Optimism high as Yorkshire’s fans looking forward to season’s climax

IT is doubtful there has ever been a last day of action so full of intrigue for the White Rose’s lower-league contingent.

Two are on the cusp of automatic promotion and a wild Saturday night party tantalisingly beckons for Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United, while the champagne corks will be popping for York City if they secure their Football League status.

With play-off participation guaranteed, it may be the starter before the main play-off course for Sheffield United and Bradford City, but there are still one or two subplots nevertheless on the most compelling of afternoons.

Doncaster Rovers

Will be promoted to the Championship if they win or draw at third-placed Brentford. If the Bees win, Rovers drop to the play-offs.

The vast majority of the 1,800 Rovers fans who will descend on Brentford have been here before. At Cheltenham almost five years ago, when their heroes lost to open the door for Nottingham Forest to end as runners-up.

It’s a near identical scenario this time around, with Rovers in second spot, although this time they can win or draw to secure Championship football – they could still lift the title even. But a loss will extend their season.

Paul Mayfield, chairman of Retford branch of Rovers Supporters Club, was there on that fateful day on May 4, 2008 and will be in the capital on Saturday – praying for a different outcome.

He said: “Hopefully, we won’t have our Cheltenham ‘moment! Maybe the difference five years ago was that we were favourites and expected to win.

“But it is difficult to pick a favourite this time as you have the team with the best away record against the team with the best home form.

“We sold out 1,800 tickets quite quickly and they were like gold dust and Brentford will be the place to be. I think we could have sold another 1,000 tickets easily.

“The fans are going down in fancy dress with four pubs on each corner of the ground and everyone is looking forward to it. With the game being so huge, you just hope some critical decision goes against us or them.”

Sheffield United

Guaranteed a play-off place. Must beat Preston at home and hope fourth-placed Yeovil lose at Bury – and turn around a goal swing of two – to finish fourth and be at home in the play-offs second leg.

With their automatic promotion dreams already dashed, the main issue for the sixth-placed Blades is finding some form after a run of just one victory in seven matches ahead of the play-offs, which have proved a curse since the mid-nineties.

A slim chance of finishing fourth – and being at home in the second leg of the play-offs – they may have, but it’s still an incentive for the Blades, whose faithful are probably aware that on the last three occasions they have reached the play-off final, they have been at home in the second leg.

Not that it has helped them in the final analysis with their four appearances in play-off finals all resulted in heartbreaking defeats.

For Pete Whitney, chairman of Blades Official Supporters Club, there is another last-day issue. Namely winning and avoiding the prospect of playing Brentford in the play-offs.

He said: “The best team I have seen the season, home and away, are Brentford and I wouldn’t want them in the play-offs.”

“We’re disappointed as we thought we’d be in the automatic places and have failed and must bite the bullet in the play-offs.

“I don’t believe in a final hoodoo, although what happens makes you wonder. We have not scored, that is how bad it is!”

Rotherham United

A draw or win will secure automatic promotion. If the Millers lose and Cheltenham win – or Burton triumph and are aided by a big goal swing – it’s the play-offs.

Sold-out signs have been up at the New York Stadium for several days ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aldershot, with most of the 12,000 capacity crowd willing on the Millers to get the point they require against the relegation-haunted Shots – managed by ex-United chief Andy Scott.

Form may point to a victory for the Millers, in the midst of a season’s best run of four straight league wins, with Rotherham United Supporters Trust (RUST) board member Lee Rowbotham desperate for no final-day twists.

He said: “I think everyone’s excited and nervous at the same time. We are so close. The club have their end-of-season dinner after the game and if we mess up, we will be choked.

“But if someone had said three weeks ago we would need to win or draw in our last game to go up, we would have snapped their hands off.”

Bradford City

Guaranteed a play-off place. But if they win at Cheltenham Town and Northampton lose or draw their game at home to Barnet, they could end sixth.

Bradford’s clash at Whaddon Road could very well be a dress rehearsal for the play-offs, but with City able to keep their power dry somewhat and rest some of their leg-weary troops.

Fourth-placed Cheltenham, in contrast, still have a chance of automatic promotion, with Phil Parkinson able to keep something in reserve ahead of their quest to return to Wembley and round off an incredible campaign.

Mike Harrison, editor of Bantams’ fanzine The City Gent, said: “There is unfinished business at Wembley and it would be great to get back there and actually play some football against a team who are the equal of us and not way off in the stratosphere like Swansea were on that day.

“It would be a fantastic way to end the season.

“With Saturday will be our 61st game of the season, I think Parkinson might rest some players, while we could play Cheltenham in the play-offs. We know the home leg will be May 2 and the away leg second and it is good that Parkinson and his staff can prepare for that.”

York City

Need a draw to confirm their safety, although results elsewhere could secure their league status.

Like the Millers, York go into their game at fellow strugglers Dagenham in a rich vein of form and Raymond Wynn, secretary f York City Supporters Club, remains bullish.

He said: “I don’t think you can rely on other teams dropping points; it does not happen. But I believe strongly we can do it, backed by over 1,000 York fans, which will create a tremendous atmosphere.

“We took 710 fans to Northampton and got a great 2-0 win and there were almost 6,000 at our home game against Southend where we won – and have had back-to-back wins for the first time in ages.”