1885–86 Eastville Rovers F.C. season
1885–86 season | |
---|---|
Captain | Bill Somerton |
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.
Season review
[edit]As with their first two seasons, Eastville Rovers continued to play only friendly matches during the 1885–86 season. A new blue-and-white hooped shirt with white shorts was adopted this year, replacing the original black and gold kit, and it was first worn during a truncated match against Bristol side Right Against Might on 17 October 1885.[1] Only 40 minutes of play was possible in this game due to poor light – Right Against Might had failed to arrive at the ground until 5:10pm, not long before sunset.[2]
The Boxing Day fixture away to St George was also a shortened affair, with the game being abandoned after just 20 minutes due to one of the home team's players suffering a broken leg. With the score standing at 1–0 to St George, Mr E. Fleming attempted to kick the ball, but missed and instead his shin hit a Rovers player's knee. The sound of Fleming's leg breaking was reportedly heard 60 yards away.[3] A benefit match was played for Fleming four weeks later between a combined Warmley and St George XI and a Bristol & District representative side. The game, played in difficult conditions on a partially frozen pitch, ended 2–0 to Warmley & St George.[4]
Where results are known, Rovers ended the season with three wins, a draw and two defeats, but they played at least nine other games on top of these.
Results
[edit]Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
17 October 1885 | Right Against Might | The Downs, Bristol | Won 1–0 | Only 40 minutes played due to late arrival of R.A.M.[2] |
21 November 1885 | Warmley | Purdown, Bristol | ||
28 November 1885 | Warmley | Purdown, Bristol | ||
19 December 1885 | Chippenham | Chippenham, Wiltshire | won 2-0 | [5][6] |
26 December 1885 | St George | St George, Bristol | Lost 0–1 | Abandoned after about 20 minutes.[3] |
2 January 1886 | Gloucester | Purdown, Bristol | Won 1–0 | Gloucester played the whole game with ten men.[7][8] |
23 January 1886 | St George | Purdown, Bristol | ||
30 January 1886 | Clifton Association | The Downs, Bristol | ||
13 February 1886 | Warmley | Warmley, Gloucestershire | Drew 0–0 | [9] |
27 February 1886 | Clifton Association | The Downs, Bristol | Drew 1–1 | [10] |
6 March 1886 | Gloucester | Budding's Field, Gloucester | Won 3–1 | [11][12] |
13 March 1886 | Right Against Might | Durdham Down, Bristol | Drew 0–0 | [13] |
10 April 1886 | Warmley | Warmley, Gloucestershire | Lost 3–7 | [14] |
In addition to these games there were also matches played against Bristol Wagon Works, Cardiff, Melksham and Wotton-under-Edge, the dates, venues and results of which are not known.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ Byrne & Jay (2003), p.30
- ^ a b "Football". Western Daily Press. 20 October 1885. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Football". Bristol Mercury. 29 December 1885. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Western Daily Press. 26 January 1886. Retrieved 20 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Western Daily Press. 22 December 1885. Retrieved 30 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Bristol Mercury. 22 December 1885. Retrieved 30 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Gloucester Citizen. 5 January 1886. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Bristol Mercury. 6 January 1886. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Bristol Mercury. 18 February 1886. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Bristol Mercury. 3 March 1886. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Bristol Mercury. 8 March 1886. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Gloucester Citizen. 8 March 1886. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". Bristol Mercury. 17 March 1886.
- ^ "Football". Bristol Mercury. 13 April 1886. Retrieved 19 October 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Byrne & Jay (2003), p.29
Bibliography
[edit]- Byrne, Stephen; Jay, Mike (2003). Bristol Rovers Football Club: The Definitive History 1883–2003. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2717-2.