Butler reaches 1000: 20 key games that helped shape Severn Sport
This weekend saw me reach 1000 Gloucestershire football games covered and with that in mind I thought what better way to celebrate than to look at 20 key matches that will always live in my memory and games that helped shape Severn Sport as it is today.
15th October 2011 – Gloucester City 7-2 Truro City – FA Cup Third Qualifying Round (1)
My first ever game. It all started with an e-mail from Matt Phillips, the then Chairman of the Supporter’s Trust, to my Uni lecturer looking for commentators for Tigers Radio. I worked at B&Q in Hatherley at the time and told them that I had to swap Saturdays to Sundays for a “university project” in reality, it was to commentate and start this journey.
Hell of a game to start and in the FA Cup of all competitions. I still have the DVD of the game thanks to Matt Yates and to conclude the shout-out of Matts, Matt Rose is the answer to the never to be seen quiz question of who scored the first goal of a Ryan Butler commentary!
20th October 2012 – Gloucester City 1-0 Chippenham Town – FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round (27)
It’s that competition again, the FA Cup. At this point I had done a number of City games and returned for my first full season in 2012/13 and this was when I really hit my stride with it all. Myself and Yatesey began to do Severn FM during this season and hosting radio shows and the transition from Tigers Radio to Severn Sport was well underway.
The game itself wasn’t particularly good but then I dropped the line as the board went up of “5 minutes…that is plenty of time to win a football match…” and within sixty seconds, Lewis Hogg and Will Morford combined to give Darren Edwards the glory of sending City into the First Round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in 20+ years. Incredible moment and one I am proud of.
27th April 2013 – Colwyn Bay 1-0 Gloucester City – Blue Square Conference North (47)
This game I picked because it could have potentially been my final game. It was the last game of the 2012/13 season and I was set to move back to Reading with no concrete timescale of my full time return. I went home with the intention of saving up to move back to Gloucestershire to see what Severn Sport can achieve.
In terms of the game, I do not remember any of it. We had travelled with the City fans for Colwyn Bay away the season prior as well but occasions like this were special as travelling on the coach with the fans was a great way for me to learn about the club and Gloucestershire football as a whole.
16th August 2016 – Worcester City 2-3 Gloucester City – Vanarama National League North (79)
By now Severn Sport was a thing. We launched the original website in 2011/12 and after being back in Gloucester for over a year, I now had a job that enabled me to have the majority of Saturday’s off and the 16/17 was where it began to really pick up – it coincided with big events on and off the field.
This game was great. Luke Hopper bagging one of his many hattricks during a special, special season for the Tigers. It was their final season at Whaddon Road and Tim Harris really had a special group. This win was huge at the time and the season didn’t disappoint.
29th April 2017 – Stockport County 1-1 Gloucester City – Vanarama National League North (104)
During the 2016/17 season I was able to cover a lot of games, reaching 100 in the process. But with this one being the last game of the campaign it signalled a change in direction for Severn Sport. Yatesey had got married and him, Kelsey and I had a chat at the end of the season and he told us he was stepping away to concentrate on starting a family…pretty selfish… – joking!
This game will always be in my top 5 games and I think for Kelsey too. Gloucester City matched a massive side in the division in Stockport and in front of a then record setting crowd at Edgeley Park. An insane atmosphere and a hell of a memory.
7th July 2017 – Fairford Town 1-1 Shortwood United – Pre-season Friendly (105)
The first friendly to be included and whilst in the wider picture it is insignificant, this marked the new era for Severn Sport. Matt had left and neither Kelsey and I drove, so Kelsey and I decided that we would just cover as low a level as possible and just enjoy football, not just Gloucester City and it was the best decision we ever made.
Ironically I was at this game with Matt, but having that ability to come to games whenever he wanted, with no pressure, is something he and Kelsey still enjoy today as it is a chance for two or three mates to just catch up and watch football together. It is always special to me to go to a game with either of them.
13th July 2019 – Tuffley Rovers 5-6 Cheltenham Saracens – Severn Sport Shield Final (295)
I had to pick one of the Severn Sport Shield finals and whilst this wasn’t the first, it is still the best. Tuffley were exceptional hosts and Cheltenham Saracens were worthy winners.
The Shield continues to be well supported by clubs and spectators every season and whilst I enjoy it, it is very stressful when you are the sole organiser and put more pressure on myself like I do. But this final was superb.
