“We got bullied a bit”: Skubala frank as Bristol City’s home struggles go on

Sunday 18 October 2026 · By Adam Turner

Bristol City have lost two home games in four days without scoring a goal. On Saturday it was Sheffield United who left Ashton Gate with the points, winning 1–0 thanks to Oliver Arblaster’s fifth-minute volley. The home fans booed at half-time and at full-time, and Michael Skubala did not try to hide from it. City are 16th on 14 points, three off the play-off places and six above the bottom three.

The key moment came almost straight away. Yu Hirakawa went one-on-one with Blades goalkeeper Michael Cooper and could not beat him. Moments later, United went up the other end and Arblaster smashed one in from the edge of the area. From then on, City struggled to create anything clear, and Skubala made a double change at half-time, bringing on Adebayo and Wallace, to try to get his side higher up the pitch.

Skubala’s verdict was honest. “We weren’t good enough today. We got bullied a bit,” he said. He told Bristol Live his side had started too slowly and lost too many duels. “They were too physical for us,” he said. “We ran hard, we worked hard, the lads worked really hard, but we just couldn’t cope with their physicality today.”

He also pointed to the miss. “That’s probably the biggest chance of the game. When you go through one-on-one, you have to score,” he said. “You have to score; that’s our biggest challenge at the minute, there’s no doubt about it.”

The home record is a real problem. According to the BBC, City have lost four of their six home league games this season and scored only three goals in them. Tuesday’s 1–0 defeat to Blackburn was a different kind of frustration, with plenty of chances but no goal. Saturday was simply not good enough, as Skubala admitted.

He did not blame the supporters for their reaction. “That’s football. They’ve paid good money to be here, and I don’t think we did enough for them,” he said. “We started the season well, and we’re having a dip, for sure. We’ve got to find a way out of it and stick together in that moment.”

There was one bright spot. Luke McNally made his first home start since suffering a serious knee injury in February 2025, a big moment for the defender after such a long road back.

City now head to Stoke on Saturday 24 October (15:00 BST). Mark Robins’s side are sixth and have taken 19 of their last 24 points, so it will be a tough afternoon. Bolton away follows on Saturday 31 October (15:00 GMT), and then Wolves visit Ashton Gate on Wednesday 4 November (20:00 GMT, live on Sky).

The gap to the top eight is still only three points, which shows how tight this division is. But Skubala knows his side must start taking their chances, and quickly, if this dip is not to become something more serious.

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.