Pub Team Champions! (2003/04)

I was initially planning to write this post during the summer months - ideally to keep the blog ticking over during a quiet period and in reflection on having, by that stage, completed a personal target to have watched 1,000 competitive matches in the UK.

The home shirt from the title-winning 2003/04 campaign.

Nevertheless, given that bloody 'C' word which has replaced the 'B' word at the forefront of news headlines, I have doubts as to whether I'll reach that landmark figure anytime soon.

Therefore, I'm writing the post early and reflecting on my memories of the 17 seasons during which I've watched professional football - including a few stories, memorable, funny or poignant moments along the way, with a few random facts thrown in for good measure.

I'm sad enough to remember most things, even small details - whether that's down to some form of autism or having a good memory, who knows, but I could easily hold my own in a head-to-head against Andy Todd, the ex-Rotherham/Accrington player who I worked with a few years further down the line and is comfortably the most knowledgeable person that I've come across in football.

So the story starts in 2003/04 - a season which is my second-favourite (only bettered by 2012/13) because it was one of those campaigns where there was an abundance of memorable moments. I don't buy into corny old phrases such as 'falling in love' or 'the romantic/beautiful game' etc, but this was very much the era that I started regularly going to games.

I was young, daft, inexperienced and enthusiastic and I cringe now looking back at some things which I got up to! I wouldn't say I was stupid back then because I still make stupid decisions even now!

THE CONTEXT/CULTURE:

This was an era where social media didn't exist (a blessing in disguise perhaps?), highlights of games below the Premier League were shown on a regional basis on a TV programme called 'Soccer Sunday' and 'Ask Jeeves' was the most popular internet search engine. There was no Netflix or Amazon Prime, no iPhones or iTunes, and even YouTube wasn't around. The football 'experience' wasn't anywhere as close to as sanitised as it is nowadays, people didn't get easily offended by absolutely anything and it felt a good time to be alive!

Doncaster Rovers, my hometown team, were playing at Belle Vue which had terracing on all four sides and a wooden, seated Main Stand with several supporting pillars that obscured the view of the pitch. It was a homely environment, old school, and if you knew no different, it was brilliant! The Vikettes (remember them?) also entertained the crowd with their 'dancing routine' pre-match - something which would probably be frowned upon now, in modern day, 2020!

Whilst big money had long-since seeped into the Premier League through Sky Sports, it certainly hadn't filtered down the divisions so it meant fans could relate to those who were pulling on the DRFC shirt every week. A lot of the players had worked their way up through non-league circles and were either local or had local connections. There weren't many with super-massive egos. Quite often, they would frequent the fans' pub straight after games; a trend which, I think, has disappeared in the years since given the rise of sports science and the fact that modern footballers tend to view themselves as 'public figures' who don't want to be in that environment.

Rovers had just come up to what was then known as Nationwide Division Three, having won the inaugural Football Conference Play-Offs the season previously, though they'd been issued with the tag of relegation favourites by the bookmakers.

Admission prices for games at Belle Vue were £10 Adults, £5 concessions (with it being £2 extra in the Main Stand) and they were the cheapest in the division. The club's operations were run from a couple of small portacabins located in the club car park and the non-football backroom staff consisted of no more than around a dozen individuals.



THE MUSIC:

The season ended with Right Said Fred's 'Stand Up For The Champions' blasting out through the PA system whilst the players held the Division Three trophy aloft. After every game, regardless of the result - win, lose or draw, as fans trudged through the pot-holed car park at Belle Vue it would always be 'Simply The Best' by Tina Turner playing out in the background.

One particular memory is, before the Mansfield away game, as the dozen or so supporters buses were leaving, 'Get What You Give' by New Radicals was on the radio - it's something of a 'pump up' song anyway and, at that moment, I knew that day would be a good one. Five or so hours later, after a comeback win which solidified Rovers' automatic promotion position, it was 'Toxic' by Britney Spears (the video for which has her in that air hostess uniform) which was playing on the radio - coinciding with a few locals chucking bricks through the coach windows!

