Bristol Rovers transfer for ex-Bristol City man had clear risks but it paid off | OneFootball

Former Bristol City striker Chris Martin's move to Bristol Rovers was a success

The Bristol Derby, played between Bristol Rovers and Bristol City, is one of the fiercest rivalries in the English Football League, but the two sides have not locked horns since September 2013, when City emerged as 2-1 victors over Rovers in the EFL Trophy.

That night, Robins forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas scored from long range after just 12 minutes, before Rovers centre-back Mark McChrystal levelled proceedings on the hour mark.

A then teenage Joe Bryan ensured the red side of the West Country city would take the spoils, though, as he curled the ball into the top corner with his weak foot with just 14 minutes left to play.

Despite the fact that the Robins and the Gas have not clashed for over a decade now, their rivalry remains very much intact, so it can be controversial whenever any player plies their trade for both sides during their career.

One particularly prominent example of that is striker Matty Taylor, who left Rovers to join City in 2017, when the Robins activated his £300,000 release clause.

His transfer sparked fury among the Gas faithful, as he became the first player to move directly from the Memorial Stadium outfit to their cross-city rivals for 30 years.

Bristol Rovers' move for ex-Bristol City man Chris Martin was risky but paid off

Striker Chris Martin plied his trade for the Robins from September 2020 until January 2023, making 95 appearances in which he scored 17 goals.

The Ashton Gate faithful will have had fond memories of the 2021/22 Championship season in which he notched 12 goals and six assists in 45 second tier outings.

However, the subsequent 2022/23 campaign did not go to plan for Martin and the Robins, as he scored just one goal in 17 league appearances before his contract was terminated via a mutual agreement in January 2023.

The former Robins striker went on to join Queens Park Rangers just days later, but his time with the West London club was short-lived as he made just 16 outings for them, scoring four goals in the process.

Then, by September 2023, he completed his move to Rovers, just months on from his time with bitter rivals City.

After the forward crossed such a fierce divide, albeit not directly like the aforementioned Taylor, there was a real risk that the Gas faithful could quickly turn against Martin if he did not perform well for their side, given his affiliations to their bitter rivals, the Robins.

However, Martin's first season in Rovers colours was a great success, as he notched 16 goals in 34 outings for them in League One last term, which helped his side finish 15th in the third tier.

Martin delivered what Rovers wanted upon his arrival

When Martin first signed for the Memorial Stadium side, then Gas boss Joey Barton said: "We are delighted to get Chris in with us and add another striker to our group.

"He joins us at a good time and his presence will further add experience and quality to our squad.

"We are looking forward to seeing him have an impact in the coming months."

In the months which subsequently unfolded, Martin provided exactly the sort of quality Barton alluded to, as he scored at an average of one goal every two games in League One last season.

Most impressively, though, the former Robins man scored goals on a regular basis during his first season with the Gas while carrying the extra pressure of being a former City player who had to win supporters over, and the potentially risky move worked out for Rovers too.