Rovers v Kingstonian 2000

[StocktonRover]

I'm hoping that some of you stattos can help me out with a bit of info.

I remember going to a game between Rovers and Kingstonian at the end of the 1999 -2000 season in what I thought was the MacMillan Trophy Final.
However I am struggling to find any details of how we came to be in that final (was there any previous rounds or did we automatically qualify as we had won it the season before?)
Having looked at the Rovers websites, I have failed to find any information. I did find a report on the Kingstonian website which refers to the game as the Bob Lord Trophy, but again it doesnt provide the answer of how we came to be in that final.

The Kingstonian report is quite disparaging of the competition and mocking of how seriously we took the game http://www.kingstonian.net/report.jsp?19992000/DoncasterT

Anyone able to give me an answer?

[keith79]

was it called the conference league cup?

[RedJ]

was it called the conference league cup?

yes, or the Bob Lord Trophy

[belton rover]

I think they had bigger fish to fry at that time - play offs or FL Trophy final. If I remember correctly, it should have been a two legged affair (as the previous year) but Kingstonian asked if they could make it just one.

[StocktonRover]

They certainly had an FA vase Final the following week but that doesnt explain our route to the final.

Wikipedia (always reliable) does say that the Conference League Cup (known by other names such as the Setanta Shield and Bob Lord Trophy (but doesnt mention the MacMillan Trophy) was a knockout tournament like the FA cup, but I cant find any history of the qualifying rounds

[DonnyNoel]

A bit of googling lead me to a non league forum with a bit of history around the MacMillan Cup and randomly a post about Rovers results in 99/00

9th Nov Nuneaton Borough - NMT2 (H) 4 - 0 - M Foster, D Walling, I Duerden, D Maamria
Att: 1,245
2nd Feb Scarborough - NMT3 (A) 2 - 1 - T Wright, G Williams
Att: 1,183
14th Mar Telford United - NMT SF1 (A) 2 - 1 - G Williams, D Walling
Att: 757
28th Mar Telford United - NMT SF2 (H) 1 - 0 - D Penney
Att: 1,867
8th May Kingstonian - NMT Final (H) 2 - 0 - J Minett, D Penney
Att: 3,837

http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=297008;page=2;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;guest=83597706

[DonnyNoel]

FFS - it keeps posting a blank box for me when I know the results lol!!

[DonnyNoel]

9th Nov Nuneaton Borough - NMT2 (H) 4 - 0 - M Foster, D Walling, I Duerden, D Maamria
Att: 1,245
2nd Feb Scarborough - NMT3 (A) 2 - 1 - T Wright, G Williams
Att: 1,183
14th Mar Telford United - NMT SF1 (A) 2 - 1 - G Williams, D Walling
Att: 757
28th Mar Telford United - NMT SF2 (H) 1 - 0 - D Penney
Att: 1,867
8th May Kingstonian - NMT Final (H) 2 - 0 - J Minett, D Penney
Att: 3,837

[Dr Fundlekrotch]

And of course, we should have been allowed to keep the Bob Lord Trophy, having won it twice as the Conference League Cup and then a third time as the Conference Play-off trophy

[StocktonRover]

9th Nov Nuneaton Borough - NMT2 (H) 4 - 0 - M Foster, D Walling, I Duerden, D Maamria
Att: 1,245
2nd Feb Scarborough - NMT3 (A) 2 - 1 - T Wright, G Williams
Att: 1,183
14th Mar Telford United - NMT SF1 (A) 2 - 1 - G Williams, D Walling
Att: 757
28th Mar Telford United - NMT SF2 (H) 1 - 0 - D Penney
Att: 1,867
8th May Kingstonian - NMT Final (H) 2 - 0 - J Minett, D Penney
Att: 3,837

Thanks DonnyNoel, that's greatly appreciated - can I ask where you found the information?

[DonnyNoel]

Bit of googling lead me to a non league forum which had a bit of history on the competition. Been struggling to post the link though:

http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=297008;page=2;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;guest=83597706

[DonnyNoel]

Thats better

[GazLaz]

Dean Walling. Boyo.

[RoversAlias]

I certainly remember us winning that trophy in successive seasons, it was known as the MacMillan Trophy that year, with us indeed beating Kingstonian in the Final.

