The 2012–13 season was the 130th season in Bristol Rovers' history and their 86th in the Football League. Rovers once again competed in League Two, the lowest level of the Football League, after finishing 13th in the 2011–12 season.
Bristol Rovers met Fleetwood Town for the first time in their history after their promotion from the Conference National. They also played at Rotherham United's New York Stadium and Chesterfield's Proact Stadium for the first time.
Having been bottom of League Two and real contenders to be relegated out of The Football League at the midway point in the season, they went on to win 12 of the final 23 games to steer well clear of the relegation zone and even, briefly, became contenders to reach the play-offs. In the end, Rovers finished 14th, nine points from both the play-offs and relegation zone. The upturn in form coincided with the return of John Ward to the managerial position at Rovers, replacing Mark McGhee who was sacked in December.
Season events
May – Goalkeeper Conor Gough joined Rovers from Charlton Athletic on a two-year contract. – Ellis Harrison, Mitch Harding, Jordan Goddard and Ross Staley were all awarded professional contracts. – Defender Gary Sawyer signed a two-year contract with League One side Leyton Orient after rejecting Rovers' offer of a new deal. – Rovers announced that 10 players would be released upon completion of their contracts at the end of June. Among them was Byron Anthony who had been with the club since 2006. – Jim Paterson agreed a new one-year deal at Rovers.
June – Danny Woodards verbally agreed a new contract with Rovers. – Young winger Shaquille Hunter agreed to sign his first professional contract with Bristol Rovers despite rumoured interest from Manchester City, Liverpool and Fulham.
July – Craig Stanley's contract at Rovers was terminated by mutual consent. – Goalkeeping coach Carl Emberson left for Luton Town joining up with former boss Paul Buckle as assistant manager. – Midfielder Oliver Norburn rejoins Rovers, signing a one-year contract. Wayne Brown signed a new six-month contract. – Northern Ireland Under-21 international Seanan Clucas signed for Rovers on a one-year contract. – Youth Team Coach Jamie Fullarton left Rovers to take up a youth coaching role at Crystal Palace. – Defender Lee Brown signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2014. – Planning permission for Rovers' proposed 21,700 all seater stadium in Frenchay was approved by South Gloucestershire Council with councillors voting 11 to 1 in favour. – Former Rovers striker Marcus Stewart rejoined the club as Youth Development Coach. – Stoke City midfielder Matthew Lund rejoined Rovers on a six-month loan deal. – Rovers agree to sign Faroese international defender Rógvi Baldvinsson from Ålgård FK for an undisclosed fee. Former Bristol City striker David Clarkson agreed a two-year deal with Rovers. – Scotland international defender Garry Kenneth agreed a three-year deal with Rovers.
August – Winger Mustapha Carayol left for Championship side Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £300,000. – Chris Zebroski left Rovers after one season, joining fellow League Two side Cheltenham Town. – Rógvi Baldvinsson announced that he was to return to Norway and not joining Rovers, citing personal reasons. – German midfielder Fabian Broghammer signed for Rovers after playing a number of pre-season games while on trial. – Chelsea goalkeeper Sam Walker joined on loan until January. Rovers are knocked out of the League Cup in the first round by Ipswich Town. – Rovers agreed the permanent signing of defender Tom Parkes from Leicester City. – Former England goalkeeper Dave Beasant joined Rovers as part-time goalkeeping coach. – Rovers submit an official complaint to the Football League over the circumstances which led to the match with Wycombe Wanderers being abandoned after 66 minutes with Rovers leading 3–1. – Defender Cian Bolger joined Rovers on loan until January from Leicester City. Bolger had previously played for Rovers on loan in the past two seasons.
September – Yeovil Town knock Rovers out of the Football League Trophy in the first round. – Fulham goalkeeper Neil Etheridge joins Rovers on a one-month loan deal. – Striker Tom Eaves joins Rovers on loan from Bolton Wanderers for three months. Former Scotland international Derek Riordan signed on a short-term deal until Christmas. Riordan is currently on bail and is due to go on trial on 9 October over an alleged assault in an Edinburgh nightclub.
