Bristol City FC v Rushden & Diamonds

Friday 12th March 2004    To just view images click here

When the results are not going your way why not relax and enjoy yourself?

14 of us gathered at 5.30pm outside of the Commercial Office at Ashton Gate to meet Mark Wederell, Events Organiser (and incidentally the match day announcer). Ash had failed to turn up and Martin was late but caught up with us later.

First stop was the players changing rooms.

Our guide, who on match days also looks after the mascots, took some delight in describing the palatial home dressing room with windows, air conditioning, large bath and showers with the more cramped , no windows nor air conditioning away team room! 

 Apparently is has not been unknown for the temperature in the away team room to become how shall we say uncomfortable prior to kick-off. Psychology!

   Discipline is important within the game. We heard how Danny Wilson maintains discipline. How important it is to be on time and to be personally responsible for warming up properly!

      Straight ahead for the pitch.

A professional footballers lot can be a very good one when you are fit. If you have an injury though it can be tough. Hours can be spent in the gym or on the psychic's couch, but the money is good!                  

Having given our brains something to digest it was now time for our stomachs.

KFC was the order of the day and as Ash didn't turn up some lucky ones got an extra piece with their chips and soft drinks. Not 'A la carte' but it certainly filled a gap. 

  Having said that guess who also bought a hot dog at half time.

 No prizes! 

Time for a couple of 'Team' photo's before heading for the Williams Stand.

A chilly night but not as bad as it was only the night before. No snow but a constant light rain only just (most of the time) kept off us by the stand roof.

The crowd of about 12,500 was building and it wasn't too long before the teams were out on the pitch ready for the start.

Now as you will see I was keeping a pictorial record of our trip. This was however to get me in the bad books of Steward Number 48 as unbeknown to me apparently photography is not allowed! I thought perhaps it was due to the flash so turned it off but this still got me a 'finger wagging'. Oh well. Below is No48 caught on camera before I was told not to!          

The game? Well I'm not a City nor Rovers fan but I can't say I was over impressed. Okay City didn't come under any sort of sustained pressure and had most of the play but also failed to really threaten the Rushden goal for long periods. Tommy Doherty, Northern Ireland international player and team captain went off in the second half after sufferring from what looked like a somewhat innocuous knock but by that time City were one nil up from the first half. Not that I know a lot about football but I thought Doherty may have possibly been carrying an injury, as prior to the knock fitness seemed to be a problem. A win that keeps them in the hunt for an automatic promotion place.

Final whistle and back to the car. An enjoyable evening which I hope was enjoyed by all (even the Gas Heads!).

See you at Paintball.