Rovers on the Road

[Alonzo Drake]

If our beloved Cattle Drovers bite the dust at the KC Stadium on Tuesday night, we will equal the run of seven consecutive away league losses, following our historic 1-0 win at Pride Park in the club’s first D2 game for half a century.

That seven game run of losses ended on Nov 22, 2008 at Turf Moor. However, Rovers worst ever string of consecutive on-the-road FL defeats is 23, uniquely experienced over a 20 year period between 1903 and 1923.

On March 28, 1903 the Rovers forced a goalless draw at Saltergate in a D2 game, but then lost the last two away D2 games12-0 at Small Heath (Birmingham City) and 4-0 at Manchester United.

The club undeservedly lost its D2 status in 1903/04 thanks to FL jigger-pokery (nothing changes). However, FL guilt over that shameful affair saw us voted back into D2 for the 1904/05 season. Unfortunately, the Rovers were totally unprepared for the task and garnered only eight points all season.

The Intake Ground club lost all 17 D2 fixtures on the road and according to a Doncaster Gazette sports writer of the time, the Rovers performances were enough to make ‘Angels weep’ – a bit like some recent forum posts.

We returned to the FL in 1923/24, but lost the first four D3(N) games on the road before forcing a 2-2 draw at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground – 23 consecutive FL away losses!

We were just two away games from defeating the all-time record of 24 consecutive away losses achieved by Crewe in the 1890s, and Nelson FC in the 1920s. But we did come close to it though when I was a lad – twice.

The first time was in the re-election season of 1961/62. Following a 5-1 win at Exeter on Sept 30, 1961, we lost 19 consecutive away games, which included all remaining games of 61/62 and the first three away games of 62/63 before ending that run at Exeter with a 1-0 win – remarkably on the same ground they had tasted league victory away from BV virtually a whole calendar year earlier,

The second time encompassed 11 calendar months of away FL losses occurring between November 1967, and August 1968. I was so proud of my 1965/66 D4 champions. What a team – but then disaster, and bad management saw us embark on a run of 19 consecutive away defeats (again). On Oct 1, 1966, Laurie Sheffield scored in a 1-0 at Swindon, and then came a long run of heart breaking thrashing after thrashing – more Angels wept – before Alan Warboys and Willie Watson scored in a 2-1 win at Bootham Crescent on September 1, 1967.

So, really the expected defeat at Hull on Tuesday, our seventh consecutive away reverse since that now far-off win at Portman Road, won’t be too bad when considering the bigger picture. Isn’t it fun being a Rovers fan.

[southwestexile]

no it isn't brilliant but at least it's good preparation for following the England team

great post btw

[Mr1Croft]

That was an excellent read! Fine post Alonzo!

[Dutch Uncle]

Great post Alonzo. I remember well that run of often heavy away defeats in 1966-67. That was in the days that a promotion always seemed to be followed by a relegation after a maximum of 2 seasons. 4 seasons in the championship is an achievement in itself, and to extend it to 5 seasons or more would be even more so.