Editing Bristol City F.C. (section)

==History==

===Early years and early successes (1894–1922)===
The club was founded in 1894 as Bristol South End and changed their name to Bristol City on adopting professionalism three years later when they were admitted into the Southern League. Finishing as runners-up in three of the first four seasons, in 1900 the club amalgamated with local Southern League rivals [[Bedminster F.C.]], who had been founded as Southville in 1887. Bristol City joined the [[English Football League|Football League]] in 1901 when they became only the third club south of Birmingham (following in the footsteps of [[Arsenal F.C.|Woolwich Arsenal]] and [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]]) to perform in the competition. Their first game in the Football League was on 7 September 1901 at [[Bloomfield Road]], when [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] were beaten 2–0.<ref>Calley, Roy (1992). ''Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992'', Breedon Books Sport</ref>

{{Quote box
|quote=A scheme has been informally approved by the parties interested for the amalgamation of the Bristol City and Bedminster Association Football Clubs. The leading conditions are that the name and colours of Bristol City shall be retained, that matches shall be played alternately on the ground of each club for one season, and that five directors shall be nominated by each club. This should lead to Bristol securing one of the strongest teams in the south.
|source=''Gloucestershire Echo'', 12 April 1900.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sporting Gossip |work=[[Gloucestershire Echo]] |date=12 April 1900 |access-date=15 December 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000320/19000412/057/0003 |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The announcement of the merger between Bristol City and Bedminster.
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Winning the Second Division Championship with a record number of points when they became the first club in Football League history to win 30 league games in a season (out of 38 played) as well as equalling [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]'s achievement of the previous season in winning 14 consecutive games (a record until 2018, also accomplished by [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] in 1950–51). Nicknamed the Bristol Babe at this time, they finished as runners-up in their inaugural First Division campaign (1906–07) as the only southern club to finish in the top two prior to World War I.

In 1909 they won through to their only FA Cup final, though they were somewhat fortunate that a last-gasp spot-kick saved them from defeat in the semi-final versus [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]]. In the final at the [[Crystal Palace National Sports Centre#FA Cup Finals (1895–1914)|Crystal Palace]] (now the National Sports Centre) Bristol City lost to Manchester United 1–0. After a five-season stay in the top flight, despite winning 1–0 at [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle]] at the start of the 1910–11 campaign, failure to beat [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] in the season's finale brought City's first-ever taste of relegation and it was to be 65 years before top-flight status would be regained.<ref>Bristol City The Early Years 1894–1915 by David Woods published by Desert Island Books 2004; The Bristol Babe by David Woods published by Yore Publications 1994; Bristol City The Complete Record 1894–1987 by David Woods with Andrew Crabtree published by Breedon Books 1987; David Woods the Official Bristol City Club Historian.</ref>

Bristol City would then go on to stay in Division 2 until three years after the First World War had ended, and in that time they reached the semi-finals of the [[1919–20 FA Cup]] before being beaten 2–1 by [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] and finished third in the Second Division in the [[1920–21 Football League|1920–21 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/eng-fa-cup-1919-1920-halbfinale/0/|title=FA Cup 1919/1920 – Semi-finals|website=worldfootball.net|date=12 June 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://melaman2.com/premierleague/championship/1920-21_english-football-league.html|title=Millennium 1920–21 English Football League Season & Lower Division Tables|first=Michael|last=Appert|website=melaman2.com}}</ref> However, in the next season they were relegated to the Third Division South.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://melaman2.com/premierleague/championship/1921-22_english-football-league.html|title=Millennium 1921–22 English Football League Season & Lower Division Tables|first=Michael|last=Appert|website=melaman2.com}}</ref>

===The yo-yo era (1922–65)===
[[File:BristolCityFC League Performance.svg|thumb|right|Chart of yearly table positions of Bristol City in the Football League]]

