Part five of our cap presentation catch up takes in three more players, namely Joe Davis, Che Wilson and Byron Anthony.
Central defender Joe Davis joined Rovers in March 1956 at the age of 18, though he didn’t make his league debut until 25th February 1961, against Luton Town at Eastville. That game ended in a 4-1 win for Rovers and Joe was the 352nd player to represent the club in league football.
Player of the Year in 1964/65 and the first ever substitute used by Rovers, in October 1965, his four league goals for the club all came from the penalty spot.
He appeared in 211 league games for Rovers and on leaving Eastville made 38 appearances for Swansea. On his retirement he became a newsagent before spending 30 years working for the Bristol Evening Post, though his Rovers connections remained.
At various times he was a Rovers scout and youth coach and coached the club’s ‘A’ side and was also assistant chief scout and later in life he was a regular spectator at Rovers games at The Memorial Stadium.
Sadly, Joe passed away in November 2018, but we were delighted to present his cap to his widow, Alma, at our recent game against Stevenage. Joe’s cap was kindly sponsored by Lisa Walker and presented to Alma by Gary Brindle, one of our committee members.
Che Wilson was another of our guests at the Stevenage game and Gary also presented him with his cap.
Che’s career began with Norwich City, for whom he made 22 league appearances and it was from Carrow Road that he joined Rovers, in July 2000 and went on to make 75 league appearances in a Rovers shirt.
The first of those games was against AFC Bournemouth, on 12th August 2000 at The Mem when we drew 1-1 and he was the 658th player to make his Rovers league bow.
His post Rovers career took in 106 league games and two goals for Southend United and whilst at Roots Hall he appeared in successive LDV Vans Trophy Finals, The Shrimpers losing to Blackpool in 2004 and 2-0 to Wrexham the following year. He was also a member of the side promoted to in 2005/06.
Brief spells with Brentford and Rotherham followed before he worked for the Players Football Academy as a Coach and, more recently, as Head of Football at Bath University.
It was good to see him back at The Mem to receive his cap.
Current Academy Manager at Rovers, Byron Anthony was presented with his cap, by our Director Helen Wigmore at the Reading game.
After appearing in two League Cup ties for Cardiff City and four games in a loan spell with Forest Green Rovers, Byron joined Rovers in August 2006, following an extensive trial during the summer months of that year.
He became the 754th player to make his Rovers league debut when, on 12th August 2006 he was in the side that beat Grimsby Town 1-0 at The Mem.
It was the first of 163 league appearances for the club and he was also a vital squad member of the successful 2006/07 side. In 2007 he was on the bench for the Johnstone’s Paint trophy Final against Doncaster Rovers at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and was at the heart of our defence for the Play Off Final against Shrewsbury Town, at Wembley, just a few weeks later.
He made 15 appearances for Hereford United in a loan spell with them and played ten games for Barnet before signing for Newport County in November 2012. After helping the Welsh side back into the league in 2013, he appeared in their first game of the following season but then suffered a double fracture of his ankle in a League Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion just a few days later, an injury which effectively ended his career.
His post playing career has seen him become Academy Coach at Newport, fill the same role at Rovers, before becoming U-18 coach with Swansea City. There was then a return to Rovers in 2020, firstly as Academy Head of Coaching and, since 2022 as Academy Manager.
We hope that the caps serve as a treasured memento commemorating, as they do, debuts made by Joe, Che and Byron in a Rovers shirt.