Bristol City

David Pottier
Fan writer

To any Bristol City fan aged 60+, 20 April 1976 is a date indelibly etched into their minds.

On this day 50 years ago, a Clive Whitehead goal was enough to beat Portsmouth and secure a return to the top flight after an absence of 65 years.

The world, never mind just football, was a lot different back then! One thing that did not seem to exist was footballers' agents. Today it would seem such individuals appear all too keen to egg on a player when a move is in the offing with their own gain by way of a fee clearly being a motive.

If you go back to the spring of 1976 with City riding high in Division 2 (now the Championship) and transfer windows not having been thought of, Arsenal came in with an offer of £250,000 for arguably two of City's best players, Tom Ritchie and Geoff Merrick.

Promotion was by no means in the bag, but then chairman and club benefactor Harry Dolman rebutted the offer, as both players had made it clear that if they were going to play at the highest level, it was going to be for Bristol City.

"Loyalty" is a word that does not feature much in today's footballing dictionary. Merrick must have rued his wish to stay when, six years later, he was one of the Ashton Gate Eight who tore up their contracts during Roy Hodgson's first spell in charge to save the club going under as City tumbled down the leagues with three successive relegations.

Coming back to the present, there are few City fans who would disagree with my view that current owner and benefactor, Steve Lansdown, effectively wrote off this season when he sanctioned the sale of two of the best players that were part of the current squad in the January transfer window.

Both Anis Mehmeti and Zak Vyner were out of contract this summer and therefore free agents. There is no doubting an underlying degree of loyalty in Vyner, who had been at the club since he was eight, although Mehmeti is perhaps more of a soldier of fortune.

I am sure they could have been tempted to stay with improved offers, with City well placed to at least equal last season's play-off achievement. The telling factor is when signing for Ipswich and Wrexham, respectively, they cited both clubs' ambition as a key factor in making their moves.

On Saturday we witnessed the end of the Roy Hodgson "bounce" as City were soundly beaten 4-2 by Norwich at Ashton Gate. Had the Canaries not had such a dreadful start to the season under former City boss Liam Manning, they surely would have been in the play-off mix; such has been their turnaround under Philippe Clement. As it was, their four-goal blast in the second half meant they leapfrogged the Robins in the Championship's congested midtable.

Many of the Ashton Gate faithful had headed for the exits long before the final whistle. While the level of discontent, which had cleared a little with Hodgson's early successes, did not manifest itself with more disapproving chants directed at Lansdown, the fans will be looking for a speedy resolution to hiring the sporting director and head coach, with the calibre of those appointees showing whether the club has real ambition, which will filter through, one way or another, in the level of season ticket sales.

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Southampton will hope to continue their late push for automatic promotion when they welcome Bristol City on Tuesday night (kick-off 19:45 BST).

The Saints are in excellent form with seven wins on the bounce in the Championship and are unbeaten in their past 16 games (W13 D3).

Tonda Eckert's side were 15th - 10 points adrift of the play-offs and 16 points behind second - following their last league defeat, which came against Hull City on 17 January.

They are now fourth - eight points clear of Wrexham in seventh and just one point behind second-placed Ipswich, who have a game in hand - having picked up five more points than any other team in that time.

Southampton face a Bristol City side who suffered their first defeat since Roy Hodgson took over last time out, losing 4-2 to Norwich following two wins and a draw under the former England manager.

The Robins now cannot make the play-offs or be relegated this season.

• Southampton have lost six of their past seven league games against Bristol City, though the exception was a 1-0 victory the last time they hosted the Robins in November 2023.

• Each of Bristol City's previous three away league games against Southampton has finished 1-0, with the Robins winning in November 2008 and December 2011, before losing in November 2023.

• Southampton are unbeaten in their previous eight home league games (W7 D1), winning each of the previous five; they last won six in a row in February 2024 (run of nine).

• Only Millwall (22) have conceded fewer away goals in the Championship this season than Bristol City (24), who could keep successive clean sheets on the road for the first time since October (run of three).

• Bristol City's Roy Hodgson has won on each of his past two league visits to Southampton with Watford in March 2022 (2-1) and Crystal Palace in April 2023 (2-0), having won on just one of his first five trips beforehand (D2 L2).

Bristol City manager Roy Hodgson said he was disappointed with the way his "dream" start at the club came to an end, after his side were beaten by Norwich.

The 78-year-old had been unbeaten in three previous games since taking charge on an interim basis.

But a second-half hat-trick from striker Mohamed Toure completed the comeback for the visitors, after Sam Morsy gave the Robins a 1-0 lead inside two minutes.

