Simpleton Gas

You seem awfully angry...is it me or is it actually the pile of steaming horse manure that your team dished up today?

At the risk of incurring a further tutorial, would it not be be easier to say 'pretending to be something you are clearly not'? I have not written anything that is 'very offensive'.

Are they or are they not complementary about our fans?

Steve Evans "You have to respect the manager, the opponents and you certainly have to respect the Bristol Rovers fans - they've given me plenty of stick over the years but they give brilliant backing to their team. Steve Evans claims Gillingham silenced the Mem in draw with Bristol Rovers - Bristol Live (bristolpost.co.uk) Derek Adams “They are one of the bigger clubs, fan base wise it is excellent, and they always create a good atmosphere when you go there. Adams expecting strong opposition in Bristol Rovers - News - Morecambe (morecambefc.com) Steve Evans "You have to respect the manager, the opponents and you certainly have to respect the Bristol Rovers fans - they've given me plenty of stick over the years but they give brilliant backing to their team. Steve Evans claims Gillingham silenced the Mem in draw with Bristol Rovers - Bristol Live (bristolpost.co.uk) Derek Adams “They are one of the bigger clubs, fan base wise it is excellent, and they always create a good atmosphere when you go there. Adams expecting strong opposition in Bristol Rovers - News - Morecambe (morecambefc.com)

Never heard it at the Mem. I have however heard opposition fans and managers repeatedly say that it is difficult place to play because of the home fans and the atmosphere they generate. Collins does need to be given a rest. He has been out of form since the end of last season - he won best player in the league because of his pre-Christmas form. Bring in Sinclair and stick with Marquis upfront. Finley is struggling and replacing him with Bogarde for a few games seems a good decision. Loft isn't useless but isn't a top-half L1 striker and needs to be moved on. I see that your fans are calling for a new striker. Why not JCH? I'm surprised no championship club has taken a gamble on him yet.

That is actually very amusing - this and the Birmingham fans chanting 'is this a library' at your silent fans gave me a much-needed lift. Thank you.

Not at all - a concentration of 'Hot Air' is expected to be moving into the OTIB forum in response to the suggestion that Birmingham fans responded to a lack of atmosphere by chanting 'is this a library'? during their 2-0 triumph. After this abject display, OTIB contributors can expect to experience a sustained depression and dark moods for the whole of next week, which will only be briefly alleviated by brief infusions of 'Hot Air'.

Sweetheart, you've heard it said that the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference? You and your fellow contributors are quite clearly not indifferent to us. Your protestations notwithstanding, you are still deeply interested and even invested in us and our fate and fortune. Now, it is Friday evening. Let's leave it here for the weekend.

Think back a bit further to May 2, 1990, when BRFC beat you 3-0 to clinch the league title. Enjoy: Even better than the 4-0 hammering subsequently handed out.

'Didn't have a great record' is something of an understatement. You were taught a footballing lesson on more than one occasion.

Do you have a video of Rickie Lambert ramming a volley down Basso's throat in the JPT area final? I'm struggling to find it...

To educate your fanbase.

Refer back to my earlier comments. I have made it clear that I dislike big money and that I especially dislike people who brag about having lots of money. Unfortunately the loadsamoney mentality has permeated football, to the point where people see big finances as something to boast about.

Evans was caught and punished for doing things he shouldn't have done. This doesn't make him an authority on corruption in the game.

I used to get the impression your team was beaten before they stepped out onto the pitch at Twerton...

How does your record in football league management compare to Keith Hill? Because I'm inclined to take his judgement over yours. Hill made it clear why he was playing a team of rookies and indeed had actually managed to get points playing with them.

That was the same season when we won 2-0 at AG, wasn't it? A Beadle double as I recall. The second being pretty special - I was right behind it. That 4-2 was something of a collector's item, wasn't it? One of the reasons your lot repeatedly folded at Trumpton was because they couldn't handle the atmosphere and the novelty of playing in an environment where the fans get behind their team.

Steve Evans needs to take this up with Keith Hill, who is highly respected in lower league football and who, unlike Evans, has never been suspended from football management.

I hope we can play a part in Jevani Brown's rehabilitation. He has expressed contrition for his past actions and shown a willingness to reform. Barton isn't the first footballer to serve time, and he won't be the last. The actual issue for me is that he has not expressed remorse or contrition for his past actions. As I recall, one of your players played with a tag, didn't they? You also no doubt cheered on Steve Brooker and Dave Partridge.

I don't want to stir things up further, but opposition managers have commented on our ability to create an atmosphere and get behind our team. Both Steve Evans and Derek Adams have said this, along with others. Even at Twerton, we created an atmosphere, got behind the team and turned it into an intimidating place to play. In contrast, I remember Gary Johnson attempting to create an atmosphere at your ground by encouraging your fans to 'bounce around the ground'. Happily, none of our managers ever needed to resort to such desperate and frankly embarrassing measures.

I've actually discussed this earlier in the thread. As a club, you were previously pretty unappealing but at least had a degree of character and authenticity. You are now a slick corporate entity with as much soul and personality as Lansdown's other 'investments'. As I pointed out previously to another, 'success' has come with a clear cost for you. You remind me of a middle-aged businessman. You are comfortable, well-established but essentially bored. Say what you like about Rovers under Barton, but it certainly isn't boring.

It is a good view...if you ignore the rest of south Bristol.

I'm actually touched - you all appear almost as interested in my own club as your own. It is very entertaining, and this is in large part because we haven't morphed into a soulless corporate entity, unlike a certain club I could touch with a very short stick.

All of the contributors to this thread, who have clearly indicated their interest in the club by giving their time and attention to it.

My opinion is that he has enough money (bragging on Twitter about being down to his last 20m) not to need to do this. Unfortunately, the more money people have, the more interested they become in it.