Issue 53; Editorial Friends, Rovers, Doncastrians... Thank you for taking the time to read this, issue 53 of Popular Stand fanzine, with extended thanks to those who actually bought one rather than swiping it from a friend’s flat, or finding it on the Stadium floor (We know who you are, you know, each ‘zine now comes with a tracking device). The revamp undertaken for Issue 52, my first as editor, appears to have been a popular one, and I extend my gratitude to those who have offered kind feedback and praise since its release. The edition was a sell out, but if you failed to get hold of a copy at the Palace game, get in touch and we’ll email you a PDF version. As for this edition, the observant amongst you will notice another slight change in appearance, but this is as much due to software issues as it is any aesthetical preferences. The aim is to have everything settled on a singular format in time for Issue 74, for which we are planning a special 3D hologramatic front cover from which Colin Sutherland lurches forward and gives you a Glasgow kiss. Long time readers will spot a familiar name amongst our contributors too, with the eagerly-anticipated return of John Coyle. JC is back in spectacular style too with a fantastic piece on Rovers’ 1996-97 season. The catalyst for John’s choice of subject matter was the quirk/fix delivered by the fixtures computer which sent Rovers back to Brighton to christen the Amex Stadium, fourteen years
after they fulfilled the role of opponents at the Goldstone Ground’s denouement. All of our contributors, being the diligent lot that they are, submitted their articles ahead of Rovers’ opening game of the season, which is why their upbeat demeanour may seem a little at odds with your own perceptions of the season ahead of us, having watched last season’s top two scorers stretchered off before you’ve even set foot in your own stadium. In the wake of the injuries to Billy Sharp and James Hayter (which at the time of writing have yet to be diagnosed by anyone with medical expertise) a message flashed across my Twitter feed from a member of the Viking Supporters’ Co-operative committee. It read; “URGENT MESSAGE FOR ALL #DRFC FANS. Club needs cash to fund a loan striker, attend matches tomorrow and SAT, renew / join VSC or donate now!” To receive a message saying the club is turning to supporters to plug financial gaps two days into the new season was, quite frankly, hard to swallow, particularly given the increase in matchday ticket prices. Yes the injuries to the two forwards were unfortunate, but then off the back of last season’s injury problems, they could also be viewed as typical luck. That the club has no contingency in its budget and that plan B involves asking supporters to throw money at the club surely cannot concern only me. In the summer the club did all it could to retain the services of Billy Sharp, turning down (if the press are to be believed) offers of up to £3.25million. I love watching Billy Sharp, his commitment and simple love (and knack) of scoring goals is phenomenal, and I was delighted to hear he would be remaining with us for this current campaign. However, if we
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
3
cannot truly afford to keep him at the club then we should not be keeping him at the club. The counter argument usually begins “Well if you want this club in the Championship...” and yes I do, but I would rather be in League One with a secure future than chucking money we don’t have at second tier survival. The lessons of the latter approach can be seen in the front few pages of the Green ‘Un of a Sunday morning and at a League One ground near you. If everything at the club was operating smoothly and efficiently then perhaps I would be more inclined to put my hand in my pocket, but there are areas of Rovers more significantly underfunded than the side’s attacking options. The club’s media department has faced regular criticism over the last decade, and yet the level of investment in it appears to be shrinking. The hardest working press officer in show business Chris Mortley has departed and has not been replaced, instead the club have asked a journalism student to work three days a week. No criticism of the student in question – especially as he wrote for Pop Stand last season – but it’s hardly a move forged of a willingness to improve services. For a taste of how this department is lacking investment following the club’s official Twitter account will give you an indication. In a six day period on the eve of the season there was just this single tweet on August 2nd; “Jonathan Liew at the Telegraph. I wonder if he has ever watched Doncaster. Lacking Championship Quality obviously not done his home work!” The irony that the club’s sole tweet in a week was to accuse a journalist of being lazy was presumably lost on them. As for the unique occasion of Brighton’s homecoming game last week, that was channelled into just seven words; “Amazing stadium. Fans not all arrived yet.” Yes, of course its easy to criticise, so I will
4
end this paragraph by offering (as I did in an email to the club in February) to look after their matchday twitter account for them. In other areas too the club continues to make mistakes and errors which suggest interest lies in the self rather than the support. The issue of a new away kit is another; specifically that although the season has already begun there has been no official announcement whether there will actually be a new strip, let alone what it will look like. The general consensus amongst supporters was that they wanted a return to a green away strip, as worn by the club throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. However, we have been informed that though a green strip was produced and even sent to the club, John Ryan didn’t like it, so it went back, and reportedly we’re set for a navy strip instead. Potential extra revenue from away shirt sales gone. It’s in the face of this sort of missed income stream opportunity that I won’t be ‘donating’ for the ‘new striker’ fund, beyond paying my money at the turnstile. Of course I, like every other Rovers supporter, am eternally grateful to John Ryan for all he has done for this club and how he has selflessly worked to give this town a football team to be proud of once more. But an increasing number
The season start begins at Brighton
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
of supporters need to understand that to question JR’s methods or his decisions once in a while is not simply being ungracious, nor disrespectful, it’s is the same means to an end as his investment, to get the best out of and for the club. In a similar vein I applaud the Viking Supporters Co-operative for their continued efforts to support the club, but their direction continues to concern me, with what (from the outside admittedly) appears to be a focus on fundraising rather than representing supporters’ interests. When the aforementioned donate for a new striker fund was raised on the VSC’s forum in the week, the general response was not ‘why are we doing this?’ but ‘OK, but what kind of striker are we after’. If I am wrong about the VSC then I apologise, (indeed you’re welcome to use these pages in issue 54 to put me right) but this is how their involvement in the club appears from the outside. Consider these words from Sean O’Driscoll on the ethics of his approach to football; “I don’t know what players know, I’m gobsmacked at times by what they don’t know. They’re never asked to think. We breed players from eight years old who never ask “Why are we doing this?” or “How does this work?” — thinking players, who evolve”. We would be wise to adopt this approach in our support from time to time, rather than glibly accepting the mantra that if we are to succeed we need more investment. Enjoy the match, and hopefully this edition of Popular Stand fanzine too. Viva Rovers! Glen Wilson
CLASSIFIEDS LOST: Football - last seen being hoiked high into the Sheffield sky in the vague hope it would land near some big lad in a red and white striped shirt. If found please wipe of snow and return to Brammall Lane, Sheffield. FOR HIRE: Dog-a-Gram - Kid’s party passing by smoothly without any hint of inappropriate sexual overtones? Look no further than Doncaster’s premier stripping mascot. Contact: Attention seeking trout c/o Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster LOST: Moral Compass - If found please return to address specified above. WANTED: Fit and healthy footballers - Do you have four working limbs? Can you kick a ball vaguely in the direction you intend it to go? If so, please conatct Mr. S O’Driscoll, c/o Cantley Park, Doncaster. No timewasters (ie. Steve Brooker). CONNECTIONS: You were the softly spoken football manager playing neat football on a budget. We were the big club down the road who once won something, heading toward the lower leagues. I think we could have had something special. Get in touch. Yours. K. McCabe.
