The 1896–97 season was the fourteenth to be played by the team now known as Bristol Rovers, and their thirteenth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. The first team played in division one of the Western League for the fifth consecutive season, while the reserves competed in the second division of the same competition for the fourth time. This was Rovers' final season as an amateur club.

The senior squad ended the season in a mid-table position in the Western League first division, finishing in fifth place out of nine teams, while the reserves ended their campaign one place off the bottom of division two.

Season review

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Following a successful 1895–96 season Rovers, along with fellow Western League clubs Warmley and St George, applied to join the Birmingham & District Football League for the 1896–97 campaign, however the Midlands-based league decided that they did not wish to increase the number of teams in the competition, and as a result all three applications were rejected.[1] In June the Western League confirmed that Eastville Rovers had a place in Division One for the upcoming season, and the Gloucestershire F.A. confirmed the club also had a place in their Senior Challenge Cup.[2] Rovers also entered the FA Cup for second time, having made their debut in the competition a year earlier.[3]

 
League champions Aston Villa helped open Rovers' new home ground at Eastville Stadium

In March Rovers moved to their new, purpose built Eastville Stadium, the ground that would remain their home for the next 99 years until they were forced to leave due to financial problems in the 1980s. The team that were invited to play in a friendly match to mark the opening of the new ground was reigning league champions Aston Villa. The game was played just a week before the 1897 FA Cup Final when Villa became just the second team to win the league and cup double.

Match results

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Western League

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Division One

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19 September 1896 1 Eastville Rovers 0–1 Bedminster Ridgeway
Report Cottle   Attendance: "Very large"
26 September 1896 2 Eastville Rovers 0–2 Bristol South End Ridgeway
Report
  • Porter  
  • Unknown scorer  
Attendance: 3000
Referee: Mr Farrant
3 October 1896 3 Trowbridge Town 3–0 Eastville Rovers Trowbridge
  • Unknown scorer  
  • Billett   ~40'
  • George   (pen.)
  • Hurn  
Report Nolan   ~80' Stadium: The Old Flower Show Field
Attendance: 800
Referee: Mr Smith
24 October 1896 4 Staple Hill 1–4 Eastville Rovers Staple Hill
15:30 GMT (UTC±00:00) Humphries   Report
  • Bracey   45'
  • McEwen  
  • Brown    
Stadium: Staple Park
Attendance: "Numerous"
Referee: Mr G Gay
21 November 1896 6 Eastville Rovers 0–2 Warmley Ridgeway
Report Unknown scorers   1'   Attendance: 3500
Referee: Mr J H Beanland
5 December 1896 7 Eastville Rovers 2–3 St George Ridgeway
15:05 GMT (UTC±00:00) Osborne   15'   Report
  • Beak  
  • Shenton   (o.g.)
  • Parsons  
  • Unknown scorer  
12 December 1896 8 Eastville Rovers 5–1 Staple Hill Ridgeway
  • Unknown scorers    
  • Leese  
  • Maclean  
  • Turner  
Report Smith  
2 January 1897 9 Bedminster 1–2 Eastville Rovers Ashton Gate
  • Baugh  
  • MacAuliffe  
Report
  • McLean  
  • Shenton  
  • Leese  
  • Stone   45'
  • John  
Stadium: Ashton Gate Stadium
Referee: A.C. Farrant
9 January 1897 10 Bristol South End 1–3 Eastville Rovers Bedminster
A. Fielding   Report
Stadium: St John's Lane
Referee: T. Mathews
16 January 1897 11 Eastville Rovers 0–0 Trowbridge Town Ridgeway
Report Everett   Attendance: "Good"
Referee: G. Gay
6 February 1897 12 St Paul's 1–1 Eastville Rovers Bower Ashton
Unknown scorer   Report Osborne   Attendance: "Fairly large"
Referee: Dr F.T.B. Logan
20 February 1897 13 Warmley 2–1 Eastville Rovers Warmley
  • Preddy   80'
  • P. Britton   (pen.)
Report Osborne   75' Attendance: 2000
Referee: Mr V.R. Davies (Swindon)
6 March 1897 14 Clifton 2–3 Eastville Rovers Kingswood
  • Taylor  
  • McCarthy   80'
Report
Stadium: The Chequers Ground
Attendance: "A capital attendance"
Referee: J. Bloor
13 March 1897 15 St George 2–3 Eastville Rovers St George
Callendar   Report Horsey     Attendance: 1000
Referee: J. Beanland

Division Two

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1 Bedminster Reserves 4–0 Eastville Rovers Reserves
3 October 1896 2 Eastville Rovers Reserves 0–2 Fishponds Ridgeway
Report
24 October 1896 Eastville Rovers Reserves A–A Staple Hill Reserves Ridgeway
Unknown scorer   Report
21 November 1896 3 Barton Hill 4–0 Eastville Rovers Reserves Netham
Report
9 January 1897 Eastville Rovers Reserves 0–2 Barton Hill Ridgeway
Report

North Bristol & District League

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Division B

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For the first time since the 1893–94 season Eastville Rovers operated a third team, who were known as Eastville Rovers Juniors. They entered Division B of the North Bristol & District League (now known as the Bristol & Suburban League). Newspaper reports at the time gave the winning team first when listing match results, the order of the teams does not indicate which was playing at home as is the convention now.