The 1920s were a rocky time as City bounced between the Second Division and the Southern Section of the Third Division. The season after City were relegated, they achieved promotion back to the Second Division, before being relegated back to the Southern Section of the Third Division again the following season. After successive high finishes in the league, they were promoted again in 1926–27. However, by the 1930s they had slumped into the lower division and stayed that way until over 10 years after the Second World War. During this stay in the Third Division South, they won the [[Welsh Cup]] in 1934, beating Tranmere Rovers in the final. However, in the same year they also suffered their biggest ever league defeat, a 9–0 loss to [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]] The 1937–38 season was the most successful season for City since they were relegated to the Third Division, coming second in the league and reaching the final of the [[Football League Third Division South Cup|Third Division South Cup]], before losing 6–2 to Reading on aggregate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/fanzone/club-history/potted-history/|title=Club Legends|website=Bristol City|access-date=6 February 2018|archive-date=7 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207010658/https://www.bcfc.co.uk/fanzone/club-history/potted-history/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://fchd.info/cups/div3scupsummary.htm|title=Football Club History Database – Football League Division Three South Cup Summary|website=fchd.info}}</ref> They then came eighth in the Third Division South in the final full season before the war, in which the Grandstand of Ashton Gate was destroyed by a German air raid.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2010/nov/10/blitz-football-grounds-bomb-damage|title=Memories of the Blitz bombers and a damaging time for sport|first=Frank|last=Keating|date=10 November 2010|website=The Guardian}}</ref>

In 1946–47, City recorded a record league win by beating [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]] 9–0, although despite [[Don Clark (footballer)|Don Clark]] scoring 36 goals in the League, City failed to get promoted that season. [[Harry Dolman]] became chairman in 1949, a post he would hold for over 30 years. An engineer who had bought out the firm he worked for, he designed the first set of floodlights installed at Ashton Gate in the early 1950s. The late 1950s were a better time for City, with a five-year stay in the Second Division, a league they returned to for a further spell in 1965.

===Back among the elite (1966–80)===
In 1967, [[Alan Dicks]] was appointed manager, and things gradually began to improve, with promotion to the First Division in 1976, ending a 65-year exile from the top flight.

Between 1975 and 1981 City were regular participants in the [[Anglo-Scottish Cup]], winning the trophy in 1977–78, beating Hibernian in the semi-finals, and winning 3–2 on aggregate in the final against St Mirren (managed at the time by a relatively new manager, Alex Ferguson). St Mirren had their revenge two seasons later, with an aggregate 5–1 victory over City to become the only Scottish team to win the trophy.

City's second stint in the top flight was less successful than the club's first, with thirteenth position in 1979 being their highest finish during this era. Stars of this era included [[Peter Cormack]], [[Geoff Merrick]], [[Tom Ritchie]], [[Clive Whitehead]], [[Gerry Gow]], [[Trevor Tainton]] and [[Jimmy Mann (footballer)|Jimmy Mann]].

===Financial difficulties and revival (1980–2000)===
In 1980, the City team went back to the Second Division in the first of three relegations, their debt mounted and their financial losses increased, with two successive relegations following. Thus, in 1982, they fell into the [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]], and were declared bankrupt. A new club was formed<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/fanzone/club-history/potted-history/|title=Club Legends|website=Bristol City|access-date=10 May 2018|archive-date=7 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507100228/https://www.bcfc.co.uk/fanzone/club-history/potted-history/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and BCFC (1982) Ltd acquired the club's player contracts. The highly paid senior players Julian Marshall, [[Chris Garland]], [[Jimmy Mann (footballer)|Jimmy Mann]], [[Peter Aitken]], [[Geoff Merrick]], [[David Rodgers]], [[Gerry Sweeney]] and [[Trevor Tainton]], who became known as the 'Ashton Gate Eight', each accepted termination of his contract for half the amount due. The club's previous owners had failed to pay its debts to many local businesses. The resulting ill will towards the club made it difficult for the new owners to obtain credit.

City spent two seasons in the Fourth Division before winning promotion under [[Terry Cooper (footballer, born 1944)|Terry Cooper]] in 1984. They consolidated themselves in the Third Division during the latter part of the 1980s, and in 1990 Cooper's successor [[Joe Jordan (footballer)|Joe Jordan]] achieved promotion as Third Division runners-up to local rivals Bristol Rovers.

