1999 Division One Play-off Final vs Gillingham

Lore & Background

Founded in 1894 as Bristol South End, the club changed its name to Bristol City on adopting professionalism three years later. They joined the Football League in 1901 and won the Second Division in 1905–06. They finished second in the First Division the following season and lost to Manchester United in the 1909 FA Cup final. After relegation in 1911, they dropped to the third tier in 1922, though they won the Third Division South title in 1922–23 and again in 1926–27. They returned to the third tier in 1932, remaining there until they won the Third Division South again in 1954–55. Having been relegated in 1960, Bristol City won promotion from the third tier in 1964–65 and then from the second tier in 1975–76. They played four seasons in the top-flight before being relegated in three consecutive seasons by 1982. Bristol City spent just two seasons in the Fourth Division and won the Associate Members' Cup in 1986. Promoted out of the Third Division in 1989–90, the club were relegated in 1995 and again in 1999 after another promotion in 1997–98. Bristol City won the Football League Trophy again in 2003, and were promoted from League One in 2006–07. Relegated after six seasons in the Championship, they won the Football League Trophy for a third time in 2015 on their way to the 2014–15 League One title, and have remained in the Championship since that promotion.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell softly on the hallowed turf of Wembley as the City faithful sang their hearts out, a sea of sky blue in the stands. Inside the tunnel, the air was heavy with silence and nervous energy. When Nicolas Anelka received the ball near the box, time seemed to slow. He took a touch, evaded the defender's challenge, and fired a low shot into the bottom corner. The roar that erupted from the crowd wasn't just for a goal; it was the sound of eight years of frustration finally being exorcised, a moment where the past and future collided in a single, perfect strike.

Reader's Guide

Bristol City have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The club's home colours are red and white, and their nickname is The Robins—a robin featured on the club's badge from 1976 to 1994 and from 2019 onwards. Their main rivals are Bristol Rovers, with whom they contest the Bristol derby, and Cardiff City, with whom they contest the cross-border Severnside derby.

Did You Know?

• The club was founded in 1894 as Bristol South End.
• They won the Second Division in 1905–06 with a record number of points, becoming the first club in Football League history to win 30 league games in a season.
• Bristol City lost to Manchester United in the 1909 FA Cup final.
• They won the Welsh Cup in 1934, beating Tranmere Rovers in the final.
• The club's biggest league defeat was a 9–0 loss to Coventry City in 1934.