Mid table madness

Bristol Rovers v Darlington

Coca-Cola League Two

Tuesday February 6th 2007, 7.45pm

Rovers have got off to a fairly good start after last season's mid-table finish and are pushing for the play-offs .

DRAW DUEL: Curtis Fleming challenges during the 3-3 draw here in 2004-2005.

Lennie Lawrence and Paul Trollope will, like their predecessors, be expected to drag the under-achieving Gasheads up towards a serious challenge. Richard Walker is their biggest threat up front.

Rovers have a loyal following, with crowds of 6,000 plus despite their struggles in recent seasons, and their fans should be pretty frustrated by now.

Man to watch Craig Disley. The influential and busy midfielder has put behind injury problems and found some form.

Full match preview on the D@rlo Uncovered website.

In advance from Darlington FC, £15 for adults and £8 for concessions (or £17 and £10 on the day), if seated. Otherwise, £12.50 (£6.50) in advance, £14.50 (£8.50) match-day if terrace. "Fans Of The Future" offer - Juniors under 11, when accompanied by an adult, are free - up to maximum of two per adult. Away fans last season were moved from the pokey corner and open-to-the-elements terrace off Alton Road to seats behind the goal in the South Stand or XXXX Stand (right). The Memorial Ground is the old Bristol RFC ground, so it has a slightly different feel to it. Can't for the life of me understand why this is all ticket as there is far more potential for bother when supporters turn up on the day and "settle" for the home end. I just hope there is a good sense and they make tickets available on the gate, especially given the numb

Bristol Rovers FC: The Memorial Ground, Filton Avenue, Bristol BS7 0BF Tel: 0117 9096648; 0117 924 7474 (Ticket Office) History: Formed in 1883, elected from Southern League to Football League, 1920. Moved from Eastville in 1986 to Bath, onto Memorial Ground in 1996. Record Attendance: 38,472 v Preston NE FA Cup, 1960 Capacity: 11,626 Last season: 12th Honours: Div 3S champions 1952, Div3 champions 1990, Watney Cup 1972 Record victory: 7-0 v Brighton & HA, Div 3S, 29 Nov 1952 Defeat: 0-12 v Luton Town, Div 3S, 13 April 1936 Nicknames: The Gasheads; The Pirates; Rovers. Colours: Blue and White quarters. Director of Football: Lennie Lawrence; Paul Trollope (coach) Chairman: Geoff Dunford Players in: Ollie Barnes and Steve Phillips (both Bristol City), Ryan Green (Hereford), Sammy Igoe (Millwall), Andy Sandell (Bath City). Players out: Junior Agogo (Nottingham Forest), Jamie Forrester (Lincoln), Ben Wiltshire, John Anderson, Jon Bass, Ryan Clarke, Christian Edwards, Martin Horsell Famous fans/connections: Jeffrey Archer, the late Rod Hull (fans). Ex-England cricketer Wally Hammond, Alan Ball (players). Click for Streetmap of ground

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M5 to M4 junction, exit at junction 19 onto the M32, take this motorway for two miles, exit junction two. Turn right at the roundabout, head for Southmead A38 onto Muller Road. Up the hill for 1.5m and turn left at lights into Filton Avenue, the Memorial Ground is on the left. Airport If you can get a cheap easyJet flights from Newcastle, flying into Bristol Airport is an option. You'll need to get a taxi or shuttle bus into the centre of Bristol and then travel out again to the ground. The buses are every 20 minutes and cost £6 return. Newcastle is around £5.50 single on the train from Darlington, another £3.10 return on the Metro, 25 minutes to the terminal building.

If going direct to the ground, it's best to get off at Bristol Parkway - from here the ground is two miles away by taxi or 10 minutes on the No73 bus to Filton Avenue near the ground, they each run every 15 minutes from the station and back again after the match. There are also plenty of buses to and from the city along Gloucester Road to the Broadmead shopping area - about a mile from Temple Meads - £2.10 single, a bit expensive. It's about three miles from Temple Meads station - taxis on the concourse outside. The 73 bus runs from the Friary (Temple Quay, off the Temple roundabout), a short walk from Temple Meads and sign-posted with the ferry from the station lobby. The bus route follows up the hill into Gloucester Road (A38) and past the ground - flat fare £2.10. There are also trains from Temple Meads to Montpelier station, eight minutes away, every 45 minutes, which is 1.2miles from the ground.

It cost around £7-8 from the centre of Bristol to the ground. Abba Taxis 0117 924 1414 City Cabs 0117 902 0181 New Avon Taxis 0117 942 0000 Darlington FC Supporters Club Coach TIME TBC, £23. Contact: 01325 243911. See Darlington Supporters' Club for more details.

TRAIN TIMES UPDATED: MIDWEEK GAME: No trains back to Darlington, Sheffield London Paddington: 16.15-arr Bristol Parkway 17.52, rtn last train 22.01 arr 23.52. Fares: Saver return £49, advance return from £29. Alternatively to Bristol Temple Meads, 1600-arr 17.42, last train 22.33-arr 00.32. Birmingham New Street 16.10-arr Bristol Parkway 17.25. Last train 22.09-23.43. Saver return: £36.50, cheaper fares available in advance. Cardiff Central 16.30-arr Bristol Temple Meads 17.14, last train 23.06-00.04. Cheapday return £8.10. Or to Bristol Parkway, 16.25-17.00, rtn 21.52-arr 22,53, 22.48-arr 23.38 or last train 00.46 arr 01.35. SATURDAY GAME: Darlington - sugg: 08.21-Doncaster (09.15) 09.53-Birmingham New Street (11.58) 12.12-arr 13.24 Bristol Parkway Dur: 5hrs 3mins. Return: Last train Bristol Parkway 18.01 via London Paddington (19:25) London Kings Cross 20.15 arr 23.07. Dur: 5hrs 6mins. Fares: Saver return £91.60. Birmingham New Street, 09.42-arr Bristol Temple Meads 11.07, rtn 18.28-arr 19.56. (Services every half hour). Fares: £16 Saturday day-out; £35.10 saver return London Paddington, 0930-arr Bristol Temple Meads, 1115. Rtn: 1800-arr 19.40. (Services every half hour). Fares: Supersaver return £33. Saver return £45. Cardiff Central, 10.30-arr Bristol Temple Meads 11.18, rtn: 18.20-arr 19.10. Fares: Cheapday return £7.80, saver return £12.80.

