Editing Bristol (section)

== Sport ==
{{Main|Sport in Bristol}}

[[File:Ashton Gate & Bridge.jpg|thumb|left|alt=In the foreground twentieth century housing can be seen amidst trees and on the right a tower block of flats. In the middle distance a complex of red coloured buildings can be seen and behind that a steep sided gorge with a suspension bridge spanning it. Eighteenth century terraces on the right side of the gorge, the slopes of which are heavily wooded and a tower can be seen in the distance on the skyline.|[[Ashton Gate Stadium]], with the [[Clifton Suspension Bridge]] over the [[Avon Gorge]] in the background]]
Bristol is represented by professional teams in all the major national sports. [[Bristol City]] and [[Bristol Rovers]] are the city's main [[Association football|football]] clubs. [[Bristol Bears]] ([[rugby union]]) and [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club]] are also based in the city.

The two [[Football League]] clubs are Bristol City and Bristol Rovers{{nsmdns}}the former being the only club from the city to play in the precursor to the [[Premier League]]. Bristol City, formed in 1894, were Division One runners-up in 1907 and lost the FA Cup final in 1909. In the First Division in 1976, they then sank to the bottom professional tier before reforming after a 1982 bankruptcy. They have been above Bristol Rovers in the Football League since 2000, and were promoted to the second tier of English football in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bristol City 0–1 Hull |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7416502.stm |url-status=live |access-date=13 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526223822/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7416502.stm |archive-date=26 May 2008}}</ref> [[Bristol City Women]] were formerly based at [[Twerton Park]], but now share [[Ashton Gate Stadium]] as a home venue with the men's team.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bristol Academy Women Club History |url=http://www.bristolacademywfc.co.uk/clubHistory.html#aXs0GzaLK9ZTXjqZ.97 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122234818/http://www.bristolacademywfc.co.uk/clubHistory.html#aXs0GzaLK9ZTXjqZ.97 |archive-date=22 November 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015 |publisher=Bristol Academy Women}}</ref>
[[File:Uplands StandBRFC.JPG|thumb|left|[[Memorial Stadium (Bristol)|The Memorial Stadium]], home of [[Bristol Rovers]]]]

Bristol Rovers, the oldest professional football team in the city, were formed in 1883 and promoted back into the Football League in 2015. They were third-tier champions twice ([[Division Three South]] in 1952–53 and [[Division Three]] in 1989–90), [[Watney Cup]] Winners (1972) and runners-up for the [[Johnstone's Paint Trophy]] (2006–07) although have never played in England's top division.

[[Bristol Bears]] formed in 1888 and has often competed at the highest level of rugby union.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/fans/history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609204809/http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/fans/history/ |archive-date=9 June 2011 |access-date=12 June 2011 |publisher=Bristol Rugby}}</ref> The club played at the [[Memorial Ground]], which it shared with Bristol Rovers from 1996, until moving to Ashton Gate Stadium in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guide to Ashton Gate |url=http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/guide-to-ashton-gate/introduction/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819131726/http://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/guide-to-ashton-gate/introduction/ |archive-date=19 August 2014 |access-date=25 August 2015 |publisher=Bristol Rugby}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 February 2014 |title=Safe standing: Bristol Rugby back Bristol City's Ashton Gate plans |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26174702 |url-status=live |access-date=25 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302123853/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26174702 |archive-date=2 March 2014}}</ref> They changed their name from Bristol Rugby to Bristol Bears to coincide with their return to [[Premiership Rugby]] in [[2018-19 English Premiership|the 2018–19 season]].

The [[first-class cricket]] club [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gloucestershire County Cricket Club |url=http://www.gloscricket.co.uk/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306212455/http://www.gloscricket.co.uk/ |archive-date=6 March 2009 |access-date=16 March 2009 |publisher=Gloucestershire County Cricket Club}}</ref> has its headquarters and plays the majority of its home games at the [[Bristol County Ground]], the only major international sports venue in the south-west of England. It was formed by the family of [[W. G. Grace]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.gloscricket.co.uk/about-us/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307022330/http://www.gloscricket.co.uk/about-us/ |archive-date=7 March 2016 |access-date=5 March 2016 |publisher=Gloucestershire Cricket}}</ref>

[[File:Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.JPG|thumb|alt=A large number of hot air balloons taking off from a field which is surrounded by tents and stalls. The sun is low in the sky and balloons can be seen flying into the distance.|Bristol International Balloon Fiesta]]
Bristol sponsors the annual [[Bristol Half Marathon]] and hosted the [[2001 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bristol Half Marathon |url=http://www.runbristol.com/Events/Bristol-half-marathon/race-history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925201616/http://www.runbristol.com/Events/Bristol-half-marathon/race-history |archive-date=25 September 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015 |publisher=Run Bristol}}</ref> Bristol has staged finishes and starts of the [[Tour of Britain]] cycle race,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Prideaux |first=Sophie |date=10 September 2014 |title=When will the Tour of Britain be in Bristol today? |work=Bristol Post |url=http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Tour-Britain-Bristol-today/story-22898640-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |access-date=27 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912043611/http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Tour-Britain-Bristol-today/story-22898640-detail/story.html |archive-date=12 September 2014}}</ref> and facilities in the city were used as training camps for the [[2012 London Olympics]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Centre for Sport |url=http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/departmentsandservices/professionalservices/centreforsport/aboutthecentreforsport.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007215209/http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/aboutus/departmentsandservices/professionalservices/centreforsport/aboutthecentreforsport.aspx |archive-date=7 October 2015 |access-date=27 October 2015 |publisher=University of the West of England}}</ref> The [[Bristol International Balloon Fiesta]], a major UK hot-air ballooning event, is held each summer at Ashton Court.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 April 2008 |title=Balloon Fiesta celebrates 30 years |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2008/03/20/balloon_fiesta2008_feature.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131114607/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2008/03/20/balloon_fiesta2008_feature.shtml |archive-date=31 January 2009 |access-date=16 March 2009 |publisher=BBC Bristol}}</ref>