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January
31, 2010 |
Cardiff
2 Rovers 1 |
 |
Just
when it looked as though Rovers would pick up a well-earned point, Jay
Bothroyd grabbed a stoppage time winner for Cardiff which meant that Rovers
came away pointless. Cardiff went in front early in the first half when
Michael Chopra latched on to a long ball from Peter Whittingham, superbly
controlling it before firing a shot past Neil Sullivan. Cardiff certainly
had the upper hand in the first half and will feel as though they ought
to have more to show for the chances they had. However, after the break it was a different story, and Rovers had the home team on the back foot for much of the time. The equaliser could have come just two minutes after the restart, when James Coppinger's shot was well saved by Cardiff keeper David Marshall. After that, it seemed only a matter of time until the equalier came,but when it came, it was from an unlikely source, as Gareth Roberts cracked a superb shot from distance past a flying keeper. At that stage of the game, Rovers looked more like the home team and Dean Shiels was particularly unfortunate not to score, with his shot cleared off the line. As time went on, a draw seemed a fair result, but it was not to be. An added-time corner by ex-Rover Ross McCormack found skipper Bothroyd, and Neil Sullivan was unable to keep out his rather weak header from short-range to give Cardiff a dramatic late winner. |
January
31, 2010 |
What
the managers said |
 |
Sean
O'Driscoll tried to put a positive slant on yesterday's game, even though
he was clearly disappointed not to have seen Rovers come away from the
match with at least one point. He said: "I was very pleased with the performance because our second half was excellent after we had sorted out how to stop Chopra's runs. I thought we would go on and win the match even before we equalised because we were in total control in the second half." "I thought we deserved all three points, never mind one. The first goal was a bad goal to concede, but I thought we were excellent on a difficult pitch. We just need to be braver on the ball. I was delighted for Gareth, it was a good goal from him and overall I was pleased with the performance." O'Driscoll added: "We've got to pick the players up, but I can't be too critical. We will play worse than that and win. It's hard to stomach at the moment as we matched a good side like Cardiff and deserved so much more." Cardiff manager Dave Jones was equally praising of his Cardiff side, especially since they had to play the game against the backdrop of fans protesting against Peter Ridsdale and the ongoing financial problems at the club, which sees them having to face a winding up petition in mid-February. Jones said: "We were superb out there today. We keep patching them up and sending them out and they continue to work their socks off. We know the circumstances and what we have to do as I can't bring anyone in at the moment because of the financial situation at the club. We have a young squad who are fit and look after themselves and they will keep battling away as they are all fully behind the club. If were bottom of the division and struggling the place would be like a morgue but the crowd kept shouting today and we won that late corner which enabled us to get the winner. I have never walked away from anything in my life and all the players have the same attitude." |
January
31, 2010 |
Goals
check |
 |
We
haven't been able to find all that many former Rovers players scoring
goals this weekend, but we begin in the Blue Square Premier, where Tomi
Ameobi scored a 17th minute goal for Forest Green Rovers in their home
game against Mansfield Town. Sadly for Rovers, the day went steadily downhill
after the break, with four second half goals for the Stags meaning the
match ended 4-1 in favour of the away team. In the UniBond League Division One (South), Tristram Whitman scored twice in Carlton Town's 3-3 home draw against Loughborough Dynamo, which lifts Carlton into 9th place, just five points adrift of the play-off places. |
January
31, 2010 |
Football
League Agents Fees |
 |
The
Football League have published a document which gives many details of
amounts paid by clubs to agents for the 2008/09 season, which shows a
decline in the proportion of transfers which have seen payment to agents.
The report says: "The figures contained in the report include sums
committed by clubs to agents directly, as well as any sums paid to players (in accordance with their contracts) to enable them to satisfy their liabilities to their agents". In the report, it says that Doncaster Rovers "committed to agents" £116,000 between 1st July 2008 and 30th June 2009. The amount committed to agents between 1st January 2009 and 30th June 2009 was £0. DROS reports that the amount paid to agents between 1st October 2008 and 30th September 2009 was £70,750 - a different accounting period to that used by the Football League's report. Between 1st July 2008 and 30th June 2009, Rovers logged 8 new signings, 3 updated contracts, 3 cancelled contracts and 4 loans. To access the full report, please click on the logo to the left. |
January
31, 2010 |
Laws
set to chase Billy? |
 |
Brian
Laws, the new Burnley manager, has been reported as set to make a bid
for Billy Sharp, currently on loan at Doncaster Rovers from Sheffield
United. Admittedly the news source is the News of the World, which states
that Laws is also keeping an eye on Sharp's former Scunthorpe colleage
Andy Keogh - the two formed a deadly partnership whilst at Scunthorpe,
but Keogh has only made 11 appearances for Wolves this season, with one
goal to his name so far. Sheffield United report that they have not received any enquiries for Sharp, and with him playing in both of Rovers' FA Cup ties, it looks likely that he will be true to his word of staying with Rovers until the end of the season. The transfer deadline closes at 5pm tomorrow afternoon. |
January
31, 2010 |
Penney
after Heffernan? |
 |
Former
Rovers manager Dave Penney is said to be in the process of launching a
bid to sign Rovers striker Paul Heffernan for Oldham Athletic after a
successful loan spell at Boundary Park before Christmas. Heffernan has
been overlooked at Rovers this season, probably due to the fine form of
on-loan Billy Sharp, and Penney is seeking to line the Irishman up as
a striking partner to leading scorer Pawel Abbott. Unconfirmed reports
suggest Penney may be willing to pay up to £100,00 for Heffernan,
who is out of contract at Rovers in the summer. Oldham are in the market for a striker, having sold Chris O'Grady to Rochdale last week for a fee of around £85,000. Pawel Abbott has just resumed playing after a two month injury absence, with Penney a "confirmed fan" of Heffernan, having lured him to Rovers for £125,000 in 2005. |
January
31, 2010 |
O'Driscoll
interview with Sunday Times |
|
A
most illuminating interview with Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll was published
in last weekend's Sunday Times, in which he reviews the circumstances
which surrounded his recent involvement with the managerian vacancy at
Burnley. In the interview, O'Driscoll interestingly criticised the training
facilities at the Premiership new-boys, which he considered as being inferior
to those his squad enjoy at Cantley Park. He said: “There is no
point in having a three-year plan to improve the training ground when
you need to do something straight away. Whether I get the job or I didn’t
get the job, they lost a manager because he thought the facilities weren’t
good enough, but did the manager do anything about the facilities? I don’t
know. All I said is that it is something that needed to be addressed as
you try to stay in the Premier League. You can’t have one side of
it improving and the rest of it in the Stone Age. I can’t believe
if Arsene Wenger went for a job he wouldn’t check on the training
