1893–94 Eastville Rovers F.C. season

The 1893–94 season was the eleventh to be played by the team now known as Bristol Rovers, and their tenth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. The first team continued to play in the first division of the Bristol & District League (now known as the Western Football League), while the reserves became founding members of the second division of the same competition.

Eastville Rovers F.C.
1893–94 season
CaptainF.A. Yates
GroundRidgeway Road, Ridgeway, Bristol
Bristol & District League9th of 10
Gloucestershire Senior CupRunners-up
Gloucestershire Junior CupThird round
Top goalscorerBob Horsey (8)

Season review

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Eastville Rovers began the season in confident mood. They had moved to a new ground in Ridgeway (sometimes referred to in contemporary reports as Rudgeway) on a site shared with Bristol North Cricket Club, which they had felt would improve attendances due to it being closer to Eastville than their former home in Ashley Down. They also welcomed many new players into the club thanks to a merger with St Gabriel's Association Football Club, enabling the formation of a third team to play alongside the firsts and reserves.[1] It would prove to be a bitter-sweet campaign however as although the first team managed to reach the final of the Gloucestershire Cup, both the firsts and reserves finished just one place above the bottom of their respective league tables.[2][3]

League tables

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Bristol & District League Division One

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1 Warmley[a] 18 12 5 1 32 13 2.462 27
2 St George 18 10 6 2 39 23 1.696 26
3 Trowbridge Town 18 9 4 5 54 33 1.636 22
4 Bedminster 18 9 2 7 41 36 1.139 20
5 Clevedon 18 7 5 6 34 40 0.850 19
6 Clifton 18 6 4 8 37 30 1.233 16
7 Staple Hill 18 5 5 8 23 33 0.697 15
8 Gloucester 18 6 1 11 32 45 0.711 13
9 Eastville Rovers 18 5 2 11 30 39 0.769 12
10 Mangotsfield 18 2 4 12 19 48 0.396 8
Source: [citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ Warmley were deducted two points for fielding a professional player

Bristol & District League Division Two

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1 Warmley reserves 18 16 1 1 66 12 5.500 33
2 St George reserves 18 15 0 3 50 22 2.273 30
3 Trowbridge Town reserves 18 11 1 6 47 22 2.136 23
4 St Paul's 18 9 3 6 44 51 0.863 21
5 Barton Hill 18 7 4 7 40 32 1.250 18
6 Bedminster reserves 18 6 3 9 35 42 0.833 15
7 Mangotsfield reserves 18 6 1 11 26 41 0.634 13
8 Clifton reserves 18 5 2 11 29 59 0.492 12
9 Eastville Rovers reserves 18 4 2 12 23 45 0.511 10
10 Waverley 18 2 4 12 22 53 0.415 8
Source: [citation needed]

Match results

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Bristol & District League

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Division One

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7 October 1893 Bedminster 2–0 Eastville Rovers Ashton Gate
  • Mayger  
  • Unknown   (o.g.)
Report Stadium: Ashton Gate Stadium
14 October 1893 Eastville Rovers 5–2 Gloucester Ridgeway
  • Laurie  
Report Attendance: 250
21 October 1893 Warmley 1–0 Eastville Rovers Warmley
Silman   Report Attendance: 700
Referee: J. Bloor
4 November 1893 Mangotsfield 0–3 Eastville Rovers Mangotsfield
Report
  • Laurie  
  • Thompson  
  • Rogers  
11 November 1893 Gloucester 3–0 Eastville Rovers Gloucester
  • Sherwood  
  • Robins  
  • Stout  
Report Stadium: Kingsholm
Attendance: 650
Referee: J. Bloor
25 November 1893 Eastville Rovers 4–2 Trowbridge Town Ridgeway
  • Taylor  
  • Horsey    
  • Rogers  
Report
  • Grist  
  • Billett  
Referee: W.H. Brain
2 December 1893 Staple Hill 3–1 Eastville Rovers Staple Hill
  • H. Millard    
  • Wiltshire  
Report Horsey  
26 December 1893 Eastville Rovers 0–2 St George Ridgeway
14:40 GMT Report
  • Bennett  
  • Patterson  
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Mr J. A. Stevens
13 January 1894 St George 2–1 Eastville Rovers St George
14:50 GMT Winstone   Report
10 February 1894 Trowbridge Town 3–1 Eastville Rovers Trowbridge
  • Wright    
  • Guest  
Report
  • Horsey  
3 March 1894 Eastville Rovers 3–3 Bedminster Ridgeway
Report
  • Griffiths  
  • Mayger  
  • Unknown  
Referee: J.A. Stevens
10 March 1894 Eastville Rovers 1–2 Clevedon Ridgeway
Johns   Report Mertens     Referee: Mr J.A. Stevens
17 March 1894 Eastville Rovers 3–1 Staple Hill Ridgeway
  • Laurie  
  • McBain  
  • Attwell  
Report H. Nicholls   Referee: Mr J. Bloor
24 March 1894 Eastville Rovers 1–1 Warmley Rudgeway
G. Britton   (o.g.) Report Silman   Referee: Mr F. Millard
7 April 1894 Clevedon 3–1 Eastville Rovers Clevedon
  • P. Hammond  
  • Vernon  
  • Mortens  
Report Rogers   Stadium: Dial Hill
Referee: S. Peacock
14 April 1894 Clifton 4–0 Eastville Rovers Kingswood
  • Newman  
  • A. Symes  
  • E. Symes  
  • Francis  
Report Stadium: Chequers Ground
Attendance: Very small
Referee: G. Gay

