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5 years ago today that Rovers avoided relegation to non league, by beating Wycombe, in their winner takes all relegation decider.

And how differently it would have panned out for them had they not won that game: Relegation to non-league, no training ground, no new stadium, no refurbishment of the existing one, dwindling crowds, massive debts, non-communicating owners, sports science graduate on work experience for a manager, players only on £300 a week. Yes you can certainly say that they dodged the very biggest of big bullets on that day. Had they lost then it would have been the beginning of a slow protracted dwindling into a footballing irrelevance rather than being the thriving rival club that we see in Bristol Rovers today.

Thank you for posting the link, I really enjoyed listening. I recall that I was at home in Hereford and couldn't get radio Bristol - I got the news about Rovers's relegation from Sky TV reports I celebrated with the bottle of Bristol City branded champagne that my nephew/godson bought for my 60th birthday. I reflected that if it wasn't a City promotion to the promised land, Rovers being relegated to the Conference was well worthy of celebration. As I drank I recalled how in 1982 I contributed in my own small way to the survival of the club by purchasing shares which I could ill afford. I reflected on the fact that the Rovers created difficulties that without their objections would have otherwise led to potential financial support from the Council.... then their trying to grab our ground (they're well practised at that). It was karma, a horrible club and horrible fans. I always support teams in difficulties across the football world... but the Rovers are something different. Listening to the link has brought a smile to my face during these troubled times

Radio Bristol post-relegation reaction: https://vocaroo.com/3STeE9fJlGE

10 minutes in, and I forgot about the sag complaining about Radio Bristol only having the City game on commentary, only to be told he was listening on the wrong frequency ????

Ah Doncaster united.

Apparently their kitman couldn't remember either.....

To many people it doesn’t matter how long ago it was. Its not just Hillsborough anyway - it’s got a track record of racist, anti immigrant and homophobic leaning stories. It’s a vile, hate preaching rag, but each to their own on what paper they take. Free country and free press and I respect the right of the public to consume whatever news they want. Doesn’t mean you have to respect the shite that they publish though.

Taking a year to get their “big” screen up, then finding they didn’t have the power to run it. Subsequently finding out the company providing it was owned by “the rosy cheeked tax dodging lady garden” from Guernsey.

You are an absolute Legend. Im going to sit back and enjoy that later with some Cider whilst my wife watches some shit on the telly.

21 mins: 'City fans in the away end and waiting outside for us'..... MUM...!!!!!!

Caller - 'We'll get more fans in the Conference, that's how many fans love this club' #gaslogic

You mean they played a team who were so ‘on the beach already’ that they forgot to bring any kit? Imagine losing your league status to that?

96 football fans died and they printed total lies. There has been some total shit written on this forum over the years ,but this takes the biscuit. Well done you.

I live in Bradley Stoke, and the only Gas shirt I have seen lately was worn by a gent in the queue to access Sainsbury's Filton, last Saturday!! Surely not!! ???

When showing symptoms.. Not 'across the board....

One of the greatest nights ever! Top of the table clash vs York - forget the ‘easy to support’ games such as Liverpool away in ‘94, the league cup semis vs Spurs, Forest and Man City etc etc - this was pivotal in our history - we were climbing out of the mire of 1982 and we found ourselves locked in a top of the table battle with York City. We were in the bottom division and we faced them at home in a midweek game - it attracted a five figure crowd, in the basement division! 10,837 - the gas would kill for a crowd number like that right now! Everyone who was anyone back then turned up, the (original and incomparable) East End was packed and we got behind the boys non stop, it was deafening, a zillion times better and louder than our home games are now - and we dicked York 1-0 - another huge part of our journey back under Lord Terence Cooper. Those are the nights I remember with real and fierce affection; not the boring, tedious recent ones like scraping a 1-0 against 9 man Rotherham.... I know the current climate allows more opportunities for real thought and reflection, but I do so, so miss those glorious times from 1982 to 1988 under Terry Cooper - special, special memories and a fantastic period in which to follow the boys in red ... I’ll never forget them, a crucial and brilliant part of our history ... ?

Bradley Stoke is definitely a City area. Always loads of nippers running around in City shirts up that way.

