It was a decision that cost him his place in Gerry Francis’ side, saw him suspended on full pay and contributed to a remarkable fall-out with the manager.
Twentyman had been one of Rovers’ most dependable players during their promotion push, but when his brother’s wedding clashed with the club’s preparations for the play-offs, he refused to back down.
“I was suspended by Gerry Francis because I wouldn’t miss my brother’s wedding,” Twentyman told Football Presse.
“It was the eve of a play-off match and I was his best man.”
The timing could hardly have been worse.
Rovers had finished the 1988-89 Third Division campaign in the play-off places and were due to face Fulham over two legs, with the first game at Twerton Park on 21 May 1989.
Twentyman was not involved.
Rovers won 1-0 in Bath before travelling to Craven Cottage four days later, where they produced one of the great away performances in the club’s history, winning 4-0.
Twentyman watched from the sidelines.
“I got suspended and missed the play-offs,” he recalled.
“I was suspended on full pay, which was fine, but I missed the play-off games.”
Billy Clark came into the defence in his absence and Rovers reached the final against Port Vale, with the first leg at Twerton Park on 31 May and the second at Vale Park on 3 June.
Again, Twentyman could only watch.
Port Vale drew 1-1 in Bath before winning the second leg 1-0, denying Rovers promotion.
For Twentyman, the situation was made even more frustrating by the fact that the punishment did not end with the play-offs.
“I got a further one-week wage fine from the board,” he said.
That was when he decided to fight it.
“I went to Gordon Taylor, who was the PFA chief executive at the time, and said, ‘They can’t do this to me.’”
The Professional Footballers’ Association backed him, and Twentyman said the Football League ruled that Rovers could not punish him twice for the same offence.
“I’d already been suspended by the manager, so they couldn’t fine me again.”
There was a point when Twentyman thought the dispute might mean the end of his time at Bristol Rovers.
“I asked to be put on the transfer list.”
Bolton Wanderers and Scunthorpe United showed interest, but Twentyman eventually stayed.
The irony was that the defender who had missed the play-offs because he had chosen his family over football would go on to become a central figure in the Rovers side that finally achieved promotion the following season.
In 1989-90, Francis’ team won the Third Division title, with Twentyman playing a major role in the campaign. Rovers also reached Wembley for the first time, losing 2-1 to Tranmere Rovers in the Leyland DAF Cup final.
Twentyman’s dispute with Francis was eventually repaired.
“After the play-off final, Gerry and I made up,” he said.
“He said, ‘I understand why you did it, but you’ve got to understand why I did what I did.’”
It was a disagreement between two strong characters, but Twentyman’s willingness to challenge authority did not disappear when his playing career ended.
Almost a decade later, he found himself on the other side of the Bristol football divide, working for BBC Radio Bristol and giving his opinions on Bristol City.
In October 1998, City appointed Swedish coach Benny Lennartsson as director of coaching after John Ward’s departure. Lennartsson was given a broad remit to reshape a team struggling in the First Division.
Twentyman was critical of what he was seeing.
Eventually, Lennartsson confronted him.
“Benny, who was a really nice bloke, stood waiting, wearing his baseball cap and goes, ‘I read your comments and you are xenophobic.’”
Twentyman was furious.
“Well, I didn’t like that at all. I’m not xenophobic and I just didn’t like the way he accused me of something that was incorrect.”
Lennartsson continued to argue that Twentyman was criticising him because he was not English.
Twentyman's response was characteristically direct.
“I said, ‘No, no, no, I criticise and make subjective comments. The results are very poor, you are sliding down the league and you’re losing four and five nil.’”
Then came the line that eventually made it into Twentyman’s book, "Top Man".
“You’re a s*** football coach.”
Twentyman did not leave it there.
“And if you don’t improve things you’ll be looking for a new job, and that is not the comment of someone who’s xenophobic.”
Instead, he pointed to his own experience.
“It’s someone who’s played over 400 first-team games in English football, so deal with that.”
There was a difference between the two incidents.
In 1989, Twentyman was a player prepared to accept the consequences of standing by his family. In 1998, he was a broadcaster prepared to accept the consequences of telling a football coach exactly what he thought.
In both cases, the safer option was to keep quiet.
Twentyman chose not to.
And that may be the most consistent thread running through his football life: whether he was wearing a Bristol Rovers shirt or sitting behind a microphone, he was never particularly interested in saying something simply because it was convenient.
Geoff Twentyman is author of "Top Man: The Geoff Twentyman Story" from Pitch Publishing - which is available here.
