Question for the older rovers fans at BV

[not on facebook]

During the mid 1970s onwards was it the norm for coach loads of other teams fans to drop in to watch what ever game enroute back home after their teams match was called of due to frozen pitch etc etc.

I recall been stood on the BV pop side for one game and all the chin wag on the terrace was that 2 coach loads of notts forest fans were inside BV because their game at where ever had been called off and they was enroute back home.

Seem to recall that  there was talk that Lincoln fans had done the same as above aswell during whatever game at BV.

Was the above a normall thing to happen back in those days ?

Or was it just old wives tales?

If it was the normall thing to do ,did the rovers Yorkshire traction bus
ever stop off at other grounds to take in a game after whatever doncaster game was called off?

[RedRover45]

Not sure about the Rovers coaches but I remember being at a Rovers away game at Rochdale in the 80's and a coach load of Cardiff fans rocked up due to the Bluebirds being postponed somewhere in the area.

[Lesonthewest]

Seem to remember Chelsea fans when we played at Stockport one season, or did I dream it.

[not on facebook]

Seem to remember Chelsea fans when we played at Stockport one season, or did I dream it.

You did not dream that fella but that was Chelsea fans from the Stockport area not a coach
load from the Home Counties.

salford,binman and other Chelsea Stockport mates climbed into the away end via the back wall
and stood in middle of the Doncaster away fans and started to sing 'one man went to mow'

Then the atmosphere changed as soon as they broke out into ' Chelsea Chelsea' as the northern Manc
Chelsea lot got mullered .

[roversdude]

I remember on occasions we were 'used' as a meeting place for rival fans
I think we played millwall and boro fans turned up

[colfromdonny]

I remember Hull City fans coming once when Bremner was manager and they got onto the pitch to clap him, the picture was in the Evening Post.

[Surrey Rover]

I remember going down to London on the supporters club coach for the Rovers match at Griffin Park Brentford in February 1978. On arrival we were met with the news that the match had just been postponed due to a frozen pitch. Rather then head straight back to Donny we headed over to White Hart Lane and watched Spurs draw 2-2 with Blackpool who were both in tier 2 that season.

[idler]

I'm almost sure that on at least one occasion a coach full of Rovers fans called at another game on the way back from a postponed fixture.
Somewhere in the midlands I think.

[Donnywolf]

I remember going down to London on the supporters club coach for the Rovers match at Griffin Park Brentford in February 1978. On arrival we were met with the news that the match had just been postponed due to a frozen pitch. Rather then head straight back to Donny we headed over to White Hart Lane and watched Spurs draw 2-2 with Blackpool who were both in tier 2 that season.

Slightly off topic ... I have posted this before but I still laugh (or is that growl) ... and this will be the same day as you speak of !

===============================================================================

Talking of Brentford

I used to go to London every other weekend with a West Ham Fan from somewhere near Scunny and a Chelsea fan now from Scunny

Rovers were at Brentford one of those days and cos I had loads of time I went watching the Planes at Heathrow. It was f..f. freezing and my hands were blue with cold

Eventually it was time to go and arriving at the Ground I pitched into one of the Pubs at the Ground. I noticed it was less than full and on ordering a pint the Landlord having detected the accent told me the news ... Game called off mate at 13.00.

I decided to try to make it to a new Ground Wimbledon I think it was and at Earls Court station I made a fatal error (without knowing of course) and picked the wrong Tube. I noticed immediately that the clientele were "different" , very well dressed and some holding small dogs ????? It did not take long till we reached Olympia where a huge banner greeted me ..... Welcome to Crufts Home of the Worlds Biggest Dog Show

I abandoned any further attempts to get to Wimbledon as by now it was too late and returned to Wood Green to wait for the other 2 - with "my tail between my legs" - and all the other doggy puns I had to endure all the way home from them !

[IDM]

I occasionally pick a random game to go to when I have been living away so not necessarily due to a frozen pitch..  I remember trying to go to a game at Walsall when I lived in the west midlands, only to find it was off when I got there.  I then got to St Andrews just in time for kick off, to watch Birmingham vs Wrexham (around 1995/6 time) in the 3rd tier.

Brum won 5-2.

