Matt Taylor's Gas side host Crawley Town in BS7
Matt Taylor and Bristol Rovers host Scott Lindsay's Red Devils in November, with the newly promoted team having a mixed 2024/2025 season so far. The Sussex side bolstered their ranks in the summer, adding the likes of ex-Arsenal midfielder Bradley Ibrahim on loan, Will Swan, Panutche Camara, wing back Kellan Gordon and more.
Both the last two times Crawley and Rovers met were cup clashes with the latter falling to a 1-0 League Cup defeat away in August 2022 and also losing 2-1 at The People's Pension Stadium last December - this time in the EFL Trophy.
History of Bristol Rovers:
Founded in 1883, Bristol Rovers FC have experienced various successes and challenges over the years, from cup runs to ground moves. Rovers enjoyed their most fruitful period in the mid-20th century, including reaching the quarterfinals of the FA Cup in 1950 and securing various promotions.
The most significant of these successes came in 1952 when Rovers won the Third Division (South) title. In subsequent decades, Rovers fluctuated between different tiers of the football pyramid. The club moved to the Memorial Stadium in 1996, which has been its home since.
The club - whose supporters are known as ‘Gas Heads’ - climbed back up the Football League in the 2000s, but were disastrously relegated to non-league in 2014. However, this acted as nothing more than a reset and today the club sit in EFL League One and are managed by Matt Taylor.