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
5
Rovers’ Incatrek 2011 In our last edition we encouraged you to support Rovers’ efforts to raise money for the NSPCC. The club had been hosting fundraising events for the best part of two years and in the summer three of the Rovers first team squad - James O’Connor, Jamie Coppinger and Mark Wilson - along with other members of backroom staff and three supporters went to South America to walk the Inca Trail. Here one of those supporters Dave Plant shares his memories of the fundraising trip of a lifetime. In short; this was the hardest thing I had ever done in my entire life; and also probably the most rewarding. Our journey started at Cantley Park as after weeks of preparations, ten nervous men set off on what would be a life changing experience. But there was still a long journey ahead just to get to the starting blocks; a coach to London followed by three flights to get us to Cusco, Peru. In a far from ideal start bags belonging to all ten trekkers had failed to arrive at Cusco. Fortunately, we had planned to take it easy and acclimatise for the first 36 hours. Eventually, after some hard work by those back home and the team in Peru we finally got our bags. With the exception of Mark Wilson’s, which we were told would be joining us at dinner time on trek. The first day of the trek itself took us from Papichu Bridge to Chilipahua. Although the cool weather was perfect, the first hour of the walk was slow. Due to a recent landslide, we had to take a long, steep alternative route, and I was not the only one wondering if I could last for six days at this intensity. We ate lunch at 3,700m, taking in the breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains, before pressing on with another two-hour walk to reach our overnight camp. After dinner, most of us went straight to bed ready for the next day’s trek, which we’re told would be the toughest. There was still no sign of Mark’s bag, we were told it would arrive tomorrow.
6
Day two; around eight hours trekking, crossing the Chiliapahua pass at 4,700m, descending into the Silque river valley, then going up again to Ankascocha at 4,100m. Before setting off we gave out Rovers pens, notepads and medals to local children; school items such as these are a highly prized commodity for children in this region. Trudging up steep mountain sides meant we needed to stop every 30 minutes to catch our breath. Headaches were setting in for everyone too, but we made it to our highest point, and again the view was absolutely stunning. It took us four hours to climb up to Chiliapahua pass and then just 20 minutes to get down to the river, where we had lunch; Copps accompanying his with a good dose of oxygen over lunch as altitude sickness had set in. After lunch, we trekked for another three hours with beautiful Mount Veronica in our sights. Reaching camp we received the news that Mark’s bags now would not be reaching us, so he had to make do with walking in what he travelled in, doing the trek in his trainers. We all pitched in and shared our kit with him; I did offer my clothing but was told it was a little too big. Day three, and my legs were aching. Fortunately, most of this day was downhill, which sounds easy except we were constantly stepping on to unstable rocky surfaces, which didn’t do the knees and ankles any favours.
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
After a couple of hours’ trekking in the afternoon, we reached a village. Locals came out to sell us drinks and being introduced to the school children was our most humbling experience of the trip. We gave out Rovers gifts to the children and the players all sign autographs before gathering for a group photo with the children and their teachers. Later our guide Max took us to meet a villager who breeds guinea pigs, which are on every menu in Peru, telling us we would get to eat one later. Yum yum. I lost my appetite a little when it turned up whole on a board with potatoes. I took a small bite so as not to insult our hosts, and it was actually very nice, so I quickly got another piece before passing it on to Mr Scully. Day four; my legs were really starting to ache now and the blisters were getting bigger. We
re-visited the school and had a collection to help pay for work on a school library building to be finished off. Our walk is pleasant - four hours going slightly downhill on flat paths with cacti everywhere. Before relaxing over dinner at our camp by the Urubamba River we decided on a game of cricket; using walking poles for stumps and a wooden board for a bat. The game was eventually ended when Ross Burberry slogged the ball over the cliff edge into the river, just before my moment with the bat too. Day five, and we rose at 4.15am. For most of the trek I had been at the back of the pack with my co-pilot Steve Uttley. On this day our guide Max explained that we had “to be very quick, we have check points to reach in certain times” and asked me how I felt, and if I could make the final six-hour trek, or wanted to go by bus to our
Popular Stand reaches a new subscriber courtesy of three of our newly contracted delivery boys. [Picture courtesy of Steve Uttley and Doncaster Rovers FC] POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
7
hotel in Aguas Calientes to rest. I considered this as perhaps being better for the group, but then reaching Machu Picchu was what I had come all this way for and pulling out now and going by bus would be a real cop-out. “No” I said, carefully re-bandaging my blisters “I have to do this”. We took a train for the first part of the journey before getting ready to walk the final leg, having been warned about the number of steps we are about to encounter; over 3000 and over 100 flights of them. In the first hour, we went up and down, past waterfalls, before stopping off at the Winay Wayna Inca ruins. On what must have been the 2000th step of the day we realised why the Incas picked this spot for their sacred city. The view is just incredible.