There was a tragedy for the club, however, in that promotion campaign. In March 1990, two months before the club sealed promotion, striker [[Dean Horrix]] was killed in a car crash barely two weeks after joining the club, and having played three league games for them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royals.org/deano.html|title=Hob Nob Anyone? – Reading FC – The Royals – Articles}}</ref>

Jordan moved to [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Heart of Midlothian]] in September 1990, and his successor [[Jimmy Lumsden]] remained in charge for 18 months before making way for [[Denis Smith (footballer, born 1947)|Denis Smith]]. Smith's first signing was the 20-year-old [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] striker [[Andy Cole]]. He was sold to Newcastle United in February 1993 and later played for Manchester United, where he collected five [[Premier League]] titles, two [[FA Cup]]s and the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]].

Meanwhile, City remained in the new [[Football League First Division|Division One]] (no longer the Second Division after the creation of the Premier League in 1992) and Smith moved to [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]] in November 1993. His successor was [[Russell Osman]]. In January 1994 Osman led City to a shock 1–0 victory over [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] at [[Anfield]] in a third round replay in the FA Cup, a result that would cause the Liverpool manager at the time, [[Graeme Souness]], to resign. Osman was sacked within a year of taking charge.

Joe Jordan was brought back to [[Ashton Gate stadium|Ashton Gate]] in September 1994, but was unable to prevent relegation to Division Two.

Jordan remained at the helm for two seasons after City's relegation, but left in March 1997 after failing to get them back into Division One. Former Bristol Rovers manager [[John Ward (footballer, born 1951)|John Ward]] took over, and achieved promotion in 1998 as Division Two runners-up. But City struggled back in Division One, and Ward stepped down in October 1998 to be succeeded by [[Benny Lennartsson]], their first non-British manager. City were relegated in bottom place and Lennartsson was dismissed in favour of [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]]'s [[Tony Pulis]], who lasted six months before leaving to take over at Portsmouth. During his time at Ashton Gate he was manager of perhaps the worst City side since the one that completed a hat-trick of successive relegations almost 20 years earlier.

Coach Tony Fawthrop took over until the end of the season, when [[Danny Wilson (footballer, born 1960)|Danny Wilson]] was appointed. Wilson was arguably the most prominent manager to take charge of a City side since [[Denis Smith (footballer, born 1947)|Denis Smith]], as he had guided [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] to promotion to the Premier League in 1997 and [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]] to a 12th-place finish in 1999.

===21st century===
In the early 2000s Bristol City were regular Division Two play-off contenders during Wilson's spell as manager. They just missed out on the play-offs in 2002, finishing 7th. The following year, Wilson almost took them to automatic promotion, finishing 3rd and winning the [[Football League Trophy]] in Cardiff in 2003. The taste of the play-offs was bitter though, losing to rivals [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]] 1–0 on aggregate in the semi-final. In 2004, they finished in 3rd place again, and this time they reached the play-off final, but lost to [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]. He was sacked within days and replaced by veteran player [[Brian Tinnion]].

City just failed to make the play-offs in Tinnion's first season as manager, finishing seventh, and he stepped down in September 2005 after a poor start to the season. [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]] manager [[Gary Johnson (footballer, born 1955)|Gary Johnson]] was recruited as his successor in September 2005. Johnson led Bristol City to a 9th-place finish.

[[File:Ashton Gate invasion.jpg|thumb|Pitch invasion at [[Ashton Gate stadium|Ashton Gate]] after securing promotion in 2007]]

In the [[2006–07 Football League|2006–07 season]], Bristol City finally achieved the elusive promotion that had evaded them in their 8 years in the third tier. Promotion to the Championship was confirmed on the final day of the season with a 3–1 win against already relegated [[Rotherham United F.C.|Rotherham United]], securing the runners-up place in the division and resulting in automatic promotion.

After a good start in the Championship, City established themselves as real contenders, sitting in 3rd place at Christmas. By the start of March, City were top of the Championship, making an improbable second successive promotion a possibility. However, a poor run ended City's chances of an automatic promotion place but qualified for the play-offs with a 4th-place finish, their highest finish since 1980. City overcame [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]] 4–2 on aggregate to progress to the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, where they were beaten 1–0 by [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]].

