I’m watching the ‘Second City derby’ on Sky TV between Aston Villa and Birmingham City Depending on your point of view, the atmosphere is electric or poisonous. Or maybe it’s a little of both. Derby day is one of the greatest days of the season. In Bristol, derby day is a rarity. Unless Bristol Rovers get their act together, hell will freeze over before another one comes along.
In modern times, Gasheads have embraced their underdog status, even celebrated being ‘Ragbag Rovers’. And you can see why. It wasn’t that long that Rovers were playing at a non league ground in Bath and training out of a portakabin by a chocolate factory in Keynsham. The club even climbed into what was then the Championship. It is impossible to imagine them doing the same now.
Where other clubs, not least local rivals City, have moved on, possibly out of sight, Rovers have remained at a tatty old former rugby ground and have developed it by erecting temporary tents. The miracle Gerry Francis achieved taking Rovers into the second tier in 1990 was almost recreated by Darrell Clarke when he took the club from the Conference back to League One. However, he did so by way of a siege mentality, by having players who would run through a brick wall for him and he did so virtually single handedly. This was never a template for long term stability.
Now the team is in trouble, dabbling uncomfortably with the bottom four in League One. These are, of course, relatively early days in the season but the league table does not lie. So, where’s the plan?
Rovers’ absentee Jordanian owners don’t have one bar “winning the next match”, according to chief apologist and club chairman Steve Hamer, when he was taken apart by Geoff Twentyman on BBC Radio Bristol last week. No vision, no direction beyond winning the next game. This is the road to football hell. The fans should demand so much more.
They key to everything is securing a new stadium. The Memorial Stadium represents a miserable loss-making present. Staying there guarantees nothing more than mediocrity and, conceivably, oblivion. Hamer rubbished all the rumours and speculation that new owners are about to take over. He knew nothing. If we take him at his word, the owners need to spell out absolutely clearly what they intend to do, if anything.
The only consolation to Rovers miserable on and off the field existence is the continued failings across the river in BS3. If seeing City lose again is enough for some Gasheads, perhaps they deserve everything that comes their way? I don’t happen to think that.
Honesty. That’s all we ask. Plus the truth. Are the Al Qadis in it for the long term, as club president Wael keeps saying? Or do they want rid of the club and to get their money back? Which is it?
I fell for the charm and smarm of the Al Qadis, believed that, for once, overseas owners might be in it for the right reasons. What a fool I was. Some of us are so old, we remember when we actually managed to compete with City. If the ambition is mere survival, this won’t end well. I’m so cynical, I don’t think there is any ambition at all from the owners or their paid lickspittles.
The Villa v Birmingham derby has been wonderful to watch and listen to. Bristol needs its own derby. But are there men (and women) of sufficient vision (and money) to bring it about?
