1886–87 Eastville Rovers F.C. season

April 2022 Eastville Rovers 1886–87 Captain Fred ChanningByrne & Jay (2003), p.30 Ground The Downs, Bristol 1885–86 1887–88 The 1886–87 season was the fourth to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their third playing under the name Eastville Rovers. Season review As with each of their previous three seasons, Eastville Rovers continued to play only friendly matches this year, but the "dribbling code" (as it was sometimes called at the time) of football was now gaining in popularity and the club were beginning to play against a wider variety of opposition. New team colours of Oxford and Cambridge blue were adopted, although the precise design of the kit is not documented.Byrne & Jay (2003), p.31 Two Eastville Rovers players took part in an unusual match on New Year's Day, when Clifton Association took on a Rest of Bristol XI in Warmley. The Rest of Bristol team consisted of players from Warmley, St George and Eastville Rovers, and included Rovers pair W. Perrin and H. Horsey in the forward line.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870101/037/0008 Local Football Fixtures 1 January 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 2017 Eastville Rovers were still not particularly well-known at this point, as evidenced by the fact that Weston-super-Mare RFC arranged two matches against them believing them to be a rugby team. Later, when Weston discovered that Rovers were an association football club, the games were cancelled.https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001334/18870423/112/0005 Weston-super-Mare Football Club 23 April 1887 Weston Mercury & Somersetshire Herald British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 2017 Most of the results from this season are not known, but of the games where a result is documented Rovers recorded three wins, two draws and a defeat. Results First team DateOpponentVenueResultNotes23 October 1886WarmleyThe Downs, BristolWon 1–0Won by one goal and one disputed goalhttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18861025/009/0003 Football 25 October 1886 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 201730 October 1886Clifton AssociationThe Downs, Bristol Byrne & Jay (2003), p.296 November 1886ClevedonClevedon, SomersetLost 0–3https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18861108/029/0008 Football 8 November 1886 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 201727 November 1886St MathiasThe Downs, Bristol 4 December 1886BridgwaterThe Downs, Bristol 11 December 1886St GeorgeSt George, BristolDrew 1–1https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18861214/022/0006 Football 14 December 1886 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 201718 December 1886St AgnesAshley Down, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18861218/029/0008 Local Football Fixtures 18 December 1886 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 20178 January 1887St GeorgeSt George, Bristol Won 3-2https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870108/024/0008 Local Football Fixtures 8 January 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 2017 see Bristol Mercury 10 Jan 188622 January 1886ClevedonThe Downs, BristolDrew 0-0https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18861108/029/0008 Football 8 November 1886 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 2017 see Weston S Mare Gazette 29 Jan 188729 January 1887Clifton AssociationThe Downs, BristolLost 3-2https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870201/029/0008 Football 1 February 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 27 August 20195 February 1887ChippenhamChippenham, WiltshireWon 2–1https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870207/007/0003 Football 7 February 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 201712 February 1887St GeorgeThe Downs, BristolWon 2–0https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870215/019/0007 Sporting News 15 February 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 201719 February 1887WarmleyWarmley, GloucestershireDrew 1–1https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870222/024/0007 Sporting News 22 February 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 20175 March 1887BridgwaterBridgwater https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870305/004/0003 Local Athletic Fixtures 5 March 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 27 August 201912 March 1887St MathiasThe Downs, Bristol https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870312/019/0007 Local Athletic Fixtures 12 March 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 201726 March 1887Clifton AssociationCliftonhttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18870326/020/0006 Local Athletic Fixtures 26 March 1887 Bristol Mercury British Newspaper Archive subscription 27 August 20192 April 1887Weston-super-MareThe Recreation Grounds, Weston-super-Mare Won 3-1https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001444/18870330/025/0002 Local News 30 March 1887 Weston-super-Mare Gazette British Newspaper Archive subscription 23 October 2017 see Bristol Mercury 5 April 1887 Second team DateOpponentVenueResultNotes13 November 1886Warmley 2nd XIWarmley, Gloucestershire 20 November 1886Warmley 2nd XIThe Downs, Bristol 18 December 1886St MathiasThe Downs, Bristol 1 January 1887Clifton Association 2nd XIClifton, Bristol22 January 1887St MathiasThe Downs, Bristol Won 2-0 see Bristol Mercury 24 Jan 1887 References 30em 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