Brian Stock (left) and Adam Lockwood hold the League One play-off trophy aloft following the 1-0 victory over Leeds United
Today, 25 May, holds so many different emotions for me and my family. In context of my life it has to be the worst day that I have ever been through, however, in sporting terms it is also one of the best experiences that I have had.
Nine years ago today, I lost my grandad.
I keen golfer and a generous man that would do anything for his family no matter what they asked. Like me, he was seriously into his sport and he could have watched anything that involved a ball for hours or days.
After four years of suffering heartbreak on the same day every year my life was significantly turned upside down by a football fixture that took place on the fourth anniversary of my late grandfather’s passing.
As many football supporters will recall, Yorkshire was deserted on 25 May 2008 when over 75,000 supporters travelled down to the capital to cheer on their respective sides, either Leeds United or Doncaster Rovers.
Yorkshire rivals Leeds and Doncaster collided at Wembley for a place in the Championship
Just 13 months on from the historic day in Cardiff where Rovers picked up their first major trophy they were in line for a return to the Championship and the second tier of English football, a division they had not played in since the 1950s.
Sean O’Driscoll’s side beat Bristol Rovers 3-2 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in April 2007 and then the following season they defied the odds by seeing off a strong Leeds United at Wembley.
This day in 2008 started in the same way that every other one for the past four years had done. With the feeling that my grandad was no longer around to see such an event like this, because no doubt he would have joined us on the 322 mile round trip from Doncaster to Wembley.
As we started our journey down the M1 all the family that were on board the coach had a sneaky suspicion that it was written in the stars for ‘my’ club to win the match in the memory of my grandad even though his connections to the club were limited, as after all he was a rugby league supporter more than anything.
Arriving at, what has to be one of the best stadiums in the world, Wembley the crew of around 30 of us were ready to welcome our home town club into the second tier of English football, even though kick-off was still over an hour away.
The sweepstakes had taken place for the correct score and who would score first. I got extremely unlucky as not only did I pick out a player who was an unused substitute but I also got the goalkeeper, Ben Smith, who was never going to come on.
So my hopes of winning a little bit of cash were dashed but nothing was going to dampen the mood of being in the top tier at Wembley.
That is when things started to take a down turn at Wembley and then I started to think that this date would be one that would haunt me for the rest of my life.
Me (left) and Ryan Kisby – the Doncaster Drummer – prior to kick-off
Nine words dominated the next half an hour as me and the infamous Doncaster Drummer looked for places to put up Rovers decorated flags.
“You cannot put that there, its health and safety.”
That is all we got from the “over-powerful” Wembley stewards. It seemed like they had a vendetta against the supporters of little Doncaster Rovers showing their support for their team.
Fair enough Leeds United did not have any flags to put up but they did sell in excess of 40,000 tickets and some of their fans ended up buying tickets through our allocation.
The flag was up finally in a place where the nearest steward agreed, just in time for kick-off and now it was time to stand, not sit – always stand where you can at a game – and cheer on the 11 lads wearing the red and white hoops.
From what I recall the opening exchanges of the match were dominated by the underdogs, Rovers, with them coming rather close several times in the opening 20 minutes. At half time the match was goalless and the 24,000 or so Doncaster fans were content with how the many was going whilst the remaining Leeds contingent continued to sing the only three words they knew that afternoon “Marching on Together”.
Just as the second half was about to start, I got a tap on the shoulder. It was another steward. There was a problem with where we had put the flag, bearing in mind it had not been moved since prior to kick-off.
The flag needed to be moved again because of health and safety. So here I was messing about with a flag that was fine 45 minutes ago for no apparent reason.
Now, every fan who was at the game knows what happens next.
That’s right, I missed the goal. That crucial goal that sent Doncaster into the Championship.
I recall us having a corner, which would be taken by Brian Stock and thinking that nothing would come of it, as that has been the case throughout the first half of the match.
How wrong could I be?
The spectacular view I had of the Wembley pitch even though it felt like you was up in the heavens
Thankfully, the great guys who designed Wembley put two massive television screens behind each goal so as soon as I knew the ball was in the back of the net and we were all going delirious in the North London heavens I focused on the one surrounding the silent Leeds supporters to watch the numerous replays.
The moment of pure elation overcame everything, including the previous torrid memories that had always been associated with this day. It was a proud moment for my family and friends, yet alone the thousands of supporters that had followed Rovers, who had spent many a year in the lower divisions and non-league, all their lives.
As Leeds pushed forward for an equaliser Neil Sullivan and the Rovers defence held as strong as what they had done all season.
Like all those intense situations every second seemed to be like a minutes but when the fourth official put up his board for added time, I can’t remember what it was – probably four minutes after all it is the unwritten rule in football, time went even slower.
Leeds overloaded the Rovers penalty box hoping that they would be able to take the match into extra time but when a cross delivered into the box came into the grasp of Sullivan and he laid on the floor I knew that this day would not be as miserable as what it had been for the past four years.
Referee Andy D’Urso blew the full time whistle to signal Doncaster’s superiority over Leeds and the small Rovers following, compared with that of Leeds, went absolutely mental.
The promotion party continued for days if not weeks as only five years prior to winning at Wembley Doncaster were battling it out with the likes of Leigh RMI who have subsequently dissolved.
One of the Wembley big screens shows the score with just seconds of normal time left to play
As we returned up the M1, we stopped off at a service station which had been taken over by the bitter opposition support. Rovers shirts were being burnt outside the doorway and it was like a scene from the Football Factory as you walked inside.
Immaturely I erupted into singing the song Rovers fans had created about James Hayter, who scored the winning goal that date. I ended up being chased back to my bus by three or four less than impressed Leeds fans.
That certainly gave me a fright, but in fairness it only halted the celebrations.
It is hard to put into words what that day and result meant to me personally but it definitely made me look at that date with contrasting memories.
Obviously sport has been my life – and so was my grandad when he was around. We’d be up at 6am, something I very rarely achieve nowadays, and on the golf course by seven. Therefore in a day of serious emotions I will always look back at this day being not only one of the worst days of my life on a personal note, yet one of the best I have experienced as a football supporter.
Words: Adam Grice
Header Photo: South Yorkshire Times
The Sporting Section 