| WELCOME TO ROYALS RENDEZVOUS - THE 1871 CLUB The Royals Rendezvous – the 1871 Club was formed over the Christmas-New Year period of 2010-2011. Many of its initial members were regular contributors to the BBC 606 service – alas, no longer in operation – who wished for a more specialized Reading FC orientated forum, whilst maintaining the good spirited type of conversation and banter that the BBC tried to promote. In its first two years of existence, the Royals Rendezvous is achieving outstanding success, with new members signing up continuously, and the member base itself extremely active. Over 500 members, over 70,000 posts is proof enough of the growing role of this specialist Reading FC fans forum web site. It is already recognized in other sporting circles as a major source of news and fan interaction (especially that related to Reading Football club of course), and has a strong and enthusiastic moderation team. Royals Rendezvous has also developed fine relations with many other specialist football forums, especially with teams of our own league. You’re currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are many features you cannot use. However, if you are a fan of another team you are currently allowed to post in “Rivals, but Friends” and the "Other Matches" sections, strictly abiding by the language decency standards that Royals Rendezvous maintains. No aggressive posts, wind-ups or swearing or the post will be edited/deleted. But please read on.... If you join our community you’ll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages to other users, posting your comments and opinions in threads all across our website, signal your appreciation of other people’s posts, be able to vote in polls (there are many polls amongst RR members and often run simultaneously), enter member competitions, and adding your personal material in the Media section, which contains many photographs, newspaper cuttings and other media connected with Reading Football Club, plus the large RR Reference Library of over 160 links and addresses. In addition you'll hear first hand of our news and announcements, and be able to participate in an all-ranging 'anything goes' section. So take advantage, registration is simple, fast, and completely free – you can become a FULL member at an instant, and are welcomed as such on Royals Rendezvous from Day 1 – promised! Why not make first stop by introducing yourself in the “Welcome! Thanks for joining” topic in the Introductions part of the site … Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Doncaster v Reading MATCH THREAD [04/02/2012]; Match Information, pre-match chat, live comments and final whistle | |
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| Topic Started: 30 Jan 2012, 10:43 PM (1,402 Views) | |
| daib0 | 30 Jan 2012, 10:43 PM Post #1 |
A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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A warm welcome to any Donny fans looking in - fullest respect shown to you, guaranteed no ‘wind ups’ here! Furthermore, you are able to post in our open fan section “Rivals, but Friends”, http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/forum/3832070 and even start article topics there as a guest – just be sociable & language decency please. Passion IS very much welcome, knowing that you’ll root for your team, just as we do – so enjoy it on here! First off, we must make mention of our Friendly Fan Feature (FFF): "Doncaster Rovers fan summary" by Benaldo of the Viking Chat Forum - http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/topic/9365802/1 A top-class preview of the Doncaster perspective, which really sets the standard on RR for 2012!! Many thanks, Ben… OFFICIAL RR MATCH PRESENTATION Doncaster Rovers v Reading Saturday 4th February 2012 - Kick off 3.00 pm Keepmoat Stadium Championship Members participating in the Royals Rendezvous Prediction game - don’t forget to cast your final score, HT score, and your Reading goalscorers - see link near end of this match thread ... Game Introduction RFC AWAY - If you’re going and want to know more, see this great link about the stadium, travelling and food - http://www.footballgroundguide.com/doncaster_rovers A short note about the ground A new ground! Only opened since the beginning of 2007, taking the place of the old and famous Belle Vue Ground which had been around since 1922 and had seen the club’s attendance record of over 37,000 in 1948 (v Hull). The new stadium is probably the only British football stadium that is situated alongside a lake! The venture was built by, and is owned by, the local council. It has a current capacity of over 15,000 fans, all seated, and is comforting in that no part of the ground is of excessive height.  