‘These eyes are not pickles’ — Evans insists Rovers were the better side despite Barnet defeat
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Stuart Bagnall
Steve Evans has seen plenty in his career, but Saturday at the Memorial Stadium was one of the hardest to take. Bristol Rovers dominated unbeaten Barnet for 79 minutes, then conceded three times in the closing stages and lost 3–1. The defeat ended the club’s record run of 11 straight home league wins and pushed them out of the play-off places.
Rovers started brilliantly. Ellis Harrison swept in Shaq Forde’s low cross inside four minutes, and Fabrizio Cavegn and Forde had several chances to add a second. It never came. On 79 minutes, Ciarán Kelly lost the ball to Kabongo Tshimanga and Adam Senior tapped in the equaliser. Tommy Leigh was then shown a straight red card, Zac Williams struck a superb winner from the edge of the box, and Tshimanga sealed it in stoppage time.
Evans did not spare his own players, but he was adamant about the overall picture. “For 79 minutes, we’ve made what many managers and people in the game have told me is the best team in the league, and they are a very good team,” he told the club website. “But they’ve had a drubbing today for 79 minutes; we scored a goal. We missed five or six golden chances to get a second.”
He was blunt about the two decisive moments. “The Ciarán Kelly mistake. He’s an honest lad, but it’s a huge mistake. It gets them in the game, and it doesn’t excuse Tommy Leigh. It’s a clear red card every day of the week,” he said. Bristol Live reported that it was Leigh’s second dismissal in as many games, and Evans said substitutes had been ready to come on just before the challenge.
Evans also told Bristol Live that he felt Rovers should have had two first-half penalties and criticised the referee. But he kept coming back to finishing. “If you look at Barnet, and I’m not exaggerating, they had four efforts on goal today. Four efforts on goal, and they’ve scored three times,” he said. “These eyes are not pickles. These eyes watch the game; they study the game.”
He believes the performance is a sign of what is possible. “The facts are, if we play like that over the course of the season, for sure, we’ll be in the top three,” he said.
The results tell a harsher story. Rovers lost 3–1 at Crewe on 3 October and are now ninth on 15 points, level with the sides from fifth to eighth. Bristol Live noted that they had lost five of their six away games in all competitions.
That makes Saturday’s trip to Shrewsbury (17 October, 12:30) important. Rovers then return home for two big games in a week, against leaders Salford on Tuesday 20 October and Swindon on 24 October (12:30), before visiting Fleetwood on 31 October.
“We need to channel that pain and bounce back,” Evans said. “Salford is the other best team according to everyone. But if the benchmark is Barnet, then we’ll live to that benchmark.”
The Memorial Stadium — “the Mem” — sits on Filton Avenue in Horfield, about two miles north of Bristol city centre. Bristol Rovers have played here since 1996 in a ground opened in 1921 as a memorial to local rugby players killed in the First World War. Capacity is around 12,500 and the pitch is 101 by 68 metres. For visiting supporters it is a proper old-school EFL away day: mixed seating and terracing, an uneven footprint, and a main stand that still looks like a cricket pavilion.
Away fans are usually housed in the south-east corner. That means covered seats in the South Stand, behind the south goal, and standing on the terrace at the southern end of the East Stand (Poplar Insulation). A typical allocation is a little over a thousand, sometimes more for big fixtures. Terrace turnstiles are usually 24–26; South Stand seats 27–29 — follow the signs on the day. If rain is coming, take the seated South Stand when you can. The open terrace is close to the pitch but exposed, and the ground’s open corners mean noise does not always carry.
The Thatchers End is the covered home terrace behind the north goal and carries most of the noise. The West Stand runs only about half the touchline, straddles the halfway line, and holds boxes, media and the dressing rooms, so players walk a long way at the interval. Opposite, the taller East Stand has seats at the back and terrace in front, with extra open terracing at each end. The South Stand was long a temporary “tent”; it has been rebuilt into a more solid seated structure, still not as wide as a conventional end.
The address is Memorial Stadium, Filton Avenue, Bristol BS7 0BF. Brown signs pick it up from the M32 and the M5. Ashley Down station is about a 20-minute walk; Temple Meads needs a bus or taxi. Bus stops sit on Filton Avenue within about 50 metres of the ground. Club parking is permit-only. Street parking exists off Muller Road, Gloucester Road and Kellaway Avenue, but it fills early and Horfield Common grass is banned. Accessible bays must be arranged with the club in advance.
Most travelling fans drink on Gloucester Road. The Wellington, The Sportsman and the Annexe Inn are the names that come up most often. Inside, away facilities are basic: a tea bar in view of the pitch, pies, burgers and chips. Alcohol for visitors is often restricted — check the club note for your fixture. The Mem is generally cashless. Under-14 tickets usually have to be bought with a paying adult.
Dress for Bristol weather and expect a few pillars in older seated sections. Stewards are used to travelling support. There is no large modern concourse, so arrive a little early, find your turnstile, and treat the Mem as a compact, slightly lopsided ground that rewards planning more than polish. Official updates live on bristolrovers.co.uk under Getting to the Mem and visiting fans.