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| June
30, 2010 |
Price
hike as Rovers announce match day rates |
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Doncaster
Rovers have taken the gamble of raising match day prices by levels at
far higher than the rate of inflation for the 2010/11 season - although
by introducing three categories of matches, the calculations are somewhat
complicated when comparing prices to last season. However, for the top category of matches, prices rise by up to 80% (Category B for a Category 1 match) - but, on the other hand, the new "Category 3" band will see a substantial overall reduction in prices compared to last season. Based on the way Rovers categorised matches when at Belle Vue, we do wonder how many "Category 3" matches there will actually be! As last season, there are no match-day "Category C" tickets available for any matches. Category A areas of the ground are the North Stand (Case), South Stand (Polypipe) and central parts of the East (Success Doncaster) and West stands. The only areas on match day that qualify as Category B are the ends of the East and West stands. With the continuing problematic economic situation, the price rises are a substantial gamble by Rovers. The match day prices do make a season ticket, even at the non-discounted rates, seem attractive, but the number of people buying tickets on the day may dwindle even further than last season, when there was only rarely a queue at the ticket office on match days. Ticket prices for next season are as follows: Category 1 Matches
To enable supporters to compare these prices with those of last season, below are the match day prices charged by Rovers for the 2009/10 season:
|
| June
30, 2010 |
Oster
signs on for two years |
 |
Rovers midfielder
John Oster has signed a new two year contract with the club, meaning
he will remain at Rovers until the summer of 2012. Oster joined Rovers
on a short-term deal last season, which was then extended until the
end of the campaign, but a knee injury prevented him from turning out
for the last two games. A former Welsh international, the 31 year old
made 13 appearances for his country, although the last was in 2004. |
| June
30, 2010 |
Billy
turns down Burnley |
 |
Striker
Billy Sharp has rejected a transfer to Burnley after Sheffield United
accepted a bid of "more than £1 million" for his services.
Even the lure of working with his old boss Brian Laws at Turf Moor was
not enough to tempt the marksman, who was Rovers' top scorer last year,
to move to Lancashire. He has now told Sheffield United that he wants
to stay at Bramall Lane and have 'one last shot' of forcing his way into
United's starting eleven on a regular basis. The Star reported that a
'source close to the player' told them: "Everyone knows what Sheffield
United means to Billy. He wants to give it one more go, have one more
shot at staying there. Burnley's proposal was worth a lot of money but
Billy, after thinking things through, just had a gut feeling that he wanted
to try and see things through here. He didn't want to go and then regret
it later because he's not only a United player. He's a fan too." United manager Kevin Blackwell, who has only rarely selected Sharp during his time at the club, told the BBC: "Billy's a Blade and has a desire to succeed at this club. I asked Billy to go and prove himself last season and he did that, so credit to him." Sharp will be out of contract next summer and will be free to talk to prospective new employers from 1st January. |
| June
30, 2010 |
Local
derby on TV |
 |
It
has been announced that Doncaster Rovers' home game against Sheffield
United on Saturday, 23rd October, has been selected for live broadcast
on the BBC. As a consequence, the kick-off time has been put back from the usual 3pm and will now be 5.15pm. |
| June
29, 2010 |
Yates
considers move for Melligan |
 |
Cheltenham
Town manager Mark Yates is reported to be considering a move for former
Rovers winger JJ Melligan following his release from Leyton Orient at
the end of last season. Melligan has been plying his trade with League
of Ireland Premier Division club Dundalk since leaving Orient, but he
has a clause in his Dundalk contract allowing him to leave his native
Ireland should an English Football League club make an approach. Yates, also a former Rovers player, although from several years earlier, has confirmed that he has made enquiries about Melligan. He told their local paper: "JJ Melligan is someone I have thought about and I have spoken to his agent, but I am undecided at the moment. I have a meeting with the board of directors on Monday and I will know more about where we are then." Melligan has also played for Bournemouth, Kidderminster Harriers, Doncaster Rovers and Cheltenham Town before joining Leyton Orient three summers ago. |
| June
29, 2010 |
Rob
stays at Avenue |
 |
Ex-Rovers
youth team player Rob O'Brien has signed a new contract with Evo-Stik
Premier Division club Bradford Park Avenue as they prepare for next season.
Avenue, like numerous other clubs this summer, are having to trim their
budget which is forcing a number of changes to their squad, but they still
expect to mount another promotion challenge in the coming campaign. Bradford
have lost their top two goal-scorers (Aidan Savory and Chris Hall) from
last season along with Pakistan international Amjad Iqbal. Boss Simon Collins commented: “We have got a good, healthy squad and there will be competition for places in the coming season. We would have been keen on keeping a lot more of last season’s squad but we are working within budget restraints. Some players won’t accept that and have moved on for the promise of the same money or more money. Because the club came so close to promotion to the Conference in the season just gone, some of the players want to play at a higher level and if that’s their reason for leaving then fair play to them." |
| June
29, 2010 |
Scunny
confirm kick-off time change |
 |
Scunthorpe
United have confirmed that they have brought their home game against Doncaster
Rovers on Saturday, 16th October forward by three hours, and the match
will now kick-off at 12 noon. The change has been made due to a request
by the local police force. Rovers had reported that the kick-off time
would change, but that it was still subject to confirmation by the Football
League. |
| June
29, 2010 |
Player
of the season |
 |
On
Saturday we revealed the players that finished between positions 16 and
20 in the "Player of the Season" voting. Today, we continue
that process by announcing the players that ended in positions 11 to 15.
The voting has been carried out throughout the season by accumulating
all votes cast in the "Man of the Match" votes for every single
competitive first team game. 15 Adam Lockwood (2.46%) 14 Sam Hird (2.51%) 13 Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (3.11%) 12 Gareth Roberts (3.72%) 11 James Chambers (2.87%) |
| June
28, 2010 |
Ryan
- odds are a joke! |
 |
The
odds produced by William Hill last week for promotion from the Championship
leave Doncater Rovers as one of the favourites for relegation next season.
