Issue 55: Editorial Friends, Rovers, Doncastrians... At the risk of establishing a pattern for these editorials on a par with Steve Hossack’s ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ style of match reporting, I begin, yet again, by thanking you for purchasing this latest edition of Popular STAND. This is my fourth issue as editor, and the process continues to be a learning curve. For example, this issue I have learnt the importance of checking that your printer isn’t disappearing off to Braga, before setting a copy deadline, which is why I sit penning this editorial at 6am on a Sunday. And I have also learnt not to big up your sales figures; after gleefully acknowledging that my first two editions as Editor saw us sell out a print run of 350 copies, I now have twenty-five spare editions of Issue 54 gathering dust at my feet. Thanks also go to our happy band of contributors who have, as ever, delivered some excellent copy to help get you through the quiet moments of today’s
game and ensure that you don’t have to spend half-time listening to the plank on the PA. John Coyle, Matt Clift, Brian Witherden, Ray Jest, Chris Kidd and Mike Follows are the glue (well, staples) which bind this fanzine and enable me to keep churning it out, thirteen years after it was first conceived by proud parents Liam Clayton and Sean O’Keefe. I must also acknowledge ‘Dave the Printer’s patience and commitment before he swans off to Portugal, and returns to watch his beloved Birmingham City play some daft pub side from the north. And of course our cheerful band of sellers who have risked frost-bite to bring you the first December issue of the ‘zine for some time. To round up the house-keeping issues, before moving onto the murky world that is our football club, I should quickly let you know where your money is going, and has gone, when you’ve purchased your copy of the fanzine. Once the printer has been paid, and materials purchased, we have identified Rovers related causes to donate the remaining Popular STAND ‘profits’ too. And so £200 raised from Issue 52 went to the Rovers’ Incatrek fundraiser for the NSPCC. The same figure from Issue 53 has been put aside to help the supporters’ football team, the Donny R’sonists get their first new kit in the 13 years they have been representing
Issue 55 Contents 02. 03. 06. 09. 10. 12.
Information Editorial Previously at the Rovers Dr Mike’s Case Book To Lindum and Back Voice of the Pop-Side
14. Windmills of Your Mind 18. View from the Clift 20. Seasons in Retrospect 24. Blowing My Own Trumpet 26. Trumpet Man’s Song Book 27. Letter to Santa
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Doncaster in the IFA. And £180 from Issue 54 is waiting in the bank ready to go to the charity Billy Sharp is set to establish in memory of his son (the lesser figure, being as a result of the lower sales of that issue). So, rest assured, no percentage of your £1 has fallen into the hands of any unscrupulous agents, nor been used to put our contributors in the Popular STAND shop-window in the hope they’ll get picked up by Shoot or 90 Minutes in January. And so to the Rovers, our Rovers, who increasingly, and perhaps fittingly in pantomime season, resemble an exaggerated caricature of a modern day football club. The pantomime dame is perhaps a fitting depiction of Rovers at present; abrasive, over-the-top and melodramatic, an amplification of the traits buried deep within. Since I last hammered out an editorial just over a month ago Rovers have brought in four new players and openly courted several more, high-profile, ‘experienced’ (i.e. on the verge of retirement) pros, such as Bolo Zenden and Robert Pires. It is a significant outlay from an approach which had been adopted, we were told, primarily to save the club money. As I said in Issue 54, I am no mathematician, but adding an increasing number of players to the roster does surely not save the club funds. At current Willie McKay’s approach seems to have been based on the model adopted by the Greek Economy. Does the placement of Mark Wilson and James Baxendale on loan, plus the return of Ryan Mason to Tottenham, really balance out the capture of Carl Ikeme, Chris Kirkland (briefly), Herita Ilunga, Habib Beye, Pascal
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Chimbonda, Herold Goulon, El Hadji Diouf and Marc Antoine Fortune? I would imagine not, and so a January fire-sale seems increasingly imminent. It was interesting to see Dean Saunders again preaching the merits of youth in the run up to the ‘loan transfer deadline’. “It is a major statement of what we want to do at this football club, with young players right at the centre of it,” the manager told the Free Press. Encouraging words of course, but the club’s business on transfer deadline day, augurs that words is sadly all they are. As Habib Beye, Herold Goulon and Marc-Antoine Fortune arrived at the club, young talents James Baxendale and Ryan Mason were on their way out. The departure of Mason, arguably says much about Rovers’ current approach; a promising and talented young footballer whose services had been secured for the whole season, allowed to return to his parent club to make way for more big names on shorter-term deals. Mason’s own response to the situation was refreshingly mature, perhaps illustrating what Rovers were losing out on. Via his twitter account Mason told supporters; “Frustrated it didn’t work out as I wanted at Donny! Hoping they get out of the situation they are in with a different approach to what the fans and club are used to. Some good people at the club and wish them the best of luck! But I feel it’s definitely best for me to come back”. The transient nature of the Rovers team was further highlighted by the line-up for the match against Watford last Saturday. All three players recruited in the week up to the game started the match, and
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somewhat inevitably Rovers played like a team who had only just met one another. I am not averse to loan signings, sometimes they are necessary, but can you really expect a group of individuals who have just arrived to play instantly like a team? Surely blooding them in gradually alongside those who have been here longer, or played under the manager for two months would make greater sense. This match of course also saw El Hadji Diouf lead the side out as captain, an announcement that was met with laughter around me in the West Stand. And whilst I have been impressed by Diouf’s performances for Rovers thus far, a talented player who has shown he is committed to the cause, it is the nature of handing the captaincy to a player who is here on a short term deal, over longerserving players such as Brian Stock and James O’Connor who have both worn the armband before, which perhaps says much about the direction in which Rovers are heading. I receive many Rovers related emails these days and last Saturday evening I received one from a man who had been part of one of the media teams covering the Watford match. Whilst he was waiting for his colleagues outside the press area Dean Saunders passed him on his way to do his post-match interviews, and paused to speak to a couple of kids he seemingly knew in the corridor; “What did you think of that? Much better wasn’t it?” Saunders asked the kids “Yeah much better” one replied. “Yeah they’re proper footballers,” said Saunders, “Wait until we get a couple more in, we’ll have a proper team”. The email concluded with its sender, a Watford fan as it happens, telling me ‘You have my sympathies”.