7th August 2019 – Brockworth Albion 3-3 Frampton United Reserves – Reg Davis Cup Second Round (306)
I have said it before, the Reg Davis Cup and the FA Vase are my two favourite competitions to cover. This cup provides me with everything I love about covering local football – big finals (which we will look at later) but also midweek games in public areas and proper grassroots. I have also been lucky enough to see plenty of penalty shoot-outs too!
This game is also the best day of Ryan Mann’s life and I am saying that whilst knowing he has a young child. Frampton raced to a 2-0 lead but then Dan and Jordan Alderman put in an unreal shift between them. Mann saved a penalty during the game then two more in the shoot-out for Frampton to secure victory. Incredible.
2nd November 2019 – Falmouth Town 3-2 Longlevens – FA Vase Second Round (337)
I don’t always share too much of my private, private life, but this game meant more to me than anyone ever knew. The 2nd November is my Auntie’s birthday and this game was on her first birthday since her passing, so it would have been an emotional one for me no matter what, but for it to be a long trip away with Longlevens it felt like a big deal, at least to me anyway.
I was the only one in the ground bar in the dugout who wanted Longlevens to win and when they were 2-0 up it looked perfect. But a heart-breaking defeat helped teach me that these occasions aren’t all about winning, they are about weekend’s away with a group of mates and enjoying football, win, lose or draw.
24th September 2020 – Tuffley Rovers U18s 4-1 Bath City U18s – FA Youth Cup Second Qualifying Round (390)
I have picked this game in particular as it was one of the final games pre-Covid and shows the fond memories I will have of covering U18s football.
Whilst I always say that the 2017/18 Gloucester City U18s side under Ken Blackburn & Neil Mustoe is still the best U18s side I have ever seen, Michael Palmer’s Tuffley side gave me the best moments and this FA Youth Cup run was one of them.
Rudi McKinnon, James Sunley and Charlie Holliday in particular used to bully some of the opponents and helped make history for Tuffley before the world would shut down and football had to take a step back.
15th December 2020 – Gloucester City 4-2 Needham Market – FA Trophy Second Round (412)
During Covid I was very lucky. Media were allowed to go to the games that were being played behind closed doors, so it meant Kelsey and I were able to go and watch Gloucester City when they were infamously top of the National League North, before even then the season was null and voided.
This game had to be in the list for me, it was the first time I saw Gloucester City play in Gloucester in front of a crowd as they returned to Meadow Park. Moments like that are special and I’m thankful to have been there to see it after all of the stories I was told by the likes of Dave Jones, Matt Phillips and the Gloucester City fans during those away days between 2011-13.
17th July 2021 – Cinderford Town 4-1 Tuffley Rovers – Severn Sport Shield Final (446)
The second Severn Sport Shield final on the list and this one is because it was the first one held after-Covid. We made the decision 12 months prior to not hold the tournament as teams just wanted to play and get back to some normality, the Shield wasn’t needed.
It was a new experience for us organising the event, with multiple risk assessments and Covid measures in place. In reality, it was one of the best tournaments for on the field quality we have seen to be honest.
19th September 202 – Gloucester City 3-1 Longlevens – FA Cup Second Qualifying Round (472)
At nearly 500 games, this is the best occasion I have experienced in terms of local football. An absolutely packed Meadow Park to see Longlevens take on Gloucester City in the FA Cup and when Cam Williams, a man I had seen in that City U18s side years prior and a guy I’m delighted to call a friend, scored that goal to take the sides in level at the break – there was almost a fear that Longlevens could do it.
The build up to the game was great. It had to be switched after originally being drawn at Saw Mills and the money earned from that FA Cup run gave me great insight into just how much a cup run can help Hellenic level sides and the impact those runs can have. Astonishing.
17 October 2021 – Tuffley Rovers Ladies 5-5 Gloucester City Women Devs – GFA Women’s Trophy (486)
I like to try and improve Severn Sport’s coverage season upon season and expand as much as I can without leaving us too thin in quality and after Covid one of the things I was keen to do is cover Women’s football. This is something that has come on leaps and bounds over the years and has seen female winners of the Player of the Month and Women’s football specific awards at the End of Season Awards.
