The Players
GOALKEEPERS
Nick Culkin
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Shut-outs |
| Jul'94 | Trainee |  | - | - |
| Sep'95 | Nominal |  | 1 | - |
| Dec'00 | LOAN |  | 4 | 3 |
| Jul'00 | LOAN |  | - | - |
A super-confident, some would say cheeky keeper, snapped up on loan for a year from champions Manchester United, where he sits at about fifth choice. Possesses great reflexes and is a tireless trainer, often spending many extra hours practising between the sticks on the training pitch. One who tries to get the crowd going with a timely gee-up, and has already become a favourite.
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Brian Parkin
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Shut-Outs |
| Mar'83 | Trainee |  | 6 | |
| Nov'84 | Free |  | 98 | |
| Jul'88 | Free |  | 20 | |
| Nov'89 | Free | | 241 | |
| Jul'96 | Free |  | 25 | 7 |
| Sep'98 | Free |  | - | - |
| Oct'98 | Free |  | 1 | - |
| Mar'99 | Free |  | - | - |
| Jul'99 | Free | | 3 | 1 |
A funny old figure, Mr.Glum is now primarily the veteran goalkeeping coach, but fills in when required. Despite carrying the waistline of an older pro, his reactions have yet to evade him, as seen in the gut-wrenching defeat at Cardiff where he pulled off a remarkable double-save. Not likely to command a run in the side again, but an effective stop-gap.
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DEFENDERS
Marcus Bignot
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Trainee |  | - | - |
| Free |  | 30 | 3 |
| |  | 43 | 1 |
| Sep'97 | £150,000 | | 95 | - |
| Aug'00 | Free | | - | - |
A cracking talent, with blistering pace and an iron will to win the ball anyone in his path. Unanimously wiped the board as man-of-the-match in his very first game for the club against Bournemouth, and was rewarded with the captain’s armband in Andy Thomson’s absense after just a handful of games. Conventional right-back, but pops up all over the pitch with a hard but fair tackle.
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Andy Thomson
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| May'93 | Trainee |  | 22 | - |
| Dec'95 | £75,000 |  | 93 | 3 |
| Jan'99 | £60,000 | | 64 | 4 |
A very strong centre-back, who is extremely comfortable on the ball. A bargain-buy from crisis club Portsmouth, Thommo became famed as the 'overlapping centre-half' with his surging runs outside Robbie Pethick. An able passer, he also swings in as good a cross as a winger, and there were no worries when he filled-in as a midfielder. The new club captain now Andy Tillson has moved on to Walsall.
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Steve Foster
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Jul'93 | Trainee |  | 5 | - |
| Jan'94 | Free | | 37 | - |
| Jul'95 | Nominal |  | 28 | 3 |
| May'97 | £150,000 | | 120 | 2 |
A whole-hearted and loveable centre-back, Fozzie always gives the impression he is striving at full-stretch to get to every ball when perhaps it is more comfortable than it looks. Not the best in the air, but he tackles cleanly and packs a neat burst of pace.
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Scott Jones
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Feb'94 | Trainee |  | 83 | 4 |
| Aug'97 | LOAN | | 6 | - |
| Aug'00 | £200,000 | | - | - |
Classy centre-back with Premiership experience. Fantastic set-piece taker, as seen with a curler in off the post at Brentford, his left-foot has already proved a valuable balancer for the otherwise right-footed back three. Probably the smallest centre-half in history at 5'10" but he is surprisingly proficient in the air. Very good player and a snip at £200,000, he is a very good user of the ball.
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Che Wilson
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Jul'97 | Trainee |  | 22 | - |
| Jul'00 | Free | | - | - |
A very versatile and reliable defender, he plays anywhere across the back, and can kick easily with either foot. Has started very well at left wing-back, keeping one-time player-of-the-year Trevor Challis out of the side.
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Robbie Pethick
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Local |  | | |
| Oct'93 | £30,000 | | 189 | 3 |
| Feb'99 | £15,000 | | 50 | 2 |
Rather strange in appearance, with his satellite ears (although these have just been pinned back in a 3-hour op), bare scalp and spindly legs, he is a tremendous wing-back on the right flank. With perhaps the hardest shot at the club he hammered two rockets last season at Oxford and against Stoke at the Mem. Tackles hard, and links particularly well with former Portsmouth teammate Andy Thomson.
