Post by Sir Trevor on Apr 11, 2024 19:22:29 GMT
Bristol Rovers is a football club that has had failure and success.
The record books clearly demonstrate that managers who have faced a genuinely tough spell frequently bounce back stronger.
GERRY FRANCIS
A Twerton Park legend who achieved extraordinary results with a limited budget in a far from desirable setting.
He made his mistakes as a manager in the 1983/84 season where he and Exeter City endured a dismal season.
In that season the Exeter City results in ALL fixtures was:
Played * 50, * Won * 6, * Drew * 16, * Lost * 28, * GF, * 50 * GA, * 84 * .
This was probably the first time in his football career that he had experienced "real failure".
Gerry's next management role was with Bristol Rovers.
He learned massively from his tough start in football management.
Would he have ever got a second chance as a manager in the "social media" world?
DARRELL CLARKE
A manager that has the respect and admiration of all Bristol Rovers supporters.
He achieved great things in his time with us and is still a popular lower league manager.
Appointed to the top job when John Ward stepped away his initial results were poor.
His last seven games of the 2014/15 season and the first three fixtures in the 2015/16 put his job in jeopardy.
In that 10 game spell as the gaffer The Gas won just one match.
In tears when we were relegated he turned things around but not without months of feeling a total failure.
Previously very successful with Salisbury he was inspired to succeed by his first period of serious failure in management.
JOSEPH BARTON
This highly controversial manager experienced his worst period as a football boss at the end of the 2021/22 season.
He produced a promotion winning team the following season and his teams played in a crowd pleasing manner.
Yet. In his first 18 games as the BRFC manager his record was appalling.
In summary. It was: Played * 18, * Won * 3, * Drew * 2, * Lost * 13, * Points * 11.*
Depending on your viewpoint JB was either a winner and/or a bad loser.
What is clear is that JB offered to resign because he had experienced unexpected failure.
Experiencing a period of cringeworthy failure was a massive driving force for Joseph Barton.
TERRY COOPER
This star England footballer learned his football management skills with Bristol Rovers.
He is arguably the worst ever manager of The Gas.
Some younger supporters will conceivably imagine his results cannot possibly be true.
They were atrocious.
In the 1980/81 season the league results were:
Played * 42, * Won * 5, * Drew * 13, * Lost * 24, * GF * 34, * GA * 65, * Points * 23. *
Yet. He then went on to manage a bottom division club and gained promotion and cup success with them.
At that club he is revered to this day as one of their best ever managers.
His truly awful spell at Eastville, his first experience of real failure in football, was his inspiration.
MATT TAYLOR
Our current soul destroying run is testing the resolve and spirit of all those who have BRFC in their heart.
The present season appears to have fallen apart at the start of March.
At that stage, we had played 35 matches and already accumulated 49 points.
A rare feeling of safety spread around the club. A most unusual scenario for Bristol Rovers in recent years.
Groups of supporters decided that we had nothing left to play for this season.
Relegation seemed very very unlikely and the play offs seemed totally unrealistic.
Players and the manager devoted interview time to try to dispel the dispirited atmosphere that was developing.
Views expressed by the owners and manager that were contradictory added confusion and concern.
Straight talking and a hard task master Matt Taylor may have misread the mood and room.
With hindsight, he might have chosen a different approach in these last 11 games.
This seems to be his first genuine period of failure as a football manager.
Like GF, DC, JB and TC in the past he is very likely to bounce back stronger and better.
For the record.
His time at Exeter City was:
2018/19 season * 9th. *
2019/20 season * 5th. * (decided on points per game)
2020/21 season * 9th. *
2021/22 season * 2nd. * (promoted to league one)
He then went to Rotherham United in October 2022.
Rotherham are the yo-yo side of the lower divisions.
So.
2016/17. * Relegated from Championship.
2017/18. * Promoted from League One.
2018/19. * Relegated from Championship.
2019/20. * Promoted from League One.
2020/21. * Relegated from Championship.
2021/22. * Promoted from League One.
2022/23. * NOT relegated from Championship. (Matt Taylor was manager from October 2022.)
2023/24. * Relegated from Championship.
2024/25. * Promoted from League One. ? ( probably) ?
Matt Taylor does not seem to have previously experienced abject failure as a manager.
He has probably been humbled, is slightly bewildered and wishing he could go back to early March.
Given the opportunity he is almost certain to drive us forward in the future.
ONE OTHER THOUGHT
PAUL TROLLOPE
Another promotion winning manager who was in charge between 22nd October 2005 and 15th December 2010.
He was removed as manager, probably unwisely, after a run of games in the League that was:
Played * 7, * Won * 0, * Drew * 4, Lost * 3. *
After Paul Trollope's dismissal in the period up to 5th March 2011 the results were:
Played * 15, Won * 2, * Drew * 2, * Lost * 11. *
At the end of the season the decision to replace Paul Trollope seemed less than wise.
Matt Taylor, our current manager, is suffering while learning the lesson all successful managers must first experience.
Learning the lesson of history is often the correct option.