However, a word of warning – present day controversy: Managers at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium have requested a £1m overdraft extension from Doncaster Council. The Stadium Management Company (SMC) said it requested the 12-month extension to provide future financial flexibility and stability. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-12135913 But, the reply is not too encouraging: The elected mayor of Doncaster says council tax payers cannot continue to have their pockets "picked" to keep the town's sports stadium running. English Democrat Peter Davies said it was "vitally important" to find a new operator for the £32m Doncaster Council-owned Keepmoat Stadium. The stadium, currently run by a management company, is estimated to have lost £2m since opening in 2006. Doncaster Rovers football club said it was interested in doing a deal. See complete article from BBC Sport: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-16760469 FORM GUIDE Table Positions: Doncaster 23rd - 23 points (played 27 games) Reading 4th - 45 points (played 28 games) (NB – table positions could change as a result of mid-week championship games) Doncaster Recent form: I can’t try to disguise it, it’s difficult times for Donny. The only win in six has been 2-0 at home to Barnsley. They did hold high-flying Cardiff to 0-0 though. But defeats to Bristol City, Watford, Burnley, and a disappointing FA Cup home exit to Notts County has set a bit of pessimism. Yet, proof that in the championship anyone can beat anyone is demonstrated by an important victory over then-leaders Southampton in early December. Reading Recent form: The last 11 league games have produced 8 victories, so it is promotional form. But annoying losses to Cardiff and Hull (direct rivals) and a whitewash in the cup against Stevenage mean that the club is still some way off the automatic places. Still, with recent new signings and Jimmy Kébé finally committing there’s plenty of hope for the rest of the season... Recent form table – last 8 games: In this form table showing what the league would be like only considering last 8 games ... Reading have returned to top spot with a W6 D0 L2 reading! And the 12 goals scored is also 4th best, but way off the impressive 18 marked by Birmingham. How do Donny do? Well, much better than the real position; they sit comfortably in 15th place with a W3 D1 L4 record. However the 12 goals conceded is fourth worst in this area. Current Manager of Doncaster Rovers: Dean Saunders Dean Nicholas Saunders (born 21 June 1964 in Swansea) is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is probably best known for playing for Aston Villa. However he also played for Swansea City, Cardiff City (on loan), Brighton, Oxford United, Derby County, Liverpool, Galatasaray, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Benfica and Bradford City. He also won 75 caps at senior level for Wales between 1986 and 2001, scoring 22 times - making him one of the nation's highest scoring and most capped players of all time. On 23 September 2011, he was named manager of Doncaster Rovers following their sacking of Sean O'Driscoll. Saunders led Doncaster to the first win of the season and their first in 20 games, only a day after signing as manager, in a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace. He is also an occasional pundit for the BBC, sometimes providing analysis on Wales' matches.  Do you know Rovers historically? Doncaster, in spite of being formed as long ago as 1879 (went professional 6 years later), and being elected to the second division in 1901, have not been able to find the peaks of glory. During the initial years of the 20th century they even failed re-election twice, and have moved about the different leagues remarkably regularly, but never yet risen to the top tier, and (to be honest) surprisingly few either in the second tier until recent times – but to note down all their regular movements up & down the leagues would require many lines of text! The last few years have perhaps been the team’s most successful (and generally optimistic) period ever. Sean O’Driscoll had been the manager of club since August 2006, until the appointment of Dean Saunders at the start of the season. A quick history of Doncaster Doncaster ( in Old English: Donne ceaster) is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about 20 miles (32 km) from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny". Doncaster is on the site of a Roman fort which was built in the 1st century AD at a crossing of the River Don. The town was an Anglo-Saxon burgh, and is mentioned in the 1003 will of Wulfric Spott. Shortly after the Norman Conquest, Nigel Fossard refortified the town and constructed Conisbrough Castle. Doncaster matured into a busy town and in 1194 King