As you are no doubt aware, Bristol Rovers Supporters Club cap initiative was introduced to award a cap to every player who has represented Bristol Rovers in league football and presentations made this season are now into double figures, with several more to follow before the end of the campaign.
Neil Arndale, Nathan Blissett, Richard Iles and Mike England received their caps following the home game against Wycombe Wanderers last September.
Defender Neil Arndale made his international debut for the England U-15 side at The Mem, against Holland in March 2000, and went on to win six caps for the U-16 side.
He made his Rovers league debut when going on as a substitute at Rochdale on the final day of the 2001/02 season, when we lost 2-1, the first of five first team appearances for the club.
The tough tackling defender can count himself unlucky not to have appeared in more games for Rovers, and went on to play local football for Cirencester Town, Mangotsfield United and Larkhall Athletic.
Neil had a brief spell as caretaker manager of Mangotsfield, alongside Lewis Hogg, and then went on to take the assistant manager’s role at Larkhall under former Rovers defender Phil Bater.
His Rochdale debut saw him become the 686th player to represent the club in league football.
Striker Nathan Blissett arrived in BS7 during our season in the Conference, just a week after scoring against us for Kidderminster Harriers against us.
His first game for Rovers came in a 2-2 draw at Chester, which he marked with the first of his five goals in his 22 Conference games for the club.
He also made a substitute appearance for Rovers in the Wembley play off final against Grimsby Town, and eventually made his league debut for the club against Notts County on 20th October 2015.
The goalless draw saw him become the 872nd player to make his Rovers league bow and was the first of only two league games he played for the club. On leaving Rovers he went on to play for a number of other clubs, including Tranmere Rovers, Lincoln City, Torquay united, Plymouth Argyle, Macclesfield Town, Solihull Moors, Maidenhead United, AFC Telford United, Stafford Rangers and Bromsgrove Sporting.
Richard Iles made just the one first team appearance for Rovers, against Blackpool on 12th April 1986. Rovers were 1-0 winners on that occasion and he became the 518th player to make his Rovers league debut.
After leaving Rovers the Bristol born central defender went on to play for Metropolitan Police, Rainham Town, Mangotsfield United, Bath City, Stroud, Bitton, Paulton Rovers, Avon Fire Brigade, Frampton Athletic, Robinson’s DRG, RMC Wick, Cadbury Heath, Almondsbury and Hanham Athletic.
Michael England, another Bristol born central defender, made his Rovers league debut against Wrexham on 10th May 1979.
He then went on to play for Bath City and Forest Green Rovers before returning to Eastville six years after his debut and made another 17 league appearances for the
club, a total that included the last ever league match at our former home, against Chesterfield.
He later played for Bath City (again) and Mangotsfield United and was the 457th player to make his Rovers league bow.
We have also presented a cap to the family of Byron Stevenson, who scored three goals in 31 league games for Rovers after arriving at Eastville in the summer of 1985, from Birmingham City.
He made his debut against Darlington on the opening day of the 1985/86 season and scored from the penalty spot as Rovers drew 3-3 with their hosts.
Successive knee operations curtailed his league career, though he did turn out for Garforth Town and was a coach with Corpus Christi FC.
Stevenson, who was the 505th Rovers player to make his league debut, won three Welsh U-23 caps and 15 full caps. Sadly, he died of throat cancer one day before what would have been his 51st birthday, in 2007.
We hope his family treasure the memento of his career with Bristol Rovers.