Mind you, that's just the same as last season, and just the same as Blackpool
last season, and we all know what happened to them! Rovers finished in the top half of the table last season, yet the bookies still have them as joint third-favourites for an exit to League One. Favourites for promotion are Queen's Park Rangers and Burnley at 11/4 - yet QPR finished below Rovers last term. Also amongst the favourites to go up at odds of 7/2 are Cardiff, Reading, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest. Odds for relegation see Scunthorpe as favourites (15/8) followed by Crystal Palace (2/1), then Rovers, Watford and Barnsley (all 7/2). For those that are after a huge windfall next summer, Rovers are rated as 50/1 to win the Championship and 14/1 for promotion. On seeing the odds, Rovers chairman John Ryan said: "The bookmakers don't seem to have cottoned on to the fact that ten teams finished below us in our first season in the Championship and last season we were actually in the top half of the table. One of the teams below us, in fact, was Queen's Park Rangers! In fairness the bookies don't often get it wrong and I'm quite pleased with how they rate us. They had Blackpool in the same position last season - and look what happened to them." Ryan added: "It's all a bit of a joke but seriously I don't have a problem with the odds. We are still perceived as a small club with a fan base that is dwarfed by most teams in the division. But our loyal supporters are magnificent, the team play the best football in the Championship and we have a manager who is one of the best in the country." |
| June
28, 2010 |
Mutch
called up by England |
 |
Jordon
Mutch, who played on loanat Doncaster Rovers last season, has been called
up to attend the England Under-19 training camp at the end of this month.
The three day camp is being staged ahead of the European Under-19 Championship
Finals in July, which is being held in France. Head Coach at U19 level
Noel Blake will use the camp to select his final squad for next month's
tournament. Mutch impressed in his time at Rovers last season, earning an extension to his initial month loan to keep him at the Keepmoat Stadium until the end of the season. |
| June
28, 2010 |
Bayo's
SPL move is off |
 |
Ex-Rovers
striker Adebayo Akinfenwa will not be moving to play in the SPL next season
after Aberdeen have failed to follow up their initial interest in the
player. Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee is keen to sign a 'prolific' striker
for next season after his shot-shy side scored only 36 goals in 38 SPL
games last season. However, his plans will continue without Akinfenwa, with Bayo's agent, Dean Baker confiming the move to Scotland was now off. The former Swansea and Northampton striker is now likely to find another club in the lower English divisions, with a move overseas also possible. |
| June
27, 2010 |
Fairhurst
hopes for first team chance |
 |
Rovers
striker Waide Fairhurst is hoping to impress in the pre-season period
sufficiently to persuade Sean O'Driscoll to include him in the starting
eleven for next seson. The former youth team player has done well enough
so far to persuade O'Driscoll to extend his contract by a further twelve
months, meaning he is contracted to Rovers until summer 2012. He told the Doncaster Star: "I intend to work very hard during pre-season and show what I can do and hopefully get a good start to the season. I know that I'll get my chance in pre-season games and it's vital that I do well and hopefully score a few goals." Fairhurst's chances may well depend on whether Rovers are successful in signing Billy Sharp from Sheffield United. The move seems to be in the balance at the moment, with Burnley and Leeds reported to be Rovers' main rivals, but John Ryan is keeping his fingers crossed that the fact that Sharp thoroughly enjoyed his time at Rovers will ultimately sway his decision. Fairhurst continued: "Billy is a good player and a good finisher. I watched him and learnt from him last season. If Billy doesn't come back here next season then hopefully I could be the person to fill his boots. It would be a big ask but, as I say, I'll keep working hard." |
| June
27, 2010 |
Heffernan
tipped to succeed |
 |
Former
Sheffield Wednesday defender Lee Bullen has tipped Paul Heffernan to succeed
next season after making the relatively short move from Doncaster this
summer. Heffernan, who was released at the end of his Rovers contract
after only rarely being included in the match day squad last season, has
been prolific throughout his career, and Bullen thinks that this will
continue at Hillsborough. He said: "He is lethal in the 18-yard box and he has proven himself at this level before. If he can strike up a partnership with Marcus Tudgay or Jermaine Johnson then the club will be in business. It is important that the midfield and the wide-men provide Paul with the right service and I'm sure if he gets that he will flourish. Paul has played at this level before and he is not one of those players who will worry if he misses one or two opportunities. He will just move on and make sure he keeps putting himself in the right positions to score." |
| June
27, 2010 |
Player
of the season |
 |
It
may have been almost a fortnight since we began our "Player of the
Season" feature by listing those who came outside the top twenty
players of last season, but we now continue our countdown by revealing
those who take up positions 16 to 20. The "Player of the Season" is compiled by adding every single vote cast in the "Man of the Match" polls throughout last season, meaning that every single vote cast really does count. The players in postions 16 to 20 are as follows: 20+ Lewis Guy and Waide Fairhurst (1.56% each) 19 Jordon Mutch (1.61%) 18 Elliott Ward (1.66%) 17 Simon Gillett (1.91%) 16 Mark Wilson (2.01%) For those who want to review the players that finished outside the top twenty, please check back to the news item of 14th June. Any guesses as to who the "Player of the Season" may be? We'll let you know later in the summer! |
| June
27, 2010 |
What
players are offered! |
 |
The
inducements offered to players to persuade them to join a particular club
are sometimes mind-boggling to everyone not fortunate enough to play the
game professionally. This was highlighed by an article we spotted this
week on the BBC website which mentioned some things on offer to former
Rovers winger Craig Nelthorpe, who recently joined Blue Square North club
Gateshead - which is two levels below the Football League. Barrow boss Dave Bayliss, who was unsuccessful in persuading Nelthorpe to sign for his club, told BBC Radio Cumbria: "We spoke to Craig a number of times over the summer but we couldn't compete with what Gateshead were offering. Gateshead offered him a house, better wages and a re-location fee. He's got a wife and two young kids to think about and we couldn't offer him a deal like that." |
| June
26, 2010 |
Sean
gets new job |
 |
Former
Doncaster Rovers defender Sean Parrish has been appointed as the new Head
of Youth at Northampton Town. He has been at Northampton for the last
