Bristol City

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.

Both these sides still have realistic hopes of gatecrashing the Championship's play-offs with Bristol City in eighth place and four points behind the top six but a win for 12th-placed Watford at Ashton Gate on Friday would take them above their opponents.

The Hornets will be without wingers Othmane Maamma and Kwadwo Baah while the Robins have been dealt a blow with the loss of forward Yu Hirakawa.

• Bristol City are unbeaten in their past five home league games against Watford (W2 D3) since a 2-0 loss in March 2012.

• In their league history, Watford have only drawn more games against Bournemouth (36) and Brighton (33) than they have against Bristol City (32), with this season's reverse fixture finishing 1-1.

• Bristol City have lost 5-0 against Derby and drawn 2-2 with Wrexham in their past two home league games, conceding as many goals in these two games as in their previous 10 at Ashton Gate (7).

• Watford have lost just one of their past seven away league games (W2 D4), going down 1-0 at Southampton earlier this month.

• This will be Bristol City's fifth Friday game in the Championship this season (W1 D2 L1), with only West Bromwich Albion playing more on a Friday this term (6).

Image source, Shutterstock

Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber has described the injury loss of defender Rob Dickie for all-but the rest of the season as a "big hit".

The club confirmed before kick-off against Blackburn on Tuesday that Dickie is expected to be out for eight to 10 weeks with a hamstring issue, which also saw him miss the trip to Swansea on Saturday.

Dickie has started 29 of City's 34 Championship games this season and joins fellow centre-back Luke McNally, who has not played since February 2025, on the long-term injury list.

City are assessing defender Rob Atkinson who was substituted at half-time at Ewood Park with an ankle problem.

"Rob Dickie is not only an experienced player but he is also for this group a leader in the dressing room and this for us [is] a really important role," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.

"He is a key player, how he build up our game, how he developed our game and with his personal power in first duels, box defending moments it's a big hit for us."

Struber also confirmed that Joe Williams is set to have a scan on a hamstring issue that also ruled him out of Tuesday's win.

"It looks not good at the moment, in the training [on Monday] he feels something again on his hamstring," Struber added.

"We know not exactly right now but the scan will give us a better picture and then we know more, but right now it looks not good with Joe Williams."

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber was left upbeat following his side's come-from-behind victory at Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday.

Goals from Emil Riis and Scott Twine before half-time meant they picked up just a third victory from nine Championship games in a 2-1 win.

"It was not easy. After five, six minutes they earned their lead but the reaction was great from the boys and how we played football in the first half and how we drived them down - we realise there could have been another goal or more for us," he told BBC Radio Bristol.

"That's us. In this direction, we showed how good we can be and of course the second half - they [Blackburn] were much more aggressive against us, gave us absolutely no space.

"It was difficult for us. We defended our own goal. It was not always easy to watch but this is not the Blackburn from a few weeks ago - this is a different energy.

"It was really difficult to win here but the boys did it. This could be a really important week, this could be a tipping point for us. We are really, really happy."

Prior to kick-off at Ewood Park, City confirmed on X, external that defender Rob Dickie will be out for eight to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury, effectively ruling him out for the rest of the regular league campaign.

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

Saturday's defeat at Swansea means that City have managed to accumulate just 11 points from the past 10 league games.

If this form is continued it will simply not be good enough to mount a play-off challenge with 13 games remaining. The maths dictate that City have to win eight of those fixtures and add in a couple of draws to reach the 73 points that I think will be necessary to achieve a top-six finish.

I cannot see it happening, indeed, reaching last season's total of 68 is looking a big ask right now.

Come next Tuesday night we will know if City have anything to play for other than pride between then and the first weekend in May.

By then they will have completed two league fixtures at Blackburn and at home to Watford, along with the rescheduled FA Cup fourth round tie against Port Vale.

Four points is a minimum requirement from the two league games while cup victory would see them play faltering Premier League side Sunderland just four days later at Ashton Gate. Another victory would secure a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1974.

So what's gone wrong at City such that yet again, at the end of their 11th successive season in the Championship, they look destined to finish in that all too familiar mid-table position?

For me they have quantity not quality in a squad that overall is strong in numbers but lacking players that can make a difference.

Up front City tend to play with a sole striker. They now can select from Riis, Armstrong, the recalled but out of contract in the summer Sam Bell and recent loanee Delano Burgzorg.

