Bristol City clinch promotion to the Championship
After way too long wallowing in the bottom half of the English football league system, Bristol City have finally gained promotion to the second tier. Eight years we'd been stuck in the third tier and before that we were only in the division above for a season, coming straight back down. You've got to start digging out the history books to see when City last enjoyed such lofty status as they'll have from the beginning of next season.
Points deductions aside, the leagues don't lie and every club is where they realistically should be, given the funds and resources at their disposal. City have been nearly men over the last few seasons or so, until the board showed great ambition in bringing Gary Johnson in to sort the whole mess out. I couldn't believe our luck when we recruited him in September of the 05/06 season but I do remember the confidence I felt that he would be the one to take us up. The mess he inherited took some time to sort out and after a couple of months I was certain that it would be his first full season in charge that we would see what he could really do for us.
He hasn't let anybody down and has produced the goods in a hard season where our points tally could have seen us promoted as champions. He's put together a good squad, with a real togetherness and team mentality. With luck, this squad shouldn't need too much bolstering to prepare us for the higher level, but should Johnson have to bring anybody in, I'm sure that they will prove to be bargains. He may not have a Midas touch in the transfer market but he doesn't do too badly at all. David Noble, Jamie McCombe and Jamie McAllister, Enoch Showumni, Phil Jevons and Chris Weale have all impressed me and have been more than worth their fees, where they weren't on free transfers.
Just to consolidate and survive in the Championship will be enough for me and I believe that Johnson is more than capable of doing that. From there onwards, who knows how well things might go, but if the duration of Gary Johnson's tenure to date is anything to go by, I'd have to say that things are looking very promising indeed. Massive thanks and congratulations to all at the club, from the Chairman down to the ball boys, it has been a great season and a superb achievement. The future is bright, it's Red and White!
| 
| 