few years as the Under-18s coach, and the departure of Geoff Harrop this
summer gives him the opportunity to take reponsibility for all of Northampton's
youth set-up. Chairman David Cardoza said: "Sean has been a big part of the youth department's success over the last few years, while Trevor (Gould) is vastly experienced as a player, manager and coach. We should not underestimate the role Sean and Trevor have played in bringing a number of young players through. They both know the club, they know the coaches, they know the players currently in the system and they have built up a lot of contacts with local clubs, managers and coaches over the last few years. Knowing the local football scene and having contacts there is very important." "With Sean, whose main emphasis will be on players aged from 16 to 18, we will have a seamless link between the youth department and the first team squad. For young players continuity is important, and so is a clear link between our Centre of Excellence and the first team and we have that. Sean has all the coaching knowledge and experience required and I think he will be perfect for that role. He has grown in stature as a coach over the last few years and he is a valued member of our talented and well balanced coaching staff." Parrish played over fifty games for Doncaster Rovers between 1994 and 1996 before moving on to Northampton for a four year stay, during which time he played over 100 matche for the Cobblers. |
| June
26, 2010 |
Advance
tickets for Joma tournament update |
 |
We
would like to remind any supporters thinking of going down to Devon for
the Joma 2010 South West Challenge Cup in July that the discounted advance
tickets are only on sale until the end of this month. The tournament organisers
have put 1,000 adult tickets at £15 on sale, which will remain on
sale unitl 30th June or until the full 1,000 allocation has been sold.
There will also be 250 Senior Citizen tickets available on the same terms. Those tickets will be valid for all twelve of the preliminary round games - although you cannot see all twelve games as more than one game is scheduled in the various venues to be played at the same time. The tournament takes place between 19th and 25th July. Tickets for individual preliminary round matches are £5 per adult and £1 for accompanying children. |
| June
26, 2010 |
Boro
to offer new deal to Wheater |
 |
Middlesbrough
have been expected to offload former Rovers loan defender David Wheater
this summer to help finance Gordon Strachan's team building plans. However,
a statement by Boro chairman Steve Gibson denied that would be necessary,
with the possibility of Wheater extending his stay at the club beyond
next summer, when his present contract expires. Gibson said: "We do have funds available. We might be the best resourced club in the Championship. I think we should be able to give Gordon the transfer support he's asking for and I would think we'd be favourites to go up if we do that. Gordon Strachan wouldn't have come to Middlesbrough if he didn't think he'd have support." |
| June
26, 2010 |
Price
to help with coaching |
 |
Ex-Rovers
striker Jason Price is hoping to put his experience to good use next season
by helping out with coaching at Carlisle United. The 33 year old joined
Carlisle this summer, and is taking his coaching badges, presumably with
a view to going into that side of the game whenever he retires from playing.
In the meantime, he is aiming to help young strike partner Gary Madine
progress. He said: "I think with a bit of knowledge from myself Gary Madine will do really well and I hope my experience can help him. I'm doing my coaching badges as well and I want to help young players. I've been around for 15 years now so I'm experienced. I was really impressed with him and think he has a lot of potential. He's 6ft 3in, good in the air, good on the floor and, although he has a lot to learn, he is a very good player." |
| June
25, 2010 |
Nelson
joins Notts |
 |
Notts
County have signed former Doncaster Rovers goalkeeper Stuart Nelson on
a two year contract. Nelson was out of contract at Aberdeen and had been
offered a one year deal at Pittodrie - but the lack of first team opportunities
added to the lack of an SPL reserve team league contributed to his decision
to move south. The move to County is still subject to a satisfactory medical examination. Nelson, now 28, began his league career at Doncaster Rovers after signing from Tonbridge Angels, and went on to play for Brentford, Leyton Orient and Norwich City before moving to Aberdeen twelve months ago. He will now compete with Rob Burch, who joined Notts from Lincoln City this summer, for the number 1 shirt at Meadow Lane. After signing for his new club, Stuart commented: "I am delighted to have a deal all tied up. The sooner I can move here and get settled in the better." |
| June
25, 2010 |
Hawkins
set for return to Ireland |
 |
Ex-Rovers
defender Colin Hawkins is likely to return back home to Ireland after
his contract at Brighton & Hove Albion expired this summer. Hawkins
missed virtually all last season at the Seagulls due to an ongoing ankle
injury, but had been offered a chance to prove himself by new boss Gus
Poyet by going back for pre-season training in July. However, it now seems that Hawkins is keen to return to the Republic of Ireland for family reasons, with Sporting Fingal ready to offer him another chance to play in the League of Ireland. He is one of Ireland's most successful defenders, having won the league title with St Patrick's Athletic (1998 & 1999), Bohenmians (2003) and Shelbourne (2006). As well as Sporting Fingal, the situation is also being monitored by Sligo Rovers and his hometown club, Galway United, but Fingal are supposedly his most likely destination - with the lure of European competitoin on offer, as Final prepare to face Portuguese side Maritimo. |
| June
25, 2010 |
Shirt
goes for £27,000 |
| |
A
collection of shirts given to Les Cocker, the former Leeds United trainer,
raised more than £27,000 in an auction of historic memorabilia earlier
this month. The shirt was sold by Les's 86 year old widow Nora earlier
this month and included twenty football shirts, mainly from international
matches, including the World Cup 1966 shirt of Ian Callaghan and Geoff
Hurst's spare 1966 England World Cup shirt. Les was also trainer at Doncaster Rovers whilst Billy Bremner was in his first spell at the club, but collapsed and died whilst taking a training session in 1979 at the age of 55. |
| June
25, 2010 |
Shirts
for Africa |
 |
Rovers
defender James Chambers is currently in South Africa to help distribute
Rovers' replica shirts to encourage youngsters in the poorest townships
to play the game. It is part of a humanitarian mission to help improve
the lives of youngsters - and could mean that thousands of young South
