The Athletic has been looking at the hardest clubs in England to support. Bristol Rovers were selected due to their 2025, which featured relegation as well as a record 10 consecutive defeats.
The club have never been in the top flight in their 143
years, and the last time they were in the second tier was 1993. They have never
won a major trophy or reached a semi-final.
It was the first home game of 2026, a new start and all
that. An old face, Steve Evans, is the new Rovers manager, appointed shortly
before Christmas. Rovers’ anthem, Leadbelly’s Goodnight Irene, gets an airing
and there was some familiarity in the scoreline, too: Bristol Rovers 0-1
Colchester United.
It was Rovers’ 13th home league game this season: they have
won three, scoring eight goals. Eight. In the second half of last season, there
had also been 13 home matches. Rovers won five of those. Nicknamed ‘The Gas’
and the ‘Pirates’, it meant in 2025 ‘Gasheads’ made 25 trips to the stadium,
saw eight wins and 15 defeats.
One of the worst days came on the last day of the 2013-14
season. Although Jay fans had witnessed Rovers lose their home at Eastville in
1986 and then relocate out of Bristol to Bath for a decade, an interviewed fan
said Rovers 0-1 Mansfield Town on May 3,
2014, is infamous.
“We hit the bar, had shots cleared off the line,” he says,
before delivering the killer detail — “and they borrowed our kit. Their kitman
up there was on holiday. So they wore our change kit, won 1-0, and relegated
us.
“I knew loads of fans who stopped coming then. We lost a
generation.”
I was quite surprised that no mention was made of the fact
that Rovers are the second club in Bristol, although Bristol City have had
their frustrations. In Glasgow, Dundee, Manchester,
Liverpool and Sheffield there is a rough equivalence between the clubs (and in
a slightly different way in Edinburgh)..
Stoke and Port Vale is he nearest to the Bristol case
But for a large and vibrant city, Bristol punches below its
weight in football. Of course, it is an
area with a strong rugby tradition and indeed Bristol City seeks to embrace
that sport.
A friend who is a lifelong supporter commented: 'Rovers' glory days were the 1950s. Promotion in 1953 under Bert Tann. I started watching the following season. Geoff Bradford the hero but a great team. Hoyle and then Radford in goal. Bamford, fox, Pitt, Warren, Sampson, petherbtidge, Biggs , lampton, Bradford, Watling, hooper. I saw them thrash the Busby Babes in January,56 when the cup really mattered and best City 4-3 in 58 at Ashton Gate in the cup. Not much since ' though a short return to Division 2.
All very sad. The 50s were the only time we were number 1
club on Bristol. The gap now is enormous and unless we pick up we will be out
of the league.
The in term the Gas was never used when we played at
Eastvolle by the Gas works. We were the Pirates. I wish we could go back to
that.'
Rovers' glory days were the 1950s. Promotion in 1953 under
Bert Tann. I started watching the following season. Geoff Bradford the hero but
a great team. Hoyle and then Radford in goal. Bamford, fox, Pitt, Warren,
Sampson, petherbtidge, Biggs , lampton, Bradford, Watling, hooper. I saw them
thrash the Busby Babes in January,56 when the cup really mattered and
best City 4-3 in 58 at Ashton Gate in the cup. Not much since ' though a
short return to Division 2.
All very sad. The 50s were the only time we were number 1
club on Bristol. The gap now is enormous and unless we pick up we will be out
of the league.
The in term the Gas was never used when we played at
Eastvolle by the Gas works. We were the Pirates. I wish we could go back to
that.
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