Exclusive:"Like a film..." - Former Sheffield United man opens up on remarkable family fairytale as hoodoo ends at last
Rochdale won 106 points, lost the National League title with virtually the last kick of the season and found themselves 2-0 down at Wembley. Former Sheffield United youngster Kyron Gordon explains how they somehow found a way to promotion - alongside his brother and a host of familiar Blades faces. Our man Danny Hall spoke to him this week
Kyron Gordon already knew that Wembley is no place for losers. As a boyhood Sheffield United fan, he had experienced defeat there three times from the stands; the sinking feeling of seeing his side fall short on English football's grandest stage. Earlier this month, under the arch again but this time in the middle of the action, the experience felt painfully familiar.
His Rochdale side were 2-0 down in the play-off final against Boreham Wood and the most remarkable of seasons looked like it was going to simply peter out. Rochdale had finished the regular National League campaign with 106 points, and somehow not won the title and the only automatic promotion spot.
Even that only tells half the story. Rochdale were edged out on the final day, with almost the final kick, by champions York City, who won their 108th point in the 103rd minute. Rochdale, needing to win, looked to have snatched the title when they went ahead in the fifth minute of injury time through Emmanuel Dieseruvwe.
But a jubilant pitch invasion saw yet more time added on at the end and York scored in the 13th minute of it, condemning Gordon and Co. to the play-offs. “It was a bit mental,” reflects the United academy product, speaking to The Star after the deserved promotion celebrations in Marbella had eventually calmed down.
“We went from the highest of highs, in the biggest game at that level, to the lowest of lows, in just a few minutes. When Manny scored that late winner - or what we thought was the winner - it was jubilation. If you could bottle up that feeling and sell it, you'd probably be a billionaire.
“But then fans ran on the pitch. I think Manny lost his shirt. And then it was just all a blur from there, really. I feel like for their goal, everyone just froze because we thought the game was done. At that point, it was a feeling that I've never had before.
“You just wanted to cry. You thought it was done. It’s quite funny, looking back. The manager told us there was a free bar upstairs. We never really do that, actually, as a team. But everyone went up. We had a drink, we had a little cry; whatever it was you needed in that moment. Because it felt like a film. Then we came in the next week and it was put behind us.”
I think we have to apologise to the Rochdale fans because over the last six weeks, they've probably had heart failure and loss of hair, and grey hairs or whatever. But if you could choose a way to get promoted, you’d choose Wembley every time
Gordon and Co. responded with what he believes was one of their best performances of the season, to beat Scunthorpe in the semi-final. But then, at Wembley, they were 2-0 down after 70 minutes and a season’s work looked to have been for nothing.
The tide started to shift when Tyler Smith - Gordon’s brother and one of FIVE ex-Blades in the Rochdale set up - scored three minutes after coming off the bench and that man Dieseruvwe came up with another big moment in the 97th minute to send the final to penalties.
“From then, I think we knew we were going to win,” Gordon admits. “Whether it was in extra time or went to penalties. As a Sheffield United fan, I've been to Wembley three times and never seen us win.
“A lot of my friends and family came down too, and they're all Sheffield United fans. They told me after that, at 2-0 down, they were thinking: ‘Are we ever going to come to Wembley and see anyone win, that we want to win?
“I think we have to apologise to the Rochdale fans because over the last six weeks, they've probably had heart failure and loss of hair, and grey hairs or whatever. But if you could choose a way to get promoted, you’d choose Wembley every time. Hopefully the next time I'm at Wembley, it's to watch Sheffield United and they do it.”
Lifting the trophy alongside his brother only made the occasion more memorable for Gordon, with ex-United men Harvey Gilmour and Ethan Ebanks-Landell also in the side and former striker Matt Done a coach. Zak Brunt, another product of the United academy, was in the Boreham Wood starting XI.
Gordon and Smith made their senior United debuts in the same game, a Carabao Cup tie against Carlisle United, before leaving Bramall Lane and forging their respective paths in the game. But fate brought them together again at Rochdale, creating yet more history under the Wembley arch.
“It’s crazy, really,” Gordon adds. “I don't think it sank in properly until a bit after. But we made our debut together, for our boyhood club. Then we both moved on with our careers, ended up back at the same club and then ended up winning at Wembley together.
“It’s a proud moment, even for us two. But for my mum and dad and grandparents, cousins, aunties, uncles, it must have been an unbelievable moment. While you’re going through it, though, you don’t really think about it.
“And once I'd sobered up after that mad two weeks, we were saying to each other: “Wow. We actually played at Wembley and won together.” When you’re younger that sort of thing is a dream, but we lived it in real life.”