A quick google brought up this article which states it was scrapped after Chester beat Kingstonian to the 2001 trophy: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/3784085.stm. But as stated there it returned for 04/05 where I believe it ended up being known as the Setanta Shield, and unlike when we competed also contained the teams from the Conference North/South. I'm not surprised it got scrapped 2/3 times because ultimately, it adds more games to an already packed fixture schedule and teams at this level might as well try and win the FA Trophy instead.

[StocktonRover]

Bit of googling lead me to a non league forum which had a bit of history on the competition. Been struggling to post the link though:

http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=297008;page=2;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;guest=83597706

Thanks again Donny Noel - thats excellent googling.

[The Red Baron]

Line-ups (Rovers anyway):

NATIONWIDE MACMILLAN CHALLENGE TROPHY.

Second Round.

09/11/99   ROVERS (2) 4  (FOSTER 7, WALLING 41, DUERDEN 77, MAAMRIA 86)
      NUNEATON BOROUGH (0) 0               (ATT: 1,245)
Warrington, Marples, Caudwell (#2 Barnard), Atkins, Walling, Warren, Minett, Foster, Duerden, Kirkwood (#1 Maamria), Maxfield (#3 Penney). YC: None. (Ref: G. Atkins).    

Third Round.

01/02/00   SCARBOROUGH (1) 1 (ROBERTS 43)
      ROVERS (0) 2 (WRIGHT 69, WILLIAMS 83)         (ATT: 1,183)
Warrington, Marples, McIntyre, Penney, Warren, Barnard, Maamria (#1 Duerden), Foster, Illman (#2 Minett), Williams (#3 Walling), Wright. Unused sub: Kindel. YC: Warren. (Ref: H. Webb).

Semi-Final First Leg.

14/03/00   TELFORD UNITED (1) 1 (EDWARDS 23)
      ROVERS (2) 2 (WILLIAMS 6, WALLING 21)         (ATT: 757)
Warrington, Marples, Caudwell, Warren, Walling, Barnard, Foster, Penney, Williams (Kirkwood), Maamria, McIntyre. Unused subs: Maxfield, Minett, Whitman, Kindel. YC: Foster. (Ref: A. Butler).

Semi-Final Second Leg.

28/03/00   ROVERS (0) 1 (PENNEY pen 82)
      TELFORD UNITED (0) 0                  (ATT: 1,867)
Warrington, Marples, Caudwell, Atkins (#1 Foster), Walling, Barnard, Penney, Warren, Campbell, Maamria (#2 Williams), McIntyre. Unused subs: Duerden, Minett, Maxfield. YC: None. (Ref.: D. Drysdale).

(Rovers won 3-1 on aggregate)

Final.

08/05/00   ROVERS (0) 2 (MINETT 65, PENNEY 80)
      KINGSTONIAN (0) 0                  (ATT: 3,837)
Warrington, Marples, Shaw, Foster, Walling, Barnard, Watson (#1 Minett), Penney, Campbell (#2 Duerden), Maamria, McIntyre. Unused subs: Wright, Kirkwood, Caudwell. YC: Marples. (Ref.: B. Curson).


And before you ask, the "H. Webb" who refereed our game at Scarborough was indeed Howard Webb.

[RedJ]

And of course, we should have been allowed to keep the Bob Lord Trophy, having won it twice as the Conference League Cup and then a third time as the Conference Play-off trophy

sorry what?..

[Nudga]

I don't remember this Minett person at all. Who was he and what position did he play?

[DonnyNoel]

And of course, we should have been allowed to keep the Bob Lord Trophy, having won it twice as the Conference League Cup and then a third time as the Conference Play-off trophy

sorry what?..

AS the MacMillan Trophy tournament was disbanded, the actual physical trophy (the Bob Lord Trophy) was given to the winners of the conference play offs, as we won the conference play offs in 02/03 it meant technically we had won that trophy 3 times.

[BobG]

Jason Minett. He was around for a fair while.

Anyone else spot Illman Hunter on that list? He didn't last long did he? And where did Glen Kirkwood end up???

Cheers

BobG

[DonnyNoel]

I don't remember this Minett person at all. Who was he and what position did he play?

Jason Minnett, signed from Lincoln City I believe. Solid if unspectacular right back/right mid.

