Bristol City FC

After being made a limited company and turning professional in 1897 a decision was made to employ a manager, so contact was made with Sam Hollis at Woolwich Arsenal. One of his first assignments at Bristol City was to assemble a squad of players to take part in the Southern League - he was given a transfer fund of £40!

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In 1899 Bob Campbell succeeded Sam Hollis as manager in May.

In 1900 the club merged with local rivals Bedminster, who had been founded as Southville in 1887 and were a professional club which played their matches a mile away from St. John's Lane - at Ashton Gate.

Sam Hollis returns for a second spell in charge in 1901 and leads City into their first season in the Football League, following their election to Division Two in May. They were the only non-London League side south of Birmingham until 1920. They play their first League game on 7th September away to Blackpool, winning 2-0. Billy Jones becomes the first City player to win an England cap.

After one season (1900/01) playing at both St. John's Lane and Ashton Gate, and then three seasons back at St. John's Lane, the decision is made to adopt Ashton Gate as the new permanent home of Bristol City FC in 1904.

In 1905 City gain 14 successive wins in Division Two, still a joint League record held with Preston North End and Manchester United.

Harry Thickett takes over as manager and promptly leads City to the 1905/06 Division Two Championship, which includes a club record 30 League wins, and as newcomers became known as the "Bristol Babes", a nickname that would last into the thirties.

The Club were runners-up to Newcastle in Division One, 1906/07 their first season in the top flight, and to date the club's highest League placing. Centre-half Billy Wedlock wins the first of his 21 England caps.

In 1909 they reached the FA Cup final, where they were beaten by Manchester United 1-0 at the Crystal Palace in London.

But these achievements were not consistent, and in 1911 City were relegated back to the Second Division. They have not repeated the heights of the 1906-1909 era since, and did not even return to the top flight for 65 years.