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BRISTOL CITY v MIDDLESBROUGH - LANSDOWN HOPES TO EMULATE BORO
Bristol City chairman Steve Lansdown hopes his side can go on to emulate FA Cup opponents Middlesbrough by grasping their chance of promotion to the Premier League this season.
The Robins have been a revelation following their return to the Championship after an eight-year absence and go into the third-round tie at Ashton Gate level on points with league leaders West Brom.
Successive promotions appear an unlikely possibility for Gary Johnson's side, who on a limited budget have more than held their own in the second tier and find themselves neck-and-neck with seasoned campaigners West Brom and Watford, with more Premier League old boys in the shape of Charlton and Ipswich trailing in their wake.
Despite their impressive first half of the season some have suggested it would be too soon for City to make the leap to the top flight, instead believing that the West Country club should consolidate their position this season and set their sights on a promotion push next year.
Lansdown disagrees and said: "That is nonsense. When the opportunity is there you have got to try and take it.
"You don't get many opportunities in life to win things and to be successful, and when they come along you have got to take them.
"Middlesbrough did exactly that some years ago now and they have been in the Premier League for quite some time.
"They have had their ups and downs but they are muddling along as a top-flight side. They took the opportunity to get there and they would rather be a team near the bottom of the Premier League than a side near the top of the Championship.
"If we get the opportunity to get to the Premier League we have got to take it just like Middlesbrough did."
Since being promoted to the inaugural Premier League in 1992 under the guidance of Lennie Lawrence, who is now director of football at Bristol City's rivals Bristol Rovers, Middlesbrough have twice experienced relegation from the top-flight - in 1993 and 1997.
They returned to the Premier League again in 1998 and have remained since.
Lansdown believes this illustrates that if City can reach the Premier League, in time they too would establish themselves as a top-flight club.
"It boils down to the money. Even the rewards for what you might call failure are huge," said Lansdown.
"Even if you spent a season in the Premier League, the money you would get from that and the parachute payments when you come down mean you would be competitive and have a very good chance to go straight back up again."
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
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