The Exiled Robin

Last week’s “abysmal” display at Bramall Lane has plunged City right back into the relegation scrap just as it looked as if there was an opening to inch clear. A response will be expected by boss Steve Cotterill and it’s certain that the home fans will want to see some fight and commitment from those in red shirts this week, as we play Gillingham for the third time this season. An all-too-rare clean sheet helped City towards a 2-0 victory – and a home cup tie against Premier League Crystal Palace – at Priestfield in August, whilst a few weeks later Marvin Elliott’s header earned a point against the Kent side. Luke Cawdell – a sports journalist and Gills’ correspondent for Kent Online – was kind enough to speak to Lewis Hancock for this week’s ‘Inside Line’. Although in 13th position, Gillingham are only six points above the relegation zone and have to play a lot of teams below them in the table. Do you think there's enough quality in the squad to not be dragged into a rel...

Lewis Hancock introduces the latest ‘Inside Line’ : City’s five-match unbeaten run came to a halt on Saturday and sees us remain a languishing ‘sleeping giant’ in League One’s relegation zone.  The defeat to Wolves was unsavoury but regrettably anticipated by many in BS3 considering City haven’t won at Molineux since 1931! But what better way for Steve Cotterill to refocus the squad with a match just three days later, you might say?  Unfortunately, it doesn’t come much tougher than a team unbeaten in 16 league matches – including an amazing 14 wins – league leaders, Brentford. Since the last encounter between the sides, the Bees’ are under new management in Mark Warburton following Uwe Rosler’s departure to Wigan, and their rich vein of form has seen them climb to the League One summit. If last season’s near-miss is anything to go by, it comes as little surprise to supporters of League One clubs to see the West London club challenging for promotion. ...

Over to Lewis Hancock again for this week’s 'Inside Line’ on the Bantams, Bradford City It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions since the opening day of the season and now halfway through the campaign, it’s about time things started going City’s way! Steve Cotterill’s appointment divided fans’ opinion, but after only one loss in all competitions since he took over and two wins on the bounce, Cotterill is certainly turning heads.  Securing Karleigh Osborne on a permanent basis and Tyrone Barnett on loan until the end of the season won't have done him any harm either. However, let’s not jump the gun. The same was being said about Sean O’Driscoll prior to his sacking and, on paper, January is set to be a very tricky month in League One, starting with Bradford City away. Having flirted with the play-off places for most of the season, the Bantams seem to have tailed off of late and now find themselves in mid-table. City haven’t won against Bradford for 18 ...

Merry Christmas Everyone! Boxing Day sees an all-too-rare hosting of a football match at Ashton Gate. Yes, really!  It's an occurrence some fans have probably never seen, in fact, bearing in mind last year’s breaking of a run of away fixtures coincided with flash flooding and the postponement whilst many of us were in our seats waiting for kick-off. As is usually the way with these games, it’s a nearish-but-not-quite-local derby as Walsall make the relatively short trip down the M5 in reasonable form and with Sean O’Drisoll’s former number two Richard O’Kelly helping Dean Smith to keep Walsall in the running for promotion, probably against the odds. Lewis Hancock caught up with ‘Bescot Banter’  whose website features all the latest news and views on goings on in the Black Country  http://www.bescotbanter.net/ ,  to find out how they believe the Saddlers’ season has transpired thus far:   We’re almost half way through the League One campaig...

The last time Bristol City hosted Rotherham United, more than 19,000 Robins fans packed into Ashton Gate on a gloriously warm, sunny early-May afternoon.  Needing a win to secure promotion to the Championship, Gary Johnson’s men swept aside the Millers with help from a David Noble double, before Alex Russell scored the goal which made sure City had accomplished their mission. The rest, as is so often mooted, is very much history,  http://exiledrobin.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/down-and-out-bristol-city-season-review.html   Who would have thought on that sunny day that 6½ years on that we’d be approaching this game with our fifth different manager (or head coach) about to take charge of his first league match. Who could have predicted we’d be not only back in League One (OK, most of us might have forecast that!) but £50m worse off and facing a fight to stave off relegation to the basement?  Who would have thought we’d still be awaiting a decision on where we’ll b...

Over to Lewis Hancock for this week's preview... Finally, a turn in the road for City leading towards a more upbeat and more optimistic future! Well, perhaps anyway. Sean O’Driscoll’s ‘transitional phase’ has started to come together of late and with seven points from nine and a relatively comfortable victory over Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup, City are beginning to quash any qualms that some fans may have. But some of the jury are still out at the moment and a trip away to Tranmere will not be the easiest of tasks. Rovers take up the final spot in the drop zone with City merely a place above on goal difference and a win at Prenton Park could be what is needed to climb away from relegation scrap. However, Tranmere have more concerning internal matters to deal with at present. Midfielder Joe Thompson has begun his six-month long chemotherapy after contracting cancer at just 24-years-old, something that really puts football and life into perspective. I’ve spo...

With every passing day City's season gets closer and closer to crisis point. Yes, there are still thirty-plus games remaining, more than enough to climb the league and get comfortable - at least - and if you tracked 'form' I believe we'd still be on an upward trending curve.  But another game without a win, or a point even, at Gresty Road on Saturday means City are now rock-bottom, their lowest position in 30 years. Tuesday night sees City welcome one of the pre-season favourites, Brentford, to Ashton Gate for the first in a short series of fixtures that look like they'll prove pivotal to the future of the season, if not the club. So what can we expect from our opponents? Until he recently joined Twitter , I'm sure many weren't aware that Bristol Post's City correspondent Andy Stockhausen was actually a Bees fan. It came to light for me with a response to an accusation about having an affinity to the Blue Few in the north of the city! Although now ...

  Another unfortunately-timed break in the footballing schedule has seen City fall to 23 rd in League One going into Saturday’s match at Crewe Alexandra. With City’s match against Crawley postponed due to international call-ups, it was a chance for sides around us to create a small gap at the bottom; a feat Crewe managed with a 2-0 win versus Preston at Deepdale. The win leaves the Alex three points above City in the table, but an away win (in what would be City’s first win at the Alexandra Stadium since the 2006/07 promotion season) would see us leapfrog the Railwaymen due to their extremely poor goal difference.  However, a familiar face in Bristolian pantomime-villain Steve Phillips could stand in our way... Nathaniel Holland, @natholland1 Sports Journalism student at Southampton Solent, has kindly answered our questions. City old boy Steve ‘Flapper’ Phillips finds himself between the sticks at the Alexandra Stadium. How has he performed since perma...