Africans will be running around this summer sporting Rovers shirts! Rovers have donated over 2,000 shirts to the World Cup host nationn - representing the entire remaining stock of replica shirts in the Rovers' shops. Chambers told the Doncaster Free Press: "It is a great gesture by my club and helps support me in my desire to give something back to the people of South Africa through my charity work. When I was asked if I would get involved I jumped at the chance. I knew I would be over in Cape Town and Johannesburg so I could get involved in giving out the shirts to the people in the townships I will be visiting." It is hoped that Doncaster's Kevin Keegan, who is in South Africa to help cover the World Cup, will be able to help the project after being contacted by Rovers' Director of Football, Mickey Walker. The only thing with sending the shirts to South Africa is that there are none left in the club shop for Doncaster Rovers fans to buy! The new Nike kit is expected to be delivered in mid-July. |
| June
24, 2010 |
Ryan
confident on landing Sharp |
| |
Doncaster
Rovers' chairman John Ryan remains optimistic that striker Billy Sharp
will join the club, despite Rovers having a club record transfer fee turned
down by Sheffield United last month. He told BBC Radio Sheffield: "We are hopeful we can do a deal for Billy Sharp and we think that we are the ideal team for him." Also in the hunt for Sharp's services are Burnley and Leeds United, although Burnley are considered the main challengers, as they have the benefit of a massive parachute payment after being relegated from the Premier League. Ryan continued: "Burnley have a £17 million parachute payment [from the Premier League] so it is difficult for us to fight them on a financial basis, but we will wait and see. A lot will depend on what Billy wants to do. If he wants to go to Burnley then that is the end of the story, but Billy might not want to go to Burnley and instead come to us. We sincerely hope that is the case." Sharp is now entering the last year of his contract at Bramall Lane and whilst he would like to stay at the club, it seems whilst Kevin Blackwell remains manager, his chances of getting in the first team will be very limited. Blackwell was giving little away, insisting that he does not know where Sharp will play his football next season. He said last week: "You can't predict what will happen. Three weeks ago Paddy Kenny was here and I wasn't expecting him to go. There has been interest, but Billy has been away on honeymoon so we have been waiting until he gets back. If there are any offers they will be considered and dealt with by Trevor Birch in the usual way." Burnley are confident that they will land Sharp - potentially as quickly as this weekend - even though they have not actually tabled a bid yet. Boss Brian Laws is understood to have discussed the size of fee required to persuade United to part with the player, although the higher chance of first team football elsewhere may yet persuade Sharp not to move to Turf Moor. |
| June
24, 2010 |
Palace
game moved forward |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have announced that the home game against Crystal Palace has been
moved forward 24 hours and will now be played on Friday, 27th April 2011
- Good Friday - but the kick-off time will remain at 3pm. The news comes
just a few days after they announced that the home game against Middlesbrough
will now be played on Friday, 17th December (Kick-off 7.45pm) instead
of on the following day. One final game that looks set to be changed is the away game at Scunthorpe United. As in recent years, the fixture looks certain to be given a midday kick-off instead of the traditional 3pm start. All but the Middlesbrough change are subject to confirmation from the Football League - whilst they could reject the fixture changes, it is highly unlikely. |
| June
24, 2010 |
Lewer
to take Histon to court |
 |
Alan
Lewer has confirmed that he will be taking legal action against Blue Square
Premier club Histon after leaving the club in 'bizarre' circumstances
last month. He has a letter from then-chairman Tony Roach which offered him the manager's job for next season - but a change of chairman led to the post being advertised and subsequently offered to former Lincoln boss John Beck. Lewer says that after not receiving a reply to a letter hand-delivered to the club, he has now alternative but to go to court to resolve the matter. He said: "I popped a letter through their letterbox stating my intentions and they've not even replied to it. I thought they'd come back to me to say they'd offer me X amount of money, but I've not heard anything. The next stage will be that I have to go through the courts and my solicitor will be writing to them. My solicitor feels I have a concrete case." |
| June
24, 2010 |
Accrington
ticket information |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers hav confirmed that, as in recent seasons, ticket prices for the
home game against Accrington Stanley in the Carling Cup will be reduced
in an effort to boost crowds. The match is to be played on Tuesday, 10th
August, with a 7:45pm kick-off, and will be £10 for adults, and
£5 for all concessionary categories. Tickets will go on sale from Monday, 5th July to season ticket holders and members, and remaining tickets will go on general sale from Monday, 12th July. Season ticket holders will have their seats reserved until 12th July, after which they will be placed on general sale. |
| June
23, 2010 |
Warren
signs for Guiseley |
 |
Former Doncaster
Rovers midfielder Warren Peyton hass signed for Blue Square North newcomers
Guiseley. |
| June
23, 2010 |
Greer
set to be priced out of move to Seagulls |
 |
Ex-Rovers
defender Gordon Greer is highly rated by current club Swindon Town - to
such an extent that it looks certain that Brighton & will be unsuccessful
in their move to prise the Scot down to the South Coast. Brighton have had a bid of £250,000 for the 29 year old turned down by Swindon's board, but Town are valuing him at £450,000, even though Greer has just twelve months left on his contract at the County Ground. Brighton have been keen to sign Greer after skipper Andrew Crofts left to join Norwich City, and fellow defender Adam Virgo was released. Brighton chairman Tony Bloom said: "We have made a second offer, which we consider to be very fair, but it is miles away from Swindon’s valuation. We have other options so we’re moving on.” Swindon chairman Andrew Fitton commented: “Because we were successful last season we have had a lot of clubs asking how much for a number of our players and the answer to most of them is the same as what I have said previously – that I wouldn’t get out of bed for it. It is obvious that we’ve built a successful squad and now want to build on that. We have already lost a few players over the summer and need to replace what we have lost, not lose more. Everything has its price, and any club below halfway down the Premier League is a selling club, but that is not to say that anybody is for sale. You can never rule out anything but I am not expecting us to sell our prized assets.” |
| June
23, 2010 |
Taylor
hopes to stay on |
 |
Wrexham
boss Dean Saunders gave the impression that he had offered former Rovers
striker Gareth Taylor a new 12 month contract, and that the player was
taking time to consider the deal, which also involved coaching duties.
