Doncaster Rovers at the Millennium Stadium (2007)

Bristol Rovers 2-3 Doncaster Rovers
The Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final
Sunday 1st April 2007

Without any shadow of a doubt, this was one of the greatest days in Doncaster Rovers' history; an occasion that kids dream about when they grow up supporting a lower league team!

It was the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium; the last major final in the English domestic calendar to be played in Wales due to the rebuilding of Wembley Stadium, and it was very much DRFC's date with destiny.

Irrespective of the result it was an occasion for everyone to absolutely saviour!

Doncaster Rovers: Johnstone's Paint Trophy Winners 2007 (Photo: Joe Giddons).

Throughout the competition, there was always a sense this was the latest chapter in John Ryan's dream to scale new heights and that Rovers would reach the JPT Final. Even when trailing by two goals on aggregate at half-time in the Northern Area Final against Crewe Alexandra, nobody lost faith and the unwavering and absolute belief that a trip to Cardiff really would happen, always remained.

Rovers beat Huddersfield Town and Hartlepool United, both away, in Rounds 1 and 2, with the game up at Victoria Park being the same night when Lawrence (the local cross-dresser) joined the 200 or so away fans who'd traveled up to the North-East, in the away end. It was memorable for everyone who was there!

John Coleman's overly physical Accrington Stanley were seen off at Belle Vue in the first home tie in the competition in about five years in Round 3, before the move to the Keepmoat followed at Christmas and Darlington (managed by Dave Penney) were beaten in Round 4.

That resulted in the two-legged Northern Area Final with Crewe Alexandra which was at times as painstaking as it was exciting, but it ended in delightful pandemonium as Jason Price stabbed home what turned out to be the winner late in the game.

There was no doubt Rovers deserved to be in the final and about 20,000 fans swapped South Yorkshire for South Wales for the big day. It seemed everyone had a ticket, everyone was going to Cardiff, everyone had a hotel booked somewhere, everyone was in Henry Africa's the night before playing a part in drinking Cardiff's pubs and clubs dry, and everyone had caught the infectious 'Doncaster Rovers bug'.

These were 'proper' golden times and Donny supporters really did take over South Wales with the overwhelming majority of Bristol Rovers fans opting to make the short trip across the River Severn on the day of the game.

Whilst geography dictated that many DRFC fans flocked south to make a weekend of it, it also paved the way for a strange atmosphere inside the Millennium Stadium. With 40,000 Gasheads present it meant they outnumbered Rovers fans 2:1 and belting out 'Goodnight Irene' at frequent intervals with pure, absolute and totally unadulterated triumphalism beforehand, it felt like a huge occasion long before kick-off with shirts, flags and banners visible aplenty from early in the morning!

Bristol were the underdogs, given they were mid-table in League Two at the time with their remarkable support, it bridged that gap and possibly even gave them an advantage. For that reason alone, it was always going to be a close game and they couldn't be underestimated.

When the teams finally emerged to a thunderous roar just before 1.00pm, there were a multitude of emotions. Nerves, joy, pride, optimism, belief, excitement. This was it! The time had arrived to stand up and shine and the 'MYA' (Make Yourself Amazing) commemorative shirts couldn't have been more appropriate.

Nobody could have envisaged that Rovers would make such a blistering start on this momentous occasion as Jonathon Forte capitalised on some slack defending to open the scoring after just 43 seconds before Paul Heffernan (hated by the Gasheads for his earlier association with Bristol City) doubled the lead a few minutes later. Rovers fans were in total dreamland.

This wasn't expected and looking good at 2-0, the trophy was already won, right?

That's what so many would liked to have believed but Bristol slowly began to rally after their inept start and were unfortunate not to have pulled a goal back by the interval. Rovers were hanging on, rather than holding firm at times, and the tide soon shifted in the second half as Richard Walker pulled one back for the underdogs when he squeezed a spot-kick past Neil Sullivan after little Sammy Igoe was fouled in the box. Game On!

Fifteen nerve-shredding minutes later, it looked as if disaster had struck as Rovers blew their two-goal lead with Igoe grabbing the equaliser to make it 2-2. The despair and sheer silence amongst the 20,000 Donny fans probably couldn't have contrasted any more to the 40,0000 Gasheads who were now roaring again with 'Goodnight Irene' but louder, prouder and even more believing than previously - and the momentum, atmosphere and occasion suddenly favoured the League Two team!

At this point most donning red and white shirts would have been quite happy just to get to extra-time without any further damage. Other chances came and went in the regulation 90 minutes, surprisingly at both ends, but there was still a 'heart in mouth' moment when Sullivan did well to tip over a free-kick from Rickie Lambert who was Bristol's star player!

In extra-time, the atmosphere, fear, hope, dread, belief, expectation, sense of occasion and stomach-churning emotions ramped up even further. It was even more now or never and, unsurprisingly, things were a lot more tentative on the pitch with neither side wanting to make a mistake. And nobody wanted to mention the 'P' word as half-time in extra-time came to pass.

Then came the deciding, defining moment which everyone will remember for a lifetime as Rovers won a corner in the 110th minute and Graeme Lee rose highest to head the ball home - thus forever writing his name into DRFC folklore; a captain's goal at the most crucial of times on the biggest of occasions to give the club its first ever major silverware.

The final whistle released the tension and euphoria and as Bristol fans slowly drifted away, Rovers fans soaked up the moment together, arm in arm, as the trophy was hoisted aloft by the skipper. The party continued on the streets outside the Millennium Stadium, in the packed square next to the Railway Station, and on the motorway and in service stations all the way up the M5!

Another chapter in John Ryan's reign had been written and the next mission was 'Destination Championship' in 2007/08. Was an even greater chapter still to be written??

What a day, what a time, what a chairman!



Photos from Getty Images:

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Photos from Rovers World magazine, June 2007: