Paul Trollope and Lennie Lawrence have done a fantastic job in tuning around the fortunes of Bristol Rovers in a little over two years. As they face an FA Cup 5th Round tie at home to Southampton, Bristol Rovers will be playing to a World wide audience watching the game live. I together with a number of other GasHeads will be sitting in a Casino Bar in Perth willing on our heroes.

After starting the season in uncertain fashion and seemingly unable to win at home, the Management duo have managed to bring back the self belief to the team that swept them to their late promotion push last season. The win over Oldham, secured in time added on was an example of the 'never say die' spirit that has been engendered in the team.

Almost by way of contrast Southampton, who missed out to Derby in the Play-Offs last season in two thrilling games, appear to be suffering the 'post Play-Off blues'. With results not going their way and Manager George Burley 'poached' for the Scotland job, the Saints are struggling this season. An example of the black humour evident at St Mary's was a comment made by one of the Saint's fans, "Well we are out of contention for the League, so we are going to concentrate on the Cup"

News form the South Coast is that defender Andrew Davies could miss the Cup clash after suffering an injury during the mid-week defeat at Stoke.

The former Middlesbrough defender sustained a dislocated jaw - and was briefly unconscious - after sliding in to challenge Mamady Sidibe 10 minutes from the end of the 3-2 reverse. Davies will have to undergo an x-ray to assess the damage ahead of the trip to the Memorial Stadium.

Also hitting the headlines was Alan Shearer who recently ended speculation linking him with a return to his first senior club as boss The Saints have been without a manager since George Burley quit to take over as Scotland chief last month. And it was believed that Shearer may fancy cutting his managerial teeth at his old club.

"I've got too many things on my plate at the moment," said Shearer in response to the manager's job at Southampton. "I've got my BBC commitments and my charity work. I'm also working on getting my UEFA Pro licence. I'm going to be very busy for the next six or seven months.

I've heard nothing from Southampton. I know Jason Dodd and John Gorman have been put in charge and I wish them all the best. "I was with Jason both as an apprentice and as a player. I gather the club's search goes on and I wish them well with that."

Looking at the history of the opposition the move from The Dell to the new Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium was deemed to be a spiritual homecoming for Southampton F.C., because of the new stadium's proximity to St Mary's, the church where the club was founded, in 1885, by members of the St Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association.

The club was originally known as St. Mary's Young Men's Association F.C. (usually abbreviated to "St. Mary's Y.M.A.") and then became simply St. Mary's F.C. in 1887-88, before adopting the name Southampton St. Mary's when the club joined the Southern League in 1894. After they won the Southern League title in 1896-97, the club became a limited company and changed their name to Southampton F.C.

They won the Southern League championship for 3 years running between 1897 and 1899 and again in 1901, 1903 and 1904. That success spanned some major changes for the Saints as they moved to a newly-built £10,000 stadium called The Dell, to the North West of the city centre in 1898. Although they would spend the next 103 years there, the future was far from certain in those early days and the club had to rent the premises first before they could stump up the cash to buy the stadium in the early part of the 20th century.

Good omens were quick to arrive though and before the 19th century was out the South Coast was given a taste of things to come as they reached the first of their four FA Cup Finals in 1900. On that day they went down 4-0 to Bury and two years later they would suffer a similar fate at the hands of Sheffield United as they were beaten 2-1 in a replay of the 1902 Final.

After the First World War, when many teams were broken up by the call of National Service, Saints joined the newly-formed Football League Division 3 in 1920 which split into South and North sections a year later. The 1920-21 season ended in triumph with promotion and marked the beginning of a 31-year stay in Division 2.

In 1925 and 1927, they reached the semi-finals of the F.A. Cup, losing 2-0 and 2-1 to Sheffield United and Arsenal respectively. Promotion was narrowly missed in 1947-48 when they finished in third place, a feat repeated the following season (despite having an 8 point lead with 8 games to play) whilst in 1949-50 they were to be denied promotion by 0.06 of a goal, missing out on second place to Sheffield United. In the 1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons, Charlie Wayman rattled in a total of 56 goals. Then relegation in 1953 sent Saints sliding back into Division 3 (South).

It took until 1960 for Saints to regain Division 2 status with Derek Reeves plundering 39 of the champions' 106 league goals. On 27 April 1963 a crowd of 68,000 at Villa Park saw them lose 1-0 to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.

