Bristol Rovers have named Steve Evans as Darrell Clarke’s replacement, and Gas fans have unearthed an interview from last season that will excite their supporters while infuriating their Championship rivals.
Evans, who has been without a club since leaving Rotherham United in March, has returned to League Two with Bristol Rovers on a contract until the end of the season, as the Pirates attempt to avoid relegation.
Bristol Rovers are currently on a ten-game losing streak in the fourth tier, which resulted in Darrell Clarke’s dismissal with the team second from bottom.
The freefall must be blocked, and someone who is enthusiastic about the club must be brought in. Fortunately, everything Steve Evans has previously said about the Bristol rivalry will go a long way toward bringing the fans on board before the ball is kicked.
Steve Evans’ remark that Bristol Rovers are the “biggest club in Bristol” will please Gas fans.
Right now, there has never been a greater disparity in quality between the two Bristol clubs, with City on the verge of challenging for promotion to the Premier League and Rovers fighting to prevent relegation to the National League.
Despite this, new Bristol Rovers manager Steve Evans stated after a 3-2 win over the Gas last season, while managing Rotherham, that “there’s an argument” to be made that if Rovers had the support that their neighbours have had in recent years, they’d be up there challenging the Robins.
“This is a wonderful football club,” Evans stated. “And whenever you come to Bristol Rovers, just remember how fantastic this club truly is.
“Is it controversial to suggest they’re Bristol’s biggest club? There’s debate regarding whether Bristol Rovers were playing in a new stadium and in the Championship, where their attendance were large. “It’s a unique football club.”
Whether the figures represent Steve Evans’ assertion is a different discussion, but his statements will undoubtedly assist Rovers fans rally around him as he is revealed as the next man in the dugout at Memorial Stadium.
Bristol Rovers will hope that Steve Evans can make a similar influence there as he did in Stevenage.
The previous time Steve Evans managed in League Two, he led Stevenage return to League One after nine seasons in the fourth tier.
The previous season, 2022/23, saw Evans arrive in March with Boro just three points above the relegation zone, hoping to keep the club up and then press on the following year.
With Evans entering on a short-term contract, the 63-year-old may only be around for the first phase of the rebuild. However, if performances and results improve significantly in the second half of the season, he might be the man to lead the Gas back to League One.
It may be a long time before Rovers are recognised as the biggest team in Bristol, especially given City’s recent improvement in the Championship, but for the time being, the focus is on ensuring that Bristol Rovers do not fall any further than they have already this season, and Steve Evans has a good track record of doing just that.
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