facilities and comment on them.” He was also clearly disappointed not to have been offered the job, but he stressed that he would not walk out on Rovers and that the two clubs had to agree a compensation package if he had left. He continued: “I was disappointed from my point of view that compensation was an issue and it prevented Burnley offering me the job, but there is no point telling the players to make sure you do the right things all the time and then do something completely different yourself. Although not the same context, it is exactly the same thing in principle. I didn’t think walking out would be an option, so I stuck by that.” The full interview can be accessed on the Sunday Times website at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article7000256.ece |
January
30, 2010 |
Rovers
v Cardiff |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers are likely to make a number of changes to their side for this afternoon's
away game at Cardiff City. Rovers were well beaten by Middlesbrough on
Tuesday after making a number of enforced changes, and we expect that
Sean O'Driscoll will revert to a more familiar line-up today. Some of
the changes may depend on whether the club are to take any disciplinary
action against James Hayter and John Oster, or whether they will return
to the squad following injury and illness respectively. On-loan defender Jason Shackell is due to have a groin operation on Monday, but there is still an outside chance that he may feature in the game, although it seems unlikely. Doncaster's Dean Shiels has an ankle problem and will also be assessed ahead of the match. Brian Stock is set to return in the Rovers midfield after missing Tuesday's game with a twisted ankle, although Dean Shiels faces a late fitness test on an ankle injury that also forced him to miss Tuesday's game. Sean McDaid made a successful return to action on Tuesday after a 21 month absence and will be hoping for more than 21 minutes action this time around. Still missing will be Martin Woods (groin), Steve Brooker (ankle) and Adam Lockwood (foot). It could be an eventful afternoon for financially troubled Cardiff City, with supporters planning a protest against the club's situation, particularly since the club will use money collected for next season's season tickets to pay back debts rather than the promised squad strengthening. Director Steve Borley has confirmed that supporters will get their wish for an Extraordinary General Meeting so they can be given a full picture of the club's financial situation. On the field, they will be without star midfiedler Joe Ledley, who had the first of two hip operations last week that are expected to keep him out of action for virtually all of the rest of the season. Aaron Wildig is also a doubt with a back injury, but Kevin McNaughton (knee) may play. Gavin Rae faces a late fitness test on a hamstring injury sustained on Tuesday, with Stephen McPhail and Josh Magennis remaining absent as they recover from long-term injuries. Adding to boss Dave Jones' woes, skipper Mark Hudson is set to be out for up to two months after suffering ankle ligament damage and will have an operation next week. Paul Quinn has been ill and is a doubt for today's game. |
January
30, 2010 |
Heffernan
- I want to keep my place |
|
Doncaster
Rovers striker Paul Heffernan is hoping that Sean O'Driscoll will stick
with him after being given his first start of the season on Tuesday. The Irishman told the Doncaster Star: "I'd not played a game since coming back from my loan spell at Oldham. Like the others, such as Lewis Guy and John Spicer, I'd not even played in a practice game because of the weather, so it's quite difficult. Having said that, we were all delighted to get back into the team. Unfortunately the result didn't go as we wanted. You can train as much as you want but it is not the same as a real match situation." "We probably felt slightly off the pace but having had a game if we are picked on Saturday that will stand us in good stead. I felt that I did all right in patches and would liked to have done better but I think every player on the pitch could have said that. Hopefully I can keep my place on the side and get a few more games under my belt and build my match fitness up and get my sharpness back. There was a chance in the second half when maybe I could have done better. It was a good block by David Wheater to be fair but as a striker you always look to get a shot away." |
January
30, 2010 |
Match
officials for Cardiff |
 |
The
match officials for today's away game at Cardiff City have been confirmed
as: Refeee: GD Scott Assistant Referees: W Barratt and A D Hutchinson Fourth Official: B J Malone |
January
30, 2010 |
Injury
update |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll is keeping his fingers crossed that a number
of players will have recovered from injury in time for tomorrow's away
game at Cardiff City. Dean Shiels missed the game due to an ankle injury
and is rated as 50-50 for tomorrow's game. However, O'Driscoll hopes that
Brian Stock (twisted ankle), John Oster (hamstring) and James Hayter (illness)
will be available for selection. Midfielder Martin Woods is expected to be ready to return to action in around ten days. Woods has had an injection in his groin, but is understood to be making good progress from the injury. Apart from the above, Rovers have not updated the situation regarding Steve Brooker, who was due to see a specialist on Monday about a problem with his ankle, which is unrelated to his Achilles tendon operation. Sean McDaid appears to have had no ill effects after his short return to action on Monday evening, which was his first match for over 18 months. |
January
30, 2010 |
What
the managers said |
|
Rovers
manager Sean O'Driscoll had no complaints over the result of Tuesday night's
home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough. He said: "We got well beaten I have no complaints. Sometimes you need to hold your hands up and I thought that they were excellent. I thought that we started really well; they came here with a five-man midfield and I thought that we negated that really well and we forced them to switch a little bit. Middlesbrough have some quality players and they were well organised. I thought that they worked extremely hard without the ball." "We were a bit depleted tonight, but I can't fault people's efforts. We tried to do the right thing and we never gave up. Everybody worked extremely hard and we had one or two opportunities that, if they go in, it would have been a different game. It was a quality strike to open proceedings and a quality strike to finish proceedings." He added: "I thought we were outplayed by the better team and it's not often I say that at the Keepmoat." Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan was pleased, not only with his team's performance, but also the performance of winger Adam Johnson, who overcame the barracking from South Stand fans to score twice on the night. Strachan commented: "I think Doncaster are unfortunate that we have been unlucky in a few games recently and lady luck has been on our side tonight. We had controlled the game at Sheffield United and should never have got beat there and we should have beat Swansea on Saturday. Doncaster are unlucky they've got a some of their good players out injured but I know exactly how Sean feels." |
January
30, 2010 |
Rovers
tracking County defender |
 |
Sky
Sports have reported that Doncaster Rovers are monitoring Stockport County
defender Johnny Mullins, who has impressed since joining the club in 2008
from Mansfield Town. He began his career in Reading's youth team before
switching to Mansfield, also spending time on loan at Kidderminster Harriers. |
January
30, 2010 |
Youth
fixture v Lincoln rearranged |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have rearranged their Youth Alliance fixture against Lincoln City,
which will now be played on Saturday, 13th March, kicking off at 11:00am.