So if the influx of players ahead of the loan transfer deadline was significant, it seems it is set to be eclipsed by activity next month. And if players are continuing to come in, be they as loans or short-term signings or whatever, then it is inevitable that others will depart, and those leaving will most likely be those who had planned on being here for a lengthier time spell. Of course there is no doubting the individual talent possessed by the players coming in; their international caps are testament to their abilities. But great individual talent does not always manifest itself into a team ethos, and an effective collective. You only need to look at Rovers’ fortunes in our past few years at second tier level to see that. So often the club has come up against sides who man-for-man are arguably better than us in every position, yet the team ethos, and the manner in which Rovers played as a unit has enabled them to beat these sides. Look at Swansea and at Norwich, teams who have progressed to the top flight despite a lack of what you may consider ‘star names’ within their ranks. Before I end this diatribe I want to quickly revisit a subject I touched on in last month’s editorial, that being the continued dismissal and undermining of Sean O’Driscoll’s tenure as manager. From the club and other sources, opinions and slights have been repeated to the exntent that they have become accepted as facts with which to beat O’Driscoll’s reputation. Not only is this disappointingly underhand, but it is grossly unfair, especially as the man himself remains unable to answer criticisms whilst he is still attempting to secure a settlement from the club for his dismissal. As an example, I’ve heard it said that “Sean O’Driscoll was costing the club £8million a year,” as if the manager was responsible for
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setting all budgets and deciding all pay structures and contracts. Whilst he is forced to remain silent our former manager is increasingly treated as a scapegoat, and an excuse by the club, and it is a detestable process. Whether you agree with the decision to place Sean and Richard O’Kelly on gardening leave or not, there can be no excuse for constant underhand and uninformed side-swipes at the reputation of one of the club’s greatest ever managers, especially when he is unable to respond. So, yeah, Merry Christmas everyone. Of course I don’t want you to construe from this that the club is at its worst ebb. We all know things can be, and have been much more
than this. It’s just that for me, and others as well, the concerns we have about the club’s change in approach, and the manner in which they have set about it are yet to be either justified or satisfactorily explained. And whilst I’ll continue to cheer on the side from my perch at the back of the West Stand, and I’ll be hoping for (yet more) Rovers socks on Christmas Day morning, I also feel the need to continue to probe and prod at the club’s off-field set-up. Do have a very Merry Christmas, and a joyful New Year, and Popular STAND will hopefully see you again in 2012. Viva Rovers.
GW
Previously at the Rovers Popular STAND’s diary feature brings you up to speed on events at the club since we bludgeoned you into buying a copy of Issue 54
Sat 29th October
Doncaster Rovers 1-1 Coventry City The sort of fixture that has to be won if Rovers are to stay in the Championship. It wasn’t. And on the spectacle delivered by the two sides it is hard to envisage neither being involved in a relegation battle come the end of the season. Rovers had the better of the first half, but still found themselves trailing at the interval as Sammy Clingan was given room to shoot and picked out the far corner of the net with a long-range strike. Rovers would level things in the second half as Pascal Chimbonda fed Coppinger and his chipped cross from the right found Hayter all alone in the area to guide the ball past Murphy on the volley “and equalise the score” as the official club
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website delightfully put it. The absence of Billy Sharp from the matchday squad, a day after being linked once again with Ipswich sent the Keepmoat rumour-mill into overdrive, but the forward’s absence it would transpire was down to much more tragic circumstances.
Sun 30th October
After meeting with John Ryan ahead of the Coventry game, the Viking Supporters Co-operative published the results of their discussion with the chairman on their website. The results were a little disappointing; the Q&A told us that John Ryan is passionate about Doncaster Rovers, which of course we already had an inkling about, and very little else. The problem is
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that unfortunately John Ryan takes questions of club-practice personally, which in a way reflects positively the pride he shows in the club, but it means we don’t get the frank answers we really deserve. And so a question asking whether the club could have done more to get the fans onside through the way they handled the media was dismissed with “I think we are damned if we do, damned if we don’t”. Criticisms of the club are not intrinsically criticisms of John Ryan, and hopefully JR can reign in his passion from time to time to see this.
Tue 1st November
Doncaster Rovers 1-3 Middlesbrough An emotional night at the Keepmoat Stadium as it transpires that the reason for Billy Sharp’s absence on Saturday, was the tragically premature death of his new-born son. Incredibly, Billy was not just present for this game, he was in his number ten shirt, he was wearing the captain’s arm-band, and he was playing. A heartfelt minute’s applause was undertaken before kick-off, and just minutes into the first Sharp delivered his own tribute as only he knows, by scoring a sensational volley. Upon scoring Sharp unveiled a t-shirt proclaiming “that’s for you son”, and his goal was notably greeted by applause from the Middlesbrough fans too. Sadly Rovers were unable to maintain their early form in the game, and eventually fell away to a 3-1 defeat to a strong and effective Middlesbrough side.
inside the game’s first half, thanks in no short measure to one El-Hadji Diouf. For all the moral questions over his signing, and the McKay approach in general, it remains quite clear that Diouf really is a bit too good a footballer for the lower reaches of the second tier. Diouf opened the scoring, heading home Jamie Coppinger’s cross, before Billy Sharp doubled the advantage midway through the half, again from a Coppinger cross. (As with Saturday, Sharp’s goal was greeted with warm applause from the home fans, as well as jubilant celebrations form the Rovers contingent). And before the break it was 3-0 as Diouf added his second with a low shot from the edge of the box. Ipswich would hit back in the second half, with Rovers ultimately hanging on for a nervy end to injury time, but this was a deserved and encouraging win.
Sun 13th November
Robert Pires is linked with a move to Rovers. No really. The former France international was moved to refute the speculation via his Twitter account; “Doncaster people called me! I am happy they think I can help them but it’s not in my plan to play there.” His decision coming presumably just seconds after he had whacked the word ‘Doncaster’ into a Google Image search.
Sat 5th November
Ipswich Town 2-3 Doncaster Rovers Dean Saunders had targeted a minimum of eight points from November’s fixtures, a run of five games of which the trip to face Ipswich looked the least likely to bring reward. However, the hosts were done for POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
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Previously at the Rovers continued... Sat 19th November
Barnsley 2-0 Doncaster Rovers We Doncastrians don’t mince our words, but the reaction to the performance by the side at Barnsley was incredibly blunt. With Rovers managing just a single shot on goal in the entire 90 minutes criticisms ranged from “Woeful” and “desperate” to, at the other extreme, “Worst I’ve seen since the Richardson era” – and I presume he meant Ken, rather than Barry. Even allowing for hyperbole, Rovers were abject to say the least, gifting the home side an apologetic opening goal and never really recovering. “He’s still using O’Driscoll’s players though” someone opined on a messageboard postmatch, which is an empty argument really, especially given that ‘O’Driscoll’s players’ brought Saunders seven of the twelve points he’d achieved at the time Popular STAND went to press. The fact is, this was abject, a terrible collective performance from management and players alike regardless of who signed them.