14 November 1896 Avonside 9–0 Eastville Rovers Juniors
Report
21 November 1896 Fishponds Victoria 7–3 Eastville Rovers Juniors
Report
5 December 1896 Hebron 6–0 Eastville Rovers Juniors Clifton
Report Stadium: The Downs
19 December 1896 Eastville Rovers Juniors 3–1 St George United
Report
2 January 1897 Glendale 3–3 Eastville Rovers Juniors
Report
9 January 1897 Eastville Wanderers Juniors 3–0 Eastville Rovers Juniors
Report
30 January 1897 Eastville Rovers Juniors 9–1 St Mark's Rovers
Report

FA Cup

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In the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup Rovers were drawn away to Newbury, with the victor being due to face the winner of the match between Weymouth and St George. Rovers were reluctant to travel to Newbury, so offered their opponents £10 plus half the gate receipts to switch the tie to Bristol, but the Berkshire club declined the offer and Rovers had to make the journey east. The first half remained goalless, but Rovers took the lead shortly after the break before Newbury equalised later on. After this the game became more bad-tempered and marred by numerous fouls, including one player being kicked in the forehead and the game being held up for several minutes while another player was treated for an injury. The cup tie finished in a 1–1 draw, but the confrontational nature of the game didn't end there. Newbury were adamant that extra time should be played, while Rovers felt there should be a replay. In the end the referee sided with the Bristol club.[4]

10 October 1896 Qualifying Round 1 Newbury 1–1 Eastville Rovers Newbury
Freebody   Report Nolan   ~50' Attendance: "A big crowd"
Referee: Mr Carr
14 October 1896 Qualifying Round 1 replay Eastville Rovers 2–1 Newbury Ridgeway
15:15 GMT (UTC±00:00)[5] Report
31 October 1896 Qualifying Round 2 Eastville Rovers 1–0 St George Ridgeway
Unknown scorer   46' Report Attendance: 3500
Referee: Mr J Beanland (Swindon)

Gloucestershire Cups

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Senior Challenge Cup

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30 January 1897 First round Eastville Rovers 1–0 St Paul's Ridgeway
McBain   10' Report
27 February 1897 Second round Clifton 1–0 Eastville Rovers Kingswood
Bidwell   30' Report Stadium: The Chequers Ground
Attendance: 300
Referee: Mr Haines (Swindon)

Junior Challenge Cup

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First round Eastville Rovers Reserves v St Paul's Reserves Ridgeway
28 November 1896 Second round Warmley Reserves 5–2 Eastville Rovers Reserves

Bristol Charity Cup

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23 January 1897 First round Eastville Rovers 2–1 Clifton Ridgeway
Report Graham   Attendance: "Fair"
Referee: Mr Howard

Bristol North Challenge Vase

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13 March 1897 Eastville Rovers Juniors 4–1 Eastville Glendale
Report

Friendlies

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First team

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5 September 1896 Barton Hill 1–8 Eastville Rovers Netham
Unknown scorer   Report
  • Osborne      
  • Thompson    
  • Harvey    
  • Brown  
12 September 1896 Eastville Rovers 0–2 St George Ridgeway
Report
  • Parsons  
  • Leese  
Attendance: "Exceedingly good"
Referee: Mr G Gay
14 November 1896 Staple Hill 1–1 Eastville Rovers Staple Hill
Humphries   Report Unknown scorer   Stadium: Staple Park
19 December 1896 St George 2–1 Eastville Rovers St George
Unknown scorers     Report O'Grady   5' Stadium: St George Athletic Ground
Referee: Fred Gyles
20 March 1897 Eastville Rovers 2–0 Bedminster Ridgeway
Report Attendance: "A good crowd"
Referee: J. Bloor
3 April 1897 Eastville Rovers Selected Team 0–5 Aston Villa Eastville
17:00 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Report
Stadium: Eastville Stadium
Attendance: 4500

Third team

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13 February 1897 Eastville Rovers Juniors 5–0 Rudgway Victoria
Report
20 February 1897 Braunton Villa 3–1 Eastville Rovers Juniors
Report
27 February 1897 Eastville Rovers Juniors 6–0 Belmont Rovers
Report
6 March 1897 Eastville Rovers Juniors 1–0 Clifton Juniors
Report
20 March 1897 Eastville Rovers Juniors 3–0 Belmont
Report
27 March 1897 Eastville Rovers Juniors 8–0 19th (St Mark's) Boys' Brigade
Report

References

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  1. ^ "News". Gloucester Journal. 30 May 1896. Retrieved 22 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "News". Gloucester Journal. 6 June 1896. Retrieved 22 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Football". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 12 August 1896. Retrieved 22 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "The English Cup–Qualifying Competition". Western Daily Press. 12 October 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 24 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Amusements and Exhibitions". Western Daily Press. 12 October 1896. p. 4. Retrieved 25 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.