July 15, 2008

Injured stars join in at RAF base

The four injured Rovers players - Jason Price, Richie Wellens, Sean McDaid and Gordon Greer, have joined the rest of the Rovers squad at RAF Cottesmore for five days of fitness and fun activities. The squad will remain at the base until Thursday afternoon, after which they will return to Doncaster to prepare for Saturday's home game against Scunthorpe United.

July 15, 2008

Sheilis on trial at Wolves

Valentino Sheilis, who was at Doncaster Rovers as a youth team player last season, is on trial at Wolverhampton Wanderers after being released by Rovers this summer. The young Cypriot featured in Wolves' first pre-season game of the season, against Wrexham, and played in the first half of the match, before Mick McCarthy changed the team at half time.
Wolves (first half): Hennessey, Foley, R. Edwards, Sheilis, Stearman, D. Ward, Kightly, D. Edwards, Keogh, Ebanks-Blake, S. Ward.
Wolves (second-half): Ikeme, Little, Elokobi, Davies, N. Collins, Craddock, Gray, Elliott, Hughes, David Jones, Jarvis.

July 15, 2008

Wright joins Blackpool

Former Rovers midfielder Jermaine Wright has finally completed his move to Championship club Blackpool after being released by Southampton at the end of last season. The 32 year old played a number of games for the Saints at right back last season, although he can also play in central midfield.
The most successful period of Wright's career came at Ipswich, where he made over 200 appearances after joining for £500,000 from Crewe Alexandra in 1999.
He made his Blackpool debut on Saturday in their 2-1 win at Fleetwood.

July 15, 2008

Tarkan joins Islanders

Ex-Rovers defender Tarkan Mustafa has signed for Ryman Premier Lague newboys Canvey Island, to add to the number of clubs from the south-east on his CV.
Mustafa played for Redbridge last season, and has also played for Worthing, Thurrock, Aldershot Town, Kingstonian, Rushden & Diamonds, Wimbledon, Barnet, Kettering Town, Leyton, Kingstonian and Dagenham & Redbridge.
He played five games for Rovers during the 2002/03 season on loan from Rushden & Diamonds, when he deputised for the injured Simon Marples. However, he turned down a permanent transfer to Rovers, electing to join Dagenham & Redbridge instead, and ended up on the losing side in the Conference play-off final, which saw Rovers return to the Football League.

July 14, 2008

Goals review

They may be "only" pre-season matches, but three former Rovers players scored goals over the weekend. We begin in Scotland, where Richard Offiong scored the only goal of the game as Hamilton beat Second Division Queen's Park, with Offiong's performance drawing praise from boss Billy Reid, who said: "Richard was the difference and he will score goals in the SPL. It was a good workout for our squad against a team that plays attractive football."
Further south, Simon Weaver gave Kings Lynn the lead against Cambridge United as they went on to beat their Blue Square Premier opponents 3-2. Kings Lynn also included former Rover Kevin Horlock in their side, with Cambridge giving ex-Rovers midfielder Paul Carden his debut.
Finally, Colin Hawkins scored for Brighton & Hove Albion as they beat Worthing 4-0.

July 14, 2008

Travel to Vale & Morecambe

The Supporters Club will be running a coach to the Port Vale and Morecambe pre-season games, with a cost for both being currently estimated at between £10 and £12. Details are to be confirmed shortly, but if anyone is interested, they should phone Paul Mayfield on 077404 53066 or Len South on 01302 817347 as soon as possible.
Departure times will be about 4.30pm for the Port Vale match and 3.45pm for the Morecambe fixture.
They are also taking bookings for the Derby County league game and the Notts County Carling Cup match.

July 14, 2008

O'Driscoll - won't risk financial instability

Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O'Driscoll has insisted that he will not risk financial instability to bring new players into the club this summer. Whilst he has spoken to several players since promotion was confirmed, O'Driscoll has only signed one player - midfielder John Spincer from Burnley.
He commented: "We are talking to one or two players like most clubs are, but the players who are sought after are probably in negotiations with four or five clubs and nobody wants to get caught up in an auction. We know we need to strengthen the squad but we've got to do it in a way we can afford. We can't afford players who have come down from the Premier League and who are looking to play in the Championship. We've got to look at players who have played in the Championship and who are still hungry to do so again."

July 14, 2008

Blood donation at the Keepmoat

The first blood donation session at the Keepmoat Stadium is to be held a week today - Monday, 21st July. They will be open between 11am and 1.15pm, then from 2.30pm to 7.15pm. Anyone can donate blood as long as you are aged between 17 and 66 years old, weigh over 7st 12lbs and are in general good health. You can book an appointment by calling them on 0845 77 11 711 or via their website at www.blood.co.uk.
The National Blood Service particularly need donations at this time of year, with donor numbers traditionally dropping during the summer due to holidays.

