Born Simon Rowlinson over 40 years ago now in sunny Manchester I moved to Teesside when I was 2yrs old so have little connection to the city, although most of my dad's family live there. You can actually see old Trafford from the hospital I was born in so naturally I'm an Everton fan.. I just found their passing play wonderful to watch on TV in the early 80s. From a very early age (about 4 I think) I got called Roly. This was helpful in school as there were 3 Simon's in my class including Northy who lived in the same street. 20 odd years later a spurs friend of mine (Chez) decided to call me Rolsten Pils after their new drinks sponsor. The Rolsten bit stuck and the Roy bit got added later. Very few of my friends get called by their real names Steely, Mows, Rigs, Spreads...  with Kendy and Massy two other Simons in our group.

So playing online football games I kept my nickname as my log on username (there are a few more Simon's on here as well!) Roy and Rolsten are for friends and football. Simon is for work and family - I'd better mention them as this is a Bio! I'm a civil servant and have worked with Andy (San Jose) and it was through work I met the love of my life over 10 years ago. I married her and we now have a daughter called Emily who turned 4yrs in September.

I have been a Darlington FC supporter since 1999, spent over 10 years as a season ticket holder, but as fatherhood took over my time I just try to get to the odd game in the season. Darlington went bust 3 years ago and reformed 5 divisions lower than where they started as Darlington 1883. they won the Evo-Stick division 1 in their first season with a record number of points and finished 2nd in the Northem League Division One in April 2014, but failed to get promotion as they had to go through the play-offs with only one automatic promotion and one play-off winner in a league of 24 teams!

Season 14/15 for Darlington 1883 was a battle at the top with Salford who are owned and funded by that ex-Man Utd bunch Giggs, Scholes, Butt and the Nevilles so we have my chosen local home town team vs my actual town of birth home team. Salford won the league but Darlington won the playoffs and promotion. Season 15/16 is starting well as we are top at the start of October. 

Season 18: Darlington were promoted as champions to the Conference North which means we'll now be in the division we should have been in 5 years ago when we went into administration. Plans to return to the town continue and we should hopefully start the next season there. My threenager continues to keep me occupied and we made a breakthrough recently when she decided she wasn't afraid of the lawnmower anymore so I could actually cut back our jungle of a back garden and she even helped push the mower.

Update Season 19: Darlington moved back into the Town on Boxing Day in front of a crowd of over 3000. The 'Tin Shed' stand from Feethams was replicated by a local blacksmith into a new stand for the ground using parts from the original he'd saved when the original was demolished and it's all looking good now. My daughter has now decided she's not afraid of the hairdryer either now which saves a lot of time after bathtime. 

2020 started really well as I finally got promoted at work. Strangely it wasn't particularly a job I wanted I just wanted to see what the new job application process was like and perhaps because I was more relaxed about it I got through. I like the job and the people I'm working with, but then COVID19 hit and my training for the job stopped after 2 weeks. So I'm currently learning on the job but I'm doing fine. Home life has of course changed - no pub, no football, no visiting relatives. The Mrs does the grocery shopping now after I get home. We do go for walks after work which is probably more exersize than the rest of the family were doing, although our waistlines aren't going down. too much home baking!

Update Season 27

I moved offices again in March 2021 - same job same town but the government converted an office into a covid secure environment so staff would be safe and the public could be seen safely as well. It's a good set up although it did feel a bit like a chicken run to start with, but the ability to sit next to other people and see them face to face is a great change. It's in a nice location too on the riverside very handy for my lunchtime walks around the river, although I am missing my walking companions who still have to work from home. 

My saturday morning jogs didn't take off and football is back on but in a bad bit of timing my daughter moved up to the next level in her swimming and we booked her onto saturday mornings only for the footy to re-start the next week. 

We have had our first proper holiday though at Centre Parcs in Cumbria which was brilliant. We'd been waiting for a year to return. I had been hoping to see red squirrels around the lodge but it was only on the last morning when I left at 7am to get the car that I found a pair running around in the forest.

Update season 30 - my old office has shut and the staff, including my wife and pub-going friends, have moved to Middlesbrough which is about 6 miles away. Because of home working most of them only have to actually go to the office 2-3 times a week which is a bit of a relief, but not so great for my lunchtime walks and Friday trips to the pub. All sadly knocked on the head. Emily's just passed her silver level junior life saver badge so only one more level before I can reclaim Saturday mornings for 5-a-side football.