We are so obsessed with them because we have this 3000 page thread about them apparently?
I for one admit that I am indeed obsessed with the Gas. I am totally and utterly obsessed with the squatters and these are the reasons why....
Just mentioning the name of Bristol City Football Club causes a Gashead to go into an a strange teddy (no pun intended) throwing meltdown. They usually start frothing like a rabid dog spouting all kinds of rubbish and it usually starts with a correction of the "actual" name of Bristol City stating that it contains the year 1982 followed by pointing out that it's "Limited". This is followed quite quickly by being told to "**** off. You S***head C***".
If you stand your ground they then threaten to treat you like they would treat a horse or one of their own stewards. They mention the "Tote End" as if to rubber stamp how serious they are about fast tracking you an appointment with the B.R.I.
Then, in a quite bizarre twist they insinuate that somehow this is all YOUR fault, not theirs. Rule 1 of their Bristol City Fight Club is not to mention the name Bristol City (unless it contains 1982 in the middle).
If for whatever reason you manage to avoid physical assault the verbal assault continues....
The 2nd of May is mentioned (not the 2001 one which saw Wycombe relegate them to the basement)
Dean Windass
Rickie Lambert's goal
72 attendance for an EFL cup tie on a Tuesday night in Scunthorpe
The library that is Ashton Gate
How they would assault Santa if he turned up at their house wearing red
A complete ban on anything red full stop
How they are the richest and oldest football club in Bristol (both factually incorrect)
How they are the best loyal and faithful and true fans in the whole wide world (the riot when the were relegated out of the football league was caused by Ted's and therefore doesn't count against them)
And the big one.....How many fans they took to an away game! It is the number one question on all Gasheads lips "How many did we take?".
I am obsessed with how 90% of their terrace songs mention Bristol City
How they react with an overspilling uncontainable sense of joy when they win and City lose.
How they point out our misfortunes before we even know about it through official channels.
How at the very core of every Gas supporter the holy grail is only achieved at the expense of Bristol City in some way:-
Rovers win and City lose
They beat City
City lose
Anything negative about City
How they can become richer than Bristol City
How many more fans they can take to an away game than Bristol City
How they are "coming for Bristol City"
When they go above Bristol City
When they finish higher than Bristol City
How disgusted they are with media bias towards Bristol City
How they think they have "one over on Ted's" and quickly plaster it all over social media, only to end up finding out that they have got it wrong or that something happens that makes their claim null and void, which leaves them with egg on their face, looking stupid and causing them to want to fight with any 'Ted who mentions it going forward.
They can dish it out but just cannot take it back without erupting.
How they see themselves as a family club
It seems that the life of a Bristol Rovers supporter is tough. Deep down they know that they pulled the short straw when choosing a team to support. They know that they are pretty much destined for an entire lifetime of poor quality football in the lower divisions, but still they cling on to the dream that one day they can become the biggest club in the west and challenging at the top end of the Premiership adored throughout the land. They carry with them the burning sense of injustice and jealousy with their near neighbours having tasted top flight football, and league and cup success from time to time. It hurts to know that a club that was built from ashes has still managed to achieve more than them since 1982. It hurts, and that hurt runs deep.
But like an alcoholic in denial they continue to punish themselves with watching kick and rush park football every week whatever the weather, and to save their sanity they tell themselves that they are gods chosen ones, they are the innocent, the loved, the faithful and true, the best club ever, the ONLY choice, and that if you fail to see their reality then you must be an "Obsessed 'Ted".
I'm not saying anything for fear of being negative against the machine.....
