Most people who come from the northern Bristol suburb of Southmead are football fans — but things are changing.
Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears — and in particular, former Southmead resident, 27-year-old lock Joe Joyce — have been inspirational to the next generation there.
Joyce’s passion for his roots is as infectious as it is obvious. After all, he isn’t nicknamed ‘The King of Southmead’ for nothing.
Bristol Bears Joe Joyce is helping to boost the popularity over rugby in Soutmead
‘I loved growing up in Southmead. I was so obsessed with all sports from a young age, I never had time to see the bad side everyone talks about. It’s the same as any council estate. There are good areas and bad areas and good people and not-so-good people,’ Joyce told Sportsmail.
‘There is a strong community there and the love I feel from the area is amazing. I get loads of messages from people saying they are proud of me.
‘These are the things that keep me going and my biggest motivation is seeing the young kids come through from Southmead.
The 27-year-old (top) admitted even he prefers football to rugby but is not very good at it
‘I went to the reopening of the playground after it got burned down a few years ago. All I could see were kids playing rugby. Usually, it’s all football in Southmead but things are changing and rugby is being taken seriously there which makes me very proud.
‘Even I prefer football — I’m just not very good at it!’
The giant second row still retains close ties to the area. His rugby journey started at St Bede’s Catholic school in Lawrence Weston and after spells at St Mary’s Old Boys Rugby Club and Filton College, he joined Bristol’s academy.
The second row joined Bristol at age 14 when the Memorial Ground was the team’s home ground
When Joyce signed on with the Bears at 14, Bristol was a very different club to the Premiership outfit now run by billionaire owner Stephen Lansdown.
For starters, the Memorial Ground was the team’s home, not Ashton Gate as it is now.
‘The club has come such a long way,’ Joyce admitted. ‘When I joined the academy, there were only four players and we would turn up once a week to train.
‘There was no branded kit, we would do half an hour in the gym and then some skills. Other clubs had their academies in leagues but there wasn’t the
