Talking Sport Now & Then: Dons star set to hang up his boots at end of season

The 33-year-old half-back, who gives the team a different attacking option, has been dogged with a big toe injury since the middle of last season.

“It’s sad really” he said. “My heart and mind still want to play but my body is not allowing me to do that.

“My game is based on my ability to create openings by stopping and starting quickly and changing direction and if I can’t do that then that takes away a lot of what I can offer the team.

“I’m obviously working with the club’s physios but anything they can do will only be temporary. But hopefully I’ll be able to get back playing at some stage of the season.”

Johnston, who has won several end-of-season awards over the years during his time at the club, missed a number of games in the second half of last season with the same problem.

“I had a break of around six weeks at the end of last season and then I started to slowly get back into the pre-season training sessions and it got to a point where the foot was okay at the start of the season and I played in the opening games before the problem flared up again.

“I’ve loved my time at the club and I’m just a bit gutted that I’ve not been able to give the team or the fans what I did in my first few years. But, as I say, I’ll be doing my best to try and get fit enough to play in a few games later in the season.”

Reflecting on the campaign so far, Johnston said: “We’ve made a bit of a mixed start to the season and we’ve lacked a bit of consistency. But if we can play like we did when beating Toulouse then we won’t go far wrong against any team, particularly down here.

“Having said that, I’ve played a lot of rugby at Championship level over the years and this season is probably the toughest I’ve known. Anyone can beat anyone else on the day which is good for the competition.”

*Congratulations to everyone at Doncaster Rovers for winning promotion from League Two after the disappointment of last year’s play-off campaign and doing it in style during the run in.

Hopefully they can put the icing on the cake by lifting the league title this weekend.

I am particularly pleased for chairman Terry Bramall, whose financial backing has proved crucial in enabling manager Grant McCann, who also deserves much credit, to put together a competitive squad. He has also provided the money to upgrade the training facilities at Cantley Park which will hopefully improve performances on the field.

Which is what fans will be expecting to see. Fans being fans will not settle for the club just making up the numbers in the third tier and will want them to be challenging for a return to the Championship within the next few years.

*As I’ve said previously in this column, the World Snooker Championships have outgrown the Crucible Theatre as it stands.

I’ve never been a fan of the two-table set-up in the opening rounds. It’s not a good look for such a prestigious event and I can’t imagine any player enjoying being sat so close to their opponent.

Having said that, I wouldn’t want the tournament to move away from the Steel City or South Yorkshire and certainly not abroad as has been mooted.

Surely there has to be another venue in Sheffield where some of the earlier rounds could be staged so that both venues could have just one table.

That way you could still have the final at the Crucible, albeit with a bigger capacity, thereby building on its legacy.

*I was sorry to learn of the death of Noel Senior, someone I often came across when covering Doncaster Knights over the years.

Noel was quite a character and I remember him being immensely proud of sons Richard and David, two of the stars of the Doncaster side which won a number of promotions to help get the club to where it is today.

*Harvey Horne, the young nephew of Doncaster RLFC head coach Richard Horne possibly created a bit of local sporting history this season when playing for both teams in the two South Yorkshire derbies and finishing up on the losing side on both occasions.

The Hull KR loanee played for the injury-hit Dons in their 50-18 AB Sundecks 1895 Cup defeat away to the Sheffield Eagles and also played for the Eagles in their recent 19-6 Championship defeat at the Eco-Power Stadium.

*Will Emma Raducanu, who won the US Open title as a qualifier, prove to be one-hit wonder?

I hope that wont be the case because she is good for the game in this country. Certainly no other Brit gets the media coverage that she does.

But it is starting to look that way following her latest defeat on the WTA Tour event in Madrid - albeit on clay which is not her favourite surface – and she badly needs a good grass court season.

*On the day that Doncaster Rovers celebrated being ‘handed the keys’ of the Keepmoat Stadium by Doncaster Council, newly-promoted Conference side York City almost spoilt the party in their 2012-13 League Cup tie.

Relegated from the Championship the previous season, Rovers needed penalties to see off the battling Minstermen after it ended 1-1.

Rovers had never beaten York in the competition and looked to be in danger of a fourth successive first round defeat at their hands when falling behind on 65 minutes. But striker Chris Brown converted a 74th minute penalty to level the scores.