Doncaster Rovers F.C.

Doncaster Rovers

Full name	Doncaster Rovers Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Rovers Donny
Founded	1879
Ground	Keepmoat Stadium (Capacity: 15,231)
Chairman	John Ryan
Manager	Dean Saunders
League	Football League Championship
2010–11	Football League Championship, 21st
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.

The club was founded in 1879 and turned professional in 1885.^[1] Doncaster have spent the majority of their playing history between the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system and are one of three clubs to win the Division 3/League Two title 3 times.

Since 2008 they have been playing in the second tier of English football. This marks only the fourth time they have played at this level in their history and is the highest league the team has ever played in. They were elected into the old Second Division in 1901 where they only spent two years before going back into the regional league. They were once again re-elected to the league in 1904, but only lasted a year before failing to be re-elected in 1905.^[1] Their third stint at this level of English football was for 8 years from 1950 to 1958. This is seen as the club's most successful period. Brian Carey The club's colours have traditionally been red and white. Their home strip is red and white hoops which has been the main design of the club’s home shirt since 2001.^[2]

On 23 September 2011 it was announced that both manager Sean O'Driscoll and assistant manager Richard O'Kelly had been sacked following a poor start to the 2011-12 season, Rovers having lost 6 and drawn 1 of their first seven games of the season. Up to this date O'Driscoll had been the ninth longest-serving manager in English football. Wrexham manager Dean Saunders was named as the replacement with Brian Carey as his assistant.^[3]

History

The 1891 Sheffield and Hallamshire Challenge Cup winning Doncaster Rovers team.

Early Years

The club was formed in September 1879 by Albert Jenkins, a fitter at Doncaster's Great Northern Railway works in response to the emerging popularity of the game in the nearby city of Sheffield. The team turned professional in 1885 and were first elected to the Football League in 1901, as a replacement for New Brighton Tower. Their first season in the League was precisely the one when Doncaster achieved their highest position ever (7th in the Football League Second Division).^[4] They only lasted two seasons in the league before being voted out in favour of local rivals Bradford City due to finishing the 1902 season in the bottom three. They spent the subsequent season in the non-league Midland League. A second attempt, in 1904, lasted only one season with Doncaster finishing dead last and being voted out once again. They would have to wait until 1923 before playing English league football again, when they were elected to the Football League Third Division North to replace Stalybridge Celtic.

First Home

The club did not have a permanent ground until 1885 when they started playing their games at the Intake Ground. They played their football there until August 1914 when the club went into liquidation. A new company did take over the club soon after but all English league competition was suspended in 1915 due to the First World War and the club was closed down and the ground was turned into an Army base. The club reformed in 1920 after the war's end and due to losing their old ground to the Army were forced to find a new ground. They then found a temporary home and had a two year lease at the Bennetthorpe Ground. The two-year tenancy came to an end and Rovers were offered some undeveloped land. Rovers moved the main stand from the Bennetthorpe Ground to the new home which was named Belle Vue and initially had a capacity of 10,000.^[2] Doncaster played their first game there in 1922. Belle Vue was Doncaster's home for 84 years and in that time only received one major upgrade when in 1938 the grounds capacity was increased to 40,000.

1940-Late 90's

Doncaster Rovers were involved in the longest ever football match, against Stockport County at Edgeley Park on 30 March 1946. The match was the second in a Division Three (North) two-legged cup tie and, after 30 minutes of extra time, was deadlocked at 2–2 (also the score in the first leg). After the referee had sought advice from the authorities, it was decided that the game would carry on until one team scored. However, after 203 minutes, and with darkness closing in, the game was finally stopped. Stories abound of fans leaving the game, going home for their tea, and coming back to watch the end of the game. The replay, at Doncaster, was won by Rovers 4–0. In 1946–47 Doncaster set a record for the most games won in a league season (33), when they won the Third Division North title). Harry Gregg kept goal for Doncaster in the 1950s, and was sold to Manchester United in December 1957 for £23,500. At the time, he was the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. He went on to help save lives in the Munich air disaster and was a regular goalkeeper for Northern Ireland. The late Billy Bremner, who achieved fame for his playing career with Leeds United and Scotland, managed Doncaster twice, his final spell ending in November 1991 – six years before his death.

Richardson Era

In 1997–98, Doncaster also set the record for losses in a season, suffering the humiliation of enduring 34 league defeats as they finished bottom of Division Three and went into the Football Conference. Just after this relegation, the then chairman Ken Richardson was sent to prison for four years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson after a fire in June 1995 within the Main Stand at Belle Vue. They returned to the Football League five years later as Conference playoff winners, and were Division Three champions the following season.

