Mr Popular

A knight of the realm, who today celebrates 25 years of management at the same football club, once said: "Football, bloody hell!"
He should be a Bristol Rovers supporter.
Because these days I spent most of my time saying "Football, *!+&@!!*&=@!!"
Having beaten the powerhouse that is Dagenham and Redbridge last week, we Gasheads had to once again endure the frustration of losing the following week - this time 2-1to the almighty Accrington Stanley.
Our manager Paul Buckle and chairman Nick Higgs had both spent the week talking about the next target being "Back-to-back" wins, but within five minutes those plans had been ripped up as our defence stood aside and waved an 18-year-old through to score the home side's opener.
Honestly, it reminded me of the time when I played for my dad's cricket team at the age of 11 and, when going out to bat, the pace bowler came in off a 2-step run-up and delivered a slow bouncing ball underarm.
Did someone in our back four shout: "Give him a chance, he's only young"? because that's what it looked like on the Football League highlights.
After 30 minutes we were 2-0 down and then - as seems to happen too often these days - we managed to get a goal back early in the second half, just to tease us into believing we could actually get something out of the game.
Of course, it didn't happen, leaving me even more deflated than if we had been thoroughly trounced... at least I became almost immune to that last season.
And so, once again, those fans who were quite excited at the new era promised by Mr Buckle are now demanding that he is driven all the way back to Torquay pronto - even if the one-way ticket would cost us a small fortune.
Hmm.
It doesn't make it any easier that one of the players Buckle let go - Jo Kuffour - is now scoring goals for fun for one of our League 2 rivals Gillingham.
"Sod off Buckle, come back Jo," seems to be the common thread on the forums.
So let's return to that knight of the realm.
When Sir Alex Ferguson took over at Manchester United - a club, believe it or not, with a few more coppers in the kitty than we have at the Memorial Stadium - did he build a team in four months? Was he running away with the First Division after 17 games? Did all the players he enlisted turn up and play like world beaters straight away?
The answer to those questions is no, no and no.
In fact, it took the red-nosed one four years to win his first trophy - the FA Cup - and SEVEN YEARS to land his first Premiership trophy.
I think we all know what he has done since then.
And what about players? I recall Gary Pallister and Paul Ince both having nightmares in their first season.
Has the bloke been spot on with all his signings? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Eric Djemba-Djemba, Bebe and Juan Sebastien Veron. And there are many more.
Of course, if you're manager of Bristol Rovers you cannot afford to make such mistakes in the transfer market.
But you can't keep demanding a change in the manager every time things don't go the way you like.
Some fans will argue that Rovers, in that case, should have stuck with Paul Trollope.
But the truth was he HAD been given a reasonable amount of time to establish us in League One and though some claim he had managed to do that, results had been on a serious downward curve for a long time when he departed.
We can all get frustrated, angry, bemused about the current situation.
We don't like being in League 2. And there is a certain snobbishness about us which says that a better fan base should guarantee us success against the Dagenhams and Accrington's of this world.
But, as we know to our cost the last time we were down here, it doesn't work like that.
At the start of the season our board took the plunge, appointed an up-and-coming highly-rated young manager and asked him to turn things around.
As far as I know we didn't say "Turn things around by November, but don't get rid of any fans favourites, and make sure everyone you sign will be an instant success."
To my mind he can get rid of who he likes, when he likes - as long as he has a long-term vision for the club.
For our part, we have to give the manager and team our wholehearted support.
And, I'll be honest, I don't particularly like Paul Buckle.
I don't like the way he makes excuses, or the way he looks away from the camera with a smirk when answering certain questions. If I know anything about body language it suggests he may be being a bit disingenuous in what he says.
But then again football management isn't a popularity contest.
Is it, Sir Alex?