The tie was postponed from January 23rd January after the Cantley Park
pitch was waterlogged. |
January
30, 2010 |
Belles
in home cup tie |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers Belles have been drawn at home to Huddersfield Town Ladies in the
quarter finals of the Sheffield FA Women's Cup. The oppositon were known
once Huddersfield beat Barnsley 3-2 last weekend, and the quarter-final
tie will be played this Sunday, with a 1pm kick-off. |
January
29, 2010 |
Shackell
op blow for Rovers |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers look as though they will be without key defender Jason Shackell
for a few matches after it was diagnosed that he needs surgery to resolve
a groin problem. Shackell is due to go into hospital for the operation
on Monday and is likely to miss the next three weeks, although the recovery
time depends on what the surgeons find during the operation. Jason is on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers for the rest of the season, and should be available again for the key run-in at the end of the campaign. |
January
29, 2010 |
The
January transfer window |
.jpg){kind=small} |
The
Football League have announced that the January "Transfer Window"
has been extended until 5pm on Monday, 1st February, owing to the final
day of January being a Sunday. The deadline in Scotland will be midnight
on Monday. |
January
29, 2010 |
Fisher
joins Frickley on loan |
 |
Young
Doncaster Rovers defender Charles Fisher has joined UniBond Premier League
side Frickley Athletic on one month's loan and made his debut against
FC United of Manchester on Wednesday evening. That match saw former Rover
Adriano Rigoglioso play for FC United - Rigoglioso was sent off in the
first half of the match during the first half for a "crunching"
tackle on Frickley's Jonathan Groome, who was forced to be substituted
after being injured in the incident. The match ended 0-0. Fisher has previously had a loan spell at UniBond club Brigg Town earlier in the season before returning to Rovers ahead of the Christmas period. |
January
29, 2010 |
Chesterfield
fixture arranged |
|
Doncaster
Rovers and Chesterfield have agreed that the Youth Alliance game between
the two clubs will be played in Chesterfield on Tuesday, 23rd February
at 2pm. The match should have originally been played on 9th January, but
was postponed due to the wintry weather conditions. |
January
29, 2010 |
Reading
- no move for Mills |
 |
Reading
have announced that they have not yet received any enquiries about their
former Doncaster Rovers defender Matthew Mills, even though Sheffield
United manager Kevin Blackwell has said on a number of occasions that
he is keen on taking the former Manchester City player to Bramall Lane.
Reading boss Brian McDermott said: “I have had no phone calls regarding
Matt Mills. Matt has got in the side now and he is doing very well and
we are pleased for him.” Blackwell is keen to strengthen his defence following the departure of Matthew Kilgallon to Sunderland this week. Mills moved to Reading from Rovers for a reputed £2 million in the summer, but Reading are struggling against relegation and under growing pressure to make inroads into their debt. Blackwell said of Mills: "He is a player that I thought did very well at Doncaster. We are looking at a few players and Matt Mills is definitely one that I have looked at." On the chances of signing Mills, either on loan or a full transfer, he continued: "Who knows. That is the great thing about football, you never know. There are four or five lads we have looked at and it comes down to finances, availability and what position the clubs are in." |
January
29, 2010 |
Voting
results |
 |
Despite
the disappointing result for Tuesday's game against Middlesbrough, a pleasing
number of votes have been received for the "Man of the Match".
The majority of the votes went to three players, although there were nominations
for nine. Debutant Jordan Mutch, who appeared as second half substitute,
gained fourth place, no doubt due to the quality of the strike that gained
Rovers consolation goal in the game. Those players who received the most votes were as follows: 1 James Coppinger (30.77%) 2 Gareth Roberts (23.08%) 3 James Chambers (17.95%) 4 Jordan Mutch (12.82%) |
January
29, 2010 |
Treatment
room update |
 |
The
treatment room has been a busy place of late, with several players receiving
attention to various injuries. Steve Brooker has had a setback in his recovery after having another problem with his ankle, although there has been no problem with the Achilles tendon, which has been the cause of his long absence from action. Steve was due to see a specialist on Tuesday to find out exactly what the problem is. Midfielder Martin Woods is recovering from a tear to a groin muscle and is expected to be out for another two or three weeks, and will be doing some light training in the meantime. Defender Adam Lockwood is recovering from a fractured metatarsal and has just had a protective boot taken off his foot to enable the physio staff to help him recover mobility. He still faces some time on the sidelines, however, with a visit to the surgeon to check on his progress in three weeks' time. Waide Fairhurst still has a protective boot on his foot after suffering ruptured ligaments in his foot whilst on loan at Shrewsbury Town. He was due to see his specialist earlier in the week to monitor his progress. Quinton Fortune, who has had a back injury, has now returned to training, but as he is to be released by Rovers at the end of his contract, it is unlikely that he will feature in the Rovers squad again. Finally, a number of players were absent from Tuesday evening's game against Middlesbrough due to apparent injuries. Jason Shackell is understood to have a groin injury which may require surgery, with Brian Stock, Dean Shiels and John Oster all reported to be carrying knocks subsequent to the match at Derby County. James Hayter was sick before Tuesday's game and was consequently not included, although he should be OK for Saturday's away game at Cardiff City. |
January
28, 2010 |
Rovers
pair arrested |
 |
The
truth behind two of the absences from the Rovers side on Tuesday night
has emerged, thanks to a report carried in the Doncaster Star. Midfielder
John Oster and striker James Hayter were arrested by police offices whilst
on a night out in Doncaster after returning from Rovers' FA Cup game at
