Football Heaven phone call

[ncRover]

https://x.com/footballheaven/status/1783077940214809007?s=46

Just have a listen to this.

Wonderfully spoken Andrew. If you’re on here, hats off to you.

[Champagne Super Rovers]

That is an incredibly moving piece and shows the power of sport.

[Pancho Regan]

Wow.

That is absolutely wonderful.

Hats off to you Andrew because you've articulated what many of us felt at that moment, but in your case it was all the more profound and is a moment you will treasure forever.

My best wishes to you and your Dad.

[Scooter]

What an absolutely amazing call. Thank you for sharing. I am meant to be working but I’m sleep deprived after the long drive home last night and now emotional as well.
Andrew has nailed it. The father -son football bond probably relates to most of us.
I’ve said before that my dad is a Grimsby fan and I go to the big games with him. If we get to Wembley I will be repaying the favour
He will be 70 in July and his memory is on the decline. I see every big match moment with him as potentially my last

Tremendous call Andrew

[adamtherover]

Wonderful moments x

[sf9944]

Just brilliant that! Emotions that most of us can identify with and beautifully articulated.

[mushRTID]

Amazing call that, bloody brilliant.

[JonWallsend]

What a great call. That is exactly  what football can  be about. I'm sure everyone  will  have their 'moment' from watching  over the years. Keep hold of them

[MachoMadness]

Amazing video, well worth 5 minutes of anyone's time. For all the whinging we all do on here at times, we do have a special club you know.

Let's give Andrew a few more moments like that in the play offs now.

[Filo]

Wow, very well spoken Andrew, certainly stirred up some emotion in me, all the best to Andrews Dad

[idler]

I think that we can all share moments like that. I thought after the game finished on Saturday that my late son and elder brother who have both died in the last four years would have been absolutely made up after that second half. Not to mention the previous eight games. Play that clip to the players and I’m sure that it will motivate them even more.

[roversdude]

Brilliant sat here welling up listening to it

[Filo]

I think that we can all share moments like that. I thought after the game finished on Saturday that my late son and elder brother who have both died in the last four years would have been absolutely made up after that second half. Not to mention the previous eight games. Play that clip to the players and I’m sure that it will motivate them even more.

That should be played to the players first thing in the morning, I’m sure that would spur them on

[Chris the Rover]

I listened to that last night. It brought tears to my eyes. Irrespective of what happens on the pitch until the end of the season, that is one memory that Andrew will cherish forever.

[Colin C No.3]

That was beautifully put Andrew.

That piece, that story you so very kindly shared with us, encapsulates perfectly what the ‘good power’ of football gives us.

I’ve been attending games with my brother now since we were kids in the sixties. Wherever our lives have taken us on our separate journeys, the Rovers have always been our base, our touch stone.

We’ve cheered, shouted, groaned, kicked & headed every ball, been brought to silence in despair. Rovers have been our release, our ‘captors’, our shared love.

I couldn’t imagine Rovers without him.

Bless you & your dad Andrew. I truly hope there may yet be another ‘moment’ for you both to share.

[Paul Simpson]

Thank you for making that phone call. It has reminded us of how the beautiful game connects people regardless of the result .

[RoverinLincs]

What a phone call. This should be played in the dressing room for McCann and the players to hear. They will realise what they’re doing to us playing like this!!

[redbrez]

Wow, that had me emotional.

[CJK]

Wow, I can draw a lot of parallels from that. None of my friends growing up supported Rovers so it's always been me and my Dad. We've seen hundreds of games together. Being born in '87, by the time the school playground came along in my formative years Rovers weren't a good prospect for garnering younger fans of the future. My Dad started taking me about the age of six, if it wasn't for that, I imagine I would quite easily have ended up with different allegiances.

In my junior football team, you'd got all the usual suspects; Man Utd, Liverpool, Leeds, the Sheffield clubs were doing well in the early to mid 90's. But SKY had brought the Premier League into everyone's living room. On the back of that we had lads in Blackburn shirts at training after winning the title.

