The Exiled Robin

Tuesday night wasn't your typical Ashton Gate night.  Opening the home campaign on a Tuesday night seemed strange enough, and that perhaps provided part of the reason for a relatively disappointing crowd of a little over 12,000. For those that were there however, the night is one they'll never forget.  It began with rumours buzzing around that another new player - to add to that of Steven Davies the previous day - was about to sign.  When Derek McInnes failed to present himself to the press pre-match and local journalists began tweeting about 'something going on', the rumour mill really picked up pace. Who had been seen around the ground? Who was that sitting in the Director's box?  Perhaps it was even a double signing, with both Sam Baldock and DJ Campbell reportedly interesting our young Scottish manager.  It soon became clear that whoever it was, there was an on-pitch half-time presentation planned to announce the new signing. The major risk to al...

The signing of Steven Davies seems an awful long time ago already.  Tuesday night's excitement - a win, four goals and another new signing - makes it seem like a distant memory but Davies' signing was, is, exciting and ambitious in equal measure. Coming off the back of a narrow and mildly encouraging defeat at one of the favourites for promotion, Nottingham Forest, many fans were discussing the need for some extra potency up front and, lo and behold, we finally land one of our main summer targets. I'm delighted that Ollie Wright of The Derby County Blog , who penned this piece for The Exiled Robin back in November upon the signing of another Stephen, Pearson, from Pride Park, has returned to these pages to offer a view on City's (penultimate) latest signing. " If the fact that Nigel Clough had been publicly challenging Steve Davies to step up and become a 20-goal striker this season is anything to go by, it's fair to say that the striker's decision ...

The latest guest post from Stu Radnedge reflects on an up-and-down week and the selection dilemma now facing manager Derek McInnes.     "After a week off from work, in order to move into my new house, I returned on Monday and received a lot of banter from my colleagues (Arsenal fans) who all knew I had attended the ill-fated cup-match. They asked what I thought and I said, obviously the result wasn’t what anyone wanted but when Elliott scored about five minutes from time – the blood coursing through my veins said “we’re going to win this” . After lots of laughter, they commended my spirit. When I arrived Wednesday morning, after texting the two in question with a stupid amount of “We’re going up, we’re going up, we’re going – City’s going up” messages after the match concluded 4-1, they didn’t seem surprised. Especially when I explained it’s probably the highest position we’ve been in and the largest positive goal difference we’ve had in two years – maybe more… ...

As with all of the greatest shows, they finish on a high and leave you wanting more.   And just when you think it’s all over, there’s a short encore which wraps everything up nicely and leaves you with a smile of satisfaction as you exit, ready to face the dark night outside. And so it is with pleasure I introduce Tom Langridge, a freelance sports journalist who is mad about Bristol City and looking to get into sports writing.   He has contributed this additional piece, focusing on the seemingly tough pre-season the players endured and then moving on to the hustle and bustle of the transfer window, to complete the picture on The Exiled Robin and setting things up nicely as you exit the site and begin thinking about heading up the M5, M42 and M1 for the start of the season. Tom writes match reports on City for the comprehensive football site It’s Round and it’s White so check out his writing by followinghim on Twitter here : “Excitement. Something...

The final season preview comes from a writer I've much-admired since I saw a series of well-written, well-thought out and ever-so-slightly quirky posts on his own website last year . Since then we've collaborated (albeit over a long period of time which meant a slightly flaky end product) on a review of how City play the so-called beautiful game in an early incarnation of The 72 Football's Tactics Bible . Thus I'm delighted to abe able to introduce Will Jones to the pages of The Exiled Robin - if you don't enjoy this then I'll eat my hat! "There’s a phrase you hear around the pubs and bars of BS3 most Saturday evenings, spreading across the city as the night draws on, uttered in homes at 5pm as the scores come in, and at workplaces the following Monday as bragging rights are conceded for a week.   It’s viral.   The more it’s said the more it spreads.   You’ve probably used it yourself, maybe often.   You’ll certainly have heard it. “Typical City”....

In the second of the season previews from guest writers, I'm delighted to introduce Dan Waters for his debut on The Exiled Robin. Dan began following City in 1996 and I'll let him explain further: "In my first game I watched Brian Tinnion smash a volley over Andy Marriott against Wrexham! 1996 was also the year that my parents moved me into the footballing wilderness of Dorset, and absence really does make the heart grow fonder! I'm now 26, living in Surrey and still a proud East End season ticket holder. A cautious optimist when it comes to our great club!" Season Preview: It's the 16th August 2012. After a thoroughly decent pre-season, Bristol City have continued that time honoured tradition of being knocked out of the League Cup at the first hurdle; and by a team from the basement division. At the time of writing August has yielded no new signings, to the frustration of fans and no doubt to the management team as well. However, we have trimmed t...

In his first post of the season, Stu Radnedge returns to The Exiled Robin with a take on City's latest cup failure "Always believe ­- two words that should resonate with the Ashton Gate faithful. I’m sure we can all recall that match where we sunk in our red plastic or wooden seat in the BS3 side of Bristol thinking ‘it can’t get any worse than this’. I’m not even going to begin this, the first of my blog contributions to The Exiled Robin this season, by saying that was how I felt on Tuesday night when I witnessed one of those performances. Put simply we didn’t look like we wanted it and the Gills, put simply again, did. Our visiting opposition did their travelling supporters proud. Credit where it is due, they took the game to us – in our back yard! Now I am not a scaremonger, and am known to always back my team through thick and thin. But what is a concern is, when will we break that City tradition? Not the goal scoring in the first round of the cup one, as ...

They say good things come to those who wait. Let’s hope so! I mockingly suggested on Twitter yesterday morning that City fans should enjoy the day, as it would be the only day in the calendar we would be in the League Cup (or ‘COC’ as they seem to have decided to rebrand it!).   I was mostly joking, I was mostly positive and felt, actually, this could be our year for a little run.   Sadly it was not to be. But let’s not read too much into one match.   The real business starts on Saturday and although it may be a long season ahead, the signs from pre-season were largely encouraging. I would have been the first to tell people not to read too much into those results for the past few years when they’ve been poor, so we must take them with a pinch of salt, but what particularly encouraged me on the face of the results was that we were scoring goals and seemingly playing a more attacking style of football.   After the relative drudge through the past two seasons, t...

A few weeks ago I invited members of the #bristolcitytwitterfamily to send me a season preview if they fancied writing for The Exiled Robin this season.   Work and family commitments mean I’m unable to write as often as I’d like, so I thought a freshen up with some additional contributors would at least maintain interest and hopefully prove variety is the spice of life! First up is Mark Fry, who is 28 and originally from Bath and I’ll let him take up the story from here: “I first started following City scores when I moved to Gibraltar in 1991 as my Dad has been crazy about them since the 60s. My first game was City 3 Swindon 1 in 1997 and I fell in love. I currently reside in Glasgow and try to get to 10-15 City games a season depending on funds. Outside of football I enjoy heavy metal, cycling, snowboarding and golf. I also have what I believe are the biggest Bristol City tattoos and flags. The 18th of August. It's the one date in the football league calendar where...