40 trips around the sun

There was a time when I loved Bristol Rovers almost as much as I loved my wife. Mind you, I think I loved Bristol City more than I loved my first wife, but that’s another story. Rovers made me happy, they made me sad, they made me laugh and, very occasionally, they made me cry. The tragic death of former striker Junior Agogo at the absurdly young age of 40 saw this boy shed a tear. I knew he had been unwell following a stroke, but to learn he had died – well, that was just too much.

On Tuesday 19 October 2004, my love affair with the Gas was at its peak, although the club itself was on the crest of a slump. That evening, we arrived at the Memorial Stadium for the game against not-quite-local-rivals Yeovil Town.

By half time, we were 1-0 down and down to nine men. Down and nearly out. After the break, Yeovil scored again. “Game over!” we declared. That was until our lone striker Junior Agogo decided he had other ideas.

Junior could be erratic and frustrating at times, witness his one goal in three goalscoring ration, but when he was in the mood, he could be unstoppable. Against Yeovil, he was unstoppable. It seemed as if he was carrying the other eight players on his back and soon he had set up midfielder James Hunt for a goal to close the deficit to one goal.

Rovers in general and Junior in particular kept pressing and near the end got their, and his, reward. 2-2 and by then there was only one team going to win and it wasn’t Yeovil. He got a thoroughly deserved standing ovation that night. I have rarely seen a single player influence a game like that.

He scored 44 goals in his three year career at the Gas before moving to Nottingham Forest and I could only wish him well, as I did when I last saw him in the summer of 2006 when I saw him sitting alone at the Mall at Cribbs Causeway. I had a brief chat with him and wished him well whatever happened and thanked him for his service to the Rovers.

I’m half-tempted to go to the Memorial Stadium on Saturday prior to the home game against Oxford United when I am sure the club will organise a minute’s silence in his memory, because it takes me back to a better time at Bristol Rovers when the club was my passion and pride. Players like Junior Agogo made memories, like the night against Yeovil, that will last a lifetime. I thank him sincerely for that. RIP, Junior.