July 13, 2008

Ticket news

Tickets for the first two home games of the season will go on sale at the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office from tomorrow morning (14th July). The first home game of the campaign sees Cardiff City visiting on Saturday, 16th August, with Coventry City making their first visit to the Keepmoat a fortnight later.
Match-by-match ticket prices for the coming season are:

	Adult	Seniors / Students / Disabled	12-16’s Juniors	U11’s
Category A	£23	£17	£17	£10
Category B	£20	£14	£13	£5
Category C	£15	£8	£8	£5

July 13, 2008

Rovers continue defender search

Reports suggest that Rovers may have to look abroad for a new centre back as Sean O'Driscoll seeks to add personnel to his defence following the departure of Graeme Lee and Steve Roberts since last season. Whilst there is still the hope that Matt Mills will sign from Manchester City, O'Driscoll will want to check out the options in any case. Speaking to Radio Sheffield, the Rovers boss said: "Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, German and Spanish, there are a lot of defenders available. Whether they are any good is a different story, but we will have a look at a few in pre-season."

July 13, 2008

McDaid - we can survive

Rovers defender Sean McDaid is confident that Rovers will survive in the Championship next season, despite being up against some much bigger clubs with much bigger resources, which has been shown with the huge transfer fees laid out by some clubs this summer.
McDaid said: "We will see how it goes, we don't want to go up and not think we are good enough to stay up. it's a new challenge, everyone is looking forward to the new season and raring to go."
"To start the season against Derby is fantastic and we will be ready to give our best. It will be great to play more derbies next season as there is a real buzz about the atmosphere in these matches which makes it as good, if not better, than that against playing some of the bigger teams. It also gives the fans a lot to look forward to in the coming months."

July 13, 2008

Ross - the SPL is boring!

Ex-Rovers loan striker Ross McCormack has revealed that one of the reasons for his move to Cardiff City from Motherwell was the boredome of playing on the Scottish Premier League.
He explained: "It wasn’t difficult at all to head south because in Scotland you are playing teams so many times a season. Down here I’ll be playing against different teams which will be a good experience.”
Another reason he gave was that he feared that Motherwell may lose their boss, Mark McGhee, in the near future, and was not keen to remain at the club should McGhee depart.
“The manager made it so difficult with what he did and said,” he added. “He had offers in January to leave and we all know Hearts wanted him this summer so everyone at Motherwell is delighted he stayed at the club.“It is only a matter of time before he moves on. He will want to move to a bigger club to progress his career, like I wanted to do. Maybe in the future I might work with him again. I definitely want to because he made a big impression on me.”

July 12, 2008

Rovers seek Stock contract extension

Sky Sports' web site has reported that Doncaster Rovers are in talks with midfielder Brian Stock over an extension to his current contract. No doubt with the experience of losing Paul Green during the summer, Rovers are keen that Stock, a key part of the Rovers midfield, will stay at the club.
Stock's agent, Michael Drew, has confirmed that talks are underway, saying: "We have started talks with Doncaster over a new deal for Brian. He has one year left and I believe Doncaster are ready to offer him a three-year deal. Brian is happy there and is keen to sign a new deal."

July 12, 2008

Gateshead check out Noble

Blue Square North club Gateshead are taking another look at former Doncaster Rovers youth team player Matt Noble in this afternoon's pre-season game against West Allotment Celtic. Noble was one of two trialists used by the club in their opening game against South Shields last week, and is expected to play despite a stomach problem.

July 12, 2008

Sarge promoted to Captain

Ex-Rovers defender Mark Albrighton has been appointed as club capain at his new club, Stevenage Borough. Albrighton moved to Boro during the summer from Cambridge United, with his new manager, Graham Westley, being quickly won over by his suitability for the job.
Westley said: "Apart from Ashley Bayes, Mark is the most experienced man in the squad. He is a player who leads by example; he has never captained a club before but it was obvious to the rest of the squad and that put my mind at rest about the decision."

July 12, 2008

Green misses out on Rams debut

July 11, 2008

Rovers report back in better shape than last year

Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll has praised the condition of his players after they returned back to training in better shape than they were in for the play-off matches at the end of last season.
He said: "It may sound impressive but it's par for the course with these lads. They know they have a big challenge ahead of them and they want to be in the best possible shape to give a good account of themselves. By the time we have finished pre-season training hopefully everyone will be physically ready for the task ahead and raring to go."
The fitness of the players will be further boosted by the appointment of strengthening and conditioning coach Ross Burbeary, along with setting off for a a planned four day trip to an RAF base this weekend.

