Rotherham United v Torquay United 13/3/12
Posted: 12 Mar 2012, 12:21
DON VALLEY STADIUM ( SHEFFIELD ) - KICK OFF @ 7.45
Our match away at Rotherham on the 4th of February was postponed due to freezing conditions, snow and a frozen pitch and has been re-arranged for tomorrow evening (13/3). It will be our last ever visit to the cavernous expanse that is the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield given that Rotherham United are due to relocate back into the town for next season in a brand new stadium. The new stadium is to be called the NEW YORK STADIUM due to it being built on an area of land that used to house factories supplying fire hydrants to New York and the USA. A tenuous link and slightly bizarre IMO, bet they wouldn't have done the same if the area built on was a popular manufacturing base for condoms! That said, the upshot is that we no longer have to endure the horror that is a visit to the Don Valley Stadium after tomorrow.
Our first visit there was on a cold friday evening in our 2009/10 campaign in front of 3,339 fans and a late Benyon equaliser salvaged a point for us in a 1-1 draw. Last season was a more memorable game even though we lost 3-1 in front of 3,379. We needed other results to go our way in the end to secure a play off spot but i was part of the 700 or so Gulls contingent on that sunny day and the scenes at the end of the match were memorable. Zebs got our goal on the day and we were shite again. Surprising that the attendance figures for both games were similar yet we took so many away fans on the second visit. Rotherham got 3,475 for the visit of Plymouth on saturday so i reckon the gate for tomorrow night could be around the 3000 mark.
Those who have never been to the Don Valley stadium will find it a soulless place reminiscent of a run down eastern bloc ground. The view of the playing area is good if you've got binoculars and the atmosphere is non-existent. Both sets of fans are housed along one side of the ground with the other three sides bereft of anything. The Gulls contingent will be situated in a block of seats over in the right hand corner. To be honest there are plenty of seats and loads of space and the facilities aren't that bad. The area around the ground is pretty run down and there is nothing of any note other than a few pubs and a few shops / delis.
Ticket prices are as follows:
ADULTS £18 DISABLED & CONCESSIONS £10 ( students need a valid NUS card ).
On the pitch this game looks to be a dificult one as Rotherham are used to playing on the poor surface at the DV and they do have a team that are capable of beating anyone on their day. They also have the added incentive of being only 5 points from a play off berth. Gulls sides of this and previuos seasons like to get the ball on the deck and use possession well and this has not proved to be a productive way of playing on this surface, indeed Carl Fletcher the Gargs boss said this about saturday,'It was sunny one minute, then windy, it was a bobbly pitch'. The good thing is we have quite a few players in our squad who HAVE played here before so know what to expect.
Rotherham won 1-0 last time out at the DV against Plymouth thanks to a 70th minute penalty from 17 goal top scorer Lewis Grabban. Two of his goals coming at Plainmoor earlier on this season in our ery entertaining 3-3 draw. Alex Revell has 9 league goals and Shaun Harrad who was on a one month emergency loan at the DV has now left so won't be available. Other notable players include Ben Pringle who played 5 games for us on loan from Derby County in March 2011 and Alex Revell who has been around the block a bit.
This was their line up v Plymouth:
1. RHYS TAYLOR
2. JOHNNY MULLINS
3. MICHAEL RAYNES
4. DANNY HARRISON
5. JASON TAYLOR
6. DANNY SCHOFIELD
7. MARK BRADLEY
8. BEN PRINGLE
9. SAM WOOD ( on loan from Brentford )
10. ALEX REVELL
11. LEWIS GRABBAN
SUBS: ANDY WARRINGTON (GK), DALE TONGE, GARETH EVANS, KIERON CADOGAN ( on loan from Palace ) and SHAUN HARRAD ( now left ).
Overall i would be happy with a draw here but our record is poor so i fear a defeat. Either way , i shall be in attendance!! COYY!!!!!
Our match away at Rotherham on the 4th of February was postponed due to freezing conditions, snow and a frozen pitch and has been re-arranged for tomorrow evening (13/3). It will be our last ever visit to the cavernous expanse that is the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield given that Rotherham United are due to relocate back into the town for next season in a brand new stadium. The new stadium is to be called the NEW YORK STADIUM due to it being built on an area of land that used to house factories supplying fire hydrants to New York and the USA. A tenuous link and slightly bizarre IMO, bet they wouldn't have done the same if the area built on was a popular manufacturing base for condoms! That said, the upshot is that we no longer have to endure the horror that is a visit to the Don Valley Stadium after tomorrow.
Our first visit there was on a cold friday evening in our 2009/10 campaign in front of 3,339 fans and a late Benyon equaliser salvaged a point for us in a 1-1 draw. Last season was a more memorable game even though we lost 3-1 in front of 3,379. We needed other results to go our way in the end to secure a play off spot but i was part of the 700 or so Gulls contingent on that sunny day and the scenes at the end of the match were memorable. Zebs got our goal on the day and we were shite again. Surprising that the attendance figures for both games were similar yet we took so many away fans on the second visit. Rotherham got 3,475 for the visit of Plymouth on saturday so i reckon the gate for tomorrow night could be around the 3000 mark.
Those who have never been to the Don Valley stadium will find it a soulless place reminiscent of a run down eastern bloc ground. The view of the playing area is good if you've got binoculars and the atmosphere is non-existent. Both sets of fans are housed along one side of the ground with the other three sides bereft of anything. The Gulls contingent will be situated in a block of seats over in the right hand corner. To be honest there are plenty of seats and loads of space and the facilities aren't that bad. The area around the ground is pretty run down and there is nothing of any note other than a few pubs and a few shops / delis.
Ticket prices are as follows:
ADULTS £18 DISABLED & CONCESSIONS £10 ( students need a valid NUS card ).
On the pitch this game looks to be a dificult one as Rotherham are used to playing on the poor surface at the DV and they do have a team that are capable of beating anyone on their day. They also have the added incentive of being only 5 points from a play off berth. Gulls sides of this and previuos seasons like to get the ball on the deck and use possession well and this has not proved to be a productive way of playing on this surface, indeed Carl Fletcher the Gargs boss said this about saturday,'It was sunny one minute, then windy, it was a bobbly pitch'. The good thing is we have quite a few players in our squad who HAVE played here before so know what to expect.
Rotherham won 1-0 last time out at the DV against Plymouth thanks to a 70th minute penalty from 17 goal top scorer Lewis Grabban. Two of his goals coming at Plainmoor earlier on this season in our ery entertaining 3-3 draw. Alex Revell has 9 league goals and Shaun Harrad who was on a one month emergency loan at the DV has now left so won't be available. Other notable players include Ben Pringle who played 5 games for us on loan from Derby County in March 2011 and Alex Revell who has been around the block a bit.
This was their line up v Plymouth:
1. RHYS TAYLOR
2. JOHNNY MULLINS
3. MICHAEL RAYNES
4. DANNY HARRISON
5. JASON TAYLOR
6. DANNY SCHOFIELD
7. MARK BRADLEY
8. BEN PRINGLE
9. SAM WOOD ( on loan from Brentford )
10. ALEX REVELL
11. LEWIS GRABBAN
SUBS: ANDY WARRINGTON (GK), DALE TONGE, GARETH EVANS, KIERON CADOGAN ( on loan from Palace ) and SHAUN HARRAD ( now left ).
Overall i would be happy with a draw here but our record is poor so i fear a defeat. Either way , i shall be in attendance!! COYY!!!!!