"I thought we were decent value in the first half, but then Norwich stepped up their game," Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol.

He said his side had been "unlucky" in conceding two of the goals, one which was rolled into an empty net, and the other a deflection off a player's back.

"At 4-1 you're just hoping it's not going to be a further disaster," Hodgson added.

"At the end of the day, it's disappointing because we've had this dream after the three games.

"But today we came across a team who have been beating everybody, especially away from home, and so I have to accept it was our turn."

Both these sides are now 10 points off the play-offs with only goal difference separating them ahead of their meeting on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Bristol City, in 10th place, missed their chance to leapfrog ninth-placed Norwich after their stalemate at QPR last time out, but will get the chance to do so again with a win.

Norwich will be licking their wounds after suffering a 2-0 home defeat by their East Anglian rivals Ipswich last Saturday which saw a chance of a play-off finish move further away.

• Bristol City have won their last three league games against Norwich, having won just one of their previous 14 against the Canaries (D4 L9).

• Norwich have alternated between victory (2) and defeat (2) in their last four away league games against Bristol City, losing 2-1 in this fixture last season.

• Bristol City are unbeaten in their three Championship games under Roy Hodgson (W2 D1), keeping a clean sheet in the last two. They last had a longer run of league clean sheets in March/April 2024 (4).

• Norwich were beaten by Ipswich last time out, and they are yet to lose consecutive Championship matches across their 27 played under Philippe Clement.

• Scott Twine has been directly involved in 17 goals in the Championship this season (11 goals, 6 assists) – no player has had more for Bristol City in a single league campaign since 2021-22 (Andreas Weimann 32, Antoine Semenyo 20 and Chris Martin 18).

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

Interim manager Roy Hodgson maintained his unbeaten run as Bristol City took a point at QPR.

It was a typical end-of-season affair with City's keeper, Radek Vitek, being a virtual spectator all afternoon following two successive man-of-the-match performances.

On another day City might have come away with all three points but such is the paucity of their attacking options that the threat just wasn't there. In the overall scheme of things seven points from three games shows Hodgson has turned things around, but surely with a handful of games remaining this is the time for a degree of experimenting with team selection with next season in mind.

With the Championship table as tight as ever, only four points separate ninth from 17th. Equalling last season's points total of 68 is too big an ask now, but the optics of tumbling half a dozen places from where City are now as a result of blooding some youngsters is something the club's owners might not view favourably. Hodgson too, in what is likely to be a career sign-off, would like to end on a high.

Hodgson was able to include Ross McCrorie and George Tanner in his matchday squad and while City's Scotland international was brought on for the final 15 minutes, many supporters, me included, wondered why he did not give similar to 21-year-old left back Seb Naylor who was signed in January from Manchester City. It would have given Cam Pring, gradually returning to form, a chance to rest his legs.

Perhaps more baffling for City fans was when Roy brought on Delano Burgzorg as a forward threat. He is right up there among City's worst ever loan signings and won't be here next season, that's for sure. The much maligned Sinclair Armstrong would have been a better option against his former club, or the always enthusiastic Sam Bell, even though he's likely to be out the door come June unless offered a new contract.

With time ticking by there is still no news on the appointment of a sporting director which, along with a new head coach, were stated as urgent requirements by CEO Charlie Boss at the time of Hodgson's unveiling.

There is more speculation on who will be head coach than the position that is new to City and operated with mixed success by other clubs. The head coach could well be chosen by the sporting director, and one name that was linked with the role on social media platforms in recent days was former Swansea, Southampton and Rangers manager Russell Martin.

Reading the comments, let me just say that would not appear to be a popular choice if it happened at a time when the owners of the club need to be rebuilding bridges with the fanbase rather than say they are "ruining it", to quote Steve Lansdown's January Radio Bristol interview.

Finally, a shout out for City's former striker Nahki Wells whose two goals at the weekend won the Vertu Trophy for Luton Town. He turns 36 on 1 June and I feel few City fans would have argued against him being given a one-year contract extension last summer.

I have no doubt Hodgson would have selected him had he been here ahead of Armstrong, Burgzorg and Bell. The Bermudian international paired with Emil Riis could have been interesting.

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Bristol City interim manager Roy Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol: "It was a cancelling out process. They're organised and made it difficult for us to get in behind just as we did for them.

"It opened up more in the second half, we were more adventurous. We could have scored a goal or two, but 0-0 was fair result because neither team really did enough.

"[Staying solid] is a key priority in any team. Any time you come into a new club, you must hope to get ideas across about not conceding many goals.

"If you do that, you've got an incredible bunch of front players who can score to get you out of trouble."