July 11, 2008

Rovers still hopeful of Mills deal

Doncaster Rovers are still hopeful that they will sign Manchester City defender Matthew Mills in a club record £300,000 deal. City have returned from a pre-season trip to Germany, during which time, new manager Mark Hughes will have had time to decide whether Mills will fit into City's plans this season. In the meantime, Rovers have been checking out alternatives, just in case Mills does not sign, with Sean O'Driscoll saying: "It all depends on Mark Hughes and whether he is prepared to let him go. If not, we do have other irons in the fire when it comes to strengthening the defence - some of which would cost a lot of money."

July 10, 2008

Rossington 1 Rovers 9

Doncaster Rovers eased to a comfortable 9-1 victory on Wednesday evening, with all of the Rovers squad, apart from four injured players, Neil Sullivan and Gareth Roberts taking part in the game. Only goalkeeper Ben Smith played the full 90 minutes, with a number of youth team players also getting time on the pitch.
The match was played in very wet conditions and the Rovers goals were scored by James Hayter, Martin Woods (2), James Coppinger, Paul Heffernan, Mark Wilson and Gareth Taylor, who chipped in with a hat-trick. Rovers could have made double figures, but Waide Fairhurst missed a penalty.

July 10, 2008

Horlock attracts more interest

Ex-Doncaster Rovers midfielder Kevin Horlock played 70 minutes of Southern League (Midlands Division) club Bury Town's pre-season game against another of his former clubs, Ipswich Town, last night. Horlock has moved into the area recently and is weighing up his options for next season.
However, Blue Square North club Kings Lynn are the latest club to be checking on the 35-year old former Northern Ireland international, who is a free agent. Keith Webb, manager of Kings Lynn, commented: “It's his choice who he plays for at this stage. If he wants to play against Ipswich that is up to him but we will ideally look to run the rule over him Saturday and next Tuesday. He missed a lot of last season through injury so I want to see him in a game situation and see how his fitness levels stand up.”

July 10, 2008

Injury update

The only four players who have not been taking part in training with Rovers this week have been Richie Wellens, Jason Price, Sean McDaid and Gordon Greer. Wellens and Price are still recovering from operations which were performed in the summer, with Gordon Green aggravating a hip injury during the summer.
McDaid is progressing well from his knee injury, but was not quite ready to resume full training.

July 10, 2008

Staunton in trouble for Wembley incident

Leeds United's assistant manager, Steve Staunton, has been charged by the FA in relation to an incident which followed the League One play-off final against Rovers at Wembley. He clashed with the match officials after the match ended, and has been charged with improper conduct. If found guilty, he could be fined or receive a touchline ban. Staunton has until 16th July to respond to the charge.

July 9, 2008

Rovers travel to Morecambe

Doncaster Rovers have announced that they have added another game to their pre-season fixture list - they will travel to play League Two club Morecambe on Tuesday, 22nd July (kick-off 7.45pm).
Prices for the match are £8 for adults and £4 for concessions. Admission for Rovers fans will be through turnstiles 12, 13 and 14. No tickets will be on sale in advance of the game - all admission will be pay on the day.

July 9, 2008

Rossington v Rovers

This evening Rovers play their first pre-season game of the summer, just two days after the players reported back for pre-season training. Rovers will be taking the full squad to the game, along with trialist defender Jamie Lovegrove.
The match is all-ticket, with no tickets being on sale this evening. Tickets are still on sale from the Keepmoat Stadium, with 1,700 of the 2,000 capacity stadium being on sale at the Keepmoat ticket office, and cost £5 for adults and £2 for concessions.
Please note that there will be no parking available at the ground or on Oxford Street. Car parking has been arranged at the Miners Welfare on West End Lane, with overflow parking facilities at Pheasant Bank Junior School, which is also on West End Lane. Please park carefully and take consideration of access for local residents.

July 9, 2008

Ex-Rovers signs for Weymouth

Former Doncaster Rovers defender Kevin Sandwith has signed for Blue Square Premier club Weymouth after being released by Chester City at the end of his contract. Boss John Hollins believes that his latest recruit wil be a key component in his new-look side for this season, saying: "Kevin is a very experienced player and I am delighted to have him here. He is a solid defender who has played in different divisions and can comfortably play at either centre back or left back. He is also a winner and that is the sort of quality we have been after and I believe we have got it. Kevin has spent most of his career up north so he has travelled a long way to improve us and improve himself. His commitment is fantastic and the way he has already fitted in and began working has been very impressive."
Sandwith began his career as a trainee at Carlisle United before moving to Barrow and Telford, from where Rovers signed him in the summer of 2001. Two years later, he joined Halifax Town, where he attracted the attention of a number of league clubs - he eventually joined Lincoln City in March 2004, moving on to Macclesfield Town and then to Chester City in June 2006.

