Match Previews

Match Preview | Chesterfield v Bristol Rovers

14th August

Chesterfield v Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League Two, SMH Group Stadium, Saturday 16 August 2025, 12:30pm KO

After a difficult start to the Sky Bet League Two campaign, Bristol Rovers will be looking to turn their fortunes around as they travel to Chesterfield’s SMH Group Stadium on Saturday.

The Pirates are searching for their first win of the 2025/26 season after three consecutive defeats in all competitions, recently losing 2-0 to Cambridge United at The Memorial Stadium. Louis Appéré netted in the first half to give the visitors the lead before a former Rovers duo combined for the second, with James Gibbons crossing into Ryan Loft to score from close range with his head.

This will be Rovers' second straight game on the road in Sky Bet League Two, opening the campaign with a 1-0 loss to Harrogate Town before falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town last weekend.

Chesterfield also suffered a defeat in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, losing 2-0 to Sky Bet League One outfit Mansfield Town after goals from Rhys Oates and Will Evans.

Tickets...

Tickets are still available for the fixture and can be purchased here, with away fans in block E2. Physical tickets are also availble on the day of the match with a £2 price increase.

Travel...

To get from the Memorial Stadium to the SMH Group Stadium, head north on the M5 motorway and merge onto the M42, then join the M1 northbound. Exit the M1 at Junction 29 and take the A617 towards Chesterfield.

As you approach the town centre, turn right onto the A61 heading towards Sheffield. At the first roundabout, turn left—this leads you to the stadium, which will be on your right shortly after. The journey typically takes around 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic.

Opposition...

A return to Sky Bet League Two action will be a welcome one for Chesterfield, who fell to 13 successive defeat in the Carabao Cup, which is a record for the competition.

The Spireites have recorded a strong start to the campaign in the fourth tier, beating Barrow on the opening day of the campaign after a goal from Dilan Markanday, who they signed from Blackburn Rovers in the summer, before then recording a 2-0 triumph over Cheltenham Town.

Chesterfield will be looking to build on their recent success, having recovered from back-to-back relegations that saw them drop out of the Football League in 2018 for the first time since 1921.

Ownership changed hands in 2020 when the Chesterfield FC Community Trust took over, stabilising the club both financially and structurally. In the 2023/24 season, they clinched the National League title to return to the Football League. However, they lost in the play-off semi-final last season against Walsall after a 4-1 loss on aggregate.

The East Midlands club have made the most of the loan market in the summer window, bringing four players on loan, and have added players from leagues abroad. Striker Lee Bonis switched from ADO Den Haag, with Defender Malik Owolabi-Belewu set to move from Canadian Premier League team Forge FC when his contract expires on January 1.

Other notable additions include Ryan Stirk, who made the move from Walsall after playing 44 times in League Two last season and Luke Butterfield, who played in all of the Spireites' pre-season fixtures after transferring from Everton.

There will be a familiar face in the Chesterfield ranks as ex-Rovers player Lewis Gordon faces the Gas for the first time since his two-season stint in Bristol, where he made 73 appearances during the 2022–2024 campaigns.

Previous Meetings...

Rovers do not have a strong record when travelling to Chesterfield, having lost their last three away games against them. However, their most recent meeting with the Spireites saw the Gas run out 2–1 victors at The Memorial Stadium on March 18 2017, with goals from Ollie Clarke and Rory Gaffney.

The last time Rovers played the Spireites away from home, the hosts secured a 3-2 victory. Peter Hartley opened the scoring for the Gas inside three minutes before a strike from Ian Evatt and a brace from Jay O'Shea turned the score around. Billy Bodin got one back for Rovers with less than 15 minutes to play, but could not find a leveller.