Campbell's On His Way Out, But Buckle's Going Nowhere

The season of good will has proved less so for Stuart Campbell - and it looks as though it will go the same direction for Paul Buckle.

Campbell's unceremonial departure from the Memorial Stadium has been on the cards for weeks, the saga finally coming to an end on Tuesday with the announcement that the midfielder had agreed mutual terms to cancel his contract.

Shocked supporters have raged at Buckle's decision to let the ever-popular Campbell leave, his status at the club far outwaying the fans view of the underperforming manager.

But however much Buckle remains unpopular, it seems that he is here for the long haul.

After five managers in the space of six months the club needed stability and, for better or for worse, that is what Nick Higgs is going to provide with his backing of the under fire boss, even if it means letting a living legend pass through the exit door.

Campbell's seven and a half years at the club have been filled with pride; a leader on the pitch who helped the club to two major finals in 2007 and an FA Cup quarter-final a year later. A complete professional who never gave less than 100% and stepped into the breach in a last ditch attempt to prevent relegation last year.

For the past two seasons there have been question marks over his ability to maintain a regular starting place, a view that was shared by Buckle, though not so by Campbell himself.

His wishes to extend his playing career at the club were rebuffed by the former Torquay boss, who claimed to have received an ultimatum from the players agent, details made public after the pair took part in a slanging match via the Bristol Evening Post.

Since taking the helm at the Memorial Stadium the 41 year old manager has had a track record of falling out with his playing staff. Jo Kuffour was shipped out on loan to Gillingham, his story of the events that preceded his departure differing from the details given by Buckle, Craig Stanley also had a reported falling out with the boss, whose popularity with the local media is also in a trough.

Whatever Campbell's reasons were for taking the matter into the public domain, taking on an ego the size of his new gaffers was never going to end with a win in his column. The majority of fans may have backed Campbell throughout the saga, but Higgs was never going allow the midfielder to upstage the manager.

In any walk of life, having a dissenter amongst the ranks will cause nothing but trouble; Campbell made clear that he was going to be a thorn in the managers side. With the chairman having bankrolled an overhaul of the squad in the summer, the release of Campbell was inevitable.

To this point, there have been 19 signings made either permanently or on loan, and the chairman has hinted that further ins and outs will occur over the January period, so, complete disaster aside, it looks as though Buckle will have at least another six weeks in the Rovers dugout.

Gasheads will look at the situation as the dark side winning over the good, but there is no immediate change on the horizon.

Paul Buckle may not have such a merry Christmas, but he will hope for a happy New Year.

Stuart's Sorry, Saddening Saga

'Legend' is a word that is banded about far too often in modern day sports, with an alarming disregard for definition. It is a status that should be earned through years of graft, labour and the highest level of consistency; not just on the pitch, track or court, but with professionalism away from the arena of choice.

In the past decade no Bristol Rovers player has risen through the ranks - from fans favourite, to hero and the final step up to 'legendary status' - like Stuart Campbell, a former captain and manager who has been held in the highest regard by all those connected to the club. One slip, however, has taken the shine off a glittering relationship with fans, who had held him up as a champion of all that is good about Bristol Rovers.

It's been a week since our 3-0 defeat to Port Vale and the start of this ever-unfolding saga, in the public eye at least.

I've spent the last four seasons watching Campbell put his heart and soul into Bristol Rovers, both on and off the pitch, and to look over the current situation brings a tinge of sadness. 'Cams' has been a great servant over the past seven seasons, his exemplary record, through the good and the bad, speaks for itself. When I look with my heart, I don't want to see him leave, but with my head, perhaps it is time to move on.

Stood outside the clubhouse bar at the Mem last Tuesday night I checked my Twitter feed, the best source for finding the team news straight away. BBC Bristol told us that Campbell was missing through illness, though in truth I wasn't disappointed to see him missing out.

