Viva Rovers began in July 2006, when it took over the Doncaster slot on the Rivals network vacated by Donny Massive. I don’t know what the first article I wrote for the site was, because it, along with most of the first three years of content were lost when S*y Sp***s unceremoniously pulled the plug on the Rivals network in the middle of the night. I decided to resurrect the site then, in July 2009, for the same reason I started it in the first place, quite simply I just enjoyed writing it.

In the past few months that enjoyment has waned, in part because my support for the club is not what it once was. They’re still my club. It’s still my home town. But the attachment is not as resolute as it has been in the past. The other reason the enjoyment has waned, is because of the abuse. Four five years abusive responses to articles I’ve written have been few and very far between. In the past few months they have followed pretty much every article. Of course people will and should disagree with me, that’s human nature, that’s football. But it seems folk have ceased to be able to disagree with me without hurling abuse or creating a caricature or social profile of me, and perhaps inevitably I’ve become fed up of that.

I don’t seek to be abusive or personal and indeed have not. There are no irrational or personal attacks of character in the articles on here (well aside from Neil Warnock, and I view him as the exception which proves the rule). Instead any opinion offered has been formed based on the actions and words of the people concerned. I have always, from the very start, sought to be balanced and, as much as a supporter can be from their club, withdrawn. I’ve never sought to be controversial for the sake of a response as it’s an approach I abhor and one I’ve duly taken others to task on. The ‘stance’ such as it is of this site toward football and the Rovers has never really wavered, despite the efforts of those reading it to crowbar articles into pigeon-holes with ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ scrawled above them in crayon.

In the past few months I have been called a prick, a bellend, a boring fucker, a bastard, a c**t, a boring bastard, miserable, sad, pathetic. I’ve been told to fuck off countless times. I’ve been told to go and support Portsmouth or Leeds, or anyone else. Its been suggested that I’ve brainwashed supporters into thinking like me (because of course none of you reach opinions of your own accord any more), and been cited as a reason why attendances at the club are down (an opinion on the web being apparently more influential than a recession). There’s been threads assessing my character and ‘motives’ on messageboards. I have had a phone call from the director of the Viking Supporters Co-operative for ‘a chat’ and an email from them suggesting what I should and shouldn’t write. I have had another phone call warning me to be careful what I write about the club as folk are ‘keeping tabs’ on me. Still, it’s just banter.

I don’t get any money for this website, in fact it has actually costs me money, as I’ve paid out for the add-on that allows me to host the rescued Rovers v QPR FA Cup match video for folks to view. And so there is no reward in writing it, other than the enjoyment I get from stringing sentences together. When you know those sentences are going to be taken out of context, twisted, and thrown back at you whatever you write there is no enjoyment. Someone commenting on a piece recently began “I read the first couple of paragraphs and gave up” before picking me apart and suggesting I was driving fans away. The notion of context presumably sailing over their head as they typed. Writing each article of late has taken a build up of a few days and a weary here we go sigh. It’s no longer fun. And if it’s no longer fun, then there’s no reason to carry on with the site.

Since mentioning on twitter I was calling time on the site I’ve had a lot of supportive messages and the crux of many is the adage “don’t let the bastards grind you down“. Well, they have. Its become relentless. I’m not a confrontational person, I just like folk to treat me as I treat others. If people want to disagree with me and offer their view then great, if they cannot do that without berating me then thanks, but that’s not for me. I don’t have the mental resolve to keep deflecting abuse over and over again. Someone posting on twitter suggested that I had become a victim of my own negativity. Victim is a bit strong, I’m only ending a hobbie. But if we are using that word then I think its more a case that I’ve become a victim of a seemingly unrelenting pursuit to label all views as either positive or negative, and chuck all opinions in a Venn Diagram which never overlaps.

