Rovers chief executive explains strategy behind improving the Mem

WIDESPREAD confusion reigns over Bristol Rovers’ stadium plans following the collapse of their deal to build a new ground in partnership with UWE last August. However, new Bristol Rovers CEO Martyn Starnes has gone some way to clarifying the club’s short-term strategy and how the recent renovations at the Memorial Stadium fit into the grand plan. During the off-season, Rovers have carried out significant renovations to the main club bar, the shop, the pitch and have created a new small canopied family stand with seating. Starnes only started his new role at the League One club last Monday, while building work has been taking place since early May, but when he sat down with me he explained his part in it and the club’s plans. He said: “I had no material input in the projects before arriving because Tom Gorringe, our commercial director, had already set sail with those, which I was very supportive of. “So when he showed me around after I had been offered the job, the plans had already been drawn up but the work had not started. “And I thought this is very good and the right way to go, so I was very supportive and pleased with what has been done so far and there is more to do.” After the proposed stadium move fell through last summer, club president Wael Al-Qadi said if a new location could not be secured, a plan to develop the Memorial Stadium “stand-bystand” would be drawn up. With some of the most significant building projects for years underway at the Mem this summer, many questioned whether this was indeed the first step to that second option. However, Starnes has put the record straight. He explained: “The work going on at the Mem right now is not the discussed development of the stadium. “This is to try and improve what we have got while we try to develop a long-term plan. “We are investing in this stadium in the interim, in a relatively small way, to hopefully try and make some major improvements for fans. “So it is a relatively small investment to get a good return in terms of match-day experience. “I think, quite understandably previous owners have said we are not going to spend any money on the stadium because we are going to move, and they were much further down the line I guess with Sainsbury’s and the student lets projects, but all those have fallen through. “We decided you can only wait so long before doing some basic maintenance and improvements and a decision was made prior to me joining, that now is the time to bite the bullet and certainly make some improvements. “The sort of things that we are doing now, to improve the shop, to improve the bar, there is a little more of that to do, a small stand, but there is nothing major at the moment.” TONIGHT’S MATCHES Fry Club Cup (6.30pm): Iron Acton v Stapleton, Talbot Knowle v Winterbourne. Wick v St Aldhelms, Easton Cowboys v Cadbury Heath, Odd Down v Mendip Broadwalk Brunel Shield (6.30pm):