The Bristol Rovers History Group. |
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Bristol Rovers Supporters Club were delighted to welcome former Rovers and Portsmouth defender Paul Hardyman to the Memorial Stadium for the Boxing Day clash between his two former clubs.
Paul joined Pompey in July 1983, signing his first pro contract for the Fratton Park outfit in May 1983. He went on to score three goals in 117 league appearances during his Portsmouth career. In July 1989 Sunderland paid a fee of £130,000 to secure his signature and his career with the Wearsiders took in nine goals in 106 league games. He was a member of the team that won promotion to the top flight of English football, through the play offs, in 1990, and his final appearance for the club came in the 1992 FA Cup Final against Liverpool. A few weeks later he joined Rovers, going on to score five goals in 67 league games following his debut against Oxford United on 15th August 1992, when he became the 573rd player to make his Rovers league bow. He later played for Wycombe, Barnet, Slough and Basingstoke before coaching roles at Portsmouth in their Centre of Excellence and Academy. Under the Supporters Club cap initiative, Rovers CEO Tom Gorringe presented Paul with his cap to commemorate his debut for the club back in 1992. |
Bernard Hall
We were delighted to welcome former Rovers goalkeeper Bernard Hall to our game against Carlisle United on 24th February. Bernard was just 25 years of age when he was injured in the 54th minute of our game against Middlesbrough on New Year’s Day 1966. After colliding with visiting striker John O’Rourke he was rushed to Frenchay Hospital where he remained unconscious for 16 days. Thankfully, he recovered, though hard as he tried to make a comeback, his football career was over. He had made 163 league appearances for Rovers, the club he joined as a 16 year old after being spotted playing for the Bath based West Twerton side. On 20th April 1962 (Good Friday), Bernard became the 361st player to make his Bristol Rovers league debut when he appeared in a 2-2 draw against Charlton Athletic at Eastville. When the bribery scandal involving regular first team goalkeeper Esmond Million broke, in 1963, Hall automatically took his place and the game against Watford on 27th April 1963 began a run of 115 consecutive league appearances. Following his career ending injury Bernard was granted a testimonial match and a Combined Bristol XI took on West Ham, at Eastville, on 16th October 1967. A crowd of almost 9,000 turned up for the game and saw West Ham, who included World Cup Winners Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters in their lineup, won 4-3. Peter Brabrook, Harry Redknapp, Hurst and John Sissons scored for The Hammers, while Rovers’ goals came from Ken Ronaldson, Harold Jarman and am own goal by West Ham’s Bill Kitchener. Bernard was a guest of the Rovers’ Trust for the Carlisle game and as well as his cap from the Supporters Club, he was presented with a goalkeeper’s jersey by the trust with the number 134 on the back, representing his run of consecutive games in all competitions which began back in 1963. |
There aren’t too many Brazilian born players who have represented Bristol Rovers in the Football League; in fact, Alefe Santos d’Adabia is unique in that respect!
Having signed for Rovers in March 2011 he made his Rovers league debut on 20th November 2012 when he was in the side beaten 4-0 by Port Vale at Vale Park, becoming the 839th player to represent the club in the league. After 24 Gas league games he moved on to Derby County, was loaned to Notts County and then played for a number of non league clubs. He’s still playing, and recently joined Poole Town for the second time in his career. Alefe received his cap on 27th March and we would like to thank Bristol Rovers Former Players Association Chairman Tony Mills for making the presentation. |