Division Two

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7 October 1893 Eastville Rovers Reserves 2–6 Bedminster Reserves Ridgeway
Report
28 October 1893 Eastville Rovers Reserves 4–1 St Paul's Ridgeway
Williams   Report Hone   (pen.)
4 November 1893 Eastville Rovers Reserves 1–3 Mangotsfield Reserves Eastville
Report
25 November 1893 Trowbridge Town Reserves A–A[β] Eastville Rovers Reserves Trowbridge
Report
2 December 1893 Eastville Rovers Reserves 0–4 Barton Hill Eastville
Report
9 December 1893 Waverley[γ] 4–1 Eastville Rovers Reserves Knowle
Report
26 December 1893 Trowbridge Town Reserves 0–3 Eastville Rovers Reserves Trowbridge
Report
27 January 1894 Barton Hill 0–1 Eastville Rovers Reserves Barton Hill
Report
10 February 1894 Eastville Rovers Reserves 1–2 Trowbridge Town Reserves Ridgeway
Report
24 February 1894 St Paul's 4–3 Eastville Rovers Reserves Long Ashton
Report
3 March 1894 Bedminster Reserves 2–0 Eastville Rovers Reserves Bedminster
  • F. Harris  
  • G. Hemmins  
Report Attendance: 300
10 March 1894 Eastville Rovers Reserves 0–2 St Paul's Ridgeway
Report
17 March 1894 St George Reserves 3–1 Eastville Rovers Reserves St George
Report
21 April 1894 Warmley Reserves 7–1 Eastville Rovers Reserves Warmley
Report
25 April 1894 Eastville Rovers Reserves[δ] 1–2 Clifton Reserves Kingswood
17:30 Stadium: Chequers Ground
Referee: G. Gay
28 April 1894 Clifton Reserves 2–2 Eastville Rovers Reserves Kingswood
15:30 Stadium: Chequers Ground
Referee: G. Gay
30 April 1894 Eastville Rovers Reserves 3–1 Waverley Kingswood
18:00 Stadium: Chequers Ground
Referee: E. H. Nettle

The date and result of the away game against Mangotsfield reserves is not known. The final three games were played over the Easter week of 1894 and all took place at the Chequers ground in Kingswood.[7]

Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup

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Eastville Rovers were drawn away to Mangotsfield in the first round.[8]

27 January 1894 First round Mangotsfield 0–1 Eastville Rovers Mangotsfield
Report Taylor   Referee: J. Bloor
24 February 1894 Semi-final Gloucester 0–1 Eastville Rovers Gloucester
Horsey  
31 March 1894 Final St George 3–1 Eastville Rovers Kingswood
  • W. Britton    
  • D.S. Gerrish  
Report R. Horsey   Stadium: Chequers Ground
Attendance: 4,000

Gloucestershire Junior Challenge Cup

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11 November 1893 Third round Eastville Rovers Reserves 2–4 Bedminster Reserves
Report

Friendlies

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First team

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16 September 1893 Trowbridge Town 4–4 Eastville Rovers Trowbridge
  • Hill    
  • Quinian  
  • Everett  
Report
Referee: Mr F. M. Millard
23 September 1893 Warmley 5–1 Eastville Rovers Warmley
  • Mackay  
  • Silman    
  • Peacock    
Report Unknown  
9 December 1893 Eastville Rovers 4–0 St George Ridgeway
15:00 GMT
  • Horsey    
  • Taylor  
  • Laurie  
Report
16 December 1893 Swindon Athletic 2–1 Eastville Rovers Swindon
  • Rennie  
  • Hayward  
Report Stadium: Wiltshire County Ground
Referee: Mr S. J. Strange
23 December 1893 Eastville Rovers 1–0 Swindon Wanderers Ridgeway
Rogers   Report
20 January 1894 Eastville Rovers 2–4[ε] Warmley Ridgeway
  • Horsey  
  • G. Britton   (o.g.)
Report
  • "Nipper" Britton  
  • Nelmes  
  • Peacock  
  • King  
Attendance: 800
Referee: Mr. Millard
24 February 1894 Gloucester 0–1 Eastville Rovers Gloucester
Report Referee: Mr A. Francis