However, in an interview with the Wrexham Leader, Gareth explained the
situation a little further. He said: “I want to stay. I have a had a little bit of interest from clubs back in the Football League and while that may seem attractive I want to stay at Wrexham. Deep down that is where I want to play my football next season. The time I had there last season I thoroughly enjoyed, I managed to score some goals and I also did some coaching which was good for me.” “Wrexham are a huge club that belies its current status. We are where we are though and I want to be able to help Wrexham get their Football League status back. It will be difficult with six or eight teams set to be favourites but we have a good side and I am confident we can give it a real go next season.” Even though he missed a number of matches at the end of the season with an ankle injury, his fitness does not seem to be a problem to him, as he said: "I feel as fit as I ever have. I look after myself and have done work with Mal Purchase to make sure that I am ready, I feel really fit. I started last season really well and was able to get some goals for the side before an ankle injury disrupted my season. Despite that though I still managed to play over 20 games and scored 10 goals in total. Taylor revealed that he is still waiting to hear from the club over a new deal, adding: “I am not panicking at the moment. I didn’t get myself sorted at Wrexham last season until the end of June so it is not anything to worry about. It always happens this way in football, people are away and it takes time to get everything sorted out. I will just sit tight and wait for a phone call.” |
| June
23, 2010 |
Askern
ticket update |
| |
Tickets
for the pre-season friendly fixture between Askern Villa and Doncaster
Rovers are now on sale from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office, priced
at £6 for adults and £3 for U16s and OAPs. The ground capacity
is around 1,500 - and the Keepmoat Stadium website indicates that they
have sold 94 so far. For those of you going to the ground with your satnav, the post code for their ground is DN6 0AJ. The match will be played on 7th July with a 7pm kick-off. |
| June
22, 2010 |
Nike
deal with Rovers confirmed |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers confirmed yesterday that they have signed a three year agreement
with Nike to produce the official Rovers kit. The deal begins immediately,
with two new kits scheduled to be launched for the 2010/11 season. With
the constant change in design and sponsors names, let us hope that the
design produced for the 2010/11 season lasts for more than one season
this time! The arrangement involves a tie-up with Nike's partners Just Sport Pro Club, who will be refurbishing the club's shop at the Keepmoat Stadium in time for the start of next season. That will mean that the club shop will be closed for business whilst the refit is done - no dates for closure have yet been confirmed though. |
| June
22, 2010 |
Fixtures
update |
| |
Rovers
have announced that the home game against Middlesbrough, scheduled for
Saturday, 18th December, has been changed and will now be played on the
previous evening. The match will kick-off at 7.45pm. Most clubs find that
crowds dip on the final Saturday before Christmas, so Rovers have made
the move with the hope that supporters will be able to see the game as
well as finish off their Christmas shopping. We have also noticed that three home games clash with race meetings at Doncaster Racecourse. Whilst home games have taken place at the Keepmoat Stadium on race days in the past, they will doubtless be subject to police scrutiny as to whether they will ask for the games to be moved. The affected dates are: Saturday, 14th August (Bristol City) Saturday, 23rd October (Sheffield United) Saturday, 11th December (Leicester City) |
| June
22, 2010 |
Thornton
interests Monkey Hangers |
 |
Former
Doncaster Rovers midfielder Sean Thornton is set for a return back north
after being released by Leyton Orient this summer. The Northern Echo has
reported that Thornton is currently in the sights of Hartlepool United
boss Chris Turner, with the aquisition of a central midfielder being one
of his priorities this summer. Thornton will probably be best remembered by Rovers fans for his superb goal at Belle Vue in the 3-0 win against Aston Villa in the Carling Cup in November 2005. He was at Rovers between 2005 and 2007 and featured in 76 games in all during his two seasons at the club, scoring on four occasions. |
| June
22, 2010 |
Swailes
goes into management |
 |
Following
on from the news that former Rovers defender Chris Swailes has moved to
join Blue Square North club Gateshead, the club have now announced that
Swailes has been appointed as their new assistant manager. The experienced
centre back, now 39, returned to join his home-town club this summer after
being released by Blyth Spartans at the end of last season. In a career
that dates back to 1989 at Ipswich Town, Chris has also played for Peterborough
United, Boston United, Birmingham City, Guisborough Town, Doncaster Rovers,
Bury, Rotherham United, Oldham Athletic and Hamilton Academical. This will be Swailes' first management position. |
| June
21, 2010 |
Nelthorpe
joins Gateshead |
| |
Ex-Doncaster
Rovers left winger Craig Nelthorpe has signed for Blue Square Premier
club Gateshead after being released by divisional rivals York City. Nelthorpe
manage to play only a handful of games for the Minstermen last season
- all as a substitute, and went to Luton Town on loan early in the New
Year after bing on loan at Barrow earlier in the season, so it was no
surprise to him that he was released this summer. He told the Evening Chronicle: “Relocating to Tyneside and playing for Gateshead will give me a fresh start and Ian Bogie is one of the best managers I have played under. My first spell on loan at Gateshead when I was a teenager was great and I scored eight goals in 18 games. The second in the Conference North was not so good, but I was low on confidence at the time and did not do myself justice. I have always had a good rapport with the fans. I didn't do myself justice but I have had good loan spells at Oxford, Barrow and Luton and I'm looking forward to making my mark at Gateshead. Hopefully by playing week in week out they will see the best of Craig Nelthorpe.” In an interview with Gateshead's official website, he said: "Unfortunately it didn't work out for me at York but it is a chance for a fresh start at Gateshead. The manager has faith in me and playing week in week out will bring the best out of me." Nelthorpe still has a court case pending after being one of four York players charged with affray in York city centre last year. New boss Ian Bogie commented: "He has a court case pending but hopefully he will receive a suspended sentence and maybe community service which we can work around his training at Gateshead. Craig is not a bad lad. I have worked with him twice in the past and with a young family I like to think he has matured over the last year." |