So that’s the reasoning, that’s why Viva Rovers has become Viva Over, time to end on some positives. Writing this site, and the accompanying twitter feed in particular has opened up a communication channels with a lot of Rovers fans and general football folk, many of whom I consider as friends without ever having met them. Viva enabled me to get in touch with Ray for example, and finally see footage of that Rovers v QPR  match from 1985. It enabled me to sell an Ian Duerden t-shirt to Ian Duerden. It enabled me to fulfill an ambition and see my words in The Guardian. It enabled me to meet Geoff who took that picture of me playing the trumpet a decade ago that sits at the top of this page. It enabled me to receive a nice email from a man called Sean. And most keenly it enabled me to enjoy writing. Viva ends here then, but the print fanzine Popular Stand will continue and I’ll probably amalgamate the shop and the twitter feed into that in time. On the front page of the site now are XI of my favourite pieces from Viva’s vault, not necessarily the most viewed or most commented on, but the eleven pieces, of those that survived the Rivals cull, that I’m most happy with, and which I feel best sum up the site.

I’ve never sought praise for this site. I’ve not nominated myself for anything. I’ve never really used it as a networking tool, all that’s not really for me. And so whenever I have received praise or encouragement from others I’ve genuinely been taken aback by the kind words of those of you who’ve taken the time to read this site. The site being described by one Rovers fan as ‘high-brow’ still makes me laugh, and hopefully I’ve lived up to the other messageboard comment which subsequently became the site’s slogan; above all, it actually looked like someone made an effort.

Merry Christmas.

Oh, and finally it was a website, not a bloody blog.

For the unitiated Franny Tierney, or ‘Sir Francis Tierney’ as he was subsequently dubbed by Rovers’ fans, scored the goal that returned Doncaster to the Football League. In the first ever Conference play-off final at Stoke’s Britannia Stadium Rovers had thrown a way a 2-0 lead against Dagenham & Redbridge, and the match had entered extra-time; golden goal extra-time. As we stood wracked with nerves Gregg Blundell fed Paul Barnes down the left, the veteran summoned pace he had no right to have at his disposal 100 minutes into a game to get onto the pass and cut the ball across goal where Tierney swept it home. It remains the only promotion ever secured by a sudden death goal, it was for us the most golden of goals.

This picture, taken from high up amongst the 10,000 Rovers supporters who made the trip, captures the scene around half a minute or so after Tierney’s goal. Whilst generally I dislike golden goals, their one redeeming feature is that they allow for that Hollywood sports film ending we’ve all grown-up with. The match is over, there’s no coming back from it. The hero’s glory cannot be taken away by a clumsy foul or a misplaced pass in the following minutes, no, their finest hour has been instantly preserved, and we can, as they do in all those films, swarm on to the field and be part of the moment.

That said, like many others at the time I booed those who went on to the field. They weren’t supposd to be on there, they delayed the trophy presentation, they were spoiling it. But ever since the first time I saw this picture I’ve forgiven them all. You need only look at the body shapes of those running on; silhouettes of pure joy as far as the eye can see. My favourite is the fella in white just in front of the right hand goal, hands on his head in pure disbelief. After five years in enforced non-league exile we had finally reclaimed what one man had seen so intent on taken away. A minute or two after this picture was taken, as the sound of a continuous roar finally tarted to subside, a chorus of “Are you watching Richardson?” piped up and carried across the Doncaster fans. The demon had been exorcised, it was as pure a moment as we’ll ever experience as football supporters.

If you have a Rovers related photograph you think would be suitable for inclusion in our Snapshot series please get in touch with us via vivarovers@hotmail.com. Many thanks to ‘Muttley’ for allowing me to use this image.

In comparison to the end to end slug fest that was the opening forty-five minutes of Rovers’ last match, the first half in Birmingham was decidedly uneventful. Though City looked the stronger of the two sides early on it was Doncaster who had the game’s first clear chance as Jamie Coppinger brought a save from Boaz Myhill.

The hosts would soon find their stride though and felt they should have had a penalty mid-way through the half as David Murphy’s shot on the turn cannoned away off the arm of Herold Goulon; the referee seemingly sympathising with the midfielder’s close proximity to the shot.  Birmingham’s best chance before the break would come the way of Chris Wood as he met an inswinging cross from the right with a firm downward header only to see his effort brilliantly turned away by Carl Ikeme getting down to his right.