Bristol's a large, thriving city, with plenty to see and do. It has plenty of decent ale houses, good restaurants - from tapas bars to pizza parlours.

There's the revamped maritime quarter, which is worth a visit. You can also catch a water-bus from the centre of the city (opposite the Bristol Hippodrome) to the SS Great Britain and Hotwells. And if you've got kids - the £97m harbourside redevelopment's jewel in the crown is a cutting-edge interactive science centre Explore-At-Bristol (0845 345 1235), includes planetarium and simulators. More traditionally, Bristol Zoo in the Clifton area is a must.

Whatever you do, don't go to nearby Ikea - because the queues of traffic are a nightmare, and also because there's footie on instead...for a good 14-day What's On guide, go to Venue online or see the other links below. As for accomodation, Bristol has all the main chain hotels, plus smaller B&Bs - see Hotels/B&B link below or call: 0845 408 0474. But the Clifton district, south west of the ground, has a number of non-chain hotels. One group is Clifton Hotels, which has four comfortable hotels, all offering winter weekend rates from £33-54.

You can't really go wrong in Bristol, with loads of choice and more than 20 recommended pubs in the CAMRA guide alone. The city is also superb for restaurants and there are plenty of take-aways near the ground. Recommended city centre: The Cornubia 142 Temple St Small old fashioned 18th century real ale haven within walking distance of Temple Meads. Reopened in December 2006 by the Wiltshire-based Hidden Brewery after being first under threat and closed down. A bit tricky to find but well worth it. It now opens from 12pm daily (closed Sunday evenings), rather than being closed at lunchtimes and also serves food - sandwiches, toasties and bar meals for under a fiver. They serve four Hidden ales, as well as three or four guests - all local on my visit, and still a few bottled beers. Right out of the station approach, past the Holiday Inn Express and it's second left at the roundabout. Down Victoria Street past the Novotel hotel, take a right past The Shakespeare (almost opposite the Bristol Wine Stores) and it's left behind an office block at the back of the fire station. NB: Two minutes walk away, you can catch the No 73 bus in Victoria Street, outside the T&G offices, which goes past the ground. DAFTS recommended

Recommended near ground: Annexe Inn, Seymour Rd/Nevil Rd, Found off the Gloucester Road (almost opposite Sainsbury), 10 minutes walk from the ground. It's an odd place, a bit of a social club cum-chalet feel in the garden of a pub called The Sportsman, but is very friendly. Good, basic bar food plus Sky TV, beers on tap include Spitfire, Courage, Bass and a guest real ale. DAFTS recommended

Bag Of Nails, 141 St George's Rd, Hotwells A Victorian gas-lit pub near the college green with an excellent choice, including organic and wheat beers. Sandwiches all day. It has a wonderful olde worlde feel inside, unlike the student pubs nearby. A mile from the city centre, it's close to the city's waterside developments - you can even get a ferry to Hotwells from the city centre (£1.20). DAFTS recommended Click for street map Zerodegrees, 53 Colston Street BS1 5BA A bit of a walk, but worth a trip if you have time - a relatively new micro brewery and split-level restaurant. Beers brewed on the premises include a black lager (an Osyser stout on my visit), pale ale and wheat beer, all at £2.50 a pint (happy hour weekdays, 4pm-7pm at £1.90). Food includes pasta and excellent home-made pizza. There is a Sky Sports screen with volume turned down in a discreet area. DAFTS recommended. Open from 12 noon. Click for streetmap or pub location map

Near Ground: The Rising Sun, 86-90 Gloucester Road Popular student haunt on two floors - a Bristol Pear pub - , a straight walk to the ground, recommended for away fans, though a bit of a walk. Near Ground: The BRFC Returns website recommends away fans avoid "home" pubs like The Wellington, Royal George and The John Cabot, certainly with colours on. The pies and paaaasties, including vegetarian selection, are pretty good - £2 each - with a decent crust. There are plenty of take-aways in St George's Road and in Gloucester Road, as and the Bishopston district is known for its curry houses, as well as Italian restaurants. If you want to buy sandwiches, there is a Sainsbury and Tesco Express in Gloucester Road

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Rail timetables Virgin Trains GNER National Express Online map Hotels/B&Bs
This Is Bristol Venue Online What's On Visit Bristol Bristol Online

Surfing there...

We expected to find more Rovers websites, not many seem to be "active." The Black Arab webzine is best by far though - easy to navigate, with plenty of useful info and comparable to our own beloved WTMG. There's the subscription only official site - which is neat and unexciting and there's the Rivals site BRFC Return, for basic information.

Next away match:
Swindon Town, (Saturday February 17th)

No responsibility is taken for accuracy, if in doubt check before travelling.

© DAFTS 2007