DiCanio's Swindon reigned supreme this season

The final piece of our end of season round-up casts us towards League Two, often a proving ground for exciting new managers and players – but how well did my predictions pan out?

Promoted

Actual – Swindon Town, Shrewsbury Town, Crawley Town, Crewe Alexandra

Predicted – Crawley Town, Rotherham, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth.

Bristol City Football Club is one of two Englsih Football League clubs based Bristol, England (the other being archrivals Bristol Rovers). The team has been a regular in the second...

Kicking off a short series of posts which consider the geographies of football in England, we take a look at the football scene in Cornwall, tussling in particular with the question as to whether a Football League team will ever pop up in this corner of the country. Over the years, a select number of Cornish footballers have overcome the inconvenience of their faraway place of birth to go on to play in England's top-flight.

If there was any hint of tension in the air at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, it didn't hang around for very long. It took them a little under sixteen minutes for Adam Lallana to give Southampton the lead against a Coventry City that had already been relegated from the Championship with room to spare, and the final tally was a 4-0 rout which confirmed a return to the Premier League after a break of seven years for a club which just last season was playing its trade in League One.

[O]nce upon a time, the PFA Awards were the undisputed measure of a season's most valuable players. Voted for by the Professionals themselves, the response to their announcement was one of awed hush and consent – how could mere onlookers presume to know better than those involved in the rough and tumble of the actual sport?

It is now almost forty years since Bristol Rovers ran up one of the most remarkable unbeaten runs in the entire history of the Football League, and their attack at the time was one of the most feared around. Here's Paul Caulfield on a team that is fondly remembered by its supporters, and the strikers that took them to promotion from the Third Division.

It is now almost forty years since Bristol Rovers ran up one of the most remarkable unbeaten runs in the entire history of the Football League, and their attack at the time was one of the most feared around. Here's Paul Caulfield on a team that is fondly remembered by its supporters, and the strikers that took them to promotion from the Third Division.

It has taken less than two months and if the more paranoid among Bristolian football fans expressed worry when Steve Lansdown became the majority shareholder of Bristol Rugby Club in February, that step has now been revealed as a mere staging post in the master plan – for today the formation of Bristol United Football Club has been announced.

Nulla di fatto per lo Swindon Di Renato Cignoni SWINDON TOWN 0BRISTOL ROVERS 0 Swindon Town:Wes Foderingham,Joe Devera, Alan McCormack (Capitano), Aden Flint, Jay McEveley, Matt Ritchie (Rooney '58), Simon Ferry, Jonathan Smith, Lee Holmes, Alan Connell (Benson '60), Ronan Murray (De Vita '72)Sostituti non utilizzati: Oliver Risser, John Bostock Bristol Rovers:Scott Bevan; Woodards Danny, Tom

The "Phoenix Club" lives on

Tonight marks the 20th anniversary of the demise of Aldershot Football Club. Having been a member of the Football League for 62 years, the club was declared officially out of business on the 25th March 1992 and had to resign from the League.

Yet 20 years on, Aldershot Town FC have risen from the ashes, and tonight take on Bristol Rovers in what many might see as a standard midtable fixture.

In October 1978 the Zambian national side undertook a tour of England. They played five matches in a fifteen day period against Shrewsbury Town (9/10/78), Wigan Athletic (11/10/78), Workington (16/10/1978), Marine (17/10/78) and Bristol Rovers (24/10/78). It's likely that the tour was arranged by Englishman, and then Zambian manager, Brian Tiler (a former Wigan Athletic player).

Arsenal head into Sunday's FA Cup fourth round clash with Aston Villa on the back of three consecutive league defeats, but they have still been deemed the favourites by many European bookmakers to emerge victorious.

Arsenal and Villa last played an FA Cup match nearly 29 years ago at the good old Highbury, where the Gunners progressed courtesy of a 2-0 win.

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Mirror: City and Liverpool battling for Shaq report

Bristol Rovers youngster in demand with Fulham also interested

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2012-01-10 12:26:30 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Sky: Hunt on for Pirates starlet

Sky Sports understands a host of Premier League clubs are hoping to snap up Bristol Rovers starlet Shaquille Hunter.

View the full story here: Sky Sports

A news article on 2012-01-10 11:34:03 from: Sky Sports

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish says he has been told by Liverpool counterpart Kenny Dalglish the Reds are not interested in signing Darren Bent.
McLeish was speaking after watching his side reach the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 victory at Bristol Rovers.
England striker Bent, 27, who joined Villa from Sunderland a year ago, has been linked with a move away, with Liverpool reportedly among the favourites, and he played in Saturday night's win at the Memorial Stadium.

Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish says he has been told by Liverpool counterpart Kenny Dalglish the Reds are not interested in signing Darren Bent.
McLeish was speaking after watching his side reach the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 victory at Bristol Rovers.
England striker Bent, 27, who joined Villa from Sunderland a year ago, has been linked with a move away, with Liverpool reportedly among the favourites, and he played in Saturday night's win at the Memorial Stadium.

It wasn't a bad day for Americans in England as Clint Demspey, Brad Guzan and Landon Donovan impressed in the third round of the FA Cup.

Dempsey continued his impressive goal-scoring form with a hat trick in Fulham's 4-0 victory over Charlton Athletic at Craven Cottage.

Dempsey opened the scoring against the League One leaders in just the eighth minute, taking control of a deflected through ball and beating John Sullivan in Charlton's goal.

Forget Roy Keane, among the weapons the now former Bristol Rovers manager Paul Buckle had in his armoury was an icy stare that could single-handedly re-freeze the polar ice caps. I've seen it used on misbehaving players in training, at fans who've had a differing opinion, and at journalists (including myself) who've asked questions that he doesn't think are worth answering (which, on some occasions, has been a fair response).

