Football ‘was a passion that became too all-consuming’
Seeing his four-year-old son in hospital confirmed to Jim Rollo that football was no longer his number one priority.
Rollo missed Bath City’s home match with St Albans on October 23 to support Oscar, who had suffered an asthma attack.
He’s since made a full recovery and will see more of his dad at weekends after Jim stepped down as Bath City assistant manager on November 3.
“I was prepared to leave my boy because I was thinking ‘I can’t let these people down’ at the football club,” said Rollo. “It gave me a reality check, thinking ‘how can I want to leave this hospital?’
“I spoke to Jerry who told me to not be stupid, I had to stay with Oscar. Once he said that it got my thought process going again really.
“I’ve been very selfish in football. I missed my brother’s wedding, put football first constantly around work things, it’s always been in the forefront of my mind.
“I’ve spent a long time at a football club that I love which made this a very tough decision, but I believe it’s the right one.”
Rollo said the FA Cup exit to Banbury United hastened his departure.
“I always question myself when we’re not doing well – playing or coaching,” he said. “The thoughts to leave got stronger after Banbury and that’s unlike me. I wasn’t enjoying it as much.
“It broke the camel’s back at Slough. It gave me the realisation that I need to step away and reevaluate myself. A massive weight dropped off my shoulders once I’d made the decision.
“My emotions are never too high or low but I found they were getting the better of me this season and my enthusiasm had dampened down. When you lose that you know it’s time to go.”
He couldn’t leave football alone last week despite the unattractive weather.
“I thought I secured some tickets from a Yeovil fan for their game at Yate, but I think he noticed my Bath City association and then refused to sell them to me,” he laughed.
“I went for a run in the rain with the dog in the morning and watched Nailsea United v Nailsea & Tickenham where (former Bath City goalkeeper) Jason Mellor was in goal. My wife already had plans and my mum was looking after my boy so I managed to get my football fix.
“I wasn’t going to keep an eye on the Bath City score but I’d forgotten to turn off my watch alerts so I still had a notification and I ended up keeping tabs. I’m really pleased they got the win.
“I won’t go to games every week, I can’t wait for things like having Christmas with my family again rather than preparing for matches.
“I want to recharge my batteries. I’m 45 and the amount I do for my normal job plus the commitment of Bath had taken its toll.”
Rollo, then 20, made his debut on loan from Cardiff City in January 1997 in a 1-0 defeat at Kettering Town in the Vauxhall Conference.
His first spell ended a month later with a home defeat to Macclesfield Town where he played alongside former Manchester United defender Jimmy Nichol, who was sent off within an hour and didn’t appear for the Romans again.
Unlike Rollo, who ended his playing days in 2015 with 484 outings under seven managers. Alan Pridham was the first to sign him permanently in 2002, five years after his initial loan spell under Steve Millard.
“I was on the fringes of the first team at Cardiff then and made my debut as a late substitute at Fulham on a Friday night live on Sky,” recalled Rollo. “Steve Millard phoned me after and wanted me to play the next day.
“I ended up at Lansdown at 10.30am practising set-pieces and one of the first people I saw there was Jimmy Nichol. That was quite interesting.
“I couldn’t tell you how many teammates I’ve played alongside, must be in the hundreds, he was one of the briefest.
“Paul Milsom convinced me to give Bath another go in 2002. I’d been relegated with Clevedon and Merthyr in successive seasons after leaving Forest Green. I wanted to enjoy my football again.
“It took one conversation with Alan Pridham to make me decide to join. He signed a great group of lads on little money and we had an amazing team spirit.
“I liked the fact that the players knew all the names of the club staff and volunteers. I loved that and tried to instil it on any new players that joined after.
“I’ve kept so many old cuttings from the Chronicle to remind me of my wonderful journey.”
Rollo had two spells in caretaker charge before working as assistant under Gary Owers and Jerry Gill. He remains in contact with all his former managers and will meet once a week with Gill for catch-ups.
“Jerry’s passion, drive and enthusiasm for football is remarkable,” said Rollo. “I’ve learned so much from him.
“We moved to the same village by pure chance and met up for coffees regularly and played golf.
“The energy and drive around the football club is largely thanks to Jerry since he’s come in.
“The best thing about football is the people you meet and I’ve met some lifetime friends at Bath City.”
Bath City predictably made light work of Western League Division One outfit Portishead Town to cruise through to the quarter finals of the Somerset Premier Cup.
Alex Fletcher, Cody Cooke and Tom Smith netted for the Romans who recorded 24 attempts at the Town goal.
Eddie Jones played 90 minutes on his comeback from injury, one of just two changes from Saturday’s win over Welling United.
Jordan Dyer worryingly limped off with 11 minutes remaining which meant City ended with 10 men having used all their substitutes, but Jerry Gill confirmed afterwards he will be fine to face Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.
Jones marked his return positively, whipping in a pinpoint cross for Fletcher to nod home from six yards to break the deadlock on eight minutes.
George Shanks-boon showed tremendous reflexes to deny Smith from Elliott Frear’s delivery and Hamish Hurst’s bravery thwarted Fletcher and Smith off the line.
Cooke found a way through for his 10th of the season, twisting and turning from another Frear ball before blasting home from an acute angle.
Fletcher hit the post after the break as Portishead defended for their lives with Caolan Pearce denying Cooke on the rebound.
Smith notched his first goal since January past a flat-footed Shanksboon from 18 yards to wrap up the win.
After Dyer hobbled off, Fletcher somehow fired Jones’ cross over from a yard out but it made little difference in a comfortable evening for Gill’s side.
■ Bath City have mutually agreed to terminate the contract of club captain Ben Gerring.
The summer signing made 11 appearances but hadn’t featured since the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round defeat to Banbury United last month.