The 2007–08 season covers the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008. It marks the 125th year of football played by Bristol Rovers F.C. and their 81st season in The Football League. The team plays in Football League One having won the Football League Two playoff game at Wembley Stadium on 26 May 2007, beating Shrewsbury 3–1 in front of a crowd of 61,589.
Chronological list of events This is a list of the significant events to occur at the club during the 2007–08 season, presented in chronological order. This list does not include transfers, which are listed in the transfers section below, or match results, which are in the results section. 7 July: Aaron Lescott signed a new two-year contract, running until the summer of 2009. 10 July: New contracts were signed by Richard Walker, Lewis Haldane and Chris Carruthers. Haldane signed a three-year contract, Walker a two-year one and Carruthers one-year. 10 August: First-Team Coach Paul Trollope and Director of Football Lennie Lawrence both signed extended contracts with the club. Bill Smith resigned from his position as chief executive to concentrate on his other business commitments. 17 August: A delay in the demolition of the Memorial Stadium was announced, meaning that the club will play the whole season there and not move to Cheltenham in January as had previously been announced. 18 August: Craig Disley signed a one-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2009. 23 August: Goalkeeping coach Steve Book was registered as a player after backup goalie Mike Green broke his finger in a reserve match. 28 August: Rovers' League Cup run came to an end after a 2–1 defeat to Premier League side West Ham. The game was overshadowed by the injury to Kieron Dyer who suffered a suspected broken leg. 4 September: Charlie Clough, who was promoted to the first team squad in the summer, signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday. 2 October: Edward Ware is appointed to the club's board of directors. 9 October: Rovers' hopes of reaching the Football League Trophy final for the second year running came to an end as they lost their second round tie with AFC Bournemouth 1–0. 15 October: Former Rovers defender Billy Clark was appointed the club's new under-18's coach. 24 November: Both Steve Elliott and Richard Walker received 3 match bans after being handed straight red cards by referee Rob Styles in a bad tempered derby with Swindon Town. Joe Jacobson picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the same game, resulting in a one match suspension for the Welshman. 22 December: Craig Disley received his fifth yellow card of the season in the match away to Leeds resulting in a one-game suspension. 26 December: Captain Stuart Campbell picked up his fifth yellow card of the season. He was suspended for the FA Cup Third Round tie with Fulham 22 January: Rovers beat Fulham in the 3rd round of the FA cup, after drawing the original match 2:2 they won the replay at The Memorial Stadium on penalties after a 0:0 120 minutes. 16 February: Rovers beat Southampton in the 5th round of the FA cup, courtesy of an 84th-minute strike by Rickie Lambert. 9 March: The club-record-equalling FA Cup run ended at the quarter-final stage, with a defeat to West Bromwich Albion, in front of a Memorial Stadium record crowd for football of 12,011. 3 June: The football club announced that the stadium redevelopment would be postponed for a further year after the initial accommodation providers pulled out and a leak on an unofficial club website caused negotiations with an alternative provider to collapse.
Fixtures and results
Legend WinDrawLoss
League One +DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersLeague pos11 AugustPort ValeAway1–16,808Williams7Report18 AugustCrewe AlexandraHome1–17,750Disley14Report25 AugustOldham AthleticAway1–05,348Jacobson9Report1 SeptemberNottingham ForestHome2–29,080Anthony, Walker (pen)8Report8 SeptemberLuton TownAway2–16,131Lambert (2) 6Report14 SeptemberLeeds UnitedHome0–311,883 7Report22 SeptemberCarlisle UnitedAway1–16,106Elliott9Report29 SeptemberLeyton OrientHome2–37,181Walker (2 pens)14Report2 OctoberSouthend UnitedHome1–15,762Walker (pen)12Report6 OctoberBrighton & Hove AlbionAway0–05,820 15Report12 OctoberHartlepool UnitedAway0–14,963 15Report20 OctoberYeovil TownHome1–17,726Elliott17Report27 OctoberGillinghamAway2–35,333Lambert, Pipe19Report3 NovemberAFC BournemouthHome0–26,40519Report6 NovemberNorthampton TownAway1–05,126Lambert18Report17 NovemberMillwallHome2–16,991Lambert (pen), Haldane17Report24 NovemberSwindon TownAway0–19,34218Report5 DecemberCheltenham TownHomePostponed (Waterlogged pitch)8 DecemberSwansea CityHomePostponed (Waterlogged pitch)15 DecemberHuddersfield TownAway1–28,118Pipe19Report22 DecemberLeeds UnitedAway0–127,86319Report26 DecemberLuton