Bristol Rovers is presented here as an English professional club with a long Bristol identity and a distinctive place in the national game. Known as The Gas and The Pirates, the club combines blue-and-white traditions with a strong local following. This page brings together its football personnel, managerial timeline, recent movement and recorded competitions, while preserving the historical setting that gives the club its character.
Bristol Rovers Upcoming matches by league
League Two
-
- Regular Season - 14
Fleetwood TownNo H2HBristol Rovers
-
- Regular Season - 15
Bristol RoversNo H2HChesterfield
-
- Regular Season - 16
CheltenhamNo H2HBristol Rovers
-
- Regular Season - 17
Bristol RoversNo H2HTranmere
EFL Trophy
-
- Group South - 3
Bristol Rovers
Reading
FA Cup
-
- 1/128-finals
Bristol RoversNo H2HCambridge United
Bristol Rovers Last matches by league
League Two
-
- Regular Season - 13
Bristol Rovers0 - 0Swindon Town
Memorial Stadium -
- Regular Season - 12
Bristol Rovers1 - 2Salford City
Memorial Stadium -
- Regular Season - 11
Shrewsbury1 - 0Bristol Rovers
The Croud Meadow -
- Regular Season - 10
Bristol Rovers1 - 3Barnet
Memorial Stadium
EFL Trophy
League Cup
Friendlies Clubs
League One
Bristol Rovers Team Roster
The 27-player Bristol Rovers recorded squad contains seven attackers, eight defenders, two goalkeepers and ten midfielders. The attacking group includes B. Kamwa, E. Harrison, J. Quigley and S. Forde, while the defensive unit features K. Balmer, C. Kelly, B. Purrington and T. James. Brad Young and Charlie Binns provide the recorded goalkeeping options. Midfield depth includes J. Aitchison, R. Smallwood, R. Russell-Denny, T. Leigh and O. Dewsbury. Shirt numbers range from 1 to 32, with several repeated numbers in the supplied roster, so the list is best treated as a personnel snapshot rather than a numbered lineup.
position Goalkeeper
Brad Young
position Defender
Kofi Balmer
Alfie George Alexander Kilgour
Ben Purrington
Ciarán Kelly
Riley-Jay Harbottle
position Midfielder
Thomas Lynn James
Jack Sparkes
Clinton Lemere Mola
Shaqai Tyreece Steven Forde
Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny
Jack Aitchison
Richard Smallwood
Keenan Gough
Macauley Anthony Southam-Hales
Tommy Leigh
P. Sanyaolu
Ryan James De Havilland
S. Dunne
position Attacker
Joseph Richard Quigley
Bobby-Emmanuel Kamwa
Ellis Wade Harrison
Arvin Amoakoh Appiah
Fabrizio Cavegn
Last Bristol Rovers Coachs
Darrell Clarke is the current Bristol Rovers head coach in the latest recorded timeline, having begun the role on 1 May 2025. The English coach was preceded by Iñigo Calderón, whose spell ran from December 2024 to May 2025. David Horseman also held the position between November and December 2024, while Matthew Taylor’s recorded tenure stretched from December 2023 to December 2024. Andrew Mangan appears earlier in the sequence, from October to December 2023. The chronology shows several changes before Clarke’s ongoing appointment.
