Bristol Rovers W.F.C.

{{about|the team formed in 2019|the team formed in 1998|Bristol City W.F.C.}}

{{Infobox football club

| clubname = Bristol Rovers W.F.C.

| image = Bristol Rovers F.C. logo.svg

| image_size = 200px

| fullname = Bristol Rovers Women's Football Club

| nickname = Gas Girls

| founded = 2019

| ground = Memorial Stadium

| capacity =

| coordinates = {{coord|51.4968|-2.5662|display=inline}}

| manager = Nathan Hallett-Young

| chairman = Hussain AlSaeed

| league = {{English football updater-W|BristolR}}

| season = {{English football updater-W|BristolR2}}

| position = {{English football updater-W|BristolR3}}

| website = https://www.bristolroverswomensfc.com/

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| pattern_ra1 = _blueborder

| pattern_sh1 = _bluesides

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}}

Bristol Rovers W.F.C. are a women's association football club based in Bristol that plays in the {{English football updater-W|BristolR}}. They are affiliated to Bristol Rovers F.C. and are known colloquially as the Gas Girls in recognition of Bristol Rovers' unofficial nickname of The Gas.{{cite web |url=http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2014/11/2/the-gas-tale-whats-in-a-nickname |title=Bristol Rovers and the Gas tale: What's in a nickname |author-last=Hill |author-first=Ryan |date=2 November 2014 |work=In Bed With Maradona |access-date=26 September 2019}}

History

Bristol Rovers Football Club launched their original women's team in 1998, and although they were successful (rising from the South West Combination to the top flight of women's football in England within five years) the financial situation within the football club in the mid-2000s led to the funding for the women's team being cut and them being renamed Bristol Academy W.F.C. in 2005,{{cite news |url=https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2019-08-16/we-re-just-out-there-to-enjoy-it-bristol-rovers-women-s-fc-look-forward-to-their-first-football-game/| title='We're just out there to enjoy it' - Bristol Rovers Women's FC look forward to their first football game |date=16 August 2019 |publisher=ITV News |access-date=19 September 2019}} eventually being re-branded again as Bristol City in 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34873469 |title=Bristol Academy to rebrand as Bristol City Women's FC |date=20 November 2015 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=19 September 2019}}

In 2019, fourteen years after the name disappeared from women's football, it was announced that a new Bristol Rovers Women's team was being launched in time for the 2019–20 season and that they would be playing in the Gloucestershire County Women's Football League.{{cite web |url=https://shekicks.net/return-of-the-gas-girls/ |title=Return of the Gas Girls |work=She Kicks |date=2 May 2019 |author=Wilf Frith |access-date=19 September 2019}} The launch of the new Bristol Rovers Women's Team was Co-Founded by Club Secretary & Media Manager, Matthew Davies and First-Team Manager, Nathan Hallett-Young. The first team was eventually accepted into Division One of the Gloucestershire League and the development team was granted a place in Division Two and a new logo was commissioned, based on the Bristol Rovers club badge and featuring a female pirate.{{cite news |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-rovers-reveal-new-gas-2945015 |title=Bristol Rovers reveal new Gas Girls logo |date=5 June 2019 |work=Bristol Live |author=John Evely |access-date=19 September 2019}} They play their home games at Lockleaze Sports Centre in the Lockleaze area of Bristol,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-bristol-48444004/bristol-rovers-female-team-make-return-after-14-years |title=Bristol Rovers female team make return after 14 years |publisher=BBC News |date=29 May 2019 |author=Alexander Howick |access-date=19 September 2019}} and are funded by the Bristol Rovers Community Trust.{{cite AV media | date = 19 September 2019 | title = Having a Gas | type = Radio broadcast | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07ldxmc | access-date = 26 September 2019 | publisher = BBC Radio Bristol | archive-date = 26 September 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190926083959/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07ldxmc | url-status = dead }}

