1887–88 Eastville Rovers F.C. season

October 2020 Eastville Rovers 1887–88 Captain Fred Channing Ground The Downs, Bristol 1886–87 1888–89 The 1887–88 season was the fifth to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their fourth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. It marked a major change in the direction of football in Gloucestershire as a County Football Association was established, enabling a formal cup competition to be played in the area for the first time. Season review Until 1887 Eastville Rovers had played only friendly matches, but this season began with a meeting at the Montpelier Hotel in Bristol that would change this. On 7 September 1887 W.W. Perrin and T. Channing, on behalf of Eastville Rovers, along with Charles Lacy Sweet and J. Innes-Pocock from Clifton Association and representatives from Warmley, St George, St Agnes, and Southville voted to establish the Gloucestershire County Football Association. This would enable a cup competition to be organised and enable the standardisation of the rules governing matches, which up to this point had not been the case. The delegates unanimously agreed to adopt a slightly modified version of the London Football Association rules, and to convene again a week later to elect officials for the new County FA.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870909/027/0005 A County Football Association 9 September 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 24 October 2017 Rovers were given a bye when the first round draw was made the following month,https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18871006/056/0008 Gloucestershire Football Association 6 October 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 2017 before being paired with Clifton Association in the semi-final. As the first team drawn, Eastville had the choice of where to play the match, and arranged for it to be played at the home ground of St George F.C. Unfortunately for them, Rovers lost forward Harry Horsey to injury early in the game and had to play the majority of the match with ten men, but in spite of this disadvantage it was the Eastville side who took the lead in the first half through Harry Cade. H.H. Francis scored an equaliser for Clifton shortly afterwards to make the half time score 1–1. In the second half Clifton's man advantage began to show, and aided by playing down the slope of the pitch they managed to score a further three goals, thanks to Charles Wreford-Brown, and A.B. Colthurst (x2), making the final result 4–1 to Clifton Association.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880116/025/0006 Athletics 16 January 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 2017 As with previous seasons, many of the team's friendly results are not known, but where final scores have been established Eastville Rovers ended the season with five wins and two defeats. Results First team Gloucestershire Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultScorersNotes1 Bye Semi-final14 January 1888Clifton AssociationSt George, BristolLost 1–4Cadehttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880110/019/0006 Athletics 10 January 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 2017 Friendlies DateOpponentVenueResultNotes8 October 1887St GeorgeSt George, BristolWon 3–2Byrne & Jay (2003), p.3015 October 1887WarmleyThe Downs, BristolWon 1–0https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18871018/005/0003 Football 18 October 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 20175 November 1887Clifton AssociationClifton, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001055/18871105/087/0007 To-day's Football 5 November 1887 The Sportsman British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201719 November 1887St GeorgeSt George, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18861214/022/0006 Football 14 December 1886 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201726 November 1887Weston-super-MareThe Recreation Grounds, Weston-super-MareLost 1–2https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18871129/013/0003 Football 29 November 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201710 December 1887St AgnesAshley Hill, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18871210/063/0008 Sporting News 10 December 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201717 December 1887WarmleyWarmley, GloucestershireLost 1–2https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18871220/016/0006 Athletics 20 December 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 20177 January 1888St GeorgeSt George, BristolWon 2–0https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000264/18880107/026/0003 Sporting Intelligence 7 January 1888 Western Daily Press British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201721 January 1888Chippenham TownChippenhamWon 3–1see Bristol Mercury 24 Jan 1888 (1 disputed goal)28 January 1888Wotton-under-EdgeThe Downs, BristolWon 1–04 February 1888Clifton AssociationClifton, BristolLost 1–4see Bristol Mercury 6 January 188825 February 1888St GeorgeSt George, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880225/025/0007 Sporting News 25 February 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 20173 March 1888St AgnesAshley Hill, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880303/037/0008 Athletics 3 March 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201724 March 1888GlobeThe Downs, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000264/18880324/027/0006 Local Athletic Fixtures 24 March 1888 Western Daily Press British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201731 March 1888WarmleyWarmley, GloucestershireWon 3–0https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880402/029/0007 Athletics 2 April 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 20177 April 1888Weston-super-MareThe Downs, BristolWon 3–1 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880406/004/0003 Athletics 6 April 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 2017 see Bristol Mercury 11 April 1888 Second team DateOpponentVenueResultNotes15 October 1887GlobeThe Downs, Bristol Won 2–0https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18871015/041/0008 Local Athletic Fixtures 15 October 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 2017 see Bristol Mercury 18 Oct 188712 November 1887Warmley second teamWarmley, Gloucestershire 19 November 1887SouthvilleBedminster Park, Bristol 19 November 1887St Simon'sThe Downs, BristolLost 0–1https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18871123/039/0006 Football 23 November 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201717 December 1887St George second teamSt George, Bristol 7 January 1888St George second teamSt George, Bristol 28 January 1888GlobeThe Downs, Bristol Won 1–0see Bristol Mercury 31 January 18884 February 1888St George second teamThe Downs, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880204/023/0007 Local Athletic Fixtures 4 February 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 201725 February 1888SouthvilleThe Downs, Bristol 17 March 1888Clifton Association second teamClifton, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18880317/029/0008 Local Athletic Fixtures 17 March 1888 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 25 October 2017 Statistics Friendly matches are not included in this section. + Match recordCompetitionHomePWDLFAGloucestershire Cup100114 + GoalscorersPlayerGoalsLeagueCupTotalHarry Cade–11 References Bibliography Byrne Stephen Jay Mike Bristol Rovers Football Club: The Definitive History 1883–2003 2003 Tempus Stroud 0-7524-2717-2 Category:Bristol Rovers F.C. seasons Eastville Rovers