Who Was John Atyeo?

'Big John' Atyeo (7th Feb 1932 - 8th June 1993) born in Dilton Marsh, Wiltshire. An incredibly honourable man, Atyeo played part-time primarily for Bristol City setting an all-time appearance record of 645 games and scoring 351 goals. During this time, he gained six England caps, scoring five goals including those that sent England to the World Cup finals in 1958. Many believe it was only John’s desire to remain loyal to his beloved Bristol City and part-time quantity surveying

During his 15 year career with Bristol City, Big John reportedly had several offers to join Chelsea, Spurs, Inter Milan and Liverpool. However, then chairman Harry Dolman was not keen on losing his biggest asset, making him their highest paid player and Atyeo stayed loyal to the Club, albeit still part-time. Amazing commitment from the man, who in today’s market would certainly have attracted bids starting around the £10 million mark.

To put Atyeo’s achievement into perspective today, our very own Nicky Maynard would have played in most of England’s World Cup qualifiers scoring at nearly a goal per game, scoring the winner to send England to the finals and then been dropped for the main event. Today the word 'legend' is bandied around too freely, but John Atyeo was a true Bristol City legend, who will be fondly remembered for ever.

How Can You Help?
If you agree that the new stadium would be a better place with a statue to John Atyeo, we need your help. Ways that you can help include,

• Join either the Supporters Trust or the Supporters Club
• Supporters Club members can upgrade by £2.50 per month and get their name on the statue plinth subject to a minimum period of 20 months
• Commit to Gold Trust membership for £5 per month and get your name on the plinth
• Participate in Supporters Trust and Supporters Club events
• Make a donation

Article written by Chris Hayward of Fantastic Writers

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