Alternative History
In 1894, Bristol South End formed, but lasted only three years before taking on the name of the city and jumping in with Bedminster in 1901. A year later they joined the League in the Second Division, playing at St. Johns Lane for three years then moving into Bedminster’s old ground – Ashton Gate. The ground was so named as it was situated at the entrance to the old Ashton estate, a rambling swathe of Gloucestershire owned by the football mad Lord Ashton of Southville. Although he could no longer play football after a particularly nasty injury, when he received a hefty kick in the groin, he regularly threw open the gates to all the locals to play on his two acres.
City’s first success came in 1906 by taking the Second Division championship and this was quickly followed by finishing second in the First the next season. The club also reached the FA Cup final in 1909, but lost to Manchester United. Bristol City then fell down the leagues and despite winning the Division 3 (South) title three times, they had to wait nearly fifty years for a return to the First Division in 1975. They remained there for only three seasons, before plummeting to the Fourth Division in the next three seasons. By 1982, the club escaped going out of business by minutes, when a consortium baled them out to form Bristol City (1982). Although the club has been at the wrong end of the League for a while, they did enjoy a spell in the old 2nd and new 1st Divisions between 1991 and 1995, finally returning to the First in 1997-8 after finishing runners-up to Watford. Other honours the club have achieved are the Welsh Cup (crossing the border to do a spot of “ram raiding”) in 1934 and the Freight Rover Trophy in 1986. A series of good Cup results has epitomised City’s history for a number of years – reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1971, when they lost to Spurs, through to the win at Anfield in 1994. Bristol City has become quite a cosmopolitan club over the last few years, signing players from Australia, Wales, Sweden, Barbados and Bermuda. They even signed Gary Owers from Sunderland. A quick turn over of managers – five in three years – had left the Robins unsettled and despite flirting with promotion to the top flight under Gary Johnson, the club underwent another period of instability, with managers coming and going, as City flirted with relegation on more than one occasion.FAMOUS PLAYERS : – John Atyeo, Billy Wedlock, Gary Marriage, Joe Jordan, Brian Tinnion, Don Clark. FAMOUS FANS : – Scott Davidson (Chairman – ex keyboard player with Bros and Pet Shop Boys), Tony Robinson (Actor – “Baldrick” in “Blackadder”), Elliot Kidner (Live TV’s News Bunny), Jeffrey Archer (MP) and Jonathan Pearce (Sports commentator – Capital Radio and Channel 5), Marcus Trescothick (Cricketer – Somerset and England); Mark Watson (Comedian); |
Club Records
Formed | 1894 |
Turned Professional | 1897 |
Became a Limited Company | 1897 |
Previous names | Bristol South End 1894-1897 |
Previous grounds | St. John’s Lane 1894-1904 |
Nickname | “The ROBINS” |
Club Colours | HOME : Shirts – Red with white trim Shorts – White with red down seam Socks – Red with white turnoverAWAY : Shirts – Purple with lime green trim Shorts – Lime Green Socks – White |
Record Football League Win | 9-0 v Aldershot Div 3 (S) 28.12.1946 |
Record Football League Defeat | 0-9 v Coventry City Div 3 (S) 28.4.1934 |
