Football Season Review

Bristol Rovers saw their season end in disaster as relegation was confirmed with one game to play after a 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday. Rovers had four managers over the duration of the campaign, with Paul Trollope perhaps paying the price for his success the previous season as he was dismissed in mid-December following a run of five wins from 19 games. Expectations were far too high at the club, which has operated with one of the smallest squads in the league for the last few seasons, and with minimal close-season signings a mid-table campaign looked the most likely outcome. That may have been achieved had Trollope not been sacked, but the decision to appoint Dave Penney, following an unsuccessful two-game stint with Darren Patterson in charge, proved to be a terrible mistake as Rovers continued their descent down the table. Their main problem all season was the amount of goals conceded, and they finished with the worst goal difference in the league by some distance. Penney’s plan seemed to involve bringing in as many new players as possible and his side completely failed to gel. Nine defeats in ten games, starting with a dismal 6-1 loss at Walsall and ending with a home defeat by Dagenham, signaled the end of Penney’s reign. Perhaps seeing what other clubs such as Brentford and Bournemouth had done this season, club captain and stalwart Stu Campbell took charge for the remainder. However, despite a big improvement in fortunes the damage was done and Rovers could not avoid the drop. Despite finishing second from bottom, Will Hoskins finished as equal sixth top scorer with 17 league goals, although he has already left the club along with another key player, Jeff Hughes, and several of Penney’s panic signings. Incoming boss Paul Buckle will at least have the chance to mold his squad from the very start, and it is sure to be a very busy summer at the club.

Player of the Season: Will Hoskins