Having looked at the players who made their league debut for Rovers on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I also checked out those who made the New Year’s Day debut.
I’ve come up with a list of just five names, involving only two games, the first of which was against Cardiff City at Ninian Park on New Year’s Day 1983 when Les Bradd and Roy Carter appeared in a 3-1 defeat in the Welsh capital.
Bradd, born in Buxton on 6th November 1947, joined Rotherham United in March 1966 and appeared in just three games for them before a move to Notts County in October 1967.
At Meadow Lane he went on to score 125 goals in 398 league games and remained at the club until August 1978 when he signed for Stockport County. 117 league games later he was on the move again, to Wigan Athletic, in May 1981.
After 63 appearances for The Latics he arrived at Rovers, on loan, on 30th December 1982 and made his first and only Rovers appearance two days later and scored our consolation goal in the Ninian Park defeat.
Unfortunately, a muscle injury ruled out any extension to his Rovers career and he returned to his parent club. His playing career ended with a brief spell at Kettering Town.
He later worked for both Nottingham clubs, County and Forest, at different times in their promotions departments.
Leslie John Bradd, the 490th player to represent Rovers in the Football League, wrote his autobiography ‘Life at the Far Post’ later in life.
Also making his debut in that game at Ninian Park was Carter, born at Torpoint on 19th February 1954 and who began his career with Torpoint Athletic before moving on to Falmouth Town and, in 1974, to Plymouth Argyle.
Unable to break into the Argyle side, he moved to Hereford United in August 1975 and after scoring nine goals in 71 appearances joined Swindon Town for a fee of £22,000 in December 1977. His 200 league appearances at the County Ground yielded 34 goals before a spell with Torquay United saw him score eight goals in 27 games.
It was from Plainmoor that he arrived at Eastville, on 29th December 1982 and he made the first of his four league appearances, alongside Bradd, in Cardiff. The only goal of his brief Rovers career came in a 2-0 win against Brentford at Eastville two weeks after his debut.
He went on to appear in 152 league games for Newport County and another 41 for Exeter City before winding down his career with Saltash United, Falmouth Town, where he was player/coach and Torpoint Athletic, the club where it all began, as player/assistant manager.
Roy William Carter, the 491st player to play a league game for Rovers, later worked as a golf professional at Torpoint.
Fast forward to New Year’s Day when Plymouth Argyle were the visitors to the Memorial Stadium and returned to Devon a beaten side, having lost 2-1 as Joe Anyinsah and Matt Lund scored for Rovers.
Three Rovers players made their league debut for the club that afternoon, Tom Hitchcock, Steve Mildenhall and John-Joe O’Toole.
John Ward, back in charge of Rovers for the second time, brought the trio to the club and having seen the departure of on loan striker Tom Eaves back to his parent club, brought in Hitchcock to replace him.
Born in Hemel Hempstead on 1st October 1992, Hitchcock is the son of former Mansfield Town, Chelsea and Northampton Town goalkeeper Kevin.
Tom had already been on loan at Plymouth, from Blackburn Rovers, when he pitched up at The Mem and had appeared in eight league games whilst at Home Park. He had moved on to Queens Park Rangers by the time he joined Rovers on loan on 31st December 2012 and the Plymouth game was the first of his 17 appearances in a Rovers shirt. He also scored three goals during his time with us.
His career since leaving Rovers can best be described as nomadic, as he has since turned out for the following clubs: Crewe Alexandra (twice), Rotherham United, MK Dons, Fleetwood Town, Stevenage, Port Vale, Boreham Wood, Chelmsford City, Biggleswade Town, Harlow Town (twice), Cheshunt, Chesham United, Bedford Town, Cambridge City, Real Bedford.
Thomas Joseph Hitchcock is the 842nd player to make his Rovers league debut.
Number 843 in the list of those to have played league football for the club is Stephen James Mildenhall, a goalkeeper by trade, who arrived at the club on loan from
Millwall, via a loan spell at Scunthorpe United. His move to Rovers was also a loan deal, on 31st December 2012.
His debut was the first of 72 league games for Rovers and his move to the club later became a permanent one, which saw him go on to appear in 72 league games for the club and he also played in 29 Conference league games during our one year in that league.
Mildenhall’s career began just down the road, with Swindon Town, in August 1994 and from there he was loaned out to Gloucester City and Salisbury City before signing a permanent deal with Notts County in the summer of 2001.
He later played for Oldham Athletic, Grimsby Town, Yeovil Town, Southend United, Millwall and Scunthorpe.
His final game in a Rovers shirt, was against Southend United in August 2016, when he was 38 years and 99 days old, making him the fourth oldest player to appear for the club in league football.
He became goalkeeping coach at Rovers before moving back to the club where it all began for him, Swindon Town, in the same capacity though he has since had a brief spell as interim manager at The County Ground.
‘Mildy’ remains goalkeeping coach for Swindon under former Rovers player and manager Ian Holloway.
John Joseph O’Toole is, naturally, the 844th player to turn out in league football for Rovers and he also joined us on loan on 31st December 2012.
Born in Harrow, on 30th September 1988, his first club was Watford for whom he scored 10 goals in 57 league games. He was loaned out to Wealdstone, Sheffield United and Colchester United before signing a permanent deal with the U’s.
It was from there he signed for Rovers, signing a permanent deal with the club in the summer of 2013. He scored 16 goals in 59 league games before his next move, to Northampton Town, in November 2014.
A brief loan spell at Southend United was followed by a permanent move to Burton Albion and then Mansfield Town. He joined AFC Wimbledon on loan in January last year and made the move a permanent one last summer.
None of the five players mentioned have yet received the cap they are entitled to under the Supporters Club cap initiative and we hope to rectify that matter in the very near future. If you would like to know more about the scheme, or sponsor a cap, then please check our website for details or contact secretary@bristolroverssc.co.uk