Unlike their neighbours, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers have never featured in the top flight of English football.

Members of the Football League since 1920, Rovers’ highest placing came in 1956 and 1959 when Bert Tann led the Pirates to sixth spot in Division Two on both occasions.

The 1950s also brought Bristol Rovers their best performance in the FA Cup, with runs to the quarter-finals in 1951 and 1958, again under Tann.

Before Tann began his 18-year term as manager in 1950, Rovers, who were founded in 1883 and turned professional in 1897, had languished in Third Division South for 30 years.

They won the division in 1953 and stayed in the second tier for nine years before being relegated. It was not until 1974 that they returned to Division Two after they were unbeaten for their first 27 games.

In 1971 and 1972 Rovers had reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup, their best run in English football's second most important cup competition, while in 1972 they carried off the Watney Cup.

They dropped down to Division Three again in 1981, but eight years later former England captain Gerry Francis steered Rovers to the play-off final.

They missed out on promotion that year, but made no mistake a season later as they walked off with the Third Division Championship and finished runners-up in the Leyland Daf Trophy Final.

In 2001 Rovers found themselves in the League's bottom division for the first time and remained there until 2007, when Paul Trollope led them to a play-off final victory over Shrewsbury Town and promotion to League One.

That season also saw Bristol Rovers competing in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, but they fell at the last hurdle again, this time to Doncaster Rovers.