Jim’s Jottings
These notes were penned before last Tuesday evening’s tough home match against high-flying Portsmouth when I hope that our lad’s improvement with successive wins over Crawley and Wycombe was continued. It’s early days yet of course but I’m sure that ‘Pompey’, with their massive support and an improved financial position, are going to be one of the favourites for promotion back to the Championship.
Rovers’ own hopes of League success look a little better to me having witnessed last Saturday how much better the new signings are fitting in with last year’s squad after a shaky start and a couple of defeats. But then, don’t we always lose our opening game and rarely get a sniff at London Road? As for Accrington, well, seven consecutive single-goal defeats to the Lancastrians says it all. I can’t wait for our next visit to the ‘Wham’ Stadium in January. We must get something up there one day surely?
Referring back to last Saturday I was most impressed with Stefan Payne who held the ball up so well and it was great to see Liam Sercombe and ‘Locks’ back to top form although most every team member played well. We can’t help letting a goal in it seems although I felt the referee played quite a part in Wycombe scoring to set up a tense finish when Rovers should really have been out of sight by then. Let’s hope we were the first to take something off of ‘Pompey’!
Today of course we welcome back old friends and rivals in the shape of Southend United against who we always seem to have close encounters. It’s bound to be another tough match so please get behind the boys in blue and cheer them on to a valuable trio of points!
Proud Sponsors
We gave quite a comprehensive run-down in last Tuesday’s column on the amount of money that the Supporters Club handed-over during last season, most of it in support of Rovers’ Academy and Development Squads. This will continue along similar lines again this season, all going well and gates holding-up of course, so it’s over to the first team for that to happen. In addition to the money we also provide the Football Club with a small army of helpers who turn out in all winds and weather, every match-day, at no expense to the club apart from a match ticket.
Several of us don’t even have the chance to watch all the matches as we are working up to and beyond half-time on the 50/50 Draw and programme sales etc. Frankly it’s a pleasure for me, and a few others, to be able to get out and support the Under-18’s and Under-23’s, especially as we know that the efforts of ordinary dedicated Rovers’ fans are helping to make it all possible. There is no ‘sugar-daddy’ owner as most of you are aware so the club has, in the main, to carry on developing our own players and Rovers have been very good at it over many years.
We are pleased and proud to raise what funds we can but cannot do so without you good people continuing to buy the 50/50 tickets and in supporting all the other activities we get up to over time. We are always on the lookout for more volunteer
sellers and helpers so if you are interested please call into our match-day cabin in the car park and see Phil Draper who will be pleased to take your details. Thank you to all of our volunteer helpers for the continuing support and contributions to the cause.
Our sellers and regular 50/50 ticket buyers will have seen that we now have three winning tickets draw out of the drum at half time. In addition to the top money prize and the second fixed prize of £100 we have introduced a third fixed prize of £50. This applies to all twenty-three home league games. Cup game prizes will be at the discretion of the committee and depending on the attendance at the respective game.
Accrington 50/50 Winners:
£1050 Ticket Number 65449 held by Nick Brain sold by Dave Hewitt in the bars.
£100 Ticket Number 75123 held by (unclaimed) sold by Sue Dry at the Memorial Gate
£50 Ticket Number 76044 held by Donna Jefferies sold by Dave Hewitt in the bars.
Crawley 50/50 Winner
£350 Ticket Number 72965 held by Jon Blight sold by Ray Exon in the car park.
Committee Clips
Hopefully by now you are all getting used to the new bars and arrangements in the Clubhouse where the Supporters Club is now housed in what used to be the Bristol Room. Looks like we have switched sides! We are still working with the Football Club to sort things out as the refurbishments could not be completed in time for the opening game of the new season although hopefully you will need membership cards to gain entry to our dedicated space at today’s game. Thanks for bearing with us whilst we get sorted; much has been done in quite a short space of time.
The committee has been working on and extending the list of benefits to members of the Supporters Club. The “Committee Clips” section of the programme will list the benefits in the editions coming up and the list will also be found posted on the SC web site.
Away the Gas
Queens Park Rangers Tuesday 28th August 7.45pm
SC Coach Prices: £20.00 members £25.00 non-members
Departure Times: Kingsway 2.15pm Memorial Stadium 2.45pm
For the SAT NAV
South Africa Rd, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 7PJ
Shrewsbury Town Saturday 1st September 3.0pm
SC Coach prices £19.00 members £24.00 non-members
Departure Times: Kingsway 9.45am Memorial Stadium 10.15am
For the SAT NAV
Oteley Rd, Shrewsbury SY2 6ST
Bid on the Side
Two Bristol Rovers Pennants.
Today’s offering is these two multi signed pennants. Personally I have never collected signatures and it is difficult to recognize any of them. Can you do any better?
This item has been auctioned on Ebay since Thursday the 23rd of August and will be available for 10 days. The minimum price is just 99p and the highest bidder wins. A link to these auctions will be found at http://bristolroversmemorabilia.weebly.com/
If any other Rovers fans have any rare or interesting Rovers related items that they would be happy to donate, please pop in to the Supporters Club matchday shop in the car park by the Dribuild Stand.