"In need of demolition" - How Bristol Rovers' Memorial Stadium is rated on Tripadvisor | OneFootball

We took a look at how Bristol Rovers' Memorial Stadium is rated on Tripadvisor

Bristol Rovers' Memorial Stadium home is certainly one of the more unique grounds in the EFL.

Opened in 1921, Bristol Rovers have played home games at the Memorial Stadium since 1996 after moving from their former home of Eastville Stadium, and it's fair to say it's quite unlike most modern football grounds.

All four of the stands are completely different at the Memorial Stadium, a far cry from the soulless bowl stadiums seen up and down the country, and while it may not be the most aesthetically pleasing stadium on the eye, it's certainly got character.

It may not come as a surprise to learn that it was initially a rugby stadium, and was solely home to Bristol Bears between 1921 and 1996, before Rovers moved in as tenants. However, in 2014, Bristol Bears moved out of the Memorial Stadium and into Bristol City's Ashton Gate stadium, and now The Gas have it all to themselves.

It has a capacity of around 12,000, most of which is standing, and it's a real old school ground compared to some of the modern stadiums in the EFL.

With that in mind, we've decided to look at how Bristol Rovers' Memorial Stadium home is rated on Tripadvisor.

Memorial Stadium Tripadvisor ratings

The Memorial Stadium has a Tripadvisor rating of 3.5 stars out of a possible 5, not bad at all, but some of the 37 reviews do make for interesting reading.

The most recent review comes from January 2024, when a Blackpool supporter was full of praise for his afternoon at the Memorial Stadium, giving it five stars, and writing "Proper old school stadium. The accessibility is good & the stewards were professional & courteous. Always enjoy our ‘Mem’ match day experience."

Some relatively recent reviews are full of praise for the visits to the ground, but not so much the staff, with two reviews from the 2021/22 campaign criticising rude staff.

While the majority of Tripadvisor reviewers have enjoyed their day out at the Memorial Stadium, there have been people who haven't enjoyed it quite as much, like Steve T in August 2019.

Steve posted: "In need of demolition!" before explaining exactly why he believed the Memorial Stadium wasn't fit for purpose. He said: "An eyesore. Went with a couple of gas mates. A throwback to the 70s. Needs pulling down. Lots of filthy language, even around kids. The football was awful. Only went because they paid. Embarrassing. Avoid at all costs!"

Of course, you can't please everyone, and there'll always be odd complaint about anything on Tripadvisor, but on the whole, recent reviews have been kind to the Memorial Stadium.

Bristol Rovers will be looking to make the Memorial Stadium a fortress this season

With its terracing and unique features, the Memorial Stadium can be a real tough place to go for sides used to playing in state-of-the-art stadiums.

Rovers are currently 17th in League One, so it's not been a great start to the season, and they'll hope they can turn it around and improve their form, particularly at home.

There has been talk recently about redeveloping part of the ground to take the capacity to 17,000, and supporters should enjoy the ground in its current form while it lasts, because it may become significantly modernised in the coming seasons.

From the Tripadvisor reviews, it appears that most visiting supporters enjoy a trip to the Memorial Stadium, with the ground offering a refreshing alternative from the mundane all-seater stadiums commonly seen nowadays, and it's become a real iconic ground in the EFL.