Tonight's games..

[Chris Black come back]

We have our fate back in our hands again, which is very good news.

Of our remaining 10 games, exactly half are against sides currently in the top 7 places.

[Avsuptem]

Averaging 2 points per game from now must surely secure automatic promotion.

[Silkscarf]

Averaging 2 points per game from now must surely secure automatic promotion.

3 certainly will. One of those 10-game winning runs will do nicely.

[drfchound]

We have our fate back in our hands again, which is very good news.

Of our remaining 10 games, exactly half are against sides currently in the top 7 places.

So seven “six pointers” then.

The Tranmere and Carlisle games could be even more difficult as they battle to avoid dropping out of the league.

[idler]

The problem is that if your glass I already half empty people tend to count a game in hand as three points. Especially as pressure builds and tired squads suffer injuries and suspensions there is far more to it. It is far better to be wary of games in hand than worry about it expecting to be overhauled.
Like the old advert said, If Carlsberg did football results. Loads more ups and downs to come in the next nine games and fans of Walsall and Port Vale must be far more concerned about their form than us.

[roversdude]

Looking at the table we are safe from relegation

[Pancho Regan]

Just woken up to this set of results and they could hardly have gone better for us.
It’s brilliant that we’ve held onto 3rd place after all the games in hand have evened up.

No point crying over spilt milk and pondering where we would be if we had won our last two games. Better to look forward now and hopefully GM will be able to galvanise the squad and drum into them the fact that auto promotion is back in our own hands.

It’s going to be an incredibly tight finish to this League.
Every game is huge now, starting on Saturday at Crewe. A win there would be a brilliant start to this 10-game run-in.

[Jersey Rover]

Really interesting game Thursday. Can Walsall stop the slide or are they done?

[RoversInSpain]

Salfords season is collapsing, let's hope they are on the beach in 2 weeks time..

Adelukan sent off last night hopefully he gets a 2 game ban…don’t want him upsetting us

[idler]

Salfords season is collapsing, let's hope they are on the beach in 2 weeks time..

Adelukan sent off last night hopefully he gets a 2 game ban…don’t want him upsetting us

A straight red is usually three games unless he appeals successfully.
It is Ramadan as well so he might not be training as hard as usual so might not come back fully match fit.

[colincramb]

We keep getting gifts served on a plate to us every week. This won’t continue so if we fail now, it’s lies squarely with us. Couldn’t wish for a better opportunity to get the job done now.

[Nudga]

I can't see Walsall getting anything from Bromley.

[Ian Nimmo]

Salfords season is collapsing, let's hope they are on the beach in 2 weeks time..

Adelukan sent off last night hopefully he gets a 2 game ban…don’t want him upsetting us

A straight red is usually three games unless he appeals successfully.
It is Ramadan as well so he might not be training as hard as usual so might not come back fully match fit.

Sounds like Karl Robinson is going to appeal the ready, he reckons they have a wide camera view which clearly shows the incident. He’s stated that their defender stamped on Adelukan’s foot, and he took a swipe at his legs, think he’s saying there was no or little contact. Apparently the defender went down holding his face!
He’s not happy with the Lino, the ref didn’t see the incident. If this is the case, then likely he may get away with it.
Would be nice to view the incident, but can’t see anyone has posted any footage yet.

[donnievic]

Salfords season is collapsing, let's hope they are on the beach in 2 weeks time..

Adelukan sent off last night hopefully he gets a 2 game ban…don’t want him upsetting us

will be a 3 game ban

[scawsby steve]

I've just watched the highlights, and unfortunately the incident is off camera. However, it seems like an off the ball ruckus, in which case there's very little chance of an appeal being successful, no matter what Karl Robinson thinks.

[GazLaz]

These “off the ball” incidents at our level never got overturned because there just isn’t the a
Quality of footage to disprove the decisions. Famous last words I know but even if there is some zoomed out footage I’d be surprised if it was detailed enough to overturn.

[idler]

Surely if he aimed a kick at a player it is a red card even if he misses. I remember Tony Coleman getting sent off for exactly that at Belle Vue. Their player didn’t go down though as he must have been a foot away and players didn’t dive as much then anyway.

[arkseyrover]

I thought Coleman hit the ref, not the player, so he could get to the Two Palfrys early 

[drfchound]

I thought Coleman hit the ref, not the player, so he could get to the Two Palfrys early

He was sent off and hit the ref on the way off the pitch after the ref allegedly had said something that TC didn’t like.
It may well have been “it’s your round Tony”.

[selby]

  Needham was the young player who had kicked Coleman from pillar to pillar and was allowed to get away with it and finally snapped and took retribution and nailed Needham and was sent off.  As he walked past the referee the referee called him something whatever it was Coleman took offence and assaulted the ref before being escorted from the field.
   The referee was on the point of going to the police for assault but was advised by the referee's association to take no further action due to his comment to Coleman, I know this because my father was on the referees committee and was stood with me on the popular side  not far from the incident when it happened.
  Needham went on to be signed by Clough at Forest and was a part of the great squad he built over the river.

 ent at the game  and witnessed the whole incident.

