‘Buckle found an all-time legend in Brown’

In a time of depressing world news, sport acts as a brilliant distraction. Hopefully a review of the week in BS7 can help you forget the appointment of the least qualified, most feckless, most offensive man to a big job since Paul Buckle breezed into town in 2011.

Speaking of dreadful injustices, I was watching the FA Cup second round draw on TV on Monday night and how the BBC managed to compile a top ten list of the best goals of the weekend’s action without Lee Brown’s 30-yard wonder strike is completely beyond me. He’s not scored for a little while, not since he tapped into an empty net to start the party to end all parties back in May, but what he lacks in quantity he makes up for in quality. Since I’ve mentioned Paul Buckle, it’s worth giving him a little bit of credit for bringing in Brown; amongst the 600 or so signings he brought in that summer, our obnoxious, hair gel obsessed ex manager found an all-time legend there.

On paper a draw away at a side from a lower division could be seen as a bit of a poor return but Crawley have only lost once at home all season, and that was to Notts County, who are doing as well in League Two as we are in the tier above.

That said, they didn’t show anything to suggest that they’re going to cause us too much trouble at the Mem on Tuesday week in the replay, and it’s worth remembering that their team were gagging for the final whistle when Rovers stuffed them by three goals to nil at the Mem in April.

Victory next Tuesday will present either Barrow or Taunton Town in Round Two. I hope it’s Taunton, mainly because I wouldn’t wish anyone at the club any prospect of a replay on a Tuesday night in windswept Cumbria.

Before our fate is decided, a potentially tough trip to Millwall awaits on Saturday afternoon. Neil Harris’s men have won the last four on the bounce in all competitions and score goals for fun – Steve Morison and Lee Gregory both average over a goal a game. But they’re also one of the few sides within reach of the play-off spots that have managed to concede more goals than Rovers too – so in a week where most people’s predictions have flown ridiculously out of the window, one certainty in these uncertain times is that it’s a very good idea to put Rovers’ game on those ‘Both teams to score’ bet accumulator thingies.

I mustn’t leave you without discussing the end of Rovers’ dalliance with the worst idea in the history of football, the sideshow known as the Checkatrade Trophy. Finally, we joined in the fun that other clubs have been having in treating this ridiculous experiment with the contempt it deserves when Darrell substituted Kelle Roos before 100 seconds had ticked by. The Football League have only themselves to blame for hilarious scenes like this, for making rules that punish clubs for resting players in this competition.

That said, it was great to read that Lee Mansell was back in the shirt. Competition for places is fierce in central midfield, especially with two Premier League loanees putting in shifts and adding a bit of creative spark, but I for one hope he can fight his way back into the quarters more regularly.

James Hodges is Bristol24/7’s Bristol Rovers columnist for the 2016/17 season.

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