Bristol City

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Bristol City are one win away from securing a first Championship play-off spot in 17 years.

A win against Preston at home on Saturday will secure fifth place in the table and make it the Robins' highest league finish since 2007-08.

We asked what it would mean for Bristol City to reach the play-offs.

Here's what you said:

Alex: The promised land of the Premier League is the closest it's ever been in 17 years. We need to enjoy the journey and back the team on Saturday come what may. Up the City.

DJ: It's something we have all dreamed about for quite a while, but now that we are on the cusp of it, I can't quite believe it! My Dad took me to the City games, back in the day, in the old Division 1. Therefore I've always dreamed of taking my son to watch Premiership footy at The Gate. COYR!

Nick: The play-offs have been a long time coming for City - there have been a few seasons, particularly 17-18 and 18-19, where we've come close when we perhaps expected to make them given the early season form but tailed off dreadfully. This time, I doubt many fans would have expected much more than another dull, mid-table finish, so from that perspective it's been a wonderful surprise to be in this position.

Dan: Massive congrats to Liam and the team for getting us to where we are. It's been an emotional season, Liam and his family's tragic loss and the way the whole club responded to this, seemed to galvanise everyone connected to Bristol City. No matter what happens on Saturday we'll remember some things are bigger than football. Fly high Theo!

Rob: Fantastic season whatever happens, given the size and age of our squad. Liam Manning, the coaching team and the players have given us something to believe in for the first time in years so play-offs, promotion or strength and belief for next season would all be massive for us!

Paul: The play-offs this season would be a big step forward for us after quite a few years of mid-table obscurity and will mean a cracking day out at the Gate. But let's be under no illusions, we are not good enough yet for Premier League. My big hope is it puts us in the shop window at we can upgrade some of the squad in the summer.

Justin: Would mean the club are hopefully finally going in the right direction and with a little bit more backing this manager may get us to where a club of our size should be trying to get to.

John: I'm not 100% sure that promotion to the Prem would be a good thing for Bristol City. They would be stretched to the max, and almost certainly would come back down again. But who could deny the players a shot at a Wembley play-off final?

Bristol City are one win away from securing a place in the Championship play-offs for the first time since 2007-08.

Victory against Preston North End at home on Saturday in their final match of the campaign will ensure a top-six spot and a chance to win promotion to the Premier League for the first time.

So, Bristol City fans, after a 17-year wait, what would it mean for the Robins to reach the play-offs?

Let us know your thoughts here.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Championship title winners (almost) Leeds United gave Bristol City an insight into the quality of football they would face next season should they secure promotion through the play-offs in May.

The home side's 4-0 winning margin could have been even wider were it not for a string of saves from keeper Max O'Leary.

A number of key players gave below-par performances on Monday night but perhaps they were saving themselves for Saturday's game against Preston North End.

City knew that even with defeat at Elland Road, play-off qualification was still in their own hands if they can beat Paul Heckingbottom's team.

The thing is, the game has now turned into a must-win after two defeats on the road - and it won't be easy because Preston now have something hanging on this game, with defeat meaning they could join Plymouth and Cardiff in League One next season.

Five clubs all have a chance to secure a play-off place from the two spots that remain open. Middlesbrough and Coventry play each other, Millwall and Blackburn have what look like tough away fixtures at Burnley and Sheffield United, respectively.

Goal difference could prove key and City's was reduced by half from eight to four on Monday - but we can still do it!

All this tension on the last day got me thinking how many times City have had something to play for on the final matchday in the 58 seasons I have been supporting.

Without thinking too hard, 2006-07 saw City beat Rotherham United 3-1 to secure automatic promotion back to the Championship as runners-up to Scunthorpe.

You can hear more from David Pottier on the fans podcast Forever Bristol City, external.

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol City forward Nahki Wells said the team have to chase "perfection in their performance" rather than the result when they face Preston in their final match on Saturday, following a 4-0 thrashing by Leeds.