| June
21, 2010 |
Aden
joins Nuneaton |
| |
Former
Rovers youth team striker Aden Moore has signed for Blue Square North
club Nuneaton Borough. Aged 18, Aden stands at six feet tall and had been
attracting the attention of a number of Football League clubs. Injuries
limited his opportunities at Doncaster Rovers last season and the youngster
believes that the move will help him regain his fitness and reignite his
career. Nuneaton boss Kevin Wilkin said of the signing: “Aden Moore had been recommended to me by several scouts and we have the support with our own physios Richie Norman and Paul Egan to re-establish the lad’s football career” |
| June
21, 2010 |
Bus
to Solihull |
 |
The
Doncaster Rovers Supporters Club are considering running a coach to the
Rovers' friendly fixture at Solihull Moors, which is being played on Saturday,
17th July, but only if there is sufficient demand. If you are interested
in making the trip, please call Paul Mayfield on 07961 727769. |
| June
21, 2010 |
Clarets
tipped to sneak ahead of Rovers |
| |
This
week could turn out to be an interesting week for Billy Sharp, with three
clubs - Doncaster Rovers, Burnley and Leeds United, reported to be locked
in a battle for the Sheffield United' striker's signature. According to press reports over the weekend, Burnley are said to be the favourites for his signature, with a transfer fee of up to £1.5 million being mentioned in some circles. Burnley are, of course, helped by the substantial 'parachute payment' they receive after their relegation from the Premier League. Sharps' former boss Brian Laws is in charge at Turf Moor, and Sharp could also be tempted if reports of his former strike partner Andy Keogh being Burnley bound turn out to have substance. However, Rovers still have a good chance of success, with Sharp going on record a number of times to say how much he enjoyed last season with the club, and was clearly impressed by the faith shown in him by Sean O'Driscoll and John Ryan. Leeds' chance of signing him may depend on other transfer activity at Elland Road, with Tresor Kandol set to leave Leeds for Scunthorpe if Sharp were to join. |
| June
20, 2010 |
Rovers
fix up pre-season game |
| |
Doncaster
Rovers will play Blue Square North club Solihull Moors on Saturday, 17th
July, with a 3pm kick-off. The Midlands club announced the fixture on
Friday, and it also indicates that Rovers will be sending a full-strength
squad to the game. The match replaces the game at Notts County, which was cancelled when County's new management team elected to take their players to Austria for a training camp instead. The Moors have an quite impressive list of pre-season matches so far for a club at their level - they also face Football League opposition in the form of Kidderminster Harriers, Burton Albion, Derby County and Birmingham City - with just one away trip, to non-league Coleshill Town. There is no information yet about ticketing arrangements. |
| June
20, 2010 |
Congratulations,
Mickey! |
 |
We
would like to offer our congratulations to Rovers' Director of Football
Mickey Walker, who got married on Thursday. The news emerged midway through
an article in the Doncaster Star, which carried an interview with Mickey,
with the news that he was due to get married in Cyprus. Mickey was given a testimonial season last season as recognition for ten years' service at Doncaster Rovers, during which time he has taken the roles of Caretaker Manager, Assistant Manager and Director of Football. In the interview, Mickey concentrated on the news that Rovers face Accrington Stanley in the first round of the Carling Cup, comparing Accrington's recent situation with that of Rovers a few years ago. He said: "Accrington are a good club, and they've done what Doncaster have done. We were at the end of an era, and facing the end of Doncaster Rovers - we were in the Conference, and were looking at extinction. Then John Ryan, Dave Penney and the board came in and dragged us back, and now we're improving in the Championship year on year. "Accrington's story is almost a mirror image, and so it's ironic that the draw brings up a tie for them against a team who have been in their position before, done it and got the T-shirt." "It's a great tie for Accrington, and I wish them all the best in their season - except in the Carling Cup! I hope that they can emulate us fully, and one day make it to the Championship. It'd be a fantastic story. As a kid I remember them going out of the league, but it didn't mean anything to me then as a teenager. Accrington are a good footballing club and we'll have to be at our best to beat them. In some ways, we're like a Manchester United-type figure for them - they'll want to beat us, so it's always a potential banana skin." |
| June
20, 2010 |
County
close in on Spicer |
 |
Notts
County are reported to be close to signing Doncaster Rovers midfielder
John Spicer following his release at the end of his contract at Rovers
this summer. The 26 year old spent the last two months of last season
on loan at Leyton Orient, and a number of clubs are understood to be monitoring
the situation, but County boss Craig Short apparently sees him as a key
addition to his plans for next season. Notts County were League Two champions last season and Short is seeking players who will help his squad adapt to life in League One. Should he join the Magpies, Spicer will line up alongside two other former Rovers players - Graeme Lee and Ricky Ravenhill. |
| June
20, 2010 |
Fenton
predicts quick Mariners return |
 |
Former
Rovers defender Nick Fenton predicts that Grimsby Town can make a quick
return to the Football League after their relegation to the Blue Square
Premier League this summer. Fenton, now at Rotherham United, left Grimsby
in 2008, but says that he was devastated to see Town drop out of the League
