Buckle seen in Bristol

[Fletch]

Fletch

Fair play for doing some research. I was going by 2009 when we had the 8th largest average. I apologise for the mistake.
Swindon on the other hand had a brilliant season the year before under Danny Wilson missing out on promotion when they lost to Millwall in the play off final and obviously Swindon fans bought season tickets believing they would have a similar season just gone, that is why crowds were higher. Swindon do not have a larger fan base than Bristol Rovers and are certainly not a bigger club.

Youve just dug yourself a deeper hole there Gas. Ive looked back as far as your promotion season from L2 (also Swindons promotion season) and they have had a higher average gate than you each season (thats the last 5 seasons).
As for your point about the money, it seems strange that with all that cash floating around, you wouldnt meet the compensation in January ?

Thanks Sir, Do feel free to spot any other spelling misdemeanors and mark me accordingly!!!

Always a pleasure to spread the joy of spelling =D

I have no particular interest (for or against) in other clubs that may be seeking to employ our manager. I just cant see him picking the most unattractive of the three clubs mooted on here. As I pointed out earlier, both Brentford (which he would probably take straight away) are pretty much an established L1 team, whilst Swindon have more potential (been in the top flight before, nearest local rival is Oxford so a one team town, higher attendance).

Dont take it as a slight on Rovers. Logic dictates that if he were to leave, he would be moving upwards, not sideways...

[BritishGAS]

Fletch

Like I have said Rovers fans are very fickle, and have stayed away. Look at Rovers average in 2002/2003 when we were struggling to stay in League 2, and it is higher than the promotion season in 07 and our League One average.

Anyway I wouldn't take any notice of average attendances as a base to judge the size of a clubs fan base. You have obviously been looking at the Football League website and you may have noticed what Swansea's average attendance was in League 2, then if you look at their average in League one a couple of years later with a succesful side and a new stadium it improved by about 7k. Would you say Swansea are a smaller club than Swindon? No chance. Take Swansea and the same applies to Bristol Rovers, A club that is at its lowest ebb, that plays in a poor rugby ground, with a sh*t team, If you were to turn that on its head, and Rovers played in a 20k all seater, with a succesful team, then Bristol Rovers will get crowds of 12-13k in League one no problem.

I dont know why Rovers didn't pay the compo in January?,They chose the cheap option in Dave Penney and it spectacuarly backfired and they wont make the same mistake twice.

Rovers I would argue is the most attractive out of the three you have mentioned because 1. The club is at its lowest ebb. 2. The only way is up. 3. A brand new redeveloped quality stadium around the corner. 4. More funds to spend on players 5. A club with ambition to play at a far higher level.

No disrespect to Brentford but they are hardly an established League One club, they are a yo-yo club who always flirt between the 3rd and 4th tier, this is only their 2nd season back in League One. Also they dont have the infustructure to be any higher, they are competing against their 3 West London neighbours who are all Premier League clubs.

Swindon do not have more potential than Bristol Rovers. Bristol is a major British city with a population of 500k, it should have at least 2 Championship clubs and really a Premier League club. Swindon is an average sized town with a history until the last 20 years of being an average division 4 side. Yes they have been in the top flight before, but that doesn't mean anything they got there because they spent a lot of money in the process, and then came all the way back down again, there are a host of clubs that have played in the top flight like Northampton, Leyton Orient, Carlisle and more recently Wigan who are all small clubs, a lot smaller than Bristol Rovers.

If Buckle comes here, it will still be a step up, it wouldnt be sideways, because in 5 years I can see Bristol Rovers in The Championship, and Torquay still in League 2 or maybe back down to the Blue Square. Its certainly not sideways.

Just like Nigel Adkins left Scunny to join Southampton and Simon Grayson left Blackpool to join Leeds. They were both a dvision below the clubs they left. Were they sideway's moves? Paul Buckle to Bristol Rovers is no different.

[Richinns]

Fletch

Like I have said Rovers fans are very fickle, and have stayed away. Look at Rovers average in 2002/2003 when we were struggling to stay in League 2, and it is higher than the promotion season in 07 and our League One average.

Anyway I wouldn't take any notice of average attendances as a base to judge the size of a clubs fan base. You have obviously been looking at the Football League website and you may have noticed what Swansea's average attendance was in League 2, then if you look at their average in League one a couple of years later with a succesful side and a new stadium it improved by about 7k. Would you say Swansea are a smaller club than Swindon? No chance. Take Swansea and the same applies to Bristol Rovers, A club that is at its lowest ebb, that plays in a poor rugby ground, with a sh*t team, If you were to turn that on its head, and Rovers played in a 20k all seater, with a succesful team, then Bristol Rovers will get crowds of 12-13k in League one no problem.

