| Mark Ashton 16:59 - Dec 7 with 5066 views | quad |
I liked Paul Cook and personally would have given him a bit more time. I can fully understand why the decision was made to sack him though especially based on performances since the Wycombe game.
Putting that aside, I don't know Mark Ashton or what goes on behind the scenes but my gut feeling is that I don't particularly like him based on a few things.
1) That thing with the fans away at Lincoln was really cringeworthy. If I'd been there in the crowd I might have enjoyed it to be honest but in hindsight it was really embarrassing and almost as bad as Delia's rant. At least she had the excuse that she was p*ssed whereas he just came across as being a bit of a tool. No, a massive tool.
2) What the Bristol City fans have said about him. No smoke without fire. He does seem to have a massive ego and everything is about him and he comes across as narcissistic.
3) The pre-rehearsed speeches and tired old cliches he uses. He certainly talks well and says all the right things but..... just because he talks a good game doesn't necessarily mean he is good for the club.
4) He clearly had a very pivotal part in sacking Cook. If it wasn't entirely down to him he certainly had a major part to play in getting him sacked. Like I said I don't know him but he seems a bit of a snake.... bet he was all sweetness and smiles to Cook's face. Seems to have been an element of backstabbing going on.
5) The Norwood thing. I admit that I like Norwood despite all his off-field shenanigans. Norwood's tweets about Cook speak volumes. Clearly Ashton orchestrated Norwood being transfer-listed. I don't believe Ashton when he said that Cook could select whatever subs he wanted. I definitely believe Norwood on this one.
6) ITFC have decided to just sack Cook without sounding out a replacement manager first? Come on, really?? Are we expected to believe that?? It's a bit of an insult to fans intelligence really isn't it?? But Ashton certainly knows how to put on a front and say the right things but can't help thinking that he's somewhat conniving.
Just my thoughts and gut feeling, hopefully I've got him all wrong. Still feel like this sacking might come back to bite us in the ass. And if Norwood goes to Oxford it will definitely bite us in the ass. |  | | |  |
| Mark Ashton on 18:11 - Dec 7 with 1415 views | Fixed_It |
| Mark Ashton on 18:08 - Dec 7 by quad |
I'm not getting annoyed or grumbling about anything. I'm not predicting that Ashton will fail either.
I'm just concerned that Ashton appears to have too much of an ego and control over issues which shouldn't be a part of his job description which might hinder a new manager who might be put off by his interference and wondered what others thought about that. |
It's normal. Just not what we have had at Ipswich before. We had Evans, and his powerless puppets. I know which I prefer. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 18:32 - Dec 7 with 1384 views | Vic |
We can only judge him on what and how he’s done since he’s been here at ITFC. And as someone asked yesterday - what has he actually done wrong so far? In the thread that followed I don’t think anyone could throw anything at him!
Personally I think he oversaw a phenomenal recruitment initiative in the summer, and he got the timing of Cooks dismissal absolutely right. Re Norwood, if it was his call to have him not selected then I think he got that right as well. As someone who’s best mate was killed by a drunk driver I have no time for them.
We’ve had a couple of BCFC fans on here recently saying what a disaster he was there and at Watford - two clubs that are now regularly competing at a level they have hardly ever been before. I just can’t see where he failed!
Of course, he may turn out to be a bad ‘un, but whilst he gets things right I’m happy to have him him on our side. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 18:32 - Dec 7 with 1380 views | Radlett_blue |
| Mark Ashton on 17:15 - Dec 7 by RegencyBlue |
So basically you would prefer it if Marcus Evans was still running the Club.
Given he destroyed us on and off the pitch and brought us to pretty much our lowest level in 60 years I’d say Ashton was a massive step forward! |
Ashton isn't the owner, he's a slightly more competent version of Simon Clegg.
Yes, Evans became very hands-on after Keane & Clegg wasted so much of his money. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 18:43 - Dec 7 with 1375 views | Mullet |
Cook's Dad had just died, the poor bloke was living on his adrenaline. Lincoln were confident of doing us over, the season was wobbling a little and we did a number on them, shutting down Scully and taking a much needed win.