James Baxendale was loaned out to Buxton and Mark Wilson extended his stay at Walsall. Coming through the revolving door was West Brom forward Marc-Antoine Fortune, who followed two other signings made earlier in the week; defender Habib Beye from Aston Villa and the giant Herold Goulon from Blackburn.
Sat 26th November
Doncaster Rovers 0-0 Watford All three of Saunders’ new recruits start for Rovers against ‘fellow-strugglers’ Watford. Doncaster have arguably the better of the first half, with a couple of crosses in particular just evading their targets in front of goal. However, Watford remain a threat on the break, and it takes an impressive save from Carl Ikeme to keep the visitors out before the break. The tempo of the first half is never really replicated after the break and the game peters out somewhat with Rovers, perhaps inevitably, struggling to play with any cohesion.
Thu 24th November
GW
‘Loan deadline day’ and so a day framed by a lot of excitable tweets from local journalists who were able to live out their fantasy of being part of that ‘drama’ they see being yelled by Jim White on Sky Sports News. Rovers dispensed with the services of Ryan Mason who returned to his parent club Tottenham, whilst
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Dr. Mike’s Photo Casebook Rovers’ Transfer Policy Explained
MF Can’t wait ‘til the next issue of Popular STAND? Fear not intrepid fanzine reader for Popular Stand is also active between issues on what the kids call ‘social networking sites’. Yep, thats right, you can waste time at work, and avoid spending uncomfortable hours with your family doing old fashioned things like ‘talking’ and stuff, by reading inane short updates and messages from your favourite Doncaster Rovers related fanzine
Become a fan of ‘Popular Stand’ on Facebook
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To Lindum and Back Chris Kidd has had a difficult month trying to enamour himself with Rovers’ new approach, and to confound his misery he also found himself tongue-tied in front of a familiar face... It’s hard to know what to put down for this latest issue, strangely that shouldn’t be the case taking into account what is happening at DRFC at the moment. I think the fact I’ve just taken a look at DROS and realised we have signed Fortune, a full day after it actually happened, sums up how fast things are happening at the moment. If I’m struggling to keep up to date my heart goes out to those staff at the Doncaster Star who never struggle to get things completely wrong. All the comings and goings are hard to keep a track of and it seems to be alienating a lot of the fan base, particularly those with more years under their belt. Whilst the young find it majorly exciting to see another African mercenary who once upon a time played Champions League football signing for the Rovers, the more experienced Rovers supporters are struggling to comprehend the changes. Despite being in the younger bracket I too find myself struggling to take on board the transfer activity which happens on a daily basis. It is only my opinion but I just cannot see how a group of short term, ‘has been’, rejects can forge a working relationship and want to give 100% to the cause. The pure footballing philosophy has been ripped out of the club and replaced with second class Premier League Reserve team players... players like Herita Ilunga; if he is earning £28,000 a week at West Ham he should be arrested. Is it any wonder football is on its knees? Clubs like West Ham need look no further than their own front door when they
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wonder how on earth they ended up in their current financial position. There is a lot of anger, frustration and bewilderment around at the moment and when you get a performance like the one at Oakwell it only intensifies. I have not seen a performance like that for many years; no plan, no tactics and no idea. It was terrible. The formation resembled 5-0-5 which is usually something you see in an under 9’s fixture; when we went forward it left the back exposed – cue the first goal. I guess there isn’t much point playing with a midfield when the defence launch it forward at every opportunity. Richard Naylor shouldn’t get a sniff of red and white hoops ever again, he can join Ilunga. It really is hard to decide how much impact Saunders is having on the training ground, in the transfers we are making in and out and on a match day in the dressing room. One part of me imagines McKay’s right fist firmly up his buttocks, and the other part of me keeps referring to the Conference table; not to remind me of where we have come from, or where we are heading, but of the fact Wrexham, the team he left behind, are currently riding high at the top of the league. Yes it’s the Conference, but at the end of the day Saunders has put that team together and got them playing and they quite rightly sit top of the pack. Managing ex-Premier League stars on colossal wages with massive attitudes and ego’s is a completely different kettle of fish. Whether
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these guys give a toss about actually playing well and helping the club avoid the drop is up for debate. So far it’s plain to see who is up for it and who isn’t. Despite Diouf being the most high profile of the lot I think he has showed the most promise so far and could well help us out massively in his short stay. If you have read this far it’s probably plain to see that a lot of uncertainty still resides with me and given the choice I would still have Sean O’Driscoll in charge working on bobbins for a budget, sticking to his footballing philosophy and upholding his strict principles. The new regime and ethos could not be of starker contrast to how the club was with O’Driscoll at the helm. Until ten games ago the most ‘foreign’ of Rovers’ players had been from Northern Ireland and Wales with the odd Dutchman and Tunisian thrown in. Now I’m not for one minute saying that we shouldn’t have a multi-national squad but this is another factor in the alienation of the fan base. On a lighter note to finish, I enjoyed a long weekend at Center Parcs during the latest international break. Whilst in the swimming area I was riding the rapids when I bumped into the bloke in front of
g me. ‘Sorry mate’ I offered. The guy that turned round was a dead ringer for our Wembley hero of 2008 James Hayter. I got to the bottom of the rapids, had another look and realised it wasn’t a ringer at all; it was in fact James Hayer enjoying the delights of Sherwood Forest. “James! James!” I called. He looked up and smiled knowingly. “James, nice to see you on the rapids at Center Parcs!” I retorted. We did that manly handshake that the likes of Snoop Dog and Tinchy Stryder do, not this normal handshake rubbish, and we went our separate ways. I had just suffered melt down, of all the questions I could have asked I said that. I still felt quite euphoric but I was disappointed not to of made more of the opportunity. An opportunity presented itself for me to make up for my earlier freeze; James Hayter was now walking towards me. “Don’t you be getting injured round here!”. Shit, I’d just done it again! That was the best I could do. I’d never make a journalist. A top bloke though and a committed professional. Embrace the circus and enjoy the ride, we’re still a pub team having a laugh, it’s just we’re more Mount Pleasant than Tap and Spile these days. Rovers ‘til I die.
