Unpopularity Contest

As I alluded to in last week's blog, the FSF had this glitzy awards ceremony on Monday, where Sergio Aguero, Phil Neville and Amy Lawrence were garlanded at a sumptuous banquet, where the real winners were sponsors William Hill. In a spirit of competition utterly anathema to any of us who hold the founding principles of fanzines dear, news that the Fanzine of the Year Award went to long-established Leeds United publication "The Square Ball," no doubt helped by my articles for it in April 1994 and October 1996, which was one of 3 publications, along with "United We stand" and "A Love Supreme" that were founded long before Sky TV existed, seemed to confirm that this awards ceremony was all about celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of sporting SMEs. Two neophytic publications in the shape of "Stand," last year's winner and Stoke's glorious "Duck" were other nominees, while the last fanzine to be listed was Doncaster Rovers' "Popular Stand." I was at Doncaster Rovers v MK Dons back in late October and bought myself a copy. Suitably impressed, I penned them an article and heard nothing back... it happens. Anyway, here is that article -:

The first time I can recall being in Doncaster was Tuesday 18^th August 1992, when I made my one and only visit to Belle Vue to see Rovers lose 3-0 to Lincoln City in a League Cup first round, first leg tie. I believe Newcastle played a preseason friendly at Doncaster in either 92 or 93, but both times I was on holiday, so my only experience of a Rovers game was that one. Why was I there? Well, in the early hours of that Tuesday morning, we’d flown back in to Manchester from holiday in Corfu and, utterly exhausted, we’d decided not to head back home to Tyneside, preferring instead to stop off at my wife’s parents’ place in Barnsley to recuperate and / or watch shit football. Of course I had the delights of NUFC v Mansfield Town on Wednesday 19^th (won 2-1; Gavin Peacock double) to look forward to, but the chance of ticking off another on the road to completing the 92 seemed appealing; hence my visit for that match. In all honesty, I remember nothing about it, other than the ease of Lincoln’s win.

I made a couple of visits to Doncaster the town in the summers of 2001 and 2002. In July and August of those years, I was employed by York University as tutor and social co-ordinator on an academic English course for overseas potential students. In other words, they came over from China, Japan and Bahrain, paid the thick end of £5k for 4 days teaching a week and a day’s “cultural improvement.” Some weeks we headed to Haworth, where they ignored the parsonage and stocked up on knitwear from the Sweater Shop outlet; other times we went shopping in the town that Italian students believed was called Liz, while I sat in The Fenton watching the Racing Channel. Once each year, we came to Doncaster Dome. The students went ice skating and I wandered around outside the incredibly dilapidated Belle Vue for a couple of hours. I often wonder what the cream of the Mandarin nouveau riche’s offspring thought of Rovers’ old ground, though I never asked.  Can I just state at this point that I do not know Alan Kristiansen, Alan Cracknall or Ian Hay? Thanks.

Fast forward to 23^rd October 2009; Belle Vue has gone and Rovers are on an upward trajectory and in a new ground, when my son, who played rugby league for Wallsend RL under 15 team at the time, travels down with his club mates to be ball boys at the Keepmoat Stadium for England’s 34-12 victory over France. He goes home by coach that night and the next day, 24^th October 2009, he takes his usual seat at St James’ Park, with his grandfather occupying my generally unused one, to see Newcastle United defeat Doncaster Rovers 2-1 with a last minute Kevin Nolan goal, while I attended Peterlee Newtown 2 Percy Main Amateurs 4 in the Northern Alliance first division, having refused to watch Newcastle United while Mike Ashley owns the club. It’s a long story and I wrote a book about it; £2 via PayPal to iancusack@blueyonder.co.uk if you’re interested.  

Now, let’s come back to the present day; in June 2014, myself and two other 50-something NUFC fans are having a post work pint of a Friday evening, when we decide that it’s a tragedy our club no longer has a fanzine, so during the second half of the France v Switzerland World Cup game, we make some plans, send some texts and by full time, The Popular Side has been formed (@PopularSideZine price £1 via PayPal; same email address as before). So far we’ve released 3 issues of our old school, A5, not for profit publication, with a fourth due out on 22^nd November.   We were inspired by such publications as Duck from Stoke, A Fine Lung from FC United, West Stand Bogs from Barnsley and the general magazines Stand and The Football Pink. Registering our Twitter name, we came across your good selves, hoped you wouldn’t be litigious on grounds of intellectual property and I hatched a plan to make a pilgrimage back to South Yorkshire.

