Like Leeds United – Ex-Whites Boss Makes Bristol Rovers Fans Comparison | OneFootball

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Bristol Rovers boss Steve Evans has insisted that he is not exaggerating when he says that fans of the Gas remind him of Leeds United‘s passionate supporters.

Evans replaced Darrell Clarke as Bristol Rovers boss in December last year, after Clarke failed to stem a run of ten straight defeats.

On joining the club, Evans thanked Newcastle United’s director of football for his guidance, as he picked a job that has him ‘waking up’ excited.

Evans claimed that, having fully settled into the job now, he is ‘living the dream’ and ‘loving’ the task at hand.

The passion of the fans, of which Evans claimed he is only truly realising the magnitude of as he explores Bristol, reminds the manager of his time with Leeds, with both sets of supporters and both cities being football mad.

Evans told Bristol Rovers’ official website: “I’m in the city now, I’ve got my apartment, and I’m living the dream. I’m loving it.

“You go around the city, and you realise just how big a club Bristol Rovers is.

“It reminds me of the days, and I’m not going to exaggerate this fact, but it reminds me of the days I was the Leeds United manager when I was in the city.

“You go around, and it really means so much to people.”

Evans immediately put an end to the losing streak upon joining the Gas, with Bristol Rovers earning a 1-1 draw against Crewe Alexandra.

The mood had not dampened at Bristol Rovers, despite the Gas first letting slip a 2-0 lead against Bromley at home to lose, before a defeat to Barnet concluded 2025 on a losing note.

Bristol Rovers celebrated the new year with a bang, beating Shrewsbury Town to earn their first win in over three months, with Fabrizio Cavegn’s hat-trick being the icing on the cake.

Evans previously talked up Leeds, when he claimed that Bristol Rovers were the second biggest club he has managed.

The manager is also of the belief that the Pirates deserve to be at least in the Championship, given the size of their fanbase.

Though former EFL striker Sam Parkin has his reservations over Evans’ suitability for the job, the win over Shrewsbury saw the Gas leapfrog their opponents and out of the relegation zone.

Bristol Rovers’ fixture against Barrow last time out was postponed due to inclement weather after the Gas had already journeyed on the Saturday.

Evans will face Plymouth Argyle in the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy, before resuming league action with a fixture against Colchester United, with both games taking place at home.