Bristol Rovers F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For details of the current season, see Bristol Rovers F.C. season 2006-07
| Bristol Rovers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Bristol Rovers Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Pirates & The Gas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1883 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Memorial Stadium Horfield Bristol |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 11,916 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Geoff Dunford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Paul Trollope (first-team coach) Lennie Lawrence (Director of Football) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Football League Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | League Two, 12th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bristol Rovers are a professional football team based in Bristol, England. They currently play in Football League Two.
The club's official nickname is "The Pirates" - reflecting the maritime history of Bristol. A pirate features on both the club badge and the badge of the supporters club. The local nickname of the club is "The Gas", (from the gasworks next to the old Eastville Stadium).
It's colours are blue and white quartered shirts, white shorts and blue socks. Away colours for the season 2002/03 were black shirts with a diagonal gold sash and black shorts - designed by a Rovers fan and reflecting the original Black Arab kit of 1883. This marked the club's 120 year existence.
Their main rivals are Bristol City although there is also some animosity with teams such as Swindon Town, Yeovil Town, Cheltenham Town, Cardiff City and Swansea City.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Early years
The club was formed in 1883 as The Black Arabs (taking the name the Arabs from a rugby team that played on an adjoining pitch and adding black because of their kit colour), and renamed Bristol Rovers in 1897 after briefly being called Eastville Rovers and Bristol Eastville Rovers. The club joined the Southern League in 1899, and were founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920.
[edit] Modern times
Bobby Gould was Bristol Rovers manager until the summer of 1987, when he moved on to Wimbledon and won the FA Cup in his first season as manager. He was replaced by Gerry Francis, the former QPR and England star. Under Francis, Bristol Rovers won the Third Division title in 1990 and the following year finished 7th in the old Second Division, their highest ever league finish to date. Francis then returned to QPR as manager and was briefly succeeded by Martin Dobson, who made way after just four months for Malcolm Allison, who in turn stepped down in March 1993 to make way for John Ward.
Ward was unable to save Bristol Rovers from suffering relegation to the new Football League Second Division in 1992-93, and he quit three seasons later after failing to gain promotion. His successor Ian Holloway lasted four-and-a-half years before being sacked as Rovers found themselves in a relegation battle. The battle was lost under returning manager Gerry Francis, and he resigned in December 2001 with the Pirates struggling near the foot of Division Three. Successor Garry Thompson guided the club to a shock 3-1 away win over Premiership club Derby in the Third Round of the FA Cup, but he was sacked after the club narrowly avoided relegation to Football League Two.
Former player Ray Graydon was appointed to succeed Garry Thompson but another year and a half of poor performances resulting in his sacking in January 2004. His successor Ian Atkins lasted just over a year in the job before getting sacked in September 2005. The team was left without a manager following Atkins' dismissal, and veteran player Paul Trollope was appointed first-team coach, with Lennie Lawrence becoming director of football in a two-tier management structure.
[edit] Stadium
| Dates | Ground[1] |
|---|---|
| 1883-1884 | Purdown |
| 1884-1891 | Three Acres |
| 1891-1892 | Schoolmasters Cricket Ground |
| 1892-1894 | Durdham Downs |
| 1894-1897 | Ridgeway |
| 1897-1986 | Eastville Stadium |
| 1986-1996 | Twerton Park |
| 1996-present | The Memorial Stadium |
Home games are now played at The Memorial Stadium, Filton Avenue, Horfield, Bristol, a ground they share with Bristol Rugby Club. Previously they have played at Purdown, Eastville Stadium, Kingswood (during WW2), Twerton Park in Bath for 10 seasons (having left Eastville due to financial reasons) and even some games at Ashton Gate following a fire which destroyed one of stands at Eastville.
Truly they can be said to have earned the sobriquet of "Rovers"!
[edit] Supporters
The nickname given to Bristol Rovers supporters is Gasheads.
