Thanks for the Memories

Following the announcement this morning that Gary Johnson has left the football club, Bristol City Supporters Trust reflects on the GJ era:

All good things come to an end.
No manager lasts forever and given the indifferent form over the last 12 months and in recent weeks in particular, perhaps a parting of the ways had become inevitable. Nevertheless, the Trust would like to thank Gary for the good times he provided for City fans during his tenure and, on behalf of the fans, to wish him well for the future.

Gary Johnson’s reign in the managerial hot seat began just weeks before the official launch of the Trust in the autumn of 2005.

Like the Trust, he clearly recognised the importance at any football club of making the fans feel involved and built up a strong rapport with the crowd. For a good three seasons he helped engender the spirit encapsulated in the cry from the stands: “We’re Bristol City, we always believe!”

Promotion day celebrations
Under Gary Johnson’s leadership, that belief helped City to promotion from the third tier of English football for the first time in almost a decade – and for the fans to unforgettable scenes on and around the Ashton Gate pitch after the final day victory over Rotherham.

As we all ‘Lit a candle’ to keep back-to-back promotion hopes burning brightly, Gary Johnson kept City in the top 6 for practically all of the following season, 2007-08, and took us to within 90 minutes of the Premier League. Being present at what was arguably the biggest game in the club's history is a memory that all who were there will have forever – just forget the result!

The unexpected success of that season was always going to be hard to follow – and that’s the way it’s turned out.

Despite some memorable away days for the fans at Watford on Boxing Day and in Reading for the 2-0 win that took us to 4th in February and had Gary bouncing around the ground, the 2008-09 season petered out into a rather disappointing end.

Little to excite
This season, as we all know, despite a big day out in Newcastle and a win at home over WBA in front of the TV cameras, there’s been little for the fans to get excited about and few opportunities for Gary to punch the air. The big home defeats against Cardiff and Doncaster were hard to stomach and from the stands it seemed as though GJ and co. had no solution to stop the rot.

Had he taken the team as far as he could? Had he lost the dressing room? Did he bring in the wrong players – and let good ones go? Were line-ups and tactics wrong? Some would say yes, others no. All will have a slightly different view. What’s clear, however, is that the entertainment value has been going down for some time and the heady days of promotion and Wembley now seem a long time ago.

However, while it may have been tough to take over recent weeks, we shouldn’t forget the good times that went before. The Supporters Trust therefore says “Thanks for the memories, Gary Johnson.”

PS: The important thing now is to get behind the interim management and the players and play our role as 12th man to the full to ensure safety this season. We can then all draw breath and push on again in the summer.

Managers, they come and go, but the fans remain forever.

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