Despite the Leeds defeat, the Robins remain fifth in the table and know a win against the Lilywhites would secure their top-six spot.

"We can't dwell, we have to come together, stick together. We can't let this divide us in any way," Wells told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We have to be open and honest, we have to look back at the game at where we went wrong and make sure that doesn't happen again.

"It's a different game, completely different occasion on Saturday and a must-win but we must not chase the result, we must chase perfection in our performance. I think more often than not when we've done that we've performed to our best and got results that we need."

Wells, 34, also apologised to the Bristol City supporters who travelled to Elland Road.

"Apologies to the travelling supporters and everyone supporting the club - that was nowhere near our best," he said.

"We went out there with the intention of trying our very best to get something from the result knowing what it could do for us. We didn't perform well enough."

Gary Owers
Former Bristol City player and BBC Radio Bristol summariser

Image source, Getty Images

Disappointing [the 4-0 defeat at Leeds]. Outplayed, outclassed. They've just got to put it out of their system as quickly as possible.

Make sure Ashton Gate is absolutely jumping on Saturday and it's very much still in City's hands.

They've just got to forget about it. Obviously it's a bad loss, it's a bad defeat. Back-to-back defeats on the road.

Not exactly going into Saturday with a lot of momentum but it's still in touch. They've been strong at Ashton Gate all season I still think they can pull it off.

It's on a knife-edge. All of a sudden, Saturday's game against Preston is tricky because they're trying to avoid relegation.

But you'd rather be in that top six going into the game than having to catch up points to get into the top six, so it's in their hands.

One last big push, one last effort, one professional performance and we're there.

Bristol City manager Liam Manning said his side were beaten by the best side in the division after their 4-0 defeat at promoted Leeds.

The Robins, who will secure a play-off spot with victory over struggling Preston on the final day, were blown away at Elland Road by a Whites side who will win the title and hit 100 points with a win at Plymouth at the weekend.

"Where do you start? You could sense how dangerous they'd be in their final home game and the atmosphere played a big part. In the first 20 or 25 minutes, we played the occasion rather than the game," he told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We gave away a really soft goal from a set-piece, which was probably the most frustrating thing.

"They're the best team in the division, for me: huge club, huge investment, top players.

"There's no shame in coming here and losing - it's more the manner in how you do it and we weren't at the level we can hit. We've spoken about it in the changing room. We have to hurt tonight and we can't just move on because of the manner of the goals, but we have to wake up tomorrow, stick together and get ready for Saturday."

Despite the chastening nature of Monday's loss Manning remains upbeat his side can now secure a top-six place in the Championship for the first time since 2007-08.

"The lads are tough, they have given absolutely everything and I know they will do on Saturday," he added.

"If you'd have asked anyone associated with the club if they'd have taken going into the final home game against Preston with it in our hands, they'd have snapped your hands off.

"We've done terrifically well at home and the atmosphere has been electric."

Leeds United host Bristol City on Monday night (20:00 BST) chasing the 100-point mark in the Championship having already secured their return to the Premier League.

Bristol City have the play-offs in their sights but have not won a league game at Elland Road in 46 years.

• Leeds are unbeaten in their past 10 league games against Bristol City (D2 L8) since a 1-0 loss at Ashton Gate in September 2016.

• Bristol City have lost eight of their past nine away league games against Leeds (D1), with their last victory at Elland Road coming in November 1979 (3-1).

• Leeds have scored 89 goals in the Championship this season - only in 1927-28 have they netted more in a single league campaign (98).

• Bristol City have won just one of their past 14 away league games (D7 L6), with that victory coming at Millwall in March (2-0).

• Victory for Bristol City will guarantee them a place in the Championship play-offs for the first time since 2007-08, when they eventually ended up as losing finalists to Hull City.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Rex Features

City were humbled by Luton Town on Easter Monday yet remain in fifth position in the Championship thanks to Coventry slipping up at Plymouth and Boro coming away from Hillsborough with nothing - due in no small part, I'm sure, to ex-City player Tommy Conway missing a first-half penalty and then crashing a shot against the underside of the bar in the last minute of added time.

