Former Bristol City coach Jamie McAllister leaves Bristol Rovers after less than six months

Jamie McAllister has left Bristol Rovers, Bristol Live understands, less than six months after becoming Matt Taylor's first appointment as Gas manager.

Having had spells in the south west as a player at Bristol City, Yeovil Town and Exeter City becoming being Lee Johnson's assistant at City, the Scotsman returned to Bristol in late December to become Taylor's assistant at Rovers with the pair knowing each other from undertaking their Pro Licences together.

The Rovers boss' arrival coincided with the departures of former interim manager Andy Mangan and coaches Glenn Whelan and Danny Ventre, while Kevin Bond, who had returned to the club on a part-time basis in November to assist Mangan, and goalkeeping coach Anssi Jaakkola stayed on.

McAllister was first seen as part of the coaching staff before the 2-1 home win against Charlton Athletic on December 29 with Taylor confirming his arrival in his post-match press conference that evening before the club officially announced his appointment as assistant manager when revealing the backroom team in early February.

The Scotsman would lead pre-game warm-ups and gave players instructions given by the Rovers manager from the dugout when Taylor served a two-game touchline ban in February, for the matches away at Northampton Town and at home to Carlisle United, but the manager still completed media duties before and after both games.

The Rovers boss then added his assistant at Rotherham United and Exeter Wayne Carlisle in February with the former Gas player returning to BS7 on a part-time basis as an independent player development coach.

Both Bond and Jaakkola confirmed their respective departures last month via Bristol Live and social media respectively while the club started advertising for a new first team coach earlier this week.

Bond had been part of Joey Barton's coaching staff in the League Two promotion season but left in 2022 before returning just over a year later whereas Jaakkola had been a player at Rovers between 2019 and 2023 before retiring at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and becoming the Gas' goalkeeping coach, making it five years in total at the club.

This summer is set to be one of change with 13 players departing at the end of last season while three coaches have also left the club with pre-season expected to begin on July 1.

Bristol Live understands that Rovers will confirm the numerous staffing changes at the club in due course having not officially announced the departures of Jaakkola, Bond and McAllister nor Head of Data and Analysis Adam Mahoney who left at the end of last season and has become Huddersfield Town's new Assistant Head of Recruitment.