October – Midfielder Jordan Goddard and forward Mitch Harding join Gloucester City on loan for one month. – Neil Etheridge's loan from Fulham was extended to 20 December. – Jordan Goddard & Mitch Harding extend their loan deals with Gloucester City for another month.
November – Tom Curtis is appointed Director of the Youth Academy at Rovers, leaving his job as head coach of the Antigua and Barbuda national team in the process. – Sheffield United come from behind to beat Rovers 2–1 in the FA Cup first round. The result meant that Rovers had failed to win a single cup game this season. However, all three cup matches were against higher division sides. – On loan goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was recalled by parent club Fulham. – Guy Branston joined on a month-long loan deal from Aldershot Town.
December – Midfielder Wayne Brown rejected a contract extension, opting to re-join Finnish side TPS. – Manager Mark McGhee was relieved of his duties following the 4–1 away defeat to York City. It followed a run of 10 games with only one win and one draw leaving the club 23rd in League Two. – Former Bristol City, Cheltenham Town, Carlisle United and Colchester United manager John Ward was appointed Bristol Rovers manager for the second time, initially until the end of the season with a view to a contract extension upon its completion. His first spell in charge was between 1993 and 1996 and included a trip to Wembley Stadium in the 1995 Second Division Play-Off Final. – Derek Riordan was officially released by Rovers on completion of his contract after new manager John Ward confirmed he had returned to Scotland on Christmas Eve. – Rovers agreed one-month loan deals with Queens Park Rangers and Colchester United for Tom Hitchcock and John-Joe O'Toole starting 1 January. Rovers also signed goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall from Millwall on an emergency loan which would be extended "as soon as possible".
January – Defender Mark McChrystal joined on a short-term deal from Tranmere Rovers after having a bid for Cian Bolger turned down by Leicester City. – Plans to build a Sainsbury's store on the Memorial Stadium site were approved. This allowed Rovers to proceed with plans to build the proposed UWE Stadium. – Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald joined on an emergency loan. – Stoke City forward Ryan Brunt joined Rovers on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
February – Defender Tom Parkes was named League Two Player of the Month for January by the Football League. Manager John Ward was nominated for January's League Two Manager of the Month but lost out to Martin Allen manager of Gillingham, the only side to score any points against Rovers in January. – French striker Oumare Tounkara signed for Rovers on a deal until the end of the season.
March – Stuart Naylor was appointed new full-time goalkeeping coach until the end of the season, replacing Dave Beasant who was previously in the role part-time.
April – Defender Michael Smith signed a new two-year deal with Rovers. – Striker Matt Harrold agreed a new one-year deal at Rovers with the option of a further year extension. – John Ward agreed to a new one year rolling contract. Eurocams were announced as new home shirt sponsors and Highspec Travel Services as new away shirt sponsors. Second year scholars Josh Southway and Pat Keary signed one year contracts while first year scholar Jamie Lucas signed a two-year contract. – Assistant manager Shaun North left Rovers with immediate effect, development coach Marcus Stewart took over the role for the final game of the season. Alefein Santos signed his first professional deal with Rovers. – Jim Paterson signed a one-year contract extension having triggered a clause in his previous contract. – Rovers finish the season in 14th place on 60 points. – It was confirmed that winger Joe Anyinsah would be released upon completion of his contract. – Defender Mark McChrystal agreed a two-year contract with Rovers.
