Roy Dolling – A True Rovers Man (1939 – 1st June 2025)

We were all heartbroken to hear the news that Roy Dolling passed away on 1st June 2025. For those of us who’ve followed Bristol Rovers for more than a few years, Roy wasn’t just a name in the background – he was the background. The kind of man who held the club together in a hundred quiet, unseen ways.

Roy’s story with Rovers goes way back. Born just around the corner from Eastville on Rose Green Road, football – and Rovers – were in his blood from day one. He started out as a young keeper on our books, playing for the junior sides. While he didn’t make it as a pro (a trial in ’58 didn’t lead to a contract), he stayed close to the game, playing for local sides like Rose Green, Lovells Athletic, Frome Town and Weston-super-Mare until injury ended his playing days.

But that wasn’t the end of Roy’s football story – far from it.

In 1965, he came back to the club to help with the youth setup, and over time became a key figure behind the scenes. After 16 years of part-time graft, he was offered a full-time role, eventually becoming our Youth Development Officer and later our Physiotherapist. He wasn’t a qualified physio, but that didn’t stop him stepping up in big moments – saving two players’ lives on the pitch: Aiden McCaffery in 1984 (who swallowed his tongue during a match at Southend) and Ian Alexander in 1988 (who swallowed his dental plate in an FA Cup tie at Twerton Park). Proper hero stuff.

When the FA brought in rules requiring chartered physios, Roy had to step back from first-team duties, but he kept working with the reserves and youth teams right up until 2003. And that was Roy through and through – no fuss, no headlines, just doing what needed to be done for the good of the club.

But what really made Roy special wasn’t just the job titles – Youth Officer, Physio, Goalkeeping Coach – it was everything else he did. Packing the van with Kitman Ray Kendall, fixing the club minibus, making sandwiches for the trainees, mopping the changing room floors. He was there for the club in ways that don’t show up on stat sheets or in matchday programmes, but they meant the world.

One of the things Roy always hoped for was to see a Rovers first team made up entirely of players who came through our youth system. We never quite managed all eleven, but during John Ward’s first spell in charge, we got to eight in a matchday squad. You just know that made Roy proud.

He was also a brilliant ambassador – visiting parents of young lads joining the club, making them feel part of the Rovers family. It’s hard to think of anyone who gave more to the club, on and off the pitch.

Roy Dolling was one of those rare people who quietly made everything better just by being there. A proper club man, a true Gashead, and someone who’ll never be forgotten by anyone lucky enough to know him.

Rest easy, Roy – and thank you for everything. 💙