Derby on Saturday. Oster was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and was given police bail - Hayter was alleged to have been involved in the same public order incident, but will not face any further action. The Star's report says that Hayter was asked to leave the town centre because of his behaviour, but when he failed to do so, he was arrested. Oster was also taken into custody when he tried to intervene on Hayter's behalf. Rovers had tried to cover the incident up by claiming that Hayter was unwell (being sick before the game) and Oster had an injury. The Doncaster Rovers board were understood to be meeting yesterday, with the matter being on the meeting's agenda, but there is currently no update on whether they have taken any disciplinary action against either player. A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Two men were arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning. A 31-year-old man was arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour and was later released on bail and a 30-year-old man was arrested for refusing to leave the area under a section 27 dispersal order but was later released with no further action to be taken." |
January
28, 2010 |
Preston
target Woods |
 |
Preston
North End manager Darren Ferguson has targetted Rovers midfielder Martin
Woods as one of his top targets as he tries to strengthen Preston's squad
during the transfer window, according to Sky Sports. Woods has gained
quite a reputation as one of the best young players in the Championship
in the last couple of seasons, with a number of clubs understood to be
monitoring his progress. However, the 24-year old still has 18 months
to run on his current Rovers contract and would command a sizeable fee,
which may put a number of clubs off. The Lancashire Evening Post report that, as well as Woods, Preston are also after Peterborough midfielder Paul Coutts, but have apparently had an opening bid for him rejected. |
January
28, 2010 |
Around
the goals - Part One |
 |
Due
to technical issues preventing updates during the past week, there are
two midweek fixture lists and last Saturday's fixtures to review for former
Doncaster Rovers players scoring goals. We'll begin with this Tuesday's games in the Championship, where Ross McCormack broke his goalscoring drought by scoring twice in Cardiff City's remarkable 6-0 away win at Bristol City, which lifts them back into the play-off places. In League One, Richard Offiong scored Carlisle's winner at Exeter, with his goal coming in the first minute of added time at the end of the game. Carlisle had earlier raced to a 2-0 half time lead, only to see Exeter come back with goals in the 79th and 90th minute. In the Blue Square Premier, Tomi Ameobi scored Forest Green's first goal in their 3-2 win at Hayes & Yeading. |
January
28, 2010 |
Around
the goals - Part Two |
 |
There
were a number of former Rovers players scoring goals on Saturday and we
begin our review in the FA Cup, where Ross McCormack scored a dramatic
extra-time goal for Cardiff City which put them through to the fifth round
with a 4-2 win over Leicester City. All the rest of the goals we noticed were in non-league football. Firstly, in the Blue Square Premier League, Gregg Blundell scored Barrow's goal in the 82nd minute in their 4-1 loss at Rushden & Diamonds. Also in that division, Gareth Taylor scored the only goal of the game as Wrexham beat AFC Wimbledon at the Racecourse, which lifts the Welshmen into 16th place. In the Blue Square North, Theo Streete scored for Solihull Moors in the 71st minute which set the Moors on the way to a 2-1 away win at Corby, which eases their relegation worries. Dropping down into the UniBond Premier Division, former Rovers youth team player Rob O'Brien scored Bradford Park Avenue's first goal in their 3-1 victory at Matlock Town. Also in the Premier Division, Andy Campbell, on loan from Bradford Park Avenue, scored again for Whitby Town as they beat Hucknall Town 3-1. Finally for the UniBond Premier, former Rovers striker Steve Burton scored Guiseley's third goal in their 3-1 away win against Worksop Town. In the Northern Counties East Division One, the much travelled Andy Hayward scored a 90th minute goal for Hemworth Miners Welfare in their 3-0 away win at Yorkshire Amateurs. |
January
28, 2010 |
Around
the goals - Part Three |
 |
For
our final review of ex-Rovers players scoring goals recently, we look
back to the midweek games of last week (19th/20th January). In League Two, Adebayo Akinfenwa scored Northampton's second goal in their 2-0 away win at Macclesfield Town. In the UniBond Division One (South), Ben Saunders scored for Grantham Town in their 1-1 home draw against Glapwell. In the same division, Tristram Whitman scored a 90th minute goal for Carlton Town in their 2-0 away win at Kidsgrove Athletic. |
January
28, 2010 |
Cardiff
ticket info |
|
Tickets
for Saturday's away game at Cardiff City are currently on sale from the
Keepmoat Stadium ticket office. Rovers have received an initial allocation
of 676 tickets for the game, which is an all-ticket game. Tickets are
now on general sale - tickets will remain on sale until 7.30pm on Thursday,
28th January, when any remaining tickets will be returned to Cardiff. Ticket prices are as follows: Adults: £26.00 Senior Citizens (60+), Juniors (15 & under), Students (NUS card required): £15.00 All disabled tickets are subject to limited availability at the following prices: Wheelchair adult disabled & carer: £18.00 Wheelchair concession disabled & carer: £10.00 Wheelchair junior disabled & carer: £5.00 Ambulant adult disabled & carer: £26.00 Ambulant concession disabled & carer: £15.00 |
| January
28, 2010 |
Lew
Clayton |
 |
We
are saddened to hear of the death of former Rovers trainer/coach Lew Clayton
on 19th January at the age of 85 following a short illness. He left Rovers
for Cardiff City in 1964, where he had the roles of trainer/coach/physio
for ten years, becoming boss Jimmy Scoulars' right hand man during their
European Cup Winners Cup campaign. After leaving Middlesbrough he performed
a similar role at Middlesbrough and then Swansea City before retiring
to his native north-east. His funeral will take place on Friday, 29th January in Middlesbrough. During his playing career, Lew played for Carlisle United, Barnsley, Queen's Park Rangers, Bournemouth and Swindon, with his job at Rovers being his first after retiring from playing. We would like to offer our condolences to Lew's family at this sad time. |
January
28, 2010 |
Coaches
to Cardiff |
|
The
Supporters Club are running coaches to Saturday's away game at Cardiff
City. They will leave Retford at 7.45am, Bawtry 8.00am, Harworth Pit Gates
7.50am, Rossington Styrrup 8.00am, Hare & Tortoise 8.05am, Doncaster
Royal Infirmary 8.15am and Keepmoat Stadium Car Park 1 at 8.30am. Fares are: Members £20.00 - OAP's £18.00 - U16's £16.00 Non-Members £22.00 - OAP's £20.00 - U16's £18.00 Places should be booked with Harry Bacon (01302 854626), Len South (01302 817347) or Paul Mayfield (01427 880154). |
January
28, 2010 |
Rovers
in running for League Cup vote win! |
 |
It
seems that Doncaster Rovers are in with a real chance of winning the voting
for the fans' all-time favourite League Cup moment in the competition's