First team As of 27 April 2013. No. Name Nationality Age Club apps. Club goals Int. caps Int. goals Previous club Notes Goalkeepers 1 Scott Bevan 37 0 0 0 Torquay United 20 Conor Gough 2 0 0 0 Charlton Athletic Defenders 2 Michael Smith 58 1 0 0 Ballymena United 3 Jim Paterson 43 1 0 0 Shamrock Rovers 4 Danny Woodards 61 3 0 0 Milton Keynes Dons 5 Garry Kenneth 18 1 2 0 Dundee United Vice Captain 6 Tom Parkes 54 1 0 0 Leicester City Vice Captain 14 Lee Brown 81 10 0 0 Queens Park Rangers 19 Adam Virgo 19 1 0 0 Yeovil Town Vice Captain 29 Mark McChrystal 21 0 0 0 Tranmere Rovers 30 Tom Lockyer 4 0 0 0 Youth team graduate Midfielders 8 Matt Gill 44 0 0 0 Norwich City Club Captain 11 Fabian Broghammer 36 3 0 0 FC Bayern Alzenau 15 Oliver Norburn 40 3 0 0 Leicester City 16 Joe Anyinsah 62 8 0 0 Charlton Athletic 22 Ross Staley 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate 23 Jordan Goddard 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate 24 Ollie Clarke 6 0 0 0 Youth team graduate 25 Seanan Clucas 19 0 0 0 Preston North End 31 Shaquille Hunter 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate 33 Alefein Santos 1 0 0 0 Youth team graduate Forwards 7 David Clarkson 26 6 2 1 Bristol City 9 Matt Harrold 46 18 0 0 Shrewsbury Town 10 Eliot Richards 90 14 0 0 Youth team graduate 17 Ellis Harrison 14 3 0 0 Youth team graduate 18 Mitch Harding 6 0 0 0 Youth team graduate 26 Ryan Brunt 18 5 0 0 Stoke City 34 Oumare Tounkara 9 2 0 0 Red Star
Transfers
In Date Player Position Transferred fromFee 1 July 2012Conor GoughGKCharlton AthleticFree4 July 2012Oliver NorburnMFLeicester CityFree5 July 2012Seanan ClucasMFPreston North EndFree26 July 2012Matthew LundMFStoke CityLoan27 July 2012David ClarksonFWBristol CityFree30 July 2012Garry KennethDFDundee UnitedFree12 August 2012Fabian BroghammerMFFC Bayern AlzenauFree14 August 2012Sam WalkerGKChelseaLoan20 August 2012Tom ParkesDFLeicester CityUndisclosed31 August 2012Cian BolgerDFLeicester CityLoan20 September 2012Neil EtheridgeGKFulhamLoan27 September 2012Tom EavesFWBolton WanderersLoan27 September 2012Derek RiordanFWSt JohnstoneFree22 November 2012Guy BranstonDFAldershot TownLoan1 January 2013Tom HitchcockFWQueens Park RangersLoan1 January 2013John-Joe O'TooleMFColchester UnitedLoan1 January 2013Steve MildenhallGKMillwallLoan3 January 2013Mark McChrystalDFTranmere RoversFree21 January 2013Clayton McDonaldDFPort ValeLoan23 January 2013Ryan BruntFWStoke CityFree28 February 2013Oumare TounkaraFWRed StarFree
Out Date Player Position Transferred toFee 30 June 2012Gary SawyerDFLeyton OrientFree30 June 2012Byron AnthonyDFHereford UnitedFree30 June 2012Scott McGleishFWWhitehawkFree30 June 2012Charlie ReeceMFWorcester CityFree30 June 2012Charlie CloughDFDorchester TownFree30 June 2012Lance CroninGKMacclesfield TownFree30 June 2012Michael BoatengDFBromleyFree30 June 2012Kayne McLaggonFWWeston-super-MareFree30 June 2012Darren JefferiesMFFrome TownFree30 June 2012Lamar PowellFWBath CityFree30 June 2012James DaleMFReleased2 July 2012Craig StanleyMFAldershot TownFree1 August 2012Mustapha CarayolMFMiddlesbroughUndisclosed2 August 2012Chris ZebroskiFWCheltenham TownUndisclosed1 October 2012Mitch HardingFWGloucester CityLoan1 October 2012Jordan GoddardMFGloucester CityLoan27 December 2012Derek RiordanFWReleased1 January 2013Wayne BrownMFTurun PalloseuraFree
Squad statistics
Appearances, goals and cards As of 27 April 2013