How I watched football: 2023-24
02/06/2024 20:53
For three years now Doncaster Rovers have been an awful watch. Really bad. I'm talking absolutely abject 'have these guys ever played football before, or have they just read a description of it in a book?' stuff.
So when I bought a ticket for their match at Wrexham in early September I very quickly realised I'd done so purely under the pretence of ‘well it would be silly not to given where I live’ rather than actually looking forward to the game in any way. Fast forward seven months and out of seemingly nowhere this same hapless bunch had inexplicably transformed from a team I was watching through nowt more than a sense of duty, to a side playing with so much positivity, that I was truly desperate to see them again. So much so I was rearranging work dates so I could catch them at Colchester. Colchester! One of the worst away days in football. In midweek.
Reconnecting with a thing you love is a wonderful experience. And nothing illustrates that more than feeling a much greater disappointment at not having been able to witness more matches during Rovers' record-breaking run of form than that which I felt at seeing them tumble out of the play-offs on penalties. It was still a heartbreaking end, but it's a refreshing change to end a Rovers season excited for the next one, rather than glad it's all over.
My relationship with Wales in 2023-24 followed a similar arc, one of a reconnection – in this case, from financially forced absence – ultimately ended cruelly by penalties. But I found much more joy than despair in being back in a full red stadium, most notably in the form of big wins over Croatia and Finland; the former my favourite game of the season.
Beyond this – and a couple of pilgrimages to take in the aesthetics of Goodison Park and the Cadbury Recreation Ground – my season was largely spent locally, off-setting clubs' fortunes against one another. Chiefly this involved trading Colwyn Bay's knack of finding new ways to lose in the Cymru Premier with Penmaenmawr Phoenix' prolificacy for goals. But also for every terrible Conwy Borough performance I endured at Y Morfa, there was the enjoyment of gatecrashing Caernarfon Town's European qualification party at The Oval.
With a neat symmetry, my season began and ended watching Llanrug United lose 1-0 on Ynys Môn. I arrived at each of these games from long walks along the coast path, as I did my visit to Pentraeth in February. I reached Mountain Rangers via a long schlep through Eryri from Llanberis, and in April trekked back to the coast over the hills from Llansannan. Maybe it's the clearest sign yet of the onset of middle-age, but walking to and from games like this is becoming one of my great pleasures and, just like watching Doncaster Rovers, I end this season genuinely excited at the prospect of being able to do it again come August.
by Glen Wilson
Below is a photograph from every match I attended this season. All photos were taken using an iPhone.
Match 1 | July
Amlwch Town 1-0 Llanrug United
FAW Welsh Cup 1st qualifying round, Lon Bach
Match 2 | August
Everton 1-0 Sporting CP
Pre-Season Friendly, Goodison Park
Match 3 | August
Penmaenmawr Phoenix 2-0 Llandyrnog United
North Wales Coast East League Premier Division, Cae Sling
Match 4 | August
Colwyn Bay 0-4 Caernarfon Town
Cymru Premier, Llanelian Road
Match 5 | August
Greenfield 0-4 Rhos Aelwyd
FAW Welsh Cup 2nd qualifying round, Bagillt Road
Match 6 | August
Penmaenmawr Phoenix 2-1 Llanfairfechan Town
North Wales Coast East League Premier Division, Cae Sling
Match 7 | September
Mountain Rangers 4-1 Gaerwen
North Wales Coast West League Division One, Cae’r Gors
Match 8 | September
Wrexham 2-1 Doncaster Rovers
EFL League Two, Cae Raes
Match 9 | September
Colwyn Bay 3-1 Aberystwyth Town
Cymru Premier, Llanelian Road
Match 10 | September
Colwyn Bay 2-4 Newtown
Cymru Premier, Llanelian Road
