2015–16 Bristol Rovers F.C. season

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Bristol Rovers F.C.
2015–16 season
ChairmanNick Higgs (until 19 February 2016)
Steve Hamer (from 19 February 2016)
ManagerDarrell Clarke
StadiumMemorial Stadium
League Two3rd (promoted)
FA CupFirst round proper (Eliminated by Chesham United)
League CupFirst round (Eliminated by Birmingham City)
League TrophyQuarter-finals (Eliminated by Southend United)
Top goalscorerLeague: Matty Taylor (27)
All: Matty Taylor (28)
Highest home attendance11,130 (vs. Dagenham & Redbridge, 7 May 2016)
Lowest home attendance5,819 (vs. Stevenage, 24 November 2015)
Average home league attendance8,096
Away colours
← 2014–15

The 2015–16 season was the 133rd season in Bristol Rovers' history and their 88th in the Football League. Rovers returned to the Football League after an absence of just one season following their promotion from the Conference Premier via the play-offs.

For the second successive season, Rovers were promoted, the first time the club had achieved back to back promotions in its history. On a dramatic final day of the season in which Rovers required a win and other results to go in their favour, a 92nd-minute winner against Dagenham & Redbridge from Lee Brown sparked wild celebrations at the Memorial Stadium as the club returned to the third tier of English football for the first time in five years. Striker Matty Taylor ended the season as the top goalscorer in the top four divisions of the English football league system with 27 goals.

Season events[]

Pre-season[]

June[]

  • 1 June 2015 – Popular midfielder Stuart Sinclair signed a new contract with Rovers.[1]
  • 11 June 2015 – Former Woking defender James Clarke joined Rovers on a one-year deal.[2]
  • 17 June 2015Full back Daniel Leadbitter signed a contract extension with Rovers,[3] while wingers Andy Monkhouse[4] and Abdulai Bell-Baggie[5] left the club.
  • 19 June 2015Gibraltar international Jake Gosling agreed a contract extension with Rovers.[6] Academy players Ryan Broom, Tyler Lyttle, Jay Malpas and Kieran Preston signed professional contracts.[7]
  • 22 June 2015Ángelo Balanta rejected a new short-term deal with Rovers and left the club.[8]
  • 30 June 2015Chris Lines agreed a permanent transfer from Port Vale.[9] Lines had previously played for Rovers, his boyhood club, between 2002–11 and on loan the previous season.

July[]

  • 2 July 2015 – Former West Ham United winger Cristian Montaño signed for Rovers.[10] Goalkeeper Will Puddy agreed a contract extension.[11] Defender Neal Trotman rejected the opportunity to return to Rovers for pre-season and was therefore released.[10]
  • 7 July 2015 – Youngsters Jamie Lucas and Danny Greenslade agreed contract extensions.[12]
  • 22 July 2015 – Manager Darrell Clarke agreed a new contract with Rovers.[13]
  • 31 July 2015Billy Bodin signed a short-term deal with Rovers.[14]

August[]

  • 4 August 2015 – Winger Jeffrey Monakana signed on a month-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.[15]
  • 7 August 2015Jamie Lucas joins Boreham Wood on a month-long loan.[16]
  • 11 August 2015 – Rovers were eliminated from the League Cup first round, losing 2–1 to Championship side Birmingham City.[17]
  • 14 August 2015Chesterfield goalkeeper Aaron Chapman joined Rovers on a month-long loan.[18] Rovers midfielder Ryan Broom joined Taunton Town on loan for one month.[19]
  • 20 August 2015 – Young midfielder Dominic Thomas joined Paulton Rovers on a month-long loan.[20]
  • 21 August 2015 – Striker Nathan Blissett joined National League side Tranmere Rovers on loan for one month.[21]

September[]

  • 1 September 2015 – Defender Adam Drury joined Rovers on a non-contract basis.[22]
  • 7 September 2015Adam Drury left Rovers just six days after joining, with the club citing "personal reasons".[23]
  • 11 September 2015Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Lee Nicholls joined Rovers on a three-month loan deal.[24]
  • 17 September 2015Colin Sexstone joined Rovers as a non-executive director.[25] Sexstone had previously been a director at Gloucestershire CCC, Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle.[26]

November[]