Although Tom Hark's 'Piranhas' tune was popular amongst many clubs, Swansea's goal music, played in a thrilling 1-1 draw at the Vetch Field, was 'Daydream Believer' by The Monkees. Oddly, though it was something of an anthem to them, it actually got banned for a while when they moved stadium in 2005, because their fans changed the words to insult their local rivals.

This music made the era almost tangible and hearing any of these tunes now (and also Oasis' 'Little By Little' or Coldplay's 'In My Place' which were both played over the PA system at the away game with Oxford) takes me straight back to these great and fantastic times.

Thankfully, the matchday music was a lot better than the heap of crap which was in the charts at the time and had been heavily influenced by TV talent shows. Will Young's 'Leave Right Now' was popular around November - the same month which had Shane Richie in the charts (no doubt capitalising on his EastEnders fame) by releasing a cover of Wham's 'I'm Your Man' for Children In Need. A few months later, 'Sam & Mark' were top of the rubbish pile only to be replaced by Peter Andre's 'Mysterious Girl' which gained popularity after he started banging Jordan on 'I'm A Celebrity' in the early part of 2004. McFly's 'Obviously' song was also popular during this era, Busted were still about, whilst The Shapeshifters' 'Lola's Theme' offered a more uplifting alternative as the season neared its conclusion.



THE SEASON:

- In the beginning (when we were winning)...

Dave Penney, the manager, pulled off a coup by signing Michael McIndoe for £50,000 after he fell out with Gary Johnson at Yeovil just a few days before the season started. It was a key signing and one which ex-chairman John Ryan would probably regard as one of the best of his tenure. McIndoe isn't popular in football circles nowadays given his money-scheming from his old team-mates (which is worth a search if you don't already know the story), but solely on a football basis, he did have a major impact on this season and was very much 'the man' who all the kids on the terraces idolised and whose name was on the back of loads of replica shirts.

A montage from ‘The Rover’ magazine featuring Greg Blundell celebrating a goal.

Other players, all of whom were appreciated, included Steve Foster, Leo Fortune-West, Greg Blundell, Andy Warrington, John Doolan, Paul Green and Ricky Ravenhill. Other faces included a young Chris Brown, who joined on loan from Sunderland part-way into the campaign, whilst Adriano Rigoglioso signed when a long and protracted transfer was eventually completed around October/November.

My first game of the season wasn't until Saturday 20th September and a 2-0 win over Oxford United at Belle Vue. It was memorable as it ended a six-match winless streak which had left Rovers hanging not far above the drop zone and it was against opponents, at the time, who were top of the table under Ian Atkins. It was actually Oxford's only defeat in their first 26 games (and make no mistake about it, they were outclassed, outplayed and well-beaten). Somehow, nevertheless, they fell apart that badly that they didn't even make the play-offs!

That win over Oxford was certainly a 'springboard' as Rovers quickly embarked on a golden run of form which carried them into the top five positions. My next game wasn't until Saturday 18th October; a hard-fought, 4-2 success over Mansfield with 8,000+ in attendance at Belle Vue - the sort of figure which would become common as the season progressed. Wins over Rochdale and Torquay followed and, by the time Boston were trounced, 3-0, on Saturday 22nd November - the day on which England memorably won the Rugby World Cup thanks to Jonny Wilkinson's last-gasp kick, the players had established themselves in the top three with Lincoln, Hull, Huddersfield, Oxford, Yeovil and Mansfield appearing to be fellow promotion rivals.

The programme cover from the Oxford United game; which was my first in the Football League.

That Boston game also saw two Rovers players; Chris Brown and JJ Melligan to be precise, score in the same minute - a feat which I don't think I've ever witnessed since.



- Top of the Xmas tree (but some New Year jitters)...

It was fair to say that, despite still being in my first 10 games attending professional football, I was quickly getting 'hooked' and my first away game came in the shape of a 1-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Carlisle on Saturday 29th November. Leo Fortune-West scored the only goal midway through the second half in ridiculously windy weather conditions - so much so that parts of Brunton Park got damaged. Despite being cut adrift at the bottom with just a few points to their name, Carlisle's form improved as the season went on and they nearly pulled off what would surely have been the greatest of escapes under Paul Simpson.

An important week in the season as Rovers responded in sublime fashion.