Richard I granted Doncaster national recognition with a town charter. By 1334, Doncaster was the wealthiest town in southern Yorkshire and the sixth most important town in Yorkshire as a whole, even boasting its own banker. The town was incorporated in 1461 and its first Mayor and corporation were established. During the 16th and 17th centuries the town of Doncaster continued to expand. This was despite several outbreaks of plague from 1562 until 1606. Each time the plague struck down significant numbers of Doncaster's population. In the Industrial revolution coal prompted Doncaster's exponential population growth. The waterways, River Don and Don Navigation were used to transport coal from Doncaster to the steel production centres at Rotherham, Scunthorpe and Sheffield. With coal mining came secondary and tertiary industries. Large scale glass production soon followed. Steel foundries, rolling mills and wire mills were also built close to the railways. So, Doncaster is traditionally very wealthy. However, the closure of coal mines in the 1970s and the early 1980s caused some economic difficulties; the town then developed its service industry; the already good communication links with the rest of the UK supported this development. Over the past two years or so, the Doncaster Lakeside, which is home to the Doncaster Rovers ground has undergone major development. With the opening of the Lakeside Village, a major retail outlet with over 45 retail shops and restaurants, the area is becoming more attractive to tourists. Doncaster has also recently extended the Frenchgate Centre, a shopping centre and transport interchange. The wider metropolitan borough had a 2001 population of around 286,866 and is set to pass 300,000 in 2012. Doncaster – old and present day:   WEB SITES Official Doncaster Rovers Club Web Site: http://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk Unofficial Web Sites – daib0’s suggestion: This week there’s no reservations in choosing – Viking Chat - http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php which is an important source of Doncaster news and fans opinions. Nice organization, with educated and sociable comments by the members. And … how nice to get a first message from an administrator “We are more than happy to welcome opposition supporters onto our site for friendly (and sometimes "slightly barbed") banter.” Funnily enough, another admin and treasurer (they are a ‘Viking Supporters Co-operative’) are based in Berkshire! Well worth consulting for all things ‘Donny’! OPPOSING FANS SECTION Rivalries: There are numerous teams not too far away, but Doncaster’s main rival (as far as the fans go!) has been traditionally Rotherham United, though lately Leeds United seem to be putting that honour in jeopardy! Famous Fans: Famous fans include local born singer Tony Christie, fellow singer Joe Longthorne, the professional boxer Junior Witter, and TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson. A notable mention should also be made of the Doncaster born retired professional footballer and manager Kevin Keegan. Can any Donny fans can point us to any more? Here’s KK – as player and as manager:   NICKNAMES ETC. The Rovers, Donny, The Vikings, The mighty Rovers/Reds are the most known. Donny is very often used by opposing fans especially, as it doesn’t get confused with other sides with second name ‘Rovers’. MATCH DAY EXPECTATIONS Attendances: Doncaster has only modest attendances; only one of two clubs (alongside Peterborough) who do not break through an average of 10,000 per home game – at present standing just short at 9,679. However that’s not far off two-thirds capacity... By the way, Reading have now moved down to 11th, overtaken by Birmingham City! Squads and Team News: Not available yet - please add any news in your posts and comments - one of the most important things to add here before kick-off! SCORE PREDICTIONS My own verdict: Still an unknown with new Reading players, but if the club is serious at a promotion push then it has to go for a win here. So: Doncaster 1 Reading 2 (HT 0-1 to Reading). For most of your predictions see: http://royalsrendezvous.co.uk/topic/9370076/1 - Please do ADD your prediction on this special link, which counts for the RR Prediction Game 2011-12, being organized by RoyalJoe - couldn't be easier, and you'll have some fun, so try it even at this stage of the season ! If you don’t fancy participating in the game, but still would like to give a one-off score prediction, just leave any prediction on this Match thread itself (we don’t take these into account ...) What do others say? The Oddschecker site, listing nearly all the major betting companies, shows Reading are slight favourites for an away victory, but highest odds are for a draw – probably