Easter weekend set to decide whether Bristol Rovers' season will go to the wire (2025)

Bristol Rovers have just four games remaining to save their season after they fell into the League One relegation zone on Saturday

Easter football is one of the stand out hallmarks of the EFL as, not only is there an extensive schedule of matches, a great deal of games have major stakes riding on them. For Bristol Rovers, that is very much the situation they currently find themselves in.

After a run of six consecutive defeats saw Rovers drop into the League One relegation zone for the first time last weekend, hope is pretty scarce amongst Gasheads at this moment in time. Of course, that has also been fuelled by fresh allegations by a controversial former manager directed at the club’s hierarchy; it’s never straightforward at Bristol Rovers, is it?

Last Saturday’s game against Exeter City was set up as effectively a season-defining match. After losing it, alongside Burton Albion beating Huddersfield Town 3-0, the odds are now against the Gas. However, they remain marginal while there is still a chance.

Written down, although it will by no means be easy, Rovers’ task for the remainder of the campaign is relatively straightforward - pick up more points in four games than Burton do in five. The two sides are level on points but the Brewers withhold a game in hand and a much-superior goal difference.

As tends to be the case every Easter, plenty of the season narratives will either be decided or be extremely close to a final verdict on the other side. Come 5pm Monday, we will have a clearer idea as to whether the Gas will be set for League Two football next season or if their season will be going down to the final wire.

Inigo Calderon’s message has consistently been that he and his players will focus on each game as it comes. Sure, behind the scenes they probably have had an idea of the points total they need to collect to secure safety, but that would never be made public knowledge. History suggests that if you surpass 50 points, you have a great chance of survival. For Rovers, that would require three wins.

Therefore, fail to collect at least three points in total from Easter clashes against Wrexham and Stevenage, and the Pirates will very likely be kissing their League One credentials goodbye. Of course, how Burton fare has a major say. The Brewers travel to Exeter on Good Friday, who can do their West Country neighbours a favour after putting a major dent in their survival hopes, before hosting champions Birmingham City on Easter Monday, who are chasing the League One points record.

At the very least, Rovers have to match Burton’s points total over the Easter weekend but it would be a significant boost if they can exceed it. If they’re trailing their closest relegation rivals come Monday evening, getting more points out of a home game against Reading and a trip to Blackpool than they do from back-to-back home clashes with Cambridge United and Wigan Athletic and a trip to Charlton Athletic looks incredibly difficult.

Of course, Cambridge and Crawley Town still have to be mentioned as competitors while they still technically have a chance at survival but, naturally, Burton are the major rivals.

It wouldn’t be a relegation scrap without a late twist. The hope for Rovers is that there is another on its way and that Burton’s leapfrogging of them over the weekend wasn’t the final spanner thrown into the works.

A collective sigh of relief will be exhaled around north Bristol tomorrow evening if the Gas manage to get a shock victory at Wrexham; even a draw would be a great result.

Out of the four, that is looking the most tricky by some stretch with Rovers’ record on the road the worst in the division while Wrexham have the second-best home points tally having lost just twice at the Racecourse Ground all campaign in the league. It’s also set up to be the very last match in which the Pirates can afford to drop any points in.

There is absolutely zero debate that, in order to at least give themselves a chance, the two home matches against Stevenage and Reading have to bear maximum points.

It is difficult to believe Rovers are going to manage when they have just lost six in a row while the mood and narrative of their nearest rivals is a polar opposite to theirs currently. However, while it is still possible, there has to be a degree of faith.

It is quite fitting that Easter weekend could see resurgence from the Gas in their bid to avoid relegation or, come the end of it, kill any remaining hopes of survival. 5pm on Monday evening should tell all.

Bristol Rovers vs Burton Albion remaining fixtures

• April 18: Wrexham (A) - 3pm kick-off / Exeter City (A) - 1pm kick-off
• April 21: Stevenage (H) - 3pm kick-off / Birmingham City (H) - 3pm kick-off
• April 26: Reading (H) - 12:30pm kick-off / Cambridge United (H) - 3pm kick-off
• April 29: No fixture / Wigan Athletic (H) - 7:45pm kick-off
• May 3: Blackpool (A) - 3pm kick-off / Charlton Athletic (A) - 3pm kick-off