The team traditionally draws the majority of its support from north and east Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
‘The Gas’ was originally coined as a derogatory term by the supporters of Bristol Rovers' rivals Bristol City and was in reference to the large gas works adjacent to the old Bristol Rovers stadium, in Eastville, Bristol which wafted the sometimes overpowering odour of town gas across the crowd.
'Gasheads' was adopted as a name by a splinter group of Rovers supporters in the mid-1980's to early 1990's. The chant 'Proud to be a Gashead' spread to regular fans and a fanzine was produced called The Gashead. Bristol Rovers are known as 'The Pirates' or 'The Gas'.
The term 'Gasheads' is now universally accepted within the English media and football fraternity as referring to Bristol Rovers supporters. After the club's relegation to Football League Two in 2001, the club designated the squad number 12 to the Gasheads to signify them as the club's 12th Man in recognition of their loyal support.
[edit] Club song
The song which is synonymous with Rovers - sung by fans in support of (and often commiseration with!) the team is "Goodnight Irene", which was originally popularised by The Weavers and written by Leadbelly.
Opinions differ as to how this came about but it is thought to have become popular in the 1950s when a version of the song was in the British charts - the line "sometimes I have a great notion to jump in the river and drown" - seemed to be particularly apt when Rovers lost as the Bristol Frome flows alongside the old Eastville ground.
Another theory is that is was sung at a fireworks display at the Stadium the night before a Home game against Plymouth Argyle in the fifties. During the game the following day, Rovers were winning quite comfortably and the few Argyle supporters present began to leave early prompting a chorus of "Goodnight Argyle" from the Rovers supporters - the tune stuck and "Irene" became the club song.
[edit] Current squad
As of 11 December 2006
|
|
[edit] Out on loan
|
As well as the above players, the shirt number 12 is used by Gasheads (the nickname of the club) to represent the fans as the 12th Man. The shirt number 13 is auctioned each year with the winner being named on both the official website and the matchday programme.
[edit] Management team
| Job title | Name[2] |
|---|---|
| Director of football | Lennie Lawrence |
| First team coach | Paul Trollope |
| Head of youth football | Kevin Hodges |
| Physio | Phil Kite |
| Goalkeeping coach | Steve Book |
| Kit manager | Roger Harding |
| Sports therapist | Guy Lindley |
[edit] Youth Academy
The Bristol Rovers Youth Academy is located at Filton College. The academy has had current squad members Sean Rigg, Tom Parrinello, Lewis Powell, James Palmer, Darren Mullings, Chris Lines and Mike Green all progressed through the ranks to receive a professional contract. Martin Horsell was also part of the academy before receiving a professional contract, he is now with Torquay United. Perhaps the most successful member of the academy is Scott Sinclair. Sinclair was signed (controversially) by Chelsea in 2005.
[edit] Women's Team
The club boast a successful women's team, formed in 1998 as Bristol Rovers W.F.C. and now known as Bristol Academy W.F.C.. They play in the top flight of women's football in England, the FA Women's Premier League National Division, and have won nine trophies in the eight years since their formation, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the FA Women's Cup on three occasions.
[edit] Noted players
- For a list of all Bristol Rovers players, see: List of Bristol Rovers F.C. players
- For a full list of all Bristol Rovers players to be capped at full international level, see: List of Bristol Rovers F.C. players who have represented their country
Geoff Bradford - Rovers' record goal scorer with 242 league goals from 462 appearances, and 355 goals from 626 appearances in all competitions. He scored 24 hat-tricks, scored goals in 15 consecutive seasons for the club and played in every outfield position. He was also the only player to be capped by England while at Bristol Rovers.
Nathan "Duke" Ellington - was Jason Roberts' strike partner at the club. He was later sold to Wigan Athletic and now plays for West Bromwich Albion.
Youra Eshaya - The first Iraqi to play in Europe, spent the 1954-55 season at Bristol Rovers after being spotted by Rovers scout Flight Lieutenant R. K. Weston when playing against an RAF team in Iraq.
