The Supporters Club & Trust are pleased to announce that one of the Ashton Gate Eight; Chris Garland; is the next inductee into the Hall of Fame class of 2022/23 – representing the 1960s/1970s.
In his five seasons with us, Gary Johnson achieved promotion to the Championship and was one game away from a successive promotion the Premier League.
He is ‘One Of Our Own’ being born and raised in BS3 and growing up in the flats overlooking the stadium.
After playing for Bristol Boys, Chris joined City as a 15-year-old apprentice in 1964. He made his City debut aged 17 here at Ashton Gate on 3 December 1966 in a 2–0 victory over Preston North End. He was soon a regular team member and became much in demand from other clubs.
Chris made his big move to Division One Chelsea for £100,000 in 1971, enjoying three seasons there then two at Leicester City.
When Bristol City won promotion to Division One in 1976, Chris put in a transfer request. He returned to his home-town club in the top flight – for him a dream come true. City narrowly escaped relegation with a brilliant end-of-season run-in. Chris scored the goals against Manchester United, Leeds United and Liverpool to bag seven points and set up the final day showdown at Coventry City.
As the Club plunged into a deep financial crisis following successive relegations, Chris became one of the “Ashton Gate Eight” in 1982, who sacrificed their contracts to save our Club. Even then, after six months playing in Hong Kong, he returned to City a second time on a non-contract basis to help us in our hour of need in Division Four.
The presentation will take place pitch side this Saturday during half-time at the game against Blackpool. Sadly Chris; who suffers from Parkinson’s disease; is unable to attend but Chris’s wife Ruth, brother Martyn, daughter Jessica, sons Adam & Ryan will gather with their families. They will accept the award on Chris’s behalf from Supporters Club & Trust President Marina Dolman. They will earlier have enjoyed hospitality and a presentation courtesy of the Supporters Club & Trust in the Heineken Lounge.
The remaining inductees from the 1940s/50s & 1980s/1990s decades will be announced in due course. They will join Chris Garland, Gary Johnson & the previously announced Loren Dykes MBE & Corinne Yorston to be the inductees of this class of the Hall of Fame.
Words by Mike Adams. Graphics by Shahan Miah