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What a story. Ten years ago Doncaster Rovers were relegated from league football, they faced going out of business and their Chairman was jailed for his part in a conspiracy to burn their ground down…

A decade on and Rovers line up in the Championship, the first time they have played in English football’s second tier for 50 years.

Rovers v Colchester final home game, '98

"They should make it into a movie," says fan Andy Skin. "We’ve come from absolutely nothing, not having any footballs or nets. It’s fantastic."

Rovers Til i Die is a documentary that takes a look at the highs and lows of Doncaster Rovers over the past 10 years. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Sheffield broadcast the documentary on August 5th 2008 and you can listen to it again right here. Click on the link below.

1998

Back in 1998 Doncaster Rovers were a joke, 15 points adrift at the bottom of the Football League and staring non-league football in the face. They were already relegated by the time they lost against Colchester on the last day of the season. Fans had spent the last year protesting against Chairman Ken Richardson.

For fan Tony Stevenson it was a sad time. "It was a heavy, heavy hearted day. Everybody was so upset – the club was being torn to pieces, sold off in chunks."

Now Chairman, at the time John Ryan was a director but he felt helpless as the club slipped out of the league.

John Ryan live on Radio Sheffield

"It was an unbelievably terrible time. No club has ever been lower than this club. I went to that game in 1998 and walked behind the coffin. People came up to me with tears in their eyes asking if there was anything I could do."

Ryan finally bought Doncaster Rovers for £50,000. "I was done, it wasn’t worth anywhere near that."

That was the turning point for many fans including Club Historian Tony Bluff. "He was a business man, but he was a Doncaster man and he was a fan. That was the turn of the tide handing over to John Ryan."

in 1998 Ryan brought in Dave Penney, at first as a player. However, Dave Penney nearly did not sign.

"It was proper non-league stuff. To say the players were average is an understatement. I didn’t think, without being big headed, that I could play with that standard of players."

Rovers' Return

After five years in the conference, one goal took Rovers back into the league. The man that scored the goal was Francis Tierney. "I'm surprised I even hit it, my legs were like jelly."

Back to back promotions

Survival was the plan, but Dave Penney and Assistant Manager Mickey Walker had a team that could not stop winning. New signings Michael McIndoe and Leo Fortune-West added to Gregg Blundell’s goals. Rovers then went on a run that took them to the top of Division Three.

"Around the October time I think we won 11 out of 13," Penney remembers. "Everyone was expecting us to fall away. I think we caught everyone on the hop, they didn’t know what we were all about."

In May 2004 Rovers won Division Three by four points and achieved their second promotion in as many years.

Carling Cup

Rovers were winning plaudits for their open, attacking style of football. In the 2005 Carling Cup three Premiership sides seriously underestimated them.

Penney in the Conference play-off 2003.

Manchester City were beaten on penalties, Aston Villa were dismantled 3-0 at Belle Vue and Arsenal needed a last-gasp equaliser from World Cup winner Gilberto Silva to take the game to penalties. Doncaster may have lost the shootout but they had shown the type of football they were capable of.

Supporter Nathan Batchelor describes it as proper northern football. "That was the beauty of old Belle Vue, you were right on top of the players. I don’t think some of those players liked it."

Moving on

In 2006 Dave Penney left the club.

"We had a good cup run and finished eighth, our highest position for 50 years. You’ve got to take a sense of pride in that and it was the right time for me to move on."

Sean O'Driscoll

Chairman John Ryan said he too felt time was up for Penney:

"I just thought the whole thing got stale. I felt that his 4-4-2 formation was a bit predictable for League One."

Sean Who?

Kevin Keegan had been mentioned as Dave Penney's replacement and fans wanted to know who was next in the Rovers hot seat. John Ryan knew who he wanted from the very beginning.

Fan Derek Daniels remembers taking about Kevin Keegan, before being told they had got Sean O’Driscoll. "My first impression was Sean who?"

However, after a slow start O’Driscoll transformed the way Rovers played and took them to Cardiff's Millenium Stadium for Doncaster’s first ever final. They did things the hard way in the Johnstone's Paints Trophy giving away a two goal lead against Bristol Rovers. Then Captain Graeme Lee headed home the winner: Ryan said seeing Doncaster at one of the country's biggest stadiums surprised many people: "It’s these moments when we play in the Millenium average fans say, that’s Doncaster Rovers, what’s going on!?"

Wembley Way

After another impressive season in 2007/2008 it looked like Rovers would clinch automatic promotion against Cheltenham on the final day of the season. Again though, nothing is easy for Rovers fans; they lost 2-1.

Rovers fan at Wembley Stadium

It was another trip to the Play-Offs. A hat-trick from James Coppinger helped them to Wembley, they then lined up against Leeds for a place in the Championship.

Just after half time a corner from Brian Stock arched through the air, it was met by James Hayter. His diving header flew into the Leeds net and the red side of Wembley erupted.

The next 40 minutes were agony for Rovers fans as they lived every kick of their 1-0 lead. Then came the final whistle. Derek Daniels cried as the whistle blew: "It was like holding your breath for ten years, for all these things to come right."

What a ten years. What a story. Maybe it would make a good film.