List of Bristol Rovers F.C. players

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A middle aged man wearing shirt, grey pullover and light grey anorak, holding a trophy cup. other people behind him, all standing on grass. Bottom right of picture cut off by a wall.
Bristol Rovers record scorer, Geoff Bradford, who scored 355 goals for the club, 242 of which were in the Football League.

The following article is a list of footballers past and present who have played for Bristol Rovers Football Club.

In the club's early history the appearance record was held by goalkeeper Arthur Cartlidge,[1] who played in 258 Southern League games between 1901 and 1909.[2] His record stood until it was broken by another goalkeeper, Jesse Whatley, who played 14 times in the Southern League and a further 372 in The Football League, making a total of 386 overall.[3] Following the Second World War the Bristol Rovers board introduced a no-buy/no-sell policy, which remained in force until the abolition of the maximum wage in football in 1961; as a result some players in that era had a high number of appearances for the club.[4] Eight of the top nine most-used players played during this time, each making over 400 appearances. These eight were Bobby Jones (421 appearances), Alfie Biggs (424), Ray Warren (450), Harold Jarman (452), George Petherbridge (457), Geoff Bradford (462), Jack Pitt (466), and Harry Bamford (486).[5] The club's all-time leading appearance maker, Stuart Taylor, played in 546 League games between 1965 and 1980.[6] The club's highest scorer by a wide margin is Geoff Bradford, who scored 242 times in The Football League,[7] exceeding the next-highest scorer Alfie Biggs by 64 goals.[8]

Players[edit]

Forward Alfie Biggs made 424 appearances for Rovers in two spells between 1953 and 1961 and again between 1962 and 1968. With 178 goals, he is the club's second highest goalscorer.
Ian Holloway, who played 397 league games in three spells with the club.
England international Gary Mabbutt, who played 131 league games between 1977 and 1982.
Tony Pulis made 130 Rovers appearances in two spells from 1975 to 1981 and 1982 to 1984.
Rovers' most capped player Vitālijs Astafjevs, who played 167 times for Latvia.
Chris Lines made 314 appearances for Rovers in three spells between 2004 and 2019. He achieved three promotions at the club and is the highest appearance maker of the 21st century.

The list of players below includes all team members who have played in at least 100 professional league games for Bristol Rovers, which includes games played in the Southern League (1899–1920), Football League (1920–2014 and 2015–) and Football Conference (2014–15), and also includes substitute appearances.