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Voice of the Pop Side Popular STAND’s elder statesman (with the emphasis on statesman) John Coyle offers some cautionary tales from Rovers’ past.
Won’t Get Fooled Again It is never a very good thing when a club’s fanbase is divided into two mutually antagonistic camps. Yet that is what seems to have happened at Rovers in the wake of the replacement of Sean O’Driscoll with Dean Saunders. The managerial change is not really the cause of this, though it remains a source of irritation for some, especially the maladroit manner in which it was handled. No, it is the revelation that Rovers’ transfer dealings are in the hands of the well-known agent, Willie McKay. For some, McKay is doing the club a massive service, enabling Rovers to employ players of high quality at a fraction of their real cost. For others, he is taking Doncaster Rovers down an unlit and potentially dangerous path. As someone who is prepared to judge the McKay “experiment” by its results (anything less than Championship survival this season being considered a failure), I have to say I can understand where the nay-sayers are coming from: they can point to recent history. When Ken Richardson arrived at Doncaster in the spring of 1993 I regarded him as potentially a good thing. Rovers appeared on their way out of the Football League and into an uncertain future. They had experienced falling crowds, winding-up orders and could not afford to recruit players of decent quality. Richardson used his knowledge of the non-League scene and his contacts to strengthen the squad and pull Rovers away from the foot of the
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bottom division. Yes, there was a rapid turnover of players and managers, and yes, his brinkmanship when dealing with the club’s shareholders and with Doncaster MBC became rather wearing. But at least he seemed to offer a vision for fans of a new stadium, built from the proceeds of the sale of the crumbling Belle Vue. Some suspected his motives from the outset: others, like me, took longer to convince that he was a wrong-un. The fire in the Main Stand in 1995 was the tipping point for many, though for me it was his callous and underhand treatment of the gentlemanly Sammy Chung, a man whose conduct brought nothing but credit to Rovers. That, and the appointment of that sycophantic toad Mark Weaver to do his dirty work. From then on, Richardson could go hang as far as I was concerned. Now, none of the foregoing is an attempt to equate Willie McKay to Ken Richardson. For a start, McKay does not have control of the club as a whole, even though he is a very influential figure. Rather it is to point out that there is a considerable section of Rovers’ support that has experienced the damage done by a False Messiah before. As I said in the last issue of this publication, I will judge what McKay is doing by its results. But I can understand why people are perturbed by his radical approach. As the old saying goes, “fool me once, shame on you: fool me twice, shame on me.” Rovers’ fans won’t be fooled again.
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A Change is as good as a... Relegation? Rovers’ previous experience of parting company with managers during the course of a season in English Football’s second tier is not a happy one. In February 1936 the popular David Menzies left of his own volition to return to his previous club, Hull City. At that point, Rovers were 9th in the Division Two table with 32 points, having been second in the league on Christmas Day. Rovers took only five more points after Menzies’ departure and slumped to 18th, being relegated a year later. More recent, and perhaps more apposite, was the departure of Peter Doherty in January 1958. Doherty, justly remembered as one of Rovers’ greatest managers, had taken the club up to Division Two in 1950 and had kept them there for seven seasons. However, the loss of Alick Jeffrey to injury and falling attendances had affected Rovers badly and they struggled for the first half of the 1957-58 season. By mid-November Rovers were bottom of the table with 10 points (in those days of two for a win) from
Harry Gregg
17 games. A brief revival saw them pull out of the relegation zone, but this was offset by the need to sell goalkeeper Harry Gregg to Manchester United for a then-record fee of £25,000. Doherty’s position was coming under threat not from the reaction of supporters but as a result of a power struggle in the Boardroom. Director Hubert Bates was antagonistic towards Doherty, allegedly because of the latter’s “favouritism” towards Roman Catholic players, a charge hardly borne out by the facts. It is quite likely that Bates was merely using this as a tool to strengthen his own position on the Board. Whatever his motives, Doherty felt sufficiently undermined to resign in January 1958 and he was followed out of the door by the club’s secretary and honorary surgeon. Rovers put trainer Jack Hodgson and coach Syd Bycroft, both former players, in charge of team matters, but the team won only two more games all season and was relegated in bottom place. Bates’ power-play proved successful for him, because at the end of the season two directors, including the Chairman, H.A. Butler, stood down, and Bates became the dominant force on the Rovers board for many years, including a spell as Chairman. However, he inherited a club in rapid and almost terminal decline, Rovers falling to the new Division Four in successive seasons and being forced to apply for re-election in 1962. Of course, history doesn’t always repeat itself, in life or in football, but these cautionary tales from Rovers’ past should remind the advocates of change that maybe they should be careful what they wish for.
