AWAY THE GAS – WALSALL
BY DARREN STOBBS
Ahead of our trip to Walsall, Rovers were on their best run of form for 20 years. All credit to the management team and the players themselves, achieving that so early on in the season, with a much transformed squad.
We left The Mem at just gone 11.00am with one full coach and a minibus lent to us by The Community Trust, which was very much appreciated by The Supporters Club.
The Community Trust has allowed us to borrow the minibus on three other occasions, for two friendlies earlier in the summer and also once last season v Leyton Orient – when for the first time I could certainly remember, the demand wasn’t there for a coach and The Community Trust stepped in to help out. It allows supporters to support The Gas, who would otherwise most unlikely not attend the game.
The minibus on this occasion by kindly driven by Martin, our joint away travel organiser.
We ourselves stopped on the way to Walsall for a 10 minute toilet break, due to those facilities only available on the big coach. We arrived at Walsall at just gone 1.00pm.
Walsall has always been a decent away ground to look forward to. At the end of the 2017/18 season The Saddlers Club next to the ground was the go to venue for Rovers fans, providing a decent drink and pre-match food before the game. With this unfortunately now shut permanently, there were two other options outside the ground.
‘The Locker’ – which was so busy on arrival, queuing a fair way out of the door! So we then decided to head for The Park Inn, which is a hotel/bar opposite the ground. One lady said ‘good luck with getting served in there!’ We decided to stick with it, and with a nip in the autumn air, it was warm inside! We joined a long, but orderly queue, at least knowing that we would eventually get served.
When we got to front, although I wasn’t after a Thatchers, this had run out, which seemed to cause a panic for the bar staff (and some Rovers fans!). One by one the bar staff all disappeared, leaving a large number of Gasheads wondering what was happening. One lady said; ‘They ought to know Rovers were here and have plenty of Thatcher’s in stock!’
Order was eventually restored and with two pints of beer and a Thatchers Haze costing £9, no wonder there was a massive queue.
There was certainly some money being taken in both the venues mentioned. Someone later told me that ‘The Locker’ had a number of real ales on offer, which I found to be a missed opportunity!
On entering the ground the stewards seemed a friendly bunch and on questioning what was in my pockets, he said you shouldn’t have told me ‘food’, implying he was after it! However unlike Grimsby, I was allowed on my way. To go with this I purchased a generous portion of chips (I can’t remember the last time I purchased chips in a ground), at £4 I thought that was quite reasonable. Along with a cup of Bovril at £3.20 (slightly dear I thought), but needed with the chilly wind from the recent storm passing through the country.
On to the match and Rovers had a tremendous following of 2,150 and we all witnessed a really good first half and were by far the better team. After nearly scoring within the opening minute, we took the lead with Ellis Harrison setting up Fabrizio Cavegn inside the box for him to finish into the corner.
We then squandered several opportunities to extend our lead, and Walsall looked a nervous side with the home fans showing their frustration. The second half ended up being the complete opposite. We just couldn’t get hold of the game and sat back too much, inviting The Saddlers on which massively played into their favour. Walsall equalised with a decent header from Aaron Pressley with a cross on the left from their captain, Vincent Harper.
Walsall then soon got what turned out to be the winner when Pressley got his second of the game, has he slid the ball under Luke Southwood, inside the box.
Things got over-heated at the final whistle with the officials having to break up some issues in the Rovers penalty area, largely instigated by former City players Aidan Flint and Albert Adomah. However, it has to be said that Flint had a decent game, winning all the aerial battles, as we played too many long balls up into the air, for them to sweep up comfortably.
Cavegn was my man of the match and was also the vote on the Supporters Club coach.
With an attendance of 8,003 and making up over a quarter of that number, it was disappointing not to come away with something for the travelling Gasheads. I have to note that I agree with all of Darrell Clarke’s comments after the match.
We left the ground at 5:10pm, ahead of The Eagle coach, although it took 30 minutes to get back on the M6 with big traffic congestion getting away from The Bescot Stadium.
We again stopped for 10 minutes on the way back, at Gloucester Services, this was a first visit there and from a distance I could see why it’s rated as one if the nicest services in the county.
We still gained pole position ahead of The Eagle Coach!, both arriving back at back at The Mem at 7:25pm.