Forget Roy Keane, among the weapons the now former Bristol Rovers manager Paul Buckle had in his armoury was an icy stare that could single-handedly re-freeze the polar ice caps. I've seen it used on misbehaving players in training, at fans who've had a differing opinion, and at journalists (including myself) who've asked questions that he doesn't think are worth answering (which, on some occasions, has been a fair response).

With leagues coming off their winter breaks, and England diving into FA Cup action, today's slate of matches will give us the first good schedule of activity of the new year.

The Mexican League gets its Clausura season underway this weekend, as Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna take on Jose Torres and Pachuca.

The third round of the FA Cup is littered with the typical David vs. Goliath matchups that the tournament boasts every year, but there is one matchup featuring a pair of giants that is sure to capture everyone's attention.

Premier League front-runners Manchester City and Manchester United square off in an early-round encounter that has plenty on the line.

Slowly but surely, we are getting back into the gear of things in international football. In a sea of potentially crappy matches in the FA Cup's third round this weekend, the biggest match of them all is floating around as we will be treated to another Manchester derby as United visits City looking for revenge for last season's semifinal matchup.

Saturday Bristol Rovers - Aston Villa 12pm - Fox Soccer The FA Cup enters the Third Round proper, with Brad Guzan and Eric Lichaj's Villa getting an away date with League Two club Bristol. Part of the fun of the English cup competitions is seeing stadiums that normally don't appear on US television. Memorial Stadium in Horfield, Bristol is mostly standing areas, since Bristol has never been high enough in the English league system to.

Oh fuck me. The FA Cup is back.

Now, I'm not one of those EPL-centric, footballing-history-started-in-1992 type people. I just hate the FA Cup. I hate how misused the FA Cup is in terms of broadcasting (both online and televised).

Last March I wrote a post about how College Basketball's March Madness is presented in America.

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Welcome to "The Gents" with Stan Bentley - The Yorkies' regular advice column for our valued readers. Bring your modern day problems and have them answered by the most valued voice - a 1950's journeyman footballer. "Back of the net!"
Hi Stan,
I have to attend a Christmas party this week but I have a problem.

The Very Best of Pitch Invasion, an anthology of 39 essays from this site since 2007, was released in digital and print editions last Friday.

The print edition is available on Amazon in the United States, and today (Monday) is the LAST day to order it in time for Christmas delivery!

Swindon Town, la beffa nel finale Di Renato Cignoni BRISTOL ROVERS 1 (Woodards '87)SWINDON TOWN 1 (Caddis '38) Bristol Rovers:Scott Bevan; Woddards Danny, Byron Anthony, Gary Sawyer, Lee Brown, Joe Anyinsah, Craig Stanley, Andy Dorman, Mustapha Carayol; Chris Zebroski (Richards '63), Matt HarroldSostituti non utilizzati: Michael Smith, Cian Bolger, Oliver Norburn, Giordania Goddard Swindon Town:

Confirmation of the live televised matches for the Third Round of the FA Cup came early this year, and while there was no great shock in the Manchester derby a match which has, arguably, taken on a heightened level of importance given the events in the Champions League last night, even if it still isn't the main even of either teams season it was a little surprising to see that the decisions were taken by both ITV and ESPN before next weeks Second Round replays had even been played.

The Seattle Sounders' search for Kasey Keller's successor has been completed.

Seattle announced the long-rumored signing of Austrian goalkeeper Michael Gspurning on Wednesday, ushering in a new era between the posts at CenturyLink Field.

"First off, you don't replace Kasey Keller.

Tim Howard and Everton find themselves in a logjam in the middle of the English Premier League standings, but if the U.S. national team goalkeeper and his team want to make a run at the top teams in England, they will need a win today against Stoke City to make that happen.

Everton is currently in a four-way tie in the middle of the Premier League table, but the Toffees hold two games in hand on the pack, and wins in those two games could pull Everton within range of arch-rival Liverpool, among others.

By Alan Duffy

Bristol Rovers' Memorial Stadium, scene of the crime

Reports that Bristol Rovers midfielder Jordan Goddard relieved himself in front of visiting Corby Town fans during their recent FA Cup game are now being investigated by the Pirates.

By Alan Duffy

In a prime example of the worth of the old "do your research" adage, Crystal Palace midfielder Andy Dorman got a rather nasty surprise after agreeing a loan move to League Two side Bristol Rovers.

On learning of a potential move to the Pirates, the Welsh international jumped at the chance, but in his eagerness to secure some regular playing time, he forget to do his research and expected to be moving down just the one division.

Dorman barred from League One Crystal Palace midfielder Andy Dorman has revealed he unintentionally move down two divisions because he thought Bristol Rovers were in League One when he made his loan move. Dorman agreed to leave his Championship side to get first-team football in the tier below, but has since discovered that Rovers are [.

All signs point to Toronto?Toronto FC's season has barely gone cold but it looks like plans for 2012 (aka SIXual Healing) are already starting to heat up. According to reports out of football hotbed Bermuda and East Anglian metropolis/tractor hotbed Ipswich, former Ipswich Town and Bermudian international midfielder Reggie Lambe is on The Reds' radar.

Following Keith Millen's exit from the managerial post at Bristol City earlier this week, we are very pleased to welcome Paul Binning for our latest interview. Paul trades under the name @cider1977 on Twitter and runs the consistently enjoyable blog, The Exiled Robin. He also contributes a regular feature on social media and football that appears in the Bristol City matchday programme and I was

By Chris Wright

Cheltenham Town substitutes raided the kit bag to rig themselves up a set of improvised sunscreens in order to escape the UV at the Memorial Stadium as the wilting Indian summer heat engulfed their League Two match against Bristol Rovers yesterday afternoon.