This game, is the best Women’s game I have covered. When Jess Dobbins made it 5-5 in injury time to send it to penalties, she dived into the crowd behind the goal in one of the most iconic moments ever. It almost makes you forget about Kate Ambrey’s stunning effort that had looked to have won the tie before that! Exceptional game and one I will never forget.
18th October 2022 – Dursley Town 2-3 Chalford – Reg Davis Cup Final (607)
The Reg Davis Cup final is one of the best dates in the football calendar for me. We have been so, so lucky to have seen some spectacular story-telling finals and this one ranks as the best.
The Ryan Harry final, scoring a hattrick including a stunning 88th minute winner to break Dursley hearts and give Chalford one leg of a league and cup double – which they would secure whilst going unbeaten in the league. It was an occasion and a half at a packed Thornhill Park and showed just how big grassroots football in Gloucestershire is.
29th April 2023 – Gloucester City 4-3 Chorley – Vanarama National League North (688)
The 23/24 season was special for Gloucester City and whilst they would go on to play in a classic play-off game against Brackley Town, the Chorley game is the one that I still think about.
City needed to win to stand a chance of the play-offs and were 3-1 down with 15 minutes to go. I was the phone-in reporter for the BBC as well as covering for Severn Sport and I was starting to think of what to say about City chucking it away, but then a Matthew Barnes-Homer double meant it was 3-3 in injury time.
Chorley themselves would have made the play-offs with a win, so when the leveller came both sets of fans looked set to be disappointed, but then Tope Obadeyi’s 97th minute winner and the full time whistle triggered absolute bedlam and the out-pouring of emotion that only football can give you.
16 April 2024 – Thornbury Town 1-2 Longlevens – Hellenic League Premier Division (830)
I had to include a Hellenic League match, as our most covered league these days. This is the game I pick as I was actually in the dug-out for Longlevens on the night. Spider and Michael Palmer needed help on the final game of the season, so I was there to help set the warm-up out, fill the waters up and also gave the players a well done speech for surviving the threat of relegation with a strong end to the season.
Jack Beardsell scored twice and Longlevens went on to win the game and whilst it wasn’t anything special of a contest, it was a win, which means I have a 100% record as a coach in the Hellenic League. Just call me Pep.
30 April 2025 – Bishops Cleeve 2-3 Malvern Town – Southern League Division One South Play-off Semi Final (967)
Last season was a great one for me and was fortunate enough to be invited onto BBC Gloucestershire to commentate Bishops Cleeve play-off game and it was an amazing occasion and a really good game of football.
I was introduced on the air as “Gloucestershire Football Expert” which is insane in itself, but James Young asked me about Hartpury University on the air and about some people have negative opinions on a university team making their way into step 4 and to get praise from Furls in the studio for how well I was able to put across my point was a big confidence booster.
1 May 2025 – Cheltenham Saracens U18s 4-2 Shortwood United – CYFL Severn Sport Cup Final (968)
Last season we sponsored the CYFL’s U18s league cup for the first time and it is still a real honour to do so. To have a cup on FA Full Time with our name on it means a lot to me and for the first final to be an action-packed goal fest is superb.
Sarries were worthy winners in a really entertaining game and it was a great occasion to again be a part of – I cannot wait for this season’s competition to get started in October.
23 August 2025 – Tuffley Rovers 0-2 Longlevens – FA Vase First Qualifying Round (1000)
And that brings us to game 1000 and the stars aligned to give me Tuffley vs Longlevens in one of my favourite competitions for the milestone.
I was asked why I didn’t make a big thing about game 1000 pre-game, like a huge commentary, looking for both clubs to do something to honour the occasion and the thing is, whether it is game 1 or 1000, the football is the main event and the match I am watching should always be centre stage – not me.
It was a typical tough-tackling derby with plenty of action and plenty of drama and incredibly, we get to experience it all again on Bank Holiday Monday.
I want to thank everyone for their continued support of myself and Severn Sport over the years, which has enabled me to get to the 1000 game milestone. I still love every second of going to games, hosting radio shows, creating content on the website, Spotify and Amazon Music.
We keep going and will look to continue to make Gloucestershire football a better place – with the 2027/28 season marking 10 years of the “modern-era” of Severn Sport, so we now look ahead to that.
Check out Brian Rossiter’s Flickr account for all of his pictures by clicking here
