Close-Season

Penney axed 6 players, including the much-improved Jimmy Kelly. Unknown to Penney at this time was the intention of aggressive midfielder, Kevin McIntyre, to turn his back on the club which had nursed him through 12 months of injury. He joined bitter rivals, Chester City. More importantly influential players, Paterson and Ryan renewed their contracts.

New signings included Dave Morley, ex-Manchester City and Carlisle, and Mark Albrighton from Telford. On the eve of the preseason fixtures, Penney signed centre-midfielder, Alan Morgan released by Tranmere. The bad news was that powerful centre-back, Barry Miller was ruled out for the season with a torn knee ligament. Steven Foster was signed from Bristol Rovers as a replacement.

As usual, Rovers, having finished in fourth place, were well fancied for promotion by the bookies, but were only rated third favourites after Dagenham, runners up last term, and Yeovil, who had pipped Rovers to third spot.

August

The season got under way and the fans had something to cheer with a great start to the season, Rovers won their first two games. The opening game of the season saw Rovers come from behind to beat fancied Barnet 2-1 in front of a Belle Vue crowd which was the highest attendance in the Conference on the day. Rovers then travelled on the following Tuesday to minnows, Leigh RMI, and left it late to secure a 2-0 win, starting with a Paul Barnes penalty on 84 minutes, followed by an injury-time goal from Justin Jackson. Fans were pleased to see both first choice strikers off the mark within 2 games.

Penney sounded a note of caution, "Managing Doncaster Rovers is the most pressurised job in non-league football because the expectations at the start of each season are so high, but it has been like that since I came here and it doesn't bother me".

Their third game proved to be a Jekyll and Hyde performance and left fans angry and stunned as Rovers squandered a 4-0 first half lead at Telford on Saturday. Telford came out fighting in the second half, and, assisted by some diabolical refereeing and some inept defending, scored 4 goals to claim a share of the spoils. Rovers still topped the table however, and the Telford debacle was put behind them when they won their next two games to see 4 wins and a draw by the end of the month. Penney was named Conference manager of the month for his great start.

September

Club owner John Ryan was fined £2,000 for outspoken remarks he made about the local council's "backsliding" over the proposed new stadium, and fans offered to chip in with a collection to show their solidarity.

On the pitch, Rovers opened the month with two home games, both wins, but it was the second win, which got the whole Conference buzzing. Rovers entertained favourites Dagenham in front of the Sky TV cameras and served notice that they were a force to be reckoned with as they tore them apart with a 5-1 win. Rovers' youngster Robert Gill was outstanding for Rovers as he notched up Rovers 3rd goal.

Things then turned sour during the rest of September starting with an away defeat at Yorkshire rivals, Halifax. The next three games saw another defeat (at Margate), and two draws, and Rovers finished the month at fourth in the table

October

Matters improved with a blistering 3-0 away win at Nuneaton. Barnes got two against his old club to make it 6 goals in 13 games. He notched up another in a home win against Forest Green. The game of the month was the encounter with leaders Yeovil. Rovers took an early lead with a debut goal from Hudson, but Yeovil pulled one back to take a share of the points. It was a thrilling game as both sides asserted their championship credentials.

Rovers made progress in the LDV Trophy with a Golden Goal from Hudson at Scarborough, his second of the match and third in two games. Two goals from leading scorer, Paul Barnes, saw Rovers reach the first round proper in the FA Cup when they defeated Telford 2-0. This was sweet revenge for the 4-4 draw at the same venue in August. The win earned Rovers an away tie at Nationwide Three promotion hopefuls, Bournemouth.

November

This proved to be a mixed month for Rovers as they beat Hereford 2-0 at Belle Vue, and the youngsters thrashed Yorkshire Main 10-0 in the County Cup as Penney rested his first teamers for the upcoming FA Cup tie against Bournemouth. Before then Rovers stunned the Nationwide League by being the only team to defeat Division 2 runaway leaders Wigan in the LDV Trophy. This win earned Penney his second Manager of the Month award.

Rovers travelled to Bournemouth on a high confident that they could pull off a win and progress in the FA Cup. The game was a bitter contest and Rovers nearly earned a draw, but the sending off of Justin Jackson for violent conduct put paid to those hopes. Rovers were defeated 2-1 and the game was further marred by the news that Chas Walker, a stalwart of the Rovers supporters club suffered a heart attack during the game.

Rovers collected a point at Nuneaton to close the month still third in the table. Barnes once again scoring against his old club.

December

Two quick wins in the Conference helped Rovers consolidate their position in the table, but the next game, in the LDV Trophy stunned everybody connected with the club, players and fans alike. Rovers faced Wigan's second division Rivals, Crewe. It was a midweek away game, and those fans who bothered to travel witnessed the total annihilation of their club as Crewe meted out an 8-0 thrashing. It was politely described as a "wake up call", and if anything should have shaken some Rovers players out of their complacency.

Boss Penney and his assistant, Mickey Walker, had to rebuild the team's confidence as they faced a trip to Dagenham, anxious to earn revenge for their 5-1 TV drubbing in August. As it was, Rovers took the game to the Daggers. It was a bruising encounter and Rovers took the lead three times, (two goals came from Barnes), but only took away 1 point as Dagenham fought back hard. The game was marred by a crippling challenge on Marples which saw his calf ripped open to the bone, and he stayed the next week in a London hospital.

