Bristol Rovers 2-1 BFC, Saturday 4th May 2019

‘We’ve got Adam Davies….and Magic Mamadouuuuu!’

Welcome to...the League 1 promotion party!!!  'We've got Daniel Stendel...'

What a season it’s been.  Unbeaten at home (first time in my lifetime), crushing away victories and promotion clinched in midweek without even playing.  The football has been amazing at times (most of the times) with Stendel’s high press and slick breaks destroying lesser mortals.  And the away trips have been second to none.  Where haven’t I enjoyed visiting?  Wycombe, Shrewsbury, Burton, Luton, Southend…etc etc  A far better away day than these metropoli (sp?) of Brum, Wolverhampton, Leeds, Sheffield et al.  And we end it with one of the best, a first ever trip to the Memorial Stadium, the former home of Bristol rugby club.  And in a neat parallel, this place has as many stands (7) as the old Manor Ground, Oxford, where we last celebrated promotion without needing a result on the day.  It was a party from start to finish, though at least Reedy made the match this time…

Welcome to ....

It was though a long day.  With a 5:30 kick off we were in the Brewdog by midday (for our 25% off – cheers Loko!) before traipsing up Gloucester Road for a pub crawl.  I can’t remember the names of the pubs, but I do remember Pompey getting agitated at Reedy for bypassing one when we’d already been walking for 10 minutes (10 minutes!) just so’s we could get a pint of a lesser spotted craft ankle-biter, or whatever, half a mile further on.  (Ian: have you seen that latest Fosters ad?  Right up your street!)  The boys done good tho.  Not only did we walk all the way to the ground, we made it for kick-off.  Military discipline.  Bob would be proud.

Gloucester Road.  Where trees walk down streets.

Most of us were on the away terrace, though Nice Guy Chris and Nice Lass Jane were in the seats behind the goal, Lynne and Anton high up in the East Stand and the others in the home terrace.  But I doubt there was bother, as Rovers fans all day wished us well next season (and hoped we beat Brizzle City).  I got separated from the rest (it’s called nipping into the chippy) and with the terrace packed, stood past the corner flag 1st half.  S*** view, but I had the pleasure of blokes in knock-off lederhosen singing to their heart’s content.  (On a lederhosen note, Hicksy excelled himself, wearing the genuine article, resplendent in hat too.)

A village in Bavaria is missing an idiot.

We went ahead, I believe.  Looked like a game of head tennis with Moore finishing it.  Cruise control now.  Only, in a game of not very much, Lindsay ensured we wouldn’t have a centre half for next season’s Championship opener by getting himself sent off for a 2^nd yellow.  Rank stupidity.  It was bad enough he’d given their bloke the ball, without pulling him back in a match whose result didn’t matter.  Still, he’s a footballer and not paid to think.  This was before half time and Rovers went on to nick it with 2 goals on the back post where they had numbers and we didn’t.  Ho hum, who cares???

We're going up!  We're going up!

Yes, Rovers' last minute winner was the queue for Reds fans to start jumping around and really getting the party underway.  And while Rovers slinked off at full-time, the Super Reds came back out to take their acclaim.  How long were we there?  Half an hour?  Nice touch too, as the players celebrated in front of us, Stendal went behind the goal to show his gratitude to those in the seats.  And was that a member of Mossad or Nice Guy Chris who I saw straining through the crowd to shake The Great One’s hand?  He’ll never wash that hand again (Stendel, that is.)

The team celebrate.

Then it was over.  Another season gone, just like that.  It could go on forever, for me.  What a contrast from last season.  Where is The Fool (AKA Morais) these days?  If we can keep most of this team…and most importantly, Stendel, I have no fears about staying up next season.  It’s just a question of how high?

Onwards and upwards!  YOUUUUUUUUU REDSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best wishes from the Rovers' club shop.

Despatches:
Truth is, I can’t remember anyone’s performance save for Pinnock looking magnificent and unflustered throughout.  It was good to see Cavare come on though.  Even if him and Stendel have fallen out, he has played 40+ games this season and deserves to be part of the celebrations.  Brown too, getting a rousing reception from the fans ‘His name is Jacob Brown and he’s f***ing dynamite.’  Shame he didn’t go all John Terry full-kit wan*er though.  
Roll on the summer.  Roll on next season. 

Did my grandfathers fight in a war for THIS?  (No: They were coalminers.)

*** Pinnock.  I’ll miss him when he’s gone. 

** Mowatt.  Surely the Championship will suit him even more?

* McGeehan.  To hell with it.  In the spirit of Bob, I’m just voting for my favourite players.

WE’VE GOT DANIEL STENDEL.....WE’LL PLAY IT FROM THE BACK.....KIEFER MOORE AND WOODROW.....WITH PINNOCK AT THE BACK....MOWATT AND MCGEEHAN, DIMI CAVARE TOO....SKIPPER ADAM DAVIES….AND MAGIC MAMADOUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALLEZ ALLEZ ALLEZ...!!!

Drink du jour: Dead Pony Club IPA, Maltsmiths IPA, Brooklyn, Pravda, Old Rosie, Leffe, Erdinger.  In that order.

Away: 1100 plus however many were in the home end.

The Damage:

£32 train

£18 ent

£3 prog

= £53

The Tunes:

Fabric 84 (Mathew Jonson)

Fabric 19 (Andrew Weatherall)

Memorial Ground panorama

Reds fans celebrate on the bus back to town.

Outside the Rovers' turnstiles.

Reds fans heading south...

The view from the car park.

Pre-match warm-ups.

Is that ANOTHER stand?

Kes flies the flag for Barnsley.

The West Stand.  Bit posh.

The Artist Formerly Known As a scoreboard.

The towering East Stand.

That can't be permanent...

Goodbye Bristol Rovers...hello City.

Stendel waves goodbye.  Job done.