The Bristol Rovers team that represented the Gas in the last edition of Masters Football

Masters Football’s return was announced earlier this week and Bristol Rovers fans were delighted.

The five-a-side football event took place during the summer months and featured players over the age of 35 and acted as a good substitute for a football fix, given England didn’t reach EURO 2008.

Games were about 15 minutes long and cut into two seven-and-a-half-minute halves with rolling substitutes allowed.

There would be regionalised heats and then national finals. In the last edition, which was played in July 2008 in the Ice Rink Arena in Cardiff, Rovers came up against rivals Bristol City, Cardiff City and Swansea City in the Western Division.

They didn’t perform too greatly, losing their first match to Cardiff City 4-2 with David Mehew and Michael Meaker on target.

Rovers did claim a big win over Swansea City with Jeff Meacham scoring four as well as a strike from Andy Tillson.

Ultimately though their biggest match was saved till last but they were given a 4-0 thumping by Bristol City.

Here is the Bristol Rovers team that represented the club in Masters Football, which took place 14 years ago. Tell us what you think of it and perhaps who should represent the club in the newest edition?

Steve Book

Goalkeepers must have been hard to come by as in this tournament, Steve Book, who made just one appearance for the Gas, which was a 2-1 defeat to Notts County in March 2006, was put between the sticks.

The 52-year-old was brought in mainly to be the clubs goalkeeping coach in 2005 but also played with Cirencester Town whilst combining his duties at the Memorial Stadium.

Book is more known for his long spells at Forest Green Rovers as well as Cheltenham Town, with the former shot-stopper now the goalkeeping coach at the Robins.

Geoff Twentyman

At 48-years of age, Geoff Twentyman turned out for Bristol Rovers once more in Masters Football, having given a majority of his career to the club. A Liverpudlian, having been born there during his dad’s playing career, he ended up at Bristol Rovers in 1986 after being signed by Bobby Gould and later managed by Gerry Francis.

The defender amassed more than 252 league games and also played on the hallowed Wembley Stadium turf in the Associate Members’ Cup. Twentyman is still heavily involved in Bristol sport, only this time he’s a radio presenter, presenting a weekly ‘Sound of the City’ show on nearby rivals Bristol City.

David Mehew

A midfielder by trade, Mehew gave nine years of his career to Rovers, playing more than 220 times. Signed from Leeds United, Mehew regularly played for the Gas and after leaving mainly played for non-league teams like Yate Town, Forest Green Rovers and Clevedon Town.

After winding down his career, he went from player to manager at Gloucester City and managed them for six years, taking them to the first round of the FA Cup in 2012. He also was manager at Mangotsfield United.

At 54-years-old he is a dad to two sons involved in football with Tom Mehew currently contracted to Rovers, whilst Olly plays for Yate Town.

Jeff Meacham

Meacham played a total of 26 times for Rovers between 1986 and 1998. Meacham had been plucked from Trowbridge Town and was part of a side that were taken from the non-league.

Tony Pounder

With more than 100 appearances for Bristol Rovers, Tony Pounder was a respectable inclusion in the Rovers side. His spell came in the early nineties, joining from Weymouth, where he’d go on to make 113 appearances in a four-year spell, scoring ten goals. He would later return to Weymouth before turning out for Hereford United, Yeovil Town and then Frome Town.

One of Pounder’s best moments was getting on the score sheet in a 3-2 win over Bristol City at Twerton Park, along with Devon White and Carl Saunders.

Pounder would appear on the Three Valleys Radio station, talking all things Yeovil Town.

Andy Tilson

Brought for what was and still is the club’s record transfer fee, Andy Tilson joined the club back in 1992 from Queens Park Rangers for a fee of £370,000.

Tilson had mainly played for Grimsby Town during his career and had two spells there before being sold to Rovers.

He became their club captain and made over 250 appearances for the Gas, scoring 11 goals from defence.

He later wound down his career at Walsall and then Rushden & Diamonds. Tilson later became manager of university side Team Bath, but they disbanded in 2009 and he later became first-team coach to Paul Tisdale at Exeter City.

Nick Tanner

Bristol-born Nick Tanner began his senior career with the likes of Frampton Rangers and Mangotsfield United, before being picked up by Rovers. He made his debut, scoring against Bristol City in the Gloucester Cup whilst not being fully contracted to the club. Bobby Gould played him as a centre midfielder and he went on to make 107 appearances, before being snapped up by Liverpool, who were managed by Grame Souness.

The Kingswood-born defender played over 50 times for the Reds and also had loan spells at Norwich City and Swindon Town, before having to call time on his career in 1994.

Tanner returned to his nearby manner and managed the likes of Mangotsfield United, Almondsbury Town and Roman St Glass George, but returned to Liverpool to become a football analyst for BBC Radio Merseyside for Liverpool matches.

Bob Bloomer

Bob Bloomer played 22 times over a two-year spell between 1990 and 1992, joining from Chesterfield, before leaving for Cheltenham Town. His departure from Chesterfield meant their play-off chances had been side tracked, given he was a goalscoring midfielder. Bloomer thrived at Cheltenham Town having fully recovered from a badly broken leg that almost brought an end to his career. He won the FA Trophy and the Conference with Cheltenham before the 2000’s and then played in the Football League, before becoming their youth coach.

Michael Meaker

Another player included in the Rovers team that didn’t feature too many times but played in the Masters.

In what was a three-year spell with Rovers, he played 26 times for the club after joining from Reading in 1998.

Meaker, who played for Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth Argyle previously was a midfielder. After leaving Rovers he returned to Plymouth before dropping into the non-league with Nortwich Victoria and then the likes of Mangotsfield, Bitton, Paulton Rovers and Taunton Town. Meaker was running the No.1 Football Academy at the West Health Club in Bristol before and also coached at Truro City.