  • 8 November 2015 – Rovers suffered a humiliating defeat in the first round proper of the FA Cup, losing 1–0 at home to Chesham United of the Southern League Premier.[27]
  • 11 November 2015 – Rovers are knocked out of their final cup competition, losing 1–0 away to League One side Southend United in the Football League Trophy.[28]
  • 23 November 2015Millwall forward Paris Cowan-Hall joined Rovers on a month-long loan.[29] Winger Billy Bodin agreed a contract extension to the end of the season.[30]
  • 26 November 2015 – Rovers sign Cambridge United forward Rory Gaffney on loan until January[31] while Nathan Blissett left for Lincoln City, also on loan with a view to becoming dead.[32]

December[]

  • 8 December 2015 – Rovers striker Matty Taylor was named PFA Fans' Player of the Month for November.[33]

January[]

  • 5 January 2016Nathan Blissett left Rovers by mutual consent.[34]
  • 7 January 2016 – Experienced midfielder Liam Lawrence joined Rovers from League One side Shrewsbury Town on a contract to the end of the season.[35]
  • 14 January 2016Rory Gaffney returned to the club from Cambridge United after his successful loan spell, joining on a permanent contract for an undisclosed fee.[36]
  • 17 January 2016 – Defender Tom Lockyer was awarded The Football League Young Player of the Month for December.[37]
  • 18 January 2016 – Forward Ellis Harrison joined Hartlepool United on a monthlong loan.[38]
  • 28 January 2016 – Experienced forward Rory Fallon joined Rovers on non-contract terms.[39]

February[]

  • 19 February 2016 – Rovers were acquired by the Jordanian Al-Qadi family, founders of the Arab Jordan Investment Bank,[40] taking a 92% shareholding in the club.[41] As part of the deal, Wael al-Qadi became President of the club while former Swansea City chairman Steve Hamer took up the same role with Rovers.[42] Existing chairman Nick Higgs along with board members Barry Bradshaw, Chris Jelf, Colin Sexstone and Ed Ware all stood down from the board of directors with all expect Sexstone becoming Life Vice Presidents.[41]

March[]

  • 7 March 2016Swansea City forward Oli McBurnie joined Rovers on loan until the end of the season.[43]

April[]

  • 8 April 2016 – Rovers manager Darrell Clarke was awarded League Two Manager of the Month for March.[44] Clarke had led the side to six wins out of seven during the month. Striker Matty Taylor won League Two Player of the Month for March.[45] Taylor scored eight goals in the month's seven games including a hat-trick against Hartlepool United.
  • 14 April 2016Lee Brown signed a contract extension at Rovers which will take him into a sixth season at the club.[46]
  • 15 April 2016Wales under-21 international Tom Lockyer extended his contract with Rovers.[47] DriBuild were confirmed as next season's home shirt sponsors with Powersystems UK sponsoring the away shirt.[48]

May[]

  • 7 May 2016 – On the final day of the season, Rovers beat Dagenham & Redbridge 2–1 to secure promotion to League One.[49]

First team[]

