Budget Gives An Opportunity Insists Bristol Rovers Boss Steve Evans | OneFootball

New Bristol Rovers boss Steve Evans has stressed that having a large budget does not automatically give clubs a right to be high in the league table, but is sure the Gas should be doing much better.

The Pirates replaced Darrell Clarke with Evans, after a run of 10 straight defeats in League Two saw them slip into the relegation zone and raised relegation worries.

Bristol Rovers, who slipped down from League One last season, have a relatively large budget for the division, with the results expected to reflect that expenditure.

Evans called his new club ‘fantastic’ historically, and praised the Pirates’ fans for being passionate about their club.

The new boss further added that thoughts Bristol Rovers are struggling due to a lack of cash are wide of the mark and claimed the budget is the fourth highest in the league.

Evans said on the BBC’s 72+ (8:50): “We all know Bristol Rovers don’t we.

“It’s historically a fantastic football club with a real passionate fanbase.

“And I have read that they had a lot of supporters, in recent weeks and months, who follow football say that the team is in a run of form because the owners don’t put in money, the board, etc.

“The facts are, the budget is the fourth highest in League Two.”

Evans stressed that the budget is immaterial when it comes to league positions, with points earned on the football pitch.

He added though, that with the Gas’ budget, they should have been higher than where they are at present but absolved his predecessor Clarke of any blame.

“Now, it doesn’t matter if you have got the top budget, it doesn’t give the right to be top of the league.

“But it should give you an opportunity to be higher than second bottom and I feel sorry for Darrell Clarke who’s lost the job as manager, because he’s a good manager.

“He’s a personal friend and when I first addressed the players it was that a good man’s lost his job but we have to make sure that we don’t lose our jobs going forward now whether it’s a player, a manager or a member of the staff.”

Bristol Rovers have been controlled by Hussain AlSaeed since 2023, when he bought a 55 per cent share in Dwane Sports, the holding company for the Gas, and became chairman.

Kuwaiti AlSaeed purchased the remaining 45 per cent of shares owned by Jordanians, Wael and Samer al-Qadi, in 2024.

Evans claimed that he was waiting for a challenge after his Rotherham United stint, and that after taking over at the Pirates, he ‘woke up this morning, and I was excited to get in the car.’