While City still remain odds-on favourites to qualify for the play-offs, they face the daunting prospect of a trip to Elland Road on Monday to face champions-elect Leeds United.

They can only hope that the Yorkshiremen gave their end-of-season champagne performance in the 6-0 drubbing of Stoke over Easter, as they come up against opponents against whom they have an appalling record in recent years. This will be the 20th encounter since 2010, with Leeds racking up 15 wins and City winning just once.

Thinking of encounters between the sides over the years, if you go back to 1968, there was an FA Cup tie which (naturally) Leeds won, the game memorable for the fact that goalkeeper Gary Sprake was sent off for unceremoniously knocking out City's Chris Garland.

Roll the clock forward six years, and after a 1-1 FA Cup fifth-round draw at Ashton Gate, City made the national news headlines - such was Leeds' grandeur in those days - when a Donnie Gillies goal gave them a famous 1-0 victory in a game played on a Tuesday afternoon due to the three-day week and associated power cuts!

One final game against Leeds sticks in the mind, although perhaps one should say one and a half.

In December 1976 it was a very foggy day as I walked across Ashton Park to the ground. Taking my place in the enclosure, on the halfway line, you could not see either goal. Surprisingly, the game kicked off with 36,000 people in the ground.

One occasionally caught glimpses of the orange match ball and heard the "oohs" and "aahs" of the crowd from either end when there was penalty area action. It was farcical and no surprise when the game was abandoned at half-time with no refunds. The replayed game in May saw a Chris Garland goal secure the points as City scrambled to avoid relegation.

You can hear more from David Pottier on the fans podcast Forever Bristol City, external.

Gary Owers
Former Bristol City player and BBC Radio Bristol summariser

Image source, Getty Images

The Luton result was disappointing but the impact isn't too bad clearly because of the other results which have gone Bristol City's way.

They're still in a good position with a four-point gap and two games to play.

The play-offs is in their hands and it's going to be tough up at Leeds next Monday evening but we're looking forward to that, going and playing against a team that'll be trying to win the title.

Then that game against Preston at home at Ashton Gate will be really pivotal I think and everyone will be looking forward to that with their fingers crossed.

Hopefully we can get the job done now before that last game of the season comes around.

A four-point cushion with two games left, it would be really disappointing now if they didn't achieve that ambition to finish in the play-offs.

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City boss Liam Manning said that his side made "too many mistakes" in their defeat to Luton Town on Monday.

The Robins failed to register a shot on target in the first half and conceded three in the second.

They ended the day in fifth position with a four-point cushion on seventh-placed Middlesbrough, but missed the chance to ensure a play-off spot as they lost at Kenilworth Road.

"There's an element of frustration because it feels more on us than them," He told BBC Radio Bristol.

"You could sense in the second-half they're fighting for their lives but you have make the game look like you want it to.

"We shifted the momentum in their favour with an error, there were too many mistakes and we didn't take our chances.

"We have to be disappointed with our performance but step back and it's still in our hands - when you're in a performance industry like the lads are you have to stay brave, stay focused and very much play the game and not the occasion.

"The more this goes on you just love the Championship."

Gary Owers
Former Bristol City player and BBC Radio Bristol summariser

Image source, Getty Images

You were sort of thinking back to that Hull City game where City couldn't break Hull down and they defended with everybody behind the ball.

But I think in the second half it is a masterstroke he [Liam Manning] put Ross McCrorie on the left-hand side, he really did well attacking those crosses and he popped up to score the winning goal.

Bristol City just made better decisions, they were a little more patient in the build-up. Sunderland defended really, really well at times. Of course it would have been a different game 11 v 11 but you've got to take what's on offer - I always say - on the day. And they turned no points into three points.