After a packed lunch, we joined the Inca Trail; we were all so tired but close to the end, so we pushed our way up and up more steps to Intipunku, the famous Sun Gate of Machu Picchu. We’d made it! I’d made it! We congratulated each other, took photographs, some of us even shed a tear. Then we got a closer look at this fascinating place. The scale of the city was much bigger than expected. We had a proper tour of the site scheduled for the next day, so we retreated to our hotel, had a beer and Max took us to the best restaurant in Aguas Calientes, before a welcome good night’s rest in a bed. The next day, with help from our guide Max, we began to get an understanding of how this city worked, with its observation tower for
Insert your own ‘fanzine reaches new heights ‘/ ‘Rovers stars Peru-se fanzine’ type pun here. [Picture courtesy of Steve Uttley and Doncaster Rovers FC]
8
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
stargazing, multi-levelled fields and brilliantly designed foundations adapted to the sheer terrain. It was a truly magnificent morning certainly one I won’t easily forget. I began to wonder if the reason Max called me over for that little pep-talk before the final walk was a bit of reverse psychology, just to give me a boost. One thing I will remember is seeing his smiling face when I reached the top of Intipunku and him throwing his arms around me and congratulating me. Amazing. Over the course of the next day we travelled back to Cusco by train, where at the hotel we were met with Mark’s bag in the middle of the reception. Great timing Iberia! That night we went to a bar run by a Doncaster couple who had seen the updates on the club website and
got in touch with us to invite us to a celebration meal. How generous of them. Whilst there we learned of an orphanage they were connected to and the players went to meet the children, answer their questions and give them the remaining gifts that had arrived with Mark’s bag. As you may have read the club has now become patrons of the orphanage, and a large collection of old football shirts have been sent out to them The trip now over, the following day we packed and began the long 36 hour journey home. This had been an amazing trek! One I won’t forget in a hurry, and one that I would certainly do again. Thanks to all the team for allowing me to be part of it.
DP
Though the team may have completed their trek the fundraising continues and you can still donate to the Doncaster Rovers Incatrek fund. At the time Popular Stand went off to the printers the club had raised an impressive £42,100, 84% of their £50,000 target. To donate to the NSPCC via the club’s Just Giving account get yourself on line and go to www.roversincatrek.co.uk
Congratulations to Nathan and Lucy Popular Stand would like to extend congratulations to former editors Nathan Batchelor and Lucy Burke who married during the Summer. The pair were editors of the ‘zine for ten years and over 40 editions from 2000 - 2010. Contrary to rumours that Barry the Iguana and Shamus Anus tied the knot in a civil partnership at the turn of the Millennium, we can confirm that this is the first set of nuptuals formed between staff at Pop Stand Towers. We have now introduced strict working practice laws to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Anyway, all the best to the bride and groom. POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
9
The Donny R’sonists Each and every summer for the last 16 years supporters’ teams representing clubs from across the UK and overseas have converged on a set of football fields to play out a tournament which promotes the positives of football support, and the ability of fans to mingle peacefully. Since 1998 Doncaster have been represented at the annual WorldNET tournament by the Donny R’sonists, here’s how they faired at this year’s event. Another year, another weekend getting sunburnt in a field on the outskirts of Leeds for the Donny R’sonists as the long-running Doncaster Rovers supporters’ side participated in their 14th WorldNET tournament. The R’sonists side - a keen blend of sloth and experience - featured two WorldNET ever presents in Matt Smith and Alan Brown who have bravely participated in each and every tournment since the 1998 event in Reading at which the R’sonists made their bow. With the luxury of an 11am kick-off for the first of Saturday’s group games, the R’sonists were even more liberal than normal in their approach to Friday’s ‘quiet night’ in Headingley, with the squad indulging in one drink too many... and then going on to the next place for a further three drinks too many.
10
So to the match action and the R’sonists began with arguably their toughest group grame, up against reigning champions Bradford. With three of the squad’s more accomplished players still yet to arrive three minutes before kick-off, manager Matt Smith was left to field a bear XI with centrehalf Jonathan Orridge volunteering to don the gloves. Depleted though they may have been the R’sonists started brightly and after preventing the Bantams from opening the scoring with a canny offside trap, they went on to take a shock lead. Andy Sheldrake’s near post corner was turned in on the volley by flying winger Louis Bailey, the Blazin’ Squad connection catching both opponents and team-mates unawares. After the break the Bantams had the better of things and came close to drawing level only for Orridge to somehow save a fierce driven shot by catching it deftly between his testicles. Eventually though Bradford did draw level; as a break down the left was finally ended by a clumsy Sheldrake challenge in the box and the resulting penalty was slotted home. The R’sonists were not about to settle for a point though and Andy Harriman had a chance of goal, volleying wide from Rob White’s flicked pass. Sadly though one point eventually became none for Donny as Bradford nicked a winner in the closing minutes; a chipped cross escaping the grasp of Orridge and Bradford turned in the loose ball to secure a 2-1 win.
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
Next up for Donny were Ipswich’s Punch Drunk FC, although that name could have applied to the R’sonists who struggled to create anything in the first half and went into the break a goal down; Ipswich’s forward getting on to a through ball and slotting it between the legs of ‘keeper Glen Wilson. In the second half things improved dramatically though as White got onto an Andy Harriman pass and rounded the ‘keeper to level the scores. Soon after the R’sonists were in front, White again on hand to slot the ball home. However, next it was Ipswich’s time to draw level as a bouncing ball fell into the path of their veteran Martin Turner and he turned the ball home from close range. Late on White thought he’d won it for Donny as he cut in from the left, but though his low shot beat the ‘keeper a Town defender somehow got back to clear off the line and it finished 2-2.
together between Orridge and his man. With the match level West Ham pushed for a winner, but it was Donny who struck on the break; Ian McKenzie releasing White on the right and his cut-back was controlled and (eventually) turned in from close range by Alan Cullingworth. A 2-1 win for Donny proved enough to guarantee second in the group behind Bradford and put them through into Sunday’s main cup competition. There are many sides who take WorldNET very seriously, not so the R’sonists, and the prospect of an 8am kick-off in the first round of Sunday’s knockout stages was not about to curtail their Saturday night ‘loosening exercises’. Half the side returned to base just four and a half hours before kick-off, sadly the goalkeeper and captain would not appear until one and half hours after full-time. So for the second day running a bear XI trudged their way over to Pitch D, and attempted to look vaguely like a football team. The good news was that opponents West Brom ‘B’ claimed to have undergone a similar pre-match routine the previous night... sadly though they could
Last up in the group stages for Donny were West Ham and as with the Bradford game the R’sonists made an encouraging start. Matt Harriman deployed up front received the ball and was flattened as he tried to take it round the keeper; the result was a penalty which Matt calmly slotted home to put Donny 1-0 up. It was a lead they held until half-time, though they needed a good save from Andy Harriman getting down to his right to keep it that way. After the break it was West Ham’s turn to score from the spot, afforded the chance by an innocuous looking coming POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
11
still run around and shoot and stuff as shown as they bore a path on goal straight from kick-off. The R’sonists fashioned few chances of their own, though some neat passing between Wilson, White and Sheldrake did create one opportunity for Cullingworth, but his effort flew wide. Eventually the inevitable happened as West Brom took the lead; a low shot from just outside the box, deceiving stand in goalkeeper Smith. After the break there was more of the same with the R’sonists struggling to move the ball, or themselves and West Brom having the better of things, and they soon doubled their lead with a shot across Smith into the far corner. From the restart came brief hope for the R’sonists as Cullingworth decived the ‘keeper and his own team-mates with a cross that curled gloriously into the far corner of the net, but a 2-1 defeat was as good as it got. Out before breakfast.
