Your loneliest moment as a Rovers fan...

[Wokingviking]

...here's mine:

95-ish at Fulham (yeah!) we won 2-0 and I was sat on my own in their Riverside stand which (post- Bestie etc) was in disrepair.  I think Gary Brabin showed us his six-pack for a special treat.  Not.  About 5 years on I'm in the Hammersmith End (their end) with a pal from Cantley watching Fulham (in Tigana's promotion season - fabulous team, pity Fayed got pissed off about that Marlet deal) crush Grimsby.  Hmmmmm..........

Never ever thought we'd be at this level.  The dream continues...

[Lord Farquaad]

Early 80s
Willie Boyd is in goal
I am about 13 years old, against the wall, behind the goal with my dad
My older brother is amongst the sea of thugs in the popular terrace
Dad calls him a bloody idiot (I think he's jealous)
Nearly half time - that old codger is still standing guard at the entrance to the cow sheds
25 pence extra to sit in there
Half time comes, he goes
I go in
For nothing
Willie lets in his fourth in the 52nd minute.
The cows go back to the fields
Suckers
They paid 25 pence to go early
I got in for free and stayed till the end

On my own

[CusworthRovers]

Cannot remember the year, but I think circa 1980-83. Those that went will remember it.....Darlington away. The foggiest I have ever seen it and the game went on. You only saw the players when they came over the half way line. Any play at the far end was impossible to make out.

The car we travelled in broke down on the A1 travelling back. I recall we walked miles to the nearest town across fields and all I could think of was American Werewolf in London. I tied my scarf tight around my neck so the wolf couldn't bite it.

Lonely, scared, turtles head

[RobTheRover]

Blackpool away, the game after Rufus left us.

Having arrived at the town early, and proceeded to drink our own body weight in lager in 2 hours, one \"smart\" member of our crowd thought it would be \"a laugh\" to go in the Blackpool end.  The old gertie on the turnstile was suspicious, but we told her we were neutrals from Halifax.  So far so good, and the 500 or so resplendent in white (remember, this was under Bremner, so we even wore a Leeds inspired kit!) in the away end looked magnificent from the other end of the pitch.

The problems started when the tannoy announcer started reading out the Rovers team names, and the aforementioned \"smart\" member of our little band began to cheer each name.  I suddenly felt an awfully long way from home, as the heads of Blackpool's finest could be seen working their way down from the back of the stand to tear us limb from limb.

Oh, happy days!

[Dr Fundlekrotch]

Loneliest moment?

The drive back to Newark down the A1 after the Colchester game in '98, knowing that when I got home, nobody would know what I was thinking and how I felt.  Every car that I passed seemed to be full of happy people on their way to parties and good times.

[ctay]

Northampton away on a Tuesday night, about fifty away fans. None of my mates wanted to go, so I went on my own on the supporters coach (which was half full). And we lost!

[DonnyNoel]

Lincoln away in the 97/98 season. Think I had a whole row to myself by the end.

[Rios]

Leyton Orient away, Christmas time in 97/98.  Got absolutely done 8-0 and the coach broke down on the way home.  Only highlight was at 6 or 7 nil down the ball came into the small group of away fans stood on the terrace.  Tetley grabs it and does a bit of keepy up before giving it to their player for the throw in.  At which point he chucks Tetley the ball back for another go!

Sad times.

[donnyjay]

Mid-90's FA Cup away to Preston. I was a newly qualified driver and despite encountering difficulties getting back to Donny from Meadowhall on my first ever motorway journey, I'd convinced myself that not only could I get to preston and back but I'd do it in time to watch the England v Columbia friendly later on that night.

Armed only with a big Atlas and a tape of Now that's what I call Music!29 I set off. Made in to Preston in plenty of time and thought 'this driving business is a piece of piss, never had to stop once.'

We lost the game and I set off back to Donny with plenty of time to park the car at home and join the lads in town for the footie.

I'm not quite sure what happened next but I remember being confused, hungry, lost and listening to most of the England game on the radio whilst on an A road somewhere near Skipton.

Made it home about 11 0'clock that night and told everyone the next day that I watched the match at home because I was too embarrassed to tell them it took me over six hours to get back from Preston.

Damn you Wokingviking for making me relive this terrible ordeal.