Penney signed immediate covers, an exciting young talent in the form of Tarkan Mustapha from Rushden and Diamonds.

Rovers finished 2002 on a high with a 5-2 Boxing Day thrashing of Scarborough at The McCain, and a home win against Leigh. Rovers had taken up residence at second in the table, but quite a few points adrift of leaders Yeovil.

January/February

The traditional New Years' Day fixture against Scarborough was postponed, but Rovers faced Barnet away in soon after and secured a win in a repeat of the season opener to keep in second place. However the next three games were disastrous defeats against lesser teams. Rovers had yet another away cup-tie, this time in the FA Trophy, and bogey team Halifax, the first to inflict a defeat in the league on Rovers did it again, 4-1 at The Shay.

Rovers then lost two successive home games Telford notched up a 3-1 win and brought their season tally to 7 goals in three games against Rovers. (Telford actually got a fourth, but the ball bounced out off the stanchion and back into play, unnoticed by the referee). The 2-1 defeat by Northwich saw Rovers sink to 4th in the table. Barnes got each of Rovers' solitary goals in those matches. He was on hand to secure two wins in February against Kettering and Burton, and Rovers were back in second place. The title looked a big ask with Yeovil starting to pull beyond reach.

Rovers tried to extend Tarkan's loan, but thwarted by Dagenham, they managed to lure Blunt away from a loan spell at Yeovil.

March

Rovers were to hold onto second spot until well into April. The New Year had been a disappointment so far, but the next two league games saw eight goals, two from new signing Jason Blunt. Barnes added to his tally as relegation candidates Southport and Gravesend felt the brunt of Rovers title challenge. Chester managed to spoil proceedings in a bad tempered game in front of the Sky cameras. Turncoat McIntyre felt the ire of Rovers fans for his close-season disloyalty. Rovers lost 1-0 and Chester's chances of a play-off place improved.

April

Scarborough came to Belle Vue on April Fool's day and managed a 1-0 win to dampen Rovers title challenge. By now realists were settling for a play-off place and it was inconceivable that Rovers could slump out of the top five, By the time Yeovil came to Belle Vue on Saturday the 12th, Chester's earlier result meant that Yeovil started the game as champions, and Rovers were guaranteed a play-off spot. The game featured on Sky TV, and viewers witnessed a celebration romp by Yeovil. Rovers made it easy by gifting them 3 of the 4 goals. But one bizarre indirect free-kick from 4-yards out earned then a dubious goal.

The regular season came to a close with Barnes earning the Golden Boot for his season tally of 28 goals. Club owner, benefactor and lifelong Rovers fan achieved an ambition and an entry in the record books when he came on as substitute in Rovers 4-2 away win at Hereford. At 53 he was the oldest player to turn out for a professional football team.

May

The regular season was over for Rovers. Having finished third on level points with second placed Morecambe, Rovers had to face Chester in the first leg of the promotion play-off semi-final, again in front of the Sky cameras and nearly 7,000 fans. It was a tense game and Chester took the lead in the 37th minute. The goal scored by turncoat McIntyre who took great delight in taunting the Belle Vue faithful. Rovers were desperate to take at least a draw to Chester for the second leg, and the crowd erupted into a frenzy of celebration as youngster Tristram Whitman secured a last gasp equaliser 4 minutes into completion time. The whole Chester crew simply slumped into stunned disbelief, and boss Mark Wright was distraught.

Bank holiday Monday saw the return leg. The Chester tactics were negative beyond belief. They showed no creativity and generally played with 9 men behind the ball, with only Clare and Cameron daring to trespass into the Rovers half. The Rovers players found it frustrating trying to break down the Chester defence. And then on 31 minutes, disaster struck as Chester went 1-0 up. It was hard going but Rovers skipper and Conference top scorer kept the team focussed and on 57 minutes Barnes got the equaliser. The game went to extra time, and then penalties.

All looked lost when Paterson missed the first penalty, until Clare followed suit with the second. Rovers keeper became a Rovers legend by making a final save with Rovers 4-3 up after Ryan slotted Rovers 4th home. Rovers were into the final at Stoke's Britannia Stadium, and faced Dagenham who had beaten Morecambe, again on penalties.

The Promotion Final: May 10th 2003.

Rover's credentials as a traditional League club became obvious to the Dagenham followers who were outnumbered 10,000 to 3,000. The atmosphere was fantastic. Rovers were one game away from returning to the Football League. The home end was designated for Rovers fans and the team was granted the right to wear their red and white hoops.

The Rovers fans realised that they had to power the team to victory and literally sang their hearts out. This inspired the team and Tierney was on hand to receive a cut-back from that man Barnes on 110 minutes. Tierney had scored the winner which propelled Rovers back into the Football League.

Five years of hurt was over, Nationwide 3 beckoned. There followed a mass celebration as thousands joined the victors on the pitch. There could be repercussions for this but the most important fact was Rovers were back where they belong.