Bristol Rovers F.C. facts for kids
 |
|||
| Full name | Bristol Rovers Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Pirates, The Gas | ||
| Founded | 1883 | ||
| Ground | Memorial Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 12,534 | ||
| Owner | Hussain AlSaeed | ||
| Manager | Matt Taylor | ||
| League | League One | ||
| 2018–19 | League One, 17th of 24 | ||
|
|
|||
Bristol Rovers Football Club is a professional association football team from Bristol, England. The team plays in League One, which is the third level of English football. Their official nickname is "The Pirates" because Bristol has a long history with the sea. People in Bristol also call them "The Gas" because their old stadium was next to a gasworks. Since 1996, Bristol Rovers has played their home games at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield.
The club spent 89 years at Eastville Stadium in North Bristol. After selling that land, they played for ten years at Twerton Park in Bath. The nickname "The Gas" was first used by fans of their main rivals, Bristol City, to make fun of them. But Bristol Rovers fans liked it and made it their own. Their other big rivals include Cardiff City and Swindon Town. They also have rivalries with other teams in the West Country, like Cheltenham Town and Plymouth Argyle. Bristol Rovers also has a women's team that plays in the FA Women's National League.
The club started in 1883 as Black Arabs F.C. In 1892, they joined the Bristol & District League as Eastville Rovers. They became professional and changed their name to Bristol Rovers in 1899. They won the Southern League in 1904–05. In 1920, they joined the Football League. They were promoted to the Second Division in 1952–53 and again in 1973–74. They won the Third Division title in 1989–90.
In 2007, Rovers won the League Two play-off final. After being relegated in 2011 and 2014, they dropped into the Conference Premier. They quickly returned to the Football League in 2015 by winning the play-off final. They then earned another promotion in 2015–16. After being relegated in 2020–21, they bounced back to League One the very next season. Bristol Rovers has won the Gloucestershire Cup 32 times and the Watney Cup in 1972.
Contents
Club History
Bristol Rovers has a long and interesting history.
Early Days
The club began in September 1883 after a meeting in Bristol. It was first called Black Arabs F.C. because of their black kits. This name only lasted for one season. In 1884, they changed their name to Eastville Rovers to attract more local fans.
The club played friendly games until 1887, when they joined the Gloucestershire Cup. In 1892, Eastville Rovers helped start the Bristol and District League, which later became the Western League. In 1897, the club became professional and changed its name to Bristol Eastville Rovers. On February 17, 1899, the name officially became Bristol Rovers. They joined the Southern League in 1899 and won the league title in 1905.
Joining the Football League
For the 1920–21 season, Bristol Rovers joined the new Division Three of the Football League. They stayed in this division for over 30 years. In the 1952–53 season, they won the league and were promoted.
The team has been promoted six more times. They went from the Third Division to the Second Division in 1973–74. They won the Third Division title again in 1989–90. In 2006–07, they were promoted to League One. After dropping to the Conference Premier, they earned back-to-back promotions in 2014–15 and 2015–16. In 2021-22, they were promoted to League One again.
Rovers have been relegated seven times. Their highest league position was sixth place in the Second Division, which they achieved twice (in 1955–56 and 1958–59). In 2014, Rovers were relegated to the Conference for the first time. They returned to the league the next season by winning a penalty shootout against Grimsby Town.
In 2016, the al-Qadi family from Jordan bought most of the club. Wael al-Qadi became the president. In 2023, Kuwaiti businessman Hussain AlSaeed bought a controlling share of the club and became chairman.
Cup Success
Bristol Rovers has won some important cup competitions.
The only major cup they have won is the 1972 Watney Cup, where they beat Sheffield United in the final. They also won the Division Three (South) Cup in 1934–35. They have won or shared the Gloucestershire Cup 32 times.
In the FA Cup, Rovers have reached the quarter-finals three times. The first time was in 1950–51 against Newcastle United. The second time was in 1957–58, and the most recent was in 2007–08 against West Bromwich Albion. In 2002, they were the first team from the third division to beat a Premier League side away from home in the FA Cup, winning 3–1 against Derby County.
