Post by Finnish Gas on Jun 27, 2014 8:01:02 GMT
The Conference is tough, warns new Bristol Rovers signing Lee Mansell
By The Bristol Post | Posted: June 27, 2014
NEW signing Lee Mansell arrived at Bristol Rovers yesterday and issued a stark warning to anyone who expects life in the Conference to be a walk in the park.
Experienced campaigner Mansell, 31, turned down an offer to extend his eight-year stay to embark on a "fresh start" with Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.
The midfielder brings with him the wealth of experience, gained from more than 400 games, and will also offer some much-needed know-how in Rovers' bid to bounce back from relegation to the Conference at the first time of asking.
Mansell suffered the same disappointment as part of the Torquay United side that was relegated to the Conference in 2007, only to re-emerge in the Football League two years later under the guidance of manager Paul Buckle.
"It will be a very long, tough and physical season," said Mansell. "Every side will be looking at Bristol Rovers as the so-called big boys and that will make players even more determined to make a statement in games against us.
"What is vitally important is the ability to cope with the mental side of things because you go from playing in front of 6,000 fans one week to a game in front of 900 the next.
"We need to be ready for that very early on because it will most certainly not be a case of steamrollering this team or that team because they play at a small ground or do not have a massive number of fans.
"If anyone gets caught up in that mind-set they will be in for an almighty shock.
"We were relatively successful during those two seasons at Torquay because we accepted that we were where we were for a reason and we got our heads around that very early on."
Torquay only failed in their bid to bounce back at the first attempt following a play-off semi-final defeat at the hands of West Country rivals Exeter City.
The following season started badly before they recovered to embark on a long unbeaten run to eventually secure promotion with a 2-0 victory over Cambridge United in the play-off final, and Mansell recalled: "It was a great achievement.
"It would be fantastic to do the same here and be a part of a team that is responsible for getting a great club like Bristol Rovers back into the Football League.
"There will be massive pressure on us before a ball is kicked, but that is understandable because promotion is the aim and every player who turns up for pre-season training on Monday knows that.
"I wouldn't have moved my family from Torquay if I didn't think Bristol Rovers were capable of making a challenge."
Gloucester-born Mansell turned down offers from "one or two" other clubs to make the switch to the Memorial Stadium – but admitted he has left Torquay United with a "heavy heart" after skippering the side for the final four seasons of his eight years at Plainmoor.
"I loved every minute of playing for that football club and I will never have a bad word to say about it," said Mansell.
"I made some great friends down there and as a family we had a great way of life.
"It would have been easy to sign the deal I was offered and to have stayed there, but I felt like I'd reached a stage where I was in danger of stagnating.
"I'd become part of the furniture and it was time for a new challenge. Darrell Clarke played a big part in my decision by outlining his plans on how he wants to rebuild the team and how he saw me fitting in to that vision.
"It was good to hear that he sees me as a key part in that and it persuaded me to leave what has been a great life in Torquay in favour of making this fresh start at Bristol Rovers.
"It is a move that gives me butterflies and is one that really excites me, even though I know that there is a huge task in front of this club when we enter the new season."
Read more: www.bristolpost.co.uk/s-going-tough-Conference-warns-new-Bristol-Rovers/story-21297786-detail/story.html
By The Bristol Post | Posted: June 27, 2014
NEW signing Lee Mansell arrived at Bristol Rovers yesterday and issued a stark warning to anyone who expects life in the Conference to be a walk in the park.
Experienced campaigner Mansell, 31, turned down an offer to extend his eight-year stay to embark on a "fresh start" with Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.
The midfielder brings with him the wealth of experience, gained from more than 400 games, and will also offer some much-needed know-how in Rovers' bid to bounce back from relegation to the Conference at the first time of asking.
Mansell suffered the same disappointment as part of the Torquay United side that was relegated to the Conference in 2007, only to re-emerge in the Football League two years later under the guidance of manager Paul Buckle.
"It will be a very long, tough and physical season," said Mansell. "Every side will be looking at Bristol Rovers as the so-called big boys and that will make players even more determined to make a statement in games against us.
"What is vitally important is the ability to cope with the mental side of things because you go from playing in front of 6,000 fans one week to a game in front of 900 the next.
"We need to be ready for that very early on because it will most certainly not be a case of steamrollering this team or that team because they play at a small ground or do not have a massive number of fans.
"If anyone gets caught up in that mind-set they will be in for an almighty shock.
"We were relatively successful during those two seasons at Torquay because we accepted that we were where we were for a reason and we got our heads around that very early on."
Torquay only failed in their bid to bounce back at the first attempt following a play-off semi-final defeat at the hands of West Country rivals Exeter City.
The following season started badly before they recovered to embark on a long unbeaten run to eventually secure promotion with a 2-0 victory over Cambridge United in the play-off final, and Mansell recalled: "It was a great achievement.
"It would be fantastic to do the same here and be a part of a team that is responsible for getting a great club like Bristol Rovers back into the Football League.
"There will be massive pressure on us before a ball is kicked, but that is understandable because promotion is the aim and every player who turns up for pre-season training on Monday knows that.
"I wouldn't have moved my family from Torquay if I didn't think Bristol Rovers were capable of making a challenge."
Gloucester-born Mansell turned down offers from "one or two" other clubs to make the switch to the Memorial Stadium – but admitted he has left Torquay United with a "heavy heart" after skippering the side for the final four seasons of his eight years at Plainmoor.
"I loved every minute of playing for that football club and I will never have a bad word to say about it," said Mansell.
"I made some great friends down there and as a family we had a great way of life.
"It would have been easy to sign the deal I was offered and to have stayed there, but I felt like I'd reached a stage where I was in danger of stagnating.
"I'd become part of the furniture and it was time for a new challenge. Darrell Clarke played a big part in my decision by outlining his plans on how he wants to rebuild the team and how he saw me fitting in to that vision.
"It was good to hear that he sees me as a key part in that and it persuaded me to leave what has been a great life in Torquay in favour of making this fresh start at Bristol Rovers.
"It is a move that gives me butterflies and is one that really excites me, even though I know that there is a huge task in front of this club when we enter the new season."
Read more: www.bristolpost.co.uk/s-going-tough-Conference-warns-new-Bristol-Rovers/story-21297786-detail/story.html