Bristol Rovers assistant Paul Raynor reveals bowel cancer diagnosis

Bristol Rovers assistant head coach Paul Raynor has revealed that he has bowel cancer and is due to begin chemotherapy and radiotherapy later this month. BBC Sport reported that the 60-year-old had discussed his diagnosis with the club’s website, saying he hoped to continue supporting the team while receiving treatment, provided he felt well enough.

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Raynor said doctors had found a tumour but that the cancer had not spread to any major organs. He described that as encouraging news and said he had been told there was a good chance the disease could be cured. His account was optimistic about treatment, but he did not present a return to coaching later in the season as certain.

The assistant said he wanted to remain at the club as much as possible and attend matches if his health permitted. He also expressed the hope that he would be back working with players on the training pitch later in the campaign. His plans for continued involvement were conditional on how he felt, rather than a commitment to maintain all his usual duties throughout treatment.

According to the BBC report, Raynor’s diagnosis followed an abnormal result from a sample he had submitted. He said his wife, Karen, had repeatedly encouraged him to send it after he initially delayed. About a week after submitting it, he was told he needed further checks. He recalled being informed by a consultant that a tumour had been found within an hour of that appointment.

Raynor joined Steve Evans at Bristol Rovers in December 2025 and helped the club avoid relegation to the National League. The pair’s working relationship stretches across nine clubs, beginning at Boston United and including Crawley Town, Rotherham United, Leeds United and Stevenage. Raynor said he had known and worked with Evans for 25 years, describing him as a close friend who had provided considerable support in recent weeks.

He also thanked Karen for prompting the test that led to the diagnosis and urged others to complete the tests they need. Raynor said he believed the situation could have been much worse had he not submitted the sample, while crediting the support he had received from people around him.