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Sean O'Driscoll: Some background reading

For the second of the three posts on Bristol City's new manager this week, I'm simply going to let others do the talking.  Settle in, they're all well worth a read!

I have found and sourced a series of excellent and descriptive posts from the most well regarded bloggers of Doncaster Rovers and Nottingham Forest, O'Driscoll's last two clubs, (I'm ignoring his Crawley holiday) regarding O'Driscoll and what he might bring to Ashton Gate.

First up, chronologically, is a writer whose work I always love reading for a fluid and eloquent style.  Glen Wilson, once of the excellent Viva Rovers is still the major contributor to their matchday fanzine.

These were his thoughts for the top football league blog, The Two Unfortunates...
http://thetwounfortunates.com/sean-odriscoll-a-primer/

...which followed this masterpiece on his own site, portraying a crystal clear level of dismay at the sacking that started the decline of Doncaster, and which kicks-off with this fantastic paragraph

"Little more than a year ago, aboard a Belgrade bound train at Bijelo-Polje on the Serbian-Montenegrin border. Hungover, sleep-deprived and nurturing an ill-thought-out late-breakfast beer, in the company of three fellow Wales and the loudest buffet car operator this side of the Caucasus’. After some time waiting the border guard appeared; he looked over my passport, smirked, and as he handed it back to me said “Ah, Doncaster… good football"."

How can you not want to read more?!
http://vivarovers.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/how-seven-days-ruined-the-reputation-of-doncaster-rovers/


Next up is, as mentioned in a later piece, an oft-quoted Goalfood interview with the man himself in which he's fantastically open, honest and unassuming about his success at Doncaster and football in general.  Just to give you a flavour, here's his first comment:
"Don’t ask me stupid questions. You know what I mean. You come off and you’ve lost 3-0 and they ask how does it feel or ‘are you going to get relegated?’ What am I supposed to answer? " 

Here's the rest of the brilliant interview:
http://www.goalfood.com/fanzine/interviews/june-2009-sean-odriscoll-interview.html


When O'Driscoll was appointed manager of Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2012, it appeared that, for once, rich new owners had done their research and had decided to give a well-established member of the old guard of English football - in the most respectful and nicest way - their chance with new funds and to build a squad capable of not only promotion to the Premier League, but survival.  Sadly for him and Forest (but thankfully for City!), 'twasn't to be and a few months later O'Driscoll was on his way.

Here is an interesting take on the appointment via Seat Pitch, from a previous contributor to The Exiled Robin, Peter Blackburn:
http://seatpitch.co.uk/2012/07/23/in-praise-of-sean-odriscoll/

Meanwhile, another previous scribe was at work on his own site.  James Bolton's view on 'View from the Main Stand' was equally effusive and positive...
http://www.viewfromthemainstand.com/2012/07/welcome-back-sean-odriscoll.html

...and was only matched by his sorrow at the all-too-soon sacking.
http://www.viewfromthemainstand.com/2012/12/sean-odriscolls-sacking-my-initial.html


So there you have it.  Hopefully you've enjoyed most, if not all of that and can feel positive about what the next few years, if not months can bring.  As I said yesterday, avoiding relegation this season remains a long way away, but if O'Driscoll can bring any of this highly praiseworthy commentary to fruition at Ashton Gate, it seems certain we'll enjoy his tenure.


The Exiled Robin



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