The linchpin of our midfield for so many seasons, Stuart has been a great servant, but last year you could see he was beginning to age, in footballing terms at least. JP Kalala came into the side under Dave Penney and did Campbell's job to a better degree than we had seen all year. This season, nevertheless, I still wanted to see Stuart as part of the squad, though not as a regular starter.

From what we have seen so far the midfield has struggled as a whole, Campbell has been putting his usual 100% into his game, but for me he has been chasing shadows too often, once his run in the team began.

Watching 'Cams' leadership and drive, his welcoming nature off the pitch, you instantly get the idea that he is perfect for coaching. He is fully qualified in that respect and made it common knowledge that he believed it was where his future lay, yet he still wants to continue playing. I respect that, but then again you get the impression that he hasn't accepted that his days as a regular starter in the Football have almost passed.

Being honest, most of us on the terraces can see it, but more importantly Paul Buckle sees it. The deal that Nick Higgs has claimed Campbell and his advisor have requested is, quite frankly, ludicrous. An extra year? Perhaps, if he shows what he can do this season. But to throw in the possibility of a further year beyond, and on increased wages to boot, does not make any sense for Bristol Rovers.

If Campbell has, as we are told, rejected the player/coach role, his possible career chances have been threatened by himself. We are lead to believe that getting a job in coaching professional football is an arduous task, Campbell looks as though he has shut a door that was wide open to him.

The comments that have come out in the press are totally out of character for a man who has acted with such dignity throughout his career. The sequence of events, the ultimatum from his advisor, only succeeded in riling Paul Buckle, a man whose ego knows no bounds. While player power has significantly increased over the past two decades, Buckle doesn't come across as a man to play the stubborn game with.

Nick Higgs and the board have invested significantly in both the new manager and his squad, leaving them with no option but to stick to their guns and back the manager on this one. The last line of Higgs' statement on the official Rovers site - 'I am personally disappointed that my previously good relationship with Stuart has disintegrated to a level where these issues have been played out in the press.' - is ominous for Campbell's future at the Memorial Stadium.

What is clear to me is that Stuart Campbell lives and breathes football, and that may have been his undoing. The desire to continue playing, into and past his mid-thirties, while admirable, is not realistic, not while he is at Bristol Rovers at least. I want to see Campbell as a coach at Rovers, he knows the club inside out and his passion for the game, coupled with his reams of experience, give him the tools required to coach at our club.

A little bit of inward reflection, a few harsh words to his advisor and a couple of heartfelt apologies are required for Stuart to get a second chance with us; if anyone deserves one it's him, he hasn't required it in over seven years of faithful service.

The fans showed on Saturday what he means to them and this club, and I'm sure he feels the same way about us.

Whether you stay or go, Stuart, I wish you the best of luck. But please, don't let it end like this.

HJBSports Awards - 2010/11

With the season gone and some time taken to examine what has gone before us it comes the time to hand out the HJBSports gongs to those who delivered, or in some cases failed to do so, throughout the past year at Bristol Rovers. Despite the doom and gloom of relegation there were players who put their all into the fight to beat the drop and they deserve some form of commendation, so here goes.

Best team performance - Bristol Rovers 3-1 Swindon Town
In a season of turmoil there isn't really much to say in regards to all round performances but the one that stands out is the home victory over Swindon, a first league victory in thirteen and the first of Dave Penney's reign. From the moment Will Hoskins coolly lifted the ball over Swindon keeper Phil Smith the game never looked in doubt for the Bristol side, even more so when Jo Kuffour doubled the lead after dodging Smith, rolling the ball into an unguarded net. Jon-Paul McGovern's consolation goal turned out to be nothing more than a minor blip as Jeff Hughes headed home a third to send the home fans happy for the first time in a long while, even though it proved to be inconsequential come seasons end.

Worst player - John Akinde (But only just)
This was probably the most contested category this season, many candidates putting their name into the ring with dire performances throughout the year. Chris Lines was below par, especially when you compare him with some of last seasons spectacular performances, but at least he did have the odd half decent game. Jerel Ifil made three appearances, looking totally off the pace before being dealt a straight red card in the relegation dogfight with Dagenham & Redbridge, a game Rovers again went on to lose, but for consistent underachievement the award has to go to 'big' John Akinde.