I dont know why Rovers didn't pay the compo in January?,They chose the cheap option in Dave Penney and it spectacuarly backfired and they wont make the same mistake twice.

Rovers I would argue is the most attractive out of the three you have mentioned because 1. The club is at its lowest ebb. 2. The only way is up. 3. A brand new redeveloped quality stadium around the corner. 4. More funds to spend on players 5. A club with ambition to play at a far higher level.

No disrespect to Brentford but they are hardly an established League One club, they are a yo-yo club who always flirt between the 3rd and 4th tier, this is only their 2nd season back in League One. Also they dont have the infustructure to be any higher, they are competing against their 3 West London neighbours who are all Premier League clubs.

Swindon do not have more potential than Bristol Rovers. Bristol is a major British city with a population of 500k, it should have at least 2 Championship clubs and really a Premier League club. Swindon is an average sized town with a history until the last 20 years of being an average division 4 side. Yes they have been in the top flight before, but that doesn't mean anything they got there because they spent a lot of money in the process, and then came all the way back down again, there are a host of clubs that have played in the top flight like Northampton, Leyton Orient, Carlisle and more recently Wigan who are all small clubs, a lot smaller than Bristol Rovers.

If Buckle comes here, it will still be a step up, it wouldnt be sideways, because in 5 years I can see Bristol Rovers in The Championship, and Torquay still in League 2 or maybe back down to the Blue Square. Its certainly not sideways.

Just like Nigel Adkins left Scunny to join Southampton and Simon Grayson left Blackpool to join Leeds. They were both a dvision below the clubs they left. Were they sideway's moves? Paul Buckle to Bristol Rovers is no different.

Delusional


And as for the "in 5 years Torquay maybe back in the BSP" :slap:

[BritishGAS]

Richinns

Why is it delusional?

5 years ago when Swansea and Blackpool were playing in League 2 would you of said they were delusional if they said that they would be playing in the Premier League or have one game to go to get into it? Or Doncaster being a mid-table Championship club? Bristol Rovers have a bigger fan base and more potential than each of those clubs. All it needs is either a wealthy benefactor(Like our filthy south Bristol red friends) or a new state of the art stadium(Like Swansea, Cardiff, Hull, Wigan, Doncaster)

Its not delusion, it is ambition and the Rovers board are aiming for that to happen.

When the ground gets developed to a top class football stadium, I will be happy to come back in 5 years time and see where both clubs are.

I dont see how you can say it is delusional.

Maybe that is why Torquay will never be anything more than a 3rd/4th/BS club because chairman and fans think it is delusional to expect or want their club to progress.

[Richinns]

Richinns

Why is it delusional?

5 years ago when Swansea and Blackpool were playing in League 2 would you of said they were delusional if they said that they would be playing in the Premier League or have one game to go to get into it? Or Doncaster being a mid-table Championship club? Bristol Rovers have a bigger fan base and more potential than each of those clubs. All it needs is either a wealthy benefactor(Like our filthy south Bristol red friends) or a new state of the art stadium(Like Swansea, Cardiff, Hull, Wigan, Doncaster)

Its not delusion, it is ambition and the Rovers board are aiming for that to happen.

When the ground gets developed to a top class football stadium, I will be happy to come back in 5 years time and see where both clubs are.

I dont see how you can say it is delusional.

Maybe that is why Torquay will never be anything more than a 3rd/4th/BS club because chairman and fans think it is delusional to expect or want their club to progress.

Darlington were ambitious. New stadium, investment beyond their means, a large fan base which did not buy into what they were trying to achieve and look where they ended up. There are many other examples that can be shown. Leeds are only just starting to recover from their failed risk taking.

Bristol Rovers maybe a club with a City for a fanbase but it is the second club in a relatively small City and far less likely to ever progress than Bristol City. I am not saying that to insight anger with gas fans - it's just how it is.

We at Torquay know who and what we are and we love the club on that basis. We are happy with that and dream of promotion and security in League 1 and the excitement of decent cup runs. We enjoy seeing decent football played at our treasured family club. We could not progress any further than this.

Bristol Rovers, like many other clubs, believe they are better than this and it is a very precarious line to walk. You say you will be in the Championship in 5 years? - to me there is more chance of you being a broke BSP team than that. Cambridge United ring any bells here?

I hope not as football in the South West needs it local teams but I do fear if you gamble to heavily the outcome will be catastrophe.

[Wembley Gull]

Richinns

Why is it delusional?

5 years ago when Swansea and Blackpool were playing in League 2 would you of said they were delusional if they said that they would be playing in the Premier League or have one game to go to get into it? Or Doncaster being a mid-table Championship club? Bristol Rovers have a bigger fan base and more potential than each of those clubs. All it needs is either a wealthy benefactor(Like our filthy south Bristol red friends) or a new state of the art stadium(Like Swansea, Cardiff, Hull, Wigan, Doncaster)

Its not delusion, it is ambition and the Rovers board are aiming for that to happen.

