'We were a lot better': Doncaster Rovers cult hero on famous Leeds United play-off win

But their 1-0 win over Leeds United, which secured Championship football for the first time in half a century, was no surprise to those heroes who pulled it off.

Six of them reunited at the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday to help raise tens of thousands for Doncaster cancer charity The Eve Merton Dreams Trust by taking part in a legends match against Liverpool.

Among them was Rovers cult hero JJ Price, who might not have played for 12 months but rolled back the years as he got himself on the scoresheet in an 8-6 win for the hosts.

Now working as a gas engineer, Price made time to watch the 2008 League One play-off final on Friday evening for motivation.

“It still gives me goosebumps,” the 46-year-old told The Free Press.

"I actually get a sweat on watching the game. I’m nervous and I even know the score, it’s weird.”

At the time Price was living in Beverley and surrounded by bullish Leeds fans.

"I was getting people coming up to me going ‘Leeds are going to win’. I was like ‘they are not going to win, we are a much better team’.

"We had a togetherness they didn’t have. Singly they were better than most of us but as a team they weren’t. We were a lot better.

"I knew, the whole team knew, we were going to win.

"The day before we trained on the pitch then we went back to the hotel and had a laugh – well, I had a laugh – the build-up was massive because it was Leeds.

“The biggest impact on me was walking out in front of 75,000. It was something I’ll never forget.

"I’ve had some medals in my time but that one is up there with the best."

Price, a three-time promotion-winner, made 114 appearances in his three years at Doncaster, scoring 23 goals.

He was also a member of the side that lifted the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in the 2006-07 season, having scored the goal which took Rovers to the Millennium Stadium.

“I lost my right leg and knocked it in with my right leg,” he recalled with a smile.

Price made the perfect start to his Doncaster career when he scored twice on his debut in a 2-0 win over Barnsley in February 2006.

But the forward admitted to having second thoughts about joining in the early days.

"The first couple of weeks I thought ‘what have I got myself in for here?’ There were a couple of scraps and the changing facilities were up and coming.

"We weren’t the best team but it was a hard-working team.

"I’d gone from Hull, they were a better technical team. But when it came to Doncaster they were a hard-working team, so they matched everything Hull had.

“Sean O'Driscoll changed it with the passing. It was a good transition.”

Price had 22 clubs in a career spanning as many years.

One in particular still stands out.

"Even now, on a Saturday evening when I’m having a glass of rose, I’ll put YouTube on and most of my games are Doncaster games.

"The fans were brilliant, the team was brilliant. A new stadium. Everything.”