July 9, 2008

Gateshead miss out on Campbell

Gateshead, who have just been promoted to the Blue Square North, have missed out on signing former Rovers striker Andy Campbell, who is a free agent following the demise of Halifax Town at the end of last season. The 29-year old striker, who failed to score a single goal whilst at Rovers, has agreed terms with Blue Square Premier club Mansfield Town.

July 8, 2008

Derby ticket news

Tickets for Rovers' first game of the season, away at Derby County, will go on sale to season ticket holders on Thursday, 10th July, with any remaining tickets going on general sale on Monday, 21st July. Away Rover tickets will be held until Monday, 28th July.
Rovers have received an allocation of 3,074 tickets for this fixture at the following prices:
Adutls £22, Senior Citizens (60+) £13, Children (16 & under) £8.
There will be no more tickets avaialble from Derby, but should any tickets remain unsold, they will be returned to Derby for sale on the day at an increased price.
Tickets bought by season ticket holders will be able to buy one ticket per season ticket book.
Any wheelchair/ambulant disabled supporters should order their tickets direct from Derby County by telephoning 01332 667531 on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays.

July 8, 2008

Rovers give Lovegrove a chance

Doncaster Rovers are giving former Crawley defender Jamie Lovegrove a trial after being recommended to Sean O'Driscoll by former Crawley boss John Hollins.
Rovers' asssistant manger, Richard O'Kelly, said: "We thought we would take a look at the young lad, after he was recommended to us by John Hollins. He will train with us this week at Cantley and will feature at some point in the game against Rossington on Wednesday night."

July 8, 2008

Back for training

The Rovers squad yesterday reported back for their first day of training after their shorter than usual summer break. It saw new-boy John Spicer meet up with his new colleagues for the first time, with the management putting the players through a series of fitness drills in their first session.
Rovers will play their first match of their pre-season fixtures tomorrow evening when they travel to Rossington Main for a match which kicks off at 6.30pm. The whole Rovers squad will be travelling to the match, although the likes of Jason Price will not take part, as he continues his recovery from an ankle operation.
The match is all-ticket, with tickets available from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office.

July 8, 2008

Wright in Blackpool talks

Former Rovers loan midfielder Jermaine Wright is reported to be holding talks with Championship club Blackpool after being released by Southampton a couple of weeks ago. Wright became a free agent on the final day of last season, but with a change in management at St Mary's during the summer, the final confirmation as to which players they were keeping was delayed.

July 7, 2008

Lee about to become Bantams' skipper

Graeme Lee, who was transferred from Doncaster Rovers to Bradford City during the summer break, is set to become City's new captain following the departure of previous leader David Wetherall. The arrival of former Rovers captain Lee also put paid to Stuart McCall's plans to take ex-Rover Darren Moore to Valley Parade.
McCall said: "It's common knowledge that we spoke to big Daz but he's still undecided at the minute. To be fair, we had to move on and he respected that. I had already spoken to Graeme. We tried to get him here at the back end of last season when he went to Shrewsbury because we wanted to have a look a him."
"He's a leader; he knows Paul Arnison and Paul Heckingbottom already and comes well recommended. I remember when he was at Sheffield Wednesday and I was at United and know what a good strong player he is. We're obviously missing David Wetherall's influence at the back and I'm sure Graeme will come in and lead us. He's captain material and brings not only his leadership but a hunger and desire - I like his mentality."

July 7, 2008

Rovers Belles win cup

Yesterday, Doncaster Rovers Belles defied the odds to register a 1-0 win against Watford Ladies in the final of the FA Umbro Fusal Cup, which was held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The Belles on entered the competition as a late replacement for the Sheffield & Hallamshire CFA last week and had never played Futsal before the weekend, and spent the early stages of the competition familiarising themselves with the laws of the game and watching other matches so they were ready for action.
A goal from England international Vicky Exley proved to be the only goal of the final.

July 7, 2008

Youth team to train at Keepmoat

The Rovers' youth teams will use the top-level facilities at the Keepmoat Stadium next season after a new agreement between Rovers and the Stadium Management Company. It means that the players, between the ages of 9 and 16, will have the same facilities as their more senior counterparts, which will hopefully lead to more young local boys progressing through to the senior squad.
Gav in Baldwin, chief executive of the SMC, endorsed the agreement, saying: "It is a significant step for both the club and us as a service provider. We have a strong relationship with Rovers and the standard of facilities that the young players can now call home shows the club and the stadium are moving quickly and smoothly in the right direction together. Promotion was a fantastic achievement for the club and it means both Rovers and the Keepmoat Stadium are where they rightfully belong in the Championship."