Five minutes after the interval Rovers opened the scoring. Billy Sharp turned on halfway before releasing Coppinger down the right and his early low ball into the area was controlled by Marc-Antoine Fortune, before being slotted beneath Myhill. Doncaster’s lead however, would last for little over ten minutes as Birmingham took advantage of a defensive mix up to level the score. Ikeme under-hit a short pass to Habib Beye and though the defender managed to beat Marlon King to the ball, but couldn’t stop Chris Burke from collecting it as it came loose and feeding King for the striker to slot the ball beyond the despairing lunge of Sam Hird.

From then on you sensed the game was Birmingham’s for the taking, and after much pressure they eventual struck a winning goal three minutes from time as Burke and King again combined effectively. The former cut in from the right before sliding a neat through ball into the area for King to run onto and slot beneath the legs of Ikeme to win it for the Blues.

Birmingham City line-up (5-3-2): Boaz Myhill; Stephen Carr, Steven Caldwell, Curtis Davies Jonathan Spector, David Murphy; Chris Burke, Guirane N’daw (Keith Fahey), Wade Elliott (Nathan Redmond); Marlon King, Chris Wood (Nikola Zigic)

subs not used: Colin Doyle, Pablo Ibanez

booked: Chris Burke

Doncaster Rovers line-up (4-3-2-1): Carl Ikeme, James O’Connor, Sam Hird, Habib Beye, Herita Ilunga; Brian Stock, Herold Goulon (Kyle Bennett), Simon Gillett; Jamie Coppinger (Giles Barnes), Marc-Antoine Fortune (George Friend); Billy Sharp

subs not used: Neil Sullivan, James Hayter

booked: Habib Beye, Brian Stock

Sadly though I won’t be there today. Not because of restraining orders taken out by pop-stars, but because alas funds are tight. I’ve spent ten years living away from Doncaster, and where ever I’ve gone I have repelled the Rovers like an identical pole on a magnet . I lived in Lincoln for eight years, the first two spent willing Rovers to get promoted so they could play the Imps. And when they did, on the day of the game, I was in Belgrade watching Wales, the furthest I’d ever been from Lincoln at that point. For the last two seasons I’ve been based in the West Midlands, and on my arrival Birmingham and Wolves got themselves to the Premier League with West Brom following as quickly as possible. The moment I return to the North, back down City come.

Its also unlikely that Rovers will match the fluidity of that performance of three seasons ago. At times against Southampton last weekend Doncaster moved the ball as effectively as they had under Dean Saunders, but its still a world away from the pass and pass and pass and move under his predecessor. Still, it is arguable that though they may not be as aesthetically pleasing as their last trip to Birmingham, Rovers are set up to match their hosts more effectively. The squad is stronger than it was then, both in terms of personnel and physicality, and so set-pieces are no longer faced with an air-raid siren whirring in the heads of supporters.

Rovers of course will be looking to carry forward some self-belief from that victory over the league leaders, and also a steely defensive determination. But they will also need to avoid complacency. Billy Sharp may be scoring goals like only he can, pausing only to collect his Player of the Month trophy, but in the last two home games he has looked  incredibly isolated for long spells as Rovers struggle to establish possession in the final third of the field. The loss of El Hadji Diouf is obviously a determinable factor in this, but with the forward missing for a while, it is a concern that an alternative plan has not been forged in his absence.

As for Birmingham, well the Blues are tired. Their impressive exerts in Europe where they continue to match top level sides from across the continent are causing them to play catch-up in the League. Having tapped on the door to the play-offs recently, defeats to Cardiff and Hull City have seen them slip back into the bottom half of the table. Still, games in hand could see City bridge that gap, and Chris Hughton should be commended with the job he’s doing, especially in the face of off-field problems at St Andrews. Still, as we’ve seen often at this level, no matter what’s going on at a club, no set of fans expect to see their side losing to “the likes of Doncaster”.

As well as the long-term absentees which include most notably John Oster, El Hadji-Diouf, Pascal Chimbonda and Tommy Spurr, Rovers are also without Richard Naylor whose finger injury has developed an infection, and Lamine Diatta. The centre-half was signed in the week, but is yet to receive international clearance to complete his move to Doncaster. Adam Lockwood is available again after suspension, whilst George Friend is now fully fit, though is likely to remain on the bench, where he spent most of last Saturday’s match.