Reserves

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30 September 1893 Craigmore College 0–4 Eastville Rovers Reserves Clifton
Report
3 February 1894 Eastville Rovers Reserves 5–1[ζ] Waverley Ridgeway
Report

Third team

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The name of the club's third team was given variously as Eastville Rovers Extras, Eastville Rovers A, or simply Eastville Rovers. The name of the team as it was reported in the local press for each match is shown in the table below.

2 September 1893 St. Simon's 6–1 Eastville Rovers Extras Eastville
Report Stadium: Eastville Park
21 October 1893 Eastville Rovers A 2–2 Brislington Reserves Ridgeway
Report
28 October 1893 St. Michael's 1–1 Eastville Rovers Eastville
Report Stadium: Eastville Park
9 December 1893 Eastville Rovers Extras 0–1 Adlam's Rovers Eastville
Report Stadium: Eastville Park
16 December 1893 Eastville Rovers 2–4 Eastville Wanderers Ridgeway
Report
20 January 1894 Redfield Excelsior 1–2 Eastville Rovers Extras The Downs
Report
3 February 1894 St. Simon's 5–1 Eastville Rovers A Eastville
Report Stadium: Eastville Park
26 February 1894 St Michael & All Angels 1–0 Eastville Rovers A Eastville
Report Stadium: Eastville Park

Notes

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  1. ^ Due to a mix-up regarding the kickoff time, Rovers started their home fixture against Clifton with six players. The game was played in thick fog, severely limiting visibility, and Eastville lodged an official protest after the match.[4]
  2. ^ The reserves' match against Trowbridge on 25 November was abandoned due to poor light. Eastville had arrived late, and were leading 2–0 when darkness fell.[5]
  3. ^ Waverley started the game with nine men.[6]
  4. ^ Rovers' reserves only fielded nine men in their 2–1 defeat to Clifton
  5. ^ Both Eastville and Warmley requested that their league game on 20 January be postponed due to partial flooding of the pitch and strong winds, but it went ahead as planned.[9] The league committee later agreed that the result should not stand as a league match and a replay was ordered for 24 March.[10]
  6. ^ The game between Eastville Rovers Reserves and Waverley was originally scheduled as a league match, but due to the poor state of the pitch the result didn't count towards the league table and the match was ordered to be replayed.[10]

Statistics

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Friendly matches are not included in this section.
Match record
Competition Home Away Total
P W D L F A P W D L F A P W D L F A
Bristol & District League 9 4 2 3 23 18 9 1 0 8 7 21 18 5 2 11 30 39
Gloucestershire Cup 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 1 3 3 3 2 0 1 3 3
Total 9 4 2 3 23 18 12 3 0 9 10 24 21 7 2 12 33 42

Cumulative record

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The total cumulative record of Eastville Rovers up to the end of the 1893–94 season is shown below. This is calculated by adding the numbers in the section above to the total games played up to the end of the previous season. Friendly matches are not included in this table, and games held at neutral venues are considered to have been played away from home.

Match record
Competition Home Away Total
P W D L F A P W D L F A P W D L F A
Bristol & District League 17 8 4 5 44 32 17 3 1 13 22 47 34 11 5 18 66 79
Gloucestershire Cup 4 0 2 2 5 9 12 8 0 4 22 21 16 8 2 6 27 30
Total 21 8 6 7 49 41 29 11 1 17 44 68 50 19 7 24 93 109

References

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  1. ^ "Football in the West of England". Western Daily Press. 4 September 1893. Retrieved 12 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "Eastville Rovers". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Eastville Rovers Reserves". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  4. ^ "Athletics". Bristol Mercury. 1 January 1894. Retrieved 24 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Athletics". Bristol Mercury. 27 November 1893. Retrieved 18 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Saturday's football". Western Daily Press. 11 December 1893. Retrieved 19 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Athletics". Bristol Mercury. 23 April 1894. Retrieved 19 June 2019 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Athletics". Bristol Mercury. 21 December 1893. Retrieved 11 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Athletics". Bristol Mercury. 22 January 1894. Retrieved 28 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ a b "Bristol and District League". Bristol Mercury. 15 February 1894. Retrieved 22 January 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Bibliography

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  • Byrne, Stephen; Jay, Mike (2003). Bristol Rovers Football Club: The Definitive History 1883–2003. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2717-2.