July 7, 2008

Player of the season

During last season we held "Man of the Match" votes for all first team games - all votes were also counted towards a cumulative total for your "player of the season".
Once again, we would like to thank everyone who took the time and trouble to place a vote - no vote was wasted, even if they didn't appear in the top three for each match.
We will announce the top ten players, as voted by you, the supporters, in the next few days - but in the meantime, here is a list of those who finished outside of the top ten:
11 James Hayter (3.45%), 12 Jason Price (3.32%), 13 Paul Heffernan (3.22%), 14 Mark McCammon (3.03%), 15 Martin Woods (2.17%), 16 Adam Lockwood (1.85%), 17 Sam Hird (1.24%), 18 Gordon Greer (1.21%), 19 Sean McDaid (0.83%), 20 Gareth Taylor (0.73%).
Also receiving nominations during the season were Mark Wilson, Craig Nelthorpe and Stuart Elliott.

July 6, 2008

Hynes on the mark

Ex-Rovers striker Peter Hynes put his current side, Sporting Final in the Irish First Division, ahead in their match against Monghan United on Friday, and set them on the way to a comprehensive 4-0 victory, which brought Sporting to within six points of leaders Shelbourne, who were held to a 1-1 draw against Waterford United.
Hynes made five substitute appearances for Doncaster Rovers during the 2003/04 season whilst on loan from Aston Villa, scoring one league goal, in Rovers' 5-0 home win over Leyton Orient.

July 6, 2008

Brockie gets Guiseley job

The former Doncaster Rovers full back, Vince Brockie, has been appointed as reserve team manager at UniBond Premier League club Guiseley. A former midfielder with Guiseley's first team, he also played professional football for Leeds United and Greenock Morton, and has since gone on to take his UEFA "B" licence. The 39-year old was manager at Harrogate Railway last season when they played their televised FA Cup Second Round match against Mansfield Town, which they narrowly lost 3-2.

July 6, 2008

O'Kelly - We'll be ready

Doncaster Rovers may be returning to pre-season training later than many other Championship clubs, but assistant manager Richard O'Kelly is confident that the players will be ready by the time the season starts.
Rovers are reporting back later due to not finishing last season at the end of May, due to their Wembley appearance against Leeds United, with O'Kelly explaining: "As a result of us getting into the play-off final the players have only been away for five weeks and your body needs that time and more to recover after, but they will report back a week today and they'll hit the ground running. Footballers don't get unfit and put on a couple of stone during pre-season as used to be the case."
"Apart from those who were booked in for surgery, all the players were given a programme to follow after a couple of weeks' break and they will have been working on that and ticking over.They will all report back at a certain level of fitness because that is the way it is these days."

July 6, 2008

Free season ticket

Doncaster Rovers have announced that season tickets have now reached an all-time club record, with almost 8,000 season tickets now sold. To celebrate the achievement, they will be giving the 8,000th season ticket holder their ticket free of charge, wth the added prize of two seats in the Directors Box, along with a VIP hospitality for one of next season's matches - and a shirt signed by the whole first team squad.
With up to 3,000 tickets being available for the away fans, it looks certain that all league matches should attract crowds into five figures next season.

July 5, 2008

Nelly signs up

Yesterday, Craig Nelthorpe signed a new twelve month contract with Doncaster Rovers, now meaning that all players who became out of contract have now either signed a new deal or have moved on to new clubs. The 21-year old was only included in the Rovers squad four times last season and spent much of the season on loan at Halifax Town and Darlington.

July 5, 2008

Bury give trial to Kevin

Kevin Horlock has been training with non-league Bury Town this week with a view to being included in the squad to face Ipswich Town at Ram Meadow on Wednesday evening. The 35-year old is in discussions with Bury and if he were to sign, would become the biggest name to be attracted to the club for many years. Horlock has moved back to Suffolk following living in Yorkshire whilst playing for Doncaster Rovers, Scunthorpe United and Mansfield Town, but has been persuaded to consider playing for Bury Town, thanks to his friendship with Crystal Palace striker James Scowcroft.
Burn Town's Director of Football, Trevor Collins, said of the situation: "At this stage, discussions for a permanent move to Bury are ongoing and Kevin is eager to play against his old club. Kevin has yet to make a firm decision about his future, but has emphasised that he wants to continue to play. He is eager to join an ambitious club which has a commitment to the youngsters in the game."