After a poor start in the first half of the 2008–09 season, City recovered after Christmas, peaking at 4th place in late February. After a lot of draws, the season eventually petered out and City finished the season in tenth place. The [[2009–10 in English football|2009–10 season]] saw some good results in the autumn, but heavy defeats by local rivals Cardiff City (0–6) and [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]] (2–5) in early 2010 led to much dissatisfaction amongst fans,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/bristolcity/news/Race-Bristol-City-Gary-Johnson-s-successor/article-1923578-detail/article.html|title=Race is on to find Bristol City Gary Johnson's successor|work=Bristol Evening Post|location=Bristol|publisher=Bristol News and Media|date=18 March 2010|access-date=18 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505092648/http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/bristolcity/news/Race-Bristol-City-Gary-Johnson-s-successor/article-1923578-detail/article.html|archive-date=5 May 2013}}</ref> and Johnson left the club on 18 March 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~1997573,00.html |title= Gary Johnson Leaves City |work= Bristol City F.C. |date= 18 March 2010 |access-date= 18 March 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20100322190221/http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~1997573,00.html |archive-date= 22 March 2010 |df= dmy-all}}</ref> Assistant manager [[Keith Millen]] took charge as caretaker manager, and led a series of good results, resulting in a second successive tenth-place finish.

[[Steve Coppell]] became manager in 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~2031194,00.html|title=Coppell New City Boss|publisher=Bristol City FC|access-date=22 April 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426010334/http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10327~2031194%2C00.html|archive-date=26 April 2010}}</ref> but resigned after just two matches.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_city/8908308.stm|title= Steve Coppell quits as Bristol City manager|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|date=12 August 2010|access-date=14 January 2013}}</ref><ref name="BBC-Coppel-Resign">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_city/8908308.stm |title= Steve Coppell quits as Bristol City manager
 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |last=Staff |date=12 August 2010 |access-date=12 August 2010}}</ref> Longtime assistant manager [[Keith Millen]] was announced as Coppell's successor<ref name="BBC-Coppel-Resign"/><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~2119553,00.html |title=Keith Millen Appointed City Boss |work=Bristol City Football Club |access-date=12 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324015413/http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10327~2119553%2C00.html |archive-date=24 March 2012 }}</ref> and City fell to a 15th-place finish in [[2010–11 Football League Championship|2010–11]]. After a poor start to the [[2011–12 Football League Championship|2011–12 season]], Millen left the club in October 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15149287.stm |title=Keith Millen axed as Bristol City manager |work=BBC Football |access-date=3 October 2011 |date=3 October 2011}}</ref>

[[Derek McInnes]] was appointed next, but after a promising start, City fell into the relegation zone, eventually surviving in 20th place, their worst since promotion in 2007. This steady decline would continue and after a poor start to the 2012–13 season, McInnes was sacked in January 2013 with City bottom of the Championship. He was replaced by [[Sean O'Driscoll]], the club's fifth head coach in three years,<ref>{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Sean O'Driscoll: Bristol City appoint ex-Nottingham Forest boss|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21010274|access-date=14 January 2013|newspaper=BBC News|date=14 January 2013}}</ref> but City were relegated to League One after six seasons in the Championship. O'Driscoll left with the team 22nd in League One.

[[Steve Cotterill]] joined the club when Bristol City were second bottom of League One.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25189059 |title=Steve Cotterill: Bristol City appoint ex-Forest boss as manager |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 December 2013 |access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref> Cotterill guided the club to  a 12th-place finish.<ref name="FCHD"/> Bristol City were promoted back to the Championship after securing the [[2014–15 Football League One|League One]] title in 2014–15, their first league title since [[1954–55 Football League|1955]]. In their last home game, against [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]], they finished the season with an 8–2 win.<ref name="Walsall">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32471191 |title=Bristol City 8–2 Walsall |author=Brendon Mitchell |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 May 2015 |access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref> Bristol City finished the season with 99 points,<ref name="Walsall"/> the most points in a single season in the club's history, and 5 losses. In the same season, they also won the [[2014–15 Football League Trophy|Football League Trophy]] after a win over Walsall, which finished 2–0 and their third league trophy, a record held by the club for having the most wins in that competition.