Birmingham are likely to bring Curtis Davies back into the side after the defender missed their last game with a one game suspension. Jordan Mutch, familiar to Rovers fans for his loan spell at the Keepmoat, will not feature, the midfielder is back in training after breaking a bone in his ankle, but is not fit enough to return to the side. Liam Ridgewell, every Rovers’ favourite one-time Villa centre-back is also likely to miss out with a thigh injury.

Carl Ikeme; James O’Connor, Sam Hird, Habib Beye, Herita Ilunga; Simon Gillett, Herold Goulon, Brian Stock; Jamie Coppinger, Marc-Antoine Fortune; Billy Sharp

On the bench: Neil Sullivan, George Friend, Giles Barnes, Kyle Bennett, James Hayter

If you’re travelling by train St Andrews is walkable from the centre of Birmingham, and indeed you’ll be able to see it from the train as you approach New Street station from the North and East. As you come through the ticket barriers veer towards the left exit (ignoring the escalators up to The Palasades) and then turn left crossing over the lines, going up the slope to the Bullring. At the top of the slope, by the Bull, turn right and go between the Bull Ring entrances towards St Martins Church at the foot of the slope, and pass the church on the shiny Selfridges store side. Cross over the dual carriageway and walk straight on down Digbeth.

Continue along Digbeth until you get to The Rainbow pub and turn left to go under the railway, before the Saab garage. This is Adderley Street and continue along it until you come to the dual carriageway at the end. Cross straight over following the cycle path and continue up the road opposite; Kingston Road. At the top of the hill take the right fork (Kingston Road) and follow this as it becomes a footpath.  Turn left onto Coventry Road, and the ground and entrance to the Away End will be on your left. The walk should take around 25 minutes.

If you’re driving the excellent Football Ground Guide offers the following directions and advice. Leave the M6 at Junction 6 and take the A38(M) toward Birmingham City Centre, passing the first turn off (Aston, Waterlinks), but taking the next turn, for the Inner Ring Road. At the top of the slip road take the Ring Road East (signposted Coventry/Stratford) and continue along the ring road for two miles, crossing straight across three islands. At the fourth island (featuring a large McDonalds) turn left into Coventry Road going towards Small Heath and you’ll see the ground is about a 1/4 of a mile up this road on your left.

There is a small car park directly outside the entrance to the away end, but availability of space for cars is determined by how many away coaches are expected as they park in the same car park. There is though plenty of street parking off the left hand side of the ring road. Either around the small park at the third island you cross or along the road next to and behind the BP garage before the fourth island. Bear in mind that if you arrive after 1.30pm these areas are likely to be already full

Away games sadly remain beyond my price range, and it would be sods law that the moment I moved back North from the West Midlands Birmingham City got themselves relegated back into the Championship. We’ll do our best to deliver second hand updates on the game though, so follow @vivarovers and keep an eye out for the #drfc hashtag for these. You may also get the odd update on Rossington Main vs Worksop Parramore which is where we’ll be.

If you’re not going to St Andrews but still need an excuse to get out of Christmas shopping then don’t worry, there are alternative games a plenty taking place on your doorstep. In the EvoStick Northern Premier League Frickley Athletic have a tasty looking Yorkshire derby with Bradford Park Avenue visiting the Tech5 Stadium. In the North East Counties League there are three Doncastrian sides at home. In the Premier Division Armthorpe Welfare host Nostell Miners Welfare at Church Street, whilst in Division One Rossington Main welcome league leaders Worksop Parramore to Oxford Street. All these games kick-off at 3pm. One step down the pyramid there is a Doncaster derby in the Central Midlands League North Division as Harworth Colliery Institute host Bentley Colliery at the Recreation Ground, kick-off for this game is 2pm. Please note; Askern Villa’s home game with Louth Town in NCEL1 has been postponed.