July 5, 2008

Wrexham ask for enquiry over Carden move

Blue Square Premier club Wrexham have asked the footballing authorities to investigate Paul Carden's move to Cambridge United, where he was named as Gary Brabin's player/assistant manager last week. Wrexham have claimed that the former Doncaster Rovers midfielder signed a two year contract with them at the end of May, which was due to start on July 1st. However, last Monday, the 29-year old was named as part of the new management team at Cambridge.
A statement issued by Wrexham said: “This is obviously disappointing news for both Wrexham FC and our supporters as the player had signed a two-year contract with the full agreement of his parent club. While we appreciate the player’s management ambitions, and that this position arose following his decision to sign a contract with us, we do need to investigate how the matter has been conducted.”

July 5, 2008

Rossington v Rovers

We would like to remind everyone that next Wednesday's first pre-season game of the summer at Rossington Main is an all-ticket match. The match has a 6.30pm kick-off. Admission prices are understood to be £5 for adults and £2 for concessions (including students). 1,700 tickets have gone on sale at the Keepmoat Stadium, and 300 tickets will be sold by Rossington Main at the Rossington Welfare Club between 6pm and 8pm on Tuesday.
The match is being played as part of Rovers' commitment to the local community, with Sean O'Driscoll confirming that he will be taking the whole first team squad for the fixture, saying: "Being involved with the local community is an important part of the football club,. It's a pleasure to take the team to face a local side and hopefully it will benefit both teams plus a chance for the supporters to see the team prepare."

July 4, 2008

Now McCammon leaves

Striker Mark McCammon has rejected the offer of a one year contract with Doncaster Rovers and has signed a three year deal with League Two club Gillingham. It is understood that the giant forward has been disillusioned with living in the north of England and was desperate for a move back down to the south.
McCammon is the third first team player to turn down a new deal with Rovers this summer, following Steve Roberts' move to Walsall and Paul Green's transfer to Derby County, with John Spicer being the only player to have joined the club so far.
As far as we are aware, it leaves just Craig Nelthorpe who has yet to give a decision on the new Rovers contract on offer, with all other players having agreed new deals in the past fortnight.

July 4, 2008

Hughes delays on Mills decision

Rovers transfer target Matt Mills has been included in the Manchester City squad for their ten-day pre-season tour of German, as the new City boss, Mark Hughes, wants to see the young defender in action before making a decision on whether he can leave the club. Mills is reported to be keen to join Rovers after a highly successful loan spell last season, with previous manager Sven Goran Erikkson having agreed the move in principle - but the change of manager at the City of Manchester Stadium looks to be set to delay the proposed £300,000 move.
The inclusion of Mills in City's touring squad looks to have dashed the chances of him appearing in Rovers' first pre-season game against Rossington Main next Wednesday.

July 4, 2008

Foy released from Rovers

Irish club Sligo Rovers have confirmed that former Doncaster Rovers left back has been released from the club on a free transfer after being at the club for two years. The defender has only appeared occasionally appeared in the first team this season, with Chris Butler taking over as first choice in the position.
The defender, described as a free kick specialist, was allowed to leave due to the financial contraints currently facing Sligo, with Rovers' maanger, Paul Cook, saying: "Unfortunately, we have lad to let Keith go due to the financial constraints that we are now facing. He is a good player and I know he will do a job for whatever club that he signs for and I know that everyone at the club will wish him all the best in his future career.”

July 4, 2008

Stadium in the black

The Keepmoat Stadium registered a profit for the first time since it opened 18 months ago, with new chief executive Gavin Baldwin confirming the stadium made a profit for the month of May. The stadium has made a well publicised loss since opening, but an increase in the use of facilities, including gym membership and the five-a-side pitches, has helped the improved situation. In addition, Rovers' promotion should lead to higher attendances, and Elton John is due to play a concert at the Keepmoat Stadium a week on Saturday (12th July).
Gavin Baldwin said: "A great deal of work has taken place behind the scenes to improve working practices. We have made cost improvements and renegotiated contracts which have vastly improved the stadium's finances. We are working to make the stadium a profitable venue and are pleased that finances for May show a profit for the first time. Realistically this is not going to happen month on month at this stage but we will continue our efforts to turnaround the finances of the venue."

