DATES VISITED THIS GROUND

22/1/2004 - Doncaster 0 Lincoln City 2

Out of all the reviews you’ll see on this website, this will shock you the most, because I really like Doncaster’s ground. I hadn’t really be anxious about the game at all, nor was I particully bothered about the game due to other things on my mind.

 

Getting to Belle Vue was a nightmare once inside Donny and it got even worse once we got to the ground. Lincoln had been allocated tickets for 2 places, 1800 in the terrace and 200 in the seating, I had managed to get a seating ticket, meaning I went in a different turnstile to everyone else and I couldn’t find it. After asking about 4 Donny fans, I finally found the turnstile and thought that this better be worth it.

 

In the seating section, there were only about 30 seats where you could completely see both goals due to all the pillars. The ground is really really really easy to describe, surround a pitch with terracing and put a tiny seating section above one of the side parts. The view from the seated end, other than the posts, was actually really good. However, my only major quarrel with the away end was that, we were in one block of seating and there were no stewards, barriers or anything between us and the Doncaster fans. You could quite literally be stood in the Lincoln end, take one side step to the right and you’d be in the Donny end. I thought to myself that this was exceptionally dangerous and I didn’t feel safe at all.

 

The atmosphere at Donny was fairly poor to be honest, however, they can be excused because it was absolutely chucking it down with rain and a Friday night just doesn’t feel right for football. Donny do have, my official vote for the world’s weirdest chanting, going (not accurate wording but you get the idea), “Gigo gago gugo gaga DONCASTER”. It was quite random to say the least.

 

Overall, I actually quite enjoyed the visit to Belle Vue despite of not feeling safe where I was sat. I think it’s a nice little ground, obviously it’s no Old Trafford or Anfield but at least, unlike some grounds in the higher leagues, it has a consistency to it and could easily be a lot worse.