The Rise

Doncaster's fortunes soon began to turn round, due to new owner John Ryan's commitment to invest heavily into the club. The club returned to the fourth tier (known at the time as Division Three) after winning the 2003 Conference Play-Off and they found their best form in 50 years in the 2000s. The club has few financial worries and a new stadium was completed in December 2006. Their first game at the new Keepmoat Stadium was against Huddersfield Town on New Year's Day, 2007^[5] and the first goal scored at the Stadium was by Mark McCammon.

Promotion the first season back in the Football League in 2003–2004 under the helm of manager Dave Penney returned them to the third tier, now renamed Coca Cola League I. Penney left in August 2006 feeling he had taken the club as far as he could and was swiftly replaced with former AFC Bournemouth manager Sean O'Driscoll, with Richard O'Kelly as assistant manager. Doncaster were the first team to win the Fourth Division/Third Division (fourth level) championship three times, in 1966, 1969, and 2004). Football League rules state that any team who wins a trophy 3 times can keep it. When Rovers tried to retain ownership of the actual Third Division trophy, the Football League claimed that Rovers could not keep the trophy because the league names had changed and so they had not won that particular league 3 times. The titles won in 1966 and 1969 were in fact Fourth division (albeit the same in all but name) and Doncaster were the last team to win the Division Three before it was renamed League Two.

In 2005–06, Doncaster beat two Premiership teams in the League Cup – Manchester City^[6] and Aston Villa.^[7] They reached the quarter finals of the competition where they met Arsenal. They went ahead in normal time and Arsenal equalised, and in extra time Rovers went up for a second time but Gilberto Silva equalised in injury time and the North London side went on to win on penalties.^[8]

2007-Present

On 1 April 2007, Doncaster Rovers travelled with their new manager to the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff to play Bristol Rovers in the Johnstones Paint Trophy final. Playing in front of over 59,000 people, this was Rovers' first major cup final in the club's history. They got off to the perfect start when a tap in from Jonathan Forte and brilliant finish from Paul Heffernan put Rovers 2–0 up within the first 5 minutes. However, after a brave fight back from Bristol, the game finished 2–2, so it went to extra time. In the second half of extra time a Sean Thornton corner was headed home by skipper Graeme Lee who had come forward from his central defensive position. Doncaster held on to claim their first major trophy.^[9]

Sullivan O'Connor Mills Hird Roberts Coppinger Wellens Stock Green Price Hayter

Doncasters' starting line-up for the 2008 Play Off Final win against Leeds United.

Doncaster Rovers celebrate victory against Leeds United in the Football League One play-off final on 25th May 2008 at Wembley Stadium.

2007–08 proved to be one of the most exciting seasons in Doncaster's history. After a slow start they were in serious contention for a top-six finish for much of the second half of the season. Defeat away at Cheltenham Town on the final day of the season cost them automatic promotion and they finished third, with Nottingham Forest taking 2nd place. After a 0–0 draw away to Southend United in the playoff semi-finals first leg, Rovers beat their opponents 5–1 at home in the second leg including a James Coppinger hat-trick to advance to the League One play-off final at Wembley on Sunday 25th May 2008 where they beat Leeds United 1–0 to move into Football League Championship after a half century absence. A James Hayter headed goal in the 47th minute was enough to secure victory in front of over 75,000 fans at Wembley.^[10]

The first half of the 2008–09 season saw Doncaster struggling to adapt to the Championship despite a promising start with an away win over newly relegated Derby County.^[11] A long run of bad results saw them bottom of the Championship on 20 December 2008 following a narrow 1–0 defeat to Wolves at home. Rovers managed to turn things around soon after and enjoyed an undefeated run of 8 Championship games, starting with a thrilling 4–2 win at relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. This run included derby victories against Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. The win against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday 14 February was especially memorable considering it was the first time Doncaster had defeated the Owls in any league competition.^[12] The streak ended at the hands of Swansea City on Saturday 21 February after a 3–1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium. Doncaster Rovers secured their place in the Championship for the 2009–10 season after an emphatic 3–0 win at Home Park against Plymouth Argyle. Doncaster ended their first season in the Championship comfortably in 14th position, finishing above 8 former Premier League teams, including Charlton Athletic, Watford, Crystal Palace and Derby County. The survival was also a major feat, as before the start of that season, they were tipped by many as strong favourites for relegation.

Doncaster started the 2009–10 season away at Vicarage Road with a 1–1 draw against Watford. Their first win of the season came at home against Cardiff City 5 games into the season when they won 2–0. Doncaster finished the [2009-10 in English football|2009–10]] season marginally better than their first season back in the Championship, finishing two places higher in 12th and earning two more points than the previous season finishing on 60 points. This was despite a promising period towards the end of the season which saw Doncaster close to the play-off places, thanks in part to Sheffield United loanee Billy Sharp who scored 15 goals for Doncaster during his stay. The 2009–10 season's success became a football league record. Having become the first team to be bottom of the table at Christmas, but still managed to survive the drop.

