bristol". People say "Coventry", "Luton", "Leicester" etc. Why? Because there is only one team in that city.

That's what we want. I can hear the commentators now: "And today's top of the table clash in Division One sees Coventry take on Bristol at Highfield Road". Magic!

Keep up the good work!

Andrew McGill (BishopstonRed)

Dear Incider,

Frankly, I’m well past caring about the Gas. As far as I am concerned they are just another club that happen to play in Bristol. Just like the Mangoes and Brislington.

There was a time that I looked for their results but now I don’t bother. If they were to get relegated to the Conference I probably wouldn’t notice.

On another subject, at the beginning of this season I looked through several Division Two leagues of recent years to try and get an idea of how many defeats the promotion teams suffered throughout the season.

By and large it was fewer than ten defeats from 46 games.

At the time of writing, City have lost five games from 18. Simple mathematics/averages predicts that City (theoretically) will have lost another eight games by the seasons end. History tells us that with that many defeats promotion is unlikely.

But...stuff mathematical predictions! City’s current undefeated run has suggested that maybe, just maybe, Wilson has finally got a combination of youth and experience to blend effectively and put together some consistent displays. Who knows? Maybe City won’t lose another game all season!

But...Its not just down to ability. I believe City have had some good fortune so far and it has played a big part in the current run. By that, I mean opposition strikers missing sitters at Ashton Gate and City nicking goals in the last minute to steal maximum points, City’s shots ricocheting into the net and opposition ones missing. Wilson himself admits as much.

At the start of this season, City were getting all the bad luck - players sent off and the ball just not falling right. It’s only the law of averages that City are now getting the breaks!

Whether or not City can continue this current form will be partly down to chance. If lady luck continues to shine on us then I can see City finishing in the top two. If not then it’s another season watching Division Two football.

Hopefully City will continue to make their own luck, but I’m planning to keep wearing my red and white boxer shorts whenever City play because deep down I know that’s the real reason things are going well at this moment in time.

Alan Robinson (Robbored)

Dear Incider,

I thought I’d tell you how I heard about our Mansfield result.

I was depressed, to be honest. I’d just spent a day in Birmingham doing some Christmas shopping, so you can appreciate my mood. As I got back to my car the results were on Five Live. Then it got worse. Man United had scored five goals in a game I seriously thought they would lose. The jammy gits scored five goals! And then the announcer gets to the Division Two results. The tension mounts as he drones his way through the start of the alphabet but, no worries, I’m quietly confident…

Mansfield 4

Sh*t, sh*t, b*llocks, sh*t, sh*t. Isn’t that just typical City? We go ten games without losing and then get stuffed by the bottom team. I just knew it. Knew it. How depressing is that?

Bristol City 5.

Piers Chivers (Chivs)

Dear Incider,

I’m just browsing through the Internet, as you do, and stumbled across your site. I would just like to say what a great site it is. Having moved to sunny Southend two years ago I find myself surrounded by armchair West Ham and Arsenal supporters, so I have been glad to stand in the town centre and wave my season ticket around and just show these Cockney saddos what true support is.

So if there are any other Cidereds in the Southend area, drop me a line on phil.page@tiscali.co.uk Keep up the good work.

Phil Page (Southendred)

Dear Incider,

Am I the only one who thinks that Tony Butler is the long lost third Neville brother? Put a picture of him next to young Philip. It's uncanny.

No argument about which is the best defender.

Joe Salter

[Editor’s note: It would be churlish not to oblige, so here goes.]

Dear Incider,

For your musical section (a new feature perhaps)!

I am fed up with STILL getting jibes about 1982 from Gashead "mates". So I thought it appropriate that I remind them that they're currently on the crest of a slump.

To the tune of Singin’ the Blues ;

Well, we never felt more like singin' the blues
'Cause why is it that we always lose
So easy, why'd they do it this way?
Well, I never felt more like cryin' all night
'Cause everythin's wrong, and nothin' ain't right
Watchin’ you, you got me singin' the blues.

The moon and stars no longer shine
Irene is gone and I thought she was mine
There's nothin' left for me to do
But cry-y-y-y over you (cry over you)
Well, we never look like winnin' away
But why do I go 'cause I could've stayed
Watchin’ you, you got me singin' the blues.

