Rousing speech from Bristol City chairman spurs Johnson's ambition for the club

Bristol City boss Gary Johnson has promised that he and his players will match chairman Steve Lansdown’s commitment to the club with their endeavours on the pitch next season.

The City chairman last week pledged to put his own cash towards building the club’s planned new 30,000-seater stadium at Ashton Vale after selling 23 million shares in his financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown for £47 million.

Manager Johnson hailed Lansdown’s financial commitment to the club and has vowed to continue building a team capable of eventually achieving top-flight football.

Bristol City’s faltering play-off bid finally came to an end with defeat at Swansea on Saturday – but Johnson is already looking ahead to another promotion push next season to keep in line with Lansdown’s ambitious plans.  

Johnson, who is currently refusing to talk to the Evening Post, told a local radio reporter: “I always say at the start of every year that we are going for it because nobody would expect me to say any different.

“The chairman is exactly the same as he is very ambitious. He (Lansdown) came into the changing room (before Saturday’s game at Swansea) and gave a great speech about where he wants to take the club.

“The money he has put in and around the club, his own money, shows his commitment.

“It was great to hear that and we as a management team and players have to make sure we give him everything we can because the future looks great for this football club.” 

A Garry Monk goal kept Swansea on course for a play-off spot at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday to render City’s slim chances of making up a nine-point deficit on the top six at an end.

“Sometimes you just have to accept that there are clubs picking up more money than us, ex-Premier League clubs, who could be dropping out of this league,” Johnson added. 

“That is how competitive it (the Championship) is and we have another chance to compete at this level again next year.

“We are improving all the time and the chairman and I are both very forward-thinking. We will have a look at things over the summer in a progressive way.”

Johnson is now expected to focus on resolving the situations of some of the club’s out-of-contract stars and he added: “I have asked them again at the end of the game to tell me whether their head is somewhere else so that we don’t have to play them.

"It is no problem, because people who are out of contract have that right.”