A Bit of Nostalgia

YEOVIL TOWN

 - V - 

DONCASTER ROVERS

Its a nostalgic weekend for Yeovil and Doncaster, meeting once again 10 years on from when they were both at the beginning of the end of their lives as non-league teams.  For Rovers it was a season to get back where they belonged and for Yeovil, a season to take them to new heights.  Yeovil, of course were promoted as champions from that Conference class of 2002/03, where as Rovers were inaugural play-off winners.  Since promotion, neither club has looked back.  Indeed, Yeovil succeeded Doncaster as champions of the football league's bottom tier and like Rovers, have never returned.

So, we see that the two star performers of the conference that year have done the conference proud since leaving.  But what of the rest of our class.  Where are they now?

1	Yeovil Town		League 1
2	Morecambe		League 2
3	Doncaster Rovers		League 1
4	Chester City		Conference North
5	Dagenham & Redbridge		League 2
6	Hereford United		Blue Square Prem
7	Scarborough		Humber Premier League Prem Division
8	Halifax Town		Conference North
9	Forest Green Rovers		Blue Square Prem
10	Margate		Ryman League Premier Division
11	Barnet		League 2
12	Stevenage Borough		League 1
13	Farnborough Town		Blue Square South
14	Northwich Victoria		Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Prem Division
15	Telford United		Blue Square Prem
16	Burton Albion		League 2
17	Gravesend & Northfleet		Blue Square Prem (Now Ebbsfleet Utd FC)
18	Leigh RMI		Wound Up 2011 (as Leigh Genesis FC)
19	Woking		Blue Square Prem
20	Nuneaton Borough		Blue Square Prem
21	Southport		Blue Square Prem
22	Kettering Town		Evo-Stik Southern Premier League Prem Division

Seven of us enjoy football league status these days where as another seven are still at Conference level.  The remaining eight now frequent some of the more forgotten leagues down the pyramid system.  We also know that many of our classmates have suffered folding and reincarnation and in the case of poor Leigh, folding again.  Quite sobering really.

YEOVIL TOWN

Its our first proper cup final - Gary Johnson

Wow - you get some respect around these parts!  I fell in love with the people of Yeovil many years ago when a potentially boring evening at a hotel the night before a job interview was averted by a bunch of Yokels.  I will never forget my double-take when one of them referred to me as "Shag" or "Shaarg" as he put it.  

"What did you call me?" I asked.

"Well oy calls you Shaarg cors oy don't roightly know your name!" come the reply.  Wonderful people and a great evening.  Indeed, had the evening not been so good, I might have got the job!

To football and Yeovil have made a great start, blazing a trail for the rest of us to follow.  The first thing I noticed, going onto Yeovil's player site was how PremiumTV have decided that the Glovers would be far more interested in QPR's defeat of Walsall than their own Capital One Cup exit at West Brom.  And we were moaning that our highlights didn't work!  I think this also shows that its often not the club cocking up the websites.  Premium TV can do that too!

Stech - Impressive Shot-Stopper

The last two games for the Glovers have yielded two impressive away wins with 7 goals being scored at the cost of only one in reply.  Looking at the highlights, the star-man of these games was none other than James Hayter.  Neither Brentford nor Scunthorpe could cope with his positional play or his reading of the game.  Against Brentford he scored two by bursting in from deep, unmarked.  Against Scunthorpe he was the provider, first seeing when defenders were hesitating and being the pick-pocket and then by again being in front of the defence to play a clever ball around the corner.  Hayter will be a very good player in this league.  The good news is that Donny of course know exactly how he plays.  The bad news is that how he plays is very intelligently indeed.  

The other player to catch my eye was 'keeper Marek Stech, a free transfer from West Ham United who looks like no money well spent.  In both games, Stech made some impressive stops.  He's got quick reactions and is very agile.  But Yeovil did need him in both games.  The defence needs polishing more than major surgery.  They looked a bit hesitant at times and didn't stick the boot behind it when they should at others.  I also saw players coming from wide shown the inside on a couple of occasions.  Not that anyone at Donny can take advantage of that sort of thing!

DONCASTER ROVERS

It’s a long journey down there and it’s a tough place to go - Rob Jones

What a week of contrasting emotion in Doncaster.  First of all we get one of those games that make all football supporters angry.  The one where you know your team can beat the opposition before them, but on the day it just doesn't happen.  It was boring with Crawley and ourselves managing just 5 shots on target between us.  It was annoying, especially when the best of the shots, one of theirs crept in at the far post with 3 minutes remaining.  Jim of Barnby Dun decided Eastenders offered more entertainment than Rovers would on Tuesday night.

As Jim glanced at the Internet, on his I-Phone, just 1 minute after Rovers kicked off, he would have grimaced at the fact Rovers were one behind.  10 minutes later he would certainly have congratulated himself over watching Phil and Roxy rather than watching Jay Simpson tap in Hull's second.

When Dave Syers did that on the half hour, Jim in Barnby Dun was unmoved.  He didn't know it had happened because Jonny was finally going to crack it with Mo on Holby City.  

Rovers then put in a cracking performance in the second half.  Rob Jones nodded in Coppinger's cross and the match was level.  Now came the crescendo to fortissimo.  A red card for Hull's Paul McKenna after his petulant trip of Rob Jones; Hull being forced to clear their lines by means of a bicycle kick and then beating the Rovers defence and 'keeper but not their far post.  Rover's then did it.  Spurr into Syers and it was 3:2-  Just enough time on the clock for Hull to stop a few hearts by heading into the side-netting.

Barnby Dun Jim was at this point struggling with Horizon telling him just how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big the universe was so he decided to check something else similarly large.  Hull's final scoreline against the Rovers.  On went the I-Phone and "HOW THE BLOODY HELL DID THAT HAPPEN".  He'd check it out on Sky Sports who promised him every goal in the Capital One Cup.  Ah...didn't read the small-print there Jim.  Goals that are scored between Sheffield and Leeds excepting those in Barnsley don't count.  Jim went to bed with the curious feeling that he may have missed something.

Off the pitch and on deadline day, Rovers have added to their numbers in the form of Ian Hume signed on a six month loan from Preston.  That could be interesting.  The battering ram of Chris Brown and Billy Paynter could produce holes just big enough for Hume to nip into.  Whatever, the Rovers' squad is starting to look like one with goal potential all the way through.

But sadly a ace provider of such goals moves on.  After much speculation, longest serving player, James Coppinger joins ex-boss Sean O'Driscoll at Nottingham Forest for the next 6-months.  Coppinger has more capacity than any other Doncaster player to drop fans' jaws with brilliant, intricate skills.  With the exception of the Hull game, where he was close to his brilliant best, its been sad to see him this season, warming the bench and having little impact when called upon.  However I am sure fans will never forget the best hat-trick I have ever seen as Coppinger destroyed Southend in that play-off semi-final.  Good luck Copps! 

Enjoy the match everyone.