The first team played their first competitive match on 8 September 2019, a 5–0 win away to Abbeymead Rovers.{{cite news |url=https://www.bristol247.com/sport/football/gas-girls-return-with-resounding-wins/ |title=Gas Girls return with resounding wins |work=Bristol 24/7 |date=9 September 2019 |author=Martin Booth |access-date=19 September 2019}}

The 'Gas Girls' pride themselves on their four key values (Community, Education, Participation & Performance). In its first year, the club was awarded the 'Best Community Football Development Initiative Award' at the 2020 FA Women's & Girls Football Awards. In September 2020, the club also announced a community partnership with Bristol Pride and launched a special edition away shirt. This shirt was later inducted into the National Football Museum collection after being rated the ninth best shirt for the 2020–21 season by the museum who also named it the bespoke women's away shirt of the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/2021/january/bristol-pride-football-museum/|title='Gas Girls'/Bristol Pride shirt inducted into the National Football Museum|website=www.bristolrovers.co.uk|date=29 January 2021|access-date=11 February 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/collectionsnews/object-of-the-week-bristol-rovers-gas-girls-shirt/|title=Object of the week: Bristol Rovers Gas Girls' Shirt|website=www.nationalfootballmuseum.com|date=27 January 2021|access-date=11 February 2022}}

After being top of the league in their first season when the season was annulled on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, in their second season the 'Gas Girls' were crowned champions. {{cite web|url=https://www.bristolroverswomensfc.com/post/gas-girls-declared-as-league-champions|title=Gas Girls declared as League Champions!|website=www.bristolroverswomensfc.com|date=10 May 2021|access-date=17 May 2021}} On 4 June 2021, it was confirmed that the FA had accepted the club's application for promotion to South West Regional Women's Football League Division One.{{cite web|url=https://www.bristolroverswomensfc.com/post/gas-girls-secure-promotion-as-application-is-accepted|title=Gas Girls promotion application has been accepted|website=www.bristolroverswomensfc.com|date=4 June 2021}} On 13 February 2022, the club secured back-to-back promotions after a 4–0 victory over Weston Mendip Ladies with the 'Gas Girls' having needed only a point to win the title. {{cite web|url=https://www.bristolroverswomensfc.com/post/gas-girls-secure-back-to-back-league-titles|title='Gas Girls' secure back-to-back League Titles!|website=www.bristolroverswomensfc.com|date=14 February 2022|access-date=14 February 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60419157|title=Bristol Rovers women: Gas Girls celebrate back-to-back promotions|publisher=BBC Sport|date=18 February 2022}} This success was followed up seven weeks later when a 4–2 victory for the Development Squad saw them clinch the Gloucestershire County Women's League Division Two title. {{cite web|url=https://www.bristolroverswomensfc.com/post/development-team-clinch-gloucestershire-county-women-s-league-division-two|title=Development Team clinch Gloucestershire County Women's League Division Two|website=www.bristolroverswomensfc.com|date=4 April 2022|access-date=8 April 2022}}

The 'Gas Girls' campaign for Women's football and support for [https://www.hergametoo.co.uk/ HerGameToo] was encapsulated when Bristol Rovers Women played Forest Green Rovers Ladies for at The Memorial Stadium. The game took place after the men's edition of the fixture. Tickets bought for the men's game included a free ticket for the Women's game in an attempt to increase interest. The result was a resounding success, the score ended 3-1 to the 'Gas Girls' and was played in front of a crowd of 2,247.{{Cite tweet|number=1518279336557752320 |title=A total attendance of 2️⃣, 2️⃣4️⃣7️⃣ fans turned up to watch Bristol Rovers Women play Forest Green Women yesterday. What a day!! 💛|user=HerGameToo|date=24 April 2022}}

