Gasincider - RIP Brian Williams

I was very sorry to hear of Brian's passing via a text message this afternoon.

I first became aware of him in the late 90s when the Gas List was the early method by which Rovers supporters communicated with each other via the Internet. For reasons best known to himself Brian took against Jamie Cureton "lazy git" was his glib assessment. It became the subject of much debate amongst "listers", Brian was in a minority of one on this subject but fiercely defended his corner! I was intrigued and eventually met him at Clevedon at a pre-season friendly just after Jamie had notched up a rapid hat-trick. Brian had been pointed out to me early in the evening so after the third goal I went up to him and tapped him on the shoulder to introduce myself saying that I thought it an appropriate moment to meet him! He enjoyed the joke at his expense but then launched into an explanation of how much better Jamie could be.....

From then on whenever I saw him and given my then involvement with the Supporters Club I was always interested to hear his opinions on all things Rovers related. He became a share holder like quite a few of us in the early 2000s and his contributions at each annual meeting was always laced with a tinge of controversy. Sometimes we were on the same side of the argument but with the dawn of the Higgs era we parted ways and in 2019 jousted across the floor in what was a fairly acrimonious meeting about the current regime.

For the best part of twenty years Brian would visit what was known as the Blues Bar before each home match in the part of the Club House that looked out on the pitch to sit with his friends, who amongst others were "Wombat" and the late Dave Perry. We would sit on adjacent tables and regularly exchange views with Dave and Brian always fishing for information when I was still involved with the Supporters Club. In later years it was them offering the gossip to me (they didn't just do it on here, bless them).

When Brian managed to cop a ban for kicking a beachball on the pitch at Torquay when I was in the Supporters Club chair, I had a quiet word with Geoff Dunford to oil the wheels for his return despite the fact that I thought he'd been a complete idiot for doing it although he had lightened the mood for travelling Gasheads who had endured a terrible first half. Brian had "history" as a former Tote Ender and I think it is now safe to say that he was immortalised in Chris Brown's book "Bovver", read the book to work out which pseudonym he was given.

Even if you didn't know who Gasincider was through this message board, then if you went to any away ground following Rovers you would almost certainly have seen a man with long straggly hair, moustache and glasses usually wearing some sort of cardigan and jeans, that was Brian and in the twenty-two years I new him his appearance barely changed.

Brain became a regular at the Blue Diamond Club lunches held at the Mem for senior Rovers supporters, and those who shared a table with him will be sorry to hear of his passing. At Dave Perry's funeral Diamond Club supremo, Roger Brinsford asked Brian if he would say a few words about Dave at the next lunch, but for someone so outspoken it was a shame that he felt unable to do so. I think he was very touched to be asked and he would have done a great job. Whenever the next lunch is held I am sure that some sort of tribute will be made to Brian, and rightly so.

I am certain that he would have found the last ten months of his life very difficult, given that he couldn't watch his beloved football club home and away, from what I knew of him he loved his family and Bristol Rovers, dare I say it in equal measure. I remember his great pride in bringing his daughter and newly born grandson to the Mem and sitting in the Blues Bar proudly cuddling him showing that at heart he was a big softy, but I guess for him it was a near perfect day.

Over the years there has been a trend towards marking the passing of almost every Rovers supporter at every home match to the point where it was (with the greatest of respect) losing some meaning. However I am bound to say that when it comes to Brian Williams it would have been wholly appropriate to have had a fulsome tribute because of his total loyalty and deep support for the club.

We frequently clashed and I blocked him on Twitter because our political views were polar opposites, I didn't agree with his seeming efforts to undermine the current board, nor did I agree with his seemingly head in the sand support for the efforts to build the UWE stadium under the last lot, but in person he was a big softy and whatever disagreement we had, had we always had good and polite conversations.

I am very sorry for his family and close friends at their loss. In different circumstances I am sure that his funeral would have been very well attended and I for one would have been there.

You may have hated his on-line persona, but we've lost a true Gashead and as a supporter he was a legend and there won't be many like him ever again.

Rest in peace Brian.

Regards

John Malyckyj

Fair play to GC, obviously has not forgotten the club and its gas heads.

All the best for your father - I hope he recovers OK. I know two guys who spread this rubbish on Facebook. I just don't understand them - I tried arguing with them but they just won't accept what is happening all around them.