Compare that with Coventry City, a non-parachute payment club who have enjoyed similar success in player sales over recent seasons as well as acquiring their own ground and generally getting their financial house in order.

They can select from Ellis Simms, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Haji Wright and Ephron Mason-Clark. All those named are superior to any of our strikers and while none are 20-goal a season superstars, our four would be lucky to accumulate that number of goals between them.

In midfield, be that defensive or creative, is there much difference between a four of Knight, Bird, Horvat and Earthy or Randell, Morsy, Williams and Twine?

In defence, assuming it's a four, is there much difference between McCrorie, Eile, Atkinson and Borges or Tanner, Dickie, McNally [when fit] and Pring?

Yes, the matchday 20 is as strong as it has ever been, but the pathway for promising youngsters is blocked. We seem to have a wage policy that sees us prefer to pay three players as much as two who, in theory, would be just that bit better and enough to make a difference.

The transfer window may have shut but there was one departure from Ashton Gate last week which caught everyone by surprise. Chief Executive Tom Rawcliffe tendered his resignation, stating he wanted to return to his Nottingham home to be closer to his wife with the couple expecting their first child in the summer.

Only in his present role since the summer having been with the club for five years as FD then later COO, Tom was proving a popular choice amongst the fans for a position that has been occupied by no fewer than nine individuals over the past 15 years.

Looks like being a CEO at City is as precarious as being head coach/manager!

You can hear more from David Pottier on the Forever Bristol City podcast., external

Image source, Opta

Blackburn will seek to put more ground between themselves and the Championship relegation zone when they host Bristol City on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Rovers are five points clear of the drop-zone after a dramatic derby win over Preston on Friday, their second straight victory, and have lost just two of their past nine at Ewood Park, earning 13 points.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Swansea saw the Robins slip to 12th, though still within four points of the play-off spots in a tightly-packed table.

City have won just one of their past five away games to earn four points and failed to score in three of those.

• Following their 1-0 win in November, Blackburn are looking to complete a first league double over Bristol City since 2019/20.

• Bristol City have lost their past two away league games against Blackburn, last losing more consecutive visits to Ewood Park between 1957 and 1967 (4).

• Blackburn have won three of their past five league games against Bristol City (L2), more than they had in their previous 13 (W2 D5 L6).

• Blackburn have won just one of their past nine midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home league games (D3 L5), though it came in their most recent encounter against Sheffield Wednesday earlier this month.

• Bristol City have won just one of their past six midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) league games (D2 L3), beating Portsmouth 5-0 on New Year's Day.

Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber said his side did not take their chances in their 1-0 defeat by Swansea.

"We expected a difficult game, that was crystal clear. But at the same time, we have to have a different determination in the final third," Struber said.

"They had one chance and they used it. We controlled the game in a good way but we need a different determination in the final third.

"We had big chances. We have to use them. Everything is really close, every game has its moments. In these moments, we have to be ready."

Both these sides still hold hopes of reaching the Championship play-offs, although Bristol City's chances seem more realistic, as they stand only one point short of the top six going into the weekend.

Swansea City have moved themselves 10 points clear of the relegation zone under boss Vitor Matos and are unbeaten in their past seven games at home.

• Swansea have lost three of their past five league games against Bristol City (W1 D1), after only losing one of their previous eight beforehand (W4 D3).

• Bristol City can do the league double over Swansea for the second time in the past three seasons with a win here (won both in 2023-24 and 3-0 at home this season). This after not winning any of their four league meetings in 2022-23 and 2021-22 (D1 L3).

• Swansea have won six of their past seven home league games (D1), with no other Championship side collecting more home points than the Swans (19) since that run began in December (level with Ipswich Town).

• Bristol City have conceded multiple goals in each of their past three league games (9 goals conceded); they last conceded 2+ goals in four consecutive league games in October 2022.

• Swansea's Zan Vipotnik has scored 11 goals in 15 home league appearances this season, including five goals in his past three games at the Swansea.com Stadium.

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Image source, PA Media

Bristol City's head coach Gerhard Struber said he is "very happy" to have Max Bird back in the team after his wonder strike secured a 2-2 draw against Wrexham.

Bird has been besieged by injuries most of the season and had not played since September before he came off the bench at Ashton Gate on Tuesday just after the hour mark.

His volley from outside the penalty area in the 89th minute levelled the scores to ensure the Robins came away with a point.

"Really, really happy for him," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.