JC
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Dutch Uncle’s
Windmills of Your Mind Popular STAND’s resident statistician has had a busy month re-sailing his windmill and cleaning out his dyke, but thankfully his refurbisment work hasn’t prevented him from offering up a smorgasbord of second-tier statistics. Despite the fact that Doncaster Rovers have spent most of their history in the lower reaches of the Football League (or even lower, notably for five years bridging the Millennium), we are currently engaged in our 18th season in the League’s second tier. This article gives a few basic statistics on these seventeen and a bit seasons. Rovers’ performance in our first 17 seasons is shown below, although please note that the attendance figures for the first three seasons are subject to significant guesswork
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whilst the points tallies marked with an asterisk represent seasons in which it was three points for a win. The rest are all two points for a win campaigns. In terms of second tier goalscorers, the leaders for Rovers at this level are as illustrated at the top of the adjacent page with Kilmarnock’s current attack making a noticeable contribution. The formidable Bert Tindill, who was prolific throughout Rovers’ most sustained period at this level in the 1950s standing way out in front of the
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chasing pack. It’s also pleasing to note Billy Sharp’s position, nestling up against the great Alick Jeffrey. In terms of League goals in a single season, no Rovers player has managed to hit the twenty-goal mark in a solitary campaign; Reg Baines came closest, falling just a goal short with 19 in the 1935-36 season. The most Bert Tindill managed in a single season was the 18 he struck in the 195556 season, whilst the third highest tally achieved by a Rovers player in a second tier season is the 17 goals scored by Kit Lawlor in 1953-54. The fifteen league goals in a season mark has been reached by Rovers players on a further eight occasions; by Stan ‘Dizzy’ Burton in 1935-36, Peter Doherty in 1950-51, by Jimmy Walker in 1954-55, by Bert Tindill twice in 1954-55 and 1956-57, by Alick Jeffrey in 1956-57 and of course latterly twice by Billy Sharp in each of the last two league seasons. There have been just eight hat-tricks scored by Doncaster Rovers players in the second tier, with two of those coming in the club’s first ever league season in 1901-02; both I. Marsh and J. Murphy hitting trebles when Rovers still turned out behind what is now the Deaf School. In the 1935-36 season both Reg Baines and Stan Burton claimed the match-ball on separate occasions, and in the 1956-57 season lightning struck twice again with both Alick Jeffrey and Johnny Mooney
hitting hat-tricks. The other two hat-tricks at this level were both the work of Peter Doherty, his coming in the 1950-51 and 1951-52 seasons respectively. The post-war football boom perhaps unsurprisingly brought Rovers’ biggest attendances at second tier level, the crowds swelled even further thanks to both some high profile opponents and local big city derbies. The club’s top three second-tier home attendances were all recorded within five seasons of World War II. 32,937saw Rovers host Manchester City in 1950-51, with 30,604 also turning up for the visit of Hull in the same season, whilst the third highest home gate is a crowd of 29,601 for the visit of Newcastle in 1947-48. The largest second-tier crowd Rovers have ever played in front of was 58,110 at Everton in 1953-54, the following season they also saw a high crowd on Merseyside with 49,751 watching them play Liverpool. Slotted between the two is a crowd of 51,137 who watched Rovers play Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in 1947-48. In terms of sequences, perhaps unsurprisingly the majority of the goodtimes (ie. unbeaten runs and consecutive victories) were experienced in the 1950s, still regarded as the club’s most successful period. Though the impressive run of form that begun on Boxing Day 2008 does feature, bearing as it did a second tier club
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Windmills of your Mind continued...
club record run of four consecutive away wins. The poor form coming into this season understandably features, though the 3-1 away victory at Derby in March at least ensures the club were some way off repeating their early 20th century form, which saw them suffer 19 consecutive away defeats, a run containing the entire 1904-05 season. The difference between the start and end of last season are also reflected with the 2010-11 campaign also being one of only two second tier seasons in which Rovers have struck two or more goals in five consecutive games. A number of Rovers’ sequences are born out in the tables at the top of this page. In terms of scoring sequences Rovers have twice managed to score four goals or more in back to back games, in 1953-54 and 195657. In 1956-57 they also managed to go three consecutive games scoring three goals or more. The longest the club have gone scoring two goals or more in consecutive second tier fixtures is five games, a feat managed in both 1956-57 and 2010-11. And
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from the 1952-53 season into the 1953-54 season Rovers managed to score a single goal or more in twenty consecutive matches. The most clean-sheets Rovers have managed in single second-tier season is 14, a feat achieved in both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 campaigns, which is quite remarkable considering Doncaster spent much of the former of those at the foot of the table. On three occasions the club has managed to keep twelve clean-sheets in a second-tier season; 1901-02, 1947-48 and 1953-54. The most consecutive clean-sheets Rovers have managed at this level is four, achieved in 2009-10. The most blanks drawn in a single secondtier season (ie. most games in which Rovers have failed to score) is 19, a total reached on three occasions; in 1904-05, 1947-48 and 2008-09.They failed to score in 17 games of the 1936-37 season, with last season’s 15 goal-shy games being the next worst
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campaign. The longest barren run Rovers have endured in front of goal, is the seven consecutive games in which they failed to score during the 1947-48 season. Rovers biggest win at second-tier level is 6-1, a scoreline twice achieved at home, against Hull City in 1935-36 and Leyton Orient in 1953-54. In terms of away victories Rovers have twice hit five in the second tier, on both occasions against Notts County; winning 5-1 at Meadow Lane in 1953-54 and 5-0 in 1957-58. Rovers biggest home defeat in the second tier of course came just last season, the 6-0 mauling from Ipswich Town, that the biggest home loss at this level since Fulham won 6-1 at Belle Vue in 1957-58, infamously the first Rovers match attended by a young John Ryan. On the road Rovers suffered twice as much, their record second tier defeat being a 12-0 drubbing at Small Heath (now Birmingham) in 1902-03. On three occasions Rovers have lost second tier games 7-0; at Burnley in 1901-02, and at both Newcastle and Plymouth in 193637. That 12-0 defeat at Small Heath also represents the highest aggregate score in a Rovers match at this level, followed by the nine goals scored in a 7-2 defeat at Blackburn in 1954-55.
Given all the above statistics, the following milestones and targets might be achievable during this season; • 12th position (32nd in the country) or better would represent Rovers second best finish ever • 150th home win, 100th home draw, and 900th goal home or away in the second tier. • Highest individual goalscorer in a season at level 2 (19 to beat) • Billy Sharp to become 2nd highest alltime Rovers goalscorer at Tier 2 • First hat-trick at level 2 since 1956-7 • Average Home Attendance to break 12,000 for the first time since 1956-7 (at any level) • The record for consecutive cleansheets • The record for consecutive matches scoring four or more goals Of course one or two of those suggestions above might be candidates for the John Ryan International Award for Optimism.
Caveat - no figures quoted in this article are official. Dutch Uncle uses many sources including club handbooks, Rothmans/Sky annuals, and best of all the official Rovers history by Bluff & Watson. For definitive data the reader is referred to Tony Bluff and/or Barry Watson.
BW
Popular STAND Online Hey you! No not him, you! We’re on that there intenet thing now y’know. Aye. We bllody are. At Popular STAND online you’ll find links to Rovers related articles plus our own photo diary of the 2011-12 season
Visit the site now; http://popularstand.tumblr.com POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
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View From The Clift Matt Clift lifts the lid on a new club venture, as Rovers look to break new ground.
Doncaster Rovers TV After the success of Manchester United’s dedicated channel MUTV, Doncaster Rovers are pleased to announce that they have entered the new-fangled world of the flickering moving image with their own TV station. Featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio and glorious blackand-white picture, Doncaster Rovers Analogue Broadcasting (DRAB) will be on air very soon, and will be available to anyone prepared to stand very still in an uncomfortable position while holding up one of those rabbit-ear aerials. Here’s a sneak preview of some of the programmes to look forward to:
I’m A Footballer... Get Me Out of Here!