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Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan has heaped praise on Bristol City boss Roy Hodgson prior to their game at Loftus Road on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Hodgson returned to the Robins 44 years after his original spell to help the side regroup at the end of the season following the sacking of Gerhard Struber.

"I know his name, his background, I know everything that he did during his career," Stephen told BBC Radio London.

"He's a big, big person and a big coach and a big manager. A lot of respect, it will be an honour to see him on the bench, but be sure that the only objective for me and for the club is to beat Bristol City."

Though Stephan's admiration is not only for Hodgson's past achievements - it is also for his longevity in the game.

"I think I will have the same patience, but I don't think I will have the strength to be on the bench until 78 years old," Stephen added.

"That why I have only one word - it's respect. Respect for the person, respect as well for the desire and the willingness to continue, to fight and to compete on the bench.

"He's achieved a lot of things during his career and it's fantastic to see that."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

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The EFL has announced the fixtures for the 2026-27 season will be published at midday on Thursday, 25 June.

The first-round draws for the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy will be made on the same day.

The new season will kick off on the weekend of August 7-9 with the first round of the Carabao Cup, and the opening fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two will follow a week later on 14-16 August.

The first round of the Vertu Trophy will be played in the week commencing 21 September.

Bristol City's list of injured players is looking "a lot better", says interim manager Roy Hodgson, with Rob Dickie, George Tanner and Joe Williams nearing a return.

Dickie and Williams have not played since 21 February because of hamstring and injuries respectively.

Tanner has similarly been out for the past four games after tearing an ankle ligament, leaving the club significantly short of defensive options with Luke McNally also out.

Hodgson said there was a chance Dickie and Tanner could return sooner than he would ideally like to boost their options in the backline.

"It's really good to see them back in the fray, back training, back available but we'll have to be careful before we start throwing them in," Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol.

"It would be good to at least get another period of time training with them before we do that

"But the defending area we are bare bones, there's a chance we'd be asking Rob and George to come back a bit earlier than what we would have normally liked."

Defender Ross McCrorie is also available for Saturday's trip to QPR having recovered from a hamstring injury which forced him to miss Monday's win against Sheffield United

"His injury, we knew would not be a long-term one, so it's not surprising that he's back in contention to play," Hodgson added.

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Bristol City defender Jamie Knight-Lebel has signed a new three-year deal.

The 21-year-old has spent this season on loan at Swindon Town where he has made 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals, to help the Robins to fifth in League Two, two points off the automatic promotion places.

Born in Montreal, Knight-Lebel joined the Bristol City academy as a 14-year-old and made his first-team debut as a substitute against Cardiff City in October 2023.

"I'm pleased to sign a new contract at the club. I've enjoyed my time here so far and I'm looking forward to pushing on next season and beyond," Knight-Lebel told the Bristol City club website., external

Only goal difference separates these two sides in 12th and 11th place respectively in the Championship table.

They are both nine points short of the play-off places before Saturday's game kicks off (12:30 BST).

• QPR are unbeaten in five league games against Bristol City (W2 D3), and are looking to complete the league double over the Robins for the first time since 2002-03.

• Bristol City are unbeaten in their past eight away league games against QPR (W5 D3), with their past two visits finishing level.

• Queens Park Rangers have picked up 10 points in their past four Championship matches, more than in their previous 11 games combined (W2 D3 L6).

• Since Roy Hodgson arrived at Bristol City, the Robins are the only side to win both of their matches in the Championship. A victory in this game would see him equal his total from his 20 league games in charge of them during the 1981-82 season (W3 D5 L12).

• No side has benefitted from more own goals in the Championship this season than QPR (6, level with Ipswich), drawing 1-1 with Preston last time out thanks to a Thierry Small own goal.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

There is no doubt Roy Hodgson has galvanised this Bristol City team into a more cohesive unit than his predecessor Gerhard Struber was doing through that dreadful run of one win in eight games, which cost him his job after nine months in charge.

Six points from his two games at the helm would suggest Roy has still got it in terms of imparting his tactical know-how on a group of players that seemed increasingly struggling to come to terms with what Struber's tactics were.

Those fans who held the whimsical notion that if Roy won all his seven games in charge it might yet enable City to reach the play-offs for a second successive season would surely have seen those hopes dashed as Southampton battered Wrexham on Tuesday evening.

The Saints moved into sixth place, nine points ahead of City with a game in hand.

Reaching last season's total of 68 points is still within City's grasp and would see them secure eighth or ninth, a position one would normally associate with that points total, last season being something of an anomaly as it secured that final play-off place.

City's victories against Charlton and Sheffield United were both deserved.

