Bristol Shoguns & Rovers

Football/​Rugby ground itself is not that great but the atmosphere is generally friendly. One of the few places that you can still stand on a terrace without an obstructed view.
Ground food is pretty good by sporting ground standards but pricey these days. You may prefer the Bristol Fryer chip shop on Gloucester Road.

Visited this ground as an away fan and was not impressed with the terraces they offered for us. Small but clean toilets and expensive hot food compared to other stadiums but welcome in the cold and the rain we experienced. Ground is hard to find unless you know the way and judging by the fact that one coach of fans went to Bristol City’s ground instead of here that highlights the problem further. Don’t think the ground was very thought out as home and away fans would be sitting in the same stand if they wanted shelter from the great British weather! Stewards were not very accomodating but found the fans were friendly which was strange seeing as they had been abusing us all match? People living local to the staduim are not very friendly and seemed to want an arguement when we parked outside his house even though it was well within the law!

Une expérience magique ! Bristol Rovers évolue en 3e Division cette année, en 4e Division lorsque nous sommes allés voir ce match, parce qu’on était là. Le guichetier s’est étranglé de surprise de voir une famille française. Mais quelle magie ! En 4e Division, 8.000 personnes, chantant et soutenant leur équipe de bout en bout dans une atmosphère bon enfant, ça change de certaines atmosphères françaises. Une bonne façon d’apprendre à aimer le football sans se ruiner, avec l’ambiance et le football anglais en prime !

Coming from London, I didn’t realise that you can actually watch a professional sports match, with alcohol, standing next to a hoard of drunk Away fans, and feel totally safe taking your kids!
I’m obvioulsy talking about the Rugby experience at the Memorial Stadium (I certainly wouldn’t try the above scenario at a Rovers game!!!)
In summary, the Mem is a very friendly compact ground with a capacity just under 12,000. The Centenary Terrace is the best place to stand in my humble opinion. South Stand is very cheap family seating, and the Bass Terrace is where you stand if you want a pint! Parking is a bit of a nightmare so get there early!

This is a great little multi-​purpose ground, soon to be overhauled in the name of progress. I’m sure the new ground will be an honour to Bristol RFC and Bristol Rovers FC (the former tenants; the latter owners), but if you enjoy visiting interesting stadia make a visit one matchday before the cranes and bulldozers move in. It’s a hotch-​potch of stands from different eras, one of which looks as though it should be a racing grandstand or something.
Match tickets for both football and rugby can be inexpensive, and though I can’t talk for the rugby fans because I’ve never been on a rugby match day, Bristol Rovers fans can be a noisy and enthusiastic bunch.