The 2010–11 season proved to be Doncaster’s most trying season in the Championship thus far. Despite a club record signing of £1.15 million for Billy Sharp, the season was plagued by injuries to key players, as well as poor form. Doncaster did however manage to ensure their Championship survival, finishing in 21st place, 6 points clear of relegated local rivals Sheffield United and Scunthorpe United. This meant Rovers would spend a fourth successive season in the second tier of English football.

Doncaster Rovers have struggled in the first few games of the current 2011-12 season; at the time of writing, Rovers had played seven games, losing six and drawing one. This poor start has led to the sacking of manager Sean O'Driscoll and assistant manager Richard O'Kelly. On Friday 23rd September 2011, Dean Saunders was unveiled as boss leaving Wrexham.^[13]

League History

Doncaster Rovers have played their football in the following leagues:^[14]

Midland Football League:
1891–92 to 1900–01, 1903–04, 1905–06 to1922–23

Football League:
1901–02 to1902–03, 1904–05, 1923–24 to1997–98, 2003–04 to Present

2nd Tier – Division 2, Championship:
1901–02 to1902–03, 1904–05, 1935–36 to1936–37, 1947–48, 1950–51 to1957–58, 2008–09 to Present

3rd Tier – Division 3 North, Division 3, League 1:
1923–24 to1934–35, 1937–38 to1946–47, 1948–49 to1949–50, 1958–59, 1966–67, 1969–70 to1970–71, 1981–82 to1982–83, 1984–85 to1987–88, 2004–05 to2007–08

4th Tier – Division 3:
1959–60 to1965–66, 1967–68 to1968–69, 1971–72 to1980–81, 1983–84, 1988–89 to1992-93, 1997–98, 2004–05

5th Tier – Football Conference
1998–99 to 2002–03

Last 10 Seasons

Doncaster Rovers: League Standings for last 11 Seasons

Season League Pos P W D L F A GD Pts 2010–11 Championship 21st 46 11 15 20 55 81 −26 48 2009–10 Championship 12th 46 15 15 16 59 58 1 60 2008–09 Championship 14th 46 17 7 22 42 53 −10 58 2007–08 League 1* 3rd 46 23 11 12 65 41 +14 80 2006–07 League 1 11th 46 16 15 15 52 47 +5 63 2005–06 League 1 8th 46 20 9 17 55 51 +4 69 2004–05 League 1 10th 46 16 18 12 63 60 +3 66 2003–04 Division 3 (Now League Two) 1st 46 27 11 8 79 37 +42 92 2002–03 Conference* 3rd 42 22 12 8 73 47 +36 78 2001–02 Conference 4th 42 18 13 11 68 46 +22 67

Pos = Position; P = Played; W = Won; D = Drawn; L = Lost; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; GD = Goal Difference; Pts = Points

∗ Denotes promotion via the Playoffs.

Managerial History

Below is a list of all the permanent managers that Doncaster Rovers have had since the appointment of Arthur Porter in 1920. In the 41 years prior to Newbould's appointment, the team was selected by club committee, a standard practice by football clubs at the time. The club's current manager, Dean Saunders, is their 37th in all, and was appointed in September 2011, as a successor to Sean O'Driscoll who was sacked in September 2011 following a run of poor results.

2011–present: Dean Saunders 2006–2011: Sean O'Driscoll 2001–2006: Dave Penney 2000–2001: Steve Wignall 2000: Dave Penney, Mark Atkins 1998–2000: Ian Snodin 1997–1998: Mark Weaver 1997: Danny Bergara 1996–1997: Kerry Dixon 1994–1996: Sammy Chung 1993–1994: Ian Atkins

1991–1993: Steve Beaglehole 1989–1991: Billy Bremner 1987–1989: Dave Mackay 1985–1987: Dave Cusack 1978–1985: Billy Bremner 1975–1978: Stan Anderson 1971–1975: Maurice Setters 1968–1971: Lawrie McMenemy 1967–1968: George Raynor 1966–1967: Keith Kettleborough

1964–1966: Bill Leivers 1962–1964: Oscar Hold 1961–1962: Danny Malloy 1960–1961: Norman Curtis 1959–1960: Jackie Bestall 1958–1959: Jack Crayston 1958: Jack Hodgson 1958: Syd Bycroft 1949–1958: Peter Doherty 1946–1949: Jackie Bestall

1944–1946: Bill Marsden 1936–1940: Fred Emery 1928–1936: David Menzies 1923–1927: Dick Ray 1922–1923: Arthur Porter 1921–1922: Harry Tufnell 1920–1921: Arthur Porter

Crests

The coat of arms of the town of Doncaster that was used by Doncaster Rovers prior to 1972.

The Viking crest used by Doncaster Rovers from 1972.

The golden Viking crest used by Doncaster Rovers from the early 1990s till 2006.