Both Coventry and Middlesbrough play each other on the last day of the season and both teams might need to win get in the play-offs, that might be to City's advantage.

I thought five points [would be enough to secure a play-off spot] before the game. That game on Monday is going to be extra tough as Luton have had a little bit of a lift, beating Derby and they're fighting for their lives.

We expect that to be tough, we expect Leeds to be tough but they've done themselves the power of good just getting three points against a Sunderland team that have already guaranteed their place in the play-offs.

In spite of playing the 10 men we've seen what their threat is. [Eliezer] Mayenda was excellent, that was a brilliant individual goal.

Dust yourselves down, get to Luton and keep enjoying the ride on this rollercoaster.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

City got their Easter programme off to the start they hoped for with a 2-1 win against already confirmed fourth-placed Sunderland.

The Easter schedule is less frenetic than it used to be when I first started watching City over 50 years ago. Back in the 1970s you played either Friday, Saturday and Tuesday or Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

I recall three years when Easter was a crucial time for City's fortunes.

In 1971, City were in a battle to avoid relegation from the Second Division and faced Luton Town at Ashton Gate on Good Friday. On a quagmire pitch they trailed 2-0 at half-time, before storming back in the second period to win 3-2 thanks to two goals from Chris Garland and another from defender Dickie Rooks.

The next day City took another step to survival beating Portsmouth 2-0 at Ashton Gate.

In 1975 City were battling at the other end of the table for promotion. I was amongst the fans who travelled to Southampton's old ground, The Dell, to witness a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Donnie Gillies.

Hopes were high for the Saturday game against Norwich City back at home but the visitors clearly benefitted from resting in a Bristol hotel while City battled on the south coast and won 1-0. The Tuesday fixture was a home game against Bristol Rovers which ended 1-1.

Just a year later City were again battling for promotion and in a much stronger position. Manager Alan Dicks had brought forward the Easter Saturday fixture which meant City didn't play in successive days and came away from visiting neighbouring Bristol Rovers on Good Friday with a point from a 0-0 draw.

The Tuesday fixture was against Portsmouth and City went into the game knowing that victory would secure a return to the top flight for the first time in 65 years.

They achieved that thanks to Clive Whitehead's goal securing a 1-0 win and a four-year stay in the then called First Division.

Forty nine years on is this going to be our season to make that much awaited return?

You can hear more from David Pottier on the fans podcast Forever Bristol City, external.

Bristol City manager Liam Manning was "lost for words" after his side's 2-1 win over 10-man Sunderland at Ashton Gate.

City are now four points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough and sit fifth in the Championship table after goals from Robert Dickie and Ross McCrorie secured the win.

Manning was pleased with his side's application and patience after Trai Hume's early red card.

"It is a massive win. I'm lost for words; we played Hull here not so long ago, they went down to 10-men and it was a disappointing one," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We stuck at it. The message at half time was to stay calm and patient, and to create a bit of chaos. The lads stuck at it and kept going."

Manning told his players to push on and says it could have been a more comfortable win.

"When they go into that deep block, there is a tendency for everyone to get on the ball. You end up with players outside of the play, rather than putting the ball into the box. We did that better second half.

"If it wasn't for some top defending, it could have been more."

Image source, Rex Features

Bristol City captain Jason Knight believes the club staff has helped him "improve massively" at his off-the-pitch work this season.

The 24-year-old was named skipper last summer and has played every minute of the Robins' Championship campaign so far.

"I think definitely I've got to give the staff and the manager some credit with that, they've helped me improve massively more behind the scenes tactically and how to view the game from maybe a deeper position this season," Knight told BBC Radio Bristol.

"And I've definitely had more of an impact on games which I'm happy with but there's still more to come. My goals and assists and really adding that to my game as well."

Knight said he has "enjoyed" leading the team this season

"It's not been seamless, but it's been good. I've enjoyed the challenge and hopefully it's more about me performing as well - try and lead by example," he said.