Anyway, the next home game saw a 3-1 win against Swansea on a Friday night just before Christmas - a result which sent Rovers to the top of the table with Greg Blundell securing the win deep into injury-time. Oxford then drew at Huddersfield the following day which meant the lads were top on Christmas Day, looking perfectly poised for the future.

Big attendances, growing belief/optimism and dozens upon dozens of locals now taking an interest in their football club, wearing replica shirts, meant Rovers were more noticeable than at any point previously in my lifetime. Football fever was sweeping across the town and it was contagious enough for me to have bought a half-season ticket!

The brilliant form continued with a home win over Scunthorpe on Boxing Day, but successive defeats to Hull City and Huddersfield (the latter of which saw Jon Stead bag twice before he made a big money move to Blackburn) made some folk wonder whether the wheels would come off and the previously good form had just been something of a flash in the pan.

However, one week after the defeat at the then-named McAlpine Stadium, Leyton Orient got smashed, 5-0, at Belle Vue with Leo Fortune-West bagging an early hat-trick in the space of just 13 minutes - thus making it one of the quickest I've seen alongside Ched Evans' for Sheffield United against Chesterfield in 2012. The performance was excellent, it was 'ole' football with everyone cheering, in joyous mood, and still fresh in my mind to this day, was Greg Blundell's unbelievable work-rate up top - even late on in the game when it'd have been easy for him to just go through the motions. Until recently, when the current DRFC team hammered Southend 10-2 over two games, the 8-1 aggregate success over Leyton Orient was Rovers' best in a season since returning to the Football League.



- The Kettle's boiling before the Mansfield moment...

A home defeat to Lincoln was sandwiched between wins over Southend and Northampton (the game where Colin Calderwood infamously booted the perspex dugout in frustration) and it meant Rovers ended January still in the automatic promotion spots.

Scrapping and celebrating during that win at Mansfield.

Despite missing the draw at Scunthorpe (due to watching Jan Molby's Kidderminster lose 1-0 to Yeovil - a game which saw a certain Adam Murray have a crucial injury-time penalty saved), I was back at Rovers the following week and there was absolutely no love lost on Valentines Day with Macclesfield being the opponents and Trevor Kettle refereeing. It was his first year on the Football League's officials list and he was useless to put it nicely - getting so much wrong, angering fans and players alike, and he produced one of the most inept displays which I've seen anywhere to this day. He'd already forced Michael McIndoe's penalty to be re-taken for an alleged infringement (which was saved at the second attempt) before he booked someone for protesting after he cocked up with a throw-in decision. It was poor officiating and, though I prefer not to swear on this blog, nobody left Belle Vue without thinking he was absolutely f**king sh*te at his job! Refereeing is as difficult as one makes it... and he made it look very difficult!

However, it was the following week which was the 'big one' though - an away game at Mansfield on what would prove to be a defining day.

Going into the Field Mill encounter, Rovers were in second position with 62 points from 31 games - six points above the Stags, who'd were fourth spot but had played a game fewer. Therefore, it was a promotion 'six-pointer' of sorts and there was a vicious, nasty and almost poisonous atmosphere in and around the ground. Though John Prescott tried his best to unite fans with a speech beforehand; it didn't work as he got roundly booed by all four stands, it wasn't long until Rovers' 2,000+ travelling contingent got into full voice, started a few 'scab' chants and things turned violent.

Liam Lawrence's early penalty, put in the bottom-left corner (and just past Andy Warrington's dive) had the hosts ahead before a seven-minute second half comeback with Greg Blundell scoring twice and whipping his shirt off in celebration properly turned the game on its head. Rovers held out thereafter, amidst fisticuffs both in the stands and on the pitch, and it didn't come as huge surprise when the bitter locals attacked the travelling dozen or so supporters' buses afterwards. Paul Mayfield, having been in the press box, was also targeted as he made his way back to the buses through the car park, but avoided getting his head kicked in. Nevertheless, the feeling of winning this game, the pure adrenaline and everything else, was immense and it felt like electric buzzing through your veins at 20,000 volts per second - everyone knew it was a huge, massive and important three points! From this moment onward, the promotion dream from 'the pub team having a laugh' (as the chant at the time went) seemed very, very possible. Little did I know at the time that, less than a decade later, I'd be working at Mansfield and enjoying my most memorable season with them - but that's a story for another time!