As ever, the R’sonists enjoyed an eventful weekend playing some likeminded supporters teams, and thanks is extended to manager Matt Smith for organising the weekend for the Donny lads, and of course the legendary Betty and Rog of the IFA for putting the whole tournament together. Long after the R’sonists had returned home the main competition was won by the supporters of RC Lens, who defeated Bradford in the final. The Plate competition was won by Portsmouth who beat Darlington’s Uncovered FC, whilst Bury defeated Halifax in the final of the Veterans Competition. For more information on the Donny R’sonists Internet Supporters Football side, including the history of the club and how to get involved, visit their new website: http://donnyrsonists.weebly.com
GW
Donny R’sonists WorldNET 2011; Back row: Alan Cullingworth, Paul Buckle, Rob White, Matt Harriman, Paul Nelson, Jonathan Orridge, Marc Cartlidge, Louis Bailey, Glen Wilson. Front row: Rich Dillon, Ian McKenzie, Matt Smith, Andy Harriman, Andy Sheldrake, Alan Brown
12
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
Voice of the Pop Side; The Surreal Season Popular Stand is delighted to welcome back John Coyle to the fold after some years in the fanzine wilderness. The original Voice of the Pop Side; John has penned this wonderfully fascinating account of the 1996-97 season Brighton and Hove Albion’s return to their own stadium within the Brighton area has prompted many memories of that final match at the Goldstone Ground in April 1997. Indeed, Rovers appear to have been chosen as Brighton’s initial League opponents at the new Amex Stadium at Falmer, in order to provide a kind of historical symmetry. Rovers were the last team to visit the Goldstone for a game that was as emotionally charged as any football match played in the last 20 years. There was a lot riding on the match for both sides: Brighton were bottom of the Football League and facing the drop into the Conference, as well as saying goodbye to their home. Rovers, in 20th, were a little safer, but could still be overtaken by Brighton and the other three clubs (Hereford, Hartlepool and Exeter) before the game started. Before the game, two Rovers’ substitutes, Mark Donnelly and Adam Wheeler, carried a banner around the ground declaring that “Rovers Players Salute Brighton Fans.” A surreal touch, perhaps, but then 1996-97 was a surreal season. We should have known what was in store for this season on the opening day, when manager Sammy Chung and his assistant, George Foster, turned up at Belle Vue a couple of hours before kick-off to find out that they’d been fired. The news was delivered by newly-appointed general manager Mark Weaver, under instructions from the club’s ‘benefactor,’ Ken Richardson. At the time subject of a police investigation into a fire in the main stand in the summer of 1995,
Richardson had kept up his reputation for unpredictability by appointing Kerry Dixon as player-manager. Dixon was not even present at the ground, and as Rovers lost 0-1 to Carlisle United, Weaver chatted to him by mobile phone from the dug-out. Kerry Dixon, the former Chelsea striker and England international, was a newcomer to management, and soon realised he was in a difficult first job. By the end of September, Rovers were bottom of the Football League with one win from nine. One of their five defeats had come at Rochdale, where the home side had two men sent off in the first half, then went a goal behind, but still managed to overcome Rovers 2-1. Rovers had some decent players, including goalkeeper Dean Williams, defenders Ian Gore, Darren Moore and a young Tim Ryan, Paul Birch and Jon Schofield in midfield and the free-scoring Colin Cramb up front. A goal in each game from Cramb helped Rovers record back to back wins over Hartlepool and Leyton Orient and Rovers were off the bottom by the time they faced Brighton at Belle Vue on 19th October 1996. The game was a real six-pointer: Rovers were on 12 points and Brighton had dropped to the bottom with eight. In their previous game, a home defeat by Hereford, Brighton fans had invaded the pitch and as they had been involved in a more serious pitch invasion the previous season, which caused a game to be abandoned,
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
13
Brighton faced FA sanctions. They were no match for Rovers, for whom Cramb, Mike Smith and Martin McDonald scored second half goals in a 3-0 win. Brighton’s fans were protesting against the sale of their home ground, which would see them homeless after the end of the season. They also faced problems on the pitch and their defeat at Donny saw them six points adrift at the bottom of the table. The odd season continued for Rovers. During a run of three home defeats they managed a fine win at local rivals Scunthorpe, Cramb scoring twice. In November they completed a double over Cambridge, who were third in the table. The crowd for that home win over the Fenland side was a mere 1,608, although that was an improvement on the 1,030 who saw Rovers defeated by visitors Northampton Town. A disappointing festive period saw Rovers slide to 21st by mid-January; still nine points clear of Brighton who had by then suffered a two-point deduction. At that point Cramb decided to treat himself to the first hat-trick by a Rover for over two years- scoring three in a 4-2 victory at
Hartlepool. Needless to say, the inconsistent Rovers soon came down with a bump, losing their next three and having the talismanic Cramb sent off in a 0-2 reverse at Swansea’s Vetch Field. Here I must introduce a personal note to the tale: I made two very poor decisions around this time. I gave up drinking for a month, which made me miserable, and then soon after I came out of alcoholic purdah I decided to see Rovers play at Chester’s Deva Stadium. It was Saturday 8th February. By half time Rovers were two down, but worse was to come as Andy Milner completed a four-timer in a 6-0 thrashing. In the dying moments Dean Williams pulled down a Chester striker and after the inevitable red card Cramb took over the gloves and saved the penalty! But it was scant consolation, as on the very same day Brighton held it’s “Fans United” day at the Goldstone as supporters from all over the country came together to support the stricken club. Inspired by this, and the recent appointment of manager Steve Gritt, Brighton beat Hartlepool 5-0. Rovers were now
The rarely celebrated 1996-97 Doncaster Rovers squad
14
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
