Bristol Rovers boss Paul Buckle is facing the axe
PAUL Buckle's reign as Bristol Rovers boss is hanging by a thread amid a growing clamour from fans for his removal.
The manager has come under increasing pressure after the recent poor run of league results, which has seen the Pirates take just five points from the last 27 available.
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Under-fire Bristol Rovers manager Paul Buckle Picture: Simon Galloway
Calls for his head reached a crescendo following Boxing Day's clash with relegation-threatened Plymouth at the Memorial Stadium, which saw the home side squander a 2-0 interval lead to slip to a 3-2 defeat thanks to a stoppage-time winner.
That once again sparked chants demanding the axing of the 41-year-old former Torquay boss from a large section of the crowd as Rovers slipped to within six points of the League Two relegation places.
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Since then, various internet forums have been rife with posts from fans calling for the board to act.
I understand the majority of directors now see Buckle's situation as increasingly untenable given the widespread clamour for his departure from grassroots supporters.
There is now increasing speculation that the board could act to resolve the situation before Saturday's home game with Crewe.
The Plymouth game attracted an attendance of 8,090 – the Pirates' second biggest gate of the season and a figure bettered only by their first home game of the campaign, which saw them defeated by Buckle's former club.
But many fans are now vowing to stay away while the manager remains in charge and there are concerns that could have an increasingly adverse affect on crowds.
Buckle arrived at the club last summer amid a wave of optimism after a disastrous season that saw Rovers use four different managers but still suffer relegation from League One.
The new manager oversaw wholesale changes on the playing side and has brought in as many as 19 new faces since his arrival – including loan signings – as well as a number of backroom staff.
But the team have continued to struggle on the pitch. They have not managed to record back-to-back wins in the current campaign and have kept only one clean sheet in their last 15 outings.
Buckle, pictured, insists his mission to turn the club's fortunes around is a long-term project which can not be achieved overnight.
But it now looks increasingly as though his departure may only be a matter of time, with Rovers then facing the prospect of making their fifth managerial appointment in little over 12 months.
Paul Trollope was placed on gardening leave shortly before Christmas 2010 with his assistant Darren Patterson taking caretaker charge for two games before former Doncaster, Darlington and Oldham manager Dave Penney was appointed in January this year.
But the Yorkshireman's ill-fated spell at the Memorial Stadium lasted only 13 matches – during which time the team gleaned just eight points – before long-serving midfielder Stuart Campbell was handed the managerial reins for the final dozen games of the season.
Comments
by MikeSpiligan
Wednesday, January 04 2012, 3:48PM
“Rovers could have done Argyle a favour by getting a result in their last game but they couldn't even get that right... So Rovers are the team for Argyle to catch now that they are in rudderless freefall.... Green army !!!”
by dickpuller
Sunday, January 01 2012, 10:37PM
“Confirmed on 5 live Buckle and backroom staff are history.......................”
by manchestergas
Sunday, January 01 2012, 9:47PM
“4evergull - most of that is true (i don't agree that all gasheads thought we would get promoted - most of us remember 2001-2006), and I wish us and our chairman had listened to you more. But be careful that you don't now gloat too much. 2 wrongs don't make a right. And you made the play-off final last season, but aren;t currently in the top 7.
I think that SOME of the players he has brought in have been quite good, and will probably do ok for our next manager. He has also had a lot of serious injuries to cope with.
My big problem is his personality, followed closely by chopping and changing the team all the time and playing people out of position. You certainly were all VERY right about this. he is a very immature man, and a very poor man manager. If I met him sometime in life, without knowing who he was, I suspect i would really dislike his character.”
by 4evergull
Sunday, January 01 2012, 9:21PM
“As a Torquay fan, it is very interesting to see the BR fans turn on PB. I do remember at the beginning of the season the gloating by BR fans on our forum about getting PB and the fact you were all destined to go back up this season by some divine right.
In all fairness, go back to our fans forum and pull up the archived threads about him leaving TUFC. We all told you at the time about the tactical issues and poor player/position selection by PB as this had cost us many games. We told you about his ego and attitude, yet despite this fact you constantly gloated about the fact that you had found your 'Messiah' and we should just accept it an move on. You even gloated that he took players from TUFC and we should get over it. Well guess what - we did and we are sure glad we did.
Be careful what you wish for as you may not like it when you get it. He lied to us all and this is what we were all angry about - I'm am just pleased that 'Karma' has followed him. What goes around comes around.”
by labtech
Sunday, January 01 2012, 2:17PM
“well done mr buckle, yet another outstanding display, no doubt you will be telling us we did not deserve to lose, well i,m sorry from where i am standing week in week out the good ship pirate is sinking fast, even captain jack sparrow would be pushed to save this team. you bleat on about needing defenders did you not destroy last seasons team just so you could bring a bunch of misfits from your old club? you brought in the defenders who are not up to the job now you want to spend my hard earned money on more defenders, do the the decent thing and go now, but knowing your arrogance you wont, yes i am one of the fans booing the team but having paid my gate money i am entitled to some entertainment even if its after the final whistle, for the sake of all gasheads please just f***k off back to torquay”
by Lord_Cider
Sunday, January 01 2012, 12:08PM
“he is not going as nick higgs has gone on his holidays again just like last year. what a way to run a football club!”
by MikeSpiligan
Sunday, January 01 2012, 9:38AM
“Melcherstergas...
I am sorry that I took your name in vain, I am also sorry that your team to another pasting at home again yesterday....
Arthur Milton
The Wurzels
Banksy
Ben Collins aka The white stig
Black beard
Cary Grant
Cathy Barry
The Wurzels
David Prowse
Derren Brown
Fred Wedlock
Gareth Chilcott
The Wurzels
Gary Mabbutt
Ian Holloway
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
James May
John Cabot
John Atyeo
Johnny Ball
Josie Gibson
Judd Trump
Julie Burchill
Justin Lee Collins
Lee Evans
Massive Attack
Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac
Robin Cousins
Roger Cook
Roni Size
Stephen Merchant
Sophie Anderton
Terry 'The odd job man'
Tricky
Wallace and Gromit (& creator Nick Park)
The Wurzels
And Ian Holloway.... your boys took one hell of a beating, one hell of a beating...”
by kingswoodbabe
Saturday, December 31 2011, 9:48PM
“i used to go and watch rovers play in my youth , i dont know much about football , but am looking for new job , i fancy a change could a mere women apply for the managers job ? im sure i could tell the players to go and to win , sc got out at the right time , of course thia must have been on the cards a long time”
by manchestergas
Saturday, December 31 2011, 9:14PM
“good bye Uncle Buck. please don't ever come back to our club with your excuses, your arrogance, your immature man management style, and your poor signings, tactics, and motivational powers.
The Board probably won;t sack him because of the above, but they will sack him because a crowd of 5,037 will never keep the cash flow going. very few people are now paying on the day and once the cash cow of the Villa game is over, that'll be it for the rest of the season. No more money on the day, less pasties (etc) sold, and very few large away following on the horizon. A pay off for Buckle will be hard to swallow but will be economically worth it...”
by oldbristolian
Saturday, December 31 2011, 5:22PM
“At the start of the season whilst news came in their game would be postponed due to Police advice and in front of the cameras the players were given the choice day off or train ? Has anyone seen them yet???”