They have reached the final of the Football League Trophy twice, in 1989–90 and 2006–07, but they finished as runners-up both times.
Team Rivalries
Bristol Rovers' biggest rivals are their city neighbours, Bristol City. Their matches are known as the Bristol derby. This rivalry is considered one of the fiercest in English football.
Other rivals are mostly teams from the West Country, like Swindon Town, Cheltenham Town, Yeovil Town, and Forest Green Rovers. In the past, they also had a rivalry with Cardiff City, called the Severnside derby.
Team Colours and Badge
Bristol Rovers is famous for their blue and white quartered shirts. They have worn these colours for most of their history. The current home kit has light blue and white quarters with white shorts. The away kit is mostly grey with black.
The team first played in black shirts with a yellow sash from 1883 to 1885. Then they wore blue and white hooped shirts until 1899. After that, they had black and white striped shirts until 1919. When they joined the Football League in 1920, they wore white shirts with blue shorts. The blue and white quarters were first used in 1931. This design was meant to make the players look bigger and more intimidating! They returned to the blue and white quarters in 1973 and have worn them ever since.
The club badge features a pirate, which matches their nickname, "The Pirates."
Home Stadium
Where They Play
- Purdown – 1883–1884
- Three Acres – 1884–1891
- Schoolmasters Cricket Ground – 1891–1892
- Durdham Down – 1892–1894
- Ridgeway – 1894–1897
- Eastville Stadium – 1897–1986
- Twerton Park – 1986–1996
- The Memorial Stadium – 1996–present
Stadium History
Bristol Rovers plays their home games at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield. They moved there in 1996 and bought the stadium two years later.
When the club started as Black Arabs F.C. in 1883, they played at Purdown. They then moved to Three Acres for seven years. After that, they had short stays at other grounds like Durdham Down.
For most of their history, Bristol Rovers played at the Eastville Stadium from 1897 to 1986. Due to money problems, they had to leave Eastville, which is now an IKEA store. Bristol Rovers then played at Twerton Park, the home of Bath City, for 10 years. They returned to Bristol in 1996.
After a fire damaged Eastville Stadium in 1980, Rovers played five home games at Ashton Gate Stadium, the home of their rivals Bristol City.
There have been plans to build a new stadium or redevelop the Memorial Stadium. In 2011, the club planned a new stadium at the University of the West of England. However, these plans were stopped in 2017. In 2023, the new owner, Hussain AlSaeed, confirmed that the club would focus on improving the Memorial Stadium instead of building a new one.
In 2020, the club started building a new training facility called 'The Quarters' in Almondsbury. This site includes pitches, a gym, and a clubhouse.
Fan Culture
Bristol Rovers fans are mostly from north and east Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Many people in nearby towns also support Rovers.
The nickname for Bristol Rovers supporters is "Gasheads." This name came from the "Gas" nickname, which was first used by rival fans because of the gasworks near their old stadium. "Gasheads" was adopted by Rovers supporters in the 1980s and 1990s. Now, it's a widely accepted term for Bristol Rovers fans. To show how important their fans are, the club gave the squad number 12 to the "Gasheads," calling them the club's 12th Man.
Some famous fans include musicians Roni Size and Geoff Barrow from the band Portishead. Former Bristol Rovers player and manager, Ian Holloway, is also a big fan.
Bristol Rovers fans have a good relationship with the Spanish club CE Sabadell FC. This started because both clubs have similar colours. In 2016, the two clubs even played a friendly match in Spain.
A popular song for Bristol Rovers is "Goodnight, Irene". People think it became popular in the 1950s. Another popular song is "Tote End Boys," named after a section of fans at their old Eastville Stadium.