The dream of Division 1 football at the Dell for the first time was finally realised in 1966 when Ted Bates' team were promoted as runners-up, with Martin Chivers scoring 30 of Saints' 85 league goals. Promotion was a never-to-be-forgotten achievement.

For the following campaign Ron Davies arrived to score 43 goals in his first season as Saints scored 74 league goals, conceding 92. Saints stayed among the elite for eight years, with the highest finishing position being 7th place in 1968-69 and again in 1970-71. These finishes were high enough for them to qualify for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969-70 (going out in Round 3 to Newcastle United) and its successor, the UEFA Cup in 1971-72, when they went out in the First Round to Athletic Bilbao.

In December 1973, long term manager Ted Bates stood down to be replaced by Lawrie McMenemy who was unable to prevent The Saints becoming the first victims of the new 3-down relegation system in 1974 when they were relegated, along with Manchester United and Norwich City.

Under Lawrie McMenemy's management, Saints started to rebuild in Division 2, capturing players such as Peter Osgood, Jim McCalliog, Jim Steele and Peter Rodrigues (captain) and their greatest moment came in 1976, when they reached the FA Cup Final, playing Manchester United at Wembley, and surprised all observers by beating much-fancied United 1-0 thanks to a goal from Bobby Stokes. They were only the second team outside the First Division to have won the FA Cup, the first having been Sunderland. The following season, they played in Europe again in the Cup Winners' Cup, reaching Round 3 where they lost 2-3 on aggregate to Anderlecht.

In 1977-78, captained by Alan Ball, Saints finished runners-up in Division 2 (behind Bolton Wanderers) and returned to Division 1. They finished comfortably in 14th place in their first season back in the top flight. The following season they returned to Wembley in the final of the League Cup when they acquitted themselves well, losing 3-2 to Nottingham Forest.

In 1980, McMenemy made his finest signing, capturing the "European Footballer of the Year" Kevin Keegan. Although Keegan's Southampton career only lasted two years, Saints fielded an attractive side also containing Alan Ball, Ted MacDougall, Phil Boyer, Mick Channon and Charlie George and in 1980-81 they scored 76 goals, finishing in 6th place, then their highest league finish.

Southampton continued to progress well under McMenemy's stewardship, and with a team containing Peter Shilton, Nick Holmes, David Armstrong, top-scorer Steve Moran and Danny Wallace reached their highest ever league finish as runners-up in 1983-84 (3 points behind the champions Liverpool) as well as reaching the semi-final of the F.A. Cup losing 1-0 to Everton at Highbury Stadium.

They finished 5th the following year, but as a result of the Heysel Disaster all English clubs were banned from European competition - had it not been for this, then Southampton would have qualified for the UEFA Cup once again.

Lawrie McMenemy left at the end of the 1984-85 season to be succeeded by Chris Nicholl, who was sacked after six years in charge despite preserving the club's top flight status. He was replaced by Ian Branfoot, who until the end of the 1990-91 season had been assistant manager to Steve Coppell at Crystal Palace. By this stage a key player in the Southampton line-up was Guernsey-born striker Matthew Le Tissier, one of the best-loved players in Saints' recent history. He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1990 and later made eight appearances for the England team.

Southampton were founding members of the Premiership in 1992-93, having played in the top flight of English football since 1978. In May 2005 they were relegated to the 2nd tier of English football for the first time in 27 years. Ian Branfoot was sacked in January 1994 with Southampton battling relegation. He was replaced by Exeter manager Alan Ball.

Ball secured the Saints' survival for the 1993-94 season and guided them to a respectable tenth-place finish in the Premiership in 1994-95, with inspirational performances from Matthew Le Tissier. But amidst rumours of lack of support from the Board, Ball was lured to Manchester City in the summer of 1995 and Southampton turned to long-serving coach David Merrington to take charge of the team in 1995-96.

Southampton finished 17th with 38 league points, avoiding relegation on goal difference. Two important wins during the final weeks of the season did much to ensure that Saints and not Manchester City would achieve Premiership survival. First came a 3-1 home win over eventual double winners Manchester United, and then came a 1-0 away win over relegated Bolton Wanderers. Merrington was dismissed a few days after the end of the season and replaced by former Liverpool and Rangers manager Graeme Souness.

Southampton fared little better in 1996-97 despite the arrival of Souness, whose track record included two Scottish league titles with Rangers and an FA Cup victory with Liverpool. He resigned after just one season in charge, which had seen Southampton finish 16th in the Premiership, and Southampton's directors turned to Dave Jones — one of the most respected managers outside the Premiership who had won promotion to Division One with Stockport County as well as reaching the League Cup Semi-Finals.

