Crewe Alexandra v Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League Two, The Mornflake Stadium, Friday 19 December 2025, 7:45pm KO
Bristol Rovers will travel to Crewe Alexandra on Friday in Sky Bet League Two, looking for the perfect start under new Head Coach Steve Evans.
The 63-year-old brings a plethora of experience to the Pirates, taking charge of over 700 EFL fixtures and overseeing back-to-back promotions with Rotherham United as well as promotions with Stevenage, Crawley Town and Boston United.
The Gas will be looking to return to winning ways after their 3-0 loss to Swindon Town at home on Saturday, with goals from Joe Snowdon, Ollie Clarke, and Aaron Drinan, as well as former Rovers man Ian Hollaway, all securing three points on his return to the city.
Crewe are coming into the game fresh from a 4-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park. The standout performance came from Max Saunders in midfield, picking up a brace and an assist to give Crewe their fifth away win of the season.
Read everything you need to know about the fixture below...
Tickets...
Crewe have confirmed that tickets will be available to purchase on the day at the Away Ticket Office from 5pm onwards, with both cash and card payments accepted.
Travel...
Leaving the Memorial Stadium, head onto the M32 northbound and quickly join the M4 east before merging onto the M5 north. Stay on the M5 until Junction 11A, then follow the A417 and A419 to connect with the A34 north toward Oxford. Continue along the A34 until you can join the M40, then the M42, and finally merge onto the M6 northbound.
From there, exit at Junction 16, take the A500 toward Crewe, and follow the A5020 into town, where The Mornflake Stadium sits on Gresty Road.
Opposition...
Crewe Alexandra have spent the past few years rebuilding in League Two, showing flashes of promise but struggling for consistency. They have bounced between mid-table finishes and promotion pushes, with a focus on developing young talent under manager Lee Bell.
The closest the Railwaymen have come to returning to Sky Bet League One was in the 2023/24 season. Crewe finished sixth in the table and beat Doncaster Rovers in the semi-finals before losing 2-0 to Crawley Town in the final at Wembley.
Crewe could not build on their success and finished 13th last term, but are currently in eighth position, one point and one place outside the play-off positions.
They ended a four-game winless run in the fourth tier with a dominant display against Tranmere in their previous outing, with Crewe now looking for their first home victory since beating Shrewsbury Town 3-1 towards the start of November.
Previous Meetings...
Bristol Rovers triumphed in the previous meeting between the two sides in December 2023, winning 4-2 in the Emirates FA Cup second round at the Mornflake Stadium. Goals from John Marquis, James Wilson, Antony Evans and an own goal allowed the Gas to progress to the third round.
However, Crewe have won the previous four league meetings between the two teams across Sky Bet League Two and are unbeaten against the Gas in nine outings before their cup defeat. The Pirates last beat Crewe in the league in October 1996, with Jamie Cureton and Andy Gurney scoring.
Officials...
Referee: Michael Barlow
Assistant Referees: Anthony Moore and Simon Robinson
Fourth Official: Matthew Moss
