Bristol Rovers fans issue open letter to club owner after relegation to League Two

Bristol Rovers fans issue an open letter to club owner Hussain Alsaeed after suffering relegation to League Two this week.

Both Rovers and Crawley Town were relegated from League One following Burton Albion’s 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday night.

Three years after Bristol Rovers’ historic 7-0 win over Scunthorpe and promotion to League One, the club has faced challenges.

Kuwaiti businessman Hussain AlSaeed became sole owner in 2023, but the club has seen significant turnover, with key figures like CEO Tom Gorringe and director of football George Friend departing.

Since Joey Barton’s sacking in October 2023, two managers, Matt Taylor and Inigo Calderon, have been appointed.

Taylor faced disruptions, including the unexpected addition of Lee Cattermole to his coaching staff, before his dismissal. The club has struggled to recapture the highs of that promotion season.

The open letter, has, at the time of writing, had around 1,300 signatures. Sign it HERE.

Our relegation to Sky Bet League Two has been confirmed following results elsewhere this evening. pic.twitter.com/6ZtyxxHW8o

— Bristol Rovers (@Official_BRFC) April 29, 2025

Sad day.. feel sorry for all the die hard supporters and a lot of staff behind the scenes who care. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into getting the club into the division.

— Glenn Whelan (@Glenn6Whelo) April 30, 2025

Sad times! After weal and everyone he brought in turned that club around and got the club back into league 1. Feel for the loyal gasheads and the staff members who have been there through it all.

— Aaron Collins (@aaroncollinsx) April 30, 2025

A day with an ever-changing atmosphere at the Mem..

Bristol Rovers all but relegated after another loss. Fans upset, players and head coach Calderon devastated. Criticism from some amongst a fractured fanbase for the owners… @itvwestcountry @TalkingGasPod #bristolrovers #UTG pic.twitter.com/hkGwrXSXvy

— Ross Arnott (@RossArnottITV) April 27, 2025

Open Letter to Hussain Alsaeed

Dear Hussain Alsaeed,

I am writing to you today not in anger, but with a deep sense of sadness and concern for the future of Bristol Rovers Football Club — a club that so many of us have supported through thick and thin, and one that now finds itself relegated to League Two.

This relegation is not just a failure on the pitch. It is the result of months of chaos, instability, and, increasingly, reports of behind-the-scenes interference — particularly involving your son in player signings and even team selection. Multiple former managers have hinted publicly at this involvement, leaving supporters to piece together the troubling picture we now see clearly.

The fans are hurting. We are devastated by what has happened to our club, and we are desperate for answers. Silence and distance are not acceptable anymore. We plead with you — speak to the supporters. Explain what has gone wrong. Be honest about the mistakes that have been made and the lessons that must now be learned.

More importantly, we ask you: what are you going to do to ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated next season? What safeguards will be put in place to make sure that footballing decisions are left to experienced professionals and not influenced by personal connections? How can we trust that the leadership of Bristol Rovers understands the damage that has already been done — and is willing to change?

This club belongs to its fans as much as anyone else. It is woven into the lives of generations of people who love it fiercely and deserve much better than the secrecy, mismanagement, and decline we have witnessed.

Please — talk to us. Address us. Show us that you recognize the seriousness of this moment and that you respect the people who have stood by this club long before your involvement, and who will stand by it long after.

The future of Bristol Rovers depends on honesty, accountability, and change. We are waiting — and we will not simply be ignored.

Sincerely

“I would like to stay here especially because I think the business hasn’t been done for me, obviously,” Bristol Rovers’ Inigo Calderon told BBC Radio Bristol.

“I feel a big part of the relegation, big time, but it’s true that it’s not up to me.

“I have to have a conversation with the board, it’s not an easy one for them either. They have to make a great decision because next year is going to be massive.”

“It’s something that we created, we deserve because after that many games you are down there it is not unlucky. It is difficult to take but at the same time we have to take it,” he added.

“Now we have time to reflect and to see things we should do better for the future, for the club, for everyone.”

Even when Bristol Rovers were clear of the bottom four Calderon was saying that he did not think the club were “safe”, but thought their downward spiral had at least halted.

“Maybe everyone was thinking it was already done, I was thinking that it was not done but it’s true that I thought OK, we had stopped the falling,” he said.

“Then you start in a bad run and you have to be really strong to go out from that bad run, and we were not a strong team because of everything before makes you go back to that bad mental status.”

Here’s what Twitter users are saying on social media as Bristol Rovers fans issue an open letter to the club owner after relegation to League Two…

@Ben_Carter94: Sign league 2 players you get league 2 football, shock

@BenWilliams1985: 1 point from the last 9 games but apparently its results elsewhere that’s been our downfall?! Have we ever been so disconnected from this shambles of a football club than we are right now?

@MarcusPlank96: Absolutely deserved. To be 9 points clear in mid March and to pick up a single point from the next 9 games is nothing short of a disgrace – serious questions need to be answered from top to bottom, club is a mess #UTG

@JaseGrinham: Joke of a season. Joke of a owner. Joke of a team. Joke of managers. Massive summer rebuild needed all round but we’re Gasheads and we’re ‘Faithful & true’ & ‘We always follow the boys in blue & white’. We’ll be back…. ⛽️😢

@Nichola24192020: Bloody down for a long time. Lacklustre professional football players. UTG 💙. Fingers crossed most of this pathetic team will be moved on in pre season.

@_joshuahemmings: An embarrassment of a season. Disgraceful from top to bottom. #UTG ⛽️ | #BristolRovers 🔵⚪️

@milbil_music:so glad i’m done with this season1 W3 D8 L2250 miles travelled, 3 goals scored, 21 conceded.bin this spineless squad off and we go again next season

@NeilMaggs2: And all largely self inflicted and avoided. I will not be renewing my season ticket until the club sorts itself out, on and off the field. Rather go watch local non-league like Weston, Mangotsfield and Bath etc.

@Ryann_BRFC_95: Huge shoutout to the owners, you got your wish, you got us out of League One with a game to spare so it’s gonna be a proper party atmosphere at Blackpool (A). Unbelievable stuff, we’ll be talking about this for years to come.

@ewancampbell98: Terrible season. Feel for the fans… this is not the direction the club was supposed to be going.