With such an inexperienced manager, Southampton were tipped by many observers to be relegated from the Premiership in 1997-98. But thanks to the addition of young striker Kevin Davies, and the acquisition of a few others, Southampton achieved a respectable 11th place finish in the table. Their form dipped in 1998-99 but they again avoided relegation on the last day of the season after a late run of good results. (The so-called "Great Escape".) In 1999 Southampton were given the go-ahead to build a new 32,000-seat stadium in the St Mary's area of the city, a welcome move after playing in the cramped Dell since 1898.

During the 1999-2000 season, Dave Jones quit as Southampton manager to concentrate on a court case after he was accused of abusing children at the children's home where he had worked during the 1980s. The accusations were later proved to be groundless but it was too late to save Jones's career as Southampton manager and he was succeeded by ex-England team manager Glenn Hoddle.

Glenn Hoddle helped keep Southampton well clear of the Premiership drop zone but having received an offer from a higher profile club, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur just before the end of the 2000-01 season. He was replaced by first-team coach Stuart Gray, who oversaw the relocation to the St Mary's Stadium for the 2001-02 season.

At the end of the 2000-01 season, in the last competitive match at the Dell, talismanic Matthew Le Tissier came on late to strike the last ever goal at that famous and much-loved old stadium in sublime fashion. Southampton finished the match 3-2 against Arsenal, providing a fairy-tale ending to the days at The Dell. But Gray was sacked after a disastrous start to the following season, and in came ex-Coventry manager Gordon Strachan as his replacement.

Gordon Strachan did much to revitalise Southampton during the 2001-02 season, and they finished in a secure 11th place in the final table. They did even better in 2002-03, finished 8th in the Premiership and coming runners-up in the FA Cup to Arsenal (after losing 1-0 at the Millennium Stadium).

Strachan resigned in March 2004 (to take a break from football) and was replaced by Paul Sturrock, who had been in the process of guiding Plymouth Argyle to their second promotion in three seasons. However, rumours of player dissatisfaction and personal problems dogged Sturrock, and he was replaced just five months later by reserve team coach Steve Wigley. Wigley's tenure proved disastrous, with Southampton slipping further and further down the Premiership table. Frenchman Christian Damiano was brought in to assist, but after a run of only one win in 14 games, both men's contracts were terminated.

Chairman Rupert Lowe risked the ire of Saints fans when he appointed Harry Redknapp as manager on December 8, 2004. The news shocked much of the football world, as Redknapp had resigned as manager of Saints' arch-rivals Portsmouth just days previously. Lowe and Southampton continued to make headlines after former England Rugby World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward joined the club - eventually being appointed Technical Director.

Redknapp failed to rejuvenate the Saints, and on 15 May 2005, Southampton were relegated from the Premiership following a 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United, thus ending 27 consecutive seasons of top division football. Saints made a disappointing start to the season, with the emergence of young star Theo Walcott as a rare cause for optimism. Yet even more shocks were to await the fans.

On November 24, 2005, Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin, the man who himself replaced Harry Redknapp at Southampton's arch-rivals, was sacked by chairman Milan Mandaric. Rumours gradually grew apace that Mandaric and Redknapp had resolved the dispute that caused Redknapp to walk out in the first place, and that he was poised to rejoin his former club.

With these rumours seemingly reaching breaking point in the media - not to mention the bookmakers - Redknapp walked out on Southampton on December 3, 2005. The two rival clubs found themselves at loggerheads over legal compensation, which threatened to leave Redknapp in limbo, but with the dispute eventually resolved, Redknapp rejoined Portsmouth on December 7, 2005. After three matches under caretaker manager Dave Bassett and assistant Dennis Wise, George Burley was unveiled as the club's new head coach on December 23 to work alongside Clive Woodward, who was promoted from Performance Director to Director of Football.

In the wake of overwhelming calls for him to stand down, Lowe eventually resigned on June 30, 2006, a few days before an Extraordinary General Meeting that was predicted to see him removed from the club's board. He was replaced as Chairman by Jersey-based businessman Michael Wilde who had become the club's major shareholder.