I was there, I really don't see it as anything more than you doing the same as people who took the p1ss or grumbled about Chambers' fist pump retrospectively etc.
Ashton is a tad Brent. People in his line of work are, they're bastards too because you have to be to make it. The same can be said about managers and players such as Cook. Judging people on their public persona in this way after your opening is just futile.
He did nothing but praise Cook's professionalism and talked about the decision was unanimous from the board. He's not putting that on record if it wasn't so as it will come back to bite him.
I don't see why there has to be this binary Ashton vs Cook narrative, as that's not how complex multi-faceted businesses run. Cook's position was clearly untenable in the eyes of the board, and he made sure of that this weekend by and large. That doesn't mean someone else has to take a large part of the blame, let alone solely because you have a gut instinct.
I'm baffled all this stuff from a bunch of trophyless small club cider guzzlers is seeping into the narrative already. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 19:08 - Dec 7 with 1332 views | BlueBadger |
| Mark Ashton on 17:59 - Dec 7 by mylittletown |
What? It is the 6th biggest city in England, they are very well funded, they have a really good stadium, fantastic training facilities. |
...and about as much history and tradition as Reading. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 19:24 - Dec 7 with 1323 views | Churchman |
| Mark Ashton on 18:32 - Dec 7 by Vic |
We can only judge him on what and how he’s done since he’s been here at ITFC. And as someone asked yesterday - what has he actually done wrong so far? In the thread that followed I don’t think anyone could throw anything at him!
Personally I think he oversaw a phenomenal recruitment initiative in the summer, and he got the timing of Cooks dismissal absolutely right. Re Norwood, if it was his call to have him not selected then I think he got that right as well. As someone who’s best mate was killed by a drunk driver I have no time for them.
We’ve had a couple of BCFC fans on here recently saying what a disaster he was there and at Watford - two clubs that are now regularly competing at a level they have hardly ever been before. I just can’t see where he failed!
Of course, he may turn out to be a bad ‘un, but whilst he gets things right I’m happy to have him him on our side. |
Spot on. That’s exactly where I am.
It’s amazing how a Bristol City [fan]’s frankly scary odd comments, let alone the collection of cycloptic saddos on their forums can lead people on here to by in to what they have to say about Ashton. Bristol local media view is different but hey, let’s ignore that.
There is little tangible he’s done wrong here. The beard, the celebration at Lincoln, the brummie accent, not good. Nothing else. So he might not like ‘Nors’ as people on here like to call him. Maybe the owners don’t like paying somebody like him. I wouldn’t blame them. Personally the day he moves on cannot come quickly enough.
I don’t know Ashton. Don’t wish to, but in six months he’s done more for this club than Dementor Evans and his pathetic toadies managed in 14 years. He and the club need support, not the weird pursuit of some looking for the next person to beat up.
This post has been edited by an administrator |  | | |
| Mark Ashton on 13:48 - Dec 8 with 1264 views | mylittletown |
| Mark Ashton on 19:08 - Dec 7 by BlueBadger |
...and about as much history and tradition as Reading. |
Yes, history wins you a lot doesn't it? |  | | |
| Mark Ashton on 15:04 - Dec 8 with 1224 views | FevsBCFC |
| Mark Ashton on 18:02 - Dec 7 by Fixed_It |
I think you've totally misunderstood his job description if that's what you think. He runs the show - with O'Leary there to keep him in check. [Post edited 7 Dec 2021 18:03]
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Yep, that’s the role of a CEO.
Yep, re O’Leary too.
Of course, one could argue why a CEO is getting so heavily involved in recruitment, e.g. where’s your Head of Recruitment / Director of Football?
https://www.itfc.co.uk/club/whos-who/
Bowman has left? Re+united with Mick at Cardiff in the summer, although he’s since been sacked.