because each team’s individual recent records show very few draws around! Reading FC SUPERSTITIONS THIS DATE in history! We’ve played 14 games, with a W6 D3 L5, with a few bad defeats through history. Last time on 4th February was in 2011, finishing Reading 0 QPR 1. Doncaster – their record is rather worse: 15 games played this day - W2 D7 L6. Worst was a 1-6 loss to Hull (A) back in 1933, and most recent game was in the cup against Aston Villa – a 1-3 away loss. Let’s start up - and keep going - the comments as you wish, and as they happen up to and during the game. In your hands, make this a nice thread! Enjoy it! daib0 P.S. CHANGE!! Post Match - Player Performances (rate from 0 t 10?!) plus match reports & general last comments are found once again ON THIS THREAD for the rest of the season! Any general Match Reports from the press/media are most welcome, and especially those containing any references to the players. Any photos to the RR Media Section – “Current Season”… |
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Royals Rendezvous - a friendly Reading forum // twitter: @johnstone_cello | |
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| Foxxinator | 30 Jan 2012, 11:07 PM Post #2 |
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Right now I can only see a big Reading win. After losing their talisman to Southampton I can only see one way traffic. If they bring in some quality in defence and the middle of the park it could make things a bit more dangerous - but currently their squad is crushed with the lost of their main man. They need someone like Darren Ambrose for Crystal Palace to hold the team together, someone like the Snodgrass of Leeds. Those players make or break teams, and today Doncaster lost theirs in the name of Billy Sharp. I don't think anyone at Doncaster would wish ill on him, he's a great guy in football. After the tragic loss of his son in recent months he's still performed at a good level, scoring for a side who are languishing in the relegation battle of the league. They've got some quality, I believe Ilunga has signed for them? Or was heavily linked to be signing - El Hadj Diouf is a good player on his day, but a bit temperamental for my liking. But as the Doncaster fan said - you dislike him if he isn't playing for you. I wish the best of luck to any Doncaster fans for the rest of the season, but come 3pm Saturday I'm hoping you get beat. Doncaster is a team that I like in the championship, I wouldn't want to see them go down instead of the likes of Millwall, Portsmouth, Watford, Nottingham Forest, Coventry etc.... All the best for the rest of the season from me personally, but I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me on this board that we'd love to see you here again next season. Edited by Foxxinator, 30 Jan 2012, 11:08 PM.
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| tidus_mi2 | 31 Jan 2012, 12:55 AM Post #3 |
Loyal Royal!
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I'm pretty sure Diouf's contract is up either before or after their game tomorrow so they'll be missing him as well. |
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| daib0 | 31 Jan 2012, 12:20 PM Post #4 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Ref Check Referee – Tony Bates Assistant Referees (Linesmen) – John Brooks and Declan Ford 4th Official – Ross Joyce Tony (Anthony) Bates is from Staffordshire. His record this season: Games – 24 Yellow cards – 65 Red cards – 0 Special game/s this season? No game has produced more five yellows and this has happened three times this season – the first of which was the Reading v Millwall game in August!! Previous Reading matches: August 2011 v Millwall (H) – a 2-2 draw (before mentioned) February 2011 v Crystal Palace (A) – a 3-3 draw (match produced 2 pens) April 2010 v Cardiff (A) – match finished 0-0 December 2009 v Scunthorpe (H) – another draw, 1-1 (and 5 yellows) Match 2009 v Plmouth (A) – yet another draw, this time 2-2! Previous Doncaster Rovers matches: January 2011 v Sheffield United – a 2-2 draw (2 yellows, one red, and a penalty!) November 2009 v QPR (H) – a Donny win 2-0 September 2008 v Sheffield United (H) – Donny lost 0-2 August 2006 v Swansea (A) – Donny lost 0-2 Comments: Well, he hasn’t dished out a single red card this season, and that’s by now something almost unusual. Reading ALWAYS draw with this ref! Quite good comments on the whole – Southampton fan: “Didn't have a lot to do, let the game flow well. Good performance.” Huddersfield fan: “Certainly not a bad performance at all, one of the better ones we have seen this season. Shame about his 2 mates, but that's not his fault.” Crystal Palace fan in the last Reading game: “Ref had a good game IMO but the assistant on our (Reading) side of the pitch