Although they were denied promotion in the 2022–23 season, the Gas Girls won their first cup competition as a club, lifting the South West Premier League Cup in May 2023. {{cite tweet|number=1660314620786094080|title=22/23 @swwfl CUP CHAMPIONS!!! 🏆 #UTGG|user=GasGirlsWFC|author-link=Bristol Rovers W.F.C.|date=21 May 2023|accessdate=26 May 2023}} The following season, the club were crowned champions with two matches remaining, earning promotion to the National League. {{cite web|url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gas-girls-secure-promotion-national-9155442|title=The Gas Girls secure promotion to National League ahead of season finale at the Mem|publisher=Bristol Post|last=Hargraves|first=Daniel|date=11 March 2024|accessdate=11 March 2024}} {{cite tweet|number=1766845708722659485|title=The Gas Girls are your 23/24 South West Regional Womens Football League 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦!!! 🏆 #UTGG|user=GasGirlsWFC|date=10 March 2024|accessdate=11 March 2024}} Following this, it was announced that the club would be brought under the same management as the men's team and, from the 24/25 season, matches would be played at the Memorial Stadium.{{cite web|url=https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/20242/april/gas-girls-return-home-to-bristol-rovers-stewardship/|title=Gas Girls return home to Bristol Rovers stewardship|publisher=Bristol Rovers F.C.|date=19 April 2024}}

=Season by season=

Division	Position	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	League only	All matches
class=wikitable style="font-size:85%; text-align:center;" !rowspan=2\|Season!!colspan=8\|League!!rowspan=2\|FA Cup!!rowspan=2\|League cup!!rowspan=2\|County Trophy/Cup!!colspan=2\|Top scorer!!rowspan=2\|Manager
2019–20	rowspan=2\|Gloucestershire League First Division	N/A{{efn\|The 2019–20 season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of matches and player records still stand for the season, but the league tables were annulled.{{cite web \|url=http://www.thefa.com/news/2020/jun/22/womens-leagues-and-competitions-steps-3-7-2020-21-season-announcement-220620 \|title=AN UPDATE ON THE WOMEN'S FOOTBALL PYRAMID AHEAD OF THE 2020-21 SEASON \|publisher=The Football Association \|date=22 June 2020 \|access-date=7 July 2020}}}}	11	0	0	45	6	33	Not entered	Semi-final{{efn\|Rovers had reached the semi-final of the Gordon Perrett League Cup in 2019–20 when the season was suspended. The match, which was due to be against Pucklechurch Sports, was never played.}}	Second round	Rossana Rocha (10)	Georgia Vandries (17)	rowspan=5\|Nathan Hallett-Young
2020–21	style="background:gold;"\|1st	5	1	0	32	1	16	Round 1Q	Cancelled	Cancelled{{efn\|The Gloucestershire County FA elected not to hold any county cup competitions in the 2020–21 season due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web \|url=https://www.gloucestershirefa.com/news/2020/mar/27/gfa-county-cups-update-2020-21 \|title=GLOUCESTERSHIRE FA COUNTY CUP 2020-21 SEASON \|publisher=Gloucestershire County Football Association \|access-date=21 September 2020}}}}	Georgia Vandries (11)	Georgia Vandries (11)
2021–22	SWRWFL Northern Division	style="background:gold;"\|1st	14	1	1	77	12	43	Round 1Q	N/A	Quarter-Final{{efn\|Withdrew from the Gloucestershire Women's Trophy at the quarter-final stage due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the squad{{cite web\|url=https://www.bristolroverswomensfc.com/post/news-gas-girls-withdraw-from-gfa-trophy-due-to-positive-covid-19-cases\|title=Gas Girls withdraw from GFA Trophy due to positive Covid-19 cases\|website=www.bristolroverswomensfc.com\|date=20 February 2022\|access-date=21 February 2022}}}}	Zoe Fielden-Stewart (19)	Zoe Fielden-Stewart (19)
2022–23	rowspan=2\|SWRWFL Premier Division	style="background:silver;"\|2nd	13	3	2	59	23	42	Round 3Q	style="background:gold;"\|Champions	Second Round	Abigail Todd (22)	Abigail Todd (26)
2023–24	style="background:gold;"\|1st	14	1	1	55	13	43	Round 2	style="background:silver;"\|Runners-up	Not entered	Laura Curnock (15)	Laura Curnock (16)