six points ahead, looking nervously over their shoulders. Messrs Richardson and Weaver now decided to add their influence to matters surreal. Rovers had already signed young midfielder Darren Esdaille from Hyde United and for the home match with Barnet they included three more League newcomers from the Manchester area. All were signed by Weaver via a loophole which allowed Rovers to acquire the players from their Sunday League sides. Two of the new men didn’t last long, but Harvey Cunningham soon became a regular. At the same time, the experienced Paul Birch, a former Aston Villa and Wolves man who had joined at the start of the season, was conspicuous by his absence. On the eve of the home game with League leaders Wigan, and with Rovers a mere point ahead of Brighton, Weaver and Dixon attended a fans’ forum at the Park Hotel. Asked about Birch, Dixon candidly admitted that he was being omitted on the orders of Richardson. Under pressure from angry fans, Weaver agreed to ask Richardson to allow Birch to play against Wigan. The request bore fruit because Birch played, and performed superbly in midfield as Rovers gave their best display of the season to win 2-0, Cramb and loan signing Adie Mike scoring a goal in either half. But within a matter of weeks, Birch was gone, allowed to join Exeter on a free. The Wigan victory sparked an amazing run of six games in which Rovers did not concede a goal. A creditable 0-0 draw at second-placed Carlisle on Easter Saturday put Rovers into 19th place with 44 points. They were eight points clear of Brighton with a game in hand. Surely nothing could go wrong now? On Easter Monday struggling Exeter came to Belle Vue and Paul Birch was given a standing ovation by the home crowd, but Birch’s new team took the points 2-1. Rovers then won 3-0 at Darlington,
The popular Sammy Chung, who was replaced as manager on the opening day of the season
a game featuring Hope, Crosby and Larmour. No, not Bob, Bing and Dorothy but Richard and Andy of Darlington and David of Rovers. Maybe the game should have been called “The Road to Nowhere.” So to Leyton Orient on 12th April. A win for either side would see them virtually safe and Rovers looked comfortable until Ian Gore, who as befitted his name seemed to have a propensity for bloody head wounds, suffered a gash and was forced off the pitch. While Rovers reorganised, the home side scored. Richardson, up in the directors’ box, could be seen gesticulating to the bench. Subsequently he lambasted Dixon for not sending on a substitute, although Rovers had no defenders among their three subs. Gore did not return and Rovers conceded another after the break, going down 2-1 despite a late Cramb penalty. Meanwhile Brighton recorded their eighth home win out of nine, beating Wigan 1-0. The gap was six points and there were three games to play. With both Rovers and Brighton drawing the following weekend, both sides headed to the Goldstone Ground on 26th April. The last ever football match at Brighton’s home for over 90 years and a match with the future of both clubs
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
15
riding on it. The game was actually a pretty wretched one. A first half fracas saw Darren Moore and Brighton’s Baird both sent off for trading punches. Jon Schofield and Simon Ireland both went close for Rovers, but Brighton’s Stuart Storer broke the deadlock with the only goal after 67 minutes. By then, matters away from the Goldstone were interesting Rovers’ small army of fans, a besieged army at that. Hereford were losing at Leyton Orient and a study of the final day fixtures brought the dawning realisation that if both results stayed the same, Rovers were safe. The loser of next weekend’s Hereford v Brighton game would be the ones to fall through the trap-door. The final whistle brought a pitch invasion from Brighton fans, ready to grab what souvenirs they could of their home, while Rovers fans consulted radios. The announcement of the final score at Brisbane Road – Leyton Orient 2, Hereford United 1- turned what could have been an awkward situation into a love-in. Rovers were safe and
could applaud their victorious hosts: Brighton knew that a draw next week would guarantee safety. So ended the surreal season of 1996-97. Well, not quite. Between the game at Brighton and the final day there was a change of government, John Major’s Conservative administration being routed at the polls by Tony Blair’s Labour. There was no change at Belle Vue, though. Kerry Dixon remained in charge, though before the match with Torquay he had the dubious pleasure of reading Weaver’s programme article which claimed that Dixon was not up to the job. The article, had Richardson fingerprints all over it, lauded the Rovers’ self-styled benefactor as the man who had saved the club from relegation. Rovers won 2-1 that afternoon, while Brighton’s 1-1 draw at Edgar Street saw them survive at the expense of their hosts. A surreal end to what had been a surreal season: and you just knew that there would be even queerer times ahead.
JC
Rovers’ subs Mark Donnelly and Adam Wheeler ensure their place in future fanzine articles as good will envoys at the Goldstone Ground’s last stand
16
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
A Girl’s Eye View Going to the Crystal Palace game towards the end of last season was quite an adventure. With no car, it was a bus into town with my special Rover and then on the train to Doncaster. We paid a visit to the market and got a bite to eat; those bacon rolls should carry a warning – mine was filled with so much I had to eat half of the filling before I could get the bread cake in my mouth (and it has been said that my mouth is above average!). Another bus and we reached the retail park but not before we met with ‘Retford Rover’ and his biscuit supply, which he generously shared with us. We collected a programme and the free flags! The atmosphere was quite amazing to someone who has never been to a Wembley play-off. The team played brilliant, fast, passing football which the capacity crowd cheered and applauded. Of course the flags waved and we ‘bounced around’ and after the indescribable misfortune caused by injuries to half the squad during the second half of the season a no score draw didn’t seem too disappointing. It was extremely warm walking all the way back to the station but fun too as the initial crowd of fans reduced to a few as people reached their cars or turned in other directions, flags still bravely fluttering.
It’s taken a while but I have learned so much with the tuition of my Rover and can now see more fouls when they occur, rather than waiting to study it if it is part of the highlights. The best bit was when I spotted an offside correctly, now that has to be an achievement of note. The best news we received recently was that tickets for the game against Tranmere Rovers were in our possession so we will get to see our beloved Rovers at least once this season. With a little luck we may get to one or two other home games, but oh how we envy those who can go more often. I have been known to make the odd prediction, not always correctly, so here’s this season’s; Rovers to finish 9th. Good luck to the squad for the new season and send the injury gremlin to someone else. The new season will see me and the most special of Rovers settled in front of a computer to listen in to matches on ‘Rovers Player ‘as we still cannot make regular visits to the Keepmoat. We shall have biscuits in honour of ‘Retford Rover’ and a cuppa. We will shout and cheer just as loudly as we would if we were there. Until next time.
