The club was founded in 1883, joined the Football League in 1920, and has never made the top flight of English football. The best they ever did was finish sixth in the Second Division twice in the 1950s. Those were basically the glory years; they also twice made the quarters of the FA Cup in that decade, the furthest they’ve ever gotten. They…

Bristol City are rivals, of course, but they rarely play. They haven’t been in the same league since 2001, and since then they have played just four times, in the minor League Trophy. They hate their West Country neighbors like Swindon Town, Plymouth Argyle, Exeter City, and Yeovil Town. They also don’t like nearby Cardiff, but they hardly ever…

The current version of Bristol Rovers Women’s FC was formed in 2019 and are off to an excellent start. They won several promotions and are currently in the 4th tier of women’s football Home games are at Lockleaze Sports Centre. See bristolroverswomensfc.com for…

Their anthem is “Goodnight, Irene.” Apparently this started in the 1950s, when they sang it to taunt Plymouth Argyle fans who were leaving early because they were getting whipped. It stuck and is still their signature today. It’s really something to hear a bunch of English people singing a mournful song by a Louisianan named Lead Belly that…

Rovers play in the 12,300-seat Memorial Stadium, an odd place that was originally built for rugby. One stand doesn’t stretch the length of the field, another is only partially covered, and another is narrow but quite tall. It’s near Gloucester Road with lots of shops and has a super friendly vibe. Another oddity: this piece of land was originally…

GETTING THERE: It’s a bit far from the center—a little over three miles from the main train station, Temple Meads. The closest station to it is still a half-hour walk. So take a cab or bus 73, which goes right along Gloucester Road. PUBS: There is one at the stadium, but there are better ones along Gloucester Road. The Wellington is hopping on…