After two weeks of skating around Bristol's hip liberal sector, it was a nice surprise to finally meet the city's remaining white working class. For three hours on a Saturday, the cosmopolitan surroundings of Gloucester Road are swallowed by cider-swigging West Country folk. Suddenly the timid Gloucestershire twang becomes a full rumbling of potent accents from the deepest 'Mild West'. Here lies the proletariat underbelly, the blue collar pasty-munchers, the loyal few who keep football grounded north of the Avon.
As an outsider to these parts, my own alien ways can be lost in translation, as I found out all too easily from the locals. My friendly greeting of "alright guys" to the stewards was received with the same bewildered distaste as if I had said something disparaging about their mothers. Evidently, being a foreigner here takes a bit of getting used to. Perhaps I should have addressed them as "my lovely" instead, as is the case with the region's common tongue.
This was my first sighting of the Gas, my arrival inconveniently gatecrashing the club's lowest ebb, as they settle into the tough competition of the Conference. On a positive note, the tickets are cheap (£10 concession in the terrace) and this is perhaps one of the reasons Rovers' attendances have remained stable since their relegation. Over 6000 fans turned up on this sunny October afternoon to witness an entertaining draw between two fairly combative sides.
If the club have their way, this season could be the final bow for the Memorial Stadium. It has been the team's home since 1996 but plans are afoot to relocate the Pirates to an all-seater complex provisionally titled the UWE Stadium. Yikes - talk about negative association! And what is to become of the atmospheric, unique and well-portioned current ground? It will make way for a Sainsbury's superstore, say the planners.
 |
| The proposed UWE Stadium. |
Nevertheless, this weekend the discussion inside the stands remained strictly related to on-pitch affairs. After only ninety minutes of frustrating fare for the home devotees, I am already up to speed with the current parlance among the faithful. 'Matty Taylor' and 'barn door' are frequently uttered in the same sentence, while 'play-offs' remain far more commonly breathed than 'promotion'. The team's recent form is inconsistent and lacks the outright superiority to see them reach the necessary heights for an immediate return to the Football League.
The unfortunate Taylor is a recent summer arrival from Forest Green Rovers but has only scored once in twelve appearances so far. Given a tantalising chance to put Rovers 2-0 up when through against the keeper, the young striker fluffed his lines and met the unforgiving condescension from the terraces. In all honesty, though, he was the worst offender of a side which looked bereft of confidence in both attack and defence. After one particularly horrendous backpass, the Bristol goalkeeper survived an early dismissal after bringing down the onrushing opponent through nothing more than an apparent mental lapse by the referee.
Dover stole an equaliser in added time from a set piece and heartbroken home fans left the ground grumbling under their breathe. When they find themselves in less charitable situations, the Conference new boys will find this league a tough challenge. From what I have seen, relegation could be a clear possibility.
I will be back to see more of Rovers' unfolding campaign soon. The real question is, after another two points dropped, whether the other 6000 fans will join me?
No comments:
Post a Comment