Larry Lloyd - Centre half, played for Rovers in the late sixties. In 1969 moved to Liverpool where he won the league and UEFA cup. Later he was part of Brian Clough's famous Nottingham Forest team, winning the European Cup twice. He won four England caps.
Gary Mabbutt - Started career at Rovers and then went on to play for Tottenham Hotspur & England at international level. His father Ray had previously also played for Rovers.
Nigel Martyn - Former England international started his professional career at Bristol Rovers. He was sold to Crystal Palace for £1m, becoming the first Million Pound Goalkeeper. A Cornishman signed from St Blazey A.F.C..
Esmond Million - Goalkeeper signed from Middlesbrough in 1962. In April 1963, Million was offered £300 to throw a match against Bradford (Park Avenue). Rovers drew the match 2-2 and Million was banned from football for life.
Jason Roberts - Blackburn Rovers and Grenada International Roberts spent two seasons up front for the club, scoring 38 league goals. He was later sold to West Bromwich Albion, then played for Portsmouth and Wigan Athetic before moving to his current club.
Bobby Zamora - Currently with West Ham United. Zamora played his first professional game for Rovers after he signed for the club from West Ham United's Youth Academy. He was later sold to Brighton and Hove Albion.
[edit] Noted managers
| Years | Manager | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 1920-1921 | Ben Hall | Rovers' first Football League manager |
| 1930-1936 | Albert Prince-Cox | Introduced the blue and white quartered shirts. Won the Division Three (South) Cup in 1934-35. |
| 1950-1968 | Bert Tann | Rovers' longest serving manager (18 years). Division 3 (South) champions 1952-53. |
| 1972-1977 | Don Megson | Won the Watney Cup in 1972 |
| 1981 | Ron Gingell | Shortest spell by anyone as Rovers' manager (1 game) |
| 1981-1983 1985-1987 |
Bobby Gould | Two spells as manager in the 1980s |
| 1987-1991 2001 |
Gerry Francis | Football League Third Division champions 1989-90 |
[edit] Achievements
- Football League Third Division South Champions 1952-53
- Football League Third Division Champions 1989-90, runners up 1973-74
- Watney Cup Winners 1972
- Division Three Cup Winners 1934-35
[edit] Records
- Scorelines
- Biggest League Win: 9-1 (v Brighton & Hove Albion, Division Three South, 29th November 1952)
- Biggest Cup Win: 6-0 (v Merthyr Tydfil, FA Cup Round 1, 14th November 1987)
- Biggest League Defeat: 0 - 12 (v Luton Town, Division Three South, 13th April 1936)
- Biggest Cup Defeat: 1-8 (v Queens Park Rangers
- Players
- Most League Appearances: 545 - Stuart Taylor, 1966 to 1980
- Most Goals for club: 242 - Geoff Bradford, 1949 to 1964
- Most Goals in a season: 33 - Geoff Bradford, 1952/53
- Highest Transfer Fee Paid: £370,000 - Andy Tillson from Queens Park Rangers, November 1992
- Highest Transfer Fee Received: £2,000,000 - Barry Hayles to Fulham, November 1998
[edit] External links
- Bristol Rovers F.C. on BBC Sport: Club News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Club stats
- Official Fan's Forum
- Alternative Forum
- Supporters Club Website
- "Black Arab" on-line fanzine
- "Gasheads.com" fans website and forum
- The Bristol Rovers Temple
[edit] References
- ^ Byrne, Stephen & Jay, Mike (2003): Bristol Rovers Football Club - The Definitive History 1883-2003. ISBN 0-7524-2717-2
- ^ Management team from bristolrovers.co.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2006.
| Football League Two, 2006-2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Accrington Stanley | Barnet | Boston United | Bristol Rovers | Bury | Chester City | Darlington | Grimsby Town | Hartlepool United | Hereford United | Lincoln City | Macclesfield Town | Mansfield Town | Milton Keynes Dons | Notts County | Peterborough United | Rochdale | Shrewsbury Town | Stockport County | Swindon Town | Torquay United | Walsall | Wrexham | Wycombe Wanderers edit |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