On 24^th October 2014, I headed from Newcastle to Leeds, where my son is now a first year history student and where I did my postgraduate diploma in 1987, to see the reformed, belligerently magnificent Pop Group at Brudenell Social Club, 35 years since I last saw them. I drink a lot of beer and feel proud my son is settling in to his new life and surroundings and listens to the same post punk music as me (my next trip down is to see The Fall on 28^th November). Currently, despite editing an NUFC fanzine, I still don’t watch Newcastle, on principle, throwing my lot in with Benfield of Northern League Division 1, whose programme I edit. As they were away to Ryhope Colliery Athletic (lost 3-0), and being of the opinion that any Saturday afternoon without football is a Saturday wasted, I decided to make that pilgrimage and watch Doncaster Rovers at home to MK Dons, since my resolution this season has been the only professional games I would watch would be League 1 games in Yorkshire (9^th August; Barnsley 0 Crawley 1 and 29^th November; Bradford City v Leyton Orient). In addition, I’ve always made the joke that if I’m not able to watch Newcastle on moral grounds, I’ll support the 1988 FA Cup Winners MK Dons instead, though many people fail to get the irony.

Wending my way down through Headingley, past my old home on Manor Drive, across Woodhouse Moor and through the University, where my old department was securely locked up, I emerged by the Merrion Centre at almost noon. I’ve no idea what the crowd was at Elland Road for their defeat to Wolves and monthly game of sack the manager, but Leeds city centre from The Headrow down to the station was absolutely teeming with expectant fans. I felt pity for them as I eased aboard the almost deserted 13.05 to Kings Cross.  It would be fair to say I was one of the very few who got off that train at Doncaster to head for the game.

I took a service bus (58 perhaps?) up to the ground, which had a few MK Dons fans on it. Bearing in mind these blokes were, at the outside, mid 20s, the chances are the only team they’ve watched regularly in their life are the side still known as Franchise FC in some quarters. Frankly, to have such a dismissive attitude towards fellow fans strikes me as unnecessarily confrontational absolutism; these people simply want to watch their local team. They had nothing to do with the Pete Winkelman era relocation and, unless you’re going to extend such obloquy to followers of Airdrie United in Scotland and Spennymoor in the Unibond League, or even Arsenal for migrating from Woolwich, it seems perverse to insist MK Dons fans shouldn’t see their local team and would be better off as sofa or bar stool Chelsea or Liverpool supporters. That said, while I defend their right to support their team, the witless droning of approximately 200 Buckinghamshironians through a predictable litany of “you’re not very good “and “shall we sing a song for you?” in flattened quasi estuary English tones was exceptionally grating.

We’ll not bother talking about the game shall we? The fact I stayed up until nearly 1.00 to watch 12 seconds highlights on The Football League Show astonished me, as I was amazed they found so many incidents to show. However, in all seriousness, you’ve got a lovely ground you know; if I could design a new football ground, I think the Keepmoat, as well as probably Hull City’s KC stadium, would be the blueprint I’d base it on.  Great access in and out of the ground, good signposting, plenty of facilities (decent coffee I must say) and helpful stewards who guided me to the correct car park for the bus back to town.  Even better, you’d allowed a lad called Curtis Main to play alongside the professional players; had he won a raffle to do that or something? I’m disappointed not to have seen James Coppinger as I actually remembered his only appearance for NUFC (won 2-0 home to Spurs in August 2000); mind I’m also disappointed I didn’t see any goals.

Back in town, I killed time before the train with a couple of pints in The Tut and Shive and marvelled at how drunk and obstreperous the racing fans were, when compared to the well behaved football supporters; I presume a nice suit and a badge giving you entrance to the Enclosure, or wherever, entitles you to be boorish and loud in a way that would get a football fan locked up. That’s by the by though; I had a great time watching Doncaster Rovers, despite the game, and wish you and your club well for the future.