Family and club pay tribute to Rovers fan Pies
AMUCH-LOVED Bristol Rovers fan has died after a battle with cancer. Pete “Pies” Dibble passed away on April 20 at the age of 73. The lifelong Gashead was renowned among fellow fans for his sense of humour and his fierce loyalty to the club, never missing a home game.
He grew up in Bristol city centre before raising a family in St George – instilling the same passion for Rovers in his children – and eventually becoming a granddad of six.
His son Tony said: “He was a nice bloke, very loud, always up for a laugh, and just sound with everyone. All his grandkids are absolutely heartbroken. They loved spending time with him. He was a hero to them.”
Pete is survived by his wife Joy, with whom he shared 52 years of marriage after they met at a Colston Hall gig. They have a daughter Elise, 47, and sons Chris, 45, and Tony, 43.
“The nickname Pies was just basically because he was a bit overweight,” laughed Tony. “People in the Mechanics Arms [on Clouds Hill Road] used to call him that.”
Pete, who worked as a barman at the Mechanics, did not take life too seriously. He was known for jokingly telling customers: “What do you want in here? Go drink somewhere else.”
“People loved him for that,” said Tony. “They’d say, ‘Oh shut up Pies.’ He was a bit of a character.”
Pete had been made redundant from a Dunlop Tyres wholesaler around the age 52. After that he worked part-time at the Mechanics and the Pied Horse on Summerhill Road, but he also became “chief babysitter” to his grandchildren while the parents were at work.
Tony has some amusing memories from when Pete would look after grandkids Jake, Louis, Ellie, Poppy, Liam and Millie.
He said: “When our eldest Ellie was two or three, she told us, ‘We watched the horses today.’ We were like, ‘What are you on about?’
“It turned out he’d had them in the bookies all day watching the horses.”
“He’d look after his grandkids all day and they adored him. He loved it.”
Tony has fond memories of Pete taking him to Rovers games at the age of three, and carrying him on his shoulders at the Eastville stadium.
“He got my brother and I into football. We used to get a minibus every week. My dad would go to every single home game and we’d have some decent weekends away.
“The family were all Rovers. That’s just how it was.”
Pete had been given the all-clear after overcoming prostate cancer about two years ago, but his cancer returned last year.
Tony said: “His shoulders and neck were hurting, but he didn’t want to go to the doctors. He’d say, ‘No, it’s alright.’ He ended up going after Christmas and was told the cancer was in his spine and neck. It was really aggressive.”
Pete’s condition quickly declined and he spent his last nine days at St
Peter’s Hospice in Brentry, where the staff gave “amazing” support, says Tony.
“Up until three or four days before he died, he still had the same banter,” Tony added. “I took a few mates down to see him, and he had some craic with them. He always loved a one-liner.
“My mum, who has terminal cancer as well, stayed strong for my dad. She was at the hospice all day every day for him. She was a rock.”
Tony has been inundated with messages of support from people all across Bristol who had known his dad. “Everyone’s been messaging and saying they loved seeing
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him down at the Rovers,” he said.
One fellow supporter who had been close to Pete was Steve Gallacher, who said he “lit up all the pubs when he came in”.
Steve, 58, added: “I knew him about 18 years from local pubs and following the Rovers. I thought he was only in his 60s, he was very full of life.
“He was a family man, football mad, and a jolly person. Everyone loved him.”
Steve phoned the club after Pete’s death, hoping his decades of loyalty would be recognised with a letter – but Rovers made a bigger gesture. Manager Joey Barton signed a Rovers shirt in his memory and handed it over outside the Memorial Stadium to a group of fans who had been close to Pete.
“Joey was saying that it summed up why he wanted to be at the club,” said Steve. “He could tell the supporters looked out for each other.”
Tony said it was a lovely gesture. He added: “It’s fantastic for the club to do this for my dad.”