McAllister incoming possibly?

Bristol Rovers set to add former Bristol City hero to Matt Taylor's coaching staff..By Daniel Hargraves

Jamie McAllister made over 200 appearances for Bristol City as a player and was assistant manager to Lee Johnson and Dean Holden at Ashton Gate

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Jamie McAllister (right) during his time as Bristol City assistant manager

Bristol Rovers are set to hire former Bristol City stalwart Jamie McAllister as a coach as Matt Taylor's backroom staff starts to take shape.

As first reported by the Daily Record, McAllister is expected to return to Bristol having rejected the chance to be assistant manager at Rovers' League One rivals Fleetwood Town earlier this year and was also interviewed for the managerial role at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The Scotsman was most recently at Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian where he had been assistant manager. However, the former City player and assistant manager will now be headed for the blue side of Bristol.

The Scotsman made over 200 appearances for City between 2006 and 2012 and also had playing spells at Exeter City and Yeovil Town. It was at Exeter where the now-45-year-old retired from playing in 2016, the same year that Gas boss and Exeter legend Matt Taylor retired having played for Bath City at the time.

After retirement, McAllister returned to City to become the Robins' U21s manager before being promoted to be Lee Johnson's assistant as well as Dean Holden's for a brief period before departing in 2020.

The coach then linked up with Johnson again at Sunderland and then at Hibernian before the former Robins manager's sacking in August.

Taylor is still yet to appoint any of his own staff having been in the job for almost a month. Former assistant and caretaker manager Andy Mangan and first-team coaches Danny Ventre and Glenn Whelan left Rovers before the 41-year-old's arrival. First-team coach Kevin Bond, goalkeeping coach Anssi Jaakkola and Head of Sports Science Tom Short have remained in their roles while Academy Manager Byron Anthony and Lead Professional Development Phase Coach Steve Tully have been assisting Taylor on what is understood to be a temporary basis.


The fact that the Gas boss hasn't been able to bring in any of his own staff yet was referenced by captain Sam Finley in his post-match interview after Saturday's defeat at Blackpool who said: "It's hard because he's on his own. At the moment he hasn't got his coaching staff and I feel sorry for him. That needs to be sorted by the club as quick as possible."

There has also been discussion as to whether Taylor's former assistant at Rotherham United and Exeter City and former Gas player Wayne Carlisle could make a return to Rovers as a coach after leaving the Millers last week where he had been caretaker manager before Leam Richardson's appointment. Carlisle was in attendance at the Mem for Rovers' 2-1 win over Portsmouth on Boxing Day but the reason as to why is unclear.

What McAllister's appointment means for coaching staff currently in place and future appointments is also unclear but it marks the start of a long awaited process.

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