For all the world the Gravesend born striker's 6'2" frame looked that of a ruthlessly powerful targetman, an asset Rovers had lacked since selling Rickie Lambert, but, alas, that wasn't to be. Akinde proved to be no better in the air than the minuscule Jo Kuffour, constantly being bundled off the ball by central defenders, his inability to get more than two inches off the ground only hindering his lack of prowess in aerial challenges. Low on confidence his finishing was affected as such, but even working with a partner as intelligent as Will Hoskins didn't help the on-loan forward, nicknamed 'Agent Akinde' by Bristol City fans, get on the scoresheet. Needless to say his loan was not extended after nineteen goalless games in a blue and white shirt that yielded only one noteworthy performance, that coming against an understrength Wycombe side in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Goal f the season - Will Hoskins V Huddersfield
There were few goals to cheer about for Gasheads this year, even less of them being superlative strikes but there were at least a few corkers to mention. Ben Swallow's first senior goal, aforementioned above, was a spectacular hit, bending and dipping into the top corner while there is debate as to whether Will Hoskins meant his second goal away at Sheffield Wednesday, volleying high from the corner of the penalty area. For me, though, the finest goal seen comes from the expected source, Hoskins effort at the Galpharm against Huddersfield.

The Gas had been under the cosh all game but held on for what looked like a brave point, only for Hoskins to pop up on the left, throw in a couple of stepovers on his way inside the Terriers defence before unleashing a fine curling effort around Alex Smithies and into the onion bag, sending the away fans home happy with all three points for the long journey back to Bristol.

Young player of the year - Harry Pell
With the under-performance of the entire first team squad this was a tight award to decide between the three candidates that featured enough to throw their names into the fire, Charlie Reece, Ben Swallow and my eventual choice, Harry Pell.

For Charlie Reece this should have been the season where he finally started to break into the starting line up, following up his sixteen appearances in the previous season, it wasn't to be, however. Many of the matches he played were under the stewardship of Paul Trollope and Darren Patterson's brief stint in charge, fourteen in total, while he played just 25 minutes for Dave Penney and was only given two matches under Stuart Campbell. No goals were scored by the former Aston Villa trainee and, in all honesty, he very rarely threatened.

After forcing his way into the squad last term Ben Swallow was another who should have developed from a peripheral squad member. He did play 21 times and could possibly have made more of an impact had it not been for an injury that prevented him from making more than two appearances past February 19th. Early on in the season he played fairly well, getting on the scoresheet for the first time with a fine curling strike against Wycombe, a goal of the season contender, and Dave Penney had begun handing him the odd start, but that injury halted his progress, making next season the biggest of his career as he looks to force his way into managerial minds.

The winner for this category is the man who played the fewest times of the three, Harry Pell. Sent on loan to Hereford by Dave Penney the youngster was making good progress with the Bulls and was recalled the same day Campbell took over as boss, coming on as a sub in his first game in charge, preceding a run in the team that saw him play a further eight times. Pell slotted into the starting eleven comfortably, finding himself playing either on the left, the right or through the centre where he was able to make a fine start to his life in professional football. Not afraid to tackle the Essex boy got stuck in and showed an ability to pick intelligent passes, as well as trying his luck with some fine efforts on goal. With Campbell's legs aging, Lines looking as though he may be sold and Gavin Williams and JP Kalala being released Pell has a real chance of breaking into the team next season, and if he he continues in the same vein he will undoubtedly get there.

Player of the season - Will Hoskins
Though there is an honorable mention for Stuart Campbell for this category there was only one player that was going to take this award. Will Hoskins flair and raw ability on the field set him far apart from any other member of the squad this season. His twenty goals were not enough to save Rovers from relegation and he has now been sold to Brighton for a six-figure fee but he will certainly live long in Gashead memories. There were all sorts of goals in his spell at the Mem, cheeky headers, thunderbolts from range and deft poachers finishes, Hoskins is a natural goalscorer whose ability to thrive in a team fighting relegation will serve him well for the future, making him even more determined to drive any future employers onto success.

