Today I'm going back 36 years to 1986 and York City's visit to Belle Vue, home of Doncaster Rovers, for a League Division 3 fixture attended by 3,319 spectators.
Belle Vue, a misnomer if ever there was one, was Rovers home from 1992 and was finally closed at the end of 2006 when they moved to their brand new home at the Keepmoat Stadium. Belle Vue had a challenging history having suffered from mining subsidence and, later, an arson attack in 1995 for which Chairman Ken Richardson was found guilty and sentenced to four years imprisonment! It wasn't a pretty ground and I recall the away end as being rather like entering a cage that had been placed in the middle of a large terrace (most of which was outside the cage and therefore unused). Trust me, the Keepmoat represented a huge upgrade for Rovers!
The featured game finished one-apiece with Denis Smith's York side taking the lead through full-back Alan Hay before Rovers' Paul Holmes scored a second half equaliser to ensure honours even. York's Simon Mills was sent off for his troubles. Rovers line-up that day included Welsh pocket rocket Brian Flynn. Flynn's playing career ran from 1972 until 1993 and he made over 200 League appearances for Burnley and a further 154 for Leeds United. By 1986 he had arrived at Doncaster where he made 27 League appearances before moving on to Bury, Limerick City, Doncaster Rovers (again) and, finally, Wrexham. Whilst short in stature (Flynn was 5 foot 3.5 inches) he was a talented midfielder who also appeared 66 times for Wales, scoring 7 goals for the national team before embarking on a long managerial career at several of his former clubs but notably Wrexham.
Since York City joined the Football League in 1929 they have spent the majority of their existence in the fourth tier (or the third tier when League Division 3 was regionalised as Third Division North and South). Years spent in the third tier (outright) were relatively rare for York and their two seasons in the second tier (or Championship as it is now known) in the 1970's can be regarded as being as rare as hens teeth. This was one of those rare seasons in the third tier for City and they had a good season in 1985/86 finishing in seventh position with Doncaster Rovers trailing in seven points further back in eleventh place. Sadly these days, York are once again playing in regionalised football except that this time it is at the sixth tier of English Football rather than the third!
Third Divisions North and South were introduced in 1921/22 season and disappeared for good 36 years later in 1957/58 with the top half of the North and South divisions forming a new national League Division 3 (the bottom halves formed Division 4). Wouldn't you just know it that York missed out on a top half finish in 1957/58 by finishing thirteenth (of 24 clubs) on goal difference and were obliged to become founder members of League Division 4 the following season. How City fans wish we could reach the dizzy heights of the fourth tier once again!
CRB Match No. 429
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