fifty year history. Rovers have already polled more votes than the likes
of Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City,
as fans stream up to vote for the Rovers, who have been nominated for
their momentous demolition of Premiership club Aston Villa. Gavin Magaw, who is Director of External Affairs for the Football League, said: "We are delighted that so many people have already voted for their favourite moment in the League Cup's 50 year history. With only a few days left to vote there is a real chance of a shock result, with some of football's big names lagging behind in the voting. Fans can register their vote at www.leaguecup50.com and give themselves a chance of winning Carling Cup Final tickets or one of 200 special edition Carling Cup Final balls." Make sure that you place your vote before the end of the month by visiting www.leaguecup50.com to make sure that Doncaster Rovers stay ahead of the competition! |
January
26, 2010 |
Rovers
1 Middlesbrough 4 |
|
Doncaster
Rovers made four changes to the team for this evening's home game against
Middlesbrough, all apparently due to injury, with Brian Stock, Jason Shackell,
John Oster and Dean Shiels all dropping out of the side. With three of
the midfielders out, Rovers struggled to exert any influence on the game,
with Middlesbrough dominating in key areas on the field. Rovers' task
was not helped with the fact that the Boro players all seemed to be substantially
taller than their Rovers counterparts, meaning that Rovers were never
going to win very many aerial challenges. With Paul Heffernan and Lewis Guy making their first starts of the season, both had a chance to stake a claim for a regular first team place. However, probably due to the changes made in midfield, none of the strikers, Heffernan, Guy and Sharp, got much of a chance of scoring, with the strike-force having to live off scraps thorughout the game Rovers gave on-loan midfielder Jordan Mutch a debut from the substitutes' bench in the second half, and he looks a promising prospect - he scored the only Rovers goal well into the second half - a superb shot from 25 yards that flew into the top corner, with the keeper standing rooted to the spot. Sean McDaid made a return to first team action after an 18-month absence to make his first-ever appearance in the Championship, playing the last eight minutes of the game. |
January
27, 2010 |
Nelthorpe
goes to Hatters |
 |
Former
Doncaster Rovers winger Craig Nelthorpe has gone on loan to Blue Square
Premier play-off candidates Luton Town as they look to close the gap on
the promotion places. Nelthorpe, who has found himself out of favour at
York City after moving there in the summer, has recently been on loan
at Barrow, but returned just after Christmas when the loan deal expired. With little prospect of winning a first team place at Bootham Crescent in the near future, the move to Luton could be just what Craig needs to kick-start his career. He made his Luton debut on Saturday as a late substitute in their game at Gateshead, and will remain on loan at the club until the end of the season. Luton boss Richard Money remembers Nelthorpe from his time at Rovers and said: "We've grateful for York for letting us have a look at him in the reserves on Wednesday and he was desperately keen to come here. I've known about him for a while when he was at Doncaster and I was managing Walsall and he was always one I thought 'there might be a player there. York sent out a circular last week notifying clubs of his availability and he came down to play for us on Wednesday and did well. The left-side of midfield position is one where we could do with a bit more competition. So to have a natural left-footer that can go past people gives us a little something different than what we've got going into the second half of the season." As well as Rovers, Nelthorpe has also spent time on loan at Hucknall, Kidderminster, Gateshead, Halifax and Darlington. |
January
27, 2010 |
Billy
in with chance of second award |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers striker Billy Sharp is in with a chance of winning the Championship
Fans' Player of the Month for January - the second successive month he
has been nominated. Sharp, who won the award for December, had a superb
December, scoring in each game until Boxing Day, but has not found the
net since, even though he has still been a handful for opposition defences,
being unlucky not to score on numerous occasions. Sharp faces competition from Charlie Adam (Blackpool), Darren Pratley (Swansea) and George Boyd (Peterborough). You can place your vote by clicking on the logo to the left. |
January
27, 2010 |
McCammon
asks to leave Gills |
 |
Ex-Doncaster
Rovers striker Mark McCammon has asked to leave Gillingham following the
arrival of three new signings at the club last week, and was not even
listed amongst the substitutes for their game at Colchester on Saturday.
McCammon has not held down a regular starting place this season, although
he has missed a number of matches due to injury. Gillingham boss Mark Stimson said: Now that there are players coming in there will also be players that are unhappy and will want to go out. Mark McCammon is one and we have circulated his name. "I’ve had a chat with him and we’ve circulated Mark’s name. He stated that he only wants to play in Division 1 so that limits a lot of clubs. We’ve tried that and circulated his name to a lot of clubs and fingers crossed we might get a response in the week. If we don’t we might have to address it, sit down with Mark and maybe try something else. At the end of the day the players have the right to say I don’t want to go." |
January
27, 2010 |
Youth
team cup draw news |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers will face a trip to Preston North End in the Third Round of the
Youth Alliance Cup after Preston won their rearranged second round tie
against Accrington Stanley on Saturday. The Preston clash is arranged
for Saturday, 20th February. |
January
27, 2010 |
Oster
agrees Rovers deal |
 |
Midfielder
John Oster has agreed to stay at Doncaster Rovers for the rest of the
season after agreeing to extend his short-term contract at the club. Whilst
the agreement is still to be signed, Oster has verbally agreed the deal,
and will be a boost to Rovers as they seek to maintain their midtable
position in the Championship. Oster said of the news: "We have agreed a deal now to extend my contract until the end of the season. It would have been something of an upheaval to have to have moved clubs midway through the season and we have been doing well lately, so I saw no reason to leave." |
January
27, 2010 |
Quinton
to leave Rovers |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have confirmed that they will not be extending midfielder Quinton
Fortune's contract with the club when it expires at the end of the month.
