DERBY: Rovers To Face City

The big news to come out today confirms the rumours brewing over recent days about a pre-season friendly with our local rivals Bristol City. The game is scheduled for August 4th and will be played at Ashton Gate as the football season approaches just two weeks later.

It will be anything but friendly and I'm surprised Avon and Somerset police have given it the go ahead given the clashes between both sets of fans at every meeting between the two sides. As all Gasheads will remember fondly the last derby match saw Rovers defeat City over two legs in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, with Rickie Lambert scoring the winner at the Memorial Stadium. We don't want to be losing those bragging rights though do we?

Rover vs City, JPT Semi-Final 1st Leg, Ashton Gate, 2007

The game has been set up as a testimonial for City's long-serving defender Louis Carey who I'm sure will receive a wonderful reception from travelling Rovers fans on the day. Yes it's a friendly, but it should see a superb atmosphere generated and reignite our passion for football ahead of our npower League Two campaign 14 days later.

Mark McGhee is already looking forward to the game and hopes it can be an annual event until both clubs are in the same division, which hopefully won't be too far in to the future.

This will build excitement going in to the summer months and it feels surreal to say it now when we have no idea what the squad will look like in 3 months time, but come on Rovers!