My Dad was eventually repaid when Richardson finally went and JR came in. The next twenty years, in general, were brilliant. I'm 37 and my Dad 77 now. He's not as sharp as he once was and I don't see him as much nowadays but I try and make as many Saturday afternoons as I can. It's been a struggle at times over the last three seasons but Saturday was just brilliant. As per Andy's call, Rovers have always been our common ground too. The delight etched on my Dad's face after the third goal is safely in the memory bank.

Ah football, particularly lower league culture, people will never get it unless they've lived it.

[silent majority]

Just to add, we have a project up and running that addresses some of the aspects of dementia, and hopefully over the next few months we can release some information.

I'd like that particular telephone call to be linked to that as it ideally focusses on the value of football and its connections.

[Mike_F]

Just to add, we have a project up and running that addresses some of the aspects of dementia, and hopefully over the next few months we can release some information.

I'd like that particular telephone call to be linked to that as it ideally focusses on the value of football and its connections.

Have you spoken to the local Donmentia charity? We donated some fanzine monies to them a couple of times and I'm sure they'd welcome the cahnce to have some input.

[Prez]

What a phone call. This should be played in the dressing room for McCann and the players to hear. They will realise what they’re doing to us playing like this!!

Absolutely should be.

I can relate to Andrew on this. My dad has advanced alzheimers now. He took me to my first game back in 1982. In truth although hes a rovers fan, football wasnt his passion, fishing and shooting was. That said up until a year ago, he always had final score on, and would always ask me how Rovers had got on, how they played.  Sadly now its impossible to speak to him about anything nevermind football. Just wish i could somehow communicate how incredibe we have been to win 10 in a row, and match a record that his dad a big rovers fan (my grandad of course) would have been all too aware of back in 1947.

He would be very proud, but most all or very impressed that Doncaster Rovers could match this record, and potentially beat it on saturday of course too.

[silent majority]

Just to add, we have a project up and running that addresses some of the aspects of dementia, and hopefully over the next few months we can release some information.

I'd like that particular telephone call to be linked to that as it ideally focusses on the value of football and its connections.

Have you spoken to the local Donmentia charity? We donated some fanzine monies to them a couple of times and I'm sure they'd welcome the cahnce to have some input.

We will do Mike, we've got a rather large project that will encompass all those issues. We're currently fundraising through the normal channels, lottery funding etc. Once we make a start on the physical outputs we'll broaden the scope.

[dknward2]

Moly has tweeted saying what football is about, hopefully he stays as he really seems to get us as a club

[PDX_Rover]

Have to admit I shed a tear listening to that. Beautifully said. From the heart. Moments like that are magical… when the joy of shared experiences overwhelms everything else.

Agree with everyone who says play this to the players. It shows the power of what they do.

Emotionally invested and then some, aren’t we all?

Thank you Andrew. Hope you get more moments with your Dad. My stepdad is in the early stages of a condition that’s affecting his memory, so my family is going through what this means. Those who know me know my Mum and Stepdad have been Rovers fanatics for many decades…

RTID

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I heard it last night and can only echo what everyone has said. Very humbling and profound and just highlights how important football clubs are to their communities. It's far more wide reaching than just the football, so it's always good just to reflect and appreciate what our football clubs mean to us and our loved ones.

[MickyNorburys90shat-trick]

My Dad introduced me to the Rovers back in the mid-80's - he was a lifelong fan and even when we lived far apart it was the main thing we always talked about.  As he got older and couldn't go to games he always wanted to know how we were playing and kept himself up to date with all the goings on of the club.

He passed away in December, not long before the incredible run started.  My wife thinks he has been somehow pulling strings from up above.

I must confess that at half time against Barrow I looked up to the sky and asked if he wouldn't mind helping one more time.  When the third went in I cried my eyes out and hugged his grandson stood next to me more than I think I ever have.

Its moments like that that make all the bad times worthwhile.

[roversdude]

Started going with my dad in 70s and shared the great moments as well as the sadness of nearly losing the club.
He went a bit strange alienated his family listening to his new wife and stopped going to Rovers. Died a few years ago and this made me realise how short times can be - glad I’m building memories with my lad

[philsky]

Choked listening to that.

The time with my son bullshitting about the team is so special.

[Filo]

I think most of the players will have heard this

https://x.com/jamiesterry2/status/1783154375818350670?s=61&t=DCRm1C_BBr5pt7J45jXUsA