When the ground gets developed to a top class football stadium, I will be happy to come back in 5 years time and see where both clubs are.

I dont see how you can say it is delusional.

Maybe that is why Torquay will never be anything more than a 3rd/4th/BS club because chairman and fans think it is delusional to expect or want their club to progress.

British Gas you come across as genuine so it's very hard to believe you have fallen for the story your board have been telling you for the last four years about championship ambitions. The planning permission to develop the Memorial Stadium is due to expire this year and they have had three years to make a start but they haven't managed it. It's been in the Bristol Evening Post on a regular basis, excuse after excuse, they want some other mugs to pay for it but they can't find anyone stupid enough to do it.

The Memorial Stadium is a dump (I've been many times) consisting of wooden sheds, portakabins, tents and ugly wire fences. It's a disgrace they expect fans to put up with it year after year and no wonder they have to bribe players to join. Your fans are very loyal but it's still a mystery why they keep believing the rubbish they are fed. You do have potential but unless Paul Buckle is given cast iron guarantees in writing (with non performance compensation clauses)that a new stadium is part of the deal then he would be foolish to join a failing club like Rovers.

[gasheadinpeace]

Rumours are that he agreed to sign for us on Monday, regardless of what division you'll be playing in next season, and that he plans to bring his assistand, Branston and Zebroski with him.

[AlexGulls]

You wont be able to afford Zebroski.

[gasheadinpeace]

Considering Lines and Hoskins are both supposedly going for a combined total of £600,000, I'd say we most definitely can.

[Richinns]

Rumour has Gas fans truly believe they are the biggest club in Bristol but we both know that isn t true and neither is the OP!

Use the thread on the banter board for your nonsense saddo!

[YellowMurphy]

So gashead, youre saying that if we beat Shrewsbury convincingly and we have a huge game to play on saturday? It doesnt matter, because Buckle will sign for you, as 2 of our most important players. Surely if he were going to you he would wait until OUR fate was decided?

[BritishGAS]

Ritchins

Darlington is a completely different kettle of fish, They were a tiny club with a tiny ground getting crowds of barely 2k, when George Reynolds decided rediculously to build a 25k stadium. There was no way they were ever going to be able to succeed, Darlington is right in the centre of the hotbed that is Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, even if somehow Reynolds had pumped billions into Darlington and was succesful they still would not generate enough support to justify that stadium. It was a disgrace that it was built and should not have been allowed to happen.

Bristol is not a relatively small city, it is a big city which if you include parts of South Gloucestershire and North Somerset which were traditional Bristol then it has a population of about 750k which makes it UK's 3rd biggest city. People who are not from Bristol think Rovers are the second club in Bristol, which in terms of facilities at the moment is true, but in terms of overall fan base and supporters it is basically 50/50, it is mixed, there are no neutrals in Bristol, you are either a red or a blue, people look at C*ty's attendances and think they must be much bigger than Rovers, but that is not the case. It is just that Rover's have been treated appalingly by Bristol council and were forced to move out to Bath and now play at a rugby ground, while c*ty have a decent stadium. If Rover's played in a 20k seater stadium and were a mid table Championship club then I would bet that Rovers crowds would be better than c*ty's. Eastville was a bigger ground than Ashton Gate and until Rovers were forced out to Bath, crowds were very similar.

I didn't say that Rovers would be in The Championship in 5 years, all I said is that I can see it.

Please dont compare Cambridge United to Bristol Rovers. Cambridge like Darlington are a tiny little club, who had a brief flirtation in what is now The Championship when they had Dion Dublin, but they came all the way back again and are now where they have always been throughout their history in Non League.

I have never said that Rovers are better than this, we are in the 4th division for a reason, we were sh*t, but 10 years ago we had never been in the 4th tier of English football before and had spent our entire history in either the old 2nd and 3rd divisions which was a very proud achievement but since 2000 we have been very, very bad.

I dont think it is arrogant to say that Bristol Rovers really shouldn't be playing in the 4th division.

[RussianGull]

all this bloke has done is read the other thread where we said we feared that Bucks would go and take those two players.

You need to be original in your trolling, gashead.

[clemy1989]

i believe the gas fan may be right. my source is somebody on this site who has pm'd me with some information including figures. i wont expose that person but im sure if you pm'd them they would be happy to forward you the same as they told me

[AlexGulls]

On a side note to what I said IF (and it is an IF) we go up why would Zebroski (more so than Branston as Branno's contract is up at the end of the season) drop a division?

Though its only a rumour we time will tell weather it happens or not.