should take a leaf out of the Scottish Referees Association ..... and get sponsored by SpecSavers” His worst rating seems to come from Sheff Utd fans… Biographical – Anthony Bates (born 26 October 1961, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire) is an English association football referee who operates in the Football League, and previously served as assistant referee for UEFA in the Euro 96 competition. He also refereed the FA Women's Cup Final in 2007. Bates became a Football League assistant referee in 1993, and took up the flag during the Charity Shield match at Wembley on 13 August 1995. He fulfilled the same role for UEFA, and ran the line in the Euro 96 group match between Germany and the Czech Republic. He was also an assistant referee for Dermot Gallagher during the 1996 FA Cup Final. Following that busy period, he was promoted to referee in the Football League for the 1996-97 season. A high early point in his career was the old First Division play-off semi-final first leg, which he refereed on 28 April 2002. Bates was the referee in charge of an FA Cup first round tie between Newport County and Swansea City at Newport Stadium on 11 November 2006, when fourth official Alan Sheffield was struck by a coin thrown from the crowd, and subsequently, both Newport County and their manager received heavy punishments from the Welsh FA. Bates was in control of the Football League Trophy on 19 February 2008, Southern Area Final first leg, at the Liberty Stadium between Swansea City and MK Dons. Final anecdote – Sounds like a good bloke to me: After a match in Football League One between Nottingham Forest and Scunthorpe United at the City Ground on 20 August 2005, Bates attempted to take an unprecedented step regarding a yellow card he had issued to Scunthorpe's Andy Crosby during the game. Having agreed to review it, he asked the Football Association to "overturn the yellow card after viewing video evidence - but FIFA rules insist cautions may not be withdrawn", only dismissals by straight red card. |
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Royals Rendezvous - a friendly Reading forum // twitter: @johnstone_cello | |
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| daib0 | 1 Feb 2012, 10:50 AM Post #5 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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TICKETS & TRAVEL Reading fans – have a look in here for ticket news: http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/AwayGames/0,,10306,00.html And here is the Doncaster Rovers OS guide to fan travel, parking, bus and train arrival etc. http://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/page/KeepmoatStadium/0,,10329~2383978,00.html Donny fans – your information is here: http://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/page/HomeTickets/0,,10329~2568604,00.html |
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| daib0 | 1 Feb 2012, 04:43 PM Post #6 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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nookiebear: "Well thanks for the invite. It would be an understatement to describe Rovers season as turbulent! Nevertheless ,and despite the loss of billy Sharp, confidence seems to be returning to the team and our recent home form is quite impressive as is our recent form against top half teams. I must admit to tipping Reading for promotion at the start of the season but usually it's a case of unfullfilled promise for you guys and periods of lost form. Hopefully not this season. I can't see us scoring many on Saturday but our defence has strengthened recently and our on loan goalie, Button, is on top form. My prediction 1-1 but hoping for more obviously." JA 606 Forum |
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| daib0 | 1 Feb 2012, 04:45 PM Post #7 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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The L J Monk: "Personally I think you'll be heading back to Berkshire with nothing to show for your troubles... ...match off, frozen pitch, is my prediction." Viking Chat Forum |
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| daib0 | 2 Feb 2012, 09:35 AM Post #8 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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I've looked a second into the weather - here's Doncaster prevision for Sat... 12 midnight to 6.00am = -4º C Rises to +1º from roughly 11.00 am to 4.00 pm but ... feels like: 3.00am = -6ºC 6.00am = -7ºC 9.00am = -8ºC 12.00am = -5ºC 3.00pm = -5ºC 6.00pm = -8ºC 9.00pm = -9ºC Wind: 9.00am = 15mph 12.00 = 23mph 3.00pm = 27mph 6.00pm = 36mph 9.00pm = 39mph Snow forecast: 3.00pm = 0% 6.00pm = 60% 9.00pm = 73% Those who go ... may not get back!!! Edited by daib0, 2 Feb 2012, 09:40 AM.