CF
Can’t wait until the next issue of Popular Stand? Fear not intrepid fanzine reader for Popular Stand is also active between issues on what the kids call ‘social networking sites’. Yep, thats right, you can waste time at work, and avoid spending uncomfortable hours with your family, doing old fashioned things like ‘talking’ and stuff by reading inane short updates and messages from your favourite Doncaster Rovers related fanzine
Become a fan of ‘Popular Stand’ on Facebook
Or alternatively, follow ‘@psfanzine’ on Twitter
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
17
To Lindum and Back If Carlsberg did season tickets I suspect they would be something like Hartlepool United’s fancy 2011/12 ‘beat the credit crunch’ initiative. While Rovers struggle to the 5,000 sales mark, Hartlepool have surpassed all expectation by selling over 4,000 season tickets which triggers a brilliant price to watch League One football at, I have to say, one of the coldest places you can watch a bag of air in the Football League. By ‘smashing’ the 4,000 mark, as a monkey hanging comrade of mine so eloquently put it, it means those hardy North-Easterners get their season ticket for the princely sum of £150. A brilliant deal I am sure you will all agree; throw in one time South American Geordie hero Nobby Solano for good measure and there are 23 happy days to be had throughout the football calendar.
were released; excitement, anticipation, nervousness and disappointment. Due to cricket commitments I usually miss the first couple of games in the season, however, due to a handily placed blank week on the 6th August I was there in the AMEX Stadium ticking another ground off and enjoying over priced, flat headed beer by the seaside. This is the final chapter in Brighton’s redevelopment since that fateful day at the Goldstone, I can remember vaguely the friendly rivalry which was forged between the two clubs back in the late 90’s and wondering precisely why the relationship existed. As this happened at a time in my life where I was still learning the sociology and culture of football, the Brighton relationship could not have gone further against the ideas I was forming about football supporters.
For a lot of us the season started on Friday 17th June when the fixtures
Another high point from the summer months came when Tommy Spur signed from t’Wendies. For a player to state he is taking a forward step in his career by joining Rovers shows how far we have come from the depths of those Brighton days. The lad Kyle Bennett seems an exciting prospect, Richard Naylor should add some experience and leadership to the defence and the capture of Chris Brown is a really optimistic move. Hopefully he should give us the extra dimension up front we have so often lacked whilst being in the Championship and it’s also another big man at the back for defending set pieces, another area where we could do with a bit more stability.
18
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
Sat in the barber’s chair the other day three of us (a Rover, a Leeds United fan and a Blade) were talking about Billy Sharp and his apparent rise in stock. I was trying to put forward my opinion that the biggest mistake the Blunts have made in recent years is selling Billy and not adapting their style to suit him. The Blunt wasn’t having any of it and said under Bryan Robson they played good football and that hoofing the ball forward was a myth! So informing NASA of a Saturday afternoon’s activity in Sheffield was obviously something we had all dreamt up in recent years. He was obviously still quite bitter that not only has Sharp scored a goal every other game since he has been with us, but in twelve months his value has multiplied three fold. Ah well there isn’t much pleasing Sheffielders at the moment. It’s nice to see the Stadium Management Company having one last crack at trying to secure a big pay day by bringing ‘Get-a-life’ to Doncaster. We all knew this event was destined for failure as soon as it was announced; hopefully it will be one of the last few nails in the coffin for the Keepmoat Stadium’s current owners. It is widely assumed that JR and the KM2 are just waiting for the right time to pounce and there is a considerable amount of business acumen between the three so I will
certainly trust whatever they are going to do. Ultimately a football club has a lot more security when it owns it’s ground and though Rovers are not known for their customer focus (dangerous Dave beware) they surely couldn’t do any worse than DMBC and the SMC have done thus far. I suppose the first issue of the new season is usually where I should be putting my neck on the block and making some sort of reasoned prediction. One look at the main bookmakers suggests we will struggle; that is understandable. We are still a small fish in a big pond even going into our fourth season in the second division. We’ve made some decent acquisitions and may make some more yet since I’m writing in the week before the Brighton game. I guess it will all depend on whether the Sharp shooter stays or not. Even if we get half a season out of him it may be the difference between staying up and facing the drop. A blistering start for Billy and I foresee a big move for him in January. Obviously the injury situation cannot possibly be as bad this season, surely? All this considered I predict a finish of 16th for Rovers. Enjoy the journey of understatement through the master, a cup of tea for SOD please.
CJK
The Keepmoat; Concert venue and occasional football stadium POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
19
Search for a Star Popular Stand’s intrepid reporter in the field Mike Follows tracks down what became of the Rovers stars of yester-year... well, players of the 1990s at any rate. To ease the boredom, and dodge the incessant transfer speculation of the idle summer months, I’ve been spending more time and money than strictly advisable in the local pub. Remember those? They used to be ten-a-penny hubs of the community with their own football, pool and darts teams, a convivial (pissed) landlord and a buxom wench catching drool in an ample cleavage. In the interests of accuracy, I’ve actually been paying many a visit to the nearest chain-operated hostelry with its family dining atmosphere and lack of anything approaching community spirit. It hasn’t even got a bloody pool table. But what it does have according to the flyers scattered about the place is a Psychic Night featuring the paranormal talents of someone called “Andy Beasley”. Whether this charlatan is actually the follicly-challenged (but we don’t care) former Rovers ‘keeper or simply a namesake I don’t know and couldn’t be arsed to check. So lets assume it is. This led me to wonder what some of the other names from my red and white hooped youth are doing with their lives now. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, this infallible information is just a quick internet search away. So off I went to easysearch (supporting the VSC with every search) and decided to take the top hit for each player’s name as the most reliable source of research. Here’s what I found:
20
Russ Wilcox You’ll never beat Russ Wilcox. But you can ask him for “coaching to be a better presenter”. If this is something lacking in your life then look no further than this professional radio presenter and voiceover artist for The Breeze 107. He would be “delighted to have a chat” to anyone. Please. If you want to contact him he promises to “get back to you as soon as I can”. Russ Wilcox then (left) and now (below)
Colin Cramb The number one hit on the list is a link to YouTube: Colin Cramb plays stand up bingo… and loses! This quite obviously means that since leaving Belle Vue the Scottish striker has developed a gambling habit which can’t be satisfied by simply sitting around playing bingo. He needs a more extreme edge to feed his habit so he plays
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
standing up. This was always destined to happen. Cramb was often to be seen standing up during his time at the Rovers. And the links between bingo and football (or ‘fitba’, as Colin probably calls it) are there for all to see. The sight of those bingo balls was simply too much to resist, but unfortunately he has been banned from every branch of Mecca in East Stirlingshire for trying to kick the balls into old ladies’ hairnets.