[Donnybob]

I went to that game and remember it well. It was a Friday night game and I was a paper lad at the  time. My boss said he wouldn't be attending the game as he disliked the ref so much (Pickles was his name, I believe). Coleman was unplayable on the left so his marker fouled him every chance he got. The ref gave Coleman no protection whatsoever resulting in him became increasingly frustrated. The fouling grew worse as the game went on until the defender, attempting to prevent a Coleman breakaway, rugby tackled him around the waist. Coleman carried on running, trailing the defender along behind him until he snapped, turned round and kicked him squarely in the midriff.
This was in front of the Pop Side attacking towards the Town End, a few yards short of the area.
Coleman knew exactly what he was doing and had begun walking off before the ref had chance to send him off. It was, as has been said, just after he had passed the ref that Coleman suddenly turned round, walked back to the ref and decked him before turning again and walking off in the direction of the home dug out.
If my memory serves me right it was the final home game of the season, 17,000 in attendance and we lost 0-3. There were 3 coaches of away fans parked at the Rossington end. These were attacked after the game by home fans. A game to remember for all the wrong reasons.

[drfchound]

I went to that game and remember it well. It was a Friday night game and I was a paper lad at the  time. My boss said he wouldn't be attending the game as he disliked the ref so much (Pickles was his name, I believe). Coleman was unplayable on the left so his marker fouled him every chance he got. The ref gave Coleman no protection whatsoever resulting in him became increasingly frustrated. The fouling grew worse as the game went on until the defender, attempting to prevent a Coleman breakaway, rugby tackled him around the waist. Coleman carried on running, trailing the defender along behind him until he snapped, turned round and kicked him squarely in the midriff.
This was in front of the Pop Side attacking towards the Town End, a few yards short of the area.
Coleman knew exactly what he was doing and had begun walking off before the ref had chance to send him off. It was, as has been said, just after he had passed the ref that Coleman suddenly turned round, walked back to the ref and decked him before turning again and walking off in the direction of the home dug out.
If my memory serves me right it was the final home game of the season, 17,000 in attendance and we lost 0-3. There were 3 coaches of away fans parked at the Rossington end. These were attacked after the game by home fans. A game to remember for all the wrong reasons.

I think as there too and remember the incident much as you described it.
Tony went on to have a good career despite all of what happened that night.

[Donnybob]

We sold him to Man City.

[ravenrover]

For some reason I was stood in front of the main stand rather than the pop. I couldn't believe what was happening when TC turned and ran back at the ref. I expected it would be a Sine die ban until I heard what had happened.

[BobG]

Harry Gregg was in the Main Stand that night. My Dad always told me that Harry was so appalled by the behaviour of 'Pickles that he personally went to the FA to report what had happened, and why. I was led to believe that was a major factor in TC being dealt with so leniently.

BobG

[idler]

Surely if he aimed a kick at a player it is a red card even if he misses. I remember Tony Coleman getting sent off for exactly that at Belle Vue. Their player didn’t go down though as he must have been a foot away and players didn’t dive as much then anyway.

The game above that I am referring to was the following season. I think that it was Colchester at home and we lost 1-4. Man City signed him not too long after that. Coleman jumped in the air and lashed out with his foot and it was much nearer to the player than the ball even though it was a fresh air shot. He said later that it was frustration and not an attempt to kick the player.

[Bentley Bullet]

Apparently, referee Jack Pickles was taken off the league list after that performance. I remember reading in the Doncaster Evening Post on the evening prior to that Notts County match about Mr Pickles having a history of favouring the opposition when officiating games involving Rovers. In fact, if I remember rightly, it was quoted that Rovers had never won a game under him and always had a player sent off under his charge.

The Notts County full back kicked lumps out of Rovers left winger Tony Coleman, who after showing great patience finally snapped and retaliated, only to be sent off by bent referee Jack Pickles. As Coleman walked off, Pickles called him a 'bas**rd' (allegedly) and Coleman ran back and punched him in the face.

I will never forget Pickles rubbing his face and smirking at the Rovers fans in the main stand terrace after Coleman lamped him.

[drfchound]

Probably the best striker in this league, despite what GM thinks.

We have to really start grinding the wins out, now. Our form has been a bit up and down.

Possibly with the exception of Bradford, all the teams around us have suffered “a bit up and down” results.

Just had a look at the table and see that the only L2 team who are unbeaten in their last six matches are Colchester United.

[andy didcott]

A Bromley win tonight would be nice.

[Chris Black come back]

Bromley already one up.