Statistics are correct as of match played 16 April 2024

Position key: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

  † Current Bristol Rovers player, as at 10 March 2024
  ‡ Capped at full international level[a]
Table of players, including nationality, playing position and club statistics
Player Nationality[b] Pos[c] Club career Apps[d] Goals[e] Ref[f]
Junior Agogo  Ghana ‡ FW 2003–2006 126 41 [9]
Peter Aitken  Wales MF 1972–1980 234 3
Ian Alexander  Scotland DF 1986–1994 291 6
Byron Anthony  Wales DF 2006–2012 163 7 [10]
Ben Appleby  England MF 1903–1908 180 9
Lee Archer  England MF 1991–1997 126 13
Harry Armitage  England DF 1922–1926 122 0
Vitālijs Astafjevs  Latvia ‡ MF 2000–2003 110 16
Harry Bamford  England DF 1946–1958 486 5
Bruce Bannister  England FW 1971–1977 206 80
Mike Barrett  England MF 1979–1984 128 18
Phil Bater  Wales DF 1974–1981
1983–1986		 310 3
Peter Beadle  England FW 1995–1998 109 39
Bert Bennett  England DF 1911–1915 101 0
Fred Bennett  England DF 1925–1930 129 2
Alfie Biggs  England FW 1953–1961
1962–1968		 424 178
Geoff Bradford  England ‡ FW 1949–1964 462 242
James Brogan  Scotland FW 1910–1915 106 24
John Brown  England FW 1963–1968 156 32
Lee Brown  England DF 2011–2018 285 21 [11]
Marcus Browning  Wales ‡ MF 1989–1997 174 11
Bryan Bush  England MF/FW 1947–1955 113 19
Stuart Campbell  Scotland MF 2004–2011 291 3 [12]
Chris Carruthers  England DF 2005 (loan)
2005–2008		 100 1 [13]
Arthur Cartlidge  England GK 1901–1909 258 0
Trevor Challis  England DF 1998–2003 146 1
Justin Channing  England MF 1992–1996 130 10
Billy Clark  Scotland FW 1904–1908 133 35
Billy Clark  England DF 1987–1997 248 12
James Clarke  England DF 2015–2019 112 2 [14]
Ollie Clarke  England MF 2011–2020 235 20 [15]
Danny Coles  England DF 2007–2011 102 3 [16]
Andy Collett  England GK 1994–1999 107 0
Aaron Collins  Wales FW 2021–2024 117 35 [17]
Fred Corbett  England FW 1901–1903
1904–1905
1908–1911		 139 52
Ellis Crompton  England FW 1913–1921 150 36
Jamie Cureton  England FW 1996–2000 174 72
Joe Davis  England DF 1960–1967 211 4
Graham Day  England DF 1973–1979 130 1
Craig Disley  England MF 2004–2009 203 25 [18]
Ronnie Dix  England ‡ FW 1928–1932 100 33
Alec Donald  Scotland DF 1932–1936 136 0
Hughie Dunn  Scotland DF 1901–1906 155 1
Jim Eadie  Scotland GK 1973–1977 183 0
Nathan Ellington  England FW 1999–2002 116 35
Steve Elliott  England DF 2004–2010 218 17 [19]
Antony Evans †  England MF 2021– 119 21 [20]
Gordon Fearnley  England FW 1970–1977 120 21
Sam Finley †  England MF 2021– 105 5 [21]
Steve Foster  England DF 1997–2002 197 7
Geoff Fox  England DF 1947–1955 276 2
Rory Gaffney  Republic of Ireland FW 2015–2016 (loan)
2016–2018		 100 21 [22]
Ray Graydon  England MF 1965–1971 133 33
Arthur Griffiths  England DF 1897–1904 105 1
Andy Gurney  England DF 1992–1997 108 9
Lewis Haldane  Wales MF/FW 2002–2010 147 15 [23]
Denzil Hale  England MF/FW 1952–1959 120 12
Bernard Hall  England GK 1959–1967 163 0
Ian Hamilton  England FW 1958–1968 149 60
Ellis Harrison  Wales MF/FW 2011–2018 185 44 [24]
David Harvie  Scotland DF 1910–1920 219 1
Jimmy Haydon  England DF 1921–1931 290 5
Doug Hillard  England DF 1957–1968 318 12
Craig Hinton  England DF 2004–2009 153 3 [25]
Len Hodges  England FW 1946–1950 118 20
Ian Holloway  England MF 1981–1985
1987–1991
1996–1999		 397 42
Peter Hooper  Kenya ‡ FW 1953–1962 297 101
Bert Hoyle  England GK 1950–1953 104 0
Jeff Hughes  Northern Ireland ‡ MF 2008–2011 129 28 [26]
Harold Jarman  England MF 1959–1973 452 127
Bobby Jones  England FW 1956–1966
1967–1973		 421 101
Glyn Jones  Wales DF 1962–1966 153 0
Vaughan Jones  Wales DF 1976–1982
1984 (loan)
1985–1993		 381 12
Wayne Jones  Wales ‡ MF 1966–1972 224 28
Jo Kuffour  Ghana FW 2008–2012 130 32 [27]
Vic Lambden  England FW 1945–1955 268 117
Rickie Lambert  England ‡ FW 2006–2009 128 51 [28]
Daniel Leadbitter  England DF 2014–2019 115 1 [29]
Aaron Lescott  England DF 2004 (loan)
2004–2010		 207 5 [30]
Chris Lines  England MF 2004–2011
2015 (loan)
2015–2019		 314 30 [31]
