The Exiled Robin

Last week an email popped into my inbox from my Dad, who had decided to pick up the virtual pen and key some thoughts on the start to City's season.  Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to upload this until now, so some comments (especially those on the transfer window) are a touch out of date, albeit, ultimately prophetic!  Over to Mr Binning Snr... "Gary Johnson always used to say that you have to wait for ten games to assess how you are  doing in a new season, and then reassess in ten game blocks. Well as we are fans we don't  need to wait ten games, do we?  We now have an international break after five games and I am  off to the sun (hopefully!) for a week, so that I don't miss a City match. Having seen every minute of every League game so far, I think that four points from five games is  harsh, when set against our performances so far. I suppose it could be a bit of a  reality check that in this much tougher D...

Wembley Stadium. The White Horse, Stanley Matthews, Wimbledon, Pearce’s redemption, Live Aid, Broken goalposts, Gazza’s knee, Coventry, Gazza’s flick over the Scots, Ricky Villa, Queen, Liverpool’s white suits, Di Matteo, Gazza’s screamer, 4-1 v Holland, Moran’s red card and, of course, some people who were on the pitch. If anyone tries to tell you Wembley has lost some of its old magic, that the multitude of club level games now played there means the mystique has somewhat disappeared, then try telling that to the 40,000 Bristolians who will be on the march up the M4 this weekend to watch our fifth appearance at the stadium. Let alone the nearly 30,000 Walsall fans who are delighted and overwhelmed to be making their Wembley bow. And yes, it’s ‘only’ the JPT, isn’t it? Well maybe, but to become the first team to win this competition three times would be a great achievement, albeit one soured by the evidence it offers that we have spent far too many recent seasons playing ...

When the Top 25 players in the Championship were  named a year ago  on The Seventy Two, it was a one time view of players at the time.  Nearly half of the list are now at Premier League clubs which indicates some level of accuracy in the view.  This week's review finishes here with a look at the final five names on the original list - with perhaps the biggest star wrapping things up. Leeds United have had some very good players over the past two or three years - and most of them now play for Norwich City.  It has been a curious sideshow to the Ken Bates era but one which the Canaries have benefited greatly from, particularly with this player's signing.  I enlisted the help of  Little Norwich  to give me a view on the latest player to meander down the well-trodden path. Robert Snodgrass:   Top 25 review from 2011 Club in Dec 2011:  Leeds United  Club now:  Norwich City Progress made?  Moved to the Premier Lea...

I wanted to share some of my recent offerings on other websites. Hope you enjoy! Firstly, a review of the big winners and losers of Transfer Deadline Day on @The72Football : http://theseventytwo.com/football-league/championship/2012/02/02/the-football-leagues-winners-and-losers-in-the-january-transfer-window/ Next up are two previews of the home game against Leeds for two different sites; 'The Scratching Shed' and 'The Offside - Leeds' : http://www.thescratchingshed.com.customers.tigertech.net/posts/away-fans-views-bristol-city-a-2/ http://leeds.theoffside.com/team-news/interview-with-an-away-fan-bristol-city-2.html Finally, just to act as Mr. Smarty Pants, my preview of the last week's Reading game for @TheTilehurstEnd , including an unfortunately accurate prediction of the impact the signing of  @JasonRoberts30 would have on the outcome (and a pointer towards Peterborough's prospects that seem far more real after a heavy home defeat)... http://t...