Former West Bromwich Albion forward Bobby Hope was appointed manager of Bromsgrove Rovers in 1983, having spent a time as player/coach. He went on to enjoy two spells as manager of Rovers, eventually taking Bromsgrove to the upper echelons of English non-league football. Below, we’ll talk about Rovers’ Conference title battle with Wycombe Wanderers, as well as a memorable FA Cup run the following year.
Wycombe, managed by Martin O’Neill, went on to establish themselves in the English Football League, where they’ve remained ever since. In fact, following a brief flirtation with the EFL Championship, the Wanderers are now in the third tier of English football.
Even in League One, Wycombe are considered one of the smaller sides in the competition. They’re priced at 6/1 for relegation in 2024/25 with bet365, which, according to Oddschecker, is one of the top-rated online bookmakers in the UK market. To explore the other market leaders, click here to see a list of sites recommended on the strength of their welcome promotions for first-time visitors.
As for Bromsgrove Rovers, they are still a competitive non-league side. Let’s take a look back at Bobby Hope’s years at the club.
Where it all began
As of 1979, Bromsgrove Rovers had been shifted from the Southern Football League into the Midland Division. After a handful of largely uneventful campaigns, Rovers secured the services of Bobby Hope as first team manager. Under the former Scottish international, Bromsgrove were reborn, securing the Midland Division title in the 1985/86 season. They lost just six of their 40 league matches and finished 17 points clear of second placed Redditch United as deserved champions.
Bromsgrove and Hope completed a league-and-cup double that year, also clinching the Southern League Cup. Rovers managed to maintain their momentum in the 1986/87 Southern League Premier Division and were back on the map at non-league level. Rovers locked horns with London-based Fisher Athletic, who eventually got the better of their West Midlands rivals to clinch the title by just three points.
Hope was lured to Burton Albion
Then, after finishing 30 points lower than Bromsgrove in the 1987/88 season, fellow Southern League Premier Division outfit Burton Albion managed to lure Hope to Derbyshire. However, this was a volatile period for the Brewers, who ended up going through seven managers in four years after the departure of Neil Warnock in 1986. Hope didn’t last long and was replaced by Chris Wright before the end of 1988.
Bromsgrove came calling for Hope once again for the 1989/90 season and this would kick start the club’s most successful era. The 1991/92 season was a watershed moment for Bromsgrove as a non-league club. They embarked on a title-winning campaign, finishing top of the Southern Premier Division with 90 points, six clear of runners-up Dover Athletic.
1992/93 was the first time that Bromsgrove had ever competed in the top-flight of non-league football, the English Conference. Fortunately for both Rovers and Hope, they took to the level like ducks to water, even flirting with promotion to the English Football League at times. Rovers ended up finishing runners-up in their first ever season at Conference level, albeit 15 points short of Martin O’Neill’s marvellous Wycombe team.
The following year, expectations were somewhat higher, but the 1993/94 season was more about the club’s excellent FA Cup run than their league form. Bromsgrove reached the first round proper for the first time, edging past Yeovil Town to get a plum tie in the second round at home to Barnsley. Bromsgrove took the lead in front of a capacity crowd of almost 5,000 at the Victoria Ground, but the Tykes snatched two goals in the dying embers of the game to get out the contest unscathed. Barnsley boss, Viv Anderson, called his team the “luckiest in the world” during his post-match talk with the press.
After their last-gasp cup loss, Bromsgrove’s form dipped alarmingly, with only a final day win over Kettering saving them from the drop. The following year, Hope exited the club a second time after growing frustrated working under tight financial constraints. It was the beginning of the end for Rovers, who were relegated from the Conference in 1996/97.
