History of Bristol Rovers F.C. - The 1980s

The 1980s

The 1980–81 season was probably the worst in the club's history. Rovers won just five league games during the season, and only four home wins in all competitions. The team was relegated at the end of the season, finishing in last place, seven points below the other relegated team, Bristol City. The club had also failed to agree an extension to the lease on their stadium, which had had its capacity reduced from 30,000 to 12,500 due to new safety laws, causing fears that they would have to find a new home. On 17 August 1980, a fire started in the South Grandstand in Eastville Stadium, destroying the administrative offices and changing rooms. As a result, Rovers were forced to play five games at Ashton Gate, three in the league and two in the League Cup. This location was not popular with the fans however, who considered this to be enemy territory, and all five games were poorly attended.

During the 1981–82 season, with the lease on Eastville coming to an end, Rovers were offered deals to groundshare by both Bristol City and Bath City, however a five-year extension to their existing lease was agreed and Rovers would remain at Eastville until 1986. Before the lease was agreed, the Rovers chairman, Martin Flook, had made an offer of £450,000 to buy Ashton Gate Stadium from Bristol City, who were on the verge of bankruptcy at the time. However, when City reformed as Bristol City (1982) plc, this bid was rejected.

Unlike Bristol City, who had suffered three consecutive relegations in the early 80s, Rovers stabilised in the Third Division. The goals of Paul Randall and playmaking skills of David Williams were able to keep Rovers in promotion contention in the first half of the decade but following Williams' departure to Norwich City, two poorer seasons followed before the appointment of Gerry Francis as manager in 1987.

The only World Cup winner to play for Bristol Rovers was Alan Ball, who won the tournament with England in 1966. He signed for the club in January 1983 and made 17 league appearances, scoring two goals, in what would be his final season before retiring as a player.

The last game to be played at Eastville was on 26 April 1986, when Rovers drew 1–1 with Chesterfield in front of just 3,576 spectators. The following season Rovers moved to Bath City's Twerton Park ground, where they would remain for ten years. One home game during the first season in Bath was played at Ashton Gate however, the match against Swindon Town was played in front of 8,196 spectators in an effort to raise money to help with Rovers' financial problems.

At the start of the 1987–88 season, former Rovers player Gerry Francis was appointed as manager. He immediately went about building the team that would go on to win the Third Division title within three seasons, signing Nigel Martyn, Ian Holloway and Devon White before the start of his first season in charge. The following season, 1988–89, Rovers reached the third division play-off final for the first time, but they failed to win promotion, losing by a single goal to Port Vale.

Honours

• Gloucestershire Cup – 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1988–89