In this article we’re going to have a look at some of the key fixtures for the gas over the forthcoming season.
Peterborough (A) 7 Aug 2010
Opening games are always important for setting the tone for a season and with much optimism for the new season already, this could be a big one. It’s been six seasons since Rovers won on the opening day of the season, an Agogo double giving the Gas a 2-0 victory over Mansfield back in 04/05. This game will also pit Trolls against former City boss Gary Johnson for the first time since Ricky Lambert smashed in to send Rovers to the Millennium Stadium. For those of you who like omens there is some good news, Rovers played Peterborough on the opening day of the 06/07 promotion season, losing 4-1, lets hope it goes slightly better this time.
Yeovil (H) 14 Aug 2010
The first home game of the season means a bumper crowd and a good atmosphere, and with it being a local derby with Yeovil this one could get feisty. It’s a first chance for the home audience to get a look at the new signings, a first impression, and we know how important they can be. Rovers haven’t got the greatest record against Yeovil but a good crowd should intimidate the visitors and set the gas on the path to a successful season. You have to go back to the 01/02 season for the last time Rovers won their opening home league match, beating Torquay 1-0 thanks to a Steve Foster goal.
Swindon (A) 9 Oct 2010 & (H) 22 Jan 2011
The biggest of the local derbies once again this season will be Swindon Town. No doubt the police will be out in force on the streets but these encounters nearly always make for a tense, electric atmosphere. After a barren spell against Swindle Rovers pummelled the robins home an away last term, leading to some pleasurable chants of ‘seven nil on aggregate’ coming from the away end of the County ground. Swindon will no doubt be out to avenge this and having traded some good players both in and out we could see two all or nothing games from both sides.
Charlton (A) 23 Nov 2010 & (H) 23 Apr 2011
Another side that the gas would want to be in and around come the end of the season, these are the sort of games that they will want to win. Both games last season finished with a win for the home side and similar results next term would probably be taken by both sides. The Valley is also one of the bigger and better stadiums to visit and though the away leg is on a Tuesday night you can be sure that a good number of gas will make the trip and create a brilliant cauldron of atmosphere along with the home support.
Southampton (A) 16 Apr 2011
Southampton’s fantastic finish to last season, as well as the imperious form of Ricky Lambert means that Southampton will be many favourites to take the League 1 title this time around. And they’ll certainly come close, with the aforementioned Lambert next to Lee Barnard and Adam Lallana scoring goals from midfield the Saints should have no problem scoring. Coming up in the last month of the season gasheads will be hoping this one is a key top of the table clash to get a positive result out of. Rovers lost twice to Southampton last season, including a 5-1 thrashing towards the end of the season, so revenge should be the motivation for this one.
Sheffield Wednesday (H) 30 Apr 2011
Along with Southampton, Charlton and bogey team Bournemouth Wednesday make up a particularly tough end of season run in. Wednesday will no doubt be up there at the end of the season and as the penultimate match and final home game of the season we can hope this will be a title decider, in favour of the gas obviously. In order to win Rovers will have to overturn a poor record against Wednesday, having only beaten them twice in eleven contests between the two sides and conceding 23 goals in the process. The last win for the gas came on April 30th in 1959, with this game also falling on April 30th the superstitious among us can look positively on this fixture.
Colchester (A) 7 May 2011
The fixtures computer has been a bit harsh to the gas this season, giving us a tough run in and leaving us away on the first and last game of the season. The final match for the gas comes up against a Colchester side who fought until the end of last year for a place in the play-offs, though they have lost manager Aidy Boothroyd to Coventry in the close season, so whether or not they’ll be pushovers remains to be seen. The last time Rovers won away on the last day of the season was that famous away win at Hartlepool in the last promotion season, coming from behind to secure a play-off place right at the death. A similar result in Essex this season would certainly not go amiss.
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