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The Pirates Connection

Founded: 1883
Names: Black Arabs (1883-1884); Eastville Rovers (1884-1897); Bristol Eastville Rovers (1897-98); Bristol Rovers (1898-date)
Grounds: Purdown; Three Acres, Ashley Hill; Rudgeway, Fishponds; Eastville (1897-1986); Twerton Park (1986-1996); The Memorial Stadium (since 1996).

League History:
Founder Members of Bristol & District League 1892/93-1894/95; Joined Western League 1895/96-1908/09; Joined Birmingham & District League 1897/98-1898/99; Joined Southern League 1899/00-1919/20; Founder Members of Football League Division Three 1920/21; Division Three (South) 1921/22-1952/53; Division Two 1953/54-1961/62; Division Three 1962/63-1973/74; Division Two 1974/75-1980/81; Division Three 1981/82-1989/90; Division Two 1990/91-1991/92; Division One (II) 1992/93; Division Two (III) 1993/94-2000/01; Division Three (IV) 2001/02-2003/04; League Two (IV) 2004/05-2006/07; League One (III) 2007/08-2010/11; League Two 2011/12-date.

Club Honours:
Football League Best Season: 6th Division Two (II) (1955/56, 1958/59).
Football League Two (IV) Play-Off Winners 2006/07.
Football League Division Three (South) Champions 1952/53.
Football League Division Three Champions (III) 1989/90; Runners-Up 1973/74.
Southern League Champions 1904/05.
FA Cup Best Season: 6th Round (1950/51, 1957/58).
Football League Cup Best Season: 5th Round (1970/71, 1971/72)
Football League Trophy Runners-Up 1989/90, 2006/07.
Watney Cup Winners 1972.

The Northern Ireland Connection:
The following players were capped for (Northern) Ireland while playing for Rovers:
Harry Buckle 1
Matt O'Mahoney 1

Other players to have played for Rovers and (Northern) Ireland:
Ronnie Briggs
Adrian Coote (on loan)
Sam Irving
Frank McCourt
James Quinn (on loan)
Ciaran Toner
Jeff Hughes

Other NI-Pirates links:
Wayne Carlisle, an NI Schoolboy, Youth, Under-21 and B cap played 78 times for the Pirates from 2002-2004.
Kevin Wilson coached briefly at Rovers in the early 2000s.
13-time capped Under-21 defender, Liam Burns played three games for Rovers in 2004.


Web Links:
Official Site
Wikipedia
FCHD

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