I am writing purely from memory and without the aid of Mr Google so any errors in what follows are mine and no one else’s.
It is quite normal for me to not remember what I did last week, or even yesterday for that matter, never mind what I was doing 26 years ago, but 2nd May 1990 was a day I’ll never forget. It was special for all manner of reasons, not the least of which was a certain football match was played at Twerton Park in Bath. Bristol Rovers 3 Bristol City 0.
I am not certain what day of the week it was, although it was an evening game, so Tuesday or Wednesday, I’m pretty sure the latter. The day represented not just a football match but my first official date with a young girl called Cath. We’re still together after all this time. Think about it: ever the romantic I took her to see a football match. And not just any old football match: a local derby with our local rivals that would determine whether we, Bristol Rovers, would be promoted.
This was a time during which the Rovers were playing at a non league ground in another city. By some kind of footballing miracle, certainly akin to Leicester City’s ascent to Premier League glory, manager Gerry Francis had assembled a team of free transfers and journeymen, as well as some huge stars of the future who would take us into what is now known as the Championship. Not only that, Francis had been forced to sell the two biggest stars – Gary Penrice and Nigel Martyn – during the season.
‘Home’ fans stood in the Popular Side, a wonky covered terrace that ran the full length of the pitch. Away fans stood in a caged terrace at one of the two open ends, about 30 to 40 yards from where we were stood.
As the game went on, it was clear we were going to win and so we did, with two goals from our gangly striker Devon ‘Bruno’ White and a penalty from Ian Holloway. I know there have been great Rovers days before and many since, but nothing, absolutely nothing, could go close to achieving promotion by thumping our local rivals on the same day. I don’t think it ever will.
One of the things I remember vividly was the anger in the faces of the City fans not far from us. You could see the whites of their eyes as they chanted, shouted abuse and showered us with coins, as they tumbled to a humiliating defeat. When manager Joe Jordan approached them, as advertising hoardings were ripped down and a full-scale riot looked likely, he was covered in phlegm. We were forced to move, not through fear of being attacked, but by the sheer volume of coins that were hitting us. No wonder City were regarded as the wealthy club in the city. You had to be wealthy to throw money at people you purported to hate.
When it was all over and peace was finally restored, we went onto the pitch. To my surprise, a large number of City fans stayed to applaud us and some of us applauded them back. Surreal doesn’t go close.
And so we celebrated, the players and management in the stand, us on the pitch. And that is where my memory book closes. I don’t remember leaving the ground, I don’t remember going home, I recall nothing else about the day.
The following weekend, Rovers went to Blackpool and won there too, securing not just promotion to the Championship, but first place in the third tier of English football.
I had been to Twerton Park a good few times in the preceding years, as my own career as a very poor parks player came to an end. Rovers had relocated to Bath (in 1986?) when they could no longer afford to pay the rent demanded by the owners of Eastville and I felt that the club might even die, rather than return to Bristol. At first, they were very dark days indeed. The managers signed any players they could, sometimes, it felt, just to make up the numbers. By 1990, the club was promoted to the second tier of English football, somewhere we have never been since.
That was 2nd of May 1990 to me. Big memory gaps either side of the game but aspects of our time in the ground as vivid today as it was then.
Definitely the best day of my Rovers supporting life. If the new owners can give us memories like these, they will be remembered alongside the likes of chairman Denis Dunford, manager Gerry Francis and players like Ian Holloway, Devon White, Geoff Twentyman, David Mehew, Carl Saunders and many more.
We really were in this together in those days and it’s a memory I shall take to my grave.
