Bristol Rovers have announced four away pre-season games ahead of the 26/27 season
Bristol Rovers will kick off their pre-season campaign with a trip to face Salisbury City at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium on Saturday 11th July.
Salisbury compete in the National League South and finished 17th last season, marking their second consecutive campaign at Step 3. It represented an improvement on the previous year, as they climbed three places and collected seven more points.
Head coach Brian Dutton, formerly of Walsall, has been in charge since July 2024 and has overseen more than 100 matches for the Whites. During that time, he has guided the side to a combined total of 56 wins and draws.
Based in Wiltshire, the Raymond McEnhill Stadium has a capacity of 5,000 and is located around a 15-minute drive from Salisbury train station, with journey times from Bristol Temple Meads taking approximately an hour.
The Gas will then travel to Huish Park to face Yeovil Town on 18th July.
The Glovers finished 16th in the National League last season, marking their second campaign in the fifth tier following promotion as National League South champions.
There are several familiar faces within Richard Dryden’s squad, including former Rovers players Dan Ellison, Luke McCormick and Ryan Jones.
They also added another ex-Rovers connection at the end of last season with the signing of former academy player Harvey Greenslade.
Kofi Shaw provides a more recent link between the two clubs. He made 17 appearances and scored twice for Yeovil before returning to Bristol Rovers at the end of his contract, later joining Brighton’s Under-21 side during the summer.
It could also be a special reunion for Jed Ward, should he remain at the club. The goalkeeper spent last season on loan in Somerset and enjoyed an outstanding campaign, winning four end-of-season awards: Players’ Player, Supporters’ Player, Green and White Supporters’ Player, and Community Trust Player of the Season, underlining his impact in Yeovil’s colours.
For their penultimate pre-season fixture, Steve Evans’ side will travel to Gloucestershire to face Forest Green Rovers at The New Lawn on Tuesday, 21st July.
Despite securing a play-off place, Robbie Savage’s side were left somewhat disappointed with their season, having started the campaign with high expectations.
Their cup run also fell short, as they were knocked out in the round of 16 by eventual runners-up Wealdstone.
There are a couple of familiar faces in the Forest Green squad who have previously worn the blue and white quarters.
Promotion winner Cian Harries spent three years with the Gas, making 56 appearances before joining Forest Green in January.
Liam Sercombe is another well-known name to Rovers supporters, having become a fan favourite on the north side of Bristol.
He made 127 appearances and scored 19 goals during his time at the club. The 36-year-old has spent much of his career in the West Country, joining Cheltenham Town after leaving Rovers before making the move to their rivals Forest Green in 2024.
He also had a brief one-month loan spell at Weston-super-Mare towards the end of 2025, and has since returned to the club.
Bristol Rovers’ final away fixture of pre-season sees them take on Yate Town on Friday 24th July, with kick-off scheduled for 7pm at Lodge Road.
The Gas will face a side that finished 13th in the Southern Premier Division last season. Yate’s ground has also been a familiar venue for Rovers in recent years, having been used for home fixtures when the Memorial Stadium has been unavailable.
Yate Town was also the temporary home of Ollie Dewsbury two seasons ago, when Rovers sent the young goalkeeper out on his first loan spell.
Bristol Rovers are yet to confirm any fixtures for their planned trip to Scotland later in pre-season, as preparations continue ahead of what promises to be an exciting campaign.
