There will be people who tell you that ‘the club’s fan base has never been so divided’ as it is right now. But to be honest, in the 12 years I’ve been editor of this fanzine, I can’t recall a single point where all Rovers fans have been united in their view on the club. Perhaps those 18 seconds at Griffin Park. But I suspect within a minute of James Coppinger tossing his shirt into the crowd, someone in the away end was criticising the club for missing out on a play-off pay day.
That’s not to play down concerns about where Rovers currently find themselves. Whatever your view on the club, however long you’ve been a fan, whether you were there in 1998 or not, it’s safe to say that all of us want more for our club than mid-table in the fourth tier. And that unhappiness with the club’s current position can be found in the pages of issue 111 of popular STAND fanzine, with fans of various ages highlighting just where they feel things are going wrong, and where they ought to change.
Beyond that we’ve got plenty of pieces which step away from the current goings on at Rovers to look at other facets of football support; Howard Bonnett takes a trip to watch North Ferriby, Jack Peat takes a closer look at Doncaster City, I remember a childhood hero, and James McMahon gets distracted by parakeets. We’ve also got not one but two entries in our series of fondly remembered Rovers losses, Dutch Uncle looks at our record against top tier FA Cup opponents, and Trevor Kitching unearths a wonderful Rovers artefact in his garage.
In short, once again, we’re spoiling you. Here’s a fuller breakdown of what you’ll find in issue 111…
Editorial: Are you board out, or board in? Glen Wilson advocates a position somewhere in between
Losing. My Favourite Game: Joseph Mattey on an unlucky run of watching Rovers in London
Bernard Glover’s Diary: Endeavouring to take a lighter look at a winter of discontent
Spotted!: Rovers folk (well, mainly Leo Fortune-West and Andy Butler), seen out and about
The Fan Panel: Six fans look at the current state of the club and outline changes they’d like to see
Howard’s Marks: Howard Bonnett finds a cautionary tale, and unusual transport, by the Humber
Memorable Memorabilia: A rummage in the garage takes Trevor Kitching down memory lane
Jacob’s Selection: Jacob Goodwin attempts to wrap his head round where Rovers are currently at
For Peat’s Sake: Jack Peat takes a look at Doncaster City, who are definitely not a protest club
Highlights & Lowlights: What we’re here for, and what we could very much do without
Follows the Rovers: ‘Nadia Dories’ fills in for Mike Follows to sing the praises of David Blunt
Voice of the Pop Side: Get an insight into the work of a football club historian with John Coyle
From Beneath the Statue: Glen Wilson looks back at when his childhood hero became an unlikely Rovers signing
Marshall Matters: Rob Marshall wonders whatever happened to the achievers of 2008?
Gary Brabin Memorial Lounge: James McMahon on how animals and football go together more often than we think
Losing, My Favourite Game: Dutch Uncle remembers a 1975 cup defeat that was closer than the score suggests
Ask Reece Wabara: The former full-back turned Twitter philosopher answers your problems
Windmills of Your Mind: Dutch Uncle takes a look at how Rovers have faired against top flight FA Cup opponents.
For the 2022-23 season popular STAND is a subscription-based fanzine, however a small number of individual copies of issue 111 are available for sale via our back issue page.
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