Match 11 | September
Meliden 3-0 Queens Park
FAW Amateur Trophy 2nd round, The Mine
Match 12 | October
Stockport County 1-0 Doncaster Rovers
EFL League Two, Edgeley Park
Match 13 | October
Wales 4-0 Gibraltar
International Friendly, Cae Raes
Match 14 | October
Wales 2-1 Croatia
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualification, Cardiff City Stadium
Match 15 | October
Penmaenmawr Phoenix 7-1 Rhuddlan Town
North Wales Coast East League Premier Division, Cae Sling
Match 16 | October
Cadbury Athletic 0-4 Knowle
Midland League Division Two, Cadbury Recreation Ground
Match 17 | November
Conwy Borough 8-3 Llannefydd
Ardal North West, Y Morfa
Match 18 | November
Wales 1-1 Turkey
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualification, Cardiff City Stadium
Match 19 | November
Penmaenmawr Phoenix 0-6 Rhyl 1879
FAW Amateur Trophy 4th round, Cae Sling
Match 20 | November
Colwyn Bay 2-3 Connah’s Quay Nomads
Cymru Premier, Llanellian Road
Match 21 | December
Llandudno Ladies 0-13 Swansea City
Adran Trophy 1st round, Maesdu Park
Match 22 | December
Accrington Stanley 0-0 Doncaster Rovers
EFL League Two, Crown Ground
Match 23 | December
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch 0-7 Trethomas Bluebirds
FAW Amateur Trophy 5th round, Maes Eilian
Match 24 | December
Airbus UK Broughton 0-0 Gresford Athletic
Cymru North, The Airfield
Match 25 | January
Bangor 1876 4-1 Porthmadog
Cymru North, Nantporth
Match 26 | January
Menai Bridge Tigers 2-5 Seven Sisters Onllwyn
FAW Amateur Trophy 5th round, Treborth
Match 27 | January
Meliden 2-6 Penmaenmawr Phoenix
North Wales Coast East League Premier Division, Treborth
Match 28 | January
Abergele 0-3 Penmaenmawr Phoenix
North Wales Coast East League Premier Division, Parc Eirias
Match 29 | January
Colwyn Bay 2-3 Pontypridd United
Cymru Premier, Llanelian Road
Match 30 | January
Rhyl 1879 1-2 Newport City
FAW Amateur Trophy 6th round, Belle Vue
Match 31 | January
Conwy Borough 0-2 Bethesda Athletic
Ardal North West, Y Morfa
Match 32 | February
Colwyn Bay 1-2 Penybont
Cymru Premier, Llanelian Road
Match 33 | February
Buckley Town 1-4 Connah’s Quay Nomads
FAW Welsh Cup quarter final, Globe Way
Match 34 | February
Pentraeth 5-3 Glantraeth
North Wales Coast West League Premier Division, Bryniau Field
Match 35 | March
Walsall 3-1 Doncaster Rovers
EFL League Two, Bescot Stadium
Match 36 | March
Llandudno 1-5 Airbus UK Broughton
Cymru North, Maesdu Park
Match 37 | March
Wales 4-1 Finland
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualification play-off semi final, Cardiff City Stadium
Match 38 | March
Wales 0-0 Poland (4-5 on penalties)
UEFA Euro 2024 Qualification play-off final, Cardiff City Stadium
Match 39 | March
Colwyn Bay 1-2 Aberystwyth Town
Cymru Premier, Llanelian Road
Match 40 | April
Morecambe 0-3 Doncaster Rovers
EFL League Two, Mazuma Stadium
Match 41 | April
Comwy Borough 0-3 Holyhead Hotspur
Ardal North West, Y Morfa
Match 42 | April
Llansannan 1-0 NFA
North Wales Coast East League Premier Division, Llan Siro
Match 43 | April
Colwyn Bay 1-0 Barry Town United
Cymru Premier, Llanelian Road
Match 44 | April
Colchester United 1-4 Doncaster Rovers
EFL League Two, Colchester Community Stadium
Match 45 | April
Llangefni Town 1-2 Hawarden Rangers
Ardal North West, Cae Bob Parry
Match 46 | May
Crewe Alexandra 0-2 Doncaster Rovers
EFL League Two play-off semi final, 1st leg, Gresty Road
Match 47 | May
Doncaster Rovers 0-2 Crewe Alexandra (3-4 on penalties)
EFL League Two Two play-off semi final, 2nd leg, Eco-Power Stadium
Match 48 | May
Caernarfon Town 3-1 Penybont
Cymru Premier European play-off final, The Oval
Match 49 | May
Glantraeth 1-0 Llanrug United
North Wales Coast West League Premier Division League Cup semi final, Trefdraeth
Further photographs from each of the games featured in this blog can be found on the popular STAND Instagram account
