I bear no ill will to Rovers, says new Gloucester manager Mansell

LEE Mansell “bears no ill will” to Bristol Rovers, despite losing his job in the summer.

The former Development Squad manager was made redundant in May as the club made sweeping changes behind the scenes following the relegation to League Two.

Gasheads were gutted to see a stalwart of a golden era for the club - Mansell won two promotions across three years at the Memorial Stadium and scored the clinching penalty in the Conference play-off final in 2015 before retiring and joining the coaching staff - cut adrift.

Since Mansell’s exit, the Pirates’ development squad has been scaled back and is no longer playing regular fixtures after leaving the Central League.

Five months on, Mansell, pictured, has spoken frankly to the Bristol Post about his departure.

“The club got relegated and I took the brunt of the cost-cutting measures that happen at a football club,” he said. “I bear no ill will to it. I was obviously disappointed to leave and I thought I did a fantastic job there.

“My remit was to get players through, and as you can see in the first-team setup there is Luca Hoole, Lucas Tomlinson, Tom Mehew and Jed Ward who have come through.

“They are the ones that myself, Tom Parrinello, Daf Williams and the other academy members had been really working with for the past four years.

“I loved working for the club, I loved playing for it as well, as it holds a special place for me, but those times are gone now and I have to look forward.”

Despite no longer being on the staff, Mansell retains a great sense of pride when seeing players he nurtured now in the first-team setup.

“I love it like scoring a goal when I see their name on a teamsheet or if they are on the bench or in the first-team squad, and that’s what I got into it for,” he said.

“That was what I was asked by Darrell (Clarke) to do, to transform the academy and start producing players again and it’s just a shame we couldn’t see it through and produce the next lot coming through because there was another crop coming over - the likes of Joe Budd who has been in and around it in pre-season and he needs to get some games now.”

A disappointing and premature departure, from Mansell’s perspective, could never sour the memories he made in the blue and white quarters.

“I had an absolutely fantastic time,” he said. “The playing comes down to two promotions and a top10 League One finish.

“If you’re going to finish your playing career, that’s the sort of thing you want to happen.

“It was brilliant. I loved playing for the club and I loved working for the club. I’ve always been a fan and I will continue to be one.

“Don’t get me wrong, they’re (the fans) a passionate bunch and they will tell you if nothing is going well, which you expect as a footballer, but when they back you, jeez.

“I don’t believe I’ve been involved with a fanbase in my career, 22 years, that really get behind you like at Rovers.”

Last week, Mansell was appointed as interim manager of hometown club Gloucester City. His time in charge started with a narrow FA Cup qualifying defeat to Folkstone Invicta on Saturday, but he is delighted to take his first steps in senior management.

“I’ve been out of work for five months, so it has been a long period of time to be inactive for,” he said. “To get back in and be given a role of such magnitude is brilliant for me.”