Former Bristol Rovers pair reunited after transfer to same club

Two former Bristol Rovers players have reunited after transferring to the same club.

Lucas Tomlinson and Ollie Hulbert will both ply their trade at Welsh outfit Barry Town United next season. Barry, promoted to the Cymru Premier, which is the top flight of Welsh football, have recruited the former Gas pair for their first season back in the top league after being promoted.

Hulbert joins following his release from Yeovil Town, meanwhile Tomlinson concluded the 2022/23 campaign at Southern League outfit Yate Town, having been at Gloucester and later Salisbury. Hulbert made finished the season at Leamington, and got three goals in 21 games, and never made a senior appearance for Rovers. Tomlinson appeared five times for Rovers’ senior team with four in the EFL Trophy, and a 15-minute cameo against Ipswich Town in December 2019 to celebrate.

Both players had been at Gloucester City, during a loan spell in the 2021/22 season, alongside another former Rovers academy graduate Pablo Martinez. All had played under Lee Mansell at the National League North club, and will have been in the academy system when Mansell was employed as a coach at Rovers.

Dafydd Williams, formerly of Bristol Rovers, and later assistant to Mansell at Gloucester City, will have played a role in bringing them to Jenner Park, having been Professional Development Phase coach at Rovers, and now assistant to Lee Kendall at Barry.

Jonathan Henderson, the former Academy Manager at Rovers, said: “Lucas Tomlinson and @OllieHulbert1 on the same day. Incredible signings! Best of luck guys. Will definitely have to come down Jenner Park this season!”

Hulbert and Tomlinson could come up against several former Bristol Rovers players. Eliot Richards made 129 appearances for the Gas, scoring 22 goals and assisting 15 times, and he now plays for Pontypridd United.

Mark Little - who made the move from Bolton Wanderers, but was a popular figure at Bristol City - is now at Penybont, and will play in the Europa Conference League against Andorran outfit FC Santa Coloma. Lewis Clutton, who was at Rovers academy, but was released in the summer of 2020, is also at Penybont.