Gary Probert is not his replacement is he? Because that’s not his skillset. |  | | |
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| Mark Ashton on 15:22 - Dec 8 with 1203 views | FevsBCFC |
| Mark Ashton on 19:24 - Dec 7 by Churchman |
Spot on. That’s exactly where I am.
It’s amazing how a Bristol City [fan]’s frankly scary odd comments, let alone the collection of cycloptic saddos on their forums can lead people on here to by in to what they have to say about Ashton. Bristol local media view is different but hey, let’s ignore that.
There is little tangible he’s done wrong here. The beard, the celebration at Lincoln, the brummie accent, not good. Nothing else. So he might not like ‘Nors’ as people on here like to call him. Maybe the owners don’t like paying somebody like him. I wouldn’t blame them. Personally the day he moves on cannot come quickly enough.
I don’t know Ashton. Don’t wish to, but in six months he’s done more for this club than Dementor Evans and his pathetic toadies managed in 14 years. He and the club need support, not the weird pursuit of some looking for the next person to beat up.
This post has been edited by an administrator |
Churchman - Please don’t use the term “window licker”…it is deeply offensive. I have no problem with having different views on a forum to you, but abusive terms like the one above are not acceptable.
You don’t know Ashton, I’ve met him in both club and social circles. I have no dislike of him as a “bloke” per se, I deal with Corporate lingo every day of the week, so have no issues with the Brent-sins but he was part of a group that dragged Bristol City from a promising Championship club to the mess it is now. It wasn’t all his fault, but he was part of it.
What is the Bristol local media view of him by the way? You keep referring to it. I’d say it’s pretty non+committal! Our local radio presenter, an ex-pro is worth a listen to when he interviewed him over the 5 years here for example. Not as glowing as you’d like all on here to think.
You’ll be able to evaluate better when 1) you see which league you’re in next season, 2) when you start seeing your accounts published and 3) if The US guys keep investing like they have this season.
Hopefully O’Leary handles him better than Jon Lansdown (Our Chairman and son of owner Steve) and you get the best out the new regime. Too big a club to be languishing in Lg1.
I look forward to continue to watch you from afar….and contributing on this forum. But lose the immature name calling, does T do your posts any favours. | | | |
| Mark Ashton on 15:57 - Dec 8 with 1175 views | itfcjoe |
| Mark Ashton on 15:04 - Dec 8 by FevsBCFC |
Yep, that’s the role of a CEO.
Yep, re O’Leary too.
Of course, one could argue why a CEO is getting so heavily involved in recruitment, e.g. where’s your Head of Recruitment / Director of Football?
https://www.itfc.co.uk/club/whos-who/
Bowman has left? Re+united with Mick at Cardiff in the summer, although he’s since been sacked.
Gary Probert is not his replacement is he? Because that’s not his skillset. |
Gary Probert is his replacement, and with regards to not being his skillset the job path from Academy Director to Director of Football is well trodden throughout football.
He is now in charge of recruitment.
https://www.itfc.co.uk/news/2021/october/gary-probert-joins-town/
Gary, who officially joins on 1 November, will head up the Club’s recruitment, Academy, analysis, U23s and loans programme. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 16:00 - Dec 8 with 1177 views | RadioOrwell |
1. Didn't mind that at all.
2. Couldn't give a toss what BCFC think about him.
3. That's called management speak and if you've never heard that before you must be a child. If you want him to speak differently then you need to grow up.
4. It isn't clear he was pivotal in Cooks sacking. Even if he was - so what ?
5. No opinion. didn't follow it.
6. "Ashton certainly knows how to put on a front and say the right things" Good - that's his job. Whether you believe the sacking timeline or not is so so pathetically irrelevant I'll just leave it there. |  | | |
| Mark Ashton on 16:07 - Dec 8 with 1158 views | J2BLUE |
| Mark Ashton on 15:22 - Dec 8 by FevsBCFC |
Churchman - Please don’t use the term “window licker”…it is deeply offensive. I have no problem with having different views on a forum to you, but abusive terms like the one above are not acceptable.