The fact that Rovers won only once in the four times Hoskins scored a brace is a mark of how bad the Pirates were throughout the season. His goals away to Sheffield Wednesday and at home against Brighton were just two of a clutch of classy strikes, while he also chipped in with numerous assists and could have ended the year with many more goals to his name if it weren't for niggling injuries. There is no doubt that Hoskins was yet another supreme frontline talent to come off the Bristol Rovers conveyor belt, having just as much a chance of carving out a successful career as many of his predecessors have done before him.

Best manager - Stuart Campbell
Well, we did have four of them and, lets be honest, none of them were up to the task.

The less that is said about Dave Penney the better, he and his band of mercenaries sapping what was left of the spirit out of a squad that looked for all the world as if they had given up the fight. Hoofball was the name of the game and with only the distinctly League 2 Rene Howe to aim those high balls at Rovers were going down without so much as a whimper. But after just thirteen games and two wins in charge Penney was sent packing by the board who then turned to one last bastion of hope, Stuart Campbell.

'Cams' has spent seven years at the Memorial Stadium, captaining the club for over five, and has become a bit of a legend for his tireless work in the centre of midfield, battling hard, that despite his age beginning to catch up to him. Campbell's leadership qualities and experience in the game have earned him the respect of his fellow professionals and made him a father figure for the younger players within the club and there was no man that the squad, bereft of any confidence, would have given their all for. He began bringing back the players Penney had thrown away, his faith unwavering, and the results began to turn around. A first away win for five months was quickly followed by two more as the team looked to finally have some air in its lungs, but the luck ran out, the sudden surge of energy Campbell's appointment gave his charges had seeped away. Six winless games later it was all over, Rovers were down.

Don't let that fool you into thinking Campbell's status amongst the Rovers fans has changed. He might not have been able to save us, very few could have, but he restored a sense of pride to our flagging ship and given us a modicum hope that had long since blown away.

Decision Time Looms For The Rovers Board

Keep calm and carry on, that's what the board of Bristol Rovers must do following the clubs relegation down to League 2 and the first big decision they must make comes with the appointment of a new manager. The man who came so close to helping Rovers survive has thrown his name in the hat and there are sure to be other candidates who would love the chance to take over the Gas.

Current caretaker player-manager Stuart Campbell confirmed his interest in taking the job permanently following the draw with Sheffield Wednesday that all but sent his team down. After the game he spoke to bristolrovers.co.uk and said:

"I have really enjoyed being manager, but it is out of my hands, I don't know what the future holds but I would like to lead Bristol Rovers next season."

There is no doubt that Campbell is swiftly making his way to legendary status among the Rovers fans, he has spent nearly seven years at the club and captained the side for almost five before taking over after the sacking of Dave Penney in March and he swiftly turned results and feelings around. From watching the games that followed you could tell the players spirit was back, they had a person they all respected in charge of them, a leader and an all round, genial nice guy who is known to have taken some of the players aside individually for chats, telling them what they are good at and bringing back their footballing self-worth.

Campbell is not perfect, however, and the football being served up, though better than what was seen under Penney, can at best be described as 'Trollope-esque'. The midfield are sat far too deep and there is no width being utilised whatsoever and some of the tactical decisions have been slightly bemusing too, the away game at Bournemouth being a prime example of this. Down to ten men after David McCracken's red card away to Bournemouth the management team of Campbell and Hinton decided to put 5' 5" attacking midfielder Wayne Brown at left back, taking away one of the teams most potent attacking threats, Brown having already given Rovers the lead.

Campbell was then forced off with injury and JP Kalala replaced him in the defensive midfield role, despite having the ability to play in the full back position which would have allowed Brown to remain in midfield. Harry Pell could have perhaps come on in central midfield and replaced Jo Kuffour who actually played the rest of the game at left midfield, a position from which he posed very little attacking threat, and with Kuffour and Brown making up Rovers left side heaven only knows what would have happened if Lee Bradbury had told his threatening wide man Liam Feeney to switch wings.