[not on facebook]

There are some really good reads on this thread all about rovers fans
experience on rovers match days that would never have been flushed out.

This was my whole idea when I started a thread about it been free to post and draw out the lurkers ,only for a swan to come off Sandal park pond and attack us.

There has got to be untold gems out there all baised on a rovers match day .

The stand out one for me at the moment was the brief description of donnywolfs day out at a brentford v rovers game from year zonk.

That incident at the Stockport v Doncaster game with the Chelsea fans
had gone from my memory untill lesonthewest sparked my memory.

This thread has some serious legs if carried on ,as every single rovers fan must have some experience good/funny/bad/strange on whatever match day > > > which in turn had a chain reaction as others might recall.

[not on facebook]

I remember on occasions we were 'used' as a meeting place for rival fans
I think we played millwall and boro fans turned up

Anyone recall the boro fans that turned up for a rovers facup 1st round tie at whitby town?

Brian dean brought rovers level in last min of game ,for us to win replay back at BV.

[Donnywolf]

Cheers N on F for liking my Brentford post

I have done something more stupid than that and it is captured on this Thread from 2013

http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=244010.msg405822#msg405822

[not on facebook]

Cheers N on F for liking my Brentford post

I have done something more stupid than that and it is captured on this Thread from 2013

http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=244010.msg405822#msg405822

I can't beat that misshap deserves a trophy all on its own

I can bring a Wigan v Doncaster game at Springfield park into the fold  but not half as bad/funny as yours.

There was 3 car loads of us heading to above Wigan game and non of us have ever been to Wigan before and car 2 and 3 was just following who was in car one.car one was using the so called sat nav
options back then of hunt and head for the floodlights

What with with Wigan been a rugby town that's where we ended up and I guess was not the last
set of fans to do same mistake.

By time we got to Springfield park and parked up in a iffy Wigan back street we walked rest if way to ground.came down to away end round back of this estate and could not believe our eyes when we closed a local Wigan lass giving a rovers lad a gobble via a gap in the fence .

Game was about 15mins in by time we passed that scene so god knows how that played out to
lead up to it,the mind just boggles .

[ravenrover]

I remember one snowy Saturday in the late 60's waiting for any news of the game being off. Nothing on Grandstand so catching my usual bus from Woodlands  I eventually set off on my walk to the ground. It now being about 2.15 I began to wonder where everyone else was. As I got to the Leger Hotel I gazed out across a pristine blanket of thick snow where the car park should be and finally realised the game was off. It had been called off the day before.

[Herbert Anchovy]

I remember one evening game back in the 1980's when a group of Bristol Rovers fans came to the Donny match as their own game had been postponed. They'd initially gone in the Rosso end but when the heavens opened up asked the stewards/police if they could go under the main stand. They were given the thumbs up for this and transferred to the main stand terrace to keep dry! The away fans (cant for the life of me remember who it was) weren't happy at all! Additionally, I also clearly remember that the Bristol fans were all wearing suits for some reason?!?!

[not on facebook]

You can just feal the motions or questions you asked yer sen that day

1. . . Is it on or off?

2. . . Should I have brought my spade?

3. . . Where is everybody

4.  . . maybe they will all turn up

5. . . Have I got the correct kick off time

6. . . You have got to be kidding me FFS are you sure

[Herbert Anchovy]

I also recall my mate telling me that in the early 70's Donny was a regular stop off point for Newcastle and Sunderland fans returning from away games down south. Apparently they used to park their coaches up and go round the boozers in the market place causing a bit of chaos for an hour or so before jumping back on their coaches and heading up north!

[roversdude]

Not on FB was that the game with mass brawl in tunnel

[not on facebook]

The Stockport game that's In question Iam sure was a bank holiday Monday game.

That's when primo a well know rovers fan who became kit man at the dons and once walked all way from conisboro to help clear snow from BV pitch , got a good smack in his gob from some Stockport sat in the seats above him .

From what I recall shit loads of Stockport were all over the pitch after the game upto no good .

As for problems in the tunnel was this with the players ? As that's news too me if the case

[not on facebook]

I also recall my mate telling me that in the early 70's Donny was a regular stop off point for Newcastle and Sunderland fans returning from away games down south. Apparently they used to park their coaches up and go round the boozers in the market place causing a bit of chaos for an hour or so before jumping back on their coaches and heading up north!

both of them still did that now and again during the 1980s early 1990s from what I recall when
round town on Saturday nights .

