Rovers host Rochdale at the Memorial Stadium.

 

Rovers welcome Robbie Stockdale's Rochdale side to North Bristol in this weekend fixture as the League Two schedule becomes increasingly busy over the festive period. After a disapointing start to the 2021/22 season, Joey Barton's side will be looking to quickly improve their league position as the season develops.

 

Last season saw the two clubs face each other twice in League One and The Gas failed to beat The Dale in either of these fixtures. The first of the two matches, that took place at the Crown Oil Arena, saw a 1-1 draw when both teams were sitting comfortably in mid-table on 31 October 2020. A dull game was decided early on when Rovers took the lead on the ninth minute through a Sam Nicholson before Alex Newby's goal cancelled it out fifteen minutes later. The return fixture, a 2-1 defeat in Bristol, was dominated by Newby as the midfielder scored a goal either side of Luke Leahy's strike at a time when both clubs were desperate for points.

 

Both sides were relegated into the fourth tier last season and will be hoping to bounce straight back up on this year. However, thus far, this hasn't been the case and the two clubs find themselves well below expectation. After a string of decent results, hopefully Barton's side can take advantage of their opposition's malaise.

 


About Bristol Rovers

 

Nicknamed The Pirates and The Gas, Bristol Rovers Football Club were established in 1883 and currently play in the EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football.

 

The club plays its home matches at the 12,300 capacity Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of Bristol. Having been bought by billionaire Jordanian Waed al-Qadi and his family in 2016, Rovers have struggled to live up to expectations and will be looking to prove doubters wrong in the 2021/22 season.

 

Bristol Rovers have played in the English football league since 1920, with their best-ever finish being in both 1956 and 1959 when they secured sixth place in the second tier of English football, then known as Division Two.

 

Having suffered relegation to League Two in 2011 and then into the Conference in 2014, they managed to bounce straight back with two consecutive promotions in 2014/15 and 2015/16 to regain their League One status in 2016/17, where they remained for 4 years before their relegation back to League Two last season.

 

The club's honours include the 1990 Football League Third Division title when they finished 2 points ahead of arch-rivals and that seasons Runners-Up, Bristol City. Find Bristol Rovers' full 2020/21 fixture list here.