The Penney drops

AT last we have a new manager - and just in time for our bottom-of-the-table clash against Walsall at the Mem.
The man who has been appointed is Dave Penney, formerly in charge at those footballing strongholds of Doncaster, Darlington and Oldham. Already there seem to be some restless natives suggesting that he wasn't the person they were hoping for.
Of course, they were banking on Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez or perhaps Guus Hiddink, who might have taken time out of his busy schedule to rescue the mighty Gas from their current predicament.
I, however, am delighted. He's a manager who understands the lower divisions, has experienced success before - launching Doncaster on their return from obscurity to a comfortable position in the Championship - and is used to getting by on a shoestring budget.
Other names were mentioned - Paul Hart and Geraint Williams among them - and they both might have done a decent job, but neither has the experience Penney brings to the table.
Some of my belief, though, goes back to his playing days.
I came across Dave during a previous life as a journalist on the Welsh national Sunday newspaper, creatively named Wales on Sunday.
At the time he was absolutely revered in Swansea as the captain of Jan Molby's sublime footballing side who only missed out on automatic promotion from the bottom division because Fulham and Wigan beat them to it.
How? Well a certain business mogul named Mohammed Al Fayed had just taken over at Craven Cottage and the owner of the JJB sports empire Dave Whelan had started pumping money into his home town club oop north.
Where are those two sides now? Both sitting pretty in the Premier League.
As for Molby's side, despite being quite a few points clear of their nearest rivals they ended up having to go through the lottery of the play-offs.
They reached the Wembley final, only to lose to Northampton with the last kick of the game, a flukey free kick by a side which until then had barely threatened the Swans goal.
For Gasheads the name of the Northampton manager on that day will be all too familiar, a certain Ian Atkins.
Penney was later to move on to Swansea's arch rivals Cardiff City and was instantly installed as captain, but was never that popular because of his history with the "hated" Jacks. Unfortunately the move, which he insisted came about because Swansea had stitched him up over a new deal, also sullied his reputation with their fans.
When today's announcement was made I got in touch with one of my former colleagues, a huge Swansea fan.
His words were: "Dai Penney was a huge Swans hero, captain under Molby playing great football. Real leader in good side."
Real leader.
A person who demands respect.
Someone who knows his own mind and has gravitas and authority.
In other words, just the kind of person Bristol Rovers need now to rally the troops, get his message across and plot our way out of this League One bunker we've dug for ourselves.
I hope everyone will be right behind him.
I have already been impressed with his first press conference.
He says he likes attacking football, which is perhaps an easy soundbyte, but if he learnt anything from Molby that will certainly stand him in good stead. That Swansea side WERE good and they haven't veered from the blueprint since then.
He also says he has identified targets in the transfer market, and if anything needs to happen with the transfer window already wide open, it is that we need some fresh blood to liven the place up.
But the most impressive thing of the lot was when he was asked if he would be in charge for the Walsall game.
It would have been so easy to say he was leaving it to Darren Patterson, as the caretaker boss had been taking training and developing a game plan for tomorrow. In that way he could have escaped any recriminations or blame if the result had gone against us, heaping the burden onto his predecessor's shoulders.
But he didn't. He simply answered yes.
It indicates a man who is ready to front up, stand and fall by his own decisions and back his judgment to the hilt.
I don't care what Oldham fans say about him. He was sacked by the club after the supporters turned against him.
All that means is he is a little bit older and wiser now, just as Trolls will be when he takes up his next managerial appointment.
I wish him all the best.