THE GROUND
Ashton Gate Stadium,
Ashton Road,
Bristol,
BS3 2EJ
Ashton Gate was initially the home of Bedminster FC before that club was merged in to Bristol City.
The ground was redeveloped in the 1990s and is now an all-seater stadium housing 21,497 fans.
Away fans are allocated a section of The Wedlock East Stand, behind one of the goals.
There is usually room for around 2,800.
THE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
It is approximately 115 miles from Griffin Park to Ashton Gate by road.
Drivers coming from the London area can take the M4 and M32 in to the centre of Bristol and then the A4032, A4044, A4, A370 and A3029 to the ground.
It may be quicker to use the M5 and exit at junction 18 to take the A4 and then A38 to meet the A3029.
There is no parking at Ashton Gate and there are restrictions around the ground.
Drivers will need to use nearby pay car parks.
The nearest station is Parson Street which is served by First Great Western services and involves travelling from London Paddington to Reading and changing at Bristol Parkway or Bristol Temple Meads.
More trains arrive at Bristol Temple Meads, which is served by First Great Western services and South West Trains services from London Waterloo.
The ground is around three miles from Bristol Temple Meads Station.
The Supporters’ Association will be running coaches to every game this season – details of times and prices will be announced in due course.
THE FIXTURES
Brentford will play away to Bristol City on Tuesday October 22.
The Bees then welcome The Robins to Griffin Park on Tuesday January 28.
THE RECENT HISTORY
Bristol City finished bottom of The Championship last year and were relegated back to the third tier for the first time since 2007.
The Robins were promoted in 2007 having spent eight years in the third tier and were stable in The Championship.
They narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in 2008, losing the Play-Off Final to Hull City and finished tenth, tenth and 12th in the following three years.
They struggled in 2011/12, securing their survival late on in the season, but never looked likely to stay up last year.
They won only three of their first 17 games and although things improved in the second half of the season, The Robins eventually finished 14 points from safety.
THE MANAGER
Sean O’Driscoll was appointed as Bristol City boss in January after Derek McInnes was sacked.
The former Republic of Ireland international played more than 400 Football League games for AFC Bournemouth and made his first foray in to management at the helm of the south coast club.
In six years in charge he took Bournemouth up from the fourth tier to the third and kept them there under tough financial constraints.
He then moved to Doncaster Rovers and won the Football League Trophy in his first season in charge.
He took Doncaster up to The Championship in 2008 and they became a steady second tier team.
He was, however, sacked in September 2011 after Doncaster made a poor start to the 2011/12 season.
Sean moved to Nottingham Forest as a coach and then took over as Crawley Town manager before he was appointed as Forest boss in July 2012, leaving Crawley before taking charge of a competitive match.
He lasted a little over five months at Forest before he was sacked in late December and took over at Bristol City weeks later.
THE TOP SCORER
Steve Davies scored 13 goals in 38 games last season and ended the campaign as Bristol City’s top scorer.
The striker, who has also played in midfield during his career, started out at Tranmere and moved to Derby County before signing for Bristol City last summer.
He scored all 13 of his goals last season in The Championship, notching them in 37 games.
THE KEY MEN
The Robins have already started a summer shake-up of their squad and have brought in two new signings.
Giant central defender Aden Flint joined from Swindon Town while midfield player Jordan Wynter signed after leaving Arsenal.
There have also been departures with City’s three main goalkeepers Lewis Carey, Tom Heaton and Dean Gerken moving on.
Long-serving midfield player Cole Skuse has joined Ipswich Town while striker Jon Stead has also left as have defender Mark Wilson and midfield player Brian Howard.
City’s attack is likely to feature Steve Davies and former Milton Keynes Dons and West Ham United striker Sam Baldock with Albert Adomah a threat on the right wing.
Defenders Lewin Nyatanga and Louis Carey are out of contract next week but City would like to keep them – Liam Fontaine will be another key figure at the back.
Former Millwall man Marvin Elliott is set to be City’s main central midfield player.
THE FIRST MEETING
January 13 1906, FA Cup First Round – Brentford 2 Bristol City 1
Brentford line-up: Whittaker; Watson, Riley; Jay, Parsonage, Robotham; Hartley, Shanks, Corbett, Hobson, Underwood
Brentford goal scorers: Corbett (2)
Southern League Brentford came from behind to beat runaway Second Division leaders Bristol City, the best result of the Club’s history to that date.
THE LAST MEETING
August 11 2009, Carling Cup First Round – Brentford 0 Bristol City 1
Brentford line-up: Bull; Foster, Phillips, Bennett, Dickson; Saunders (sub Williams), Hunt, O’Connor, Wood; Kabba (sub Osborne), Weston
Subs (not used): Moore, Franks, Ferrell, McClusky
Nicky Maynard scored the only goal as Brentford unluckily lost a Carling Cup tie to Championship side at Griffin Park.
THE MEMORABLE DAY
May 14 1997, Nationwide Football League Division Two Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg – Brentford 2 Bristol City 1 (Brentford win 4-2 on aggregate)
Brentford line-up: Dearden; Hurdle, Hutchings, Bates, Anderson; Dennis (sub Canham), Smith, Statham, Bent; McGhee, Taylor
Subs (not used): Fernandes, Ashby
Brentford goal scorers: Taylor, Bent
Brentford book a spot at Wembley as they come from behind to beat The Robins at Griffin Park.