A good day to be a Bears fan (other than the result)

It was a good day to be a Bristol Bears fan on Friday, despite the result of a game of rugby.

The day started at 10am in the morning with the announcement that Pat Lam had signed a new long-term contract that will keep him at Ashton Gate until 2028.

It ended on the pitch 26-9 to Saracens as they made their return to the top flight. Bear Country was not quite in full roar, at least on the pitch.

But it was an opening day of the season with packed concourses and packed stands that lovers of rugby in these parts have waited a long time to come.

In front of just over 19,000 spectators, Callum Sheedy kicked all of Bristol’s points and his opposite number Alex Lozowski only missing one kick as he led the Londoners to victory, with their one try coming from Alex Lewington.

Among the Bears, Charles Piatau was a one-man highlights reel:

At precisely 8pm, Sheedy kicked a penalty from just in front of the half-way line to what will hopefully be the familiar refrain this season of Can I Kick It by A Tribe Called Quest. Four minutes later, he slotted another penalty, this time hit from beyond the half-way line.

In between this  an announcement that a fan who had presumably parked his VW Polo in a hurry on Winterstoke Road, had left the car’s engine running. He gamely took a bow to a round of applause while making a swift exit from the south stand.

The only downer on Friday other than the result was seeing Ben Earl – one of last year’s standout players for the Bears while on loan from Saracens – in a red Saracens shirt again rather than in Bristol’s, umm, redy-navy-purply kit.

Half-time saw Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast co-host Ian Downs (aka Downsy) in his new Bear Country cap take to the mic with a game of face-mash and Richard Pitt (aka Slick) have a chat with Bristol Bears Women prop Simi Pam – a full-time doctor – who has already scored a contender for try of the season.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1414481388893894

Downsy was back in the second half in front of the Lansdown Stand and south stand for the inaugural appearance of Ravenscroft raving fan cam.

Other than for the fan who forgot to turn his engine off, one of the biggest cheers of the night came early in the second half when Sheedy opted to kick for the corner rather than take the three points at a stage when Saracens had just a six-point lead.

It was a sign that although the Bears were not quite roaring in unison, we can expect much more to come, especially with Lam at the helm.

Main photo: JMP

Read more: Breakfast With Bristol24/7: Pat Lam

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