Bristol Rovers F.C. is a professional football club in Bristol, England, which competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield since 1996. They spent 1897 to 1986 at the Eastville Stadium and the following ten years at Twerton Park in Bath. The club's official nickname is "The Pirates", reflecting the maritime history of Bristol. The local nickname of the club is "The Gas", derived from the gasworks next to their former home, Eastville Stadium, which started as a derogatory term used by fans of their main rivals, Bristol City, but was affectionately adopted by the club and its supporters. Cardiff City and Swindon Town are considered their second and third biggest rivals. The women's team play in the Gloucestershire County Women's League.
Eastville is the name of both a council ward in the city of Bristol in the United Kingdom and a suburb of the city that lies within that ward. The Eastville ward covers the areas of Eastville, Crofts End, Stapleton and part of Fishponds. Notable places within the ward include Bristol Metropolitan College and Colston's School, and the Bristol and Bath Railway Path also passes through the ward.
Eastville Stadium, also known as Bristol Stadium and Bristol Stadium – Eastville, was a stadium in Eastville, a northern suburb of the English city of Bristol.
Warmley F.C. was a football club based in Warmley, near Kingswood, England. They were formed in 1882. They are widely regarded as playing the first organised football match in the Bristol region against St George.
The history of Bristol Rovers F.C., an English football club based in Bristol, England, covers their entire history from their formation in 1883 as the Black Arabs until the present day.
The Bristol derby is the name given to football matches played between Bristol City and Bristol Rovers. The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals, leading to a heated atmosphere at these matches. The majority of the meetings between the teams have been in the Football League, and they used to meet annually in the Gloucestershire Cup.
Gloucestershire Cup was the informal name of an association football competition held under the auspices of the Gloucestershire County Football Association on 99 occasions from 1887 to 1996. The full name of the competition changed over time: originally the Gloucestershire Football Association Challenge Cup, the introduction of a Junior tournament two years later led to it being renamed the Gloucestershire Football Association Senior Challenge Cup in 1889, then after the advent of professionalism in football it became the Gloucestershire Senior Professional Cup.
The 1892–93 season was the tenth to be played by the team now known as Bristol Rovers, and their ninth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. It was significant in that it was their first year competing in an organised league, when they became founder members of the Bristol & District League.
The 1885–86 season was the third to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their second playing under the name Eastville Rovers.
The 1886–87 season was the fourth to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their third playing under the name Eastville Rovers.
The 1887–88 season was the fifth to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their fourth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. It marked a major change in the direction of football in Gloucestershire as a County Football Association was established, enabling a formal cup competition to be played in the area for the first time.
The 1888–89 season was the sixth to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their fifth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. It was significant as being the first season in which the club won a trophy, taking the Gloucestershire Cup title in just the second year of the tournament's existence.
The 1889–90 season was the seventh to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their sixth playing under the name Eastville Rovers.
The 1890–91 season was the eighth to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their seventh playing under the name Eastville Rovers.
The 1891–92 season was the ninth to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their eighth playing under the name Eastville Rovers.
The 1893–94 season was the eleventh to be played by the team now known as Bristol Rovers, and their tenth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. The first team continued to play in the first division of the Bristol & District League, while the reserves became founding members of the second division of the same competition.
The 1894–95 season was the twelfth to be played by the team now known as Bristol Rovers, and their eleventh playing under the name Eastville Rovers. The first team played its third season in the first division of the Bristol & District League, while the reserves competed in the second division of the same competition for the second time. The season was notable for having the first modern Bristol derby when Bristol South End, who later became Bristol City, hosted Eastville Rovers on 22 September.
The 1895–96 season was the thirteenth to be played by the team now known as Bristol Rovers, and their twelfth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. The first team played their fourth campaign in division one of the Western League, while the reserves competed in the second division of the same competition for the third time. The season was notable for Rovers having entered the FA Cup for the first time in their history, and for the first team playing their 100th competitive match.