In a rare moment of prescience in 2016, Topper Gas noted: "Problem is we've no idea what Wael's bought so far, for all we know he's just rearranged the debts and once he's looked closely at the UWE plans could decide it's a none starter and put the club up for sale/into admin. I appreciate that's pretty unlikely but then again." Only to be shot down by the massive business brain that is gashead79: "Calm your beans topper! The Al -Quadi family has a reputation to uphold don't they.Would they have brought in top notch people to oversee the stadium project without having checked out all possible scenarios?Investment bankers do exactly what their monicker says ie invest not **** off into the night with the stadium swag."

Let’s be honest, I doubt it will ever be the same again. WHO saying you might be able to catch covid again, if that’s the case nothing will be “normal” again until a vaccine is found.

Who are we playing?

Played alongside John Byrne, who went on to better things. They had John McPhail at the back, too; McPhail and Byrne played all 46 games that season, Walwyn 45. Managed by Denis Smith, of course, who bought Keith Houchen in the March deadline. Smith had already signed the 16 year old Marco Gabbiadini, but I don't think he played until the following season. And Ricky Sbragia was part of that York team, and that's a name that sticks.

the blue glass thing with the wrong team name for me. how can you not know who you are playing??

I was wrong about the username it was cheesleys mate. I found the post and the link doesn't work anymore..ffs

It was reposted in here some time back, given that I don't really have anything better to do, I'll try and find it.

Who used to have Iron Man has their username ? Pretty sure he had all the recordings saved.

Yeah and I'm not having a go at you. Read what you want. I personally don't touch those papers, but you won't find much media that isn't tainted in some way.

Big Mouth Strikes Again...The Smiths

To be fair though the behaviour of the Sun newspaper throughout the past 24 years has been dreadful. It's not like the Hillsborough issue was unique. It was just the worst example.

Well done to them on that achievement. I bet they immediately took to Social Media to boast and tell us “we r cumin 4 you now u ******* SHITHEADS”. Who did they play in the last game of that season? I can’t remember.

Very good player..didn't know he had passed away, think we were linked with him a few times.

Keith Walwyn - he was a fantastic player at the lower levels - 119 goals in 245 games for York. Tragically died at the age of 47...

Personally if I can't go,the season is finished anyway . Bizarrely behind closed doors games make no difference to armchair fans do they. But for me if I cant actually attend with all that goes with the day itself ( Train in, meet friends, pie and a few beers .) Its pointless . On the finishing this season at all costs . Only if it doesn't disrupt the next one is my standpoint.

I don’t understand the rush to make a decision with the timescales for the resumption of sport still so unclear - and I also don’t understand why the priority appears to be getting a new season started ahead of finishing one already 75% complete. For me the priority absolutely must be to validate the games already played by finishing the season, ahead of starting a new one. It may be that by the time football can resume, there’s only time for around a quarter of a season before the Euros. In that scenario, it would seem obvious to just play out the remainder of this season. If there’s time for more, I’d play a short season (for example, by everyone playing each other once only) but still make sure this one is finished. But the point is we just don’t know yet. (not aimed at you in particular @Vincent Vega - just penning my thoughts!)

I only read the telegraph these days....the sun did used to be great on Saturdays with their footy coverage though.

Yes again money driven, Dutch government has taken the view to protect people’s lives. Why are the premiership/championship so desperate to restart, it’s not for players safety is it.

I was in the enclosure that night.The crowd were well up for it and the players responded. 1-0 up in the first half, but I do remember second half that York had a few chances and I think it was their striker Keith Walwyn that threatened a couple of times?

I know it’s not particularly scientific but my son did a poll on his Instagram (he’s only 13) saying basically ‘City or Rovers?’. Over 80% said City....and we live in North Bristol. Of course it was a relatively small sample, only 30 or so responded. However it is true that I rarely see Rovers shirts when out and about whereas City shirts are quite a regular sight. As a club we’re definitely doing something right. Rovers on the other hand with all their guff about unique kits, Pirates and ‘Tradition’ seem to appeal even less to Bristolians now than they have done in the past. They will claim it’s because of their shit ground...that’s the same shit ground they say makes them a ‘real’ club and non ‘plastic’. Totally confused as per normal. They just aren’t as special as they’ve always believed they are.

