List of Bristol Rovers F.C. players explained

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

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 27 April 2024

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

	‡	FW	2003–2006	126	41	^[9]
		MF	1972–1980	234	3
		DF	1986–1994	291	6
		DF	2006–2012	163	7	^[10]
		MF	1903–1908	180	9
		MF	1991–1997	126	13
		DF	1922–1926	122	0
	‡	MF	2000–2003	110	16
		DF	1946–1958	486	5
		FW	1971–1977	206	80
		MF	1979–1984	128	18
		DF	1974–1981 1983–1986	310	3
		FW	1995–1998	109	39
		DF	1911–1915	101	0
		DF	1925–1930	129	2
		FW	1953–1961 1962–1968	424	178
	‡	FW	1949–1964	462	242
		FW	1910–1915	106	24
		FW	1963–1968	156	32
		DF	2011–2018	285	21	^[11]
	‡	MF	1989–1997	174	11
		MF/FW	1947–1955	113	19
		MF	2004–2011	291	3	^[12]
		DF	2005 (loan) 2005–2008	100	1	^[13]
		GK	1901–1909	258	0
		DF	1998–2003	146	1
		MF	1992–1996	130	10
		FW	1904–1908	133	35
		DF	1987–1997	248	12
		DF	2015–2019	112	2	^[14]
		MF	2011–2020	235	20	^[15]
		DF	2007–2011	102	3	^[16]
		GK	1994–1999	107	0
		FW	2021–2024	117	35	^[17]
		FW	1901–1903 1904–1905 1908–1911	139	52
		FW	1913–1921	150	36
		FW	1996–2000	174	72
		DF	1960–1967	211	4
		DF	1973–1979	130	1
		MF	2004–2009	203	25	^[18]
	‡	FW	1928–1932	100	33
		DF	1932–1936	136	0
		DF	1901–1906	155	1
		GK	1973–1977	183	0
		FW	1999–2002	116	35
		DF	2004–2010	218	17	^[19]
		MF	2021–2024	121	21	^[20]
		FW	1970–1977	120	21
		MF	2021–2024	104	5	^[21]
		DF	1997–2002	197	7
		DF	1947–1955	276	2
		FW	2015–2016 (loan) 2016–2018	100	21	^[22]
		MF	1965–1971	133	33
		DF	1897–1904	105	1
		DF	1992–1997	108	9
		MF/FW	2002–2010	147	15	^[23]
		MF/FW	1952–1959	120	12
		GK	1959–1967	163	0
		FW	1958–1968	149	60
		MF/FW	2011–2018	185	44	^[24]
		DF	1910–1920	219	1
		DF	1921–1931	290	5
		DF	1957–1968	318	12
		DF	2004–2009	153	3	^[25]
		FW	1946–1950	118	20
		MF	1981–1985 1987–1991 1996–1999	397	42
	‡	FW	1953–1962	297	101
		GK	1950–1953	104	0
	‡	MF	2008–2011	129	28	^[26]
		MF	1959–1973	452	127
		FW	1956–1966 1967–1973	421	101
		DF	1962–1966	153	0
		DF	1976–1982 1984 (loan) 1985–1993	381	12
	‡	MF	1966–1972	224	28
		FW	2008–2012	130	32	^[27]
		FW	1945–1955	268	117
	‡	FW	2006–2009	128	51	^[28]
		DF	2014–2019	115	1	^[29]
		DF	2004 (loan) 2004–2010	207	5	^[30]