As of game played on 7 May 2016
No. Name Position Nationality Place of Birth Date of Birth Club caps Club goals Int. caps Int. goals Previous club Notes
Goalkeepers
1 Steve Mildenhall GK England Swindon 13 May 1979 123 0 0 0 Millwall
22 Kieran Preston GK Scotland Glasgow 4 October 1996 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate On loan at Rushall Olympic
25 Will Puddy GK England Warminster 4 October 1987 16 0 0 0 Salisbury City
Defenders
2 Daniel Leadbitter RB England Newcastle upon Tyne 7 October 1990 57 1 0 0 Hereford United
3 Lee Brown LB England London 10 August 1990 211 20 0 0 Queens Park Rangers
4 Tom Lockyer CB/RB Wales Cardiff 3 December 1994 132 2 0 0 Youth team graduate
5 Mark McChrystal CB Northern Ireland Derry 26 June 1984 110 0 0 0 Tranmere Rovers Club captain
6 Tom Parkes CB England Sutton-in-Ashfield 15 January 1992 175 7 0 0 Leicester City
15 James Clarke RB/CB England Aylesbury 17 November 1989 37 0 0 0 Woking
19 Danny Greenslade LB England Belper 23 September 1996 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate
26 Tyler Lyttle RB England 12 November 1996 1 0 0 0 Youth team graduate
32 Alfie Kilgour CB England Bath 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate
Midfielders
7 Lee Mansell CM England Gloucester 23 September 1982 72 7 0 0 Torquay United Vice captain
8 Ollie Clarke CM England Bristol 29 June 1992 99 8 0 0 Youth team graduate
11 Jake Gosling RM/LM Gibraltar England Oxford 11 August 1993 41 3 11 2 Exeter City
14 Chris Lines CM England Bristol 30 November 1985 209 21 0 0 Port Vale Vice captain
16 Liam Lawrence RM/LM Republic of Ireland England Retford 14 December 1981 12 1 15 2 Shrewsbury Town
18 Dominic Thomas CM England London 23 November 1995 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate
21 Cristian Montaño RM/LM Colombia Cali 11 December 1991 28 2 0 0 América de Cali
23 Billy Bodin LM/CF Wales England Swindon 24 March 1992 38 13 0 0 Northampton Town
24 Stuart Sinclair CM England Houghton Conquest 9 November 1987 57 4 0 0 Salisbury City
27 Ryan Broom RM Wales Newport 4 September 1996 1 0 0 0 Youth team graduate
28 Jay Malpas CM England Bristol 25 May 1997 0 0 0 0 Youth team graduate
Forwards
9 Ellis Harrison CF/LM Wales Newport 29 January 1994 104 24 0 0 Youth team graduate
10 Matty Taylor CF England 30 March 1990 91 45 0 0 Forest Green Rovers
17 Jermaine Easter CF Wales Cardiff 15 January 1982 47 8 12 0 Millwall
20 Jamie Lucas CF Wales Pontypridd 6 December 1995 2 0 0 0 Youth team graduate On loan at Boreham Wood
29 Oli McBurnie CF Scotland England Leeds 4 June 1996 5 0 0 0 On loan from Swansea City
30 Rory Gaffney CF Republic of Ireland Tuam 23 October 1989 24 8 0 0 Cambridge United
33 Rory Fallon CF New Zealand Gisborne 20 March 1982 3 0 18 4 Scunthorpe United

Transfers[]

In[]

Date Position Player Transferred from Fee Ref.
1 July 2015 RM Ryan Broom Youth team graduate [7]
1 July 2015 RB/CB James Clarke Free agent (previously with Woking) [2]
1 July 2015 CM Chris Lines Port Vale Undisclosed [9]
1 July 2015 RB Tyler Lyttle Youth team graduate [7]
1 July 2015 CM Jay Malpas Youth team graduate [7]
2 July 2015 RM/LM Cristian Montaño Free agent (previously with América de Cali) [10]
31 July 2015 LM/CF Billy Bodin Free agent (previously with Northampton Town) [14]
7 January 2015 RM/LM Liam Lawrence Shrewsbury Town Free transfer [35]
14 January 2015 CF Rory Gaffney Cambridge United Undisclosed [36]
28 January 2015 CF Rory Fallon Free agent (previously with Scunthorpe United) [39]

Loans in[]

Date Position Player Loaned from End date Ref.
4 August 2015 RM Jeffrey Monakana Brighton & Hove Albion 7 September 2015 [15]
14 August 2015 GK Aaron Chapman Chesterfield 10 September 2015 [18]
11 September 2015 GK Lee Nicholls Wigan Athletic 12 December 2015 [24]
23 November 2015 CF Paris Cowan-Hall Millwall 21 December 2015[50] [29]
26 November 2015 CF Rory Gaffney Cambridge United 4 January 2016 [31]
7 March 2016 CF Oli McBurnie Swansea City 30 June 2016 [43]

Out[]

Date Position Player Transferred to Fee Ref.
30 June 2015 LM Ángelo Balanta Carlisle United[a] Free transfer [8]
30 June 2015 RM Abdulai Bell-Baggie Stockport County[b] Free transfer [5]
30 June 2015 LM Andy Monkhouse Grimsby Town[c] Free transfer [4]
30 June 2015 CB Neal Trotman Released [10]
5 January 2016 CF Nathan Blissett Torquay United[d] Free transfer [34]
  1. ^ Following Balanta's release on 22 June 2015, he later agreed to join Carlisle United on 30 June 2015.[51]
  2. ^ Following Bell-Baggie's release on 17 June 2015, he later joined Stockport County on 1 July 2015.[52]
  3. ^ Following Monkhouse's release on 17 June 2015, he later agree to join Grimsby Town on 24 June 2015.[53]
  4. ^ Following Blissett's release on 5 January 2016, he later agree to join Torquay United on 14 January 2016.[54]