We asked you to supply a caption for the image below and were delighted to have scores (well, a score) of entries. We’ve picked our top three out, despite there only being one scarf up for grabs, so we have two runners-up who get nothing, but the satisfaction in that we found their response to be better than at least 17 others. And lets face it, in harsh times such as these with Europe on the brink of financial collapse we could all do with that sort of a boost. Here’s the picture then. Winner and runners-up listed below;

Winner; “Deano sips his water whilst he can…in January it moves on to a world
of designer bottles, high profile ads and film stars’ lips” (A. Wainwright)

Runner-up; The Rovers edition of X Factor was in full swing as JR gives his verdict on Mark Wilson’s rendition of Waterloo by Abba. A resounding thumbs sideways. (Rob Johnson)

Runner-up; John Ryan: “Mr Saunders here got the job on the strength of his gormless squirrel impersonation. Show ‘em, Deano” (Chris Beresford)

So Mr Wainwright wins the scarf, well done to he. Also well done to our runners-up Rob and Chris, I’ll see if I can swing you some sort of prize or offer from the Viva Rovers shop for you both. And also thank you to everyone else who took the time to enter.

There are supporters of other clubs who naturally lament what happened to their former homes; cursing the housing estates that have taken the place of Roker and Ayresome Park, or refusing to shop at the retail park stands on the site of Goldstone Ground. But, whilst watching the site at which you went through more emotions than you knew you possessed turn quickly into suburban monotony may be disappointing, it is nothing to seeing it abandoned to decay. Unlike the former homes of Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Brighton, and countless others what is left of Belle Vue remains, and here is what it looks like today.

The wall at the corner of the Town End, which previously directed ‘Visiting Supporters’ towards the Rossington End terrace.

What remains of the Town End (looking towards the Main Stand side of the ground). Fencing scrapped. Crush Barriers sold on to other clubs, Portacabins turned executive boxes also removed.

The Popular Stand, fixtures, fittings and roof sold on and now standing elsewhere.

“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, and indeed within the comments section of this website, 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 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 doom-mongering, 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, some even feel the need to quantify it. And so you end up with the bizarre situation where folk on a football club supporters’ forum feel the need to start and/or praise a thread of which the central message is “I support the team”, as if anyone who procrastinates on a club messageboard does not.

The immediacy which underpins these mediums means that there is little 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. What was once a spectrum of support is now a Venn Diagram in which the two circles barely touch. 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 Co-operative, their questions “serve no purpose other than self gratification”.

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 pigeon-hole 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 enumerate, or 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? You would of course 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, 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 touchlines 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.

As it was all premonitions proved unfounded as Southampton’s reputation preceded them, and whilst it arrived, their actual ability was presumably stuck in traffic. Top scorer Richie Lambert was ruled out of the Saints side, and the league leaders, the team that had scored more and won more than any other side in the Championship seemed at a loss as to how to cope with his absence.

Perhaps encouraged by the fact that the visitors’ attack was, whilst not toothless, certainly unable to bite as effectively Rovers started the brighter, and had the games first chance inside the opening five minutes. Brian Stock turned well under pressure in midfield and nudged the ball into the path of Simon Gillett, who took it on before hitting a firm strike from the edge of the area which Kelvin Davis saved well diving to his right.

Southampton began to steady themselves and had much of the possession, but were struggling to break Rovers down inside the final third, and when they did have the chance to put Rovers under pressure they generally squandered it, not least from the corner kicks of Daniel Fox. Twice the full-back curled dead-balls from the South West corner over the heads of everyone and out of play at the far side. Adam Lallana relieved him of duty to put in a better delivery, but come the next dead-ball Fox stepped up again, to the cheers of the Rovers fans. This time his delivery was better, but still clawed away by Carl Ikeme. Fox trudged back to position, a shout of “Never mind, tha’s getting nearer” from the depths of the West Stand following him on his way.

Though Southampton were boasting more possession Rovers continued to look a threat on the break. Billy Sharp had already pulled one half-chance across the face of goal, when Rovers broke again after twenty-five minutes. James O’Connor advanced down the right flank, checked his run and fed Stock on the edge of the box, the midfielder hitting a low shot first time which glanced wide off the base off the post.