Fortune has only played a few games for Rovers this season, with injuries
limiting his availability. He has just recovered from a back injury and
resumed training at the end of last week, but his return to fitness looks
to have come too late to persuade Sean O'Driscoll to change his mind. Budgetary limits are understood to be part of the reason behind the decision to release the former Manchester United and South African international. |
January
26, 2010 |
Rovers
v Middlesbrough |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have an injury concern overy Jason Shackell ahead of this evening's
home game against Middlesbrough after the star defender was substiuted
in the second half of Saturday's game against Middlesbrough due to a groin
injury. Should he not play, Sam Hird looks likely to deputise. Apart from
that, Rovers are not reporting any new injuries, although Sean O'Driscoll
may elect to make changes after seeing what he described as a "tired"
side play its third game of the week on Saturday. Still missing will be
Martin Woods (groin), Adam Lockwood (broken metatarsal), Steve Brooker
(ankle) and Waide Fairhurst (foot), and whilst Quinton Fortune has now
resumed training, he is not likely to feature tonight. Middlesbrough are likely to see Jonathan Grounds return to the side after injury; he replaced Chris Riggott, who picked up a hamstring injury, on Saturday in their game against Swansea City. Also missing is Emanuel Pogatetz, with Gary O'Neil and Tony McMahon expected to return to the squad. The Boro side will be much changed from when Rovers played at the Riverside earlier in the season, with the arrival of Gordon Strachan as manager meaning a number of personnel changes followed. However, when Rovers played Boro earlier in the season, the north-easterners were challenging at the top of the table - now, they are just one place ahead of Rovers, level on points and just one goal better off in the goal difference column. |
January
26, 2010 |
Match
officials v Middlesbrough |
|
The
match officials for this evening's home game against Middlesbrough have
been confirmed as; Referee: SJ Tanner Assistant referees: P Bramley & SJ Ross Fourth official: AN Smith |
January
26, 2010 |
Rovers
sign Birmingham youngster |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have signed Birmingham City's teenage midfielder Jordon Mutch on
a month's loan. Mutch spent a month on loan at Hereford earlier in the
season, and could be included in the squad this evening, although he is
likely to have to settle for inclusion as a substitute. After doing well
during his loan at Hereford, Birmingham are now wanting to text Jordan
at a higher level of football. Mutch is the second-youngest player (after Trevor Francis) to turn out for Birmingham's first team when he played in a Carling Cup tie at Southampton in August 2008. Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll said of the signing: "Jordon will come in and add an extra number to the squad. We've taken him on a youth loan, which gives flexibility to both clubs and we will see how he develops. He's a talented boy and he looks like he has a big future. He did well at Hereford on loan and Birmingham City now want to test him at a higher level. We've got a great reputation with young players and have a good environment for them to come. It's almost a case of 'we've been selected'. We've had a look at him in training and chatted to Alex McLeish, chatted to the boy and his agent and they are quite happy to come with no guarantees. He looks the part; he's 6'1'' and a stylish footballer. It looks as if he has a big future, but he's still only 18." Mutch is number 4 in the Rovers squad during his stay at the club. |
January
26, 2010 |
Voting
results |
 |
A
little belatedly, we have calculated the results of the "Man of the
Match" for Saturday's away FA Cup tie at Derby County. Seven players
received nominations, with it turning into a competition between two defenders,
who amassed around 85% of the votes between them. It ended with James O'Connor winning the vote, with Gareth Roberts coming second. 1 James O'Connor (53.125%) 2 Gareth Roberts (31.25%) Thanks to go everyone who took the time to place their votes - the next vote opens later this evening following the home game against Middlesbrough. |
January
26, 2010 |
Web
site update |
|
As
you have noticed, we have not been able to update this website as often
as usual due to a broadband problem with Virgin Media which began last
Tuesday evening. Thankfully, a technician has now resolved the problem
and a normal service will be resumed. There are likely to be many more
articles appearing for the rest of the week as we catch up with news that
has occurred during the last week, with a morning and late afternoon update
likely for a few days. May we thank you for your patience over the last few days and once again, thanks for visiting www.doncasterrovers.co.uk! |
January
24, 2010 |
New
match dates for Leicester and Preston games |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have announced new dates for the postponed games against Leicester
City and Preston North End, both of which were postponed due to the recent
wintry conditions. The home fixture against Leicester City will now be played on Tuesday, 23rd February with a 7:45pm kick-off. The away game against Preston North End will now be played on Tuesday, 9th March with a 7:45pm kick-off. All tickets bought for the original date will still be valid, but if you are unable to attend the rearranged game, you will be able to get a refund on your ticket by contacting the ticket office. |
January
24, 2010 |
Nelly
still in contention at York |
|
York
City manager Martin Foyle insists that former Rovers winger can force
his way back into his first team by impressing in training, despite not
being included on a regular basis since joining the club in the summer.
Nelthorpe enjoyed a successful loan spell at Barrow, where he scored twice
in the six games played, but has not been inlcuded in the first team squad
since his return. He has yet to make a start for the Minstermen, with all of his York appearances being as a substitute. However, with Chris Carruthers currently operating down the left for York, and with York having success with a narrow midfield this season, opportunities for Craig appear limited. Martin Foyle commented on both Nelthorpe and fellow-winger Adam Smith, who is in the same situation: “They will want to improve their performances themselves and that’s more an individual thing than something coming from me. But you look at them in training and, if they are on fire, I will know whether to put them in and give them a go. They’ve both probably been a bit disappointed – Craig more so than Adam, who’s played a bit more and done well in quite a few games.” |
January
24, 2010 |
Voting
still open |
 |
You
can still place your vote in the Football League's poll for football fans
to nominate their favourite League Cup memories, with voting remaining
open until the end of the month. Doncaster Rovers are one of the nominations
for their memorable defeat of Premiership club Aston Villa at Belle Vue,
a match that will live long in the memories of Rovers fans, to reach the
quarter finals, where they took Arsenal to extra time before eventually
bowing out. The League Cup is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, so the League have nomiated 50 "memories". To give Rovers a chance of winning, please cast your vote by either clicking on the logo to the left, or by visitng www.leaguecup50.com |
January
23, 2010 |
Derby
1 Rovers 0 |
|
Doncaster Rovers
sent out the same starting line-up for the third successive match for
their FA Cup tie at Derby County, but sadly it was not to prove successful
as Rovers went down to a late goal. Whilst Rovers probably had the edge
on the number of chances created, it looked like the match was heading
for a replay at the Keepmoat Statdium when a superb 25 yard shot out
of nothing won the game for Derby. |
January
19, 2010 |
Brentford
v Rovers |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers and Brentford will, at the third time of asking, to play their
