Matty Taylor leaves Bristol Rovers for Bristol City

 It does not take much to fan the flames between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers who, although are currently separated by one division, have a distinct dislike for one another. Matches between the two are often greeted by a heated atmosphere, with the last meeting on September 4th 2013 at Ashton Gate resulting in a pitch invasion as the Bristol derby threatened to boil over. Despite a lack of regular fixtures between the two, the touch paper has been well and truly lit by Matty Taylor’s decision to leave the Gas and join the Robins on transfer deadline day. Being the first player in 30 years to cross the divide over to Ashton Gate has been valued as the ultimate act of betrayal by Rovers fans who took Taylor to their hearts, and although Betway believe the striker’s arrival may ensure City’s survival in the Championship, the controversy is unlikely to die down any time soon.

 

Becoming the first player since Trevor Morgan in 1987 to swap the Memorial Stadium for Ashton Gate is a bold move from Taylor who became an invaluable part of Darrell Clarke’s plans. The 26-year-old has risen through non-league football to become one of the most clinical finishers around, with Taylor valuing the opportunity to play at a higher level too good to turn down, despite the animosity and upset that a move across the city would create. Steve Phillips, who moved in the opposite direction in 2006, revealed that he received death threats, had his car vandalised and felt unable to walk into the city centre without the worry of being attacked. It may take a while for Rovers fans to let this setback go, although City did little to extinguish the animosity by posting a picture of Taylor holding up his new shirt next to a ‘Welcome to Bristol’ sign on Twitter. It may be considered mischievous and tongue-in-cheek, but Bristol City’s actions only enraged their city rivals even further as the dispute over Taylor’s transfer is likely to rumble on for some time.

 

Losing arguably their best player for just £300,000 is a real body blow for Bristol Rovers, and although they have issued a complaint to the English Football League based on the belief that City secured confidential information that revealed a release clause in Taylor’s contract before they made a bid, it remains to be seen how they will respond on the pitch. Betway Sports as of March 24th, 2017 still believe the Gas have a fighting chance of securing a play-off spot in League One at odds of 9/1, but Clarke may need the likes of Ellis Harrison and Jermaine Easter to step up and fill Taylor’s shoes. How they respond to the major setback may ultimately define their season, and with Sheffield United running away with the league title and winnable games against Shrewsbury, Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon on the horizon, Bristol Rovers will need to keep focused on the task in hand.

 

City, on the other hand, have endured an alarming slide down the Championship table which has left them in real danger, despite recent back-to-back victories lifting Lee Johnson’s side out of the relegation zone. Two goals in his first eight appearances for the Robins is scant consolation for Taylor who, despite making an early impression at a higher level, will need to pull together alongside his team-mates to pull Bristol City out of a situation which looks far from assured. The Robins were 4/1 on March 24th to drop down to League One where they could face their fierce city rivals next season, but if Taylor continues to impress alongside Tammy Abraham who has enjoyed a fantastic season in front of goal, then City may have a chance of preserving that Championship status.