Bristol Rovers legend Ian Holloway believes the Gas are only heading in one direction under Joey Barton and has told Bristol City to “watch out” with the blue and white side of Bristol “on the march”.
Last week marked 22 years since the last time Rovers were above City in the league pyramid, a statistic gleefully classified by supporters in the south as “The Gap” and as the Robins have spent 14 seasons as a Championship team in that period, the Gas have been unable to get out of League One.
Earlier in the season, Barton boldly declared that his mission was to get Rovers into the Premier League before City do, a statement which went down well with the fanbase, including Holloway, after previous managers had previously overlooked the rivalry.
The Bristolian has been a consistent supporter of Barton throughout his time in the dugout at the Mem and has been enthused by the passion and sense of adventure Barton has brought back to the football club following the fallow period and frustration of the post-Darrell Clarke era.
Speaking on BBC Radio Bristol, following the launch of his new book, ‘How to Be a Football Manager’, Holloway was asked by host Geoff Twentyman as to what piece of knowledge he was pass on to young managers trying to make their way in the game. After offering his wisdom in a general sense, Holloway then referenced Barton.
“I know Joey Barton really well and I like Joey Barton. He said to me, ‘I’m going to make a pack of wolves, Ol.’ Holloway said. “Wow, what a way of looking at it. Because you need people to be with you and, if you do it, be as helpful to yourself when it goes wrong as you are with them.
“Because I never did that with myself; it was never good enough. I had this destructive bit which affected me at Bristol Rovers. And I caused problems rather than be a problem solver and, as a manager, you have to be a problem solver.
“I listened to your show last Saturday, and I thought Joey’s interview after the Derby game was completely sensational’; as a Gashead, I got what he said - he was hurt about it, he said sorry for the fans because they were 4-1 down but, wow, he was still big enough to big enough to take some positives. It was fantastic.
“And I’m so proud of what they’re trying to do with our wonderful football club. I believe, watch out, the other side. I believe we’re on the march, I believe we’ll get a ground and I believe we’ll get there one day.
“Because this area doesn’t need, it deserves a Premier League football club. To follow my own ambition, I had to leave my hometown, and that still breaks my heart. So did Scott Sinclair. Look at the team we could have had from this area.”
There are currently 24 places, and a division, separating City and Rovers in the pyramid with the former having occupied a Championship position for the last eight seasons and manager Nigel Pearson approaching the halfway point of a three-year contract and rebuild which was designed to turn the Robins back into promotion contenders after the financial challenges of Covid.
Outside of their challenging run in September, Barton, meanwhile, has consistently indicated that his goal is to get out of League One as soon as possible and although the Gas can’t match the financial resources of many of the top teams in the division, the former Newcastle United midfielder is assembling a young and exciting side.
The future of the Mem, of course, remains an issue for Rovers with the area around the fruit market at St Phillip's Marsh - just over three miles from Ashton Gate - remaining the preferential site for a new stadium but with precious updates this year, since owner Wael Al-Qadi first revealed the plan in the summer of 2019.
During the 40-minute interview, Holloway also dropped the news that he and former City adversary Brian Tinnion are now good friends. The two competed in five Bristol derbies against each other, in the mid to late 1990s when the fixture was commonplace, in what was a consistently feisty midfield battle.
But in retirement from their playing days, with Holloway enjoying a successful managerial career and Tinnion now running the City academy, the two have grown close.
“Well done to City, they’re playing some young’uns who are doing it,” Holloway added. “I know Brian Tinnion and I’m very proud to call him a friend of mine. This is what City fans need to know. I advised him, ‘whatever you do Bri, don’t tell any City fans that, if you feel the same way.’
“But life is about respect. We wanted to beat them, we had a good run at it. But didn’t we ever respect their players and that’s what life is all about.”