much-delayed FA Cup Third Round tie at Griffin Park this evening. From all reports, the pitch may prove to be the proverbial "great leveller". It has been covered by thick snow for over a week, with the club having to hire "blotter machines" to ensure the pitch was not too waterlogged for Saturday's game against Carlisle United. The pitch surface was consequently churned up during Saturday's game, meaning that Rovers' usual flowing style of football may need to be amended if they are to succeed tonight. Rovers will go into the game full of confidence after Saturday's win over Watford, but Sean O'Driscoll may elect to make a few changes to the side for this evening's game. Brian Stock came through Saturday's game without any ill effects, and Jason Shackell will be fit to play after suffering from cramp in the closing stages of the Watford game. Both Shackell and Billy Sharp, both on long-term loans at Rovers, have been given clearance to play in the FA Cup. Midfielder Martin Woods has resumed training after suffering a groin injury before Christmas, but will not be considered for the Brentford game. Brentford will have to play tonight's game without two loan players - Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal) and centre-back Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town) - who have been refused permission to play by their parent clubs. They will also give Sam Saunders a late fitness test, but apart from that, they will rely on the same squad that played on Saturday. |
January
19, 2010 |
Brentford
match officials |
|
The
match officials for this evening's game at Brentford have been confirmed
as: Referee: G K Hegley Assistant Referees: L Betts & S L Massey Fourth Official: W Atkin |
January
19, 2010 |
O'Driscoll
- no enquiry for Stock by Saints |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll poured cold water on suggestions that Southampton
were set to sign Rovers midfielder Brian Stock. The Southampton Daily
Echo had reported on Saturday evening that Saints boss Alan Pardew had
made enquiries about signing Stock, but on Radio Sheffield last night,
O'Driscoll put the story down to a ploy by the Daily Echo to sell newspapers. He told the BBC: "It's just a ruse to sell papers. Nobody's contacted me from Southampton. I know the industry is full of rumour and speculation but if you're going to write something surely then you speak to the people involved." "I'm just annoyed that people jump to things. You should get a direct quote from me or a direct quote from Saints manager Alan Pardew, not just write things that upset us people and players. So I am disappointed with the ethics of the industry more than anything else." Stock made a successful return to action on Saturday and is under contract at Rovers until the end of the 2010/11 season. |
January
19, 2010 |
England
U21s at the Keepmoat |
 |
The
Keepmoat Stadium is to host England's important UEFA European Under-21
Championship qualifier at home to Greece on Wednesday, 3rd March. England
teams have already appeared at the impressive Keepmoat Stadium, the U19s
having played there three times since its opening in 2007, but this is
the first time that the Keepmoat Stadium hosts an Under-21 game. The match will kick-off at 6pm, so that fans can enjoy the Under-21 game before watching England's senior side play Egypt at Wembley, which will be broadcast live on ITV at 8pm. The Under-21 game will be broadcast live on ESPN. Ticket information for the match will be announced in the near future. |
January
19, 2010 |
Roberts
named in Team of the Week |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers defender Gareth Roberts has been named in the "Team of the
Week" for the Championship by the Press Association. Roberts scored
with a superb 25 yard strike in the second half of Saturday's game against
Watford, and is the latest of a number of Rovers players to receive such
an accolade this season. The full side named for the Championship is: Stephen Bywater (Derby County), Matthew Connelly (QPR), Liam Fontaine (Bristol City), Louis Carey (Bristol City), Gareth Roberts (Doncaster Rovers), Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday), Michael O`Connor (Scunthorpe United), Charlie Adam (Blackpool), Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City), Richard Cresswell (Sheffield United), DJ Campbell (Derby County). |
January
19, 2010 |
Man
of the Match results |
 |
With
a pleasing increase in the number of votes cast for the "Man of the
Match" this week, we had nominations for no less than twelve players.
The bulk of those votes were given to four players in a keenly fought
contest. It ended with James O'Connor narrowly winning the vote for another
impressive performance at centre-back alongside Jason Shackell. The players receiving most votes were: 1 James O'Connor (20.27%) 2 James Coppinger (18.92%) 3 Dean Shiels (17.57%) 4 Gareth Roberts (10.81%) We would like to thank everyone for taking the time to place their vote. The next poll will open following this evening's FA Cup game at Brentford. |
January
18, 2010 |
Brentford
v Rovers |
|
Tomorrow
evening's FA Cup Third Round tie against Brentford looks set to go ahead
at the third time of asking and, as for the previous two attempts at playing
the match, Brentford have decided that it will be "pay on the day"
for Rovers supporters. However, anyone coming into the "students" category must buy their ticket in advance direct from Brentford by phoning 0845 3456 442. Prices at the turnstiles tomorrow will be: Seating: Adults £21, Senior Citizens £15, Under-16s £5 Terracing: Adults £20, Senior Citizens £14, Under-16s £5 Student tickets, which are to be bought direct from Brentford, are £13 for seating and £12 for the terracing. |
January
18, 2010 |
Shackell
OK for cup clash |
|
Rovers
boss Sean O'Driscoll has confirmed that defender Jason Shackell was substituted
after suffering from cramp 16 minutes from the end of Saturday's home
win over Watford. Shackell, who was replaced by Sam Hird, is expected
to be fit for tomorrow evening's FA Cup tie at Brentford. Skipper Brian Stock, who played 78 minutes of Saturday's game, suffered no adverse reaction to his first game in three months and looks certain to keep his place in the side tomorrow. |
January
18, 2010 |
Football
League survey - chance to have your say |
 |
The
Football League are running a survey of all football supporters to find
out their views on a range of important football issues. As well as having
the chance to give your views on issues such as goal line technology,
sin bins and salary caps, there is also the opportunity to give your view
on issues relating to Doncaster Rovers. They include what it would take
to get you to go to more home and away matches, as well as your view on
elements of match day experience of home games, such as pre-match entertainment,
match programmes and standard of the stadium. There is also a draw which gives you the chance to see the Rovers squad train and to meet the players afterwards. If you would like to contribute to the survey, please click on the logo to the left. |
January
18, 2010 |
Fortune
looks set for Rovers exit |
|
An
article in the Yorkshire Post seems to suggest that Doncaster Rovers will
release midfielder Quinton Fortune at the end of his contract, which expires
later this month. Sean O'Driscoll is keen on keeping all three midfielders - John Oster, Simon Gillett and Quinton Fortune - whose futures at Rovers are yet to be settled. Previous reports indicate that offers have been put to all three, but Oster and Gillett appear to be higher priorities for signing, with budgetary restrictions set to play the crucial role. As O'Driscoll told the Yorkshire Post: "We're trying to wangle something where Simon feels he has been looked after and we feel we have done the best we can, it is the same with John. Ideally, I'd like to keep Quinton as well. He is a good influence around the place but financially I can't do it." |
January
18, 2010 |
Kevin
scores! |
 |
Former
Rovers midfielder Kevin Horlock scored one of Needham Market's five goals
in their FA Carling Vase Fourth Round tie against Kirkley & Pakefield
on Saturday. Needham Market are currently in second place in the Eastern
Counties Premier Division, with Saturday's victory putting them into the
last sixteen of the competition. |
January
16, 2010 |
Rovers
2 Watford 1 |
|
Rovers
made a winning return to action this afternoon after an enforced three
week due to the recent weather conditions. Skipper Brian Stock was restored
to the starting line-up in place of Simon Gillett, who has returned to