During the 2006-07 season, the board set about trying to secure new investment in the club. However, on 26 February 2007, it was announced that Michael Wilde would step down as chairman of the football club on 28 February. On 2 March it was announced that Leon Crouch would take the role of "acting Chairman" until the end of that season, when the Board would reassess the situation. Crouch was reportedly fired on 21 July 2007.

Southampton's off-the-field controversy affected their on-the-field fortunes substantially during 2005-06, and at one point they were in real danger of a second successive relegation. But their form improved during the final weeks of the season and they finished a secure 12th.

The good form which secured Southampton's Championship status in 2005-06 was carried through to the start of the 2006-07 season, and the turn of the year saw the team in 4th place in the table. The new board of directors had spent a club record £6 million on transfers. Polish strikers Grzegorz Rasiak and Marek Saganowski and 17 year-old left back Gareth Bale all had great runs in form. A drastic loss in the team's form overall, coupled with inept displays against fellow promotion hopefuls, saw the team drop to 8th place by mid-March 2007, and rapidly losing touch with the promotion race. However, with other promotion rivals dropping points and a small run of form in late April, Southampton were able to reach 6th place, the last play-off position. They lost the home leg of their playoff semi-final to Derby County, and on 15 May achieved parity on aggregate but lost on penalties in a thrilling encounter.

Since relegation, the club has had to sell players to meet the shortfall in income. A number of players from the club's academy have been sold for large sums, such as Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale.

Rovers and the Saints have met 20 times in total with the Saints clearly on top with 12 victories to Rovers 6. In Bristol things are a little closer with 4 Rovers wins, 3 Saints wins and 2 draws. Rovers best victory over Southampton was on 20 March 1961, when the Gas reversed a 4-2 Boxing Day defeat at the Dale.

Perhaps the game that Rovers fans hold most dearly took place at a muddy Eastville on 28 January 1978. This was the same season that had seen Rovers go down 9-0 at White Hart Lane in League game to a rampant Spurs team. Rovers went ahead just before half time in the Cup tie to a Paul Randall wonder goal as he chipped the ball over a stranded Paul Wells from fully 30 yards from a lofted Graham Day through ball. The game was secured late in the second half when Randall scored one of his trade mark goals as he bore down on Wells from a well timed run and threaded the ball into the far side of the net to the keeper's left. It seemed to take an eternity to travel through the Eastville mud.

The Saints had their revenge in the last game played between the clubs on 24 January 1981 when a Saints team led by Kevin Keegan ran out easy 3-1 winners.

Southampton have had a torrid season so far and are currently just two wins off a relegation spot. Their current form is also of concern. On Tuesday night they went desperately close to completing a remarkable second-half fight-back after feeling the full force of John Gorman and Jason Dodd's anger at half-time. Trailing 3-0 to three set-pieces, the management duo laid into the players for the first time since taking over from George Burley.

It sparked an amazing transformation as Saints turned the game on its head, pulled back to 3-2 and might well have won it. Ultimately though it was a second successive 3-2 defeat leaving the club hovering precariously in 18th place.

Gorman admitted: "We had some harsh words at the break. It was the first time we have had to do that. I am a proud man and we would not let the lads lie down. We faced them eye-to-eye and demanded a really good second half performance.

"We told them to stand up and be men because I still felt we could get back in it - and they were magnificent in the second half. Everyone raised their game, we won every battle and every tackle and in all honesty we pulverised them.

"I thought we started well and for the first 25 minutes we were the better team and had more chances. They did not really create anything but we gave them an own goal and then they scored from two set-pieces.

"But we were much better after the break and could have had four or five away from home and against a team that is near the top of the league. Ultimately though we lost and that is what the fans will see. But there was so much more to this game than you read from the score-line.

"Tony Pulis said afterwards we were tremendous but that is little consolation right now. We showed pride and character and strength in the second half and if we keep doing that we will be fine. I don't want to talk about relegation although I'm sure other people will remind us of that.

"But we can take a lot of heart from the way we performed in the second half and now we need to keep that going

At the moment Paul Trollope seems to have found the magic formula which sees hi team 'getting across the line' at vital times. The disappointment of suffering their first defeat in 12 games at Doncaster was tempered by a fine 1-0 win on Tuesday night. It was a game in which Rovers built momentum and built pressure on the Oldham goal, tow late attacking substitutions ran the tiring Latics defence ragged and eventually it broke.

If Rovers can take the game to their Championship opposition then there is no reason they could not achieve a similar result and send a world wide group of GasHeads Downunder wild in delight in the Casino!

Written by Gerry Prewett