Team Players
Current Squad
|
|
Development squad and Under-18s
|
|
Out on loan
|
Famous Former Players
Bristol Rovers has a Hall of Fame to honor players and managers who made a big impact. The first person inducted was Geoff Bradford, who scored the most goals for the club. Stuart Taylor played the most games for Rovers. Other important players include Alfie Biggs, who is the second-highest goal scorer, and Ray Warren, who was captain when they won a title.
Some other notable former players are:
- Ronnie Dix: The club's youngest ever player and the Football League's youngest ever goalscorer.
- Peter Hooper and Bobby Jones: Both scored over 100 goals for the club.
- Ian Holloway: A fan favorite who later managed the club.
- Nigel Martyn: Became the first goalkeeper to be sold for a million pounds.
- Barry Hayles: Was sold for a club record fee of £2,100,000.
- Vitālijs Astafjevs: Played the most international games for his country, Latvia, while at Rovers.
Youth Academy
The Bristol Rovers Academy helps young players develop their skills. Some current first-team players, like Kofi Shaw and Jed Ward, came from the Academy. In 2021, a young player named Kyrie Pierre signed with Aston Villa for a record fee for the Academy.
Other former Academy players who now play in the Premier League or English Football League include Scott Sinclair (who signed for Chelsea in 2005), Tom Lockyer, and Ryan Broom.
Women's Team
Bristol Rovers used to have a women's team that started in 1998. It was formed by merging with another club so that girls over 16 could continue playing. The women's team changed its name to Bristol Academy W.F.C. in 2005. In 2016, they were rebranded as Bristol City after a sponsorship deal.
In 2019, Bristol Rovers announced they would restart their women's team. They now have two teams playing in the Gloucestershire County Women's Football League.
Club Records
Scorelines
- Biggest League Win:
- 7–0 (against Brighton & Hove Albion, 1952)
- 7–0 (against Swansea City, 1954)
- 7–0 (against Shrewsbury Town, 1964)
- 7–0 (against Alfreton Town, 2015)
- 7–0 (against Scunthorpe United, 2022)
- Biggest Cup Win:
- 6–0 (against Merthyr Tydfil, FA Cup, 1987)
- 6–0 (against Darlington, FA Cup, 2020)
- Biggest FA Cup Qualifying Win: 15–1 (against Weymouth, 1900)
- Biggest League Defeat: 0–12 (against Luton Town, 1936)
Players
- Most League Appearances: 546 – Stuart Taylor (1966–1980)
- Most Goals for Club: 242 – Geoff Bradford (1949–1964)
- Most Goals in a Season: 33 – Geoff Bradford (1952–53)
- Highest Transfer Fee Paid: £375,000 – Andy Tillson (from Queens Park Rangers, 1992)
- Highest Transfer Fee Received: £2,600,000 – Barry Hayles (to Fulham, 1998)
Other Records
- Record Home Attendance: 38,472 (against Preston North End, FA Cup, 1960)
- Best FA Cup Performance: Quarter-finals (2007–08)
- Best League Cup Performance: Quarter-finals (1970–71, 1971–72)
- Best League Trophy Performance: Runners-up (1989–90, 2006–07)
Club Honours
Bristol Rovers has won many titles and awards throughout its history:
League Titles
- Third Division South / Third Division (Level 3)
- Champions: 1952–53, 1989–90
- Runners-up: 1973–74
- Fourth Division / League Two (Level 4)
- Promoted: 2015–16, 2021–22
- Play-off Winners: 2007
- Conference Premier (Level 5)
- Play-off Winners: 2015
- Southern Football League
- Champions: 1904–05
- Western League
- Champions: 1899–1900
- Runners-up: 1902–03
Cup Wins
- Associate Members' Cup / Football League Trophy
- Runners-up: 1989–90, 2006–07
- Third Division South Cup
- Winners: 1934–35
- Watney Cup
- Winners: 1972
- Gloucestershire Cup
- Winners (32 times): 1888–89, 1902–03, 1904–05, 1913–14, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95
Images for kids
-
Bristol Rovers playing against Tranmere Rovers at Wembley in 1990
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Bristol Rovers Football Club para niños