Like most of the early English football clubs, the original crest adopted by Doncaster Rovers was that of the local coat of arms. The coat of arms of Doncaster at the time was of two lions holding Yorkshire roses in their mouths as well as a red shield depicting the old medieval Doncaster Castle. The coat of arms is primarily red and white which explains the teams decision to adopt red and white as their colours. The club stop using Doncaster’s coat of arms in 1972 when the Viking crest was introduced.

In the sixties Doncaster council denied Rovers to use the coat of arms and therefor a competition was held which the best design would be selected as the clubs new badge. Named “the Viking” which was designed by a group of local students which is now todays crest.

When the new crest was introduced it included a monochrome Viking image overlayed over a red and white circle, which denoted the club's colours, along with the year of the club’s formation 1879. The Viking image would become known as “The Turk's Head”. Also included on the crest was a shield with the club’s initials – D.R.F.C as well as the Yorkshire white rose in reference to the club’s location. The inset shield was also coloured red and white to denote the teams colours. In the early 1990s the crest was altered, omitting the red and white circle background and the Viking image was coloured gold.

A further modification to the Doncaster Rovers' crest was introduced in 2006 and is the one currently in use today. The new adaptation includes a new Yorkshire rose design on the shield as well as a slightly different Viking image in dark yellow. ^[2]

Kits and Sponsorship

This was the first strip worn by the club when they were elected to the football league in 1901.

This was the first strip worn by the club in 1879.

The club's main colours have been red and white since 1885. However, from 1879 to 1885 they played in blue and white. The club's first strip was a navy blue and white strip with a yellow diagonal cross. The kit was worn along with a blue Tam O'Shanter with a red toorie at the centre. The pattern of the home shirts has varied throughout the years. However, it has always been either a solid red shirt, a solid white shirt, a red and white striped shirt, or a red and white hooped shirt. A solid red shirt with a black collar was the first design adopted when the club first entered the English Football league in 1901. Since 2001 the club has always played in a red and white hooped home shirt.^[2]

Season(s)	Shirt manufacturer	Main sponsor
1879–1977	none	none
1978–1979	Umbro
1979–1981	Sereena
1982–1984	Gertroot
1982–1984	Hobbott	CIL
1984–1987		Pilkington Glass
1987–1988	Spall	St. George's Car Centre
1988–1993	Ribero	Doncaster Free Press
1993–1994	Matchwinner	European Car Rental
1994–1995		Doncaster Star
1995–1996		Hayselden Motors
1996–1997	Patrick	East Riding Sacks
1997–1998	Olympic Sports
1998–1999	Asics	Beazer Homes
1999–2001	Ledger Mobility
2001–2002	Vandanal	One Call Insurance
2002–2003		Ledger Mobility
2003–2006	Carlotti	Streetwise Sports
2006–2007	Streetwise Sports	Carlotti
2008–2010	Vandenel	Wright Investments
2010–Present	Nike	One Call Insurance

Stadia

Current home of Doncaster Rovers – the Keepmoat Stadium

The former ground of Doncaster Rovers – Belle Vue. Photograph taken around 2003 when the stadium was renamed the Earth Stadium.

• 1885–1915: Intake Ground
• 1920-1922: Bennetthorpe Ground
• 1922–2006: Low Pasture, Belle Vue (renamed Earth Stadium from 2003 to 2006)
• 2007–present: Keepmoat Stadium

Doncaster Rovers' first permanent ground was established in 1885 after six years of playing football wherever they could. The ground was based near the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and so was known as the Deaf and Dumb Ground. A year later the stadium was officially named as the Intake Ground. When professional competition was suspended in 1915, the club closed down and the Intake Ground was taken over by the Army and used as a military depot. In the summer of 1920 Rovers were revived but were without a home ground as the Army were still using their former home. They then found a temporary home and had a two year lease at the Bennetthorpe Ground. When the two-year tenancy came to an end, Rovers were offered some undeveloped land at Low Pastures. A stand from the Bennetthorpe Ground was moved to the new venue which would eventually become the main stand of Belle Vue. Large amounts of ash were transported from the nearby coal tips to create foundation for the pitch. The stadium opened in 1922.^[15] In 1938 the capacity of Belle Vue was increased to 40,000 and it was in 1947 that the stadium recorded its highest attendance of 37,099 against Hull City, although apocryphal accounts refute this and claim that many more gained entry to the ground by climbing over walls and thus avoided having to pay. Belle Vue was Doncaster's home for 84 years. In 2003 it was renamed the Earth Stadium after the Rotherham-based finance company Earth Finance started sponsoring the ground. When John Ryan took over the club in 1998 one of his first guarantees was to help establish a new stadium for the club. Belle Vue had never been upgraded heavily since 1938 and despite minor cosmetic changes and the addition of some seating was really showing its age by the time Ryan took over. A new 15,000 all-seated stadium was completed in December 2006 and their first game at their new Keepmoat Stadium was against Huddersfield Town on New Year's Day, 2007.^[5]

