With odds of 33/1 to win The Championship at the beginning of the season, Bristol City lie second in the table despite having been ridiculed as pretenders and lambasted as a lucky side from many amateur and professional broadcasters, despite being in the top six for the majority of the season.
Manager Gary Johnson, currently managing at the highest club standard of his career has masterminded the ascent of Yeovil from non-league giantkillers to League One before making the short trip to Bristol City, where in his first full season with The Reds he guided them into The Championship, after a nine year absence.
So, here we are, with four games left of The Championship season, with Bristol City poised to join the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League. With West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Hull City and Watford all still in contention for automatic promotion, include Wolves to that list if they defeat Bristol City tomorrow, the list is vast and the next four games will feature twists and turns just as the rest of this topsy-turvy season.
When residing in League One, for those long nine seasons, the argument of Bristol City being a sleeping giant was used when we defeated the likes of Gillingham and Cheltenham, so being in The Championship has been a chance to prove that point. The management team have stepped up to the plate and on modest financial grounds, City have beaten the likes of Southampton, Sheffield United and Watford, and lie above everyone but West Bromwich Albion in the league table.
Those modest financial grounds became apparent during the transfer windows, where our rivals spent millions on transfer fees and wages, and we spent £800,000 on Nicky Carle and Dele Adebola. Wolves spent £2 million on Sylvain Ebanks - Blake, Stoke paid big money bringing in Shola Ameobi on loan and West Bromwich Albion are prepared to sign Luke Moore for £3.5 million pounds. What Bristol City do have in their ranks, however, is Steve Brooker.
The 26 year old forward returned to fitness after an 18 month absence through injury. A strong, intelligent and influential player, the £150,000 capture from Port Vale struck a partnership with Leroy Lita scoring 12 in his first season with the club. Brooker became a lynchpin of the side following Lita's departure to Reading and the failed signings such as Marcus Stewart and Michael Bridges, meant he partnered the less talented, but hard working Bas Savage for a large part of the following season.
His struggle with injury began and, despite a handful of appearances, it looked for a time that the cult hero would have to retire at an appalingly young age. He battled for 18 long months fighting the mental and physical pain, and following a successful loan spell in League One with Cheltenham Town, Brooker was ready to return to the City fold.
A fortnight ago, Norwich City came to Ashton Gate and equalised with 20 minutes remaining, with the wind against us and a tirade of yellow and green attacks flooding towards Adriano Basso's goal, it seemed we had let 3 points slip away. The team could not get out of their own half, and Norwich were closing in on the winner. Ashton Gate fell silent, seeing the Premier League dream fall by the wayside.
Enter Steve Brooker from the substitutes bench, and hope, faith and atmosphere rose again in the form of rapturous applause from the Ashton Gate crowd. Brooker ran onto the pitch, not to indulge in the well deserved reception, but with a quick clap to the fans, his only focus was earning 3 points for the club that stood by him in his injury plagued season. In the 3rd minute of three minutes of injury time, the Hollywood ending unveiled itself from the big screen and Brooker headed in the winner, as the metaphorical roof was lifted off Ashton Gate.
So, whilst their rivals have bought big with Premiership experience, Bristol City have the player who has a history at his club, a following and ultimately the passion to just be playing football again.
Ross Verbals
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