Darrell James Clarke
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darrell James Clarke | England | 1 May 2025 | |
| Iñigo Calderón Zapatería | Spain | 1 December 2024 | 1 May 2025 |
| Matthew James Taylor | England | 1 December 2023 | 1 December 2024 |
| Andrew Mangan | England | 1 October 2023 | 1 December 2023 |
| Joseph Anthony Barton | England | 1 February 2021 | 1 October 2023 |
| Paul Tisdale | Malta | 1 November 2020 | 1 February 2021 |
| Tommy Widdrington | England | 1 November 2020 | 1 February 2021 |
| Ben Garner | England | 1 December 2019 | 1 November 2020 |
| Graham Coughlan | Republic of Ireland | 1 December 2018 | 1 December 2019 |
| Darrell James Clarke | England | 1 March 2014 | 1 December 2018 |
| Mark McGhee | Scotland | 1 January 2012 | 1 December 2012 |
| Shaun North | England | 1 January 2012 | 1 January 2012 |
| Paul Buckle | England | 1 May 2011 | 1 January 2012 |
| Stuart Campbell | England | 6 March 2011 | 30 May 2011 |
| Ian Scott Holloway | England | 1 May 1996 | 1 January 2001 |
Bristol Rovers Transfers
The recent arrival record includes several different forms of recruitment. R. Russell-Denny and Keenan Gough are listed as August loans, while T. Leigh and R. Smallwood arrived on loan in February. K. Balmer, C. Kelly, B. Kamwa, J. Aitchison, T. James, B. Purrington and R. Harbottle appear as free-agent additions. J. Quigley and M. Rijks are recorded as transfers. Return-from-loan entries include I. Hutchinson, K. Conteh, O. Dewsbury and J. Ward, with earlier temporary arrivals also listed for Y. Akhamrich and K. Thompson-Sommers. K. Balmer appears in both loan and free-agent entries at different dates.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry De-Long |
Bristol Manor Farm
|
Return from loan | 11 September 2026 |
| A. Appiah |
Almeria
|
Free agent | 31 August 2026 |
| P. Sanyaolu |
QPR
|
Loan | 23 August 2026 |
Malvern Town
|
Return from loan | 12 August 2026 | |
| Keenan Gough |
Charlton
|
Loan | 6 August 2026 |
| R. Russell-Denny |
Tottenham
|
Loan | 6 August 2026 |
Bath City
|
Free agent | 4 August 2026 | |
| B. Purrington |
Cambridge United
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| T. James |
Leyton Orient
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| J. Aitchison |
Exeter City
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| B. Kamwa |
Newport County
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| C. Kelly |
Bradford
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| K. Balmer |
Motherwell
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| K. Conteh |
Lincoln
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| I. Hutchinson |
Cheltenham
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
The recent departure record shows free-agent exits, transfers, loans and returns to parent clubs. L. Thomas, T. English, T. Lockyer, J. Senior, G. Ward and B. Bilongo are listed as free-agent departures. I. Hutchinson, J. Ward, K. Conteh and R. Sotiriou are recorded as transfers, while R. Howley and O. Dewsbury left on loan. Y. Akhamrich, K. Balmer, K. Thompson-Sommers and A. Chang returned from loan. I. Hutchinson and K. Conteh appear in both temporary February departures and later transfer entries. Micah Anthony and C. Morton are listed with no stated movement type, so their departures are not classified here.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| K. Hill |
Gloucester City
|
Loan | 17 September 2026 |
| M. Rijks |
Forest Green
|
Loan | 17 September 2026 |
| T. Moore |
FK Košice
|
Free agent | 4 September 2026 |
| R. Howley |
Tamworth
|
Loan | 3 September 2026 |
| P. Omochere |
Southend
|
Loan | 1 September 2026 |
| T. Moore |
FK Košice
|
Free agent | 19 August 2026 |
| Henry De-Long |
Bristol Manor Farm
|
Loan | 14 August 2026 |
| L. Southwood |
Blackpool
|
Transfer | 10 August 2026 |
|
Malvern Town
|
Loan | 5 August 2026 | |
| L. Thomas |
ST Mirren
|
Free agent | 31 July 2026 |
| T. English |
Cardiff MET
|
Free agent | 26 July 2026 |
| I. Hutchinson |
Doncaster
|
Transfer | 19 July 2026 |
| T. Lockyer |
Melbourne Victory
|
Free agent | 10 July 2026 |
| J. Ward |
Walsall
|
Transfer | 9 July 2026 |
| K. Conteh |
Bromley
|
Transfer | 8 July 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
The movement picture from January through August 2026 is mixed rather than defined by one mechanism. Recorded arrivals include free-agent additions, loans, permanent transfers and players returning from temporary spells elsewhere. The departure side combines free-agent exits, transfers, loans and returns to parent clubs, creating movement in both established and temporary forms. Several names recur across the cycle: K. Balmer is listed first on loan and later as a free-agent arrival, while I. Hutchinson and K. Conteh appear in both loan and subsequent transfer entries. O. Dewsbury is shown returning before another loan-related departure. These repeated appearances underline the changing status of temporary arrangements. The recent movement summary is a selected view of activity available, not a complete window total, and the recorded entries do not include fee figures. It therefore describes documented squad turnover without assigning an unverified net balance or broader strategy.