The win at The Valley should have been by a wider margin had Armstrong converted one of two one-on-one with the goalkeeper chances late on. Some smart saves from Radek Vitek kept that slender lead intact.

At home against Chris Wilder's Sheffield United, City were ahead at the break but had to withstand a second-half onslaught by the Blades led by their inspirational midfielder Gus Hamer.

Through this period, the 22-year-old Czech keeper commanded his penalty area as well as producing a string of saves that had many City fans saying he is the best player to have ever worn the number one jersey.

Going back over my 59 years of watching City I have seen a whole host of keepers, many of them good, but until now only two stick in the mind as being truly great.

In this past 20 years, I think most City fans would agree that Adriano Basso is a valid contender for one of those accolades. The Brazilian was not the tallest but he stuck in my mind for being part of the 2007-08 side that reached the Championship play-off final. A deeply religious man, the "always believe" phrase is one he will be remembered for.

I have to go back to Roy Hodgson's first period in charge at Ashton Gate for my other choice and that is Jan Moller. The Swede was Bob Houghton's keeper when he managed Malmo to their European Cup Final appearance in 1979.

When Houghton came to Ashton Gate with Roy as his assistant, they persuaded the already financially strapped club to pay for this imposing shot stopper. The Swede, at 6ft 4in, is two inches shorter than Vitek but that height meant he too was able to command his penalty area in similar fashion.

Persuading Manchester United to let Vitek stay at Ashton Gate for one more season on loan is surely high on the agenda of things to do for the soon - hopefully - to be appointed sporting director.

All eyes are on the Richard Scudamore-influenced Lansdown family on who they appoint in that role. It is going to shape City's destiny for a few years if they are genuine in their commitment to having a real strategic plan for achieving the goal of Premier League status.

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Former Wales and Portsmouth midfielder Joe Morrell has taken interim charge of Bristol City's Under-21s team for the final three games of the season following the departure of Dennis Baraznowski.

Morrell, who retired from playing last October, has been coaching with the Robins academy squad for a number of months while he works towards his Uefa Pro Licence.

The 29-year-old began his career in Bristol City's academy and made his first-team debut aged 16, but never established himself in the squad.

Morrell went on to make more than 100 appearances for Portsmouth as well as playing for Cheltenham, Lincoln and Luton.

He won 37 caps for Wales, including at Euro 2020 and at the 2022 World Cup.

Bristol City interim manager Roy Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol he was proud of the whole squad after a 1-0 home victory over Sheffield United made it two wins from two for the former England boss.

"The defending was key. The concentration and the determination from the keeper and defenders, supported by the midfield and the front players," he said.

"We were asked so many questions in that second half and to answer those questions makes me so proud of the players.

On goalkeeper Vitek: "These last two games he's been fantastic. He's got a great temperament and a real dominance in the air. I'd be surprised if he didn't go back to Manchester United eventually and be there a very long time.

"Every game teaches you things. Unfortunately, you need more time to process things and work on them, but it has been a fantastic two games.

"I' m not in favour of over-complicating and reinventing the game. There's a lot to build on for whoever comes in, and I hope they'll find themselves nearer the top than the bottom."

Roy Hodgson says he had no preconceived ideas about what to expect from his Bristol City after watching them beat Charlton Athletic in his first game in charge.

The Robins had drawn one and lost five of their last six matches under Gerhard Struber, leading to 78-year-old Hodgson being parachuted in for a seven-game stint.

But the interim manager was pleasantly surprised by what his players produced in their 2-1 win at The Valley in Hodgson's first game in the dugout since February 2024, with goals from Scott Twine and Noah Eile.

"The performance in general and some of the football we played was good and if we could keep that up, I'd enjoy watching that and I think the fans will enjoy watching it and it will give us more success than failure," Hodgson told BBC Radio Bristol.

[Did he sense a team low on confidence] "I would lie if I say I sensed anything. It's totally new to me what they've done.

"Should I be surprised? To be surprised, I'd have to have an opinion about what they're capable of doing and it's a blank canvas for me.

"I've selected a team and a style of play in conjunction with the other staff members and I know a lot more now having seen them for 90 minutes."

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Bristol City have signed highly-rated forward Billy O'Neill from Irish side Bray Wanderers on a pre-contract agreement.

The 18-year-old scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 30 League of Ireland First Division games last season for the Seagulls, who were beaten promotion play-off finalists.

He has netted twice and registered one assist in six appearances this season.

O'Neill, who can play as a right winger or centre-forward, broke into the Bray Wanderers first team in 2023 at the age of 15 having joined their academy a year earlier.

The teenager will move to Ashton Gate and join up with the Robins' under-21 side for the start of the 2026-27 campaign.