last season. Now 30, Fenton told the Grimsby Telegraph: "I was devastated to see Grimsby go down – it's a real tragedy for everyone at the club and in the town because there are so many good people there. It's the worst thing for a club to drop out of the league. But they can get back. I spent time at Doncaster and they suffered the same fate before regrouping and coming back stronger. I reckon Grimsby can do the same." He added: "I hope Grimsby do well because I enjoyed my time at the club. We finished in mid-table both years which wasn't what we'd hoped for but did get to Wembley as well. I was pleased (former Rovers striker Neil Woods) Woodsy got the job last year – he's a good man. He almost kept Grimsby up last year which would have been amazing after going 25 games without a win. They won four out of the last six and had a real chance of staying up before missing out on the last day. If Neil can get a good squad together this summer, they can do well next season." |
| June
19, 2010 |
Fairhurst
signs on for more |
| |
Rovers
striker Waide Fairhurst has signed a new two year contract with the club,
which means he will stay at Rovers until the summer of 2012. Fa A graduate of the Rovers youth team, Waide played a few times at first team level last season, having an impressive goals/games ratio in the matches he started at the beginning of the season. However, the arrival of Billy Sharp meant that he was then used as a substitute, and eventually went out on loan to Shrewsbury Town, although a foot ligament injury curtailed his time there. Still aged only 21, Waide surely has a bright career ahead of him and the new contract means that he should be a key part of the Rovers' side for the next two seasons. |
| June
19, 2010 |
Boro
- hands off Wheater |
| |
Middlesbrough
chairman Steve Gibson has warned Premier League clubs that they should
not try to lure former Rovers loanee David Wheater away from the Riverside
this summer. Wheater, 22, has twelve months left to run on his contract,
and has previously been reported to be potentially set to leave Boro to
provide funds for Gordon Strachan's team rebuilding plans., but that does
not now appear to be the case. Gibson said: "David Wheater is exactly what this club wants. He is totally committed to this club, he is as great lad and if you ask him to do something, he will do it. He is Middlesbrough through and through. I think there's more to come from David. Fabio Capello included him in his England squad not that long ago. Since then, he's experienced a lot of change that hasn't helped him. Ultimately, I have an influence, but I don't pick the squad, Gordon Strachan does. But Gordon loves him. David's conduct around the place doesn't suggest he wants to go and he's not the kind of lad or player that we would want to leave this club. I want David Wheater at Middlesbrough Football Club.'' |
| June
19, 2010 |
Sarge
leaves Stevenage |
 |
Former
Doncaster Rovers defender Mark Albrighton has now left Stevenage Borough,
despite being apparently offered a new contract with the club. Albrighton
was often a feature of their subsitutes' bench last season, and a club
statement has said that he has been allowed to leave "to find regular
football elsewhere". Albrighton, known as "the Sarge" in his Doncaster days, is one of four players to be allowed to leave in search of first team football at another club. Boro have, of course, this summer won promotion into the Football League for the first time in the club's history. |
| June
19, 2010 |
Posh
deny Kazenga link |
 |
Peterborough
United's charismatic Director of Football, Barry Fry, has moved to deny
suggestions that Newcastle United striker Kazenga LuaLua is a target for
the Posh. With manager Gary Johnson currently away on holiday, Fry moved
to dampen the rumours after it was confirmed that they were pursuing a
young Premier League winger. LuaLua has only had limited chances in Newcastle's first team, and with their promoiton to the top flight this summer, it looks likely that his opportunities will be even fewer, meaning a loan move is highly possible. |
| June
18, 2010 |
Rovers
wait for reply from Blades |
| |
Doncaster
Rovers are waiting to hear whether Sheffield United have accepted their
bid for striker Billy Sharp, according to assistant manager Richard O'Kelly. O'Kelly told Sky Sports that they are still waiting to hear whether the bid, a club record, has been accepted or not - although it is unclear whether the bid he refers to is the one apparently turned down by the Blades last month, or whether a new bid has been tabled. He told Sky Sports: "We have made a bid for Billy and we are just waiting to hear from them now. Players don't have a certain price tag around their neck, with clubs making offers in and around that mark. So, it all depends on how highly they rate Billy. It worked well for all parties concerned last season because Billy wanted games and we wanted someone to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis." Sharp scored 15 goals for Doncaster Rovers last season and the Rovers management team are keen to retain his services to build on their top half finish of last season. |
| June
18, 2010 |
Price
signs for Cumbrians |
 |
Ex-Rovers
striker Jason Price has signed for League One club Carlisle United after
being released by Millwall. His contract with the Cumbrians will begin
on 1st July as, with most other players, Price's current contract runs
until 30th June. Price, 33, enjoyed a highly successful loan spell at
Carlisle last season after falling out of favour at the New Den, and boss
Greg Abbott has said that his vast experience of playing at this level
will aid their younger players greatly. Price has signed a one year deal with Carlisle, and scored four goals in nine appearances for them last season during his loan spell. |
| June
18, 2010 |
Mulligan
set to watch from sidelines |
 |
Ex-Rovers
defender David Mulligan is likely to have to watch from the sidelines
on Sunday when New Zealand face their biggest challenge in recent years
when they face reigning champions Italy at Nelspruit. The match kicks
off at 3pm UK time. Their 1-1 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday was hailed as one of their greatest-ever results - but all in the New Zealand squad will be keen to be included in Sunday's showdown. The challenge for Mulligan couldn't be bigger - whilst he played regularly during the Kiwis' World Cup qualifying campaign, he is considered to be only a squad player, and only got a place in the squad as he an play effectively in both defence and midfield. He will be striving to get some match action, as he is now without a club - and without playing in games this summer, he is unlikely to attract attention from potential new employers. A return to England is most likely - to sign for another A-League club, he would be categorised as an imported player. |