Following their 2011 Inca Trek, Doncaster Rovers players Mark Wilson, James Coppinger and James O’Connor face their toughest challenge yet as they are dropped in the wilds of Barnsley equipped with only a bus timetable and a bottle of WKD in case they have to win the trust of a small child. Can they survive the gruelling Bushtucker trial of a Gregg’s pasty? And can they make it back to civilisation before the natives emerge from Wetherspoons and begin to roam the streets?
Gardeners’ Question Time
Answering your green-fingered queries this week is Sean O’Driscoll, ably assisted by Richard O’Kelly. Sean and Richard have spent the last two months honing their horticultural skills and will be taking calls from gardeners who want to know the best way to organise their geraniums into a cohesive 4-4-2 diamond formation with overlapping wing-backs.
Willie’s Window Comedy starring Willie McKay as the proprietor of a large shop window. Hilarity ensues at every turn as McKay and his bumbling assistant Saunders spend all their time rearranging the window displays, leaving the rest of their shop a disorganised mess.
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POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
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Reserves Match - Live Watch your favourite players in action the ones who’ve been at Doncaster Rovers for longer than a month and aren’t Willie McKay’s clients.
Swallows and Amazons
Undercover Boss John Ryan disguises himself with plastic surgery from a well-known clinic (where he gets a sizeable discount) and surreptitiously joins his own workforce to examine the inner workings of Doncaster Rovers football club. After a succession of disappointing attendance figures at the Keepmoat, he will be finding out for himself how the club set ticket prices and conduct their local marketing campaign. Will he be appalled or just merely dismayed at the professionalism and business acumen of his staff? What conclusions will he draw from his covert investigations? This fascinating documentary will have you on the edge of your seat as John finds that his club’s policy of charging the same high price for all seats in the middle of a recession, and the innovative marketing strategy of asking fans to download flyers from the website to display in their windows can lead him to draw only one conclusion on the cause of poor attendances: it’s all the fault of the Doncaster public.
In a hopelessly contrived act of TV programme commissioning, Doncaster Rovers’ customer services manager Charles Swallow sets off on a journey of discovery as he investigates various Amazons of the world. This week he traces the origins of the South American river from its source in the Peruvian Andes and meets some of the inhabitants of the Amazonian Rainforest face-toface, including a close encounter with an anaconda in Arumanduba. Future episodes will see him getting up-close and personal with the fearsome female warriors of Greek mythology, and buying a book from the online retailer.
Agent Orange Comedy starring Willie McKay as the hapless football agent who falls into a vat of tanning lotion at Phil Brown’s house.
POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
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Bradford Exile’s
Season in Retrospect Continuing his excellent chronicles of Doncaster Rovers’ campaigns past our resident historian Ray Jest looks back at the 1970-71 season. After the disappointment of the 1969-70 campaign Rovers fans were looking to the new season with less optimism and more pessimism than they had for some time. Pre-season friendlies had been arranged against some illustrious names, in particular Leeds United, Burnley, and Arsenal, although the latter only fielded a “reserve team eleven”. A big shock to supporters was the news that stalwart John Flowers, an integral part of the Rovers midfield and defence, and brother of England international Ron Flowers, had decided to hang up his boots. Although only 25 Flowers had decided to open up a business in his home town of Stoke. Another news item, although one which was not seen as of particular importance was the signing of a young trainee by the name of Peter Kitchen. Of course Kitchen was to make his mark in the first team later in the season and would be an integral part of Rovers fortunes for some years to come. One other signing was that of Glenn Johnson, a young goalkeeper released by Arsenal, who was to take over the mantle of John Ogston, Rovers’ regular goalkeeper for the past couple of seasons. The friendly matches produced some goal feasts for the faithful who attend them. Beginning with a 4-0 win over Peterborough at Belle Vue, and a 2-0 away win at Macclesfield. A crowd of 4,899 was attracted to Belle Vue as the Rovers
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entertained First Division Burnley. Doncaster acquitted themselves to the task really well and were not at all overawed by their illustrious opponents, gaining a respectable 2-2 draw. The next visitors to Belle Vue were Leeds United, who fielded a full strength team including Alan Clarke, Johnny Giles, Jack Charlton, Peter Lorimer and Mick Jones. Leeds won the game 2-1 but everyone was full of praise for the Rovers and manager Lawrie McMenemy; the Rovers fans in the crowd of 15,797 went home feeling that all was well at Donny. The final friendly against Arsenal proved somewhat of a damp squib, despite Rovers wining by 5-0. Arsenal fielded what can only be described as a reserve eleven. The crowd of 4,027 was treated to a footballing display by Rovers which seemed again to augur well for the coming season. It did not take long, however, for everyone concerned to realise that a long hard season was in front of the team. The first game at home ended in defeat, 2-1 at the hands of Mansfield Town, followed by another loss, a 2-0 reverse at the hands of Rotherham in the first derby game of the season at Millmoor. The first point of the season was earned against Tranmere in a 2-2 draw at Belle Vue, but Doncaster again tasted defeat in their next outing at Spotland as Rochdale ran out 1-0 winners. At this point Rovers were bottom of the
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division and an away game at Aston Villa seemed to be the last thing that they needed. Doncaster were beaten 3-2 at Villa Park but had put up a spirited resistance, and could count themselves unlucky not to have come away with a point. Manager McMenemy moved into the transfer market to try and bolster his team and brought in Len Harris, a 21 year old full back from Nottingham Forest, on a one month loan deal. Some additional good news for Rovers fans also came with the return, albeit only part time, of John Flowers. Unfortunately this period also saw the sale of Stewart Gray, a solid defender, to Grimsby Town. Rovers’ next game was another Yorkshire derby game against Halifax Town. The game at Belle Vue looked all set for a 1-1 draw until Brierley snatched a winning goal for Halifax in the 92nd, the extra time having been added on for an injury to Rovers’ centre half Robertson. Fulham were Doncaster’s next opponents and the trip to Craven Cottage, like the one to Villa Park earlier, seemed to be a tough test. But to confound all their critics Rovers astounded everyone by coming away with a well earned point. Soon after the Fulham game an article in the Doncaster Evening Post by Joe Slater claimed that the club was losing £750 per week. Debts had accrued to the tune of around £42,000, and there were fears that the Rovers could be on the way out of business. Things were not much better on the field, with back to back defeats away at Bristo, Rovers (2-0) and at home to Torquay United (1-0) only added to the misery surrounding Belle Vue and the team. Nine games had now been played and only two points had been gained, things could not get worse, could they?
