Latest news with #SteveLansdown
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Search for Manning's replacement starts now
It was inevitable Liam Manning's good work at Bristol City wouldn't go unnoticed, after guiding the team to a top-six finish in his first full season at Ashton a campaign when football was put into perspective, it's completely understandable if a return to East Anglia would be appealing to Liam Manning and his the fact that Norwich finished the campaign 11 points behind Bristol City in the Championship will lead to fans questioning what a move to Carrow Road can offer that staying at Ashton Gate can't?Steve Lansdown told me last month that Bristol City will not change their approach to transfers or their budget this are already being linked with the job, as the City hierarchy start the big challenge of finding the right replacement.
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Bears don't lose to Bath', perfect 10s & shootout drama
Standing in the early-evening sunshine at Ashton Gate, as the Bristol fans revelled in a first play-off finish in four years, director of rugby Pat Lam was in defiant allowing himself a handful of seconds to dwell on the 52-26 win over Harlequins that secured the Bears' play-off place, Lam's attentions swiftly turned to Friday night and the semi-final showdown with local rivals Bath at The Rec."Bath have only lost four games this year - who have they lost to?" he rhetorically asked BBC Radio 5 Live, knowing full well his side have done the double over the runaway league leaders."So we know how to do it, and that's what we'll do. We know how to beat them. We have done it in so many different ways - rain, dry weather, home, away."When we came back up [into the Premiership in 2018], the supporters made it really clear we don't lose to Bath, and we have won 11 out of 14 since."We know how to do it and it's about getting it all right on Friday."Owner Steve Lansdown's money has helped to tempt a host of superstars to Ashton Gate since their promotion in 2018, but Lam insists Bristol are no longer among the league's big spenders, as the club cut its cloth during and after Covid."As far as spend goes, we spend eighth [out of the 10 Premiership teams]," Lam explained."Ourselves and Bath are the only two teams to be in the top four all season, yet Bath have spent nearly £3m more on their squad than we have."It reminds me of Connacht when we won the Pro12. So to get to this stage I am so pleased and proud of the players."Bath in six days' time - I just have to do the gameplan, I don't have to do any motivation or talking. The local boys - Ellis Genge, Yann Thomas - they will take control."Bring it on. Sharks sail close to the wind In the end, the top four ended the final day of the regular season as it started, with Leicester, Sale and Bristol all doing enough to book their play-off places and join Bath in the while Leicester, who beat Newcastle 42-20, and Bristol enjoyed routine home wins, Sale had to dig deep against an Exeter side desperate to rally after a forgettable remain the bookies pick for the title, understandably so given their excellence all campaign and the depth of their squad. But Leicester are narrow favourites to join them in the Twickenham showpiece, thanks to the home advantage they will enjoy against the Sharks at an emotionally-charged Welford Road on Sale's George Ford, who continued his supreme personal form, was unperturbed following the tricky 30-26 win at Sandy Park."We knew they were much improved the last few weeks, and we were anticipating a game like that," he told BBC 5 Live."It was like a quarter-final for us, and finals rugby is never easy anyway. There are parts of our game we will need to fix up for next week, and we will do that."While Bath against Bristol is as tantalising a Premiership semi-final as you could get, Leicester against Sale isn't far behind. Perfect 10s Premiership Rugby revealed in the week that fly-halves are again the league's highest-paid position, with the playmakers earning an average of more than £230,000 a not hard to see why. On show over semi-final weekend will be three of the world's best: Finn Russell for Bath, Handre Pollard for Leicester and Ford for Sale - who are all in great form - while Bristol's AJ MacGinty is also a class act and won the man-of-the-match award against a recent Rugby Union Weekly podcast we discussed the question: if you could pick any of those fly-halves in your side to win a Premiership final, who would you choose? All three co-hosts picked someone club ends up winning the Premiership title on 14 June is likely to owe a few more quid to the big earners. Drama in Durban Arguably the biggest story of the weekend didn't take place in Britain or Ireland but in Durban, South Africa, as the Sharks reached the last four of the United Rugby Championship by beating Munster 6-4 in a penalty shootout following a 24-all emptied the tank on a daunting away fixture, as they always seem to do when the stakes are high, but were edged out after the Sharks superbly converted all six of their the shootout was riddled with controversy as first Jack Crowley exchanged words with Jaden Hendrikse after the latter