Steve Evans says Bristol Rovers ‘didn’t deserve anything’ after a fifth straight away league defeat
Sunday 1 November 2026 · By Gilbert Yeadon
Bristol Rovers manager Steve Evans was brutally honest after his side lost 3–1 at Fleetwood on Saturday. “I don’t think we deserved anything,” he told the Press Association.
The Gas have now lost five consecutive away league games and are without a win in their last seven matches in all competitions, according to the PA. Aaron Loupalo-Bi, Rhys Bennett and substitute Josh Robertson scored for Fleetwood, and Reiss Russell-Denny netted Rovers’ reply late on.
Evans did not question his players’ effort. “In the first half we were poor and we made it hard for ourselves,” he said. “We didn’t feel like we stuck to the plan that we had worked on in the past couple of days. I’m not saying the lads aren’t trying or working hard but there is a process of working smart and we aren’t doing that.”
He pinpointed the turning point. “For a brief few moments when we got the goal we got a bit of a foothold in the match, but then we don’t track midfield runners and we concede and then it is game over.”
There was praise for the travelling support. “I thought our fans were magnificent and they’re backing us even at the moment when things aren’t going great,” Evans said. “I’ll stand in front of them and take the criticism just like I did with the praise we got at the start of the season when we were doing well.”
He also tried to look at the bigger picture. “I’m glad to see the end of October but, for how bad we’ve been, we still sit just four points off the play-offs which I want us to keep in our minds.”
The table backs up his numbers. Standing after the weekend’s games, Rovers are 17th on 16 points from 14 games, with five wins, one draw and eight defeats. They have scored 17 and conceded 23, a goal difference of minus six. York are seventh and the last of the play-off places on 20 points, so the gap is four points. BBC form for the last six league games reads loss, loss, loss, loss, draw, loss.
The injury list is another worry. Bristol Live reported on 28 October that the club were waiting for scan results on Bobby Kamwa and Ellis Harrison, and we have not seen the results.
Rovers have a chance to change things at the Memorial Stadium. Cambridge are the visitors in the FA Cup first round on Saturday 7 November at 3pm, and Reading come in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday 10 November at 7pm. Chesterfield then visit Bristol on Saturday 14 November at 3pm. Chesterfield lost 4–1 at Newport on Friday, so both teams will be looking for a response.
Evans has said he wants his players to keep the four-point gap to the play-offs in mind, and three home games in eight days give them the chance to start closing it.
The Memorial Stadium — “the Mem” — sits on Filton Avenue in Horfield, about two miles north of Bristol city centre. Bristol Rovers have played here since 1996 in a ground opened in 1921 as a memorial to local rugby players killed in the First World War. Capacity is around 12,500 and the pitch is 101 by 68 metres. For visiting supporters it is a proper old-school EFL away day: mixed seating and terracing, an uneven footprint, and a main stand that still looks like a cricket pavilion.
Away fans are usually housed in the south-east corner. That means covered seats in the South Stand, behind the south goal, and standing on the terrace at the southern end of the East Stand (Poplar Insulation). A typical allocation is a little over a thousand, sometimes more for big fixtures. Terrace turnstiles are usually 24–26; South Stand seats 27–29 — follow the signs on the day. If rain is coming, take the seated South Stand when you can. The open terrace is close to the pitch but exposed, and the ground’s open corners mean noise does not always carry.
The Thatchers End is the covered home terrace behind the north goal and carries most of the noise. The West Stand runs only about half the touchline, straddles the halfway line, and holds boxes, media and the dressing rooms, so players walk a long way at the interval. Opposite, the taller East Stand has seats at the back and terrace in front, with extra open terracing at each end. The South Stand was long a temporary “tent”; it has been rebuilt into a more solid seated structure, still not as wide as a conventional end.
The address is Memorial Stadium, Filton Avenue, Bristol BS7 0BF. Brown signs pick it up from the M32 and the M5. Ashley Down station is about a 20-minute walk; Temple Meads needs a bus or taxi. Bus stops sit on Filton Avenue within about 50 metres of the ground. Club parking is permit-only. Street parking exists off Muller Road, Gloucester Road and Kellaway Avenue, but it fills early and Horfield Common grass is banned. Accessible bays must be arranged with the club in advance.
Most travelling fans drink on Gloucester Road. The Wellington, The Sportsman and the Annexe Inn are the names that come up most often. Inside, away facilities are basic: a tea bar in view of the pitch, pies, burgers and chips. Alcohol for visitors is often restricted — check the club note for your fixture. The Mem is generally cashless. Under-14 tickets usually have to be bought with a paying adult.
Dress for Bristol weather and expect a few pillars in older seated sections. Stewards are used to travelling support. There is no large modern concourse, so arrive a little early, find your turnstile, and treat the Mem as a compact, slightly lopsided ground that rewards planning more than polish. Official updates live on bristolrovers.co.uk under Getting to the Mem and visiting fans.