Skubala stays in post after heavy home defeat by Norwich

Wednesday 11 November 2026 · By Adam Turner

Bristol City remain 17th in the Championship after a 0–5 home defeat by Norwich on Saturday, a heavy setback that followed the late loss to Wolves. Five different Norwich scorers did the damage at Ashton Gate, where fans booed, and Michael Skubala apologised afterwards, but he remains in charge as the international break continues.

Maghoma, Darling, Brooks, Makama and Kvistgaarden, the last from the penalty spot, were confirmed as the scorers by Norwich’s official report as well as by the BBC. Exact minutes are not all independently corroborated and are not listed here. The completed table places City 17th, correcting an earlier provisional suggestion of 16th.

City have five wins, three draws and seven defeats from 15 matches, with 16 scored and 24 conceded. Their 18 points leave them six behind eighth-placed QPR and eight above 22nd-placed Burnley. They are not in the bottom three, which is 22nd to 24th. Third to eighth enter the six-team play-offs, with fifth meeting eighth and sixth meeting seventh in one-off eliminators, and third and fourth going straight to the two-legged semi-finals. Automatic promotion remains first and second only.

BBC reporting says City have lost four successive home league games, six of their eight matches at Ashton Gate this season, with just four home league goals, and have only one victory in seven league games overall. That home-form problem is serious, but it does not place them in the relegation zone.

A BBC fan writer, Dave Tovey, argued on 9 November that supporter sentiment had become deeply critical of the manager. That is fan opinion, not a club announcement, and it is not being treated as a sacking, an imminent dismissal or a change of captain. No fresh injury diagnosis was obtained after this game, and older fitness notes are not being used as definitive post-match absences.

Skubala told BBC Radio Bristol: “It’s the toughest day I’ve had but I came here to try and build something.” He also said: “I’m confident we can turn it around.”

There has been no Championship league football since Saturday 7 November. Skubala remains in post, and no club announcement has been made about his future. The next match is away to Middlesbrough on Saturday 21 November at 15:00 GMT. Boro are second on 29 points and may still be without Will Lankshear unless the striker is cleared after a hamstring problem; that remains a hope on Teesside rather than a guaranteed start. Wrexham at home follows on Tuesday 24 November at 19:45 GMT. Their last six league results are loss, loss, draw, win, loss, loss. City need a response, but they begin the next block still eight points above the cut and with their manager still in post.

Ashton Gate

Ashton Gate is a compact, rebuilt Championship ground in south Bristol, and a good away day if you plan the last mile. Capacity is about 27,000 after the mid-2010s rebuild. Visiting supporters sit in the Atyeo Stand behind the north goal. The allocation is large by second-tier standards — typically the whole stand, around 3,900 — and the view is close, uncovered by pillars, with the roof holding the noise in.

The four sides are easy to read from the diagram above. The Lansdown Stand on the west touchline is the newest and tallest: two tiers, boxes in the middle, solar panels on the roof, and most of the hospitality. Opposite it is the Dolman Stand, the oldest surviving side, refurbished rather than replaced, with a large upper tier. The South Stand is the modern home end behind the south goal; it wraps into the corners and is where much of the home singing sits. Goals sit immediately in front of the Atyeo and South stands, so you are looking straight down the pitch from the away end, not across it.

Getting there: Temple Meads is the main station. From there the usual options are a taxi (about 15–20 minutes depending on traffic), the matchday shuttle when it runs, or a bus towards Bedminster / Winterstoke Road. Parson Street is closer on the local line but services are thinner. The away approach is the north / Winterstoke Road side rather than the housing on Ashton Road. Follow stewarding to the Atyeo turnstiles. Once you are through a turnstile you cannot leave and re-enter, so finish food and a pint outside first if that matters to you.

Pubs immediately around the ground lean home. Visiting groups usually drink in the city centre, at Temple Meads, or at the better-known spots a 15-minute walk away such as the Nova Scotia and the Rose of Denmark down towards the harbour. There is often a small away-facing offer behind the Atyeo — vans and a basic fan area — but it is not a full village. Inside the stand you get a dedicated concourse, toilets, and standard kiosk food and draught. Cashless is the norm; check the club site for bag policy before you travel, because large bags are turned away.

Matchday itself is straightforward. The Atyeo is single-tier and steep enough that even the back rows feel involved. Wheelchair spaces for away supporters are at the front of that stand. Home noise tends to come from the South Stand corner that meets the Dolman, and from pockets in the Dolman itself, so you hear the ground rather than sitting in a vacuum. Atmosphere is competitive rather than hostile on most Championship weekends; derbies and big cup ties are tighter and the allocation can change, so read your club’s travel notes.

Practical extras: the club shop is in the South Stand, not useful to you once you are locked into the away end. Family and hospitality areas live in the Lansdown. Smoking, where allowed, is outside the rear of the Atyeo. After full time, stewards usually hold the away end briefly then release towards Winterstoke Road. If you need a train from Temple Meads, build in time for the walk or a cab queue. Ashton Gate is a modern bowl with a proper away end: arrive early, use the north approach, and you will see the game properly.