[Drover]

Bristol Rovers away late eighties under the Dave \"offside\" Cusack regime,Played at Twerton park Bath city's ground as they had recently sold Eastville,Drove past eastville on the way.We were at the bottom end of Div 3(now league one) Again!Brian Deane our leading scorer at the end of the season with 9.Nigel Martyn and gary Penrice in the Bristol team.Highlight's of the day was Cusack and stead kicking the ball for prematch training and trying to hit the \"man on the mike\" on the head with the ball while pretending too practice shooting.They could'nt even do that right!And hot air balloons passing in the distance!Our best song of the day was \"David Pleat scores more than us!\"(he had been caught curb crawling the previous week while Spurs manager).We lost 3 or 4 nil and looked like we were doomed.
Coincidentally my loneliest moment at Belle Vue was the home fixture against Bristol Rovers same season,Midweek game.torrential downpour and wind all the game but the match went on regardless(it was the days when we were so hard up every penny from gate receipts was desperate).There was only about 800 there and we all huddled under the mainstand canopy all the match.

[Nudga]

Away to Hereford about 1994 and first game of the season, in my first car which was a Citreon Visa. We arrived (just) with the engine starting to over heat, i told my mates it'd be rate as it would cool down whilst we were watching the match and we would get some water from the garage on the way back just in case.

David Moss scores a beautifull lobbed goal in front of the away end which turns out to be the winner. Happy days, we thought that this was our season.

On the way back full of joy and about 2 mile out side of Hereford, we approached a steep climbing road and the Rovers fans coach. The car started struggling to get up the hill as I tried to overtake the coach so I knocked it down into 2nd gear, it went with a god almighty crunch. The cluch starts slipping and i'm only half way past the coach and a car in the distance coming the other way. Only one thing for it I thought, knock it down into first for a bit of turbo boost. CRASH, BANG, fcukIN WALLOP. The clutch and fly wheel are smashed to pieces so no option but to let the coach undertake us with all our fans on it giving us the wonker sign.

We push the car into a garage and tell the owner what happened and that i'll arrange to come back and collect it the weekend after.

So, off to the pub for a quick pint.

Then realise i'm down to my last four quid.

Bus journey to Worcester then a train to Birmingham New street.

My mate rings his dad who lives in Derby to pick us up. He's not impressed as he's at a party and half cut. Anyway, he picks us up and takes us back to his house to stay over night.

I felt pretty lonely in the back of my mates dads car as he lectured us on going long distances in shitty cars.

We got back to Donny on the sunday morning just in time for sunday football kick off

[Joy Division Oven Gloves]

The morning after we got beat 2v0 by Frickley in the FA Trophy around 1999? I went to the game on the Saturday, and played sunday football with a few of the Frickley lads who ripped me mercilessly on the Sunday morning. It was one of those 'is it worth it?' times when I tried to keep quiet about my team. Not that I do that anymore...

[donnybez]

Being a Rovers fan in the middle of Leeds United fans in my class EVERY day during our Conf days.....Obviously its been more fun in college xP

[The Red Baron]

Joy Division Oven Gloves wrote:

The morning after we got beat 2v0 by Frickley in the FA Trophy around 1999? I went to the game on the Saturday, and played sunday football with a few of the Frickley lads who ripped me mercilessly on the Sunday morning. It was one of those 'is it worth it?' times when I tried to keep quiet about my team. Not that I do that anymore...

That was a pretty low point in our history, wasn't it? Although it came a week after we'd beaten Southend away in the FA Cup. That was the game when Clarkson was in the Park Hotel behaving like a total bell-end (so acting normally!)

Incidentally- can anyone remember who the ref was for that Frickley FA Trophy game? To give you a clue- like the Rovers, he's gone on to much better things since.

[Donnywolf]

CusworthRovers wrote:

Cannot remember the year, but I think circa 1980-83. Those that went will remember it.....Darlington away. The foggiest I have ever seen it and the game went on. You only saw the players when they came over the half way line. Any play at the far end was impossible to make out.

The car we travelled in broke down on the A1 travelling back. I recall we walked miles to the nearest town across fields and all I could think of was American Werewolf in London. I tied my scarf tight around my neck so the wolf couldn't bite it.

Lonely, scared, turtles head

You were SAFE though as the Scarf had Rovers for Wembley ... at that time not even a Werewolf would have swallowed that

[The Red Baron]

Loneliest moment? Probably during the 78-79 season when I travelled down from the midlands (I'd moved there from Donny the previous summer) to Bournemouth. I was supposed to be on a through train but that was cancelled, so I had to get connections at Didcot and Reading. After a lot of running from the station I got to Dean Court about five minutes before kick off- hence no pre-match pint. Aaagh!

