Memorial Ground  - Bristol Rovers
Saturday, November 3rd, 2001,
V Oxford United, Division Two 3pm
By Lee Roberts

Before the teams made their way out I looked around the stadium.  To my right was the temporary South Stand which - in the words of the Bristol City fans who I stayed with earlier in the week - resembles a beer marquee at a cricket ground.  Indeed, the green and white striped canvass roof lent itself to that comparison.  Opposite me was the steep East Stand which looks even stranger due to its' length either side of the halfway line.  Underneath and in front of the East Stand was a terraced enclosure which ran the entire length of the pitch, with the away fans penned into the corner to my right.  On my left hand side was the home terracing which has only recently been covered with a roof that was partly funded by the company that produces Blackthorn cider.  The area of the ground I was stood in comprised a small section of terracing (with a separate families area tucked in between there and the Blackthorn End) behind which was a handful of rows of seating. Above these seats was a set of executive boxes but they design of the entire stand was very odd and looks top-heavy.

The game itself was highly entertaining and although already-doomed Oxford put up some resistance during the first half, they eventually succumbed to a second half onslaught which saw Rovers triumph 6-2.  I actually left during injury time at the end of the match and missed the final goal which also saw Oxford receive a second red card in conceding a second penalty of the afternoon.  I had to return quickly to the city centre to get the 6 pm coach back to London and as I wasn't sure what the traffic would be like leaving the ground, I left nothing to chance.  As it was I made it back in plenty of time and returned to the pub I was in before the match to see the first half of the Sunderland-Newcastle game.  The extra beers also ensured I slept during the journey home!

Looking back, it wasn't a bad day out although I was glad of the change to my usual routine of driving matches.  The coach was an refreshing alternative (and an extremely cheap one) which also allowed me to enjoy a few drinks during the day.  As for the Memorial Ground, £13 was expensive to be standing up for a 2nd Division game.  The stadium appears odd in places but it must be remembered that until only recently it was purely a rugby stadium.  I'm sure that in time further re-development will occur and improve the facilities.  The one thing I cannot recommend highly enough during any visit to Bristol Rovers is the quality of the Cornish pasties.  All around the ground are catering outlets that offer wonderful traditional pasties and they are reasonably priced at £1.60 (if my memory serves me right).  Well worth the trip!"