3. Bristol City
Bristol City have experienced top flight football before, but not for a very long time. Their first outing in what was then Division One came in 1906 after becoming Division Two Champions. Another good season followed in the midst of the elite, finishing runners up to Newcastle United. In 1909, the Robins reached the FA Cup final, however, could not beat Manchester United and also finished runners up in that competition.
But in 1911, City were relegated down to the second tier. After their relegation, the Robins just couldn’t pick up their foregone pace. A period of 43 years of fluctuating between different divisions followed, except they couldn’t get back among the elite.
However, Bristol City were promoted back to the top flight in 1976 under manager Alan Dicks. City’s form began to turn once more; this time, for the better. They won the Anglo-Scottish Cup in the 1977-78 season after beating St Mirren 3-2 on aggregate.
After relegation from the top division, more fluctuation occurred and it seemed as if City could not get any consistency from one season to the next. However, six of their last ten seasons have been spent in the Championship. Now they sit in a disappointing 15th in Sky Bet League One, the third tier of English football.
