I went to the Bristol City v Cardiff City game on 25 August. I must say at the outset that I am not a fan of either team! However, I live in Bristol and I go with friends who are ardent Bristol City fans. So it is as much about catching up with friends as it is watching a game of football. What a nice way to while away a Saturday.
As I go to several Ashton Gate matches every season I have a members card. It is really easy to ring the stadium and pay and they sort the card entry system out for you. The added bonus for the 2012/13 season is they no longer have an annual renewal charge. Also, I gather entrance prices for the card members are now variable and based on the opposition and how far in advance you book the ticket. I think this is a much better way of doing business.
Given that I live about 8 miles away from the stadium, travel is easy. In fact as my friend has a car park pass at the Winterstoke car park end, then it’s a doddle.
My friends and I have a long standing joke about the food outlets outside the ground. It’s all about pricing . Who in their right mind is going to pay £6.50 for a bacon and sausage baguette? Well, not me or anyone else I guess. And my long standing gripe is about the tea. For £1.80 you get a small cup with no lid. Price I pay elsewhere is usually around £1. I have no problem paying £2 for a cup when it is a decent size – and comes with a lid. Yes, I have a thing about lids where hot water is concerned.
I gather there are new style food outlets within the ground, but I did not try them on this visit.
I usually watch the game from high up in the Dolman stand and a photo of my view is hopefully on here. It is nice watching high up as you can see the formations and tactics in action.
View from my seat
As for the game itself, Bristol City won 4 – 2. I did not rate the Cardiff team and they do not look like the force they have been over the past few seasons. Perhaps they had an “off” day. Time will tell. Most of the goals came about via defensive errors. I am also not yet convinced that Bristol City are anything other than a bottom 10 Championship team. Again, time will tell. Needless to say, being a neutral and watching 6 goals go in, it was a very enjoyable experience and the time whizzed by. One final disappointment was the size of the crowd. Just over 14k for a game like this on a Bank Holiday Saturday. Where was everybody?
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