An application to list Bristol Rovers stadium in Horfield as a war memorial has been rejected by English Heritage.

The club is planning to sell off the stadium, which will be turned into a supermarket, to finance the £40m purchase of a new home ground at Frenchay.

There has been significant opposition to the proposed ground switch by a small group of protesters, with a legal battle over Sainsbury’s plans to redevelop Horfield, allowing Bristol Rovers to build a new 21,700 seat stadium nearby.

The large gates to the stadium, which date to 1921, are currently listed by English Heritage. They include inscriptions which pay tribute to the rugby and football players of Bristol who served during both World Wars and say the ground is a memorial to them.

Campaigners argue the entire ground should be officially recognised as a war memorial but English Heritage has advised the ground does not have the architectural or historic interest to merit listing it.

A Bristol Rovers fans' petition in support of a Sainsbury’s supermarket at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield has now topped the 12,000 mark, while a legal challenge against the supermarket from the pressure group TRASHorfield is proving a stumbling block for the proposed development.

Bristol Rovers has already been given planning permission by South Gloucestershire Council to proceed with its new stadium development, designed by Arturus Architects, on land next to the University of the West of England's Frenchay campus.

The new venue will feature a bowl design and will meet all FIFA and International Rugby Union standards, with facilities including a 1,280sq m (13,778sq ft) gym, a 784sq m (8,439sq ft) supporters club bar, a jogging track and a banqueting and hospitality suite, as well as a teaching space.