Play was starting to swing from end to end and just after the half hour mark came a chance for the visitors to take the lead. A ball out from the back was impressively swept into the path of Morgan Schneiderlin with a single touch from Guly de Prado; clean through, the midfielder looked destined to score, but his second touch stuttered his run and broke his concentration, before his eventual shot from close range was beaten behind impressively by Ikeme. From the corner Rovers broke again with Jamie Coppinger free in the right channel; rather than shoot he decided to play the ball across the box for Sharp, but his effort was blocked by a covering defender.

From the corner Rovers came close to a goal once again as Stock’s deep delivery picked out Herita Ilunga, but his nod back across goal was cleared off the line by Jose Fonte. Southampton pushed again, and had the Rovers defence scrambling in the wake of Fox’s first decent delivery of the day from a free-kick on the right; a telling block from Sam Hird preventing the Saints forcing the loose ball home. The last chance of a very watchable first half would go to the visitors; De Prado making space from himself on the left corner of the area and hitting a firm strike at goal, but Ikeme read its path to turn it over the bar.

At half-time Herold Goulon, whose main contribution had been to give away soft free-kicks, was replaced by Giles Barnes, but it would be difficult for the new man to assert himself as the second half failed to live up to the enthralling nature of the first; the only effort of the first quarter of an hour being a wayward Adam Lallana strike.

But on the hour Rovers fashioned a chance out of nothing and found themselves 1-0 up. Stock lifted a long ball into the path of Marc-Antoine Fortune down the right; the forward looked to have taken it too far, but from the byline delivered an excellent pull-back toward Billy Sharp, who came off the far-post and swept the ball beneath Davies with a well-placed first-time shot. It was Sharp’s first clear-cut chance of the game. It’s all he needs.

Southampton would surely be expected to retaliate, but rather than stir the beast it seemed Rovers had actually stunned it. What chances emerged in the fifteen minutes following the goal went Doncaster’s way; Stock touching off a free-kick for Barnes to drive just wide via a deflection. Fortune firing wide from the edge of the area. Barnes breaking into space to hit an outside of the boot shot which was saved and held by Davis.

It was only in the final ten minutes that the Saints began to up the pressure yet despite having Rovers on the back foot, they again failed to threaten Ikeme’s goal. De Prado headed wide from a corner (Fox having finally found his range), whilst substitute Lee Holmes fired a shot high into the North Stand.  That would be as close as they came. Indeed Rovers almost had the perfect opportunity to double their advantage on a rare late foray forward. O’Connor’s ball toward the corner of the box was nudged on by Fortune for Coppinger who was felled by his marker. The referee looked to be pointing to the spot, but his assistant referee had already raised his flag for offside against Coppinger, and instead of a spot-kick to Rovers it was a free-kick for the Saints, the right decision, but a let-off for Southampton.

Ultimately it mattered not as Rovers held out the agonisingly slow moving additional minutes to secure an unexpected victory. This was an improved performance from Rovers, particularly impressive across the back, the benefits of a keeper high on confidence and a back four playing a third straight game together showing fruition. Rovers moved the ball better than in recent weeks too, but prolonged spells of possession are noticeably rare. Going forward there is still a lack of a determinable style, there is little pattern to the play, a sense that the chances are presenting themselves rather than being orchestrated. It was an improvement yes, but Southampton were noticeably underwhelming, and so whilst enjoying the victory, it pays not to be complacent, especially with two tough games ahead.

Man of the Match: Sam Hird; a solid and effective performance from Hird, compounding his critics for the second week running he read the game well at the back, and lived up to our billing of him as Doncaster’s own ‘der Kaiser’ with a couple of pin-point passes.  Even more impressive considering I was sat behind him in Bawtry Road traffic just an hour and a half before kick-off.