Return journey was similar. Through train not running. Three connections (this time including Oxford). Didn't get home until around 11pm.

Oh- and the bit in the middle: we lost 7-1. It was one of those rare moments where I began to \"question my faith.\" Fortunately, I remained a believer...

[Donnywolf]

... away to Hereford just after they got into the League so 72/3 ish. Almost all Rovers entire away support went on a 52 seater coach (which was not full)

John Haysleden scored a Hat Rick for Rovers and was unfortunate to concede the flukiest own goal I have ever seen as he was hit on the shoulder as he was running out of the Penalty area and it flew back into the top corner

After the game there were 3 Rovers fans on the back seat of the bus and myself half way down. Several of their yobbos with Black and White scarves approached the bus and the driver (god bless him) opened the door and let them on. Those next few seconds seemed to last a lifetime as they approached a solitary me ....but

... the lads at the back sprang into action surged down the bus and like terriers with rats gave them a pasting and beat them up / off / and kicked them off the bus all in seconds.

They then sais something to the driver along the lines of \"silly f***er - only let the ones on with red and white scarves\".

[PACMAN]

Quite easily Millwall away at the Old Den in the mid 80's. I was in the forces based at Chatham at the time so got the train into London then the tube to the ground. As I'd had to walk through thousands of Millwall fans to get to the ground I decided that standing with the Rovers fans and then making the return journey might not be good for my health so purchased a ticket for the main stand.

Got to my seat to find I'm sat next to the biggest skinhead I've ever seen in my life with a group of his bessy mates around him............deep joy!! Just keep quiet I thought until 10 minutes in when John Buckley scored an absolute 'worldy' in front of their kop end and I have to sit on my hands. \"Facking hell, what a goal\" spouts the skinhead, I nod meekly trying to look dejected. Rovers then proceed to batter them for the rest of the half but despite hitting the post and the bar the Millwall goal leads a charmed life. 0-1 to the Rovers at half time, the natives are restless and my hands are numb!!

Millwall make a change at half time and bring on a young Teddy Sheringham, this lad could be a player I think as he proceeds to almost singlehandedly turn the game on it's head scoring one of the goals as Millwall go on to win 2-1. I can honestly say those two goals are the only time I've ever cheered for goals scored against the Rovers!!!!!      

[dumbroofer]

huddersfield first match at the keepmoat watched rovers with my old man from the late sixties,he passed away shortly before xmas ,never got to go in the new ground ....

[philsky]

There is only one and im still haunted.

Driving back to London after the Arsenal match.

It was like an out of body experience; in a trance all the way home.

[richtherover]

Hi RB - was it Rotherham's finest Howard Webb?

[Scooter]

Early 90's - maybe 94ish. Chesterfield away boxing day. I went on the coach and was meant to go with a mate but he didn't turn up. It was pouring with rain so i decided to cover my scarf and sit high up in the main stand to keep dry. The spireites turned us over 2-0 and when they scored the first it all kicked off because a few rovers fans had the same idea as me. They were spitting and threatening people looking for a fight then came my way so i quickly flashed the scarf and they left me alone.
When i got back to town the buses had stopped so i had to huddle in a shop doorway for almost an hour before i could get someone to pick me up!

[River Don]

This would be 2004 away at Bournemouth.

I was very late leaving London for this match, I'd been out the night before celebrating a birthday and got up very late. Anyhow I ended up driving down to Bournemouth on mi todd for the match. The traffic on the M25 was horrendous and then to my horror I discovered the main road into Bournemouth had major roadworks. As 3.00pm approached I put Radio Solent on to listen to the match build up. Kick off came and I was still queuing someway out of Bournemouth. Almost immediately they scored. This was quickly followed by another 3 or 4 goals.

4 down I think it was in about 5 minutes. Unbelievable and I still hadn't got to the ground. I didn't want to pay to see this carnage, so I jacked it in, drove down to the front, parked up with a view of the sea, bought an ice cream and listened to the match on the radio as Rovers crashed to a 5-0 defeat.

I didn't much feel like hanging around and the weather wasn't great, so I set off early to avoid any football traffic and listened to the last minutes of the game on the motorway home...