Despite huge success in the previous season, the club struggled on their return to the second tier. Steve Cotterill was relieved of his duties in January 2016 after a poor run of form which had seen Bristol City slip to 22nd in the Championship table. [[Lee Johnson (footballer)|Lee Johnson]], former player and son of former manager, [[Gary Johnson (footballer, born 1955)|Gary Johnson]], was appointed as Bristol City's new head coach on 6 February 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/lee-johnson-appointed-new-head-coach-2941479.aspx|title=BCFC.co.uk: Lee Johnson Appointed New Head Coach|access-date=29 July 2016|archive-date=15 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615181057/http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/lee-johnson-appointed-new-head-coach-2941479.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bristol City eventually finished in 18th place.<ref name="FCHD"/>

In the [[2016–17 EFL Championship|2016–17 season]], City were only just able to accumulate enough points to ensure survival at the end of the season. Lee Johnson remained at the helm for the following season, again making a positive early start. At the midpoint of the season, after 24 league games,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bristol City - Transfer League |url=https://www.transferleague.co.uk/bristol-city/english-football-teams/bristol-city-transfers |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=www.transferleague.co.uk}}</ref> they sat second in the [[EFL Championship|Championship]], whilst also knocking out [[Premier League]] opposition in [[Watford F.C.|Watford]], [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]], [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]] and [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] to reach the semi-finals of the [[2017–18 EFL Cup|League Cup]].<ref name="FCHD"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42334221 |title=Bristol City 2–1 Manchester United |author=Brendon Mitchell |publisher=BBC Sport |date=20 December 2017 |access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref> However, City would eventually finish in 11th place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43938863 |title=Bristol City 2–3 Sheffield United |work=BBC Sport |date=6 May 2018 |access-date=11 February 2019}}</ref>

Bristol City ended the 2018–19 season in 8th.<ref name="FCHD">{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/BRISTOLC.HTM |title=Bristol City |publisher=Football Club History Database |access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref> The battle for the last play-off spot came down to the final day, before [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] managed to win their final game and clinch it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48081772 |title=Hull City 1–1 Bristol City |work=BBC Sport |date=6 May 2018 |access-date=11 February 2019}}</ref> From March to June, the 2019–20 season was suspended due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. Despite again challenging for the play-offs during the season, Johnson was sacked on 4 July 2020 after a run of just one win in 10 league matches.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/lee-johnson-relieved-of-head-coach-role/ |title=Lee Johnson relieved of head coach role|date=4 July 2020 }}</ref> His long-time assistant, [[Dean Holden]], was appointed as his replacement on 10 August 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53722079 |title=Dean Holden: Bristol City confirm head coach appointment |publisher=BBC Sport |date=10 August 2020 |access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref> After suffering six straight defeats in all competitions, Holden was dismissed on 16 February 2021 after just six months in charge.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56092622|title=Bristol City sack head coach Holden|date=17 February 2021|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> He was replaced by [[Nigel Pearson]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56154183|title=Bristol City appoint Pearson as manager|date=22 February 2021|work=BBC Sport}}</ref>

On 29 October 2023, Pearson was sacked with Bristol City 15th in the Championship following a run of 5 losses in 7 games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nigel Pearson sacked by Bristol City: Results far from only issue behind veteran manager's departure |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12996039/nigel-pearson-sacked-by-bristol-city-results-far-from-only-issue-behind-veteran-bosses-departure |website=Sky Sports |publisher=Sky Sports |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref> Despite the poor form, Pearson had overseen year on year points increases in his time at the club and many fans felt he has been undermined by a loss of key players such as Alex Scott and a lack of reinvestment in the playing squad.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

On 7 November 2023, [[Liam Manning]] was appointed as the new head coach of Bristol City, joining from [[Oxford United F.C.|Oxford United]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Liam Manning appointed Head Coach |url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/city-men-news/liam-manning-appointed-bristol-city-head-coach |website=Bristol City |access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref>