Originally Posted by
wrinkly
In 2001 I was on a training course. On the first day everybody had to say a few words about themselves. We had just achieved back to back promotions with King Ronnie and Donny were non-league. I mentioned that I was a Millers fan. Going round the room we eventually got to this bloke who said "I am a Donny Rovers fan so I obviously hate him, but I don't suppose he's bothered about us now that they are playing the likes of Wednesday"
I said that I was never particularly bothered about Donny, regardless of the league we were in. Apart from schooldays in Maltby when we had kids from Tickhill, Rossington, Edlington at the school that's always been the case.
Donny see us as their main rivals - the team they love to beat - and they seem to resent that we don't feel the same way about them. It's really not a matter of disrespect it's just the way it is. We have a city team just down the road with more than their fair share of arrogant supporters, most of them show little or no respect for our team or our town and, for most of us, they are the team we love to beat. Obviously the massive don't feel the same about us, for valid reasons, but I don't care. I can take more pleasure in beating them than anyone else without feeling slighted because the feeling is not reciprocal.
I'm not sure why Donny dislike us so much. I don't consider we come across as acting superior to them (apart from the odd idiot on Radio Sheffield) We are similar sized clubs in similar sized towns with roughly similar histories. Perhaps it's because we are their nearest neighbours.
On Saturday, a local derby played before a full house, my attitude will change. For that day I will be desperate for us to beat them and claim the bragging rights but, more importantly, keep our fantastic run going.
After that I wish them well.