September 2019
southbristolvoice
36
n THE CITY PAGE
BRISTOL CITY ROUND-UP
Brexit (not that one!) gives opportunity for new European stars MARTIN POWELL says there is a real spirit of Euro unity at Ashton Gate but fans will only be happy if this translates to ‘les triomphes’ on the field after a shaky start
I
t is an interesting project and we are all keen to know whether people from many nations across Europe can form a union and achieve success. Of course, I’m not talking here about anything that involves a referendum but Bristol City’s season following a major influx of new faces. From France we have the “wonderkid” HansNoah Massengo, bringing a combination of youth, talent and an amazing haircut to South Bristol and likely to be an instant hit with young fans. From Hungary we have Adam Nagy, who impressed in his first game against Birmingham and looks like being a rock in the midfield. From Czechia (that’s the Czech Republic for older readers and Czechoslovakia for
pensioners) comes Tomas Kalas, who impressed so much last year he’s made a permanent move to be the pivotal defender. From Portugal we have Pedro Periera, who again made an impressive first team debut with a promise of more to come as he settles in to his new surroundings. With a new Irish back-up goalkeeper in Rene Gilmartin joining the ranks that already boast players from Austria, Finland, Wales, Senegal, Sweden and England it is no wonder that former City player Kalifa Cisse has joined the backroom staff as he speaks five languages. The two players that stood out in the first few games are both from these shores. Tommy Rowe looks like adding some muchneeded maturity to a team of future stars while Kasey Palmer,
Kasey Palmer walking out onto the pitch with his son who on loan last year never quite fulfilled his promise, looks as though he is gearing up for a top season. Of course with enough new arrivals to form a team it means some players exiting Bristol City (let’s make up a word and call it Brexit for brevity). Adam Webster secured a superb deal that sees him playing Premier League football and the club ploughing much of the money back into Europe as a result. Marlon Pack, a solid performer over many years, made a surprise Brexit to Cardiff in a last-minute surprise deal. For Jamie Paterson and Mat Taylor, although there was much talk of a deal the deadline came and went and now Paterson finds himself on loan in the same division while Matty Taylor has to examine what “no deal” means for him. Let’s hope he gets an opportunity to play his part in the season ahead alongside newly
recruited Benik Afobe, as he has always given 100 per cent and is a fans favourite. August looked like a difficult month from the second the fixture list was published and a defeat in the first game at Leeds meant that all the talk of “team bonding” in Florida sounded a little hollow and sparked the influx of new players. Defeat in a penalty shoot-out against QPR means interest in the Carabao Cup is already over and an early injury to Jay Dasilva, who many thought would make an impact this year, shows just how hard it is to predict success. One thing is certain ... Bristol City as a business is making real progress. The value of the assets that each of the players represent has risen enormously in the last two years. The club is now trading players in the £8 million to £20 million category. But fans will only be happy if the value of those players equates to results. The hard work of bringing all the players together into a European Union that is popular with the public has just begun for Lee Johnson and his team.
Martin’s shorts
Former City player and Bristolian Steve Stacey is back at Ashton Gate on the evening of Friday September 6 (7pm) as his story “The Colour of Football” is published. He was the first black African-American to grace the game. He currently lives in Australia.
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