Stat Attack: Bristol Rovers vs. Notts County

Notts County and Bristol Rovers have met a grand total of 85 times over their history, with the first fixture coming on the 11th January 1913, a 2-0 win for the Pirates in the FA Cup at their former home ground, the Eastville Stadium.

The Magpies have claimed 31 wins and 28 draws against Rovers, whilst falling to 26 defeats.

Meadow Lane was the scene of the last meeting between these two on the 19th March 2011, a League One fixture, as Will Hoskins scored just after the hour to give the Gas a 1-0 win.

The club was founded in 1883 as Black Arabs F.C., and were also known as Eastville Rovers and Bristol Eastville Rovers before finally changing its name to Bristol Rovers in 1899.

The club's official nickname is The Pirates, reflecting the maritime history of Bristol. The local nickname of the club is The Gas, from the gasworks next to their former home Eastville Stadium, which started as a derogatory term used by fans of their main rival Bristol City but was affectionately adopted by the team.

Rovers were admitted to the Football League in 1920 and have played there ever since, apart from spending the 2014–15 season in the Conference Premier.

They previously came close to losing their league status in 1939, when they were re-elected after finishing bottom of Division Three (South), and in 2002 when the team finished one league position away from relegation to the Football Conference.

Their highest finishing positions were in 1956 and 1959, on both occasions ending the season in 6th place in Division Two, then the second tier of English football.

The only major cup competition won by Bristol Rovers is the 1972 Watney Cup, when they beat Sheffield United in the final. The club also won the Division Three (South) Cup in 1934–35, as well as winning or sharing the Gloucestershire Cup on 32 occasions.

The team has never played in European competition; the closest Rovers came was when they missed out on reaching the international stage of the Anglo-Italian Cup in the 1992–93 season on a coin toss held over the phone with West Ham United.

In the FA Cup, Rovers have reached the quarter-final stage on three occasions. The first time was in 1950–51 when they faced Newcastle United at St James' Park in front of a crowd of 62,787, the record for the highest attendance at any Bristol Rovers match.

The second time they reached the quarter final was in 1957–58, when they lost to Fulham, and the most recent appearance at this stage of the competition was during the 2007–08 season, when they faced West Bromwich Albion.

They were the first Division Three team to win an FA Cup tie away to a Premier League side, when in 2002 they beat Derby County 3–1 at Pride Park Stadium.

They have twice reached the final of the Football League Trophy, in 1989–90 and 2006–07, but finished runners-up on both occasions. On the second occasion they did not allow a single goal against them in the competition en route to the final, but conceded the lead less than a minute after the final kicked off.

Actor Nick Frost is a Bristol Rovers fan, with his character Danny Butterman seen wearing a club shirt in the 2007 film Hot Fuzz.

The retired Conservative MP for Hayes and Harlington Terry Dicks, is also a Gas fan. He mentioned the club in parliament on 5 May 1994 when debating with Labour MP and Chelsea fan Tony Banks.

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Rovers have appealed against the red card shown to Jermaine Easter during Saturday's Sky Bet League Two win over Mansfield Town.

The striker was given a straight red for allegedly headbutting a Stags player just before half-time in the 2-1 victory and Rovers will find out if they are successful in their appeal against a three-match ban on Tuesday afternoon.

Rovers boss Darrell Clarke will also be concerning himself with the fitness of another of his forwards, Billy Bodin, who was forced to miss Saturday's match through injury. If Easter is unavailable then Ellis Harrison, who came on at half-time at Field Mill, could start.

Notts have no real injury problems any longer as players begin to return to contention.

Midfielder Rob Milsom has yet to make his debut for the club because of a knee problem but he is back in training and closing in on a return.

The same can be said of winger Kyle De Silva, who has recovered from the thigh injury he sustained during the first month of the season.