The Rovers website, as it appeared back in the day, announce a key signing...

Interestingly, this clash saw new signings Dave Mulligan and Adebayo Akinfenwa included in a matchday squad for the first time. Looking back, both players had such a positive impact on the group at the time and were a perfect tonic at a vital stage of the season.

Belle Vue was regularly packed to the rafters in the 2003/04 season. Photo: John Turner.

Kidderminster were smashed, 5-0, at a snowy Belle Vue six days later as the good-feeling, optimism and belief strengthened further and Ricky Ravenhill went topless with his celebrations after bagging the fourth goal. The win meant Rovers were, by now, 12 points clear of fourth-placed Mansfield who got beat at Cheltenham the next day.



- Who scared away Chris Black?

March was a strange month littered mostly with draws, but also memories and mysteriousness!

I began it as a neutral - enjoying (or should it be enduring?) my first trip to Oakwell for Barnsley's clash with struggling Peterborough in Division Two. To this day, I'm still yet to see the Reds win at home despite having made around a dozen visits, and they lost this one courtesy of a goal just after half-time. Mark Stallard was up top for them and my abiding memory is how awful he was in this game - granted, he had a decent enough career, but I certainly didn't get to see it!

Rovers then visited Swansea a few days later with over 800 fans making the long trek to South Wales for a Friday night fixture under the Vetch Field floodlights. Many people didn't arrive until, literally, just a few minutes before kick-off due to heavy traffic, but what they witnessed was a rip-roaring, end-to-end encounter on a horrible bog of a pitch. It was frantic, Swansea were really decent (and won promotion the following season) and Chris Brown's equaliser in the second half ensured a well-earned share of the spoils.

Another equaliser by Brown, this time deep into injury-time, earned another point against Cheltenham the following week before Rovers then had to come from behind to draw 1-1 in a farcical clash with Darlington which got wrecked by the weather.

Chris Brown celebrates a last-gasp equaliser in the game with Cheltenham.

On a day when John Ryan was literally 'banging the drum' on the Rosso End at Belle Vue (away fans by this point had been moved into a small section of the Main Stand terrace), the game nearly didn't go ahead as gale-force winds blew away the perspex part of the visitors' dugout a few hours prior to kick-off. The cameraman also couldn't film the game from the usual TV gantry, perched on top of the Popular Stand, so he had to re-locate to the Main Stand - thus meaning the supporting pillars severely hindered his footage. It wasn't a vintage display with the wind obviously having a huge impact and Adebayo Akinfenwa was the Rovers scorer cancelling out Mark Convery's earlier strike, towards the end of the second half. Also, somewhere amongst all the paraphernalia which I've accumulated over the years, I've got a programme from this game signed by Darlington's then-chairman George Reynolds who later did time in prison for tax evasion!

A trip to Oxford's Kassam Stadium (where, incidentally, earlier in the season they'd had a game with Kidderminster abandoned after fence panels blew away during stormy weather) was next up. It ended in the first 0-0 draw which I saw in professional football and Dave Mulligan went closest to scoring in injury-time but Andy Woodman kept out his attempt.

However, this game is best remembered for being Chris Black's only appearance in a DRFC shirt. Nobody seems to have ever found out precisely what it was that scared him so much he decided to just give up football and 'jack it in' altogether.

Chris Black (centre) at Oxford before he decided he didn't want to be a footballer anymore. Photo: Unknown

Did McIndoe approach him about an 'investment opportunity'? Did Ricky Ravenhill just smash him in training with one of his trademark mistimed tackles? Did big Leo Fortune-West play a prank on him that just went too far? Or was it the 'old school' dressing room culture and characters such as John Doolan, Tim Ryan, Steve Foster, etc, who either said something so bad or just hammered him at cards/poker on the bus? Who knows? Maybe Chris Brown (whom he'll have knew from his time in Sunderland's academy set-up) will be able to shed some light in a future episode of his podcast. Regardless, it was a bizarre situation - not helped by the fact that the club asked on the website for information as to his 'whereabouts' on 1st April, which made everyone assume it was a p*ss-take.