opened the scoring, before Hendrikse went down with cramp just after nailing his second kick to put the Sharks 4-2 conveniently-timed injury meant Crowley initially could not take his second shot at goal, despite the Irishman telling referee Mike Adamson he was prepared to kick with the prone Hendrikse a matter of metres Hendrikse was genuinely injured or not was fiercely debated post-match, but his wink towards Crowley - rugby's most notable since Bloodgate - means he will not get the benefit of the doubt in many Sharks will travel to fellow South African side Bulls in the last four, while Leinster host Glasgow in a repeat of their Champions Cup quarter-final in April, which Leinster won with Leo Cullen's side still looking winded by their shock defeat by Northampton in the same competition, and Glasgow bolstered by some returning Lions, a similar scoreline is highly unlikely. End of an era The stellar careers of Ben Youngs, Mike Brown and Dan Cole all rumble on for another week at least, but it was goodbye to another great of the English game this weekend as Alex Goode left the stage after his 402nd and final appearance for discussed last week, rarely in the past has such a high-calibre group of players all retired together, with Danny Care, Anthony Watson and Joe Marler also calling it a day this it's not just in England. Munster's defeat means two totems of Irish rugby, Conor Murray and Peter O'Mahony, have now retired, with both going down swinging in Durban. Few men have ever given more to the cause in red or green.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Guernsey staff accommodation disgraceful
Concerns about the cost and quality of housing in the island were the overwhelming issue for voters at BBC Guernsey's second election Lansdown, owner of La Grande Mare Hotel, labelled some of the rental accommodation for staff moving to the island as "disgraceful".The billionaire businessman said: "Staff accommodation here is appalling, some of the planning restrictions stop you from acquiring the properties to do them up."Liberate CEO Ellie Jones agreed that doing something to improve the affordability and quality of local housing should be the number one priority for candidates. Mr Lansdown said: "I have been appalled by some of the sites I have seen, trying to find accomodation for my staff. "I've been embarrassed and I think, there are certain places you could quite happily go in there and refgurb and revamp them, but because of planning restrictions you're stopped from doing this."Guernsey's Development and Planning Authority has been approached for comment. Ms Jones said the next States needed to "rip up the rule book and start again" when it came to housing: "We need to bring costs down tio allow people to afford to live."We are the first generation who has grown up in an era where earning a decent living, working hard, doesn't mean you can afford to live well, it's a sad place to be."In 2023 a report commissioned by the States of Guernsey by housing experts ARC showed an average-priced property cost more than 16.3 times as much as average earnings, compared to 16 in Jersey and 8.3 in England. Ms Jones said: "It means I'm a bit depressed, you never feel safe, you are always worried if a landlord is going to chuck you out."I pay more than half my wages on rent, and no generation before has done that and it has crept up." Over a coffee at the election roadshow, Bob Renstead said the current pressure on housing had been made worse by the island's population 2022 Guernsey's States agreed to grow the island's population by 300 people every year. "We are bringing so many outside workers in, while there are so many locals who are on benefits and can work."The latest figures from the States of Guernsey showed there were 259 jobseekers without work at the end of March in 2025 - a decrease of eight compared to the previous month and a decrease of 52 compared to March Nicolle agreed that getting more houses built should be the priority for the incoming States: "I'm very concerned that we have young people leaving, I'm very concerned for young people with mortgages and the cost of childcare, it's getting impossible really for them to live day to day."She has asked candidates to look at raising the allowances for income tax for the island's young people. Bob Angus agreed that housing and its impact on the cost of living locally, was the top priority for this States: "The chances for youngsters getting on the ladder are pretty much non-existent, or very slim. The States had originally said it needed 1,565 new units of accommodation between 2023 and 2027, but last year it dropped that target to 1,488 units needed by Guernsey's next election roadshow is at Forest Stores on 13 June and the final roadshow is on 17 June in Market Square.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Championship play-offs: Sheff Utd go 4-0 up on aggregate against Bristol City