You don’t know Ashton, I’ve met him in both club and social circles. I have no dislike of him as a “bloke” per se, I deal with Corporate lingo every day of the week, so have no issues with the Brent-sins but he was part of a group that dragged Bristol City from a promising Championship club to the mess it is now. It wasn’t all his fault, but he was part of it.
What is the Bristol local media view of him by the way? You keep referring to it. I’d say it’s pretty non+committal! Our local radio presenter, an ex-pro is worth a listen to when he interviewed him over the 5 years here for example. Not as glowing as you’d like all on here to think.
You’ll be able to evaluate better when 1) you see which league you’re in next season, 2) when you start seeing your accounts published and 3) if The US guys keep investing like they have this season.
Hopefully O’Leary handles him better than Jon Lansdown (Our Chairman and son of owner Steve) and you get the best out the new regime. Too big a club to be languishing in Lg1.
I look forward to continue to watch you from afar….and contributing on this forum. But lose the immature name calling, does T do your posts any favours. |
Why has this guy not been banned already? The more he talks the more some of our fans lap it up. The well is being poisoned and he should be banned. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 16:07 - Dec 8 with 1156 views | mrfixit426 |
| Mark Ashton on 16:00 - Dec 8 by RadioOrwell |
1. Didn't mind that at all.
2. Couldn't give a toss what BCFC think about him.
3. That's called management speak and if you've never heard that before you must be a child. If you want him to speak differently then you need to grow up.
4. It isn't clear he was pivotal in Cooks sacking. Even if he was - so what ?
5. No opinion. didn't follow it.
6. "Ashton certainly knows how to put on a front and say the right things" Good - that's his job. Whether you believe the sacking timeline or not is so so pathetically irrelevant I'll just leave it there. |
How ironic that a post telling someone to grow up is probably the most childish I have read on here in a long time. 🙄 |  | | |
| Mark Ashton on 16:08 - Dec 8 with 1151 views | RadioOrwell |
| Mark Ashton on 16:07 - Dec 8 by mrfixit426 |
How ironic that a post telling someone to grow up is probably the most childish I have read on here in a long time. 🙄 |
Go on. Explain. | | | |
| Mark Ashton on 16:11 - Dec 8 with 1124 views | mrfixit426 |
| Mark Ashton on 16:08 - Dec 8 by RadioOrwell |
Go on. Explain. |
Do really need to?
It's just full of insults and "couldn't care less" dismissive mini tantrums. | | | |
| Mark Ashton on 16:16 - Dec 8 with 1099 views | itfcjoe |
| Mark Ashton on 16:07 - Dec 8 by J2BLUE |
Why has this guy not been banned already? The more he talks the more some of our fans lap it up. The well is being poisoned and he should be banned. |
Why should he be banned? He is polite and answers other peoples posts - we know he has an agenda but he's not trolling or anythin | |
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| Mark Ashton on 16:17 - Dec 8 with 1097 views | RadioOrwell |
| Mark Ashton on 16:11 - Dec 8 by mrfixit426 |
Do really need to?
It's just full of insults and "couldn't care less" dismissive mini tantrums. |
You've got nothing at all. That's fine. Carry on.
I mean if you have a substantial point on Ashton you want to make please go ahead. | | | |
| Mark Ashton on 16:22 - Dec 8 with 1084 views | JDB23 |
These posts are getting incredibly tiring, fans brains melted by gossip from another fan base.
Apparently a CEO doing a CEO’s responsibilities is now a huge cause for concern, give me strength. | | | |
| Mark Ashton on 16:26 - Dec 8 with 1067 views | JDB23 |
| Mark Ashton on 15:04 - Dec 8 by FevsBCFC |
Yep, that’s the role of a CEO.
Yep, re O’Leary too.
Of course, one could argue why a CEO is getting so heavily involved in recruitment, e.g. where’s your Head of Recruitment / Director of Football?
https://www.itfc.co.uk/club/whos-who/
Bowman has left? Re+united with Mick at Cardiff in the summer, although he’s since been sacked.
