Coca Cola League One
Saturday 23rd December 2006
Belle Vue: it was a crumbling wreck, but it was our crumbling wreck.
Although it's now 14 years since Doncaster Rovers left for pastures new, memories of the old ground remain perfectly vivid in my mind and it's a place which I'll always look back on fondly considering it's where I spent a sizeable chunk of my younger days.
Who can recall the scent of food cooking, mid-afternoon from the stone-walled snack bars located at either end of the Main Stand and Popside Terraces whilst some obscure hit from yesteryear blasted out from the crackly PA system that was often, quite literally, held together with duck tape? Or the times when people clambered up onto fences and trees overlooking the ground to get a free glimpse of the big occasions? And lets also take a moment to remember the eyesore 'double-decker' portacabins located behind the Town End which began a permanent fixture towards the end, as well the numerous pillars, poles and wiring which supported the structure of the Main Stand.
Belle Vue oozed both character and characters, too - many of whom have been lost in the passage of time but are forever remembered in DRFC folklore due to the many occasions when they caused fits of laughter for venting their frustrations, often in a unique (and sometimes expletive!) way, to some unfortunate soul who just happened to be in close proximity.
Come the final whistle, there was also the challenge of trudging through the pot-hole ridden car park, often filled with murky rain-water but illuminated by the glow of the floodlights as 'Simply The Best' blasted aloud from the PA system regardless of whether Rovers won or lost!
Visiting players no doubt despised Belle Vue for it's tight, cold, compact, grim and unwelcoming nature - just ask the supposed superstars from Manchester City, Aston Villa and Arsenal who experienced a jam-packed Belle Vue during those famous nights under the floodlights in the Carling Cup, or the individual opponents who'd get a red card and jog to the wrong players' tunnel, forgetting there was two, only to cop for some joyful banter from the 'dugout hecklers' who once so memorably upset Colin Todd.
Football has changed almost beyond recognition in the past 14 years and Belle Vue now seems a lifetime ago when you consider the ultra-modern, luxurious all-seater venues which are found right across the country nowadays. Yet by the same token, it seems like only yesterday that this place was home; a place where the heart was, where Doncaster Rovers belonged and where things were brilliant as the 'pub team having a laugh' turned into a resurgent force to be reckoned with.
The last game at Belle Vue was against League One table-toppers Nottingham Forest on Saturday 23rd December 2006 - a typical, wintry day but, importantly, with better weather than seven days earlier when a waterlogged pitch put paid to what was meant to be the penultimate home fixture against old rivals Yeovil Town.
It was a very strange day with raw emotion felt everywhere and the club had arranged plenty of things to 'celebrate' the occasion including a special commemorative matchday programme, a pitchside performance by tenor Martin Toal, post-game fireworks and appearances by dozens of former players.
The ground was looking worn out, even decrepit, as it prepared for its final matchday - not helped by windy weather a few weeks previously either which had caused damaged to the 'Earth Mortgages' advertising which subsequently had to be removed from the Main Stand roof.
Remarkably, the game didn't sell-out. Tickets were £30 and had to be purchased in a package which also included the aforementioned Yeovil fixture that was subsequently played at the Keepmoat Stadium. The crowd was 8,923 - well under the 10,590 maximum capacity, but there was nevertheless a special 'big game' atmosphere as the away end was packed to the rafters.
Going into the clash, it felt like nothing else mattered - Rovers HAD to win. There would be no second chance to put things right afterwards if Sean O'Driscoll's men didn't get it right first time - the result would go down in the history books so victory was imperative!
After much pre-game 'razzmatazz' the teams eventually entered the pitch to Carl Orff's 'Carmina Burana' classical masterpiece which superseded an incredibly cagey, tense and nervous opening 45 minutes during which there wasn't a great deal of drama.
With the score goalless at the break, Rovers were in need of someone to warm the appetite and deliver an early festive present; someone to 'put a great big smile on somebody's face' as Wizzard once said in his memorable 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' song which The Vikettes (remember them!) danced along to during the interval.
In the second half, step-forward Theo Streete, whose complete fluke of an effort from wide out on the right-wing was fumbled by the visiting 'keeper and ended up in the net. Rovers led 1-0 and whilst nobody knew quite how the shot had gone in, nobody cared either as rapturous cheers and jubilant celebrations were well underway whilst those from the East Midlands were stunned into silence.
The final minutes of the final act at Belle Vue ticked away amidst a mixture of emotions on the terraces; those who wanted desperately to win were mingled alongside those who were having flashbacks to the heroes they'd worshipped from the very same terraces for decades. It was jubilation tinged with sadness yet filled with pride, hope and excitement about the future. Eventually, Andre Mariner blew for full-time and that was it; a 1-0 success and Theo Streete had written his name into DRFC folklore, but there would never, ever be another competitive game at the ground and the chance to mingle in the same spots with the dozens of faces who'd become so familiar over the years.
Celebrations afterwards included more opera displays, a lap of honour and a chance for supporters to stroll around the ground. An hour later, the floodlights were switched off as things started to feel very final; it truly was the end of an era!
Nevertheless, there was one final chapter still to be written in the Belle Vue story.
With the score goalless at the break, Rovers were in need of someone to warm the appetite and deliver an early festive present; someone to 'put a great big smile on somebody's face' as Wizzard once said in his memorable 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' song which The Vikettes (remember them!) danced along to during the interval.
In the second half, step-forward Theo Streete, whose complete fluke of an effort from wide out on the right-wing was fumbled by the visiting 'keeper and ended up in the net. Rovers led 1-0 and whilst nobody knew quite how the shot had gone in, nobody cared either as rapturous cheers and jubilant celebrations were well underway whilst those from the East Midlands were stunned into silence.
The final minutes of the final act at Belle Vue ticked away amidst a mixture of emotions on the terraces; those who wanted desperately to win were mingled alongside those who were having flashbacks to the heroes they'd worshipped from the very same terraces for decades. It was jubilation tinged with sadness yet filled with pride, hope and excitement about the future. Eventually, Andre Mariner blew for full-time and that was it; a 1-0 success and Theo Streete had written his name into DRFC folklore, but there would never, ever be another competitive game at the ground and the chance to mingle in the same spots with the dozens of faces who'd become so familiar over the years.
Celebrations afterwards included more opera displays, a lap of honour and a chance for supporters to stroll around the ground. An hour later, the floodlights were switched off as things started to feel very final; it truly was the end of an era!
Nevertheless, there was one final chapter still to be written in the Belle Vue story.
Just over a month after the final game, some undesirable succeeded where old chairman Ken Richardson failed and inadvertently blew a hole in the Main Stand at three o'clock in the morning during a break-in that required the immediate demolition of what remained.
So Belle Vue was a crumbling wreck, but it was our unique, homely, much-loved crumbling wreck that created so many memories and which we all loved despite its flaws, poles, pillars, loose wires, dodgy snack bars and 'double-decker' portacabins.
Many thanks to John Turner for allowing me to use his photos from the Mansfield Town (12/12/2006) and Nottingham Forest (23/12/2006) games for this particular post.
So Belle Vue was a crumbling wreck, but it was our unique, homely, much-loved crumbling wreck that created so many memories and which we all loved despite its flaws, poles, pillars, loose wires, dodgy snack bars and 'double-decker' portacabins.
Many thanks to John Turner for allowing me to use his photos from the Mansfield Town (12/12/2006) and Nottingham Forest (23/12/2006) games for this particular post.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.