[RedJ]

And of course, we should have been allowed to keep the Bob Lord Trophy, having won it twice as the Conference League Cup and then a third time as the Conference Play-off trophy

sorry what?..

AS the MacMillan Trophy tournament was disbanded, the actual physical trophy (the Bob Lord Trophy) was given to the winners of the conference play offs, as we won the conference play offs in 02/03 it meant technically we had won that trophy 3 times.

Yes, I'm aware of that, but it wasn't the same competition so I still don't see why we should have kept it.

[DonnyNoel]

Jason Minett. He was around for a fair while.

Anyone else spot Illman Hunter on that list? He didn't last long did he? And where did Glen Kirkwood end up???

Cheers

BobG

Kirky went to Ilkeston after Wignall released him and worked his way back into the conference at Burton but no idea where he went after that.

[DonnyNoel]

And of course, we should have been allowed to keep the Bob Lord Trophy, having won it twice as the Conference League Cup and then a third time as the Conference Play-off trophy

sorry what?..

AS the MacMillan Trophy tournament was disbanded, the actual physical trophy (the Bob Lord Trophy) was given to the winners of the conference play offs, as we won the conference play offs in 02/03 it meant technically we had won that trophy 3 times.

Yes, I'm aware of that, but it wasn't the same competition so I still don't see why we should have kept it.

Possibly a tongue in cheek post from Dr F then...

[RedJ]

And of course, we should have been allowed to keep the Bob Lord Trophy, having won it twice as the Conference League Cup and then a third time as the Conference Play-off trophy

sorry what?..

AS the MacMillan Trophy tournament was disbanded, the actual physical trophy (the Bob Lord Trophy) was given to the winners of the conference play offs, as we won the conference play offs in 02/03 it meant technically we had won that trophy 3 times.

Yes, I'm aware of that, but it wasn't the same competition so I still don't see why we should have kept it.

Possibly a tongue in cheek post from Dr F then...

Must have missed that one, apologies.

Glad this thread came up - I'd been thinking about this competition all week trying to remember what "that thing we won twice in the Conference" was. Great memories now I've been, well, reminded. Not all of 'em football ones either

[DonnyNoel]

And of course, we should have been allowed to keep the Bob Lord Trophy, having won it twice as the Conference League Cup and then a third time as the Conference Play-off trophy

sorry what?..

AS the MacMillan Trophy tournament was disbanded, the actual physical trophy (the Bob Lord Trophy) was given to the winners of the conference play offs, as we won the conference play offs in 02/03 it meant technically we had won that trophy 3 times.

Yes, I'm aware of that, but it wasn't the same competition so I still don't see why we should have kept it.

Possibly a tongue in cheek post from Dr F then...

Must have missed that one, apologies.

Glad this thread came up - I'd been thinking about this competition all week trying to remember what "that thing we won twice in the Conference" was. Great memories now I've been, well, reminded. Not all of 'em football ones either

S'ok, I wasn't sure myself and didn't know if you were asking if you didn't know about the play offs.

That was a heady bank holiday evening thats for sure and I think we thought we might kick on the next year (the bookies made us second favourites even!) but it wasn't to be.

[RoversAlias]

Jason Minett! He was the one who stood out to me when I read this thread earlier as an "oh aye, I forgot about him!".

Turns out he retired after spending most of the rest of his career with Grantham Town. Kirkwood became joint-manager at Heanor Town 3 years ago but I can't find anything since then on him.

[wilts rover]

Still at Heanor

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Kirkwood-calls-Lions-toughen-Blues/story-17187137-detail/story.html

[Nudga]

Jason Minett! He was the one who stood out to me when I read this thread earlier as an "oh aye, I forgot about him!".

Turns out he retired after spending most of the rest of his career with Grantham Town. Kirkwood became joint-manager at Heanor Town 3 years ago but I can't find anything since then on him.

The name is starting to ring a bell now, but can f*****s like remember him playing.

[Chris Black come back]

Dean Walling. Boyo.

Got to admit that Walling was a bog disappointment to me. He was one of those players who always had a bloody good game against us but he never lived up to those levels when we actually started paying him money.

Minett was one of a number of fairly decent league players that we managed to sign somehow. Others were Shaun Goodwin and Jamie Barnwell-Edinborough who had been playing solid higher level league football season previously.