THE START OF EVEN BETTER THINGS
Bristol Rovers entered teams in both the Gloucestershire FA Senior Cup and the Central League Reserve competition for the 2016/17 season. This ensured that there were some competitive fixtures for the professional players who were not selected for the first team.
In previous seasons the members of the first team squad not playing regularly and the young professionals had limited game time. It was only by going out on loan that the younger players and fringe players could enjoy meaningful and competitive action. Their main match action in preceding seasons was the occasional ad hoc fixture arranged around first team commitments; sometimes behind closed doors.
A Central League competition of sufficient size gives the young professionals, the players returning from injury or trying to recapture their form a platform to perform. It is hoped that the Central League will continue to expand in future years and that there will be even more fixtures for those not playing in the first team.
There are a few concerns about some aspects of the competition. Clubs are free to field the sides that they wish so there are times when a strong and experienced side turns up and on other days it will be simply be the Youth Academy team playing. This explains a little about the variability of the results for all the teams in this reserve competition. So a side can win 4-0 at home one week and then go elsewhere and lose 5-0 two weeks later. There have been a number of fixtures when it has been a case of “Men against Boys” during the 2016/17 season.
Bristol Rovers Central League Results for the 2016/17 Season:
Tue Sep 6th Exeter City 13:00 (H) W 2-1
Scorers: Billy Bodin, (2).
To read the BRFC Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Oct 11th AFC Wimbledon 13:00 (A) L 0-4
To read the AFC Wimbledon Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Oct 25th Cheltenham Town 13:00 (A) L 1-2
Scorer: A. Trialist.
To view the BRFC Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Jan 10th Newport County 12:00 (H) W 2-0
Scorers: Liam Lawrence and Jamie Lucas.
To view the BRFC Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Jan 17th Swindon Town (A) W 2-1
Scorers: James Spruce and Jamie Lucas.
To view the BRFC Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Jan 24th Newport County 12:00 (A) L 1-4
Scorer: Lewis Ellington.
To view the BRFC Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Feb 7th Peterborough United 13:30 (H) W 4-0
Scorers: James Spruce, Lewis Ellington, Bob Harris and Jay Malpas.
To read the BRFC and PUFC Match Reports: Click HERE and Click HERE
Tue Feb 21st Southend United 13:00 (A) L 0-5
To view some of the Match information: Click HERE
Tue Mar 7th Cheltenham Town 13:00 (H) L 0-2
To view the BRFC Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Mar 14th Swindon Town 13:00 (H) W 3-2
Scorers: James Spruce, Lewis Ellington, Jermaine Easter.
To view the BRFC Official Match Report: Click HERE
Tue Mar 28th Exeter City 13:00 (A) L 0-7
Tue Apr 11th AFC Bournemouth 13:00 (H) L 0-3
To view the Official Match Report: Click HERE
The Central League provided a set of fixtures for the Bristol Rovers FC Reserves/Under-21 squad.
The final league table for the 2016/17 Combined Central League South West and South East groups:
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The final league table for the 2016/17 Central League South East and South West divisions:
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