| David Pritchard | |
| Nationality: | 
|
| Rovers apps (gls)1: | 163 (1) |
| Date of birth: | 27 May 1972 |
| Place of birth: | Wolverhampton |
| Height: | 5 ft 7 in |
| Position: | Defender |
| Date joined: | February 1994 |
| Joined from: | Telford United |
| Date left: | June 2002 (retired) |
| 1 League appearances and goals only. | |
David Pritchard, nicknamed Pritch, was a defender who made 163 league appearances for Rovers in an eight-year spell at the club. He was signed by John Ward from the now-defunct Telford United during the 1993-94 season, and played for most of his time at the club as a right-back, although he also filled in in several other positions when needed. Pritchard was a fans favourite during his stay in Bristol due to his loyalty to Rovers, hard tackling and solid performances on the pitch, and was sponsored by the Internet Gas for much of this time. He received international recognition for his performances in 1998, when he was called up to a Welsh B team to face Scotland B. He qualified through his grandparents, who were from Holt in north Wales.
Unfortunately Pritch's career was cut short following an injury suffered in a game against Colchester United in January 2000, when he was hurt in a tackle by Colchester's on-loan player Titus Bramble, and although he was able to play in a handful of games for Rovers over the next couple of years, this effectively marked the end of his career. Pritchard's rehabilitation over the next couple of years proved unsuccessful, and he eventually took the decision to retire during the 2001-02 season.
For most of his time at Rovers Pritchard was known for his lack of goals, failing to score in any of his first six seasons with Rovers. This prompted one fan to make the bold statement that if Pritch ever scored he would walk home. Unfortunately for the fan in question his first goal came at Chesterfield, some 130 miles from Bristol, in his 152nd league appearance. He remained true to his word however, and made the walk from Chesterfield to Bristol some time later for charity.
Pritch was rewarded for his loyalty to the club by being given a testimonial game in 2003, when Rovers faced a Wolverhampton Wanderers side. After leaving football, he moved to Spain where he now runs a pub.
Pre-Rovers career[]
David was a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan as a child, but in spite of this he began his career as a trainee with local rivals West Bromwich Albion. After making five league appearances with the Baggies during the 1991–92 season he was released and he dropped out of the Football League to join Telford United, where he spent a season and a half, before being picked up by Rovers for a fee of £15,000 in 1994.
Career stats[]
| Season | Club | League | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | ||
| 1990-91 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 0 |
| 1991-92 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 | 0 |
| 1992-93 | Telford United | ? | ? |
| 1993-94 | Telford United | ? | ? |
| 1993-94 | Bristol Rovers | 11 | 0 |
| 1994-95 | Bristol Rovers | 43 | 0 |
| 1995-96 | Bristol Rovers | 12 | 0 |
| 1996-97 | Bristol Rovers | 26 | 0 |
| 1997-98 | Bristol Rovers | 33 | 0 |
| 1998-99 | Bristol Rovers | 12 | 0 |
| 1999-00 | Bristol Rovers | 21 | 1 |
| 2000-01 | Bristol Rovers | 0 | 0 |
| 2001-02 | Bristol Rovers | 5 | 0 |