Gary Probert is not his replacement is he? Because that’s not his skillset. |
And this post sums up why your opinion is pretty irrelevant.
“Where is your head of recruitment or DoF??”
Yeah, we’ve never had any of those. The club has had 0 infrastructure for decades. Ashton came into a barren wasteland. You can now see why even if he is all the things you say he is it doesn’t matter, because it’s still a massive step up from what we had before. [Post edited 8 Dec 2021 16:27]
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| Mark Ashton on 16:32 - Dec 8 with 1044 views | vanmunt |
| Mark Ashton on 15:22 - Dec 8 by FevsBCFC |
Churchman - Please don’t use the term “window licker”…it is deeply offensive. I have no problem with having different views on a forum to you, but abusive terms like the one above are not acceptable.
You don’t know Ashton, I’ve met him in both club and social circles. I have no dislike of him as a “bloke” per se, I deal with Corporate lingo every day of the week, so have no issues with the Brent-sins but he was part of a group that dragged Bristol City from a promising Championship club to the mess it is now. It wasn’t all his fault, but he was part of it.
What is the Bristol local media view of him by the way? You keep referring to it. I’d say it’s pretty non+committal! Our local radio presenter, an ex-pro is worth a listen to when he interviewed him over the 5 years here for example. Not as glowing as you’d like all on here to think.
You’ll be able to evaluate better when 1) you see which league you’re in next season, 2) when you start seeing your accounts published and 3) if The US guys keep investing like they have this season.
Hopefully O’Leary handles him better than Jon Lansdown (Our Chairman and son of owner Steve) and you get the best out the new regime. Too big a club to be languishing in Lg1.
I look forward to continue to watch you from afar….and contributing on this forum. But lose the immature name calling, does T do your posts any favours. |
How about you worry about your club and let us get on worrying about ours.. all this Bristol city hate about Ashton is getting really tiring. |  | | |
| Mark Ashton on 16:33 - Dec 8 with 1042 views | clive_baker |
| Mark Ashton on 17:12 - Dec 7 by BlueBadger |
Arguably, given they've spent most of their lifetime as a lower division side and haven't played in the top flight in over 40 years, I think you'd probably say that he's taken them as far as he could given their history and potential and left them in a far better place given they now appear to be an established Championship club.
Not sure how you could describe that as failure.
All the management speak and inspirational ballacks is rather wearing at times, though. [Post edited 7 Dec 2021 17:36]
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They also trebled their commercial revenue in the 3 years after he joined. Ultimately, that's a big part of his job, he's not directly responsibly for results on the pitch. He won Championship CEO of the Year, they dealt well in the transfer market too, Adam Webster being one that springs to mind, I think they made c. £15m on him. Improved the infrastructure and off field side too by all accounts. He doesn't have a magic wand to win football matches.
Would agree he's a bit Brentesque in his style though. |  |
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| Mark Ashton on 16:48 - Dec 8 with 997 views | J2BLUE |
| Mark Ashton on 16:16 - Dec 8 by itfcjoe |
Why should he be banned? He is polite and answers other peoples posts - we know he has an agenda but he's not trolling or anythin |
Because he's on a mission to discredit Ashton and we have some fans parroting back every word. His presence is not helping us in any way. | |
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| Mark Ashton on 17:25 - Dec 8 with 929 views | FevsBCFC |
| Mark Ashton on 16:33 - Dec 8 by clive_baker |
They also trebled their commercial revenue in the 3 years after he joined. Ultimately, that's a big part of his job, he's not directly responsibly for results on the pitch. He won Championship CEO of the Year, they dealt well in the transfer market too, Adam Webster being one that springs to mind, I think they made c. £15m on him. Improved the infrastructure and off field side too by all accounts. He doesn't have a magic wand to win football matches.
Would agree he's a bit Brentesque in his style though. |
All good points, some he played a key part in, others he didn’t. The structure of Bristol City is split apart into Football (Ashton’s remit), Stadium and Shared Services with Basketball, Rugby, Women’s Football and City. The accounts tell a slightly different picture, but hey-ho.