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| Pea | 2 Feb 2012, 12:01 PM Post #9 |
Joseph/Joe
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DONCASTER Rovers’ midfielder Simon Gillett is hoping that the Royals don’t rule in Saturday’s Championship clash between the two Championship sides at the Keepmoat Stadium. “Reading are obviously a good side but we are at home, where we’ve been doing quite well recently, and we want to continue that form,” said the former Southampton star. “With the position we are in we need to pick up as many points as we can at home. “We’ve taken 11 points from our last five home games.But if we are to get the nine wins that the manager feels we need to stay up, we also now that we need to start picking up some away wins and if not wins then at least a result. “We went into Tuesday’s game at Hull aiming for three points. We had to settle for one but that was a still a good result. The thing that we didn’t want to happen was to come away empty-handed,” said Gillett who came on as a second half substitute. “We’d lost our last six away games but when we looked back on the games there wasn’t much in them and that helped us to keep our heads high. “Bad decisions from officials have cost us as have some silly errors, and we’ve got to eradicate them from our game.” The game against Reading at the Madejski Stadium in September, which the Royals won 2-0, turned out to be manager Sean O’Driscoll’s last game in charge. “I played that day and we didn’t play well - we want to try and put things right on Saturday,” said Gillett. “We hadn’t won a game when we played them and they were going through a transitional stage having lost a couple of their best players. “But they’ve turned it around and are going quite well. “They’ve got someone with a lot of money coming in and they’ve made one or two signings and I would imagine that they’ll be looking at the play-offs. “They’ve got some lively forwards. Church caused us some problems down there, so we need to keep them quiet. “We also need to trouble their back-line. I don’t think that we had many shots and we didn’t create a lot go-forward in that game. “That’s something that we need to do early on and show them that we are out to attack and to get some goals. “We’ve been quite good at home and the fans have given us good support and I hope that they keep backing us and we keep turning it on. “We need the fans to really get behind the club, not only on Saturday, but also in every game between now and the end of the season, “The last thing you want is fans not coming to the game or not encouraging you if they do. “I’d like to see us attracting a few more fans because it does make a big difference to the atmosphere if there is 10-11,000 there. “I’d urge the public of Doncaster to come down and support their local team. We are fighting for our lives and we need all the help we can get and it would be great to see a full house there. “There are a lot of tough games ahead but we’ve done well against the teams at or near the top, especially at home. “It doesn’t really matter who you play; it’s all on the day. “We have to do our best in every game. If we are at our best we’ve shown that we can compete with the best.” http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster/make_rovers_home_banker_1_4202797 |
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| daib0 | 2 Feb 2012, 03:05 PM Post #10 |
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A thousand miles away, but just round the corner in spirit
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Comments JA 606 nookiebear: "I personally think It's a pity Goulon went back as we could have played our "Vinnie Jones" formation on Saturday of Locky, Stocky and Diouf smoking Herold's. I suppose he will have to use Plessis's instead!" nookiebear: "Well for me I think 1-1 but it could just be our day. You will struggle to score more than 1 I think. And for Hound it will depend on the rub of the green of course and, now Diuof has signed, it's a case of dublin our chances." drfchound "With the ground being very hard and no let up on the freezing temperatures i will be suprised if the game goes ahead. We have no undersoil heating at the Keepmoat but i suppose we could get some lads into the pit seams under there and light a few fires to thaw out the pitch." drfchound "nookie, your joke might be lost on the Reading lads but mate, that is your funniest yet. Brilliant use of words." Edited by daib0, 2 Feb 2012, 08:07 PM.
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