Bouncing Around the Ground: The alternative preview of the Severnside derby

Tomorrow Bristol City and Cardiff City will take to the Ashton Gate pitch in one of the most important severnside derbies contested between the Robins and the Bluebirds.

With serious play-off implications, both sides will be going all-out to secure the three points. Getting the points, and one-up on their cross-channel rivals will be all the more sweeter for the winner, as it would make a big difference to their play-off chances.

Perhaps this applies even more to Bristol City than Cardiff, with Cardiff’s multiple games in hand seemingly giving them an edge over their competitors for spots within the top 6.

And the club has done its utmost in the past week to build up excitement among its loyal fans. The club has christened Sunday as another ‘Red and White’ day where all ciderheads are encouraged to wear one, or both, of the club’s main colours. Also on sale from Sunday will be red t-shirts featuring the words of the fans’ newest and most well-loved song – ‘Johnson says, bounce around the ground’. The song reflects the fans’ tendency to bounce up and down on the spot during games. The ‘bounce’ has caught on quickly after Johnson made a somewhat throw-away remark about the energy of City’s travelling contingent.

Some of the fans who will, no doubt, be ‘bouncing around the ground’ tomorrow afternoon

Johnson has also noted the importance of tomorrow’s game, telling BBC Radio Bristol: ‘When you’re playing the teams around you you know that they’re six-pointers and seven out of the remaining eight are six-pointers in my opinion.’

‘We probably need to win more than half our games and it will be very, very interesting.’

The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports tomorrow, from 1pm.

And for those of you haven’t encountered the ‘bounce’ here are the basics:

The movement is pretty simple – basically bounce up and down on the spot with as much vigour as you can muster. But, be careful not to bounce so much that you fall into the row of fans below you (Yes, I’ve seen it happen).

The accompanying song is sung to the tune of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine:

‘Johnson says: bounce around the ground! Bounce around the ground! Bounce around the ground!
Whoa oh oh oh oh whoa oh oh oh oh…. (you get the picture!)