Doncaster Rovers line-up (4-3-2-1): Carl Ikeme; James O’Connor, Sam Hird, Habib Beye, Herita Ilunga; Simon Gillett, Brian Stock, Herold Goulon (Giles Barnes); Jamie Coppinger, Marc-Antoine Fortune (George Friend); Billy Sharp (James Hayter)

subs not used: Neil Sullivan, Kyle Bennett

booked: Sam Hird (kicking the ball away)

Southampton line-up (4-5-1): Kelvin Davis; Frazer Richardson, Jose Fonte, Jos Hooiveld,  Daniel Fox; Steve de Ridder (Lee Holmes), Morgan Schneiderlin, Dean Hammond, Jack Cork (Lee Barnard), Adam Lallana; Guly De Prado

subs not used: Bartosz Bialkowski, Dan Harding, Aaron Martin

booked: Frazer Richardson (pull-back on Giles Barnes), Jose Fonte (foul on James Hayter)

Southampton of course are on a roll, whilst defeat against Bristol City last week upset their form record it has done little to halt the Saints’ momentum. After promotion from League One last season they have carried on where they left off in May and in a bid to emulate Norwich’s brief stay in this tier now lead the division. That defeat to the Robins was the one game from Southampton’s last six that they have not won, and if that wasn’t daunting enough for Rovers fans, the Saints have won more and scored more goals than any other Championship side. Can you hold a ball in the corner for 90 minutes?

Rovers are again struggling for numbers today. Along with the long-term absentees (John Oster, Martin Woods, James Chambers, Tommy Spurr) Doncaster remain without Richard Naylor, Shelton Martis, and the new boys Pascal Chimbonda, El Hadji-Diouf, and Habib Beye. Herold Goulon has shaken off a knock picked up at Millwall in the week and so if fit will undoubtedly play, whereas there is an encouraging boost with George Friend likely to return to the side, most likely in the place of the absent Beye.

According to the BBC, Southampton’s main absentee will be the forward David Connolly who remains sidelined with a groin problem. As such Lee Barnard is tipped to get his first start of the season for the Saints, whilst winger Steve de Ridder could also make the leap to the starting XI after an impressive performance against Hull in the week.

Carl Ikeme; James O’Connor, Sam Hird, George Friend, Herita Ilunga; Simon Gillett, Herold Goulon, Brian Stock; Jamie Coppinger, Marc-Antoine Fortune; Billy Sharp

on the bench: Neil Sullivan, Mustapha Dumbuya, Giles Barnes, Kyle Bennett, James Hayter

Southampton have visited the Keepmoat Stadium before, but now they’re winning, and we all know deep down that success brings more fans to games. So if you’re a Saints fan heading to Doncaster for the first time don’t panic, firstly all that you’ve heard is an exaggerated tale and besides its very unlikely you’ll contract a sexual disease on the walk from the station to the ground, not impossible, but highly unlikely. And secondly, all you could wish to know about the Keepmoat Stadium can be found on this site, via the obviously named ‘Keepmoat Stadium’ link at the top of the page. Beneath this tab you’ll find everything from where to pick up your ticket, to walking directions to the Stadium and some pre-match pub suggestions.

Boom! (as hype-embracing American comedians are at a want to say) We’re back in action. The phone appears to be working, we’re at the game, only ropey reception stands between us, and concise cynical 140 character updates of today’s match. So, to keep up with the game with us follow @vivarovers for these  despatches and look out for the #drfc hashtag.

Issue 55 of the long-running Doncaster Rovers fanzine Popular STAND is on sale before today’s game; the fanzine which costs just £1 (as it has since being launched in 1998) can be bought at these locations outside the ground.

If you can’t make it to the Keepmoat Stadium, or Championship football sits out of your price range, but still fancy taking in some live football then fear not, there’s a few games locally for you to enjoy. In the FA Vase, Askern Villa have advanced to unchartered territory and host West Auckland Town today in the 3rd round. In the Evostick Northern Premier League Frickley Athletic host Chasetwon at the Tech5 Stadium, whilst in Division One South Goole AFC host Market Drayton Town at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds. All three games kicking off at 3pm.

To seperate the have-scarves and have-not-scarves amongst you we’ve elected to hold a good old fashioned caption competition. So to win this piece of red and white Doncaster Rovers loveliness, just give us your interpretation of the picture below.

Email your suggestions to us at vivarovers@hotmail.com, titling your email as ‘Caption Comp’. The deadline for entries is midday Friday 9th December, and unfortunately the competition is only open to UK based entrants (sorry Barry). We’ll pick the winner that Friday afternoon.

For more information on Savile-Rogue and their range of football products visit their website, or alternatively follow Savile-Rogue on twitter, or become a fan of their facebook page.