20th October 2012, I am in the Centenary Enclosure at the Memorial Stadium, the home of Bristol Rovers Football Club. The date is indelibly painted in my mind, the game, where Bristol Rovers defeated Torquay United 3-2, isn’t. In fact, I had to look up the score in researching this piece.
I was with old friends watching the game. At half time, I was joined by another friend, Kevin Spencer, who had in hand a letter saying he had been banned from the ground. Not only that, the man who handed it to him, security officer Dave Harper, said he had been told to remove Kevin from the stadium at half-time, although he confirmed he would not be doing that. Thank god for small mercies, eh?
For those of you, and that’s nearly all of you, who don’t know about recent off-the-field events at the Rovers, in 2006 there was a boardroom bust up. Four members of the board left, some new people joined. The reasons for the split are known to those who were around at the time and easily accessible for those who weren’t. It scarcely matters now so I shall not waste my time dragging it all up again.
And so the years went by with the club on the crest of a slump, apart from a brief Rickie Lambert-inspired brush with League One. There was internet criticism from some as to how the club was being run, there was criticism from others that got quite personal. I saw some stuff that was quite unpleasant, although none of the personal, unpleasant stuff emanated from Kevin Spencer.
But even if people did step over the line, whatever and wherever that line might be, isn’t football meant to be a bit about passion? When we get there on a Saturday afternoon, don’t we all say things that, on closer inspection, we really shouldn’t?
And then Kevin, one of former directors, was banned.
I had heard about people being banned before, usually for hooliganism, but never for what appeared to be ‘consistent criticism.’ And ‘consistent criticism’ was among the comments current chairman Nick Higgs used about the reason for Kevin’s banning order. Would it have been better if Kevin’s alleged criticism had been inconsistent?
In June 2013, the matter became more serious when there was a very sad bereavement at the club, the much-loved kit man Roger Harding passed away after a long battle with cancer. The wake was to be at the Memorial Stadium, fitting for such a great Rovers man. I took it upon myself to ask the club’s chaplain, Dave Jeal, to ask the club if it would be possible for Kevin to attend the wake given he (Kevin) knew the family. Dave kindly did as promised and was told, no, Kevin would not be able to attend. I didn’t quite know what to say about that.
Kevin Spencer has now met and spoken with Nick Higgs on a number of occasions in order that everyone can move on. Although I am not party to their private conversations, Mr Higgs said that he would obtain details of the things he had allegedly said and Kevin, for his part, would apologise if there was anything to apologise for. This would all happen by the end of the summer.
Then something else happened.
Kevin’s much loved parents have seen two of their three siblings pass before they did, something that should never happen once in the normal scene of things. You never expect to, never want to, outlive your children.
Kevin’s father knew all about his son’s love for the Rovers, taking him back over 40 years. He also knew about his son’s current situation with the club where allegations and insinuations had been made about him which had not yet been resolved. And then, with Kevin abroad on holiday, his father died.
I have lost both parents, plus a step father, and each loss leaves you more alone, but in my case, there were no regrets. There was no unfinished business, except the business of life. The truth is that Kevin Spencer’s father went to his grave believing 100% in the sheer decency and integrity of his son but with unspecific allegations over his son’s conduct not resolved.
Kevin Spencer remains banned from the club he has supported since he was a young boy. It’s very small beer to the overwhelming majority of Rovers fans, indeed it’s probably not on their radar at all as the club seeks to rebuild from the ashes of failure in the Conference, but it matters.
No one has urged a boycott of the club even though some individuals, me included, have chosen not to attend games whilst Kevin remains banned. But can’t this all be resolved once and for all, one way or another?
We are not talking about small children squabbling over a toy here, although you could be forgiven for believing otherwise. We are talking about grown men who should, surely, be capable of resolving something that lingers pointlessly and endlessly.
Even a much-respected man of the cloth has been unable to end this impasse but it is surely not beyond the wit of Nick Higgs to end it tomorrow.
It’s when this whole wretched business extends to third parties, to innocent family members, one of whom will never know whether his son’s name will ever be cleared; that’s when it goes beyond the pale.
In 2006, I was removed from the Rovers matchday programme (and more mysteriously, my Bristol Evening Post column) for my comments and if the club feels my comments today are a step too far, then they are free to kick me out again.
But I am not going to sit on my hands saying nothing. Let’s sort this out, man to man. And then move on.