		MF	2004–2011 2015 (loan) 2015–2019	314	30	^[31]
	‡	DF	2012–2019	255	6	^[32]
		FW	1923–1926	105	15
	‡	DF	1977–1982	131	10
		MF	1956–1969	395	27
	‡	GK	1987–1989	101	0
		MF	1933–1950	261	14
		DF	1980–1985	184	11
		DF	2013–2017	114	0	^[33]
		MF	1933–1938	134	1
		FW	1932–1935	113	42
		MF	1985–1994	222	63
		FW	1953–1958	139	60
		GK	2013 (loan) 2013–2017	127	0	^[34]
		FW	1994–1997	110	20
		FW	1920–1925	114	25
		FW	1946–1952	104	24
		DF/MF/FW	1962–1971	169	11
		GK	1936–1939	112	0
	‡	DF	1936–1939	101	6
		MF/FW	1958–1966	132	11
		FW	1912–1913 1919–1922	102	14
		DF	2012 (loan) 2012–2016	175	7	^[35]
		GK	1989–1996 1999–2000	246	0
		DF	1981–1986	206	12
		DF	1963–1977	360	0
		MF/FW	1983–1989 1997–2002	257	60
		FW	1908–1915	216	42
		FW	1945–1962	457	85
		GK	2006–2010	136	0	^[36]
		DF	1931–1937	215	1
		MF	1946–1960	466	16
		MF	1990–1994	113	10
		MF	1967–1980	362	22
		DF	1994–2001	163	1
		DF	1902–1907	116	0
		DF/MF	1975–1981 1982–1984	130	5
		MF	1985–1992	153	22
		DF	1955–1962	139	0
		GK	1951–1962	245	0
		FW	1977–1978 1981–1986	277	107	wiki
		MF	1987–1993	239	17
		MF/FW	2009–2014	120	15	^[37] ^[38]
	‡	DF/MF	1968–1973	175	6
		MF/FW	1925–1930	120	6
		GK	1909–1915	178	1
		FW	1948–1957	178	49
		MF	1948–1961	340	4
		FW	1990–1993	142	42
		MF	2017–2020	103	13	^[39]
		MF	1909–1912	103	6
		GK	1969–1975	151	0
		DF	1919–1922 1926–1927	111	18
		MF	2014–2019	142	7	^[40]
		MF	1991–1998	187	11
	‡	DF	1980–1985	148	4
		MF	1905–1910	105	3
	‡	DF	2011–2014	101	1	^[41]
		FW	1974–1979	153	32
		DF/MF	1968–1976	172	7
		FW	1981–1985	127	40
		MF	1970–1977	223	11
		MF	1993–1996	119	6
		FW	1991–1996	171	57
		DF	1960–1968	148	6
		MF	1952–1964	214	5
		DF	1985–1988	107	3
		FW	2014–2017	118	61	^[42]
		DF	1965–1980	546	28
	‡	GK	1977–1983	162	0
		DF	1999–2002	127	6
		DF	1992–2000	253	11
		DF	1986–1993	252	6
		MF	1912–1915	107	12
		FW	2004–2009	143	46	^[43]
		MF	1919–1922 1928–1929	124	9
		FW	1973–1977	144	53
	‡	FW	1954–1961	175	90
		MF	1936–1956	450	28
		DF/FW	1945–1957	115	7
		DF/FW	1947–1963	323	19
		GK	1945–1951	141	0
		GK	1919–1930	386	0
		FW	1923–1928	134	40
		FW	1987–1992	202	52
		FW	1977–1979 1983–1986	150	44
		DF	1981–1985	163	20
	‡	MF	1975–1985	352	66
	‡	MF	1980–1985	141	8
		MF	1909–1912	106	1
		DF	1986–1993	197	0