"The last few months was really difficult for him, and then he comes back and you can see he has quality. He has individual power with his shooting quality, technical power.

"I'm happy that he is back and I am very happy for the team that Max helps the team achieve in the end a point."

Struber added that midfielder Adam Randell went off with a back injury although the team do not know the extent of it yet.

"It's not the calf [muscle] in the end, I hear more from him it's the back. It was very [painful] so we have to look and we can give tomorrow maybe a more serious description about it," he said.

Bristol City captain Jason Knight said the club have to build on the late 2-2 draw against Wrexham to "make sure it is a good point" in their hunt to finish in the Championship play-off spots.

Knight teed up Max Bird, who struck a phenomenal volley in the 89th minute, to salvage a point for the Robins in an entertaining encounter against a rival promotion-chasing side at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night.

"We're coming into the business end of the season now and we've got to be there or thereabouts like we were last season," he told BBC Radio Bristol.

"And then it's all up for grabs. Go to Swansea on the weekend and get a good result there and then it looks an even better point.

"So that's what we're going to try and make happen."

The 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international was introduced at half-time by City boss Gerhard Struber and said he was told to "try and influence the game in a positive manner".

"I thought I did that relatively well but we're a bit disappointed we didn't come away with three points as well," Knight said.

He praised Bird for his wonder strike which meant City moved to within one point of the play-off places. They sit in ninth position among a cluster of seven teams separated by just three points from sixth to 12th.

"Birdie has that in him. Married with his great work-rate, he's got a super amount of quality and we're going to need that in the back end of the season," Knight added.

"We've played together a long while, so I know where he's about on the pitch, and then he made it look a great assist with a super goal, so well done to him."

Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber says it was a "shame" that his side were not at their "typical level" for the whole game in the 2-2 draw with Wrexham on Tuesday night.

"We cannot be happy with our first half, we were far away from our typical play. The boys realised it at half time," Struber told BBC Radio Bristol.

"We had to change the behaviour and the reaction was really good, from the subs and the whole team. The second half was much more brave and forward thinking.

"We would need also the referee on a good level, but today he was really unlucky with so many decisions, especially at the end when it's so crystal clear. Also his assistant could help him sometimes.

"This is really painful in the end."

David Pottier
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

A quagmire pitch meant that Bristol City had a free weekend as Saturday's FA Cup fourth Round game against Port Vale was called off 24 hours before the scheduled kick-off time.

That was no bad thing as the players face an intensive sequence of league fixtures, with no fewer than four games being played in the space of 10 days.

The fact is that City have to win two of these four games to keep alive their play-off hopes alive, and with an almost full squad to select from, they have as good a chance as any of the 10 clubs that harbour hopes of that sixth place finish, with a current gap of six points between that and Hull City in fifth.

City's name was in the draw for the fifth Round of the cup and they were rewarded with the prospect of a home tie against Premier League opposition in the shape of Sunderland.

City should beat lowly Port Vale on the rescheduled date of Tuesday, 3 March, and will entertain the Wearsiders just four days later. How that will work from a ticketing and logistics perspective remains to be seen.

Sunderland will approach the game with no fears of relegation from the top flight, so one would think they will be unlikely to rest players and instead think they have a good chance of reaching the latter stages of the competition.

They have adjusted well to being in the Premier League, having secured promotion via the play-offs last season. But, should they beat Vale, City will have high hopes of winning due to home advantage and progress through to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1974!

If the unthinkable happens and City lose to Vale, then they will play their scheduled league fixture on Saturday 7th against Coventry City, who returned to the top of the Championship table following their win against Middlesborough on Monday evening.

Assuming City's preceding league games have gone well, that looks a particularly appealing encounter, but if not then the club will be amongst those hoping that the proposed changes to play-off qualification are soon enacted. Those changes would make it possible for the team finishing eighth in the Championship to achieve Premier League status. We might just be able to achieve that!

You can hear more from David Pottier on the Forever Bristol City podcast., external

Image source, Getty Images

The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties in the order they were drawn.

• Fulham v Southampton

• Port Vale or Bristol City v Sunderland

• Newcastle United v Manchester City

• Leeds United v Norwich City

• Mansfield Town v Arsenal

• Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool

• Wrexham v Chelsea

• West Ham v Macclesfield or Brentford

The matches will be played over the weekend of 7 March.

Watch all the highlights and best video from this season's FA Cup