A total of ten pre-season matches were arranged in preparation for the 2012–13 campaign, one at home and nine away. The highlight of the fixtures was the first Bristol derby since 27 February 2007, which served as Bristol City captain Louis Carey's testimonial match. The squad split in two on 21 July to play both Frome Town and Weston-super-Mare simultaneously, with both games featuring a mix of first team and youth team players. Notes ♦ Game divided into three 30-minute periods † Split squad games ‡ Testimonial matches for Dan Cleverley (Paulton Rovers) and Louis Carey (Bristol City)