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A chance email from Bristol Rovers has prompted a kind gesture from a Millwall fan towards a young Gashead.

Millwall fan Phil Simmonds attended the Memorial Stadium to see his side qualify for the play-offs in 2017, but was forced to buy tickets in the Gas' home end after failing to secure a place among fans travelling from East London.

As such, Simmonds was placed on Rovers' mailing list, which has allowed him to keep up-to-date with the goings on at the club.

When he received an email from Rovers asking if the club could be of any help during the coronavirus outbreak, Simmonds revealed he was touched enough to offer his own support.

He explained: "My family and my beloved Millwall are the two big loves in my life, and I love both unconditionally, and passionately.

"Football is a huge part of my life, probably like every other (non-Premier-League-football) fan.

"At Millwall we have huge respect for the football family, because without rival teams there would be no football.

"I have visited Rovers’ stadium with Millwall on four occasions many years ago, and I attended ‘that match’ on April 30, 2017 when Millwall beat Rovers 3-4 with an 85th minute winner from Hutch which put us in the play-offs, through which then ultimately beat Bradford 1-0 at Wembley to secure promotion to the Championship.

"Apologies, but I bought a ticket in the home end because our allocation was sold out, but I came, and went in peace and with total respect.

"Since that match, I have received ongoing emails from the Gas keeping me informed and updated with Rovers news.

"Recently I received another email checking everything is OK with me in these tough times of the lockdown. That touched me - Bristol Rovers are a very caring, very special and unique football club."

As a way of assuaging his guilt of sneaking into the home end at Rovers, Simmonds contacted the Gas, offering to sponsor a young fans' season ticket for the 2020/21 campaign if they found a family that were unable to afford one.

The Gas' commercial director, Tom Gorringe, subsequently informed Simmonds that popular Rovers fan Pete Broom, known as Baz, had recently passed away due to the pandemic.

After learning that Baz's daughter was still keen to attend Rovers with her uncle, Simmonds was inspired to buy season tickets for the pair of them.

He said: "I replied to the email confessing that I am actually a Millwall fan, and as a gesture of my thanks, guilt and apology for buying that ticket in your home end I offered to sponsor a young Rovers fans season ticket for 2020/2021.

"I was informed by Tom Gorringe, the commercial director of the devastating news that one of your fans had passed away but that his daughter, same age as my youngest son, still wanted to come along with her uncle to support her football team.

"I am not ashamed to say that I shed a few tears on hearing that news, and of course I was delighted to pay for her season ticket, and that of her uncle for 2020 / 2021.

"I am frankly humbled and feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to help, and I will always be here for the family next season and the season after and the season after.

"The Gas are now my second team, and I sincerely wish this family, and indeed all Rovers fans and the football club, all the very best for the future."

Paying tribute to Broom, Rovers said he typified the sort of community football fandom provides.

They said: "This outreach from Phil came at a sad time for the daughter of a long time season-ticket holder, Baz, after he tragically passed due to the COVID-19 pandemic - with his funeral taking place this week.

"Baz was a well-known and much-loved supporter who was valued by his friends in the stands in the Mem each week.

"He was an embodiment of the Rovers fanbase and the sense of the community it provides."