Loans out[]

Date Position Player Loaned to End date Ref.
7 August 2015 FW Jamie Lucas Boreham Wood 4 September 2015 [16]
14 August 2015 MF Ryan Broom Taunton Town 14 October 2015 [19]
20 August 2015 MF Dominic Thomas Paulton Rovers 26 September 2015 [20]
21 August 2015 FW Nathan Blissett Tranmere Rovers 19 September 2015 [21]
1 October 2015 FW Jamie Lucas Boreham Wood 29 October 2015 [55]
1 October 2015 GK Kieran Preston Mangotsfield United 29 October 2015 [55]
26 November 2015 CF Nathan Blissett Lincoln City 4 January 2016 [32]
23 December 2015 RB Tyler Lyttle Nuneaton Town 5 April 2016[56][57] [58]
4 January 2016 LB Danny Greenslade Bath City 6 April 2016[59][60] [61]
15 January 2016 FW Jamie Lucas Boreham Wood 30 June 2016 [56]
18 January 2016 FW Ellis Harrison Hartlepool United 20 February 2016 [38]
26 February 2016 MF Jake Gosling Newport County 30 March 2016 [62]
26 February 2016 GK Kieran Preston Rushall Olympic 30 June 2016[63] [62]
28 February 2016 MF Jay Malpas Chippenham Town 24 March 2016 [64]

Squad statistics[]

Appearances, goals and cards[]

No. Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup League Trophy Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Yellow card.svg Red card.svg
1 GK England Steve Mildenhall 25(1) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 26(1) 0 0 0
2 DF England Daniel Leadbitter 28(5) 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 31(5) 0 4 0
3 DF England Lee Brown 46 6 1 0 1 0 2 0 50 6 8 0
4 DF Wales Tom Lockyer 42(1) 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 44(1) 0 7 0
5 DF Northern Ireland Mark McChrystal 20(1) 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 22(1) 0 5 0
6 DF England Tom Parkes 29(2) 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 32(2) 0 5 0
7 MF England Lee Mansell 28 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 29 2 2 0
8 MF England Ollie Clarke 23(11) 2 0 0 1 0 0(1) 0 24(12) 2 2 0
9 FW Wales Ellis Harrison 10(20) 7 1 0 1 1 0 0 12(20) 8 6 0
10 FW England Matty Taylor 38(8) 27 1 0 0(1) 0 2 1 41(9) 28 3 0
11 MF Gibraltar Jake Gosling 8(10) 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 11(10) 0 1 0
14 MF England Chris Lines 30(3) 0 0(1) 0 0 0 2 0 32(4) 0 4 0
15 DF England James Clarke 36(1) 0 0(1) 0 1 0 1 0 37(2) 0 4 0
16 MF Republic of Ireland Liam Lawrence 8(4) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8(4) 1 1 0
17 FW Wales Jermaine Easter 21(21) 7 0(1) 0 1 0 2 1 24(22) 8 2 0
21 MF Colombia Cristian Montaño 12(16) 2 0 0 0(1) 0 1(1) 0 13(18) 2 1 0
23 MF Wales Billy Bodin 26(12) 13 1 0 0 0 2 0 29(12) 13 0 0
24 MF England Stuart Sinclair 30 2 1 0 1 0 2 0 34 2 3 0
25 GK England Will Puddy 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
26 DF England Tyler Lyttle 1 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 1(1) 0 0 0
27 MF Wales Ryan Broom 0(1) 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0 0
29 FW Scotland Oli McBurnie 0(5) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(5) 0 2 0
30 FW Republic of Ireland Rory Gaffney 23(1) 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 23(1) 8 2 0
33 FW New Zealand Rory Fallon 0(3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(3) 0 0 0
Players to have appeared for Bristol Rovers who are currently on loan elsewhere:
20 FW Wales Jamie Lucas 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0(2) 0 0 0
Players to have appeared for Bristol Rovers who have left:
29 MF England Jeffrey Monakana 0(3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0(3) 0 0 0
30 GK England Aaron Chapman 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
31 GK England Lee Nicholls 15 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 18 0 1 0
29 FW England Paris Cowan-Hall 2(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2(1) 0 0 0
16 FW England Nathan Blissett 0(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0(3) 0 0 0
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