On 29th September, a crowd of 3,447 turned out to watch the game against Brighton at Belle Vue. The game resulted in a 2-0 win for Doncaster, who were cheered off the field at both half time and at full time, so good was the quality of their football. Perhaps the tide had changed, a consideration given weight as Rovers then went to Bury and gained their first away win of the season, triumphin 3-2. Two wins in four days had lifted them up from the foot of the table to fourth from bottom and the fans were buoyed with the hope of more success.. Headlines in the local press though told a sinister tale; Rovers, they proclaimed were willing to sell any or all of their players to fend of mounting debts. A sell to survive policy was now in place. It wasn’t just the Rovers who were in trouble though, across the town at Tattersfield, Doncaster Rugby League club had also announced a sell to survive policy. A cloud of pessimism was hanging over the town of Doncaster with both clubs were reportedly losing huge sums of money each week. On the field the Rovers continued from where they had finished off at Bury and dispatched Reading from Belle Vue with another victory by two goals to nil, watched by a crowd of 4,936. Meanwhile away from the crowds, Peter Kitchen had taken the reserve team by the throat and was now leading scorer in the North Midland League. Indeed Rovers’ Reserves’ win over Bradford City’s 2nd XI had the local press drooling over the performances of players like Stan Brookes, Steve Uzelac, Roy Young and Peter Kitchen. Another young player catching the eye at this time was Tony Marsden, alongside Kitchen he would also feature prominently in the Rovers’ first team in later days.
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Season in Retrospect continued...
Doncaster’s next game was away at promotion contenders Mansfield Town. The game turned out to be a disaster for Rovers’ goalkeeper Glen Johnson who gifted two first half goals to Mansfield with Rovers reply coming from Marsden after 88 minutes - too little to late from Rovers viewpoint. However, a much improved performance in the next away game at Plymouth Argyle saw Rovers return from the south-west with a creditable 1-1 draw. Rovers’ next fixture was back at Belle Vue and resulted in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Walsall, but this was subsequently followed by a run of five League games without defeat. A goal from Archie Irvine ten minutes from time gave Rovers a 1-0 win over Bransley in a South Yorkshire derby at Oakwell to commence the run. Two home games followed, producing a 1-1 draw against Preston North End and a 2-1 win over Chesterfield. Back on the road Rovers kept up their form with a 0-0 draw away to Wrexham and a very good 3-0 win at Shrewsbury Town’s Gay Meadow. That victory at Shrewsbury completed two years in charge of Doncaster Rovers for manager Lawrie McMenemy. In all Rovers had played 105 games under McMenemy whose record read; played 105, won 36, drawn 36, lost 33. In contrast to results over the past few weeks, when many of the Rovers’ fans had thought that the tide had turned, Rovers now went on a disastrous run of six games without picking up one solitary point. A calamitous 4-0 reversal at Halifax Town was followed by losses at home to
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Rotherham United (2-0), and Port Vale (21), and away defeats at Bradford City (3-0), and Brighton & Hove Albion (3-0). During this sequence of defeats, hard up Rovers sold Rod Johnson to Rotherham United for a fee in the region of £8,000, whilst Harold Wilkockson had departed to Sheffield Wednesday. At a hastily convened AGM it was decide that Doncaster Rovers would carry on playing but that “changes would have to be made”. This AGM was reported to be one of the shortest in Rovers history, lasting only a mere 20 minutes. During the admittedly brief meeting McMenemy had been criticised by several shareholders for the sale of both Wilkockson and Johnson, and it was shortly after this that the now infamous ultimatum of “win or you’re fired” was given to McMenemy. Mr Bailey stated that there was due to be a board meeting after Saturday’s home game against Plymouth Argyle, at which time Mr McMenemy’s position would be discussed and his future decided depending on the result of that match. To his credit and with great dignity, Lawrie McMenemy refused to speak or answer questions about the turmoil within Belle Vue, and his position endeared him further to many fans. In the event Rovers played out a 0-0 draw against Plymouth, a result that resulted in one national newspaper headline boldly saying “Come on Rovers, let Mac stay”. McMenemy did stay as manager, took the team to Gillingham and duly won by 1 goal to nil; a result followed by three consecutive draws against Shrewsbury (1-1 home), Swansea City (1-1 away) and Gillingham (2-2 home). Rovers’ next game, at Saltersgate, resulted in a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Chesterfield and the omens again looked
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bad, but Rovers’ first home win since November and the first home win since that infamous “win or your fired” ultimatum saw them complete the double over old rivals Barnsley, triumphing, again, 1-0. A win over Walsall in their next away game had the supporters hoping that Doncaster could now beat the drop, but a 1-0 defeat at home to Bristol Rovers dampened much of the fans’ optimism. Still, the next home game resulted in a 2-1 win over Wrexham and it seemed the train was back on the tracks.
against Darlington. In a Jekyll and Hyde performance Rovers, playing much the better football, took an early lead in the 15th minute through Stephen Briggs, but from then on it was all Darlington and they equalised on 29 minutes through Gauden. The replay at Darlington saw Doncaster overwhelmed by their Fourth Division opponents and although they equalised an early goal by Hale for Darlington the writing was on the wall and The Quakers ran out 3-1 winners.
Alas not, as defeats at Port Vale (1-0) and Preston North End (4-0) brought the doom and gloom back again. When three out of the next four games were won; home victories over Aston Villa (2-1), Bradford City (3-1) and Bury (2-1) avenging the disappointment of a 1-0 loss at Tranmere, there was hope albeit slight, that relegation could still be avoided.
In the first round of the FA Cup Rovers were drawn away at another side from the division below; Crewe Alexandra. The game was an action packed cup tie that could have been won by either team, the fact that it finished goalless being down to errors and missed chances on both sides. The return game at Belle Vue had Rovers fans hoping for a home draw in the next round, unfortunately, lightning was to strike twice. As with Darlington before, Rovers would be knocked out of their second cup competition by a fourth division club, only this time though they would be beaten on their own ground. Watson had given Rovers an early lead (3 minutes), only for Crewe to score 2 goals in 90 seconds just before half time.
