Gillingham v Doncaster Rovers; Giving fans a lift is play-off hopefuls' motivation

Football is about glory, and glory is relative. Rovers are on the brink of it at Gillingham.

For a team who started February 90th in the English ladder and about to move to within four points of the League Two relegation zone until Joe Ironside's penalty deep in stoppage time, making the play-offs would be monumental.

Ridiculously, Doncaster are in pole position – fifth , knowing only defeat, Crawley Town and Barrow wins and a draw or better for Crewe Alexandra can stop them.

They have won their last 10 matches and lost just one in 17, putting them seven points clear at the top of the table manager Grant McCann reset at then end of January and challenged his team to win.

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But football is also about community, and about the fans.

That was rammed home this week by an emotional call to Radio Sheffield by fan Andrew Taylor who described tearfully watching his team win alongside his dementia-suffering father.

“I think most of the lads have heard it," says Owen Bailey, set end the season ever-present in league football. "It was an amazing call and to feel part of that, it makes you feel warm, happy and proud. Hopefully we're providing other people moments they can cherish.”

Cheap talk about the importance of fans is everywhere in football, but on Saturday McCann will back it up with actions, giving a lift to one of their elderly supporters. It seems like a perfect motivational tool but the manager is having none of it.

"It was never about trying to motivate the team, it was about trying to give a little bit back," he insists. "An elderly gentleman spoke to me at one of the fans' forums and said he's always had a problem getting to the stadium and parking at Gillingham so I said to his carer, bring him to the (team) hotel and we'll bring him in in on the coach.

"This football club is brilliant in terms of the community stuff it does and I'm really surprised we weren't in the running for any of the awards this year.

"We appreciate all our fans and if we can give as much back to all of them as possible, we will.

"It's mad what football can do to you. You can create memories that last a lifetime. I think of promotions I've had as a player and a manager.

"They (fans) spend so much money watching us and the first and foremost thing we can do for them is to run around, work hard and give them everything. Hopefully the bits of quality we have get us results."

Gillingham have freed up an extra 200 tickets for their away end after the first batch of 1,500 sold out. It speaks to the bond between supporters, players and a manager they stood by when the going was tough.

"In order to have success I think you need that," says Bailey.

“I think everyone can kind of see what direction the club's going in and everyone's bought into it. Even when we were struggling the fans really stuck with us. The relationship is probably better than ever right now.”