Backroom Staff and Ownership

See also: List of English football club owners

Role	Name
Chairman	John Ryan
Vice Chairman	Dick Watson
President	Trevor J Milton
Chief Executive	David Morris
Head Of Football Operations	John Ryan
Director of Operations	Gavin Baldwin
Club Secretary	Jenny Short
Directors	Paul Aldridge Mike Collett Peter Hepworth Sarah Kell Andrew Watson David Blunt Paul May Richard Hirst David Morris
Administration	Denise Pickersgill Suzanne Uttley Holly Smart
Accounts Manager	Dave Grant Lee Ferraby
Accounts Office	Debbie Nelson Kelly Craddock
Commercial Manager	Laura Whiting
Commercial Team	Danny Ireland Andrew Whitham Lisa Meek
Media Manager	Steve Uttley
Media Executive	Masroor Ahmed
Marketing Manager	Shaun Lockwood
Marketing Assistant	Jade Sims
Customer Services Manager	Charles Swallow
Retail Manager	Tracy Fernie
Retail Assistants	Carol Haith Sam Sims Paul Waller
Doncaster Rovers Sports & Education Foundation Manager	Eric Randerson
Doncaster Rovers Sports & Education Foundation Officers	Richard Bailey Wayne Galloway Liam Scully Jenna Cauwood [16]

Management Team

Role	Name
Manager	Dean Saunders
Assistant Manager	Brian Carey
Director of Football	Mickey Walker
Goalkeeping Coach	Lee Butler
Fitness Coach	Mal Purchase
Performance Analyst	Paul Fernie
Academy Manager	Paul Wilson
Academy Head Coach	Paul Stancliffe
Club Doctors	Dr. Ken Sykes Dr. Tim Douglas
Chartered Physiotherapist	John Dickens
Club Physiotherapists	Craig Schofield Oliver Freeman
Kit Manager	Dave Richards

Players

Current squad

As of 8 November 2011.^[17]

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Neil Sullivan 2 DF James O'Connor 3 DF George Friend (captain) 4 DF Shelton Martis 5 DF Richard Naylor 6 DF James Chambers 7 MF Martin Woods 8 MF Brian Stock 9 FW Chris Brown 10 FW Billy Sharp 11 DF Adam Lockwood 12 FW James Hayter 13 FW Ryan Mason (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur until 31 August 2012) 14 DF Tommy Spurr 16 MF John Oster 17 MF Giles Barnes

No. Position Player 18 MF Simon Gillett 19 FW El Hadji Diouf 21 DF Sam Hird 23 MF Kyle Bennett 24 DF Mustapha Dumbuya 25 MF James Baxendale 26 MF James Coppinger 29 DF Rachid Bouhenna 30 MF Paul Keegan 31 DF Hérita Ilunga (on loan from West Ham until 3 January 2012) 33 GK Gary Woods 34 DF Eddie Wilding 37 FW Jordan Ball 38 GK Jonathan Maxted 39 DF Pascal Chimbonda TBA GK Carl Ikeme (on loan from Wolves until 4 January 2012)

Out on Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 15 MF Mark Wilson (at Walsall until 28 November 2011) 20 DF Oscar Radford (at Matlock Town until 7 December 2011) 22 MF Dean Shiels (at Kilmarnock until 16 January 2012)

Other teams

Doncaster Rovers Belles became the club's official women's team in 1969 as Belle Vue Belles. They currently play in the FA Women's Super League, at the top tier of women's football. Their home games are played at The Keepmoat Stadium.

Internationals

Players signed to, and have played for Doncaster that have had full international caps during their careers. Those with a tick in the 'At Club' box gained caps during their time at Doncaster.

Name Country Capps Goals At Club Terry Cooper 20 0 Sam Cowan 3 0 Brian Deane 3 0 Kerry Dixon 8 4 Colin Grainger 7 0 Charlie Richards 1 0 George Shaw 1 0 Chris Kirkland 1 0 Billy Bremner 54 3 Steve Nicol 27 0 Neil Sullivan 28 0 Brian Flynn 66 7 Graham Moore 21 1 John Oster 13 0 Eddie Perry 3 1 Y Gareth Roberts 9 0 Neville Southall 92 0 Neil Roberts 4 0 Stephen Roberts 1 0 Brian Stock 3 0 Y Gareth Taylor 15 1 Peter Doherty 16 3 Y Paddy McConnell 2 0 Y Christy Giles 1 0 Y Hugh Dowd 3 0 Stuart Elliott 36 4 Len Graham 14 0 Y Harry Gregg 25 0 Y Kevin Horlock 32 0 Michael Ingham 3 0 Jon McCarthy 18 0 Eddie McMorran 15 4 Y