With just four games left Rovers were fourth from bottom of the League with all to play for, but, as on many occasions during this sorry season they reverted to their old ways and all four games were lost. Reading turned Doncaster over 1-0 at Elm Park, both Fulham (1-0) and Rochdale (2-1) triumphed at Belle Vue, before the season ended with a 2-1 loss at Torquay. Donny were relegated and returned to Division Four. Manager Lawrie McMenemy was sacked at the end of the season, a decision which incensed one supporters club’ branch with a 70 strong membership so much that they disbanded in disgust. Doncaster finished in 23rd position in the Division, with only Gillingham two points below them. In the Cup competitions Rovers fared no better. In the League Cup they were drawn
Rovers would not recover from that setback, and in pushing forward to gain an equaliser they left themselves open at the back to a sucker punch. Crewe duly obliged on 63 minutes and the game was all over. It was a season that many Rovers fans wanted to forget, but it would be ten long and difficult seasons before Doncaster Rovers would put a smile back on the faces of their supporters by returning to this level again.
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Blowing My Own Trumpet Supporting Role Popular STAND Editor Glen WIlson examines what being a supporter means.. “Support Rovers and our manager or go and support another club, because you’re always negative and anti-DRFC so are you a fan or not?” On Twitter, I’ve received a few messages like the one above of late, and they frustrate and disappoint me. Not because the people intoning them are of a different opinion to me on the current direction of the club; it’s inevitable that folk would be. Hell, if everyone thought like me then the country would be a scary place, and Prime Minister Fortune-West would have his work cut out protecting Natalie Imbruglia from 60 million stalkers. No, they frustrate and disappoint me, because they are closed to the notion that different people support a club in different ways. If you are able to follow all that the club does with unwavering positivity then that’s great, but don’t be closed to the fact that other people may not share in the Pravda-like conveyance of it all. Statements such as the one at the top of the page open up the debate as to what constitutes a supporter? Is it an all-out relentless adoration, or is it something different. “The natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score” wrote Nick Hornby twenty years ago, and it’s this statement which I understand as being more in tune with my own football supporting experience. Following Rovers to me was always underpinned with a healthy dose of pessimism and maintained with gallows humour. On the Pop Side we would happily
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belt out “Score from a corner, we never score from a corner” as our centre-halves trotted forward without being harangued for our negativity and anti-DRFC doommongering, so what changed? When did everything become so serious? Well, the prominent role the internet plays in modern-day football support can be viewed as significant contribution. Forums, messageboards and social media open us up to the individual views and mindsets of more supporters than we would ever converse with at an actual match. There are more people to define our support against, with that definition done increasingly through juxtaposition rather than comparison. I share this guy’s view, but not that guy’s. People want to show their support, and so you end up with the bizarre situation where folk on a football club supporters’ forum feel the need to start and/or contribute to a thread of which the central message is “I support the team”. The immediacy which underpins these mediums means that there is no time to consider and analyse, and so sweeping judgements are made to bracket arguments and supporters into two conveniently identifiable camps. You are either for or against, pro or anti. And so those who support the club, but feel the need to ask questions, or who aren’t 100% satisfied with the route being taken are hastily bracketed as being negative. They are dissentors, trouble-makers, or to quote the esteemed Chair of the Viking Supporters Cooperative, their questions “serve no purpose other than self gratification”.
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Consider this. On my way to the match I make a couple of cynical, and admittedly poor, jokes on Twitter about the off-field direction of the club, and then I go into the ground and offer uncritical support of the players on the field; I praise the positive touches, console the unfortunate miss-kicks and will the team on to win, and score, no matter how poorly they’re playing. And at full-time, when the game is over I give a frank assessment that the game was awful and the team has played better. Alternatively, I fully embrace the new approach Rovers have taken and praise it to the hilt on forums and the like, and then I go to the match and Rovers are awful, so I whilst I cheer each attack, I also yell out “You’re too bloody slow Sam!” “What the hell was that?” “Nooo, bloody useless ball!” “Take him off, he’s shit!” and the like. So, who, of these two options, is the ‘better’ supporter. Which is positive? Which is negative? And herein lies the problem of attempting to polarise football supporters and pigeonhole them beneath just two labels; positive and negative. Ultimately, it’s just not that simple. Each and every one of us has a distinctive relationship with the club we support. We all see each game from a different angle, we each have different context into which we place each experience. So, how can we quantify what is a uniquely individual bond? The answer of course is you cannot. You cannot quantify, or even rate support accurately. Is someone who goes to every single game, for example, a better supporter than someone who has emigrated to the USA and follows every game on the internet? Is a season ticket holder a ‘bigger’ supporter than someone who goes to every home game but was unable to afford to fork out such a large lump sum. The truth is, you’d be hard pressed to find a Rovers fan who wouldn’t wish to be at every one of the club’s games, and so their inability to afford,
L to the F to the W to the PM
or make time to do so should not be used to demote their ‘fandom’. They are all supporters; they just express their support differently. The truth is that I envy those who are able to give unrelenting support to the players who take the field for Rovers. That ability to detach whoever is wearing the red and white hoops from context and circumstance and unquestioningly support those on the field in what ultimately is just a game, is something I genuinely wish I was able to do, not least because it would make life a lot simpler. But unfortunately I can’t, because I’ve allowed myself to get in too deep, and care too much about the bigger picture. And so my support of the team whilst they stand between the advertising hoardings is framed by cynicism and questions regarding the club’s approach off the field, things which I will voice once again when the game is over. That is my interpretation of support, and supporting my football club, and whilst I know many share some of the sentiments it conveys, I wouldn’t expect it to be yours.
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It’s the longest running page filler in fanzine history...
Trumpet Man’s Song Book Now with added Christmas! Dreaming of a Shop Window (to the tune of White Christmas)
I’m dreaming of a Shop Window A route to a club I at least know Where the money glistens, and agents listen To hear come and get me pleas in the snow I’m dreaming of a Shop Window With every Rovers game I play May your wages be extremely high And make sure you tip Mister Mckay
Frosty the Snowman Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul, With a short-term deal, a shop window place And two eyes made out of coal. Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say, He once won international caps But now he’s here for a brief stay. There must have been some money stored Away down at the ground. For now we are cutting our costs By having all his mates around. O, Frosty the snowman was arrived just the other day, But the gaffer says he’s good enough To go straight in the side and play today. Thumpetty thump thump, Thumpety thump thump, Look at Frosty go. Thumpetty thump thump, Thumpety thump thump, Into the shop window.
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POPULAR STAND; a football fanzine for the likes of Doncaster
issue 55