Well, it looks like we are goin’ down
'Ole Graydon’s got a gert big frown
All season, why they playin this way?
Well, I never felt more like cryin' all night
'Cause everythin's wrong, and nothin' ain't right
Watchin’ you, you got me singin' the blues.

Gas for the Conference - it's gonna happen !

Cynic

[Editor’s note: Do YOU have some side-splitting alternative lyrics singing the praises of our Ashton Gate heroes or deriding our languishing neighbours? Send them to editor@theincider.com and we’ll publish the best. You could win a coveted Incider T-shirt.]

Dear Incider,

We all love the F.A. Cup. Simple as that. We all sit round the TV waiting for our name to come out of the hat (or is it a funny shaped bowl now?). I remember when we were draw against Liverpool in the cup a few years back. I can remember watching the draw and seeing that we were at home, then all of a sudden some bloke pulls Liverpool out!

We all joked that we would win (I was about 11 at the time!) even though most of us didn’t think we would. All the Liverpool “fans” in the school playground were saying they were going to win easily. As we all know that wasn’t the case. After we knocked Liverpool out the cup at Anfield the whole city went mad. Also, all the Liverpool fans couldn’t wait to get out the ground almost as fast as they run to the dole queue. That is what the F.A. Cup is all about.

Then, as always, comes the worst. Last year we were knocked out by Third Divison Leyton Orient at Ashton Gate. Also not long before that we were almost knocked out by non-league Kingstonian. Although we won the reply on Sky TV, it took a last kick of the game goal from Thorpe to give us that replay in the first place.

Now look at this year. The draw for the first round gave us a tie away to Heybridge Swifts. I had no idea who they were. My girlfriend and I just sat there looking at each other thinking: “Who the hell are they?” In the end it was an easy 7-0 win after Swifts hit the post in the early part of the game.

Now in the second round we have been drawn away to Harrogate Railway. It should be easy, but with Sky there again and an 11am Sunday morning kick off (buggers!) anything can happen. Most of us will stay at home as we don’t want to get up at 4am to go to a shabby ground that holds about 2,000. Then again, there are worse grounds - we could have been draw away to the Gas!

That’s all part of the F.A. Cup. Giants against minnows and there is ALWAYS the chance of an upset. If we pass Harrogate Railway in the second round, hopefully we can get an away draw at Arsenal, Man Utd or Chelsea.

That’s the good thing about the F.A. Cup - the luck of the draw. For all we know, we could have Harrogate Railway home to Arsenal in the next round, though we’d better hope that doesn’t happen.

With the magic of the F.A. Cup and Bristol City Football Club riding high in the league, life couldn’t get much better. could it?

Jason Smart (East Dundry Red)

Dear Incider,

The commentator on the Mansfield web site was amazed he was receiving email from the States during the match. As I'm married to a Chicago girl and am likely to move there some day (in the next few years) how many City fans do we have currently settled around the colony...any ideas?

David Hayward

Dear Incider,

IT’S TIME TO DEMAND JUSTICE FOR BOSTON!

With Christmas just around the corner, I feel its time to forgive and forget poor little Boston United.

At the start of the season they had four points deducted...and for what? A bit of financial jiggery-pokery?

We all do it at some time!

I think the F.A. has been way too strict with Boston United. Where's their sense of humour? It’s time they forgave Boston United (just like they forgave Spurs a few seasons back) and gave them their four points back.

Sadly, this would drop the Rovers into the bottom two and would probably mean relegation to the Conference at the end of the season, but if that’s the price we have to pay, then so be it.

Andy G

Dear Incider,

I remember watching an old horror video recently called The Puppet Master which immediately springboarded my mind back to the summer of 1959, when I spotted Dai Ward (he of the Welsh Gas) selling ice cream to all the children...it made me shudder.

Eldered 55

Dear Incider,

Hi! Just to let you know on the previous vote (best strike partners) you wrote that you assume people thought Matthews should be included. As you may well know if you ASSUME you make an ASS out of U and ME...

I voted that it should be Beadle and Peacock (at full fitness). Up the City!

Jude Burns

Dear Incider,

I think Roberts is the most improved player at the club this season. He is the most in form striker so far. He will get better and better during his career. C’mon Roberts.

Ryan, age nine.

Dear Incider,

Excellent site lads, keep it up. Also keep the funny pics coming. Oh, and a quick note to say Edson Tales and OnYerRedTop are a very enjoyable read.

Simon Cooper (Young Cider Red)