The departure of the Ashton Gate Eight didn’t bring with it an end to the problems faced by the club. A selling ban was put in place, and with debts and salary bills still high, an opportunistic offer was made by Martin Flook and Barry Bradshaw, the chairman and vice-chairman of Bristol Rovers, to purchase Ashton Gate for £450,000. The spectre of Bristol becoming a one-club city was averted, however. A share issue scheme failing to provoke local interest didn’t help the club in their battle to ward off their rivals’ advances.