Colin Sutherland Sticking with the Scottish Colin theme, next up is mental centre half and popular Colin West puncher, Colin Sutherland. Thanks to the wonders of anti-psychotic drugs, Sutherland has got his life on track and is now known as Colin Sutherland BSc PhD MPH and is a reader in Parasitology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. A highlight in Colin’s recent work was “demonstrating that the human malaria parasite Plasmodium Ovale exists as two separate species”. One detractor to this theory stated that there is clearly only one species, but Colin was drunk when he made the discovery. He was unavailable to comment for this article as he is currently eating through a straw.
Paul Marquis A centre-half who never really got a fair crack of the whip during his spell at Donny, Paul Marquis now earns his living out of illustration, fine art and design. He is currently “rebuilding his portfolio from ground up…focusing on science fiction and fantasy work”. However he still finds his hard work interrupted from time to time by Gary Brabin pouring Chicken Tonight all over his satellite dish.
The illustrative Paul Marquis
Steve Harper According to the top hit on the search, there’s a Steve Harper sale on. Apparently you can get “Up to 75% off Steve Harper Now.” with “Free UK delivery on select items”. So if you’re in the market for a goblin-themed garden ornament it seems that there’s never been a better time to buy. So there you go, a mixed bag for the Rovers old boys as they try in vain to recapture the fleeting glory days of their lives in the lower reaches of the professional football system. I must dash now though, I want to buy myself a Steve Harper before the sale ends.
MF
The remarkable transformation of Colin Sutherland POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
21
The View from the Clift; Rovers Merchandise Top 10 Navigating around the Rovers’ official website is like trying to find your way out of the Sumatran rainforest after somebody has substituted your map for a tea towel depicting Windmills of Lincolnshire, and your compass for one of those yo-yos that light up in the dark. However, I eventually managed to find the Official Club Shop so you don’t have to, and I bring you my list of top 10 genuine items of Rovers merchandise:
1. Doncaster Rovers Official Flutterfetti £1 Remove the label which says ‘Doncaster Rovers Official Merchandise’ and you’re left with a small bag of confetti in the official club colours of red, white, erm… yellow and blue. If you take this to a wedding, my advice would be to lob the aforementioned label at the bride and groom too, just so they know they haven’t been showered with any old generic rubbish.
3. Kit Shaped Rucksack £7 Put this on your back next time you go out and make people think you were giving your favourite player such a vigorous piggy-back ride that their head and limbs fell off.
4. 3D Rovers Mug £5.60 Finally, a three-dimensional object to hold your drink of tea. Those 2D objects just weren’t up to the job. No volume, you see.
5. Donny Dog Bookmark £2 No, this one doesn’t get its kit off. Although you can use it to mark the page of your porn mag if you like.
2. Replica Shirt £40 Grown men should consider not getting the name and number of their favourite player added to the back. Why? Because you’re a grown man, that’s why.
22
6. Rovers Photo Frame £4.25 So garish you could stick in a photo of the New Orleans Mardi Gras or the Tweenies dancing under a rainbow and still never see past the frame.
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
7. Steve Wignall’s ‘You Can Have Chips’ book £17
10. Teddy in a Football £2.50
Thanks Steve, I think I will... maybe a fish too. I won’t have enough left over to buy a copy of your book though. Oh hang on it’s OK – they’ve pulped all 10,000 copies, recycled it into newspaper and my delicious fish supper is wrapped up in it. What a stroke of luck, eh?
8. Darts Flights Reduced from £3.25 to £2.25 Comes in a set of two by the looks of the picture. After throwing the second one and trudging back to the dartboard to retrieve a flight for your third throw each time, you can always console yourself that at least you saved a quid off the original price.
9. Nodding Dog £5 Ohhhh yes. Wait a minute, that dog looks suspiciously like Toby Tyke… oh no no no no.
Yes that’s right. A teddy. In a football. Welcome to the realities of a global consumerist economy, kids. Somebody somewhere has decided that a teddy in a football would be the type of commodity that an idiot may aspire to own and as a result, precious planetary resources have been diverted from their original intended purpose of making important stuff like hip replacements for lovely old ladies and hamster wheels, in order to manufacture these instead. I’m sure that every time a Teddy in a Football rolls off the production line in Xinzheng or wherever, a poor exploited factory worker has their day brightened by the knowledge that somewhere in the West people’s lives are so utterly pampered and comfortable that once they’ve spent their money on feeding and clothing themselves and their children, they have enough money left over to buy a teddy in a fucking football. Oh wait, it’s been reduced from £5 to £2.50; obviously not selling very well then. My faith in the capitalist system is restored.
