FANS of Bristol Rugby have welcomed the announcement that Steve Lansdown has become the new owner of the rugby club.

The Evening Post revealed yesterday that Bristol City's majority shareholder has also been helping bankroll the Championship leaders for the past three years. He said the rugby club would continue to share the Memorial Stadium with Bristol Rovers.

Yesterday, supporters of all three teams were considering the implications for their clubs.

Bristol Rugby Supporters' Club spokesman Mike West said: "We are delighted a man of his stature has come in to the club. He's a true Bristolian wanting to help out a Bristol club. My feeling is that Steve Lansdown, through (chairman) Chris Booy and (chief executive) Steve Gorvett, will allow the club to continue as it has done. He's the sort of guy who will take advice about how things should be progressed."

Andrew Humphries, chairman of the Bristol Rugby Independent Supporters' Trust, said: "Steve Lansdown is a good Bristol boy who's got his heart in the right place for the club and its future. He's keen to see Bristol Rugby playing at the highest level and he's putting the money behind them, which is great."

Matthew Withers, a Robins season ticket holder, said he would not like to see City sharing a ground with Bristol Rugby. Mr Withers, who writes a column in The Green 'Un, also said he was worried about the possibility of Mr Lansdown moving his financial backing from football to rugby.

He said: "For me it's whether he's going to look at bankrolling rugby and moving away from football, and whether there would be any implications for the (new) stadium."

Bristol Rovers Supporters' Club chairman Jim Chappell did not believe the development would harm the Pirates' ambition to move to a new stadium in Filton, as the scheme could be modified to allow the football club to move on its own.