We’re over a quarter of the way through the 2024/25 season and Bristol Rovers‘ loanees are, for the most part, doing well at their various clubs with the Gas having players out in League Two, the National League and the Southern League Division One South which represents the eighth tier of English football.
Some players have recently gone out on loan, such as Kofi Shaw, Dan Ellison, Ollie Dewsbury and Jerry Lawrence when finding loan clubs within the summer transfer window didn’t materialise. Meanwhile, Jed Ward went out to Forest Green with the expectation that he’ll come back next season to be Rovers’ first-choice goalkeeper and Jevani Brown left for Notts County in the summer in order to get game time with minutes hard to come by in BS7.
Most recently, a trio of loanees’ clubs were in action in the FA Cup first round. Here is how the Gas’ players currently playing their trade elsewhere have gotten on so far this term…
Jevani Brown – Notts County
It’s been a tricky start to life at Notts County for Jevani Brown but the forward has now hopefully turned a corner after netting a brace as well as registering an assist in the League Two side’s comprehensive 5-1 FA Cup first round win over Alfreton Town on Friday night.
The 30-year-old has now made a total of 10 appearances for the Magpies but the majority of his minutes had previously come in the EFL Trophy with substantial game time in the league hard to come by.
However, in the two games before the FA Cup tie, Brown played just shy of an hour in a 1-1 draw against Barrow before playing the entirety of a 1-0 home win over Harrogate Town. The forward then had his most influential game for County to date against National League North side Alfreton.
It is still expected that the 30-year-old won’t play for Rovers again having fallen extremely low down the pecking order under Matt Taylor ahead of the start of this campaign.
His contract with the Gas is set to expire next summer and currently there seems to be very little suggestion that that deal will be extended.
Kofi Shaw – Yeovil Town
Joining Yeovil until January after signing a new three-year contract at Rovers last month, Kofi Shaw has two National League appearances under his belt having come on against Tamworth before thoroughly impressing in a near-90 minute display at home to Maidenhead United.
The 17-year-old did manage five first-team appearances for the Gas this season before his loan move, one of which a start in League One away at Peterborough United. However, the Glovers have another eight fixtures this calendar year which will hopefully offer the teenager some valuable senior game time.
It’s still too early to get an accurate gauge on whether or not Shaw’s loan will be extended beyond January but Huish Park certainly seems to be the best place for the youngster at this current moment in time.
Jed Ward – Forest Green Rovers
Staying in the National League, to very little surprise Jed Ward has been a stand out performer for Forest Green with Steve Cotterill’s side sat in second place one point behind leaders York City.
The goalkeeper has played every minute of Rovers’ 16 league games so far, keeping six clean sheets. He was, however, given a break from action for their FA Cup defeat at Stockport County last weekend.
Earning England Under-20s recognition alongside his 18 League One appearances for the Gas last season, the plan is still very much that Ward will sport the number one shirt at his boyhood club next season after a full season of football at a good level. A promotion as well would certainly be the cherry on the cake.
Dan Ellison – Aldershot Town
Another player in FA Cup action over the weekend, Dan Ellison got a valuable experience playing away at League Two side Bradford City with National League Aldershot, with the Football League outfit running out 3-1 winners in normal time.
Since joining the Shots on an initial one-month loan, the 19-year-old centre-back has also made three appearances in the fifth tier.
Having played a couple of times in pre-season for Rovers following his summer move from Chippenham Town, the youngster is yet to make a competitive appearance for his parent club with a place on the bench against Tottenham Under-21s in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy his only inclusion in a first-team squad.
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Ollie Dewsbury and Jerry Lawrence – Yate Town
The teenage duo have both gotten on the scoresheet for Yate Town, striker Ollie Dewsbury with five goals and midfielder Jerry Lawrence with one, while also assisting one of his Rovers teammate’s efforts.
Dewsbury got his first goal for the club against Cinderford before netting braces against Hungerford and Tavistock while Lawrence netted the sole goal in a 1-0 win over Didcot.
The 19-year-old midfielder saw the one-year extension option in his contract activated at the end of last season but hasn’t made a first-team appearance since October 2022 in the EFL Trophy, having been an unused substitute in the 3-3 draw with Tottenham U21s earlier this campaign. He has also been included on the bench on a couple of occasions in League One under Matt Taylor.
As for 16-year-old Dewsbury, he did get an opportunity off the bench in that game against Spurs’ youngsters having made his first-team debut as a 15-year-old under Andy Mangan in the FA Cup win over Whitby Town last season, becoming the second-youngster Gas player ever. The teenage striker is undoubtedly one of the academy products subject to significant excitement within the football club.