Tom Lockyer  Wales ‡ DF 2012–2019 255 6 [32]
James Lofthouse  England FW 1923–1926 105 15
Gary Mabbutt  England ‡ DF 1977–1982 131 10
Ray Mabbutt  England MF 1956–1969 395 27
Nigel Martyn  England ‡ GK 1987–1989 101 0
Wally McArthur  England MF 1933–1950 261 14
Aidan McCaffrey  England DF 1980–1985 184 11
Mark McChrystal  Northern Ireland DF 2013–2017 114 0 [33]
Jock McLean  Scotland MF 1933–1938 134 1
George McNestry  England FW 1932–1935 113 42
David Mehew  England MF 1985–1994 222 63
Barrie Meyer  England FW 1953–1958 139 60
Steve Mildenhall  England GK 2013 (loan)
2013–2017		 127 0 [34]
Paul Miller  England FW 1994–1997 110 20
Jerry Morgan  England FW 1920–1925 114 25
Jimmy Morgan  England FW 1946–1952 104 24
Alex Munro  Scotland DF/MF/FW 1962–1971 169 11
Joe Nicholls  England GK 1936–1939 112 0
Matt O'Mahoney  Ireland ‡[g] DF 1936–1939 101 6
Terry Oldfield  England MF/FW 1958–1966 132 11
Billy Palmer  England FW 1912–1913
1919–1922		 102 14
Tom Parkes  England DF 2012 (loan)
2012–2016		 175 7 [35]
Brian Parkin  England GK 1989–1996
1999–2000		 246 0
Tim Parkin  England DF 1981–1986 206 12
Lindsay Parsons  England DF 1963–1977 360 0
Gary Penrice  England MF/FW 1983–1989
1997–2002		 257 60
Billy Peplow  England FW 1908–1915 216 42
George Petherbridge  England FW 1945–1962 457 85
Steve Phillips  England GK 2006–2010 136 0 [36]
Bill Pickering  England DF 1931–1937 215 1
Jack Pitt  England MF 1946–1960 466 16
Tony Pounder  England MF 1990–1994 113 10
Frankie Prince  Wales MF 1967–1980 362 22
David Pritchard  England DF 1994–2001 163 1
Dick Pudan  England DF 1902–1907 116 0
Tony Pulis  Wales DF/MF 1975–1981
1982–1984		 130 5
Phil Purnell  England MF 1985–1992 153 22
David Pyle  England DF 1955–1962 139 0
Howard Radford  Wales GK 1951–1962 245 0
Paul Randall  England FW 1977–1978
1981–1986		 277 107 wiki
Andy Reece  England MF 1987–1993 239 17
Eliot Richards  Wales MF/FW 2009–2014 120 15 [37][38]
Phil Roberts  Wales ‡ DF/MF 1968–1973 175 6
Thomas Roberts  England MF/FW 1925–1930 120 6
Peter Roney  Scotland GK 1909–1915 178 1
Bill Roost  England FW 1948–1957 178 49
Peter Sampson  England MF 1948–1961 340 4
Carl Saunders  England FW 1990–1993 142 42
Liam Sercombe  England MF 2017–2020 103 13 [39]
Bill Shaw  Scotland MF 1909–1912 103 6
Dick Sheppard  England GK 1969–1975 151 0
Stephen Sims  England DF 1919–1922
1926–1927		 111 18
Stuart Sinclair  England MF 2014–2019 142 7 [40]
Justin Skinner  England MF 1991–1998 187 11
Neil Slatter  Wales ‡ DF 1980–1985 148 4
Jack Smart  England MF 1905–1910 105 3
Michael Smith  Northern Ireland ‡ DF 2011–2014 101 1 [41]
David Staniforth  England FW 1974–1979 153 32
Tom Stanton  Scotland DF/MF 1968–1976 172 7
Archie Stephens  England FW 1981–1985 127 40
Kenny Stephens  England MF 1970–1977 223 11
Worrell Sterling  England MF 1993–1996 119 6
Marcus Stewart  England FW 1991–1996 171 57
David Stone  England DF 1960–1968 148 6
Norman Sykes  England MF 1952–1964 214 5
Nick Tanner  England DF 1985–1988 107 3
Matty Taylor  England FW 2014–2017 118 61 [42]
Stuart Taylor  England DF 1965–1980 546 28
Martin Thomas  Wales ‡ GK 1977–1983 162 0
Andy Thomson  England DF 1999–2002 127 6
Andy Tillson  England DF 1992–2000 253 11
Geoff Twentyman  England DF 1986–1993 252 6
Bobbie Walker  England MF 1912–1915 107 12
Richard Walker  England FW 2004–2009 143 46 [43]
Joe Walter  England MF 1919–1922
1928–1929		 124 9
Alan Warboys  England FW 1973–1977 144 53
Dai Ward  Wales ‡ FW 1954–1961 175 90
Ray Warren  England MF 1936–1956 450 28
Barry Watkins  Wales DF/FW 1945–1957 115 7
Josser Watling  England DF/FW 1947–1963 323 19
Arthur Weare  Wales GK 1945–1951 141 0
Jesse Whatley  England GK 1919–1930 386 0
Ernie Whatmore  England FW 1923–1928 134 40
Devon White  England FW 1987–1992 202 52
Steve White  England FW 1977–1979
1983–1986		 150 44
Brian Williams  England DF 1981–1985 163 20
David Williams  Wales ‡ MF 1975–1985 352 66
Geraint Williams  Wales ‡ MF 1980–1985 141 8
Louis Williams  England MF 1909–1912 106 1
Steve Yates  England DF 1986–1993 197 0