TownHome1–17,556Lambert (pen)20Report29 DecemberCarlisle UnitedHome3–06,254Lines, Hinton, Williams20Report1 JanuarySouthend UnitedAway1–07,664Williams19Report11 JanuaryTranmere RoversAway2–05,887Williams, Lambert16Report19 JanuaryWalsallHome1–16,276Disley16Report29 JanuaryCrewe AlexandraAway1–13,942Ben Williams (og)17Report2 FebruaryPort ValeHome3–26,927Coles, Lines, Lambert (pen)17Report5 FebruaryCheltenham TownHome2–06,780Hinton, Lambert15Report9 FebruaryDoncaster RoversAway0–28,168 16Report12 FebruaryOldham AthleticHome1–05,778Disley13Report23 FebruaryTranmere RoversHome1–17,777Disley15Report1 MarchMillwallAway1–09,202Disley13Report4 MarchDoncaster RoversHome0–13,933 14Report12 MarchNorthampton TownHome1–14,657Rigg16Report15 MarchCheltenham TownAway0–15,187 16Report18 MarchSwansea CityHome0–26,410 16Report22 MarchHuddersfield TownHome2–36,585Klein-Davies, Lines17Report24 MarchSwansea CityAway2–215,048Lambert, Disley18Report29 MarchYeovil TownAway0–06,654 18Report5 AprilHartlepool UnitedHome0–05,526 17Report8 AprilNottingham ForestAway1–115,860Lambert16Report12 AprilAFC BournemouthAway1–26,867Lambert16Report15 AprilWalsallAway1–05,200Lambert15Report19 AprilGillinghamHome1–16,614Elliott16Report22 AprilSwindon TownHome0–16,102 16Report26 AprilBrighton & Hove AlbionHome0–27,590 16Report3 MayLeyton OrientAway1–35,132Lambert16Report
FA Cup +RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersNotes110 NovemberLeyton OrientAway1–13,157Lambert Report1 (Replay)20 NovemberLeyton OrientHomePostponed (Waterlogged pitch)1 (Replay)27 NovemberLeyton OrientHome3–33,742Hinton, Lambert (pen), DisleyWon 6–5 on Penalties kicksReport21 DecemberRushden & DiamondsHome5–14,816Williams, Disley, Hinton, Lambert (2)Report36 JanuaryFulhamAway2–213,634Coles, Hinton Report3 (Replay)15 JanuaryFulhamHomePostponed (Dangerous Playing Conditions)3 (Replay)22 JanuaryFulhamHome0–011,882 Won 5–3 on PenaltiesReport426 JanuaryBarnetAway1–05,190LambertReport516 FebruarySouthamptonHome1–011,920LambertReportQF9 MarchWest Bromwich AlbionHome1–512,011Coles Report
League Cup +RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersNotes114 AugustCrystal PalaceHome1–1 (FT)1–1 (AET)5,566DisleyWon 4–1 on penalty kicksReport228 AugustWest Ham UnitedHome1–210,831WilliamsReport
Football League Trophy +RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1Bye29 OctoberAFC BournemouthHome0–13,313Report
Squad
Goalscorers +NameLeagueCupTotalRickie Lambert13619Craig Disley639Andy Williams527Craig Hinton235Richard Walker404Steve Elliott404Danny Coles123Chris Lines202David Pipe202Byron Anthony101Lewis Haldane101Joe Jacobson101Josh Klein-Davies101Sean Rigg101Own goals101
Discipline +NameRed cardsYellow cardsRichard Walker13Steve Elliott10Stuart Campbell08Craig Disley07Joe Jacobson07Lewis Haldane06Chris Carruthers05Steve Phillips04Danny Coles03Ryan Green03Craig Hinton03Aaron Lescott03Byron Anthony02Rickie Lambert01Chris Lines01David Pipe01Anthony Pulis01Andy Williams01Total:259
Transfers
In During the 2007–08 season, Rovers signed six new players. Joe Jacobson, David Pipe, Andy Williams, Danny Coles, James Fraser and Jeff Hughes. The total transfer spending for the season is not known, as the Williams and Hughes transfer fees have not been disclosed, however both are known to be "six-figure" sums so the total spending is over £250,000.
DatePlayerPrevious clubContractCost5 July Joe JacobsonCardiff City3 yearsFree5 July Andy WilliamsHereford United3 yearsUndisclosed10 July David PipeNotts County3 years£50,00014 August James FraserWorthing6 monthsFree1 November Danny ColesHull City3 monthsLoan8 January Danny ColesHull City2½ yearsUndisclosed8 February Anthony PulisStoke City3 monthsLoan27 March Wayne AndrewsCoventry City2 monthsLoan27 March Jeff HughesCrystal Palace2 monthsLoan6 June Jeff HughesCrystal Palace3 years£120,000
Out
DatePlayerNew ClubContractCost17 August Andy SandellSalisbury City1 monthLoan17 August James PalmerTiverton Town1 monthLoan31 August Andy SandellSalisbury City3 yearsUndisclosed10 November James PalmerWeston-super-Mare Released16 November Josh Klein-DaviesYate Town1 monthLoan28 December James FraserTiverton Town3 monthsLoan10 March Matt GrovesChippenham Town2 monthsLoan30 June Chris CarruthersOxford United Released30 June Sammy IgoeAFC Bournemouth1 yearReleased30 June Tom Godsell Released30 June Ryan PaddockWeston-super-MareUnknownReleased In addition to the players listed above, coach Kevin Hodges was released by the club at the end of the season.
Team kit The team kit for the 2007–08 season is produced by Erreà. The main shirt sponsor is Cowlin Construction and the secondary shirt sponsor is Blackthorn Cider. The home shirt features the traditional blue and white quarters in a darker shade of blue from the previous season, and the away kit is green with black trim.
References