Footnotes

• Unless otherwise stated, all international caps are taken from Byrne & Jay (2003).^[44]
• 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.
• Playing positions are taken from Byrne & Jay (2003) unless otherwise stated.
• Number of league appearances for Bristol Rovers
• Number of league goals scored for Bristol Rovers
• Unless otherwise stated, player statistics are taken from Byrne & Jay (2003).^[45]
• Matt O'Mahoney was a dual Irish international, having played for both the FAI and IFA national teams.

See also

• List of Bristol Rovers F.C. international players
• List of Bristol Rovers F.C. players (25–99 appearances)
  • Bristol Rovers F.C.#Current squad

Bibliography

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

Notes and References

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. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Junior Agogo . https://web.archive.org/web/20080401162759/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=30684 . 1 April 2008 . live .
10. Web site: Byron Anthony . Soccerbase . Centurycomm . 26 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091102185527/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=28636 . 2 November 2009 . live .
11. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 5 May 2018 . Lee Brown . 8 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123344/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=52520 . live .
12. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Stuart Campbell . https://web.archive.org/web/20090926225641/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9707 . 26 September 2009 . live .
13. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Chris Carruthers . https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200132/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=24661 . 15 May 2008 . live .
14. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 4 May 2019 . James Clarke . 12 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143319/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=48162 . live .
15. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 4 May 2019 . Ollie Clarke . 18 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200618164947/https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=53727 . live .
16. Web site: Danny Coles . Soccerbase . Centurycomm . 26 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091101003452/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=20583 . 1 November 2009 . live .
17. Web site: Aaron Collins. Soccerbase. Centurycomm. 6 February 2022. 6 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220206113904/https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=78063. live.
18. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Craig Disley . https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200127/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=17294 . 15 May 2008 . live .
19. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Steve Elliott . https://web.archive.org/web/20091101003413/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=12381 . 1 November 2009 . live .
20. Web site: Antony Evans. Soccerbase. Centurycomm. 1 March 2022. 1 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220301230030/https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=97327. live.
21. Web site: Sam Finley. Soccerbase. Centurycomm. 8 March 2022. 8 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220308220737/https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=81221. live.
22. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 7 June 2018 . Rory Gaffney . 12 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180612210514/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=69371 . live .
23. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Lewis Haldane . https://web.archive.org/web/20091011115007/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=36526 . 11 October 2009 . live .
24. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 5 May 2018 . Ellis Harrison . https://archive.today/20130804105337/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=59293 . live . 4 August 2013 .
25. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Craig Hinton . https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200147/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9518 . 15 May 2008 . live .
26. Web site: Jeff Hughes . Soccerbase . Centurycomm . 27 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091101003258/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=41945 . 1 November 2009 . live .
27. Web site: Jo Kuffour . Soccerbase . Centurycomm . 27 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091019021051/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=23159 . 19 October 2009 . live .
28. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Rickie Lambert . https://web.archive.org/web/20080925122119/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=16995 . 25 September 2008 . live .
29. Web site: Daniel Leadbitter . Soccerbase . Centurycomm . 4 May 2019 . 5 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200805134545/https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=59956 . live .
30. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Aaron Lescott . https://web.archive.org/web/20091021182558/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9680 . 21 October 2009 . live .
31. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 4 May 2019 . Chris Lines . 8 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180208124011/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=40519 . live .
32. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 4 May 2019 . Tom Lockyer . 3 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210603074853/https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=63162 . live .
33. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 1 May 2017 . Mark McChrystal . 16 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160316155659/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=44173 . live .
34. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 1 May 2017 . Steve Mildenhall . 16 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160316155658/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=8956 . live .
35. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 13 June 2015 . Tom Parkes . 24 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924173050/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=53241 . live .
36. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Steve Phillips . https://web.archive.org/web/20091102183958/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9927 . 2 November 2009 . live .
37. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 23 November 2013 . Eliot Richard (sic) . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203145235/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=52134 . live .
38. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 23 November 2013 . Eliot Richard . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203013449/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=60000 . live .
39. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 5 June 2020 . Liam Sercombe . 5 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200605095757/https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=46643 . live .
40. Web site: Stuart Sinclair . Soccerbase . Centurycomm . 4 May 2019 . 8 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180208064210/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=39721 . live .
41. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 13 April 2014 . Michael Smith . 13 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140413131809/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=59998 . live .
42. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 5 February 2017 . Matty Taylor . 28 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170828092628/http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=62090 . live .
43. Web site: Centurycomm . Soccerbase . 28 December 2009 . Richard Walker . https://web.archive.org/web/20080515200202/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9688 . 15 May 2008 . live .
44. Byrne & Jay (2003), pp. 486–487
45. Byrne & Jay (2003), pp. 489–508