The 2014/15 season will forever leave an undeniable mark in the memories of Bristol City fans. Not just because of the silverware and success but because of the way the Robins played over that campaign, with a sense of glorious adventure and excitement.
There is cause and effect here, of course, but that helped grow a connection between players and supporters that is hard to replicate. The gravitas with which that team is held is all the more magnified by the current struggles the team is going through, albeit in a higher division.
One crucial event during that campaign was the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final as City made their way along the M4 to the arch seven years ago today, before beating Walsall 2-0, via goals from Aden Flint and Mark Little. And as means of tribute we thought we'd look at the 18 players involved on the day and what they've been up to since...
Frank Fielding
The popular goalkeeper spent four more seasons with City before a succession of injuries and an inability to win over head coach Lee Johnson saw him released in the summer of 2019.
Now 33, Fielding was at Millwall for two seasons in the Championship but only made three appearances, again affected by continual injury issues, and has since signed for Stoke City on a short-term deal until the summer, serving as the Potters third-choice goalkeeper.
Luke Ayling
The flying full-back enjoyed success in his first season at City after transferring from Yeovil Town but left the Robins under a bit of a cloud following the incident at Cheltenham and his relationship with Johnson.
Has only improved since moving to Leeds United, earning promotion into the Premier League in 2020 where he has made 59 top-flight appearances and established himself as a major fans favourite at Elland Road.
Is out of contract next summer but reports indicate he’s expected to be handed a new long-term deal taking him well into his mid-30s.
Aden Flint
Time has increasingly been a healer regarding Flint’s legacy at City as his departure to Middlesbrough in 2018 was met with frustration, given he moved within the Championship, only compounded by a switch to Cardiff City 12 months later.
But his time at Ashton Gate should forever be commemorated as he was a hugely influential figure over five seasons and 246 appearances at the club, also making the leap from League One to Championship.
Is out of contract at the end of this season, with little indication that the Bluebirds will be wanting to extend it.
Derrick Williams
A real constant figure during the 2014/15 season making 57 appearances in all competitions, but unlike many of his peers in red he didn’t quite kick on in the Championship at City.
A transfer to Blackburn Rovers kept him in the division where the Republic of Ireland international make 152 appearances before his release last March after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.
That was, in part, to help facilitate a move to MLS where he played 21 games for LA Galaxy and remains on their roster for the forthcoming season.
Mark Little
An eternally-popular dressing room figure whose progress into the Championship was unfortunately curtailed by injury issues leading to his release in 2017, where he joined Bolton Wanderers.
After leaving there two years later, Little returned to Bristol, this time in the colour of Rovers but injuries held him back and he made just 23 appearances in BS7 before being released last summer where he was snapped up by Yeovil Town in the National League.
He still owns that red wig, by the way.
Korey Smith
Was the last man standing at City in terms of this group of players as he remained a Robin until the end of the 2019/20 season, frustratingly with his final two seasons affected by injury, before his contract wasn’t renewed and he moved down the M4 to Swansea.
Has been a consistent first-team member under Steve Cooper and Russell Martin but is another who’s a free agent this summer but the indication from south wales is that his head coach would like to keep him on board.
Marlon Pack
A stalwart of the City midfield for six straight seasons, his abrupt and surprise exit to Cardiff City on deadline day in summer 2019 still seems slightly strange to this day.
Has been a regular for the Bluebirds, with successive managers valuing his high football IQ and leadership, that is until up to the last few weeks where he has lost his place, not just in the starting XI but the squad altogether.
With his contract in the Welsh capital up at the end of the season, now 30, Pack looks to be moving on.
Joe Bryan
The homegrown hero enjoyed his first full season as City’s recognised first-choice left-back and what a campaign it proved to be. Bryan continued his development in the Championship before his sale to Fulham in summer 2018, after a last-minute change of heart to not sign for Aston Villa.
His time in west London has enabled him to play in the Premier League but Bryan hasn’t held down a regular place this season under Marco Silva and although he still has another year to run on his deal at Craven Cottage, plus a 12-month option, could be moving on this summer.