Name Country Capps Goals At Club Alan Blayney 4 0 Dean Shiels 9 0 Y David Healy 87 35 Jimmy Walker 1 1 Y Gerry Daly 48 13 Paul Green 9 1 Alfie Hale 14 2 Kit Lawlor 3 0 Brendan O'Callaghan 6 5 John Sheridan 34 5 Darren Byfield 6 1 Jamie Lawrence 24 1 Darren Moore 3 0 Mark McCammon 5 4 Y Jonathan Forte 2 0 Dave Mulligan 28 3 Y Colin Walker 15 10 Colin Miller 61 5 Paul James 47 2 Anthony Griffith 2 0 Shelton Martis 3 0 Guðmundur Torfason 26 4 Pascal Chimbonda 3 0 1 0 Dean Walling 2 0 Warren Hackett 21 2 Quinton Fortune 46 2 El Hadji Diouf 69 21 Hérita Ilunga 19 2

Noteable Former Players

The following is a list of noteable Doncaster Rovers players.

Main article: List of notable Doncaster Rovers players

Name	Nation	Position	Year	League apps	League goals	Total apps	Total goals	Notes
Keetley, TomTom Keetley		FW	1923–1929	231	180	241	186	Record Doncaster goalscorer (180 league goals between 1923 and 1929)
Emery, FredFred Emery		WH	1924–1936	417	30	439	32	Record Doncaster appearances Manager of Doncaster 1936-1940
Jordan, ClarrieClarrie Jordan		FW	1945–1948	60	48	67	50	Most Doncaster league goals in one season (42 in 1946/47)
Williams, CharlieCharlie Williams		DF	1948–1959	158	1	174	1	Famous comedian
Doherty, PeterPeter Doherty		IF	1949–1953	103	55	109	58	Ireland international whilst at Doncaster Manager of Doncaster 1949-1958 (PM until 1953)
Graham, LenLen Graham		MF	1949–1958	312	3	332	3	Northern Ireland international whilst at Doncaster
Lawlor, KitKit Lawlor		IF	1950–1954	127	47	143	49	Republic of Ireland international whilst at Doncaster
Gregg, HarryHarry Gregg		GK	1952–1957	94	0	99	0	Northern Ireland international whilst at Doncaster. Hero of the Munich air disaster
Jeffrey, AlickAlick Jeffrey		FW	1954–1956, 1963–1968	262	129	293	140	Youngest Doncaster player (15 years 229 days v Fulham, 15 September 1954).
Bremner, BillyBilly Bremner		MF	1979–1981	5	0	7	0	Manager of Doncaster 1979-1985, 1989–1991
Snodin, IanIan Snodin		MF	1980–1985, 1998–2000	190	25	216	27	Player-manager of Doncaster 1998-2000
Douglas, ColinColin Douglas		FW	1981–1986, 1988–1993	404	53	443	62	Forward in his first spell, fullback in his second
Cusack, DaveDave Cusack		DF	1985–1987, 1990	101	4	114	4	Manager of Doncaster 1985–1987
Penney, DaveDave Penney		MF	1998–2002	53	13	61	17	Player and manager of Doncaster between 2001 and 2006
Sharp, BillyBilly Sharp		FW	2009-Present	71	34	75	35	Record Transfer Fee: £1,150,000
Fortune, QuintonQuinton Fortune		MF	2009-2010	6	0	6	0	Former Manchester United player Former South Africa international
Chimbonda, PascalPascal Chimbonda		DF	2011-Present	5	0	5	0	Former Tottenham Hotspur player France international
Diouf, El HadjiEl Hadji Diouf		FW	2011-Present	2	2	2	2	Former Premiership star Won African Footballer of the Year twice

Personnel Honours

Main article: List of Doncaster Rovers F.C. players

Football League 100 Legends

The following have been included in the Football League 100 Legends whilst playing for Doncaster.

Peter Doherty Billy Bremner

PFA Team of the Year

The following have been included in the PFA Team of the Year whilst playing for Doncaster.

1975–76 Ian Miller, Peter Kitchen (Fourth Division) 1976–77 Ian Miller, Peter Kitchen (Fourth Division) 1976–77 Ian Miller, Brendan O'Callaghan (Fourth Division) 1980–81 Alan Little (Fourth Division) 1983–84 Ian Snodin (Fourth Division) 1984–85 Ian Snodin (Third Division) 1990–91 Brendan Ormsby, Rufus Brevett (Fourth Division) 1994–95 Russ Wilcox (Fourth Division) 2003–04 Michael McIndoe (Third Division) 2005–06 Michael McIndoe (League One) 2006–07 Richie Wellens (League One) 2007–08 Richie Wellens (League One)

Player of the Year

The following players have won Doncaster Rovers Player of the year award.

