Bromsgrove Rovers F.C.

Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. was a non-League football club from the town of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The peak of the club's success was in 1993 when Rovers finished runner-up in the Football Conference. They went into administration during the 2009–10 season while they were playing in the Southern League Division One (Midlands) and were thrown out of the league before the 2010–11 season for not having a ground to play at. Their ground is today used by successor club Bromsgrove Sporting. History The first years Bromsgrove Rovers were formed in 1885 and initially played in the local Studley & District League, during which time they played on at least four grounds before arriving at Victoria Ground in 1910. Rovers were promoted to the Birmingham & District League in 1898, where they were runners up in the 1904–05 season. The club switched to the Birmingham Combination in 1908, where they were to remain until 1954 when it was absorbed into the Birmingham & District League [later renamed the West Midlands (Regional) League]. Rovers were champions of the Combination on two occasions (1946–47 & 1959–60) and runners-up on four other occasions. The club also made the FA Cup first round proper for the first time in 1947, losing 2–1 to Aldershot. Long-serving managers during this period were Joe Wainwright (known affectionately as 'Gentleman Joe') and former Birmingham City goalkeeper Gill Merrick. In 1972 Rovers joined the Southern Football League, initially in Division One North. In 1979 the league was re-organised and they were placed in the Midland Division. After a series of relatively uneventful seasons the former Scottish international and West Bromwich Albion legend Bobby Hope was appointed manager. Hope transformed the club's ambitions, and Rovers won the Midland Division in 1985–86 to gain a place in the Premier Division. Rovers also won the Southern League Cup that season to achieve a league/cup double. In 1986–87 Rovers almost gained back to back promotions but finished Premier Division runners-up to Fisher Athletic.