1998: Trading Places

[Mr1Croft]

Just came across this on Youtube of the 1998 documentary about DRFC's demise and Halifax's rise. Well worth a watch and brings a lot of memories back...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u70gcbdYEGY

[MrFrost]

Does anyone know where I can find the documentary Channel 5 did around the same time?

[1879Rovers]

For those under the age of 20 who whinge and whine, look at what us older fans had to put up with.

I have just sat and watched it for the first time. As good as it has been in the past ten years, watching that still makes me feel sick and want to cry.

Looking back, it is unbelievable that is was allowed to happen at a Football League club. I left Belle Vue on the final day against Colchester and I honestly thought I would never see Doncaster Rovers play again. Thank god for John Ryan.

[RobTheRover]

For those under the age of 20 who whinge and whine, look at what us older fans had to put up with.

I have just sat and watched it for the first time. As good as it has been in the past ten years, watching that still makes me feel sick and want to cry.

Looking back, it is unbelievable that is was allowed to happen at a Football League club. I left Belle Vue on the final day against Colchester and I honestly thought I would never see Doncaster Rovers play again. Thank god for John Ryan.

Spot on.

After that Colchester match ended, and we all started to leave the on-pitch protest, me and my mate climbed over the railings onto the old condemned Town End, and stood in the spots where our Dads' had first brought us to see the Rovers as nippers.  I promised myself no tears that day, and I failed.

[bradford exile]

Mr Frost

Check your pm's mate

Regards

Ray

[Ldr]

Ray, can I check my pm too? I was in the c5 one

[boro_rover]

I remember as a young lad being there on the last day, being part of the "funeral procession" with my old man. I was 10 at the time and disnt understand quite how bad it was. I remember laughing at my dad crying at the end. I thought it was just because we had been relegated.
I rember him saying we might not have a club to follow next year son. Then jr came to the  fore amd saved the day, by god am I thankful now.

[not on facebook]

Anyone recall the 3 donny lads Who ran onto BV pitch at half time vs brighton,and sat down in centre circle?

[boro_rover]

Anyone recall the 3 donny lads Who ran onto BV pitch at half time vs brighton,and sat down in centre circle?

I do, did they put tacks on the pitch to try get the game off as well?

[RedJ]

Who was it that chained themselves to the goal at one stage?

[BobG]

That was our Geography teaching friend Red. I'll let him identify himself if he wants to. Oh. He plays in a band too. And he goes to Wishbone Ash concerts. Good man!

As for the 3 guys in the middle, I can't for the life of me remember their names right now. But I knew them all. The first one on might have been called Smith?

The tin tacks should have worked. Publicity was the only thing the club and the supporters had left. I wish I could have found out who it was that decided to ignore the risk.

BobG

[not on facebook]

Anyone recall the 3 donny lads Who ran onto BV pitch at half time vs brighton,and sat down in centre circle?

I do, did they put tacks on the pitch to try get the game off as well?

No no tacks on the pitch.the idea was to get into the centre circle and hope rest Of the BV crowd would follow suit.

Brighton had done the the exact same week before at
Their home game and got massive press coverage over
It.

The ref Asked the donny lads ...if you move off the centre spot Now he would not report the issue to FA and DRFC would not lose any points...

...too late for that ref as rovers are allready relegated to conference was answer.

The brighton CF Then approached the donny lads and
Said....i feal sorry for Your Club and we had a pitch at goldstone ground last week,only difference Been There was 100s on are pitch,good luck lads.

This is When SYP came bouncing Across,to which one donny lad Flicked a coin with the ref in centre circle via the gesture

Should we Stay or go

And ref called it correctly

[nightporter]

Took me ages to read this thread. Every time I tried i got side tracked looking at Jamie Lee Curtis's tits.

[les@donr]

I wonder if Miles is attending Rovers games. It was very sad to see him lose his position at the club.

[VivaRovers]

Anyone recall the 3 donny lads Who ran onto BV pitch at half time vs brighton,and sat down in centre circle?

I do, did they put tacks on the pitch to try get the game off as well?

No no tacks on the pitch.the idea was to get into the centre circle and hope rest Of the BV crowd would follow suit.

Brighton had done the the exact same week before at
Their home game and got massive press coverage over
It.

The ref Asked the donny lads ...if you move off the centre spot Now he would not report the issue to FA and DRFC would not lose any points...

...too late for that ref as rovers are allready relegated to conference was answer.

The brighton CF Then approached the donny lads and
Said....i feal sorry for Your Club and we had a pitch at goldstone ground last week,only difference Been There was 100s on are pitch,good luck lads.

This is When SYP came bouncing Across,to which one donny lad Flicked a coin with the ref in centre circle via the gesture

Should we Stay or go

And ref called it correctly

Good story that Oslo... only it was against Hull not Brighton... and Rovers had not yet been relegated at that stage... and there wasn't three lads, just one lad initially (the Mr Smith identified by BobG), joined by another (Tisso), and then joined en masse by more from the Pop Side... and that conversation didn't take place... nor did the coin flicking. Still, good story.

Mind, the bit about everyone's favourite alt rock star turned geography teacher chaining himself to the posts is true.

[the vicar]

I wonder if Miles is attending Rovers games. It was very sad to see him lose his position at the club.

I was talking to miles and richard haley at brentford so yes is the answer

[1879Rovers]

For those under the age of 20 who whinge and whine, look at what us older fans had to put up with.

I have just sat and watched it for the first time. As good as it has been in the past ten years, watching that still makes me feel sick and want to cry.

Looking back, it is unbelievable that is was allowed to happen at a Football League club. I left Belle Vue on the final day against Colchester and I honestly thought I would never see Doncaster Rovers play again. Thank god for John Ryan.

Spot on.

