PHILIP ‘CHIC’ BATES – 28th November 1949 – May 2025
Bristol Rovers Supporters Club are saddened to learn of the passing of former Rovers striker ‘Chic’ Bates.
Signed by Shrewsbury Town, from Stourbridge, in May 1974, he began a 50 year association with the Shropshire club, interspersed with brief sojourns at Swindon Town and Rovers.
He scored 17 goals in his first season with Shrewsbury and joined Swindon in January 1978 for a fee of £30,000, going on to score 15 goals in 63 league games for the Wiltshire Robins.
He signed for Rovers on 7th March 1980 and made his league debut, against Preston North End, four days later, in a 3-3 draw at Eastville, when he became the 463rd player to represent the club in the Football League.
There were four league goals, all scored at Eastville, during his brief Rovers career which took in just 29 league games before a return to Shrewsbury where he would end his playing career after scoring 64 goals in 294 league appearances for them.
At various times he was player coach, assistant manager and manager at Shrewsbury and in that latter role he led the club to its highest ever league position; eighth in the Second Division in 1984/85.
After leaving Shrewsbury in 1987 there were coaching/managerial roles with a number of other clubs, including Swindon Town, Birmingham City and Stoke City before a return to Shrewsbury as assistant manager in 1999.
There were two spells as caretaker manager before his retirement from the game in 2004. Inducted into Shrewsbury’s Hall of Fame in 2013, he continued to live in the area and often attended games at The Croud Meadow.
We send our condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.
