The Gas - Escapologists!

My blog post of 27th December 2012 ("BBC Points West Sport - Swindon is in Your Region!") included a gloat at the misfortunes of the two rival clubs to Swindon Town from down the M4 in Bristol; City and Rovers. At the time of writing, whilst Bristol City are still locked in a relegation dogfight and are bottom of the Championship, Bristol Rovers, "The Gas", have hauled themselves to mid-table (15th) and look to have given themselves a great chance of avoiding the perilous drop from league to non-league football. I have, therefore, decided to eat my humble pie now and give a congratulatory nod to the man who has turned Rovers' season around - John Ward.

Appointed on 17th December 2012, this is his second stint with "The Pirates", a club with which he has had some success in the past. His first spell with the blue half of the West Country city saw him in charge of the team from 1993 to 1996, having won promotion from the then Third Division to the Second with York City the previous season (1992/93). Relegated at the end of the 1992/93 season, he came close to gaining promotion from the Third Division when he took Rovers to Wembley in the play off final in 1995, only to lose to Huddersfield Town 2 - 1. At the end of the following season, Ward was sacked and replaced by the  irrepressible Ian Holloway.

Since then, he has developed his managerial career having been in charge at rivals Bristol City (promoted to First Division), Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cheltenham Town (promoted to League 1), Carlisle United and Colchester United before returning to the Memorial Ground. His appointment has had a galvanising effect at the club and he must surely be given a new contract when his current one expires at the end of the season. If the Bristol Rovers board decide to dispense with his services, I can see him having a successful career in leading motivational seminars. Let's face it, anyone who has managed to get a football club from what seemed at Christmas an impossible position at the foot of the league, where the team couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo, to where they are now, must have a magical way of instilling confidence into a group of individuals and get them to work as a team.

BBC Points West Sport - Swindon is in Your Region!

The most satisfying thing to emerge from this Christmas, apart from the fabulous roast turkey dinner my wife cooked, are the standings of the local football teams in their respective leagues. Swindon Town are flying high and are poised to gain promotion for the second season in a row. Paolo Di Canio will want nothing less than the next step up into the Championship, whether it comes automatically or via the play offs and, come May 2013, the club will be celebrating another successful season. The "unfortunate" thing about the following season will be that there will be no local derby between Swindon Town and Bristol City. Conversely, next season will not see a derby match between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers, the reason being that both the clubs from the city down the road are bottom of their respective leagues with only 19 points each to show for half a season's endeavour; City will be going down to League One and The Gas will drop out of the Football League altogether. Of course, the fans at the home of the real West Country Robins are besides themselves with...glee! Rockin Robin will have a lighter step when he performs his dance in the centre circle knowing that the Bristol clubs are on their uppers.

However, the one fly in the ointment for all this is the fact that the local BBC news programme seems to think that the only football teams worth reporting on are those west of Chippenham and give the cursory of mentions to the Town's success. BBC Points West please take note - Swindon is in your region!