Editing Bristol City F.C. (section)

===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>