But if it isn't Campbell who takes over who else would be mad enough for the job? Danny Wilson's name has been touted and he would certainly bring a lot of experience to Rovers. Early in his managerial career he took Barnsley to the Premier League before a quiet spell at Sheffield Wednesday, one of the clubs he had previously played for. He moved onto Rovers rivals Bristol City in 2000 and in 2004 guided them to the then Division 2 play-off final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, a game they lost 1-0 to Brighton.

A short stint at MK Dons was followed by winning promotion from League 2 with Hartlepool before he went to another west country club in Swindon Town, initially saving them from relegation before assaulting the promotion places in 2010, eventually getting the Wiltshire Robins to Wembley for another play-off final defeat. Wilson resigned in March with Swindon looking like cannon fodder for the rest of the league, though he did have to put up with key players such as Billy Paynter, Gordon Greer and Charlie Austin being sold from underneath him.

Recently sacked from Coventry one man seen watching Rovers game against Wednesday was Aidy Boothroyd. The former Rovers player took Watford on an adventure in the Premiership in the 2006/07 season after winning promotion to the big time. He managed Colchester for the best part of a season, briefly flirting with the play-offs, before he was given the opportunity at Coventry, a job he was eventually released from after a run of one win in sixteen. Though he had success at Watford and did a reasonable job at Colchester the poor run at Coventry will do him no good at all and his direct, physical approach would not impress a set of fans who have seen their fair share of ugly football over the past few seasons.

Campbell remains favourites with bookmakers Victor Chandler at evens with current Exeter City first team coach and Rovers record signing Andy Tillson sat second in the list at 6/1, though both are inexperienced at full managerial level, Tillson is known to be a good coach and has seen Exeter go from strength to strength alongside Paul Tisdale, but what Rovers need is someone to come in and put the squad and backroom staff through a filter, weed out those who don't want to be there, keep hold of the key players and have some nous in the transfer market, recognising what needs to be improved and doing it in a timely manner.

My personal choice would be a slightly unpopular one, Jim Gannon. He did not endear himself to the Rovers fans with his comments following a postponed game that was set to be played between his Stockport side and the Gas and the Rovers fans looked gleefully on as they kept County out of the end of season play-offs. Since then Gannon won the following years play-off final and got Stockport promoted and has managed at Motherwell, where he won plaudits for his attractive football but was let go after failing to get on with the clubs directors, apparently looked at jobs at other clubs and not being fully commited to the Well.

He then went on to manage Peterborough and with the club looking already relegated when he was appointed restored some pride to the Posh fans before stepping aside to allow Gary Johnson to take over. It is not all good on the Gannon front, though, as his short time in charge of Port Vale proved how his feisty and unrepentant nature can go against him. In little over two months he took Vale from a comfortable play-off place to languishing just outside the top seven and was eventually sacked after becoming highly unpopular with the players and fans alike.

Overall, however, Gannon would make a quick impression on Rovers and certainly kick the club into life. It may not be pretty but given a full pre-season I'm sure he would get the job done. Some of the players may not like his man-management style but the way he sets his sides up to play football is attractive and would no doubt help improve attendances and, with some of the players at Rovers disposal, could potentially garner superb results.

This is all pie-in-the-sky though, one of the reasons he didn't take over permanently at Peterborough and turned down the job that was surely to be offered to him at Brighton was because he didn't want to move his family away from Stockport, so even if Rovers came out and made him their marked man they may not get the reply they would be looking for.

But whoever takes over has a big job to do, changes need to be made to the footballing staff at the club with good time left before the season starts, chairman Nick Higgs stated in a recent interview that we could expect some news 'in the next couple of weeks'. With Campbell's appointment seemingly being the last throw of the dice the board have had a long time to think about their new man and with the pre-season period just over the hill a decision needs to be made in a timely fashion.