He got some great fees, Webster, Kodjia, Reid, etc.
As fans we are still trying to work out where the new training ground sits, because it’s not part of the group structure above. It belongs to Steve Lansdown (it all does ultimately).
As per my first post, I think he’s a good football administrator (hence CEO of the year), but he is a footballer wannabe and too involved in inbound recruitment….and I mean helping to choose the players. Alongside Cook (remember “collective fault” not all Ashton) you’ve ended up with a disjointed, expensive squad that isn’t delivering on the pitch.
As fans of any club, that’s the main place where we want our club to be a success. The rest is not really a worry, unless you’re gonna be shafted by your owner like Derby County. Many Derby fans still think he’s the bees knees. Unbelievable.
Most of my posts are observations (many fact based) about his time here, I try not to have an agenda, I’m not trolling, it’s interesting reading and watching it all play out. I’m sure like us all a bit of bias comes through.
I try to be polite. I don’t think I’ve been rude to any one. It was your forum that wanted someone from Bristol City to come on to your forum to give a view on Ashton. My post on 2nd Sept was just that. You can take it and subsequent posts for what it is. Nobody knows a club like it’s own fans.
I will leave writing any more posts until I see your head-coach appointed, I hope you get a really strong manager / head-coach announced.
Have a nice day. | | | |
| Mark Ashton on 17:40 - Dec 8 with 903 views | RadioOrwell |
| Mark Ashton on 17:25 - Dec 8 by FevsBCFC |
All good points, some he played a key part in, others he didn’t. The structure of Bristol City is split apart into Football (Ashton’s remit), Stadium and Shared Services with Basketball, Rugby, Women’s Football and City. The accounts tell a slightly different picture, but hey-ho.
He got some great fees, Webster, Kodjia, Reid, etc.
As fans we are still trying to work out where the new training ground sits, because it’s not part of the group structure above. It belongs to Steve Lansdown (it all does ultimately).
As per my first post, I think he’s a good football administrator (hence CEO of the year), but he is a footballer wannabe and too involved in inbound recruitment….and I mean helping to choose the players. Alongside Cook (remember “collective fault” not all Ashton) you’ve ended up with a disjointed, expensive squad that isn’t delivering on the pitch.
As fans of any club, that’s the main place where we want our club to be a success. The rest is not really a worry, unless you’re gonna be shafted by your owner like Derby County. Many Derby fans still think he’s the bees knees. Unbelievable.
Most of my posts are observations (many fact based) about his time here, I try not to have an agenda, I’m not trolling, it’s interesting reading and watching it all play out. I’m sure like us all a bit of bias comes through.
I try to be polite. I don’t think I’ve been rude to any one. It was your forum that wanted someone from Bristol City to come on to your forum to give a view on Ashton. My post on 2nd Sept was just that. You can take it and subsequent posts for what it is. Nobody knows a club like it’s own fans.
I will leave writing any more posts until I see your head-coach appointed, I hope you get a really strong manager / head-coach announced.
Have a nice day. |
Why are you even here. Following football forums is already a bit tragic ( guilty ) but following some other teams forum is some weird shizzle that is too strange to understand.
We don't give a flying about Bristol.
If Ashton clearly and obviously F's up we will notice. For now you are deliberately winding people up here and deliberately causing friction.
You need to be banned. | | | |
| Mark Ashton on 23:30 - Dec 8 with 790 views | mylittletown |
| Mark Ashton on 17:40 - Dec 8 by RadioOrwell |
Why are you even here. Following football forums is already a bit tragic ( guilty ) but following some other teams forum is some weird shizzle that is too strange to understand.
We don't give a flying about Bristol.
If Ashton clearly and obviously F's up we will notice. For now you are deliberately winding people up here and deliberately causing friction.
You need to be banned. |
What a pathetic, narrow minded and ignorant post. | | | |
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