Season	Winner
1998–99	Ian Duerden
1999–00	Simon Marples
2000–01	Jamie Paterson
2001–02	Jamie Paterson
2002–03	Paul Barnes
2003–04	Gregg Blundell
2004–05	Michael McIndoe
2005–06	Michael McIndoe
2006–07	Adam Lockwood / Graeme Lee
2007–08	Richie Wellens
2008–09	Matthew Mills
2009–10	Billy Sharp
2010–11	Billy Sharp

For notable Doncaster Rovers players in a sortable-list format, see List of notable Doncaster Rovers players
For all Doncaster Rovers players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. players

Academy

The role of the Doncaster Rovers Centre of Excellence is to develop players and their abilities to their full potential for the club's first team. Rovers youth team were runners-up of the FA Youth Cup in 1988^[18]. The youth team runs 9 teams and has over 100 players from the ages of 8 to 17. The head of youth is Paul Wilson and the head of Technical Development is former York City manager Colin Walker. The youth team annually compete in the Gothia Cup. The academy team plays in the Football League Youth Alliance, North East Conference and is only for players below the age of 18. Home games are played at the club's training at Cantley Park.

Squad

Under 18s Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player Youth GK Jon Maxted Youth GK Aaron Busby Youth DF James Husband Youth DF Evan Finnegan Youth DF Alex Peterson Youth MF Liam Wakefield Youth FW Jordan Ball Youth Brett Lucas		No. Position Player Youth Nathan Davison Youth Jake McCormick Youth Paddy Mullen Youth Harry Middleton Youth Jordan Binns Youth Joshua Meade Youth Chris Whinchop Youth Kreshnik Krasniqi

Staff

Role	Name
Head of Youth	Paul Wilson
Youth Team Coach	Paul Stancliffe
Head of Technical Development	Colin Walker
U16's Coach	Shaun Mycroft
U16's Coach	Mark Illman
U15's Coach	Mick Tarmey
U15's Coach	Don Mckinna
U14's Coach	Paul Cavell
U14's Coach	Sean O'Neill
U13's Coach	Ollie Learoyd
U12's Coach	Steve Makin
U12's Coach	Ian Sutcliffe
U11's Coach	Terry Curran
U11's Coach	Jamie Irwin
U10's Coach	Ian Scotting
U9's Coach	Ricky Ravenhill
U9's Coach	John Mcgrath
Goalkeeper Coach	Mark Samways
Youth Physiotherapist	Oliver Freeman [19]

Noteable Youth Team Players

The following are noteable players that have played in Doncaster's youth team past or present.

Anthony Griffith Paul Green Darius Henderson[20] Rufus Brevett Mark Rankine Paul Raven Brian Deane Ian Snodin Glynn Snodin Ron Flowers

Honours

Football League Trophy
2006/2007

English 3rd tier
Champions: 1934/1935, 1946/1947,1949/1950
Play-off winners: 2007/2008
Runner up: 1937-1938, 1938-1939

English 4th tier
Champions: 1965/1966, 1968/1969, 2003/2004
Promoted: 1980-1981
Runner up: 1983-1984

English 5th tier
Play-Off Winners: 2002/2003

Conference Cup
1998-1999, 1999-2000

Yorkshire Electricity Cup
1995-1996

Midland Football League
Champions: 1896-1897, 1898-1899

Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup
1890/1891, 1911/1912, 1935-1936, 1937/1938, 1955/1956, 1967-1968, 1985-1986

Records

Club

• Highest Overall League Finish: 7th, Second Division, 1901–02 Season.
• Record League Victory: 10–0 v Darlington at Belle Vue, Football League Fourth Division, 25 January 1964 ^[21]
• Record Cup Victory: 7–0 v Blyth Spartans at Belle Vue, FA Cup First Round, 27 November 1937^[1]
• Record Defeat: 0–12 v Small Heath, Division 2, 11 April 1903^[1]
• Record Home Attendance at Belle Vue: 37,149 vs Hull City, Football League Third Division North, 2 October 1948^[1]
• Record Home Attendance at Keepmoat Stadium: 15,001 vs Leeds Utd, Football League One, 1 April 2008.
• Record League Points : 92, Division 3, 2003–04
• Record League Goals: 123, Division 3 (N), 1946–47^[1]

Players

• Record League Goal-scorer: Tom Keetley, 180 league goals, between 1923 and 1929 ^[1]
• Record Appearances: Fred Emery, 417 league matches ^[1]
• Most Capps While at Rovers: Len Graham (14 caps for Northern Ireland)
• Most Capped Player: Neville Southall (92 for Wales)
• Highest League Scorer in a Season: 42, Clarrie Jordan, Division 3 (N), 1946–47
• Most Goals in One Match: 6, Tom Keetley in 7–4 win at Ashington, 1928–29
• Youngest Player: Alick Jeffrey (15 years, 229 days, 1954) ^[1]
• Oldest Player: John Ryan (52 years and 11 months, 2003)
• Record Transfer Fee: £1,150,000 to Sheffield United for Billy Sharp^[22]
• Record Fee Received: £2,000,000 from Reading for Matthew Mills^[23]