If i were a gashead, perish the thought, yeuch, this is what would concern me as virtually all the youngsters seem to be City fans nowadays. Great isn't it?

I'm originally a 'Woody myself bud and there were very few of us back in the day, the Cobbler apart. I do agree that even in the 'Wood all the youngsters are wearing red nowadays and there's not much blue about. Great isn't it? ?

The only Blue and White quarters you'll see in BS16 will be on Beemers ?

Are people really that desperate to watch football?

Just to put that April '76 26,000 Bristol derby game crowd at Eastville in some sort of context, Rovers played some other "glittering" league fixtures at the home around that time, including: Man Utd, March 75: 19,000 Tottenham, 78 (the "second leg," they were 0-9 down on agg): 17,700. Villa, 74: 14,000 Chelsea 76: 13,000 (played Chelsea four or five times around then, 16k in 75 being the largest). West Ham, 79: 12,400. So, nothing came close to us playing there, in the league, in 1976. Which suggests a considerable visiting support! Same as when they played Man Utd, who would take 10,000 everywhere back then. To get a crowd at Eastville to match or better that league derby match in '76, in the 70s, you have to look at cup games. In '78, they had 26,000 v Southampton, with10k Saints fans, from what I can find. This suggests the Muller held at least 10k back then. Meaning at least 10k of us in '76, and at most 16 of them. Prior to this you go back to '72 and a league cup visit from Best and Charlton, and 33,900! at a Bristol Rovers home game (you see! They are huge, massive. In 1972. With a visit from two of the greatest this country has ever seen). They managed two, losing, league cup quarter finals in 70 and 71, pulling in 33,000 for those. Thirty three thousand* - blimey! Long time ago, mind. Half a century. What might've been. My search has not been exhaustive but I believe the '76 game v us was the last home league crowd of 20,000 plus at theirs, and possibly the only 20k plus crowd for a non-cup tie since the days of record crowds everywhere and their one and only half-decent team of the late 50s, early 60s (not sure if they had a "bumper" turn out for promotion in '74?). And it was only so many because there were thousands of us. Like many, many poxy clubs (and not unlike ourselves, in truth), Rovers could/can get a big crowd once or twice a season, for a knockout game or the visit of some all-time greats, or a family day out to Wemberlee, drawing in many neutrals, day-trippers and casual observers, few if any of whom will ever be interested in their run of the mill, mundane league games that make up the majority of a season. The mistake, or perhaps intentionally misleading or deluding conclusion, they come to, is to read far too much into the big one-off occasion and envisage from that the potential of many, many thousands trudging through the wind and the rain, and the grey (and the boob cricket, and the horse interfering) to witness league fixtures against the same old bloody dross week after week, year after year. Lord knows I have made the same error and deluded myself similarly about us. *Many of these "loyal and true/once-in-blue-moon" diehards from 50 years ago in 1971 would be waiting to go again regularly, should they get a ground/take the Prem by storm/overtake us again, were it not for the sad fact that they are now dead. And the "faith" has not lived on through the generations.

There is an interesting nuance to the stat for 1975/76. As you say, the Muller Road end was pretty big and their penultimate home game was us, on Good Friday if memory serves. The attendance was 26,000 odd and the overwhelming majority were in red. If we are generous and credit their attendance as 10,000 the 16,000 of us tipped the season average from about 9,100 to "over 10,000". So for once it IS our fault.

I remember that being said by Clarke, don't know if it was that low but it wasn't much more

I bet on their CV the put that they spent that time in prison for child sex offenses, so they don't have to face the awkward humiliation of the truth.

Giving rather than taking the piss? Must have been a right shower.

I am sure those costs are somewhere to be found. Be interesting to see people attempting to pin the blame elsewhere other than Labour. No doubt saying it's all Boris' fault simply for breathing. It will forever be thus considering the continuingly ageing demographic. And there will continue to be an ongoing argument or debate of more tax vis a vis a continuing free 'at point of delivery' service. There are no easy answers. Many people think there are and that simply throwing more money at it will give the optimal result. If only life were that simple.