They allways saw doncaster as a great stop off enroute back home for a drink,as did many others .

Forest,Spurs,ipswich,Chelsea,huddersfield,Preston,hull,Cardiff from my memory

For whatever reason camalots pub the converted church allways got a massive thumbs up

[the vicar]

I remember on the pop side a load of Scandinavian Man United fans turned up on a night game and we won and played well so they said we was going to be there second tram to watch for lol i bet they did

[Bentley Bullet]

I remember when we played L**ds at home and there were loads of Doncaster folk in the away end.

[not on facebook]

I remember when we played L**ds at home and there were loads of Doncaster folk in the away end.

Going to get some pop corn and sit back as that will touch a nerve with some ,I suggest you might
invest in a tin hat fella

[mugnapper]

I remember watching us at Watford (late 70's/early 80's) and ours was the only game on in London due to waterlogged pitches.
Me and my mate went on the train and after running the gauntlet of Chelsea fans at Euston managed to get to the ground, where it was chucking it down.
Once in, we (probably 40/50 Rovers) found ourselves being chased by various fans from other teams whose games had been called off, as well as Watford!
(I vaguely remember forming an uneasy alliance with another bunch of fans, (possibly Luton) who were also getting some clog, to try get out of there unscathed)
Throw in being piss wet through, a 6-0 defeat, dodging the Chelsea fans at Euston and a 2 hour delay on the way home, not the greatest away day ever.
(We did have 3 goals disallowed as well).
Glory days!

[not on facebook]

I remember watching us at Watford (late 70's/early 80's) and ours was the only game on in London due to waterlogged pitches.
Me and my mate went on the train and after running the gauntlet of Chelsea fans at Euston managed to get to the ground, where it was chucking it down.
Once in, we (probably 40/50 Rovers) found ourselves being chased by various fans from other teams whose games had been called off, as well as Watford!
(I vaguely remember forming an uneasy alliance with another bunch of fans, (possibly Luton) who were also getting some clog, to try get out of there unscathed)
Throw in being piss wet through, a 6-0 defeat, dodging the Chelsea fans at Euston and a 2 hour delay on the way home, not the greatest away day ever.
(We did have 3 goals disallowed as well).
Glory days!

Sounds like a good day out fella .it never stuns me how a defeat on the pitch can ruin the
rest of a match going day

[Donnywolf]

I remember when we played L**ds at home and there were loads of Doncaster folk in the away end.

Should have been in mauve I suspect

[Bentley Bullet]

I remember when we played L**ds at home and there were loads of Doncaster folk in the away end.

Should have been in mauve I suspect

Oh aye, forgot!

[The Red Baron]

I remember watching us at Watford (late 70's/early 80's) and ours was the only game on in London due to waterlogged pitches.
Me and my mate went on the train and after running the gauntlet of Chelsea fans at Euston managed to get to the ground, where it was chucking it down.
Once in, we (probably 40/50 Rovers) found ourselves being chased by various fans from other teams whose games had been called off, as well as Watford!
(I vaguely remember forming an uneasy alliance with another bunch of fans, (possibly Luton) who were also getting some clog, to try get out of there unscathed)
Throw in being piss wet through, a 6-0 defeat, dodging the Chelsea fans at Euston and a 2 hour delay on the way home, not the greatest away day ever.
(We did have 3 goals disallowed as well).
Glory days!

I was at that one although on the Supporters' Club bus with the late Ken Avis.

The game at Vicarage Road was only given the go-ahead about an hour before kick off. We discussed going to Highbury if it was called off. I'm pretty sure that one went ahead too.

Ours did go ahead and as you say we got gubbed 6-0.

Much later that evening I caught the bus home from Christ Church back to Hatfield and Ian Miller and Peter Bowden got on. They got off just before Sandall Park. You wouldn't get that now!

[DN8 West Stander]

TRB, I was also on Ken's coach that day. Seem to recall some Blackpool fans turned up after their game at Crystal Palace was called off. Just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse, discovered they had parked near Ken's coach and were waiting to greet us with smug faces. Happy days!