MC
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
23
Windmills of your Mind;
Pop Stand Statistician Dutch Uncle looks at ‘match swings’ How many times have we groaned as Sean O’Driscoll brings on a fifth defender to defend a lead, and the inevitable equaliser appears? Do you remember that day at Telford when a 4-0 half-time lead ended with Telford’s 10 men gaining a 4-4 draw? Or in 1996-7 when 9-man Rochdale turned Rovers’ 1-0 lead into a 2-1 defeat in the last fifteen minutes? On the other hand how many times have we seen Rovers mount a storming comeback? Who remembers Rovers coming back from 3-0 down against Dover to win 5-4 in our first season in the Conference? Certainly not everyone who claims to have witnessed it since only 2,119 attended. I am sure far fewer remember when we emulated Telford’s feat (except we did it first) in 1964-65 when goals from Alick Jeffrey (2), John Wylie and manager Bill Leivers (his only goal for the club) rescued a 4-4 draw from being 4-0 down at Crewe. And although 32,817 people were in attendance at Belle Vue in October 1950 not many will be around today to remember Rovers coming from 3-0 down at half-time to defeat Manchester City 4-3 with goals from manager Peter Doherty (2), Kit Lawlor and record signing Ray Harrison. Interflora used this match as an advert in Rovers programmes and handbooks for decades to follow. Come to think of it Dave Penney scored in the Dover match - maybe there is a strange connection with a manager scoring in famous
24
Rovers comebacks - but then Dave Penney wasn’t manager at that time I am not going to debate Sean O’Driscoll’s or anyone else’s tactics, or whether a fifth defender denies an outlet and invites opposition pressure. I am not even going to compare any one comeback or throw-away with any other. However I thought I would take a high level overview and gather and analyse data on games in which Rovers have either lost points from a winning position, or gained points from a losing one. To do this I required data on times of goals scored, and I have this for all league matches from the 1993-94 season onwards. I have then counted the number of matches we have won or drawn from losing positions, and those we have drawn or lost from winning positions. Note any score draw has to fit into one or other category, and some score-draw matches may fall into both categories - e.g. a match in which we score first, fall 2-1 behind and then equalise for a 2-2 draw (as for example at Watford last season). The asymmetry of an equaliser conceded meaning 2 points dropped whereas an equaliser scored gains only one point means that I have ignored league points in devising a measure of whether a season is net positive or negative - i.e. are we better at fighting back and gaining points than we are bad at losing when leading? I have simply measured a comeback to win as being worth 2 points as
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
opposed to 1 point for a comeback to draw, and conversely a lead thrown away to lose as -2 as opposed to -1 for a lead thrown away to Season 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Comp.
Div3 Div3 Div3 Div3 Div3 FC FC FC FC FC Div3 FL Div1 FL Div1 FL Div1 FL Div1 FL Ch FL Ch FL Ch Total Avg per season
Pts won when losing Draws Wins 1 1 3 0 4 1 3 1 2 1 4 3 2 4 5 0 5 1 5 3 7 3 8 1 3 2 5 3 4 3 1 2 5 2 6 3 73 34 4.06 1.89
Unsurprisingly this confirms last season as the worst for points dropped from leading positions. However, we were surprisingly good at gaining points from losing positions last season so the swing was not the worst ever (that was 1994-95), and our first season in the Championship two years ago was also worse than last season. Season 2003-04, the season when we swept all before us winning Division 3 stands out a mile as the best ever season - in fact in only one match (away to Darlington) did we fail to win after taking the lead. My guess is that this is a club all time record with the only season to threaten it being the record breaking 1946-47 season when we won 33, drew 6 and lost only 3 of the 42 games. I believe two of those three
draw. We then have the following table, shown below. Pts dropped when leading Total Swings Draws Losses D=1; W/L=2 1 3 -4 3 3 -6 5 2 -3 2 4 -5 3 3 -5 7 1 1 3 3 1 2 2 -1 6 1 -1 5 1 4 0 1 11 7 2 -1 3 1 2 6 2 1 4 3 0 2 4 -5 7 3 -4 7 4 -3 73 43 -18 4.06 2.39
defeats probably came after Rovers had been leading. On the whole we have not faired positively, with the total swing over these 18 seasons being -18. It is interesting however to compare the records of our last 2 managers. Sean O’Driscoll’s record is 21-11-25-16 for a swing of minus 14. Dave Penney’s record is 24-10-16-5 for a swing of plus 18 for a similar time period (just under 5 seasons). Sean’s passing game would seem to be good for getting leads, but Dave Penney’s more blood and thunder style rescued more points than thrown away. Of course on average Dave Penney’s seasons were at a level lower than Sean, and Sean’s own record becomes
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53
25
appreciably worse in the rarefied atmosphere of the Championship. Also Dave Penney’s figures were boosted by the exceptional 200304 season, but nevertheless the difference between Dave and Sean is significant in statistical (if not automatically in tactical) terms. Season 1993-94 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1998-99 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2003-04 2005-06 2006-07 2006-07 2009-10 2010-11 2010-11
Division Div3 Div3 Div3 Div3 Div3 Div3 FC FC FC FC Div3 Div3 FL1 FL1 FL1 FL Ch FL Ch FL Ch
Comebacks
0-2 to 2-2 at Scarborough 0-2 to 3-3 at Northampton 0-2 to 3-3 at Cardiff 0-3 to 5-4 vs Dover 0-2 to 2-2 vs Cheltenham 0-2 to 3-2 at Stevenage 0-3 to 3-3 at Cambridge 0-2 to 2-2 at Scunthorpe 0-2 to 2-2 vs Bradford 0-2 to 3-3 vs Bradford 0-2 to 202 vs Scunthorpe
With two wins and nine draws from two goal (or more) deficits we have comeback from a two goal lead slightly more often than we have thrown one away (4 defeats, 6 draws), although of course those four defeats really hurt. Ian Snodin’s pivotal and exciting season as manger in 1998-99 saw the largest number of dramatic swings with two positive and two negative. On the other hand dramatic swings in 2-2 draws with Scunthorpe have been a surprisingly regular feature recently. Apart from the Dover and Telford matches mentioned earlier, the only other deficit of 3 goals or more neutralised was the comeback
26
As for bigger, more dramatic, swings from two or more goals down, here is the list of the times this has occurred in the League since 1993-94:
Giveaways 2-0 to 2-4 at Carlisle 3-1 to 3-4 vs Chester
2-0 to 2-2 at Northampton 2-0 to 2-3 vs Southport 2-0 to 2-2 vs Yeovil 2-0 to 2-2 at Boston 4-0 to 4-4 at Telford
2-0 to 2-2 at Scunthorpe 3-1 to 3-4 at Reading 2-0 to 2-2 at Sheffield Utd
at Cambridge in 2003-04 when Paul Barnes missed a late penalty which would have turned a 0-3 score into a 4-3 win. The motto of this story? With Rovers never give up, but never assume anything! Caveat - no figures quoted in this article are official. Dutch Uncle uses many often conflicting sources including club handbooks, Rothmans/Sky annuals, and best of all the official Rovers history by Bluff & Watson. For definitive data the reader is referred to Tony Bluff and/or Barry Watson.
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 53