Leagues Bristol Rovers has participated in
Bristol Rovers have recent recorded participation in League Two, the EFL Trophy, the FA Cup, the League Cup and Friendlies Clubs, with each of those entries reaching 2025. The latest league record is League Two, while League One is historical in the available timeline, ending in 2024. The FA Trophy and National League are also historical entries, both last recorded in 2014. The competition record therefore places the club within the domestic English league and cup system, including EFL and Football Association tournaments, without establishing a 2026 result or present-season standing.
More about Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers Football Club is the official name of Bristol Rovers, an English club founded in 1883 and based in Bristol. The club is widely known as The Gas and The Pirates, names that connect its identity to local history and to a maritime badge motif. Its traditional colors are blue and white, most recognizably expressed through the famous quartered home shirt. The Memorial Stadium, commonly called The Mem, is the club’s home in Horfield in north Bristol. Rovers moved there in 1996 after earlier periods at Eastville Stadium from 1897 to 1986 and Twerton Park in Bath from 1986 to 1996. Those changes of ground form an important part of the club’s modern story, while the Memorial Stadium remains the principal setting for its match-day identity. The club began in September 1883 as Black Arabs F.C., later became Eastville Rovers, and adopted the Bristol Rovers name before joining the Southern League. In 1920, it became a founder member of the Football League Third Division, helping place the club within the expanding structure of English professional football. The Bristol derby with Bristol City remains the defining local rivalry and a central expression of regional football culture. Supporters are known as Gasheads, a nickname associated with the smell of the gasworks near the former Eastville ground. The pirate imagery, quartered shirts and working-class local character give Rovers a clear visual and cultural signature. The club operates as a privately held organisation through established corporate ownership structures. Its competitive ecosystem is primarily domestic, spanning the English Football League framework and national cup competitions, with no established continental footprint. Bristol Rovers’ recorded identity remains rooted in Bristol, English football tradition and a distinctive supporter culture.
Last matches statistics for Bristol Rovers
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bristol Rovers
1 - 0
Rotherham
|
5 / 12 |
|
0% | 9 | 1 | 2 |
|
Grimsby
2 - 0
Bristol Rovers
|
1 / 3 |
|
0% | 12 | 3 1 | 1 |
|
Gillingham
3 - 0
Bristol Rovers
|
2 / 8 |
|
0% | 8 | 2 | 3 |
|
Bristol Rovers
1 - 0
Exeter City
|
5 / 17 |
|
0% | 13 | 1 | 5 |
|
Crewe
3 - 1
Bristol Rovers
|
4 / 15 |
|
0% | 23 | 4 | 1 |
|
Wycombe
4 - 1
Bristol Rovers
|
5 / 14 |
|
0% | 7 | 2 | 3 |
|
Bristol Rovers
1 - 3
Barnet
|
4 / 18 |
|
0% | 16 | 2 1 | 0 |
|
Shrewsbury
1 - 0
Bristol Rovers
|
1 / 8 |
|
0% | 15 | 3 | 2 |
|
Bristol Rovers
1 - 2
Salford City
|
6 / 14 |
|
0% | 15 | 4 | 3 |
|
Bristol Rovers
0 - 0
Swindon Town
|
8 / 22 |
|
0% | 9 | 1 | 3 |
Detailed statistics Bristol Rovers
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Bristol Rovers
Warnings Bristol Rovers
Passes Bristol Rovers
Goalkeeper saves Bristol Rovers
Latest start lineups Bristol Rovers (XI)
Bristol Rovers vs Swindon Town
League Two 2026 - 1563828
Bristol Rovers vs Salford City
League Two 2026 - 1563816
Shrewsbury vs Bristol Rovers
League Two 2026 - 1563812
Bristol Rovers vs Barnet
League Two 2026 - 1563791
Wycombe vs Bristol Rovers
EFL Trophy 2026 - 1588876
Crewe vs Bristol Rovers
League Two 2026 - 1563783
2025-2026
1st shirt
2024-2025
1st shirt
2023-2024
1st shirt
2021-2022
1st shirt
2017-2018
1st shirt