Last season, Barton guided Bristol Rovers back to League One with a 7-0 thrashing of Scunthorpe United in the last game of the season, which provided them with the required goal difference over Northampton Town to gain automatic promotion.
Bristol Rovers are in 14th place in the league table and on Wednesday saw their seven-match unbeaten run extended to eight games after their 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Barton expressed his pride in his team’s performance against the Owls and revealed his desire to bring the Gas’ fanbase to larger venues such as Hillsborough in the future.
The Bristol Rovers manager acknowledged that he does not want to go back to taking the Gas to smaller grounds.
“My ambition was to get the club back to this level because maybe Sheffield Wednesday are below the level they should be at, but to get the club back competing with this calibre of opposition”, Barton was quoted as saying by Bristol Live.
“This is where we want to be.
“With the greatest respect, I don’t want to be travelling to Crawley and Sutton and that’s with the greatest respect to them.
“We want to be playing in these arenas and bringing our fanbase.
“I’m proud of the lads tonight and proud of the football club.”
Next, Barton’s side will lock horns with Paul Warne’s Derby County at the weekend, and the Gas will be motivated to continue their unbeaten run.