Southampton after the conclusion of his loan at the club. The game started off in superb style, with both sides showing their attacking intent in the opening five minutes. However, the match then settled down, and whilst much of the first half was uneventful, Rovers striker Billy Sharp was left wondering how he failed to score in the 37th minute when his superb header was somehow saved by Loach, the Watford keeper. However, Rovers went into the lead just five minutes after the break when Dean Shiels finished superbly with a curling shot after being put through by James Coppinger. Although Watford tried to get back on level terms, Rovers went further ahead in the 83rd minute when Gareth Roberts cracked a 25 yard shot past a helpless Watford keeper. The away side did get a consolation goal in added time at the end of the match when they were awarded a penalty for a foul - although Sullivan went the right way, the spot kick was precisely delivered by Helguson into the corner of the net. A thoroughly deserved win for Rovers which takes them into 12th place in the Championship, just five points adrift of the play-offs! |
January
17, 2010 |
What
the managers said |
|
Rovers
boss Sean O'Driscoll was understandably a pleased man yesterday evening
after watching his side dominate the game against Watford, with the win
putting Rovers into twelfth place, just five points adrift of sixth placed
Sheffield United. Even so, O'Driscoll insists that he isn't aware of that statistic, saying: "I never look at league tables. Our focus here is on performances. I say this often, but if we get the performances right, the results will follow. I'm very happy today because we got the two together. We have had a difficult week and it has been nice to finish it off with a performance." The match followed a turbulent week for Rovers, which saw O'Driscoll linked with the managerial vacancy at Burnley - as well as following a three week break forced by the freezing weather conditions. O'Driscoll paid tribute to the Rovers fans, whose vociferous vocal support for him was appreciated. He said: "It was nice. You have good times and bad times at a club and we are doing well at the moment." Of the game, he continued: "I thought it was a terrific game today. I thought we deserved the win." "Their keeper (Scott Loach) was fantastic. Big lad, big arms. He did very well for them. I thought we controlled the first half. Watford are dangerous with their midfield front runners but I thought that we coped with that. In the second half, we kept our shape and our discipline - which you need to do in this division - and got the goal. We've become quite adept at winning games 1-0 this season and I thought it looked as if we would be coming away with a professional 1-0 win. Gareth's goal made it a little bit easier and allowed us to throw caution to the wind." "Everybody in the dressing room this evening has a smile on their face." |
January
17, 2010 |
What
the managers said |
 |
Watford manager Malky Mackay was annoyed with the performance of his players,
knowing that they did not perform to the level he says they are capable
of. He said: "I'm more disappointed with the fact that we didn't play as well as I know we can. At times, we didn't look as snappy to the ball all around the pitch as Doncaster. I don't think we were as "at it" as Doncaster. They got to the ball quicker than us when the ball was up for grabs and were just a bit sharper than us. That's disappointing. We had a few chances towards the end, but we didn't play as well as we could have done." " I thought in the second half when they went 1-0 up we came into the game a little bit more, but I was disappointed with the first goal, from a defensive point of view it wasn't a good goal. We'll play better than that this season and we'll play better than that next week. We weren't at the races today as they say. "I thought Scott was outstanding today," he continued. "I thought Heidar and John looked like experienced professionals today too." |
January
17, 2010 |
Saints
after Stock? |
|
The
Southampton Daily Echo carried a story yesterday evening which indicated
that boss Alan Pardew has made a bid to sign Rovers midfielder Brian Stock,
despite the fact that Stock made his first appearance for three months
yesterday after recovering from an operation on his ankle. Saints' skipper
Dean Hammond suffered an Achilles tendon injury yesterday which will keep
him out for at least two weeks, and the Daily Echo reports that Pardew
may well be looking to strengthen his midfield during the January transfer
window. The move may well be doomed as Southampton are not able to match
Rovers' valuation on their influential skipper. In any case, it is unlikely that Stock would be willing to drop down to League One, especially as he is grabbing the headlines with Doncaster, which may also influence whether he is selected for the Welsh national squad in upcoming games. |
January
17, 2010 |
Around
the goals |
 |
Non-league
football still is greatly affected by the recent wintry conditions, although
a number of matches yesterday were called off as pitches were waterlogged,
rather than frozen. As a result, we have just one former Rovers player that we've spotted scoring a goal yesterday - Jon-Paul Pittman scored Wycombe Wanderers' goal as they went down to a 2-1 home defeat against Charlton in League One. |
January
16, 2010 |
Rovers
v Watford |
|
Doncaster
Rovers will play their first match since Boxing Day this afternoon when
they face Watford at the Keepmoat Stadium, meaning supporters get their
'fix' of live football for the first time in three weeks. Skipper Brian Stock is set to return for his first match in three months after regaining full fitness after ankle surgery. His return will be more welcome as Simon Gillett has returned to Southampton at the end of his loan spell at Rovers; Rovers have offered him a contract for a full transfer, but personal terms have yet to be agreed. Although he has returned to training, Martin Woods (groin) will still be absent, as will Adam Lockwood (foot), Waide Fairhurst (foot ligaments) and Steve Brooker (ankle). Striker Paul Heffernan will be available for the first time since returning from his month on loan at Oldham Athletic at the end of December, but due to the fine form of on-loan Billy Sharp, will probably have to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench. Even though they confirmed the signing of Stephen McGinn from St Mirren yesterday, Watford will not be able to play their new signing this afternoon against Rovers. However, Watford boss Malky Mackay can call upon the services of Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson, who has signed for a third loan spell from Queens Park Rangers. Teenage midfielder Ross Jenkins could also start after an appearance as substitute against Chelsea earlier this month, his first match after recovering from a back operation. Slovenian defender Jure Travner will not play, as he is currently on trials with Norwegian side FK Haugesund. |
January
16, 2010 |
Watford
match officials |
|
The
match officials for this afternoon's home game against Watford have been
confirmed as: Referee: AR Hall Assistant referees: SAJ Duncan & W Porter Fourth official: KJ Mattocks |
January
16, 2010 |
Glynn
in NI talks after Worthington stays as boss |
 |
Former
Rover Glynn Snodin is now in talks with the Northern Ireland FA about
continuing as assistant manager for the national side after it was confirmed
last week that Nigel Worthington has agreed to remain as Nortehrn Ireland
boss for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. Snodin, who is on the coaching staff at Leeds United, was appointed as assistant boss for Northern Ireland in June 2007. |
January
16, 2010 |
York
players to stand trial |
 |
Four
York City players, three of whom are former Doncaster Rovers players,
are to stand trial at York Crown Court in February after York magistrates
decided that the case was too serious for them to deal with. The four
- Michael Gash, Michael Rankine, Michael Ingham and Craig Nelthorpe, -
have been accused of unlawful violence in Clifford Street, York on August
2nd following a late night incident outside an outlet of Subway. Nelthorpe
also faces a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm. The players have all been released on bail and will next appear in court on February 19th, where they will be asked to enter their pleas. |