Promotion heroes and 'Flash' Gordon: 10 ex-Bristol Rovers players Gas could face in League Two

Bristol Rovers will be hoping that their stay back in League Two is as brief as possible, but they’re set to see some familiar faces along the way

Daniel Hargraves Bristol Rovers reporter

11:00, 29 May 2025

(From left to right): James Belshaw, Sam Finley and Luca Hoole are former Bristol Rovers players the Gas could face in League Two next season(Image: Getty Images)

Bristol Rovers will be looking to ensure that their stay in League Two is for as short as possible come the start of the new season after they were relegated from League One after three seasons in the third tier.

The Gas were able to get themselves out of League Two at the first time of asking the last time they dropped into the fourth division, although it was in the most sensational of circumstances.

A 7-0 win over Scunthorpe United on the final day saw Rovers clinch the final automatic promotion spot ahead of Northampton Town on goals scored.

Following the appointment of club legend Darrell Clarke as head coach, the Pirates have gone into the summer with more optimism and hope than is usual so soon after a relegation. How tough a contest League Two will prove to be should become clearer in the coming months, but it does look set to be competitive at the top end.

What is a guarantee though is that Rovers will come up against some familiar faces over the course of the season with a number of former players currently playing their trade in League Two. Quite a few members of the promotion squad are competing in the fourth tier.

Although transfers can of course happen over the next couple of months with the transfer window not officially open until Sunday, Bristol Live plucked out 10 former Rovers players who could come up against their old side next season…

Sam Finley – Tranmere Rovers

One of a number of promotion heroes in this list, it was a big decision geographically for the midfielder to make the move down to north Bristol, having played a lot closer to his native Liverpool previously.

Finley made 36 league appearances in his first season at Rovers, helping the club to promotion. He then played an important role in establishing the Pirates’ position back in League One.

In his third and final season, the 32-year-old was named club captain before departing upon the conclusion of his contract.

Finley now plays much closer to home at Tranmere Rovers, although he could miss the first meeting of next term between the two clubs. The midfielder was issued a lengthy 13-game ban at the end of the campaign for making a “homophobic comment” to an opposition player, which goes into the new season.

James Connolly – Crewe Alexandra

Another promotion hero, Connolly, affectionately nicknamed ‘Beefy’ at Rovers, was initially a loanee in the 2021/22 season, joining from Cardiff City that January.

After being an unused substitute in his first game at home to Hartlepool United, the centre-back didn’t miss a single minute for the remainder of the campaign.

The 23-year-old returned on a permanent basis going into the 2022/23 season and had a half-season loan spell at Morecambe for the first half of the 2023/24 campaign. Matt Taylor opted to recall the defender that January but he was sold to Crewe Alexandra last summer after making 73 appearances for the Gas.

Connolly played 26 games last season for Crewe who missed out on a play-off spot, finishing 13th.

James Connolly pictured in action for Bristol Rovers(Image: Dave Howarth – CameraSport via Getty Images)Lewis Gordon – Chesterfield

The left-back spent two seasons in north Bristol, joining from Brentford in summer 2022 early into Rovers’ first season back in League One. Like Connolly, Gordon had a nickname – ‘Flash’ after the 1980s sci-fi superhero film.

Following 73 appearances over his two campaigns, the defender was released last summer and subsequently joined Chesterfield.

The Spireites enjoyed an excellent first season back in the Football League, clinching a play-off position on the final day before losing 4-1 on aggregate to Walsall. Gordon started both legs, ending his campaign with 39 games across all competitions.

James Clarke – Newport County

Playing his trade at the Mem earlier than anyone else on this list, Clarke was part of a different promotion-winning squad, joining ahead of the 2015/16 promotion out of League Two.

The defender was signed by Darrell Clarke in summer 2015 from Woking, having worked with him at Salisbury previously, and went on to play 126 times for the Pirates over a four-year spell.

He joined Walsall in the summer of 2019 to reunite with his former manager once more before arriving at Newport County in 2021 where the centre-back is currently captain.

James Clarke pictured in action for Bristol Rovers during the 2015/16 League Two promotion season(Image: Harry Trump/Getty Images)James Belshaw – Harrogate Town

Although his Rovers career didn’t end the way anyone would have wanted, Belshaw’s contribution to getting the club promoted out of League Two was invaluable as the goalkeeper was named player of the season.

He then went on to play 38 of the Gas’ 46 matches in League One the following campaign but was limited to just two EFL Trophy appearances at the start of the 2023/24 season.

Belshaw then spent a period at Forest Green Rovers as an emergency loanee as well as at his former club Harrogate Town before re-joining on a permanent basis.

Harrogate managed to comfortably survive relegation this term with the ex-Gas ‘keeper playing in all but one of their league matches.

Luca Hoole – Shrewsbury Town

After leaving his boyhood club last summer for a new challenge in Shropshire, Hoole could once again come up against the Pirates next season, but this time in League Two.

Shrewsbury were relegated alongside Rovers after a miserable season with the right-back featuring in both matches against the Gas – a 1-0 defeat at the Mem and a forgettable goalless draw at the Croud Meadow.

The 22-year-old broke through during the Pirates’ promotion season, playing 32 times before further integrating himself into the first-team with 44 appearances the following campaign.

Hoole was understood to have been offered a new contract following the end of the 2023/24 season but instead opted for a change of scenery. He played 44 times for Salop in the campaign just gone.

John Marquis – Shrewsbury Town

Another player who joined Shrewsbury following the expiry of their contract at Rovers last summer, Marquis scored 17 goals in 84 appearances for the Gas over two seasons.

Despite Salop’s relegation, the striker had a decent campaign in front of goal this term, scoring 12 goals in 43 matches.

Assuming the 33-year-old remains in Shropshire, he could be a real asset in the fourth tier.

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Tom Nichols – Swindon Town

The Taunton-born forward has recently returned closer to home after a successful loan spell at Swindon Town was made permanent earlier this month.

Nichols made 20 league appearances under Ian Holloway in the second half of the campaign on loan from Mansfield Town, scoring twice.

Now 31, the striker spent three years as a Rovers player, joining from Peterborough United in 2017 for a fee that has been suggested to have totalled more than the club’s previous record figure spent on Andy Tillson.

Nichols scored nine goals in 117 appearances for the Gas and had a brief loan spell at Cheltenham Town in 2020 before joining Crawley Town on a free transfer that summer.

Tom Nichols pictured in action during his time at Bristol Rovers(Image: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)James Gibbons – Cambridge United

Like Hoole and Marquis, Gibbons was also relegated to League Two alongside Rovers with Cambridge.

The right-back joined the Us on loan in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign before joining them permanently following the expiry of his contract in north Bristol.

Gibbons was also promoted to League One alongside the Gas as a Port Vale player under Darrell Clarke. He then opted to make the move to Rovers in the summer of 2022, making a total of 48 appearances.

Harry Anderson – Colchester United

One final member of the promotion-winning squad of three years ago, Anderson was crucial for Rovers that term, missing just two of their 46 league matches, scoring six goals and registering four assists.

He wasn’t as prolific at League One level with one assist and no goals in 28 league appearances but did score in an EFL Trophy tie at Swindon Town.

Anderson then joined Stevenage on a free transfer in summer 2023 and spent the second half of the 2023/24 season on loan at Colchester United, whom he joined on a permanent basis last summer. The winger played 31 times in the fourth tier this campaign.

Promotion heroes and ‘Flash’ Gordon: 10 ex-Bristol Rovers players Gas could face in League Two

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