Bristol Rovers will meet former manager Ben Garner once again next season, this time in League One, with the 42-year-old set to be named the new manager of Charlton Athletic.
South London Press report that a deal was agreed with Garner on Wednesday night and Swindon Town will be paid compensation for releasing their head coach after he had spent a season at the helm in Wiltshire.
Garner replaces Johnnie Jackson who was dismissed at the end of the 2021/22 campaign in which the Addicks finished 13th, 24 points adrift of the play-offs.
After a forgettable spell in his first role as a head coach at Bristol Rovers, winning just six of 33 games after succeeding Graham Coughlan in December 2019, he has successfully rebuilt his reputation at Swindon after taking charge at the County Ground last summer.
Following a summer of significant squad upheaval and a takeover by Australian businessman Clem Morfuni, Garner led the Robins to sixth in League Two and into the play-offs only for them to be beaten over two legs by Port Vale.
The former Crystal Palace and West Brom coach, who worked with former Gas midfielders Ian Holloway and Tony Pulis, departs Swindon with a 50 per cent win record, a far cry from his struggles in north Bristol where he was unable to maintain Rovers’ position at the higher end of League One when he took over following Coughlan’s surprise exit.
Tasked with reducing the average age of the squad and the wage bill, Garner achieved that aspect of the job but on the pitch Rovers struggled for form and consistency and he was dismissed 11 games into the 2020/21 campaign following a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Fleetwood Town, coincidentally managed by Joey Barton at the time.
Since taking over the Mem, Barton has been critical of Garner’s coaching and there was a disagreement over Rovers’ style of play after a 1-1 draw at the County Ground in January.
Garner’s presence in League One for next season could also be followed by another former Gas manager as Darrell Clarke’s Port Vale face Mansfield Town in the League Two play-off final on Saturday. Former defender Mark Hughes was named as the new assistant manager of Plymouth Argyle earlier this week.
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