Mascot

The team's mascot, previously portrayed by Andrew Liney, is a brown dog known as Donny Dog that wears a red and white Rovers jersey. Before a scheduled appearance during the game against Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium on 4 March 2006, police prevented Liney from entering the stadium in costume, citing unspecified "police intelligence", and refused him permission to wear any part of the costume within 50 metres of the stadium. Mr Liney later received a full written apology for these unfounded allegations from the head of West Yorkshire Police. The mascot was next portrayed by Tracy Chandler and in June 2011, she was relieved from the position after she posed in her underwear for a Sunday newspaper. Later in the same week she was reinstated back as the clubs mascot. ^{[24] [25]}

Rivalries

Doncaster Rovers main rivals are usually those of neighbouring football teams with Rotherham United considered by fans their main rival.^[26] Others include Leeds United, Barnsley, Scunthorpe United, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City, York City and Grimsby Town. A rivalry of sorts has also arisen with Nottingham Forest who were promoted alongside Doncaster to the Championship in 2008 and spent most of the 2008–09 season battling against the Rovers to avoid relegation back to League One. During Doncaster's days in the Football Conference, rivalries also emerged with clubs such as Chester City, Boston United, Rushden and Diamonds and Yeovil Town.

In Popular Culture

Ricky Tomlinson's Mike Bassett is said to have played for Doncaster in 1975. This is affirmed by Mike's wife who states "I first met Mike in 1975, when he was with Crewe Alexandra, and he was at loan from Doncaster at the time so I remember thinking they might ask for him back, luckily Doncaster told Crewe they could keep him". Due to the following statement of Mike; "playing for 14 clubs, in 9 different positions, including goalie" (which is followed by a clip of Mike in net, and an atrociously bad back pass going past him).

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Doncaster Rovers History and Honours
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Doncaster Rovers Historical Kits
3. ^ "BBC Sport". http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/doncaster/9596378.stm. 
4. ^ "Rovers History". DoncasterRovers.co.uk. http://www.doncasterrovers.co.uk/history/History.htm. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Doncaster 3–0 Huddersfield – BBC Sport
6. ^ Doncaster 1–1 Man City (aet) – BBC Sport
7. ^ Doncaster 3–0 Aston Villa – BBC Sport
8. ^ Doncaster 2–2 Arsenal (aet) – BBC Sport
9. ^ Bristol Rovers 2–3 Doncaster (aet) – BBC Sport
10. ^ Doncaster 1–0 Leeds – BBC Sport
11. ^ Derby 0–1 Doncaster – BBC Sport
12. ^ "Doncaster Rovers Match Report – Doncaster Rovers 1 – Sheffield Wednesday 0". Doncaster Rovers Official Website. 2009-02-14. http://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10329~44661,00.html. Retrieved 2009-07-10. "Time ran out for them and left the Rovers with their first-ever League win over the Wednesday." 
13. ^ "Dean Saunders replaces Sean O'Driscoll at Doncaster". BBC. 2011-09-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/doncaster/9596378.stm. Retrieved 2011-09-23. 
14. ^ Rovers league and cup history at FCHD
15. ^ "Doncaster Rovers Football Club History". TalkFootball.co.uk. http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/doncaster_rovers_fc.html. Retrieved 2009-09-11. 
16. ^ http://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/page/WhosWho/0,,10329,00.html
17. ^ Doncaster first team profiles
18. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa_youth_cup
19. ^ http://www.drfcyouth.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83:meet-the-staff&catid=47:staff&Itemid=82
20. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UaFc22zzoU
21. ^ http://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/page/History/0,,10329~1497414,00.html] Doncaster Rovers Facts & Figures
22. ^ [1] - "Billy Sharp Signs in Club Rrecord Deal" - Doncaster Rovers Official Website
23. ^ {{[2] "Mills Completes Reading Transfer" - BBC Sport}}
24. ^ "Donny Dog Barred!" - Doncaster Rovers Official Website
25. ^ "Doncaster Rovers sack mascot Donny Dog for posing in her underwear"‎ - Guardian
26. ^ "Rivalry Uncovered". http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf. 

External links

Official

• Official website

Independent sites

• Doncaster Rovers.co.uk Unofficial Doncaster Rovers website
• Viking Supporters' Co-operative VSC forum
• Sound of the south stand Unofficial Doncaster Rovers forum
• Doncaster Rovers at footymad.net
• Doncaster Rovers at BBC Sport
• Doncaster Rovers at skysports.com
• Doncaster Rovers at teamtalk.com
• Doncaster Rovers at vitalfootball.co.uk
• Doncaster Rovers at NewsNow.com