Crawley Town v Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League Two, Broadfield Stadium, Saturday 29 August 2025, 3:00pm KO
Bristol Rovers will want to make it back-to-back wins in Sky Bet League Two when they travel to Crawley Town on Saturday.
The Pirates recovered from their 3-2 defeat to York City on the opening day with a thrilling 5-3 victory over Newport County in what could only be described as the game of the season so far.
The Exiles opened the scoring within the first 15 seconds with efforts from Ben Purrington and Bobby Kamwa, an own goal from Lee Jenkins, and a brace from Fabrizio Cavegn, helping the Gas to victory.
Rovers were in EFL Trophy action in midweek, with a much-changed side losing on penalties to Cobham Next Gen after a 2-2 draw. The Pirates gave up a two-goal lead, but there were plenty of positives and first goals of the season for Mees Rijks and Joe Quigley.
Crawley avoided relegation from Sky Bet League Two last season and beat newly promoted Rochdale 2-1 in their previous outing.
Tickets...
Tickets for our fixture against Crawley will go off sale at midday on Thursday 27 August.
Crawley will sell tickets on the terrace on the day from the ticket office windows outside the Club Shop.
Travel…
Start by heading northeast on the M32 and merging onto the M4 eastbound. Continue for about 80 miles, then join the M25 clockwise around London. After roughly 30 miles, take the exit for the M23 southbound toward Crawley. Exit at Junction 11 and follow signs for Crawley town centre via the A23. Broadfield Stadium is located just off Winfield Way and is clearly signposted as you approach. The drive typically takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
If you're travelling by train, begin at Bristol Temple Meads and take a service to London Paddington. From there, transfer to London Victoria via the Underground, then catch a Southern train to Crawley station. The stadium is a short walk or local bus ride from the station.
Opposition...
Crawley Town will be looking to improve on their 22nd-place finish last season, ending the campaign just one point above the relegation zone. The Red Devils brought in Colin Kazim-Richards in March to replace Scott Lindsey after a winless run of ten games.
The Red Devils have been very active in the summer transfer window, with Kazim-Richards refreshing the squad after several departures. In terms of incomings, the most experienced is 38-year-old goalkeeper Vito Mannone, who has over 80 Premier League appearances to his name, as well as experience in the Sky Bet Championship, Ligue 1 and the MLS.
Jude Arthurs, Stephen Duke-McKenna and Priestley Farquharson have all added Sky Bet League Two experience, with Crawley also bringing in some young talents. Goalkeeper Jackson Izquierdo and centre-back Pele Arganese-McDermott have moved from Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively, with 20-year-old Gianmarco Di Biase switching from Italian giants Juventus.
Crawley started the season with an impressive 2-0 victory away at York City in the Carabao Cup before losing 2-1 at Crewe Alexandra, finishing the game with nine men after red cards for Kellan Gordon and Malcolm Ebiowei. However, they got back to winning ways last Saturday, claiming a 2-1 win over Rochdale.
Previous Meetings...
Rovers beat Crawley in their previous meeting, with Ellis Harrison, Mees Rijks and Yusuf Akhamrich netting in a 3-1 victory at The Memorial Stadium. However, the Pirates have struggled at Broadfield Stadium, losing on their last four visits across all competitions.
The Gas' last triumph away at the Red Devils was in March 2022, when Harry Anderson and Aaron Collins netted in a 2-1 win.
Match Officials…
Referee: Leigh Doughty
Assistant Referees: Christopher Myatt and Harley McKittrick
Fourth Official: Ian Cooper