Luke Freeman
The one that got away, or at least the one the club really should have negotiated a better contract with to stop him signing for QPR in 2017. Anyway, after leaving Ashton Gate, Freeman quickly became one of the premier playmakers in the Championship before earning a shot at the Premier League with Sheffield United who spent a club record fee on him.
However, Freeman never found his feet in the top-flight, making just 16 appearances for the club while loans back to the Championship with Nottingham Forest and Millwall haven’t proved particularly fruitful, either. Is also out of contract this summer.
Aaron Wilbraham
The glue that brought it all together. Few signings have won over hearts and minds as quickly as ‘Wilbrahimovic’ whose three seasons for City have now earned him firm cult hero, if not more regal, status.
After leaving BS3 in 2017, he continued to play into his late 30s and 40s with Bolton and then Rochdale before reluctantly retiring in 2020.
He has since reunited with Steve Cotterill at Shrewsbury, serving as his No2 and earned considerable praise for the way he conducted matters during the manager’s near-fatal contraction of Covid in 2021.
Kieran Agard
The striker didn’t quite make the step up into the Championship and was sold the following summer to MK Dons where he spent four seasons, scoring 50 goals and earning promotion from League Two in 2019.
Joined Plymouth on a six-month deal last summer but was released in January only to then be snapped up by fellow League One side Doncaster Rovers where he signed an 18-month deal.
Substitutes
Dave Richards
The life of a second-choice goalkeeper, eh. Richards never actually made an appearance for City during his time at the club, nor did he for two further campaigns after leaving in 2015 to sign for Crewe Alexandra in League One.
Now 28, he helped earn them promotion back into the third tier in 2020 and remains at Gresty Road, making 25 starts this season but is a free agent this summer.
Greg Cunningham
Didn’t play for City in the Championship after the club accepted an undisclosed bid for the Irish full-back from Preston North End and Cunningham went on to make 111 appearances before a transfer to Cardiff in 2018.
It never worked out for the defender in south Wales and he moved back to Deepdale last summer and has made 13 starts in the Championship this season.
James Tavernier
On loan from Wigan for the second half of the 2014/15 campaign, Tavernier went on to sign for Rangers later that summer where he has been a hugely important figure at Ibrox during their resurgence in the Scottish Premiership.
The right-back has made 334 appearances for the Gers, hit double figures for goals in three seasons, and won the title plus a number of individual awards north of the border.
Wade Elliott
In tandem with Wilbraham, he was the veteran presence in the squad to guide what was mostly a younger group to double success. After his short but oh so sweet playing stint at Ashton Gate, Elliott retired and went into coaching, initially with City’s Under-21s until Johnson’s arrival in January 2016 led to an overhaul of the backroom team.
Went on to work in Forest Green’s academy and Stoke City’s Under-23s but has been part of Michael Duff’s coaching set-up at Cheltenham Town since 2020.
Scott Wagstaff
An important squad member during his time with City, Wagstaff left in 2016 and went on to play for Gillingham, AFC Wimbledon and Forest Green across League One and League Two before dropping into non-league with Aldershot and Bromley Town, who he signed for in January.
George Saville
Another loanee who played a small role in City’s success that season but has gone on to have a fine career. After declining a contract at Wolves, Saville signed for Millwall where he became a regular, earning an £8m move to Middlesbrough after just one season.
The Northern Ireland international made 118 appearances for Boro before returning to the Lions last summer where he continues to be a regular fixture in the starting XI.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Other players may have achieved greater but JET retains a special place in the heart of City fans despite only spending two seasons at the club. They did, however, prove to be blockbuster campaigns in terms of what he did on the field.
After moving to QPR in 2015, Emmanuel-Thomas’ star slowly started to fall and he dropped down the divisions, even spending some time in the Thai Premier League before returning to Britain with Livingstone in the Scottish Premiership.
Now an Aberdeen player, Emmanuel-Thomas hasn’t been a regular this season but still has 12 months to run on his contract.
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