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Marcus Andreasson
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Trainee |  | 12 | - |
| Jul'98 | Free | | 6 | - |
| Aug'99 | £15,000 |  | 6 | - |
| Mar'00 | £120,000 | | 5 | - |
A very smooth centre-back with grace and poise. His height means high balls are no problem and the Swede also likes to bring the ball out of defence. Good timer of the tackle.
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Mark Foran
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Nov'90 | Trainee |  | - | - |
| Aug'93 | £25,000 |  | 11 | 1 |
| Aug'94 | LOAN |  | 3 | - |
| Aug'95 | LOAN | | 5 | - |
| Feb'96 | £40,000 |  | 25 | 1 |
| Jan'97 | LOAN |  | 2 | - |
| Mar'97 | LOAN | | 1 | - |
| Dec'97 | £25,000 | | 31 | 1 |
| Aug'00 | £75,000 | | - | - |
A giant centre-back at 6'4" he holds a fearful presence, especially in the opposition box. Came agonisingly close to scoring twice in his first game with towering headers from set-pieces, but he should be a more than adequate replacement for the departed Andy Tillson.
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Trevor Challis
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Jul'94 | Trainee |  | 12 | - |
| Jul'98 | Free | | 78 | 1 |
Player-of-the-year in his first campaign after a free transfer from QPR, Trev adapted well from left-back to left-wingback, and his tough tackling came into further use when he was moved into midfield to plug the inury-plagued holes after Christmas. Flicked in his first Rovers goal in the top-two clash with Wigan at the Mem in March before he too suffered from the injury jinx in the run-in.
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Mike Trought
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Mar'99 | Trainee | | 13 | - |
A tall, no-nonsense centre-half, whose stock is more valuable because of his left-foot. Could develop into a solid defender with command in the air and a good touch, but at times lacks application and can be a bit sloppy.
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Mark Smith
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Jul'98 | Trainee | | 14 | - |
A centre-back with immense promise, he looks destined to be pushed out by a mile-long queue of defenders ahead of him. His main disadvantage is that he is slightly too small for the heart of the back-line at just 6', but then 5'10" Scott Jones is living proof that this should be no barrier. Very quick, some suggest that the management should consider him at right-back, as he is comfy with the ball at his feet. In his first three full appearances for Rovers in 1998, he had the strange distinction of playing in a side down to 9 men on each occasion!
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MIDFIELDERS
Lewis Hogg
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Sep'99 | Trainee | | - | - |
Another quality teenager from the Rovers stable who has been ear-marked for greatness for a while now. His tenacious style unsettles opponents in the midfield, and has also shown to be a clinical finisher with his two well-taken goals at Brentford. Skilful and a sound passer, he looks a promising all-round player.
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Simon Bryant
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Nov'99 | Trainee | | 15 | - |
A teenage prodigy that looks as though he has controlled a midfield for years. Not afraid to put his foot in, he keeps a level head and doesn't waste possession, instead showing an educated range of passing.
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Vitalijs Astafjevs
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Trainee |  | 154 | 60 |
| LOAN |  | 26 | 1 |
| Jan'00 | £150,000 | | 16 | 2 |
A wonderful midfield player, although his running style deceptively implies a lack of pace. The captain of Latvia, and you can see why, he is a tremendous reader of the game, playing the simplest but most effective of passes rather than sweeping the field with long balls. Cool-headed dribbler and packs an explosive shot, never succumbing to the adrenaline rush near goal that can affect some players.
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Ronnie Maugé
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Jul'87 | Trainee |  | - | - |
| Sep'88 | Free |  | 50 | 2 |
| Jul'90 | £40,000 |  | 108 | 10 |
| Sep'91 | LOAN |  | - | - |
| Jul'95 | £40,000 |  | 135 | 14 |
| Jul'99 | Free | | 22 | - |
A wonder-signing on a free from Plymouth, Ronnie forced himself into Trinidad & Tobago's Gold Cup campaign with his dynamite displays in the centre of midfield, before he cruelly broke his leg on international duty. This was partly to blame for the end-of-season slump as one by one the midfield 'Dogs' were picked off by injury leaving the defence too exposed. Courageous in the tackle and a clever passer, he will again be a key man.
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Mark Walters
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| May'82 | Trainee |  | 181 | 39 |
| Dec'87 | £500,000 |  | 106 | 32 |
| Aug'91 | £1.25m |  | 94 | 14 |
| Mar'94 | LOAN |  | 9 | 2 |
| Sep'94 | LOAN |  | 11 | 3 |
| Jan'96 | Free |  | 5 | - |
| Jul'96 | Free | | 112 | 25 |
| Nov'99 | Free | | 30 | 9 |
A player with quality stamped all over him. An old fashioned winger who loves to dribble at full-backs, he is one of the few who can truly claim two-footedness. Even in his late thirties the acceleration is still there, and his prime asset is his potency from direct free-kicks - a terrific striker of the ball.
