Executive Committee Members ( 2019/20 Season )
David Thomas
Chair
David joined our committee in our relegation to the Conference season and stepped up to assume the role of Secretary in 2017. He is also responsible for all our website content as well as most of our Social Media output. David explains, “It’s a very fine line when deciding what to put on our website. It is very easy to copy what is on the Football club’s website and some of their items should appear on our website but no one logs onto our website to read stories they have already read. It is good to have things that are specifically Supporters Club related such as memberships, away travel and the 50/50 draw as well news from the Academy, Development Squad, and the newly formed Women’s team that we sponsor to keep our site fresh”.
He first watched Rovers back in March 1969 (England were World Champions at the time). They lost 1-0 at home to Walsall with Bobby Jones missing a penalty and David lists his favourite away ground as Fulham’s Craven Cottage. His favourite Rovers player is still Harold Jarman and says his favourite Rovers goal is the “next one”.
On a match day, he can be found at the away turnstiles selling programmes and says that his favourite away fans are northern ones; they are “much nicer than their southern counterparts”. He attends games with his wife Angela who is a Supporters Club 50/50 seller.
Professionally, David is employed by Asda’s Filton store as their Community Champions. David owns, publishes and edits the Horfield and Lockleaze Voice newspaper and also manages North Bristol Foodbank’s outlet in Lockleaze.
Helen Wigmore
Supporters Club Director to the Football Club, Vice Chair and Share Scheme Representative
Steve Lamble
Supporters Club Director to the Football Club
Pat Gardener
Diversity and Safeguarding representative
safeguarding@bristolroverssc.co.uk
Get to know Pat
How did you come to support Bristol Rovers and what was your first game?
As an only daughter (my brother died unfortunately), I did a lot of things with my Dad. He was football mad used to play himself and when I asked to go to Football we went together. We went to see THEM but we didn’t like the atmosphere – so the following week we went to Eastville. Several girls in school were Rovers Supporters so I have to say I was very excited. It was November 1971 v Shrewsbury and we won 3-0! I was HOOKED
Who has been your favourite player and why?
Stuart Taylor for his command in defence and his loyalty to our club
Do you have a favourite match-day story?
The day that 🐍returned to the Mem. I have never laughed so much at Football, it was our perfect revenge but the excitement of Chelsea in 2016 was also amazing.
What’s are your role/s on the committee and what are the tasks associate with those?
I have taken on the Diversity and Safeguarding Portfolios This will mean being involved with matters concerning Disability, Anti Racism, Gender Equality and LGBTQ+ issues. In regard to Safeguarding any matters which concern Children & Young People and Vulnerable Adults by way of sickness disability or age. I am looking forward to working with fellow Gasheads and Club Staff who give their time to ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone who comes to the Mem to support the Gas.
I leave home at Portishead around 12.30 usually with grandson Brandon who is a first year University student at the Mem. Into the Gas mobile I’ve got a Gas number plate arriving at the Mem about 1pm. We go into the bar first to meet up with our Football Friends (You know who you are (Hugs!). Chat, laughs, chips and a drink with the Team at 2pm then around 2.25pm into the ground. As an old Tote-Ender there is only one place to be The Thatchers, where I’m singing, yelling, cheering and whooping and yes on 7th May 2016 when we celebrated Promotion there were tears. Good Times will return I know it . There’s something else I know too – that Win Lose or Draw I’m RTID!!
Jamie Howarth
Matchday organiser
Get to know Jamie
How did you come to support Bristol Rovers and what was your first game?
I am sorry to say that my first few live games were at a stadium south of the river. It was a scary place and though I loved my football I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to be there. Then my sisters boyfriend asked me if I wanted to go to Rovers with him. I was 12 years old and in my mind at the time a football game was a football game. The teams didn’t matter. So off we went to Eastville, I was amazed at the size of the crowd. Much bigger than the other lot. Why was it so big? Well it was the Watney Cup Final. What a game to start with. Of course we won and everyone was so friendly, unlike those at the other place. That was it. From that moment on football meant only one thing. ROVERS and for me it still does.
Who has been your favourite player and why?
Mickey Barrett. To this day I have never seen another Rovers player with the skill and promise of Mickey. His death at such a young age shook me to the core.
Do you have a favourite match-day story?
There are far to many to tell and with the mates I have at the Welly and the ground 99% of them probably wouldn’t get the ok to be printed here. LOL. If pushed then my favourite moment in time has to be Lee Brown’s winner against Dagenham in May 2016. The sheer joy of that second of time I will never forget.
What do you do on match days?
I usually arrive at 9am to get everything sorted out before the sellers arrive. This involves picking up the programmes from the club and splitting them up into piles for each seller. Same goes for the 50/50 tickets. At 11am I get a break and pay a visit to the Wellington pub for a coke or two before getting back to the ground at 12:30pm to open up the shop. At 3:15ish I usually manage to get into the ground to watch some of the game, then 5 mins before half time Seller James and I pick up the tombola with all the tickets inside and we make our way round to the tunnel in readiness for half time and the process of doing the draw. I manage to see most of the second half of the game and then open up the shop after the final whistle. Once the shop shuts there’s another 15-20 mins of packing things away before another trip to the Welly for a drink while the traffic dies down.
What’s are your role/s on the committee and what are the tasks associate with those?
I am the match day organiser. So I look after the programmes and 50/50 tickets and allocate them to the lovely guys and girls to sell on the day.
