Gary Johnson's history with Bristol City Football Club
Gary Johnson joined Bristol City in September 2005 after Brian Tinnion's resignation following a 7-1 defeat at Swansea City.
Having enjoyed unprecedented success at Yeovil Town, Johnson lifted the Robins away from the bottom of League One.
-
Gary Johnson - Understood to be leaving Bristol City as manager today
-
Gary Johnson - Understood to be leaving Bristol City as manager today
-
Fans will miss Gary Johnson's tussles with Neil warnock
-
Gary Johnson - Understood to be leaving Bristol City as manager today
-
Gary Johnson - Understood to be leaving Bristol City as manager today
The 2006-07 campaign saw City as one of the early favourites for promotion and Johnson delivered.
The Robins finished second in the table, winning promotion thanks to a 3-1 win over Rotherham.
In City's first season in the Championship they surprised everyone by making the play-off final against Hull.
Hopes were high that City could build on their fifth-placed finish in 2008-09 but it was not to be.
A plethora of draws consigned City to mid-table and discontent with Johnson began to mount.
This season again began with talk of promotion but a trend of conceding late goals proved City's weakness.
Many of Johnson's critics point to his signing of his son, Lee, as his biggest mistake.
The recruitment of the midfielder from Hearts in 2006 left him open to accusations of nepotism.
Gary Johnson also employed his brother Pete as chief scout and a mixed record of success in the transfer market led to similar accusations.
Ever since promotion was achieved in 2007, City have been short of goals.
In a bid to cure the problem Johnson signed a bewildering array of strikers.
Only Phil Jevons (at League One level), Dele Adebola and Nicky Maynard can be said to have fulfilled their hype to any level.
Perhaps the decision to release Adebola last summer is also one City will regret.
This season has also been blighted by the contract dispute with goalkeeper Adriano Basso.
But most of all it has been results that have done for Johnson.
Johnson seemed to ride out the aftermath of the 6-0 home defeat to Cardiff City in January.
He was strongly rumoured to have offered his resignation to Lansdown after the game, for it to be refused.
The 5-2 home loss to Doncaster Rovers last month was arguably a worse performance than the Cardiff defeat and the writing appeared on the wall.
Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Reading could have been 5-0.
And although City battled back to 2-2 at Plymouth on Tuesday night, Carl Fletcher's late winner proved the final nail in the coffin.
After the game, Johnson spent half an hour in the dressing room.
His overall record (played 239, won 96, drawn 69, lost 74) is impressive.
But in the cut-throat world of professional football it is the here and now that matters most.
4 Comments
by Justin, Chard, Somerset
Thursday, March 18 2010, 10:25PM
“Gary Johnson is the best manager outside of the premier league its as simple as that and no manager mentioned to take over in the press can replace him. I am a Yeovil Town fan so i can associate with Gary Johnsons style of management and football but i also follow Bristol City being a local club and having a number of former players there as well as living in Bristol for two years. I think if city had not signed him as manager then they would still be in league one. Sometimes you have to be more patient with managers and appreciate what a talented manager he is and you only have to look at his record in the last 9 years from his time at yeovil to the present to see that he is a proven winner. My concern for city now is that without him they may freefall the wrong way down the league. I think that the way that he has been hounded out is disappointing as having met him when he was at yeovil he is a genuine man with the clubs interests at heart and has a fantastic sense of humour even when things get tough so he does not deserve this. I would like to wish him all the best wherever he goes and i am sure he will continue to be successful. You will always be welcome at Yeovil Gary you are a true legend. All the best to Bristol City for the rest of the Season.”
by Lawrence, Nanaimo B/C Canada,
Thursday, March 18 2010, 6:38PM
“A turning point at the gate, saw it coming,
We would like to add now Gary`s gone ,
we might get to the 'real' reason on Basso wanted to leave ! ! & why OH why he didn`t want to give Dale a two year deal ,
that might have turned out better all round if he gave him the 2yrs,
any thoughts ?”
by Dan, Yate
Thursday, March 18 2010, 10:02AM
“Sorry Gary but the time was up 18months ago thanks for the hard work over the last 4 years.
Adam we are not planning on going up we ar planning on staying up mate and to do a leeds or pompey would take a hell of alot of steve lansdown not paying taxs. Steve is very clever buisness man and like 7th richest in britain hence the new stadium ect....
Steve Coppell is the man for the job but it should have been Warnock fans must realise City have been poor for 18months and to lose 6-0 and 5-2 at home is un acceptable you could have added another pasting sat against newcastle.
GJ will go on to manage again and be succesful hes good a taking lower clubs up the tables but the task was to big here this club need to be in the premier division in the next 3 years.
loaning talentless players was a mistake but who would want to join our club in its current state?
We sign Lee Trundle then play him 6 times in the first season? Ok i know he wasnt fit and ready for the championship so why buy him if hes not part of your plans?
instead of loaning in strikers bring him back and work with him.
A big name like Coppell will attract high quality players to the club so that means LJ will be on his way out aswell when Gary finds his new club Whats the bet he buys Him as his first Signing?
uncle pete will go as chief scout and the club they go to will be flying then to the championship and all over again!
Someone said we should have had ian dowie? not a single chance what a mistake that would have been but thanks to hull city for getting him before we had chance.
I hope we make the right choice and that choice is between Coppell And Curbs Do It Right Always Believe! also bring back BASSO and give gerken his p45 to”
by Adam, Weston Super Mare
Thursday, March 18 2010, 8:58AM
“Johnson should stay, promotion was never a realistic prospect, we overachieved when we went to Wembley and our best option is to maintain our current level until we are in the new stadium.
If we go up next season we are liable to overspend, get relegated and potentially do a Leeds or a Pompey.
We are a division ahead of the Gas and we were not in danger of going down.
Sacking Gary Johnson is more likely to send us further into the mire.
I mean if we end up with Phil Brown I dont know how we could consider that an upgrade!
Well done my fellow City fans..........be careful what you wish for!”