July 4, 2008

Races force date changes

The two home games against Norwich City and Derby County have been moved from Saturday afternoons to Friday evenings, owing to race meetings being held at Doncaster Racecourse that weekend. The home game against Norwich City will now be played on Friday, 30th January (kick-off 7.45pm), and the Derby game will be played on Friday, 27th February (kick-off 7.45pm)

July 3, 2008

Moore goes to Barnsley

Former Doncaster Rovers centre half Darren Moore has signed for Barnsley after being told by Derby County that he was free to find a new club. Moore had been reported to have been interesting Bradford City, but speculation that he was about to sign for the Bantams was ended by the news that they had signed Rovers defender Graeme Lee earlier this week.
In a long and successful career, Darren has played for Torquay United, Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City, Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion and Derby County.
Barnsley boss Simon Davey said of the signing of Moore: "We have been looking to increase competition at the back and have brought in a player with a proven pedigree. Darren has won promotion four times from the Championship during his career and we are delighted to have persuaded him to join up despite interest from a lot of other clubs. He will play a big part in our squad next season both on and off the pitch and his experience will be a massive bonus for us as we head into the new season".

July 3, 2008

Wright leaves St Mary's

Former Doncaster Rovers loanee Jermaine Wright has been released by Southampton as new boss Jan Poortvliet made his mark on the club. Wright was one of five players to be released yesterday after reaching the end of his contract. He had been at Southampton for two seasons after joining from Leeds United.
Wright played 13 games for Doncaster Rovers during the 1995/96 season whilst on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

July 3, 2008

Owen joins Roberts at Rhyl

Gareth Owen, the former Doncaster Rovers midfielder, has signed for Welsh Premier League club Rhyl as the North Wales club build a squad the challenge for the title this season. Owen moves to Rhyl after leaving league rivals Airbus UK, where he had been player/manager. Owen has signed a one-year deal at Rhyl, where he joins ex-Rovers striker Neil Roberts, who has just joined the club after being released by Wrexham.

July 3, 2008

Stags ordered to pay up

Mansfield Town have been ordered to pay £8,000 to a licenced football agency, World in Motion, after a judge declared that the club had defaulted on two payments in August 2006 and January 2007 in relation to money owed during a deal to extend the contract of former Rovers striker Richie Barker in August 2006. The club has also failed to pay the due agency fee for Barker's transfer from Mansfield to Hartlepool which was made during the January 2007 transfer window.
Rupert Bowers, acting on behalf of World in Motion, told the court that Mansfield Town was trying to wriggle out of its debt."You knew they were due a fee for their work and you simply tried to escape this payment, these fees were agreed with Mr Evans. The transfer of football players are fast deals, done orally and based on trust. There is no doubt World in Motion were involved in both August 2006 and January 2007 negotiations. Mansfield wanted the deal to go through and they agreed to pay this fee.
However, Mansfield Town's representative told the hearing that the 2006 contract negotiations clearly stated the agency would not be paid if the striker was no longer at the club on set dates. He said: "The contract said he would take £2,000 on 1st June 2007 followed by another £2,000 on 1st October 2007, if he was still a Mansfield Town player. You entered a legally binding contract which you agreed to. You trained as a lawyer and you know what signing a contract means."

July 3, 2008

Barnsley tipped for the drop

Barnsley boss Simon Davey shrugged off the bookies' odds after they tipped the Tykes as amongst the favourites for relegation. Barnsley and Blackpool were named as favourites for the drop with Coral at odds of 13/8, with Championship new boys Rovers given a better chance of survival at 15/8 to be relegated.
Bet 365 give similar chances for Rovers' survival, with odds on clubs to be relegated listed as Blackpool 5/4, Barnsley 7/4, Doncaster 2/1, Burnley 5/2, Sheff Wed 10/3, Swansea 4/1, Plymouth 4/1, Coventry 6/1 and Norwich 6/1.
Davey said of the news: "That's the usual thing for us. We take no notice. We are used to coming up against adversity."

July 2, 2008

Pre-season ticket info

Tickets for all three home pre-season games are now on sale from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office, with season ticket holders having their seat reserved until Monday, 7th July.
Ticket prices for the Scunthorpe, Newcastle and Bolton Wanderers matches are £15 for adults and £5 for concessions.
Newcastle and Bolton supporters can also buy tickets from the Keepmoat ticket office on 01302 762576.

July 2, 2008

Lockwood extends Rovers stay

Doncaster Rovers announced yesterday that club skipper Adam Lockwood has signed a new two year contract with the club. Lockwood missed the last few matches of last season after sustaining a foot injury in the home league game against Leeds United.

July 2, 2008

But Steve moves on

Rovers defender Steve Roberts has signed for Walsall after turning down a one-year contract on offer by Rovers. Roberts, who was called up to the full Welsh squad last season, has signed a two year deal at the Banks's Stadium, wth Walsall boss, Jimmy Mullen, saying: "Stephen is a proven, quality player at League One level. He played a major role in Doncaster's success last term and we are delighted to have him on board. He is beginning to earn International recognition and I believe he can play a major role in what we are trying to achieve here. After plenty of hard work and negotiations in recent weeks this is the first of a number of new signings that we will be announcing in the coming days and weeks."
Steve joined the Rovers in 2005, but missed a number of matches in the last two seasons owing to injury.
We would like to wish Steve all the best in his future footballing career.

