Author and Photographer - Keith Brookman

Kendleshire Golf Club

In spite of some early morning rain and overcast skies, the fourth annual Bristol Rovers Former Players Association Golf day proved to be another successful and hugely enjoyable event.

Although there were some unfortunate late withdrawals, nine former Bristol Rovers players joined their respective teams at the Kendleshire for the event.

I’m sure he won’t thank me for saying this, but Tom Stanton was the oldest of the former players to tackle the 18 holes and although he wasn’t among the winners on the golf course, he did win a raffle prize of a meal for two at the Globe. In fact, he won two raffle prizes, but generously took just the one and put the second one back in the draw.

Tom Stanton (L) with team Supporters Club

Tom scored seven goals in 172 league games for Rovers after joining the club in 1968 and has always supported the BRFPA so it was good to see him back out on the course again this year following the knee surgery he underwent last year.

A player at Eastville during Tom’s last season, and making his BRFPA Golf Day debut, was Mike England. A member at the Kendleshire, Mike knows the course well, but still didn’t manage to be among the winners. Maybe that was down to his teammates (more on them later!).

Having made his Rovers debut in the final league game of the 1978/79 season, he had to wait six years before he made his next appearance in the blue and white quarters. The intervening years were spent with Bath City and with Forest Green Rovers.

(L-R) Josh Low, Mike England with Bath City team Andy Watts & Jerry Gill

In 1985 he played for Rovers, against Swansea, and appeared in the last ever league game at Eastville, against Chesterfield in 1986.

He totaled 18 league appearances for Rovers and when leaving for a second time he rejoined Bath City. Later he played for Mangotsfield and played cricket for Winterbourne alongside Phil Purnell.

As for his golfing colleagues on the day, there was a very strong Bath City connection as they included current Bath boss Jerry Gill and his assistant Andy Watts, along with Josh Low.

Jerry, of course, was a youth team coach at Rovers under Paul Trollope, whilst Andy doesn’t have a Rovers connection (as far as I know!) Josh certainly does!

When Rovers entertained Wycombe Wanderers on the last day of the 1995/96 season, Josh made his senior Rovers debut when going on as a late substitute. In fact, he was the last ever substitute used by Rovers at Twerton and became the first substitute to be used by the club at The Mem when going on in the first ever game at that venue, against Stockport County, on 31st August 1996.

Jerry Gill with Josh Low & Andy Watts

Although there was another game at Twerton Park, against Peterborough United, between those two games, Rovers didn’t use any substitutes on that occasion and so Josh can claim a unique record!

He played for a number of clubs after leaving Rovers, with 21 league appearances to his name and his playing career with a two-year stint at Bath City.

A contemporary of Josh at the Mem was Jon French; he completed ninety minutes in that first ever league game at The Mem, having made his debut against Peterborough United in November 1995.

Jon French (2nd right) with team Lloyd Williams from The Globe

He scored once in 17 league games for Rovers and also spent time with Bath City. In addition, he appeared in 15 league games for Hull City in 1998/99. Good to see him make his debut at the BRFPA Golf Day.

I guess you won’t be surprised to learn that Andy Tillson still looks fit enough to be turning out for Rovers week in, week out in spite of the fact that he hasn’t played league football for some 20 years!

The former Rovers’ skipper, with over 250 league games for the club behind him, was a regular winner of the Man of the Match Awards during his time with the Gas, but there were no awards on this occasion for the man who is still Rovers’ record signing.

Andy Tillson & Martin Paul debate whether

Martin is right or left-handed!

Andy is a frequent visitor to Scotland from his Bath home these days, travelling up to watch his son, Jordan, who is currently playing for Scottish Premiership side Ross County.

In Andy’s team for the golf day was Martin Paul, who made his Rovers league debut against Leyton Orient in December 1993 and went on to appear in 22 league games, scoring once, before leaving the club.

Another who has played for Bath City (in four separate spells if my records are correct!) Martin is still involved in football and had to miss the golf day awards as he was coaching that evening.

Billy Clark and team Chipping Sodbury Glass

Billy Clark, the BRFPA President, is another who looks as though he could still be playing first team football! On this occasion he picked up a medal as his team, Chipping Sodbury Glass, finished in second place.

Another with strong Bath City connections, Billy partnered Andy Tillson at the heart of Rovers’ defence in that historic first league match back in Bristol in 1997 and scored 12 goals in 266 league games for the club.

David ‘Boris’ Mehew should need no introduction to Rover’s supporters, though his golf doesn’t appear to be quite at the same level his football was!

David Mehew with Longreach Scaffold

His Rovers career record of 63 goals in over 200 league games doesn’t really tell the whole story of his vital part in the promotion season of 1989/90 when he scored 18 goals in separate matches, many of which ended in a Rovers victory.

He appeared in the Leyland Daf Final in 1990 and it was his goal, against Notts County in the semi-final of that competition that sealed the club’s first ever Wembley visit.

‘Boris’ has also played for Bath City and after brief spells in management following his retirement, he now works as a sales manager with an Office Supplies company and spends a great deal of his spare time watching his sons play football.

Ollie and Tom were both on Rovers’ books as youngsters and Tom, who has just been released by the club, appeared as a substitute for the first team at Blackpool on the final day of the 2020/21 season.

Phil Purnell with team SM Gauge

Last, but by no means least, Phil Purnell was another former player welcomed to our golf day and he walked away with no fewer than three prizes! 

Phil was a member of the SM Gauge side that finished in third place, but also picked up a winners’ medal as the Pasty Allie Gas three-man team, who were scheduled to have Phil on their side, were allowed to have his score included in theirs and so due to vagaries of the golf scoring system, which I don’t pretend for one minute to understand, Phil contributed to their victory!

Phil, who scored 22 goals in 153 league games for Rovers, also played in that momentous first ever game at Wembley. Following his departure from Rovers, Phil made six league appearances for Swansea, but retired in 1993. 

His third prize at the golf day was for being nearest the pin on the nominated hole.

Shay Brennan, Martyn Nethercott, Kevin Sarney, aka Pasty Alley Gas and that decorated golf trolley!

Just a word for the winners, whose team were Seamus Brennan, Martyn Nethercott and Kevin Sarney. They sportingly agreed to play on with three team members and Seamus, surely, should have won a prize for the best decorated golf buggy!

On a final note, it was good to see former Rovers player Bobby Brown afterwards; he is also a member at the Kendleshire and has become the latest former player to join the BRFPA. Hopefully, he will make his golf debut for us next year!

The Prize Winners

Winners – Phil Purnell with Pasty Alley Gas

Runners up – Billy Clark & Chipping Sodbury Glass

Third Place - Phil Purnell with team SM Gauge

Longest Drive Winner – Elkie Sheppard

Many thanks to all our sponsors this year:

• Steve Lamble – Bristol Rovers Supporters Club

• Jerry Gill – Bath City Football Club

• Lloyd Williams – The Globe PH, Frampton Cotterell

• Martin Paul – Acorn Recruitment

• Les Underdown – Chipping Sodbury Glass

• Seamus Brennan

• SM Gauge

• Longreach Scaffolding