The Way We Became Bristol City At Ashton gate.. The club was founded in 1897, when Bristol South End F.C. turned professional and changed its name to Bristol City. In 1900 the club merged with local rival Bedminster F.C., which had been founded as Southville in 1887. The side joined the Football League in 1901. They first entered Division 1 in 1906 as Division 2 champions, and as newcomers became known as the "Bristol Babes", a nickname that would last into the thirties. They were runners-up in their first season in the top flight, but couldn't match this performance again, and were relegated in 1911. They would not return for sixty-five years. The club's genealogical tree is complex. There are two 'family lines'. One is via southville (formed in 1887) and Bedminster (1889). The other is via Bristol south end (formed 1894) and Bristol city (formed 1897). The present Bristol city Association Football Club resulted from the amalgamaton of Bedminster and Bristol City at the end of the 1899-1900 season. Since bedminster's predecssor, southville, were formed in the Queen victoria's jubilee year (1887) it would seem reasonable to propose that the 1997-8 campaign should mark the centenary of the current club. The arranged marriage of 1900, between the two south bristol clubs, probably prevented a repeat of the problems of East bristol, where both warmley and st. george had dispanded the previous seasons. The Bedminster board, particulary chairman A.W.Francis and secatary W.H.Burland, pushed the idea of amalgamation strongly, and it was agreed on 10th april 1900 at a crowded Bristol citys shareholders meeting, held at the Temperance Hall Bedminster. During the first season home matches would be shared between citys (bristol south end) headquarters at st.johns lane and Bedminsters Ashton gate ground, which had hosted the England v Wales international in march 1899. Victorian Bristol was a hotbed for boxing, cricket and rugby, and it was not until 1882 that an association was formed (warmley). Professionalisam was as late as 1897, when Bristol city, Bristol st george, Eastville rovers and Warmley took the plunge. Then next year Bedminster followed suit. But by 1900, competition had reduced the numbers to two, rovers and city. And these two remained local rivals until Bristol rovers vacated Eastville stadium at the end of 1985-86 season. The actual date of southville's formation has proved elusive. Various potted histories of the club, such as in the Bristol evening news (15 september 1894), give their birth as 1887, and no match reports appear before 15th october of that year. On 12th november, southville took part in the inaugural gloucestershire senior professional cup match. Among the clubs prominent members were the Gyles brothers. Charlie founded a local sports shop which exists today. Southville played their home games at Bedminster park, now called Greville smyth park. Encouragement from Dr W.G.Grace, who refereed a gloucestershire cup at warmley in 1889, and active help from Dr E.H.Cook, led to a liasion with Bedminster cricket club, hence the change of name. Bedminster played in maroon and old gold shirts in greenway bush lane southville. The next season (1890-91) Bedminster won the Gloucestershire cup, beating warmley 2-0, and in 1891 they first played in the FA Amateur cup the following season, Bedminster's popularity was such that 4,000 people watched a Gloucestershire cup semi final against st.george in 1894 Competition arrived in the form of Bristol south End, formed in 1894 when an internal dispute in the Bedminster club coincided with the disbanding of Bristol south. The name was suggested by Mr J.A Stevens, secretary of the Bristol & district league, who was an admirer of Preston north end. The committee chose the colours of red shirts and navy blue shorts. Turned down by the Bristol and district league, they arranged an attractive list of fixtures which included Preston north end, Tottenham hot spur and Swindon town. For six years there was rivary between Bedminster and Bristol south End, who were renamed Bristol city halfway through that period. he first local derby -- the minsters aganst the garibaldians -- was on 23rd march 1895, when 4,000 saw Bristol south end 2-0 at Green bush lane. In 1896, Bedminster moved to Ashton gate, beating staple hill 4-2 in the first match, although the official opening was delayed until the first match of the western league season, 1-1 draw with warmley. The 1896-97 season was also notable for the first league matches between Bedminster and Bristol south end. Warmley won the compitition that season, Bristol south end were 2nd and Bedminster 3rd. Then came the move to professionalism. A 10-0 home defeat by old carthusians in the first round of the FA Amateur cup helped Bristol south end think they might be suited to the professional world. Bedminster followed suit a year later, and in 1898-9 both clubs were playing in the southern league. A crowd of 10,250 saw the two teams meet at st.johns lane in december 1898. The change to professionalism had bought a change of name too - from bristol south end to Bristol city. Sam hollis came from Woolich Arsenal to manage Bristol city and two years later he moved to Bedminster. Hollis helped Bristol city win the Gloucestershire cup and the western league, and in 1898 the club received one vote in an unsuccessful bid to join the football league. A first major honour looked to be Bristol citys 1898-9, but southampton won the last southern league match 4-3 to force city in to runners up spot. In 1900, Bedminster and Bristol city merged --Now remember Bristol south end now Bristol city played at st.johns lane and Bedminster played at Ashton gate --- They adopted the red shirts of Bristol city and, after an experimental season using TWO GROUNDS and three seasons at st. johns lane, the Ashton gate ground of Bedminster became the permanent home of the now merged club with the name Bedminster dropped for Bristol city. Bob campell was manager, but within a year sam hollis was to take over, just as the Bristol babe entered the football league. In 1901 Bristol city were successful in an application to join the football league, finishing joint top of the poll, despite having to compete with clubs seeking re-election to the second division. The club's first second division game was on 7th september 1901 when paddy o'brien's two goals bought a 2-0 win at Blackpool. The first home game - a 3-0 win over stockport - saw a crowd of 7,000 at st.johns lane. Not untill 1904 did BRISTOL CITY MOVE TO ASHTON GATE. By then the record attendance had been raised to 17,909 on the occasion of a second round FA cup tie against sheffield united and Bristol city decided to make Ashton gate their home as THEY OUT GREW St.johns lane, so if they decided to have stayed then steve lansdown today could be looking to move from st.johns lane. So in truth ashton gate was Bedminsters ground, St.johns lane was Bristol south end A.K.A Bristol city's Ground all that went in the merge was the bedminster name and in the end st.johns lane ground, so city have moved a few times in their history as even Bedminster who were part of what was to become Bristol city moved to ashton gate from another area ie: green bush lane, chuck in southville at Greville Smyth Park we have had a few venues before we settled at Ashton gate, question is who as a fan is your loyalty now? Bristol south end, Bedminster, Bristol city, Southville? as at the time the rivalry matched city and rovers..... Bedminster Park NOW Greville Smyth Park
please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image The original roof on the Eastend please log in to view this image Eastend 1906
