August 20, 2019 should be a feisty affair at the Mem and one no Bristol Rovers fan will want to miss.
What was initially viewed as an agreeable home fixture to collect three points early in the season has now taken on considerably greater significance.
Tranmere Rovers are the visitors to north Bristol on that Tuesday evening and in their ranks will be Stefan Payne. One of the most costly transfer flops for the Gas in recent memory but also an individual whose relationship with the fans could barely be any worse.
After arriving from Shrewsbury for £200,000 last summer, Payne struggled to live up to his reputation in the blue and white quarters and infamously swore at the travelling support following a 1-0 defeat at Barnsley in October - a gesture he initially denied.
That incident saw him fined by the club but there was to be no way back and gradually he slipped from first-team view before being sent out on loan back to the Shrews by Graham Coughlan.
Over the next six months there have been a few playful exchanges on social media with Gasheads but, despite all that had happened, there was a sense that redemption could be achieved if he was prepared to work for his place in the team.
Payne was denied that opportunity at Rovers when his contract was cancelled on Friday enabling him to sign for Tranmere, but upon being unveiled at Prenton Park he couldn't resist one final insult towards Rovers.
Tweeting his arrival, he posted the message: "Happy to have signed for Tranmere Rovers. Thank you for all your kind messages, cannot wait to play in front of a proper fan base."
Understandably, that unleashed severe wrath on social media with Rovers fans delivering their own verdict on Payne who can now expect to feel the full force of their anger when he returns to Bristol on August 20.