July 2, 2008

Wilson set to sign

Midfielder Mark Wilson is set to sign a new contract at Doncaster Rovers during this week, despite not being a first team regular last season.
Rovers assistant manager Richard O'Kelly commented: "Everything has been agreed and we are hopeful that it will be all tied up in the next day or so. Mark is a fantastic professional and in addition to what he did himself out on the field, the influence he also had on the other players was really good. He is an intelligent footballer; he knows a lot about the game and he has a good insight into what is going on.
Wilson is currently recovering from a close season hernia operation.

July 2, 2008

Doolan's future in doubt

The status of former Rovers midfielder John Doolan at Blue Square North club Southport is uncertain following the departure of manager Gary Brabin, who joined Cambridge United last week. Doolan finally joined Southport two weeks ago as a player/coach, but with Southport now appointing Liam Watson, Doolan's future may now be in doubt. Watson, who left Burscough to take over at Southport, brought a stunning 11 players with him from Burscough, with the signings being confirmed yeterday.

July 1, 2008

Lee signs for Bradford

Graeme Lee has signed a two year contract at Bradford City after a three year stay at Doncaster Rovers. Lee made the move after being released at the end of his contract, although the departure was not a surprise after he missed most of last season owing to injury.
Lee began his career at Hartlepool United, moving on to Sheffield Wednesday in 2003, but was snapped up by Rovers after he failed to hold down a regular first team place following Wednesday's promotion to the Championship. A highly successful career at Rovers was capped by scoring the winning goal at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff last season as Rovers won the Johnstone's Paint Trophy against Bristol Rovers.
Last season, Graeme spent some time on loan at Shrewsbury Town and Hartlepool United.
We would like to wish Graeme all the best for his future career and thank him for his contribution to the success of Doncaster Rovers during his time at the club.

July 1, 2008

Signings imminent?

Whilst only one player may have joined the club during the summer so far, Rovers' assistant manager Richard O'Kelly gave the strongest hint yet that some transfer activity may be seen this week. With many players away on holiday, coupled with the fact that most contracts run until the end of June, it is only now that we enter July that there is a real prospect of many clubs confirming their new signings.
O'Kelly said: "It's pretty quiet at the moment but I think things will pick up in the first week in July. You are always looking at players but whether you can afford the ones you are looking at is sometimes a different matter. We are in a different market now we are in the Championship but that doesn't mean your values change. Players have still got to be the right sort of people to fit in at the club; it is not just about their ability. That is one of the benefits of re-signing players who you want to keep. You know all about them and they know about us."
"We are hoping to sign the players we have targeted before we report back for pre-season training on Monday week. But that doesn't always prove to be the case as happened with Richie Wellens last season. Things can crop up at the last minute."

July 1, 2008

Brabin is new Cambridge boss

Former Doncaster Rovers midfielder Gary Brabin has been appointed as the new manager of Cambridge United, merely seven weeks after taking up the managers' job at Blue Square North club Southport. The 37-year old replaces Jimmy Quinn, who left the club at the beginning of June.
Southport issued a statement stressing their unhappiness at the way that the move was made, saying: "Whilst we recognise the opportunity for Gary to manage at a higher level was always going to be a factor in his development, the timing of this request and subsequent appointment as manager of Cambridge United has come at an extremely unsatisfactory time for the club. However we recognise that circumstances of this nature are not always in our control. A suitable compensation package has been agreed between the clubs for the release of Gary."
Former Rovers midfielder Paul Carden has joined Cambridge United as Brabin's assistant.

July 1, 2008

Richie recovering well

Midfielder Richie Wellens, who has the last of the Rovers players booked in for a hernia operation to have his surgery, is recovering well, according to Richard O'Kelly.
O'Kelly commented: "Richie has had his staples out and is making good progress. The surgeon is very pleased with how it went. All the other lads who have had operations are also doing well."
Sean McDaid, who missed the latter part of last season after dislocating a knee cap in a "behind closed doors" match against the Combined Services, is also recovering well and is shortly expected to resume full training.

July 1, 2008

Supporters Club meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the North Branch of the Doncaster Rovers Supporters Club is to be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday, 9th July at the Co-operative Social Club, Brunel Road (off York Road). Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting, with the Supporters Club hoping that some representatives will attend the meeting.