One certainty is that if Chris Black was as talented as the other loanees at the time then he'd have surely gone on to have an okay enough career. Chris Brown went on to play regularly in the Championship for a number of years, JJ Melligan had success at Cheltenham after leaving Belle Vue, Adam Collin (signed at the end of March but who never featured for the first team) dropped down to Workington before forging a decent career higher up the pyramid, whilst defender Mike Williamson (another who didn't ever feature) went on to play over 150 games for Newcastle.

A future managerial candidate keeps an eye on Paul Green during the win over Bury.

After Mark Albrighton's last-gasp goal salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw at Rochdale (on a midweek night when Rovers fans outnumbered their counterparts in their own stadium), Bury were beaten, 3-1, in the next home game which meant promotion was within touching distance.



- Let the celebrations begin!

By the Easter weekend, Rovers were well on course to secure promotion - the sense of excitement was almost palpable and next up was a trip to Bristol Rovers.

I royally managed to royally f**k up beforehand as being, over-eager, over-excited and very naive, I'd visited the training ground during the week, seen that Paul Green had got injured and posted words to that effect on one of the internet forums at the time. It didn't go down well, I felt gutted, but it was a big learning curve and I knew never to screw up in that way again. Coincidentally, the day of the Bristol Rovers game (Saturday 10th April) was also Greeny's 21st birthday!

Grab any vantage point that you can for the big game!

The final whistle of the Cambridge game (which later became a montage on the Main Stand).

Yet again there was another strong away following and it was a battling display to win, 2-1, with all the goals coming in the second half; Ricky Ravenhill and Adebayo Akinfenwa finding the target in quick succession before the big man was sent-off for scrapping.

Results elsewhere were entirely favourable and it meant by the time of the Cambridge game two days later on Bank Holiday Monday that a win would seal promotion. It was a mad occasion as it was still 'pay on the day' because it was before the era of online ticketing and thousands of people flocked from everywhere to watch the game. Belle Vue was packed, turnstiles had to close early because the ground was full to capacity, the atmosphere was terrific and those who couldn't get inside were left to scale trees, fences (or, in some cases, houses) to get a vantage point. Red & White flags which had been sold 'en masse' were to be seen everywhere and expectation, hope, belief and pride at what this group of players was achieving was incredibly high! Cambridge had just appointed Claude Le Roy as manager (though, he's since claimed he was never appointed - another weird one) and after a goalless first half, the celebrations started to begin when Adebayo Akinfenwa bagged the opener on the hour mark. Paul Green, of all people, then added the second five minutes or so later and the final whistle was met with pitch invasions, a lap of honour and more celebrations. It honestly felt like the entire town was behind the club and it's the best unity/togetherness which I've ever experienced in football!

At this time, as a naive kid, you almost subconsciously begin to think euphoric scenes like these and great seasons of success, celebration and delight will be the way forever, but obviously that isn't the reality whatsoever. Even still - what a time to be alive!



- Securing the title (with Steve Evans)!

The task now, with promotion sealed, was to win the title. With 43 games played (and after a defeat at Torquay which I didn't attend) Rovers were top on 85 points - five above 'big spending' Hull City who had a game in hand.

Next up was a home game with York, who'd been in free-fall and not won since January, and they were easily dispatched 3-1 at Belle Vue - a result which saw their relegation from the Football League confirmed. A few weeks earlier, I'd also seen them lose to relegation rivals Macclesfield in a game where Jon Parkin (who they'd actually sold to their opponents only a few weeks earlier) scored - thus putting a nail firmly in the coffin of his old employers. Chris Brass, who I've heard 'mixed' reviews about, was their player/boss and they'd been beset by financial problems since the previous summer. They got off to a terrific start but, simply, they just weren't able to maintain it.

Ready for Kick-Off at Boston. Photo: Unknown

Another packed out away following from DRFC. Photo: Unknown.

With Hull failing to make up ground in the title race (drawing twice in two games - one of which was their game in-hand), the situation now was that Rovers could win the title by avoiding defeat in the penultimate game of the campaign at Boston. The away allocation of tickets got snapped up within two days of going on sale, and plenty of others just bought them in the home sections, so it was yet another carnivalesque atmosphere with a terrific backing.

