• 1897 Bristol City formed , so 1997 will be a celebration, whether or not the club's burning desire to see promotion is fulfilled.

• 1901 Bristol City Join the Football League and on 7/9/1901 beat Blackpool 2-0 ( a good omen for our first home game this year?).

• 1905-6 Promotion to the First Division. Second Division Champions, spurred on by Billy Wedlock, arguably one of the Clubs best ever players.City then spent five years in the top flight.

• 1908-9 F A Cup Runners up losing 1-0 to Manchester United

• 1919-20 F A Cup Semi Finalists losing 2-1 to Huddersfield.Thereafter the Club's fortunes waned and City spent much of its time in the Third Division's lower reaches. Nevertheless Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley played for the club during that time

• 1954-5 John Atyeo City's highest ever scorer with 359 goals helped City win the Third Division Championship, under the stewardship of Chairman Harry Dolman. Only to see relegation 5 seasons later.

• 1964-65 Promotion back to Division Two.

• 1 March 1969 Bristol City 6 Fulham 0 my first memory of the Robins live,age 7!!

• 1970-71 League Cup Semi Finalists, losing to Tottenham and I was there.

• 6 March 1974 Donnie Gillies scores the goal that defeats Leeds at Elland Road in a Fifth Round F A Cup shock, after a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate.

• 20 April 1976 Clive Whitehead rifles home in front of 24,614 (where are you now) as City beat Portsmouth 1-0 to gain promotion to Division 1 and you guessed it I was there!!

• The 1976-7 season will live long in the memory. Back in the top flight Paul Cheeseley bagged the winner on the opening day of the season at Arsenal, only to be injured in the next game against Stoke. An injury that ended a promising career and ultimately started City's decline. On match days Paul is now to be found in the Club's new Legends Bar. The seasons final match at Coventry saw City comeback from 2-0 down through Donnie Gillies and Gerry Gow to gain the point that kept them up. I heard it on the radio coming back from skittles with my dad, but thousands made the trek to Highfield Road( where are you now). The Norman Hunter years commenced.

• 1977-8 Anglo- Scottish Cup Winners 26 November Joe Royle score 4 on debut against Middlesborough.

• 1979-80 season saw City relegated and worse was to follow as the club became the first to slip from First to Fourth Division in successive seasons, despite heroics from the sadly departed Mick Harford, and yes I watched it all.

• 1982 saw City on the verge of extinction with many convinced our trip to Newport would be our last. But with the "Ashton Gate Eight" Peter Aitken,Chris Garland, Jimmy Mann, Julian Marshall, Geoff Merrick, David Rodgers, Gerry Sweeney and Trevor Tainton accepting redundancy BCFC (1982) PLC ROSE LIKE A PHOENIX (Robin)FROM THE ASHES!

• 1985-6 a visit to Wembley and a 3-0 win v Bolton in the Freight Rover Trophy was followed by defeat at the hands of Mansfield in a penalty shoot out the following year, in the same competition. Poor Gordon Owen.

• That's where the clubs history compiled by David Woods, with Andrew Crabtree ends. The totally excellent video narrated by Tony Robinson ( Baldrick to Black Adder fans) helped my memoryto recall the following recent highlights:

• Bob Taylor's magnificent contribution to City's promotion from Fourth to Second Division, only to be followed by relegation at the end of the 1994-5 season. A great League Cup win at Bradford courtesy of Alan Walsh's 3rd minute winner, followed by Semi-final defeat, just, at the hands of Nottingham Forest(Jer Boon reminded me of those inept fangs-inept was the word). A 4-3 away win at Derby courtesy of Wayne Allisons late late header, and of course the defeat of Liverpool in the FA Cup. Following a 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate, the Robins travelled to Anfield and Brian Tinnion finally scored the goal that clinched it after City thoroughly outplayed the home side. Where was I-watching it on relay at the Colston Hall.

1996 -1997 was the first season under new Chairman Scott Davidson-much was achieved with defeat in the play off semi final insufficient reward for a team which played exciting attacking football, hit peaks in October and April, but in between occasionally flattered to deceive. Shaun Goater was the goalscoring sensation ably supported by Paul Agostino and Darren Barnard, Gary Owers the midfield dynamo and Shaun Taylor the rock in central defence. Youngsters Matt Hewlett and Louis Carey had much to be pleased with, while Brian Tinnion was back to near his best.

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