Bristol Rovers v Peterborough United
Pre-season, The Memorial Stadium, Saturday 18 July July, 3:00pm KO
Bristol Rovers will begin their Carabao Cup campaign on Saturday when they face Sky Bet League One outfit Peterborough United at The Memorial Stadium.
The Pirates have completed their pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, and Manager Steve Evans will be hoping for his side to start with a bang at The Mem.
The Gas have returned from their camp at the St Andrews Elite Performance Facility in Scotland after defeating Dundee United 3-0 with goals from Jack Aitchison, Shaq Forde and Riley Harbottle and held a talented Burnley U21s side to a 1-1 draw with Riley Harbottle scoring again in pre-season. Rovers will now be looking to carry on the momentum they gained last term into the new one, winning eight straight fixtures before a 1-1 draw with Notts County.
Peterborough enjoyed a pre-season tour in Spain before facing sides such as York City and Boston United back in England and will have ambitions of promotion out of Sky Bet League One this campaign.
Read everything you need to know about the fixture below...
Tickets...
Tickets are still available for our fixture against Peterborough here!
Opposition...
Peterborough United was elected to the Football League in 1960, the same year that the Football League Cup was launched and on Saturday afternoon at The Mem we play them for the first time in that competition.
The Posh were promoted to the Sky Bet Championship multiple times under former boss Darren Ferguson during his multiple spells with the club. But since their relegation at the end of the 21/22 season, they have struggled to get out of Sky Bet League One despite nearly achieving it at the first try, losing in the playoffs to Oxford United.
Last season they finished 18th in the table under current boss Luke Williams, who took over from Darren Ferguson in October 2025 and led the club to safety. A seven-game unbeaten run between February and March put them in a strong position before a disappointing end to the campaign, when they went winless in seven.
The Posh have been busy in the summer market bolstering Williams’ squad in the hopes of a much more competitive 2026/27 campaign, including the permanent signings of Harrison Jones from Sunderland and Tom O’Connor from Championship outfit Wrexham.
They will be hoping their new additions fill the gap left by Kyreece Lisbie, who moved to Reading after scoring 11 goals last term and Jimmy-Jay Morgan, with the attacker netting 14 times during his loan move from Chelsea.
The Posh faced York City and West Bromwich Albion in their final two pre-season matches, beating the Minstermen 2-1 before losing 2-0 to the Baggies.
Previous Meetings...
Rovers have faced Peterborough on 27 occasions, winning five, drawing six and losing 16. Our first meeting was back in 1938 as Rovers won 4-1 in the FA Cup with goals from Danny Tolland, Dick Spivey and Frank Curran.
In fact, the Pirates have only won two of the last 20 meetings with the Posh, stretching all the way back to 2008, but did win the previous clash at The Mem in February 2025.
Goals from James Wilson, Isaac Hutchinson and Ruel Sotiriou were enough to overpower the Posh in a 3-1 triumph, and they also won in November 2022, with Scott Sinclair netting the only goal in a 1-0 victory.
Opening Times...
Club Store: 10am – 3:00pm and full-time - 5:30pm
Ticket Office: Midday
BRFC Legends Bar: Midday
Home Fanzone: Midday
Access for disabled supporters: 1:15pm
Bars after Turnstile: 1:30pm
Home Turnstiles: 1:30pm
Away Turnstiles: 1:30pm
Staying safe at The Mem...
Bristol Rovers wants all attendees to enjoy football in a safe and inclusive environment.
Seated tickets come with an allocated seat and row number, and supporters are kindly reminded to sit only in the seat that comes with the ticket.
Furthermore, Bristol Rovers must ensure we operate in full accordance with EFL ground regulations. A particular issue that has been fed back by some fans is persistent standing. Supporters wishing to stand for matches are kindly advised to locate themselves in one of the available terraces.
Additionally, Bristol Rovers would like to remind all supporters that throwing objects onto the pitch or entering the field of play is strictly prohibited. Both offences are criminal acts under UK law. Anyone involved can face arrest, fines and potential banning orders. We ask all fans to support the team responsibly and help us maintain a safe and respectful matchday environment.
Bristol Rovers is committed to removing and eliminating any direct or indirect discrimination of any form or kind within club structures and will, under no circumstances, condone unlawful discriminatory practices. To discover how to report any incidents of discrimination, click here.
Match Officials...
Referee: David Rock
Assistant Referee: James Tewson and Mark Senior
Fourth Official: Darren Wilding
