Bristol Rovers managed to pull off possibly the most dramatic promotion claim on the last day of the League Two season.
Before the day started, Rovers needed a five-goal swing over promotion rivals Northampton Town. However, with the Cobblers leading their game 3-0, hope was dwindling for Joey Barton’s men.
Then something unbelievable happened. Bristol managed to put five past their opponents, Scunthorpe United, in the second half to win 7-0 and steal the third position with minutes of the season remaining.
Fans struggled to wait for the full-time whistle to celebrate, with many entering the pitch straight after the crucial goal. This resulted in the temporary stoppage of the game and even manager Joey Barton speaking on the mic to get fans back into the stands.
I spoke to Rovers fan Emmanuel Cudjoe, who talked me through the feeling around the ground. “When it (the seventh goal) went in we couldn’t believe it. Everyone was just jumping everywhere, grabbing each other. It went crazy”
“I remember looking across the stand and seeing everyone starting to run onto the pitch. It was one of those moments that was just unbelievable”
After a lengthy amount of stoppage time, the fans were able to run onto the pitch again and this time celebrate with the players that had just sent them back up into League One.
“Even after the game there were players who had come to celebrate with us which was great to see. Everyone was enjoying that huge moment together.”