Footnotes[edit]

  • a Unless otherwise stated, all international caps are taken from Byrne & Jay (2003).[44]
  • b A player's nationality is defined as the country they have represented at the international level if they have done so; otherwise it is their country of birth.
  • c Playing positions are taken from Byrne & Jay (2003) unless otherwise stated.
  • d Number of league appearances for Bristol Rovers
  • e Number of league goals scored for Bristol Rovers
  • f Unless otherwise stated, player statistics are taken from Byrne & Jay (2003).[45]
  • g Matt O'Mahoney was a dual Irish international, having played for both the FAI and IFA national teams.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Byrne & Jay (2003), p. 82
  2. ^ Byrne & Jay (2003), p. 88
  3. ^ Jay & Byrne (1994), pp. 286–287
  4. ^ Giles (2007), p. 22
  5. ^ Jay & Byrne (1994), p. 95
  6. ^ Jay & Byrne (1994), p. 264
  7. ^ Rollin & Rollin (2009), p. 115
  8. ^ Jay & Byrne (1994), p. 72
  9. ^ "Junior Agogo". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 1 April 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  10. ^ "Byron Anthony". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Lee Brown". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Stuart Campbell". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  13. ^ "Chris Carruthers". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  14. ^ "James Clarke". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Ollie Clarke". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Danny Coles". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  17. ^ "Aaron Collins". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Craig Disley". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  19. ^ "Steve Elliott". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  20. ^ "Antony Evans". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Sam Finley". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Rory Gaffney". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  23. ^ "Lewis Haldane". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 11 October 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  24. ^ "Ellis Harrison". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  25. ^ "Craig Hinton". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  26. ^ "Jeff Hughes". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  27. ^ "Jo Kuffour". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
  28. ^ "Rickie Lambert". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  29. ^ "Daniel Leadbitter". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  30. ^ "Aaron Lescott". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  31. ^ "Chris Lines". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  32. ^ "Tom Lockyer". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  33. ^ "Mark McChrystal". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  34. ^ "Steve Mildenhall". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  35. ^ "Tom Parkes". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  36. ^ "Steve Phillips". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  37. ^ "Eliot Richard (sic)". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  38. ^ "Eliot Richard". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  39. ^ "Liam Sercombe". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  40. ^ "Stuart Sinclair". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  41. ^ "Michael Smith". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  42. ^ "Matty Taylor". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  43. ^ "Richard Walker". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  44. ^ Byrne & Jay (2003), pp. 486–487
  45. ^ Byrne & Jay (2003), pp. 489–508

Bibliography[edit]

  • Byrne, Stephen; Jay, Mike (2003). Bristol Rovers Football Club: The Definitive History 1883–2003. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7524-2717-1.
  • Giles, Edward (2007). Bristol Rovers, The Bert Tann Era: A Personal Memoir. Southend-on-Sea: Desert Island Books. ISBN 978-1-905328-37-6.
  • Jay, Mike; Byrne, Stephen (1994). Pirates in Profile: A Who's Who of Bristol Rovers Players. Bristol: Potten, Baber & Murray. ISBN 978-0-9524835-0-2.
  • Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2007). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2007–2008. London: Headline Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-7553-1664-9.
  • Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2009). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2009–2010. London: Headline Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-7553-1948-0.
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