Record Cup Win | 11-0 v Chichester FAC R1 5.11.1960 |
Record Fee Paid | £8 million to Chelsea for Tomas Kalas (July 2019) |
Record Fee Received | 20 million from Brighton & Hove Albion for Ben WEBSTER (August 2019) |
Record Football League Appearances | 597 – John ATYEO (1951-66) |
Record goalscorer in a season | 36 – Don CLARK (Division 3 (S) 1946-47) |
Record all-time goalscorer | 541 – John ATYEO (1951-66) |
Record all-time League goalscorer | 314 – John ATYEO (1951-66) |
Most goals in a match | 6 – Tommy “Tot” WALSH v Gillingham Division 3 (South) 15.1.1927 |
Record Attendance (all-time) | 43,335 v Preston North End FAC R5 16.1.1933 |
Record total of goals in a League season | 104 Division 3(S) 1926-27 |
Record League points total | 3 points for a win : 99 League 1 2014-152 points for a win : 70 Division 3 (South) 1954-55 |
Most Capped player while at club | Billy WEDLOCK – 26 (England) |
Stadium details
Address : Ashton Gate, Bristol BS3 2EJ
Capacity : 27,000
Away Allocation : 4,200
Pitch size : 115 yards x 75 yards (105m x 69m)
Official website : www.bcfc.co.uk
Honours
Division One Runner-up (First tier) | 1906-07 |
Division Two Champions (Second tier) | 1905-06 |
Division Two Runners-up (Second tier) | 1975-76, 1997-98 |
Division Three (South) Champions (Third tier) | 1922-23, 1926-27, 1954-55 |
Division Three (South) Runners-up (Third tier) | 1937-38 |
Division Three Runners-up (Third tier) | 1964-65, 1989-90 |
FA Cup Finalists | 1909 |
Welsh Cup Winners | 1934 |
Anglo-Scottish Cup Winners | 1978 |
Freight Rover Trophy Winners | 1986 |
Freight Rover Trophy Finalists | 1987 |
Auto Windscreens Shield Runners-up | 2000 |
LDV Vans Trophy Winners | 2003 |
Football League Trophy Winners | 2015 |
Managers
Sam HOLLIS | 1897-1899 |
Bob CAMPBELL | 1899-1901 |
Sam HOLLIS | 1901-1905 |
Harry THICKETT | 1905-1910 |
Sam HOLLIS | 1911-1913 |
George HEDLEY | 1913-1915 |
Jack HAMILTON | 1915-1919 |
Joe PALMER | 1919-1921 |
Alex RAISBECK | 1921-1929 |
Joe BRADSHAW | 1929-1932 |
Bob HEWISON | 1932-1949 |
Bob WRIGHT | 1949-1950 |
Pat BEASLEY | 1950-1958 |
Peter DOHERTY | 1958-1960 |
Fred FORD | 1960-1967 |
Alan DICKS | 1967-1980 |
Bobby HOUGHTON | 1980-1982 |
Roy HODGSON | 1982 |
Terry COOPER | 1982-1988 |
Joe JORDAN | 1988-1990 |
Jimmy LUMSDEN | 1990-1992 |
Denis SMITH | 1992-1993 |
Russell OSMAN | 1993-1994 |
Joe JORDAN | 1994-1997 |
John WARD | 1997-1998 |
Benny LENNARTSSON | 1998-1999 |
Tony FAWTHROP | 1999- May 2000 |
Danny WILSON | June 2000-June 2004 |
Brian TINNION | June 2004-2005 |
Lee JOHNSON | 2005-2010 |
Steve COPPELL | 2010 |
Keith MILLEN | 2010-2011 |
Derek MacINNES | 2011-2013 |
Sean O’DRISCOLL | 2013 |
Steve COTTERILL | 2013-2016 |
Lee JOHNSON | 2016-2020 |
Dean HOLDEN | 2020- |
League Record
Elected to Division Two | 1901 |
Division Two | 1901-1906 |
Division One | 1906-1911 |
Division Two | 1911-1922 |
Division Three (South) | 1922-1923 |
Division Two | 1923-1924 |
Division Three (South) | 1924-1927 |
Division Two | 1927-1932 |
Division Three (South) | 1932-1955 |
Division Two | 1955-1960 |
Division Three | 1960-1965 |
Division Two | 1965-1976 |
Division One | 1976-1980 |
Division Two | 1980-1981 |
Division Three | 1981-1982 |
Division Four | 1982-1984 |
Division Three | 1984-1990 |
Division Two | 1990-1992 |
Division One | 1992-1999 |
Division Two | 1999-2004 |
League One | 2004-2007 |
Championship | 2007-2013 |
League One | 2013-2015 |
Championship | 2015- |