One good thing was to come out of it though. It was probably that match that alerted John Ryan to the abilities of one Sean O'Driscoll.

...Then there was the time I drove up from London to watch Rovers away at Scunny, only to get a phone call from a friend somewhere near Peterbrough wondering where I was and only then realising it was a 12.45 kick-off. Doh!

[Hounslowrover]

Same again River Don - I took my stepson and we got well beaten, on top of that I got a parking ticket, didn't even notice the pay station in the car park next to the ground.  If I remember it was peeing down as we left.
I can also remember goiung to Notts County, years ago when you could walk from behind the goal to the other, the game kicked off and by time we got to the Rovers attacking end we were at least 2-0 down and eventually lost 5-2.
Worth rembering I've had lots of good times too, especially the last years.

[DMnumber4]

Hounslowrover wrote:

Same again River Don - I took my stepson and we got well beaten, on top of that I got a parking ticket, didn't even notice the pay station in the car park next to the ground.  If I remember it was peeing down as we left.
I can also remember goiung to Notts County, years ago when you could walk from behind the goal to the other, the game kicked off and by time we got to the Rovers attacking end we were at least 2-0 down and eventually lost 5-2.
Worth rembering I've had lots of good times too, especially the last years.

I remember that Notts County game, my first ever away game  

I unfortunately had many lonely moments. I'd get dropped off at ASDA by my mum and walk to the popside turnstiles with my season ticket in hand. Once in the ground at 2:15pm I'd stand down at the front wall in line with the edge of the Rossington End 18 yard line and wait for my old man to get in to the ground from the pub at 2:55 or even later.

He wouldn't stand with me though, he'd go up to the back and have a few cheeky smokes (something i knew nothing about!) with his mates.

I remember numerous times it p*ssing it down and having to stay at the wall because i couldn't see from the steps.

One particularly sore game was the 5-4 defeat to Yeovil.

Also felt fairly lonely a few years ago when i decided to go to Port Vale for a pre-season friendly on my todd.  :dry:

[The Red Baron]

richtherover wrote:

Hi RB - was it Rotherham's finest Howard Webb?

It was indeed. I think going from reffing Donny v Frickley in the FA Trophy to doing a Champions League Final in the Bernebau in little over a decade is a rise to match our own.

Did you know his middle name is Melton? I've never come across anyone with that name, although had Tony Mowbray's parents had a cruel sense of humour they might have chosen it for their son.

[Dagenham Rover]

Conference Play off Final day.
Setting off from my house in Dagenham  my car decked with Rovers scarves  

[Rovers Return]

Oh so many over the years! Many caused by my inability /reluctance/ stubborness to run away from opposition when common sense is yelling at you to do so.

But I decided on this one:

Rovers at home to Reading some way back in the early seventies. It was a cold,windy night match and the crowd was in the 1200 to 1500 bracket. The Reading fans were out in vast numbers and barely filled a minibus. Reading took the lead early on and held the lead for most of the game. My friend Pat and me decided at some point to go to the cabin behind the Cow Shed to get a drink and a burger (I think). Gobbled it down and resumed our position against the wall to watch the conclusion to the match. The Rovers began to apply the pressure to be rewarded with a late, late, \"GOAL\". WE were chuffed to death, we had pulled it back in the last minute, at least we had not lost. Laughing and joking all the way home on the bus. Into the house and plonked myself down in front of the telly. Can't remember wether it was Sportsnight or the news,but up came the footy results Doncaster Rovers 1 : Reading 2. WHAT!!! F*\"king Gutted. They must have scored the moment we turned our back. The cheer from the Reading fans was so small it didn't register on the Cow Shed end. And now when I think back everybody was a little subdued in their celebration at the final whistle, except my pal and me.  :S

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Aged about 16 or 17 with a group of mates, at Lincoln late 70s. After the game we had the gauntlet of Lincoln fans to get through who were waiting outside at the final whistle.

A few cops about and managed to get over that little bridge to walk down the alley. All of a sudden they were after us and all my mates started running. I thought best policy was to carry on walking and all Lincoln fans just belted past me.

Phew ! Got to main road and realised all my mates had vanished leaving me high and dry. So I managed to find a copper and stand in close to him for protection until I spotted one of mates walking back towards car about 10 mins later.

[rbut]

for me its got to be the 2-1 defeat at rochdale under kerry dixon 1-0 up then
rochdale get two men sent-off and they still come back to beat us