Explained: The exact reason why Bristol City are nicknamed the Robins | OneFootball

The history behind Bristol City's nickname of the Robins.

Bristol City have been languishing in the second tier for ten years, with the Robins consistently finishing between 8th and 19th in the Championship.

The goal as ever is to try and push for those elusive play-off places, but with the finances behind some of the top clubs, it can be difficult to break into the top six.

However, the hope will be that either this season or in the coming years they can break that duck and get into the top tier of English football for the first time since 1980.

The History of 'The Robins' for Bristol City

In this section, we will take a deep dive into the world of Bristol City and just why they are nicknamed the Robins.

Founded in 1894 by Fred W. Keenan and John Durant, the Robins were originally called Bristol South End before renaming themselves Bristol City just three years later.

Originally playing at St John's Lane, the club moved to Ashton Gate in 1904, which remains their home to this day. Several stands, however, have since undergone major reconstruction to comply with modern standards.

Playing in red shirts and white shorts, the club's original nickname was ‘The Garabaldians’ due to the resemblance the kit shared with Italian revolutionary Garibaldi. Outside that, they were often called 'The Reds' or 'The Citizens', nicknames that are now taken up by Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.

Following this, in 1926, the team adopted the nickname 'Bristol Babes,' a title that stayed with them until the 1940s. During that decade, they became known as 'The Robins,' a nickname they now share with other English clubs like Swindon and Cheltenham Town.

Supposedly, the current nickname was first used in 1926 due to the prominence of Harry Woods' song 'When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)'.

Throughout Bristol City’s history, the image of a Robin has frequently featured on their badge. Introducing crests in 1949, the Robin first appeared in 1976 and remained a key element until 1994-95, when it was replaced by the club's original coat of arms.

The adoption of the coat of arms lasted all the way up till 2019, when a Robin was fully restored to the badge in order to take the club into 'a new era'.

Speaking about the updated badge in 2019, former Chief Executive, Mark Ashton said: “I am sure that supporters will be delighted with what we have achieved with the crest. It is bold, creative and symbolises what this club is all about.

“The return of the robin is something I know fans have wanted for a long time. We saw it return on this season’s away kit and now it is back for good.

“The updated crest takes Bristol City and Bristol City Women into a new era together and I can’t wait for what the next chapter will bring”.