Five minutes with Francis Tierney - Doncaster Rovers cult hero on old side's play-off quest

Trying to find the right moment to speak to the former Doncaster Rovers man inbetween a holiday away and his shifts as a long-distance driver is tricky.

But after ample missed calls and Whatsapp messages he finally gets a spare five minutes to call back. We manage to catch him just after he's finished reversing into a tightly squeezed spot - easier said than done when you're behind the wheel of a HGV.

A similar analogy could be had for his old club. Their march to the play-offs has been astonishing in that there has been virtually no room for error. One small hiccup and it would be curtains. Thankfully, Grant McCann’s side sealed the first part of the deal to finish fifth and set up a semi-final play-off with Crewe Alexandra.

"I spoke to a couple of ex-players when I went back recently to Donny and they were saying the team's struggling," Tierney told the Free Press.

"I was just happy for the three points that day and ever since then it's been an unbelievable run. I'm made up for them. I was on holiday and my Dad said Donny had made the play-offs and I said 'you're messing aren't you?' It's been amazing."

Tierney, of course, is a modern day Rovers legend thanks to 'that' golden goal in the Conference play-off final back in 2003.

He readily admits "I've dined out on that for twenty-odd years!".

Self-deprecating he may be, but the level of affection he has among Rovers supporters is not taken for granted by the 48-year-old.

That visit earlier in the season that he mentioned was ironically for the home fixture with Crewe, another of his former teams. He was presented with a heritage shirt on the pitch at half-time to plenty of fanfare and that extended to ample selfies and informal chats with fans post-match.

He clearly maintains a strong bond with the South Yorkshire club.

By a strange quirk of fate 'Sir Francis Tierney Day' - May 10 - is the day of Rovers' second leg with Crewe at the Eco-Power Stadium.

Twenty-one years on from his history-making goal it could be the chance for the current team to write another exciting chapter in the club's history and tee up yet another play-off final.

So who's he rooting for?

"I still look for Crewe and want them to do well," Tierney adds. "But my best moments in football came at Doncaster so I'm siding with Rovers. I want them to go up. End of story."

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