Bristol Rovers were delighted to celebrate Supporter Services Manager Clare McDonagh’s 25th anniversary at the Club at the start of March.
Clare has been a loyal servant during her 25-year stay at the Gas, so it was only right to celebrate her commitment to the Club. Her anniversary came in March, the same as International Women's Day, with Clare being inspirational to everyone at the football club.
She was congratulated with a special presentation before the Pirates’ game against Rotherham United at The Memorial Stadium, with chairman Hussain AlSaeed presenting her with a framed shirt.
She is loved by Rovers' fanbase for her desire and commitment to ensure all issues are rectified as quickly as possible to the highest standard. All planned as a massive surprise, Clare was stunned by the day.
“It was overwhelming over the weekend, and all came as a massive surprise,” she said. “I really appreciated what the Club did. Getting to The Mem in the morning, like any other matchday, I was surprised to see all of my close colleagues in the office waiting to greet me with a round of applause, flowers and food.
“Nevertheless, like any other matchday, after all the celebrations, it was straight back to work to help the fans with their tickets for the games and season tickets for next season. Then, at half-time, to be presented with a shirt at half-time was truly wonderful and an experience I will never forget.
“After 25 years, you think you have seen everything in football, but getting to walk out onto the pitch to such a great cheer is something that I did not expect. You do not realise how many people you might have helped or know you until that moment, and it has only inspired me to keep going.”
Clare is well known amongst Gasheads and is highly appreciated around the Club for going above and beyond to help fans get their tickets before and on a matchday, with her connection with the fans being her favourite part of the job.
“I love my job,” she smiled. “I love the interactions with the fans. That’s the main part. I've built a very good relationship with the fans. They are the most important part of every football club up and down the country, so it is a pleasure to talk to them and make their experience at The Mem the best it can be.”
Her 25 years have been full of ups and downs on the pitch, with plenty of people coming and going during her time at the Gas. With so much happening at the Club in that time, she has fond memories of the promotions from the Conference Premier and League Two.
“It’s the promotions and any Wembley trips where we have won promotion is the highlights,” she stated. “They are my favourite times that I can remember as it’s a reward for all the staff that work tirelessly every day to make the Club the best that it can be but most importantly for the fans, who travel the length of the country to support the boys on the weekend.
“The win on penalties over Grimsby Town at Wembley in front of almost 50,000 fans was very special. Then, following it up the following year with a promotion to League One was unbelievable. Of course, it will be difficult to beat our unbelievable 7-0 win over Scunthorpe United at The Mem, with it being something that will probably never happen again anywhere in football.”
“I’ve seen a lot of people come and go over the last 20 years. I think I’m on about 28 managers and probably even more than that.
“The club has progressed forward with ticketing and retail and customer service since I’ve been here over the last 25 years. I’m very happy. It’s all moving forward and moving into the 21st century. We seem to be a lot more organised. So, it’s all good.”
Despite all the changes, the one constant during her entire time is the fanbase, with Rovers fans attending every week to support the Club. A Gashead through and through, Clare enjoys being part of the family here at Bristol Rovers.
“I love being here and love being part of the Gas family."
