You might say that it’s a new era at the Memorial Stadium, but it’s also the return of the old. Back-to-back promotion winner Darrell Clarke is now at the helm ahead of 2025/26.
They ended the season with no wins in ten and only one point away at Wrexham after falling to nightmare defeats at home to Mansfield, Exeter, Stevenage and others. Rovers dropped down into 22nd in the league table after being nine points clear of the drop on 11 March.
Back at The Mem! 😍 pic.twitter.com/sR4G1oZxxR
— Bristol Rovers (@Official_BRFC) May 14, 2025
Inigo Calderon came into the club on Boxing Day and started his time at the club well with a big win away at Cambridge. There were also home wins over Barnsley, Peterborough and Stevenage. But after the club’s dismal run, he was sacked a day after defeat on the last day of the season.
He has been replaced by Clarke, who was the Rovers manager from March 2014 to December 2018. In that time HE guided them to Wembley glory in the Conference Playoff Final in 2015. Last-day automatic promotion to League One followed in 2016.
— Bristol Rovers (@Official_BRFC) May 6, 2025
The 47-year-old has since managed Walsall, Port Vale, Cheltenham and Barnsley and hopes that experience will stand him in good stead ahead of his return to the Gas.
“I have come back to win,” Clarke declared when he spoke to club media. “I’ve come to get this club back challenging to try and get into the Championship, albeit we’re going to be starting in League Two. But it’s all gone now. It’s a fresh era.
“We have to move on, and it’s up to us to pick our fans up, and that’s a message I repeated when I took the club into the National League was that it’s now time to get a team of players and a squad of players that the fans can be proud of.”
The club has also announced their retained list which has seen multiple first team players depart the club. They include Scott Sinclair, who was captain of the club, Grant Ward, Luke McCormick, Romaine Sawyers, Jack Hunt, Chris Martin and Jevani Brown.
Following an extensive and thorough review of the Club’s footballing operation, Bristol Rovers can confirm that nine players will be leaving the Club when their respective contracts expire this summer.
— Bristol Rovers (@Official_BRFC) May 4, 2025
Sinclair departed the club after a disappointing campaign on the whole where he only achieved three goals and one assist from 41 appearances. Martin did play a big part for Rovers this season with two goals in his last game against Bolton and will now need replacing up front.
Ricky Martin has joined the club as Director of Football after a short spell at Stoke City. He played a key role in bringing Clarke back to the club and will also be key in the club’s recruitment for the summer.
“There’s going to be a load of speedbumps in the road,” Clarke added. “We’ve got to get out of League Two first. It’s a hell of a task, and when you’ve been relegated, there’s a hell of a lot of work to be done. But I’m confident in the work, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to get a team out there and a squad of players here next year that do the shirt proud and hopefully have a successful season.”