Bristol City strategy to 'carry on' - Lansdown HT: Sheff Utd 1-0 Bristol City (4-0 agg) To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Media caption, Steve Lansdown talks to 'Sound of the City' ahead of Bristol City's play off semi final. Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown has been speaking to BBC Radio Bristol just before kick-off this evening and has said the club will "carry on" with their current transfer strategy this summer, despite reaching the play-offs for the first time in 17 years. Lansdown confirmed the club did need to strengthen this summer, particularly in the forwards, but would not "go wild". "I think we carry on doing exactly what we're doing. We look to keep developing the youngsters through the academy, giving them the opportunity, the pathway." he said. "We'll look to keep our recruitment looking for value for money there in the market place. "There are one or two positions we want to fill - it's fair to say we need somebody up front so we will be in the market looking for players - but we're not going to go wild on that basis. We'll going to keep doing what we're doing because we're doing it very well indeed." You can listen above to Lansdown's interview or read more here.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
No changes to Robins' transfer strategy
Bristol City will not change their approach to transfers or their budget this summer after reaching the Championship play-offs, according to owner Steve Robins finished in the top six for the first time in 17 years despite having the smallest squad in the division, with 24 first-team confirmed the club did need to strengthen this summer, particularly in the forwards, but would not "go wild".He told BBC Radio Bristol: "I think we carry on doing exactly what we're doing. We look to keep developing the youngsters through the academy, giving them the opportunity, the pathway. "We'll look to keep our recruitment looking for value for money there in the market place. "There are one or two positions we want to fill - it's fair to say we need somebody up front so we will be in the market looking for players - but we're not going to go wild on that basis. We'll going to keep doing what we're doing because we're doing it very well indeed." Lansdown's involvement with Bristol City began in 1996 before he became club chairman in 2002. The billionaire businessman has overseen the expansion of Ashton Gate Stadium and the creation of the high performance training centre during his is City's first appearance in the Championship play-offs since 2008, when they reached the Wembley final but lost to Hull City."You can only spend what you've got and you can't just keep on chasing the dream and throwing money at it," Lansdown said."We've already been down that road and it didn't work, and I think if you look at all our times we've been successful what we've done is built a team. "It's not the stars you've got, it's the way the guys play and Liam first with the culture, it's the responsibility people take on out there."I think we keep developing that, pushing that forward [and] finding those players who will come in and be part of that. We'll get there."No players were brought in during January and City played much of the second-half of the season with two fit centre-backs after injury to Luke McNally and the departures of Rob Atkinson and Kal Naismith. They went into the play-offs stretched by more injuries to the likes of Mark Sykes, Cameron Pring and Scott Twine, yet Lansdown said that he didn't have "any regrets" over the lack of transfer activity in the winter."Luke McNally was a tragic scenario for us, but I think we've coped well without him," he added."I don't think you can keep trying to provide for cover for everybody. We did have cover but we were exposed by those particular injuries." Semenyo sell-on clause and investment from abroad After stating in February that the club were "not close" to a takeover, Lansdown said they have had "very constructive conversations" with potential new investors from abroad. A purchase for the Robins is not straightforward given they fall under the Bristol Sport umbrella - created by Lansdown - which also includes Bristol City Women, the men's and women's Bristol Bears rugby teams, and the Bristol Flyers basketball team."The conversations are getting more positive in the sense of being more realistic, I think at some point it will happen - whether that's an investment into the club alongside us or whether it's somebody who wants to come in and invest totally in the club," Lansdown said."We're having some very constructive conversations with certain people, some of them who are very interesting indeed, but that doesn't say they are close to fruition."However, Lansdown confirmed that the club would be in for a financial pay out this summer if former winger Antoine Semenyo moves on from Bournemouth. It would trigger a sell-on clause which means they would be receive a percentage of any future transfer fee. The 25-year-old, who joined the Premier League side in January 2023 for more than £10m, came through the Robins' academy and has been linked with a move to Manchester United."One of our policies always is when we sell somebody there's a sell-on should they progress further. If Antoine is sold for the sums of money people are talking about we will be very happy, and so will he, I imagine," Lansdown said."It will help to close the shortfall that we have every year."