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David Hillier
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Feb'88 | Trainee |  | 104 | 2 |
| Nov'96 | £250,000 | | 67 | 4 |
| Feb'99 | £15,000 | | 52 | - |
One of those players you never notice, as he quietly keeps the midfield ticking over with timely challenges and accurate passing. A component of George Graham's great Arsenal teams at the turn of the 90s, Hills won a Championship medal and featured in the Cup Winners Cup final defeat to Real Zaragoza in 1995.
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David Pritchard
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Jul'90 | Trainee |  | 5 | - |
| Jul'92 | Free | | | |
| Feb'94 | £15,000 | | 158 | 1 |
Once a right-back, now a converted midfielder, Pritch never shirks a tackle. Sometimes this has come to mean long spells on the treatment table, like the crunching clash with Titus Bramble at Colchester in last season that won Rovers a penalty. Nearly signed for City in 1997 after a contract dispute, but a petition by the fans ensured the board u-turned, and he went on to earn a Welsh B-cap against Scotland. Never one to even think of goal, he finally hammered his first for the club at Chesterfield last year, prompting one fan to lose a bet and walk all the way from Derbyshire to Bristol.
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Michael Meaker
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Feb'90 | Trainee | | 34 | 1 |
| Nov'91 | LOAN | | 4 | - |
| Jul'95 | £550,000 |  | 67 | 2 |
| Aug'98 | Free | | 22 | 2 |
| Mar'00 | LOAN |  | 6 | - |
The perennial nearly-man. On his day, and we have only seen glimpses, he is a crafty right-winger with the ability to deliver a decent cross, and strike a dangerous shot. However, the promise has never been fulfilled, and after delighting the crowd on his home debut against Reading in 1998, a 4-1 hammering over his old club including a goal himself, the form has seemingly seeped away. His pace is no longer blistering, but in the odd sub appearance we have seen he can still swing in the odd centre that has 'keepers guessing. The change to 5-3-2 did not suit his attacking style either, being an orthodox winger in a 4-4-2 formation.
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Rob Trees
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Jul'96 | Trainee | | - | - |
| Jul'97 | Free |  | 28 | 1 |
| 1998 | Free |  | | |
| Jun'98 | Free | | 46 | 1 |
| Sep'99 | LOAN |  | 2 | - |
You couldn't wish for a player with a bigger heart, but it seems he is never going to convince Ollie to give him his head. Can play in a variety of positions: anywhere across the midfield and at right-back, perhaps best-suited as a right wing-back. Always delivers a spirited performance, he is a firm tackler and a competent passer.
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FORWARDS
Nathan Ellington
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| 1997 | Youth |  | 11 | |
| Feb'99 | £150,000 | | 47 | 5 |
A very exciting quick-footed striker, who possesses an unusual relaxed style. Springs an extra foot in mid-air to reach headers he has no right to, he does tend to try and beat one-too-many defenders in his bid to dribble towards goal, but packs a ferocious shot when he gets there.
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Mickey Evans
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Mar'91 | Trainee | | 163 | 38 |
| Mar'97 | £500,000 | | 22 | 4 |
| Oct'97 | £750,000 | | 63 | 6 |
| Aug'00 | £250,000 | | - | - |
Big, bustling centre-forward who puts himself about a bit and is the perfect foil for Nathan Ellington. One-time Irish international, he is very determined and often forces defenders into mistakes. A decent striker of the ball, he gives the impression of being more rugged than his Premiership stature proves.
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Martin Cameron
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| 1998 | Local |  | 60 | 23 |
| Jul'00 | £100,000 | | - | - |
A bustling, old-fashioned centre-forward both strong in the air and surprisingly adept on the deck. Puts himself about, and should be the no-nonsense foil Rovers have been lacking for any of the other more fancy-footed forwards.
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Clinton Ellis
| Joined | Fee | Club | Games | Goals |
| Trainee |  | - | - |
| Mar'00 | Free | | - | - |
A handful of a striker, what he lacks in inches is made up with nifty footwork on the floor. Quick off the mark and a tidy finisher, he can often produce a trick or two to in and around the box.
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+Dwayne Plummer (M)
+Moussa Dagnogo (F)
+Matt Glennon (G)
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