Not many players have directly moved between bitter rivals Bristol City and Bristol Rovers in their careers, with the last transfer of that nature coming all the way back in 2017.
That was when then-Gas striker Matty Taylor controversially headed to Ashton Gate, having spent three successful seasons at the Memorial Stadium, going up the divisions from the National League to League One – scoring 68 goals in the process.
A £300,000 bid though in January 2017 from the Robins triggered Taylor’s Bristol Rovers release clause, and it saw him move up to the Championship – but also move to the club’s biggest enemies.
It has been eight-and-a-half years since Taylor made that move, but now aged 35 and in the twilight of his career, the veteran striker has dropped back into non-league.
Matty Taylor makes National League South move from Cheltenham Town
Life at Bristol City didn’t really work out for Taylor though, who moved to Oxford United in 2019 – initially on loan – after scoring just seven league goals in two-and-a-half seasons at Ashton Gate.
Since January 2024 though, Taylor has been at Cheltenham Town, and despite scoring seven times in 13 League One appearances, he could not help the Robins stay in the third tier, and he spent last season in League Two, with five goals scored in 37 outings.
It was reported earlier in the summer though that the 35-year-old was available for transfer, and a few weeks on, Taylor has found himself a new club – although he’s had to drop two divisions to make a move happen.
National League South side Salisbury have confirmed the addition of the centre-forward on a permanent deal, with a contract settlement regarding the final year of his time at Whaddon Road taking place to facilitate the move.
The Wiltshire outfit received investment recently from Kuwaiti businessman Ali Alhamed, and after finishing 20th out of 24 clubs in the southern edition of England’s sixth tier last season, Salisbury have certainly landed a transfer coup.
Matty Taylor will be hoping to rediscover past Bristol Rovers form with Salisbury move
With his time spent at both Bristol clubs earlier in his career, Taylor will hope that it goes more like his time at Rovers than his City stint.
His three seasons at the MemStad couldn’t have gone much better – two promotions were won and he averaged 22 goals a season in all competitions for the Gas.
Comparatively, Taylor struggled with the step up to the Championship with City, and in the years that followed he found the lower two leagues of the EFL much more his level.
With not long left in his career though seemingly at the age of 35, the National League South is a level Taylor has not played at whatsoever – that will now change though with the move to Salisbury, where his experience could prove vital.
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