After that Colchester match ended, and we all started to leave the on-pitch protest, me and my mate climbed over the railings onto the old condemned Town End, and stood in the spots where our Dads' had first brought us to see the Rovers as nippers.  I promised myself no tears that day, and I failed.

I stood on the Town End or went in the cowshed when I first started going. I used to go right behind the goal and still remember vividly Ian Nimmo's goal that sent us up in 1981. I then stood against the wall near the little three wheel blue noddy cars (whatever happened to those?) on the pop side.

I went on the main stand side after first the Town end went and then the pop side was knocked down.

[not on facebook]

Anyone recall the 3 donny lads Who ran onto BV pitch at half time vs brighton,and sat down in centre circle?

I do, did they put tacks on the pitch to try get the game off as well?

No no tacks on the pitch.the idea was to get into the centre circle and hope rest Of the BV crowd would follow suit.

Brighton had done the the exact same week before at
Their home game and got massive press coverage over
It.

The ref Asked the donny lads ...if you move off the centre spot Now he would not report the issue to FA and DRFC would not lose any points...

...too late for that ref as rovers are allready relegated to conference was answer.

The brighton CF Then approached the donny lads and
Said....i feal sorry for Your Club and we had a pitch at goldstone ground last week,only difference Been There was 100s on are pitch,good luck lads.

This is When SYP came bouncing Across,to which one donny lad Flicked a coin with the ref in centre circle via the gesture

Should we Stay or go

And ref called it correctly

Good story that Oslo... only it was against Hull not Brighton... and Rovers had not yet been relegated at that stage... and there wasn't three lads, just one lad initially (the Mr Smith identified by BobG), joined by another (Tisso), and then joined en masse by more from the Pop Side... and that conversation didn't take place... nor did the coin flicking. Still, good story.

Mind, the bit about everyone's favourite alt rock star turned geography teacher chaining himself to the posts is true.

It was against brighton fella for sure,and if i was playing poker i go all in with me chips.

The said lads were all from cantley

MT,GW and ME

[VivaRovers]

Well unless there was a pitch invasion against Brighton too... http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Protest+at+Doncaster.-a060649250

[boro_rover]

I wonder if Miles is attending Rovers games. It was very sad to see him lose his position at the club.

I was talking to miles and richard haley at brentford so yes is the answer

I can vouch for this as well, Miles is my dad. I begged him not to go to Brentford because he had not seen us win all season.

[BobG]

The Brighton home game was quite early in the season. It was the first time that there was a concerted attack on Firestarter. TBH, it was led by them. It was after that match that my Dad and I decided to see if we could do something about it. I set up my website immediately after that game.

Hull City at home, which i think we actually won (!) - they were a shit team with owner problems of their own at the time - was noticeable for a pitch invasion. The last game, Colchester, might have had an invasion too. I can't remember that one for sure now.

The abuse on that day of the Brighton home match was so vitriolic that FS was, by the cops, advised to leave the ground. I'm not sure he ever came back on a match day tbh.

BobG

[RedRover45]

If I remember correctly the Brighton game marked the only game where Weavers fat neighbour Smith played in goal for us. He was allegedly a Sunday league player and he was as mobile as a snowman.

[RobTheRover]

The Brighton home game was quite early in the season. It was the first time that there was a concerted attack on Firestarter. TBH, it was led by them. It was after that match that my Dad and I decided to see if we could do something about it. I set up my website immediately after that game.

Hull City at home, which i think we actually won (!) - they were a shit team with owner problems of their own at the time - was noticeable for a pitch invasion. The last game, Colchester, might have had an invasion too. I can't remember that one for sure now.

The abuse on that day of the Brighton home match was so vitriolic that FS was, by the cops, advised to leave the ground. I'm not sure he ever came back on a match day tbh.

BobG

There were 3 pitch invasions at the Colchester game, Bob.  We were handing out leaflets to the Colchester fans on the Rosso end and although initially quite hostile (didnt understand why we were on the pitch) soon began to applaud the Rovers fans and many joined in with the protest in front of the main stand at the end.

[BobG]

Thank you Rob. Not surprising really! Was it Colchester or Hull when AB chained himself to the Town end goalpost? Top man AB.

BobG

[dickos1]

Remarkable when you look where ourselves, Brighton and hull are plying their trades now..

[RobTheRover]

Peaks and troughs, mate.  Peaks and troughs.  Look at Pompey, Port Vale (although on their way back), and Plymouth as the opposite.

[not on facebook]

Well unless there was a pitch invasion against Brighton too... http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Protest+at+Doncaster.-a060649250

The one against brighton at BV iam sure was that "fans United game"

[VivaRovers]

Thank you Rob. Not surprising really! Was it Colchester or Hull when AB chained himself to the Town end goalpost? Top man AB.

BobG

That was Hull too Bob... whilst Matt was in the centre spot. I wrote it up for the fanzine the other year; http://thetwounfortunates.com/hopeless-football-league-teams-7-doncaster-rovers-1997-98/

[not on facebook]

If I remember correctly the Brighton game marked the only game where Weavers fat neighbour Smith played in goal for us. He was allegedly a Sunday league player and he was as mobile as a snowman.

Thats the game iam on about as the salad swerver Of a rovers goal keeper fell onto the back Of his net,he could not Get up quick enough to prevent the brighton
Player from hitting the back Of rovers ONION bag.

It was bloody painfull watching the rovers lard Arsè trying to roll Get up and back into play.

Never seen Owt like it from a footballer,Well i have When playing for likes Of paddock pub in donny sunday league ffs

[1879Rovers]

Remarkable when you look where ourselves, Brighton and hull are plying their trades now..

I think the bottom five the season we went down were, Swansea, Cardiff, Hull, Brighton and Rovers.