A Legend Departs

Another chance to crack open a can of 'Legends Max'  with a 6 point haul from the latest set of pre Christmas matches for Nico and Manse. Both sailed through the full 90 minutes thanks to their magnificent fitness (aided by Herbalife energy supplements) and their renowned professional approach to the game.

Kev's side hit a 90th minute winner to give them a 2-1 home victory over Lincoln. That moves Harriers one point above us, but also with a game in hand.

Rovers overcame Gateshead 3-2 in a cracker played out in front of the BT Sport cameras. The TUFC scout at the match will surely be emphasising throughout this coming week how absolutely vital it is that we don't let Cap'n Manse score against us on Boxing Day....because his celebratory dance is appalling. No denying the sheer quality of the free kick however, as The Cap'n expertly bends his shot around the Gateshead wall:

With Rovers losing with just under half an hour to go, I see that some have mistakenly put the Pirates superb recovery and eventual victory down to a change in tactics. In fact it was down to a change of on-field leadership. Rovers Captain McCrystal was taken off injured in the 66th minute. Manse was then free to let all his natural leadership skills blossom. You could almost see his fists starting to pump before McCrystal had fully left the pitch. There's nothing like leading by example, and within 3 minutes Mighty Manse himself showed what was required by hitting that glorious free kick into the Gateshead goal, thereby raising the spirits of his teammates as well as the whole stadium.

There was now no stopping the Cap'n Manse inspired Rovers, and it was only another 3 minutes before they'd struck again to secure maximum points. I do wonder whether Manse was fitted with his first Captain's armband while sitting in his pushchair ? He certainly appears to have been born to fulfil the role.

I think we can allow ourselves to cast one eye ahead to the Boxing Day encounter. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who read with dismay the comment from a long standing fan (who will have witnessed plenty of dreadful TUFC performances over the years) that the team's display at Braintree moved him to the 'brink of anger'.

All the more worrying  when we contrast such a dismal showing with these lines from today's Bristol Post: 'this new-look Rovers side that trades on, as Darrell Clarke was quick to point out afterwards, heart, desire and character in abundance'.

From what I read regarding our painfully weak display at Braintree, it's as if our heart, desire and character was somehow transplanted directly into Bristol Rovers sometime over the Summer !

But it's no use looking back. I think we all accept that Cap'n Manse has deservedly gone on to bigger and better things. Yesterdays Western Morning News informed me that 263 spectators turned up at Poltair Park to watch St.Austell's Peninsula League match on Saturday. Seeing that the Gulls are now in a division where they're performing in front of only 818 on occasions such as this weekend, the fact that such attendance gaps can now be counted in a few hundreds rather that thousands, is a sobering thought. Very different from the spotlight the Cap'n now displays his skills under. A decent nationwide (and probably much further afield) TV audience courtesy of BT, were able to drool over that precision free kick, and yet 5,367 still came through the turnstiles to witness the great Captain in the flesh, and to acclaim him inspiring another Pirates win. 

Roll on Boxing Day, when we will be able to express our own thanks and respect to one of the Plainmoor all time greats.