From Battle of Bramall Lane adversaries to managerial rivals: Darren Moore talks Keith Curle reunion ahead of Doncaster Rovers' clash with Northampton Town

Moore was part of the West Bromwich Albion side that faced off against Curle’s Sheffield United during what became known as the Battle of Bramall Lane.

It was a game abandoned after 82 minutes because United did not have the required number of players on the pitch.

How they got to that point is where the infamy lies. A tale of horror tackles, headbutts and allegations of subterfuge.

United had three players sent off - including two substitutes. And after falling 3-0 down, they lost two more players to injury, taking them below the minimum seven mark which forced the abandonment.

West Brom would be awarded the 3-0 win after a hearing, with Blades boss Neil Warnock cleared of any wrongdoing.

When asked about the notorious afternoon in Sheffield as he prepares for a reunion with Curle, a big smile spreads across Moore’s face.

“Me and Keith stayed out of trouble really, and you’d have thought with me and him being on the pitch that we’d have been the troublemakers,” Moore told the Free Press.

“We were on that pitch that day. It played out how it did.

“I’m grateful that we won the game 3-0 and the result stood.

“We’ve played against each other and now we come up against each other as managers.

“I was really pleased when he got promoted with Northampton and it was really well deserved.

“I’m sure he’d be the first to say that he’s not in the division to make up the numbers and he wants to kick on and rightly so.

“He’s doing some tremendous work with the club, showing his leadership capabilities and certainly with everything that is good about what is happening with Northampton at the minute, he is at the forefront.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing him and catching up with him.”

Northampton are likely to look to restrict Rovers on Saturday afternoon as they bid to continue a recent run of good form which has seen them take seven points from their last nine available.

But the Rovers boss is taking nothing for granted as he takes his side to Sixfields - particularly with 1,000 home supporters allowed into the ground for the first time since the Cobblers were promoted into League One.

“We’ve got our style of play and they’ve got theirs and how the game ebbs and flows nobody knows,” Moore said.

“If it does go down a patience route, we’ll deal with that when it comes but I’m expecting a tough, ferocious game.

“And I think it will be an energetic game because the fans going in there will bring an energy to it.

“I think we need a bit more of a cutting edge and to take care of the final details than we did earlier in the week.

“Those kind of things you can always look to get better at.”

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