Perhaps the greatest tribute Rovers could offer in a year of false dawns over lockdown-easing and returns to normality, was a season that got us all excited about what was coming, only to emphatically disappoint and then drag on longer than anyone really cared for it. I laid the groundwork for issue 103 by telling you how upbeat the contents were, ‘a true testament to the hope and excitement that Darren Moore’s Rovers have offered us’. Come this release of 104 and that statement has aged like a fine milk.
So what’s in this issue? Well there are tributes to James Coppinger of course, fives pages of it, which doesn’t seem like enough, but then we could’ve given the whole issue over to him and it still wouldn’t have felt like overkill. Beyond that we cover Darren Moore’s exit and the subsequent discovery we’d built a league on quicksand. There’s the general detachment of a full season watched remotely, and of course there’s the European Super League. And we’ve also got a look at tactics, the fate of non-league clubs in lockdown, and a giant anthropomorphised canine calling a legend an “overrated wanker”. You know, just the usual stuff, really.
Here’s what’s inside issue 104…
Editorial: Glen Wilson on watching football in person over watching it on screens
Bernard Glover’s Diary: A managerial departure, and a woeful run of form recapped
The Fan Panel: The original panel of socially distant Rovers fans try and tell us where it all went wrong
Danny Boy or Danny Man?: Is Danny Amos the oldest 21-year-old on earth?
Remembering the First Time: Elliott Wilson takes us back to a 2003 Friday night under the Belle Vue lights
Marshall’s Matters: Rob Marshall reflects on a dour few months of Rovers action
Howard’s Marks: Howard Bonnett checks in on the pandemic-ravaged fortunes of Goole AFC
From Beneath The Statue: Glen Wilson tries to get to grips with a James Coppinger-less future
Copping It: David Wilcox explains what it’s like to see James Coppinger line up against your team
Rabid Donny Dog Unleashed: The Rovers mascot tells it like it is from his East Stand kennel
Voice of the Pop Side: John Coyle takes a look back at previous seasons of two halves
Lazarus Comes Forth: Lazarus shows it’s not been a great few months for making bold predictions
For Peat’s Sake: The proposed European Super League surprised a lot of people, but not Jack Peat
Gary Brabin Memorial Lounger: Football seems to be doing all it can to rid itself of James McMahon
Follows the Rovers: Mike Follows has been rummaging about in Florention Perez’ desk drawers again
Ask Reece Wabara: The former Rovers full-back turned business evangelist answers your questions
Jacob’s Selection: Jacob Goodwin reckons Rovers’ biggest enemy may simply be a lack of patience
Waugh, Huh, Yeah: David Waugh expands on a new tactical trend that he could really do without
Windmills of Your Mind: Dutch Uncle puts down the spreadsheets and picks up the guitar
Who Stays? Who Goes?: The result of our survey to see which players you’d like to see in 2021-22
For the 2020-21 season popular STAND is a subscription-based fanzine, however we have a small number of individual copies of issue 104 available for sale via our back issue page.
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