The game was a largely forgettable one; Tim Ryan had to play with a bandaged head and it ended in a goalless draw which secured the point needed for the title and sparked celebrations which felt like they lasted throughout the summer. What I remember most, however, is Steve Evans (who they'd recently re-appointed as manager) made his players give a 'Guard Of Honour' to ours before the game and it was one of those moments where you could see the genuine respect on show. Considering his reputation, it almost feels almost like an oxymoron to use the word 'respect' in association to him but he can't be faulted on that day and, moving forward a few years, I wish I'd got the opportunity to work under him at Mansfield but he was appointed after I left there.

Something else which occurred at this game was a minutes silence in memory of Louise Nuttell, the wife of ex-Boston player Micky Nuttell, who'd passed away in a car accident a few days previously. She was also mother to Jordan Nuttell - a young lad at the time and someone who has gone on to be a credit to his family. A 6ft6 striker, he followed in his dad's footsteps and later progressed through the youth ranks at York Street where I saw him play a few times under Steve Welsh's tutelage (who, by coincidence, is now coaching in Rovers' academy set-up). Jordan has since moved around the non-league circuit, having represented Pinchbeck United and Boston Town in the United Counties League where he often pops up with a goal or two.

The player do a lap of honour after the Boston game. Photo: Unknown

- Keeping the championship trophy...

With the title secured at Boston, the final game of the season against Carlisle was a formality for both clubs; Rovers were going up to Nationwide Division Two (renamed Coca Cola League One about a month later) and United were heading to the Football Conference.

Programme from the Carlisle United game on the final day of the season!

It was a sell-out crowd, tickets having long since been snapped up, and again it was just a day for everyone to reflect, celebrate and enjoy - including the visitors who were optimistic about the future despite their relegation. Nothing of any importance was riding on the result and though it was a sell-out, the game felt a bit like 'going through the motions'. Some players were included in the side to get up to the necessary threshold to guarantee a championship winners medal and, most memorably, Greg Blundell missed a penalty in the game (which would have got him to 20 goals for the season) only to achieve it by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win soon afterwards. Jon Maloney, the club's best youth prospect at the time, also featured for five minutes off the bench at the end of the game.

The final whistle was met by the anticipated pitch invasion and, once the field was cleared, the players returned for a well-deserved 'lap of honour' from a crowd which had grown by the thousands over the course of the season. Captain Steve Foster and manager Dave Penney, eventually, got their hands on the trophy after the presentation stage was erected and the weirdest part of the occasion was that, instead of Queen's 'We Are The Champions' blasting out over the PA system it was instead a somewhat obscure track called 'Stand Up For The Champions' by Right Said Fred.

At least it was unique...

Looking back now, this team completely united the whole of Doncaster like no other has done in recent years and the thousands of people (because that's what it was) who turned out at the Mansion House for the Civic Reception and also for the Open Top Bus Tour in the days afterwards were unbelievable. It was nigh on impossible to go outdoors for weeks afterwards without seeing a Rovers flag waving somewhere or someone in replica shirt excitedly anticipating the new season or beaming with sheer pride at what these lads had achieved. Season Tickets sales, testament to the success, increased between three and fourfold to approximately 4,000ish and it was just an incredible era!

In the years since, when thinking about teams who've come up from non-league football, grown in stature and almost galvanised an entire community, there's probably only Lincoln City who come close to rivalling this success.

As the Football League's sponsorship changed during the following close season, Rovers - in also becoming the first team to win the Fourth Division (as it essentially is) three times, were allowed to keep the championship trophy as well.

The Division Three championship trophy is presented!

The pitch invasion after the final game - this image was later used on the cover of 'The Rover' commemorative magazine!

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL:

- In December, Rio Ferdinand forgot to p*ss in a bottle for a routine drugs test and received an eight-month ban.
- Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League.
- Arsenal became the first Premier League team to go unbeaten in an entire league season.
- Jose Mourinho won the Champions League with Porto, before joining Chelsea ahead of Euro 2004 and declaring himself as 'The Special One'.
- Liverpool sacked Gerard Houllier and replaced him with Rafael Benitez who'd just won the UEFA Cup with Valencia.