| June
18, 2010 |
Bradley
in cup success |
 |
Ex-Rovers
midfielder Mark Bradley, now part of the management team at Scottish club
Linlithgow Rose, was full of praise for his players in last week's East
of Scotland Cup victory over Musselburgh. Rose won the game 2-1, but stand-in
keeper Paddy Flannery was the star of the show. First choice stopper Steve
Pinkowsky was ruled out due to injury, with Bradley planning to field
reserve keeper ronnie McPherson in his place. However, on arriving at
the game, they found that their only available keeper was actually cup-tied,
meaning that Bradley had to name an outfield player in goal. Flannery,
a former Dumbarton striker, stopped up to the mark and played his part
in the cup victory. Rose went in front in the 22nd minute, but Musselburgh
equalised just a few minutes later. The winning goal came from the penalty
spot, with Bradley delighted with the result. After the game he said: "Credit to Paddy for taking over as keeper as we certainly had a problem there. We knew Stevie was out but no-one knew Ronnie was cup-tied. I'm hearing we only found out when Burgh boss Davie McGlynn came forward which was a terrific gesture. Despite the problem between the sticks we thoroughly deserved to win and probably should have gone on and scored more." Mark Bradley played for Rovers just once - in the first match Rovers played in the Conference, away at Dover, after whcih he resumed his playing career back in Scotland |
| June
17, 2010 |
Fixtures
for next season out |
| |
The
fixtures for the 2010/11 season have now been released by the Football
League. Newly named the Npower Championship after a change in sponsorship,
for Rovers the season begins on 7th August with a trip to Preston North
End, followed by a home game seven days later when Bristol City are the
visitors. Things have worked out fairly well over the Christmas and New Year period, with a trip to Derby on Boxing Day followed by a home game against Ipswich Town the following Tuesday. New Year's Day sees a local derby against Scunthorpe United, with a short trip to Sheffield United on Monday, 3rd January. The final fixtures of the season are, like last season, to be played on a Sunday afternoon. This time, Rovers are again away, with a trip to Middlesbrough on Sunday, 8th May. Due to licensing reasons, we are unable to publish the full list of fixtures on this website. The full licence costs over £300, which we are unwilling to pay. Whilst a 'fanzine' licence is availble, we have not applied to the club for this due to personal reasons. However, if you click on the logo to the left, you can access a full list of Rovers fixtures as published on the BBC's website. |
| June
17, 2010 |
Friend
targets promotion |
 |
New
signing George Friend is targeting a quick return to the Premier League
after joining Doncaster Rovers this week. After a good consolidating season
in the 2009/10 season, Rovers will be looking to progress further by challenging
for the play-off places this time around, something that George thinks
is a reasonable ambition. He told the Yorkshire Post: "I love to play football, and Doncaster certainly do that well. I always want to be able to play at the highest level that I can. I'm looking forward to it. I want to move forward with this club, and we have seen from Blackpool that anything is possible in football." He continued: "Doncaster are a nice Championship club, and I am happy to be here. I wasn't getting many games at Wolves, especially after they got promoted into the Premier League. I hope I can now come here and play some regular games in the Championship. Doncaster is a great club with good coaching staff - everything is done properly at this football club, and I am very excited." |
| June
17, 2010 |
Palace
to name new manager today |
| |
Crystal
Palace have announced that they will be holding a press conference at
3:30pm this afternoon at which they will reveal the identity of their
new manager. The new CPFC 2010 Consortium have just taken control at Selhurst
Park and are keen to move forward after last season's flirtation with
relegation after being docked ten points for going into administration. The Croydon Guardian has reported that they expect the new boss to be one of four names - with Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll one of those names alongside George Burley, Paul Hard and Dougie Freedman. They say that Chris Coleman, the former Coventry boss, has been interviewed for the job, but as he is in South Africa at the moment, so he is considered unlikely to be their new manager. However, we were under the impression that Sean is also on holiday at the moment, so that would presumably rule him out on the same reasoning. Also, with Rovers demanding compensation from Burnley when they enquired during last season, we would expect Palace to go for someone who is currently without a club. Let us hope so! |
| June
17, 2010 |
Accrington
date confirmed |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have confirmed that their Carling Cup tie against Accrington Stanley
will be played at the Keepmoat Stadium on Tuesday, 10th August, with a
7:45pm kick-off. No mention has yet been made as to ticket prices for the clash - in the past few seasons, reduced admission prices have been applicable in the Carling Cup. Accrington are also taking part in the Joma South West Challenge Cup in July, so the two clubs could possibly meet twice this year. |
| June
16, 2010 |
Rovers
get home draw |
| |
Doncaster
Rovers have been drawn at home to Accrington Stanley in the first round
of the Carling Cup. The tie will be played in the week commencing Monday,
9th August, and will have a 7.45pm kick-off. The full draw can be seen by clicking on the logo to the left. The full league fixtures will be released by the Football League at 10am tomorrow morning. |
| June
16, 2010 |
O'Kelly
- next season will be tough |
 |
Rovers'
assistant manager Richard O'Kelly predicts that a challenging season lies
ahead of the club, with more clubs having more money to spend thanks to
the 'parachute payments' system. The challenge comes in trying to combat that extra spending power withbeing "streetwise" and taking Blackpool as an example to follow. They achived promotion to the top flight whilst having a relatively small budget to finance the squad. O'Kelly told the Doncaster Star: "I think the Championship gets tougher every year without a shadow of a doubt. You've got more clubs with money to spend which makes it very difficult for clubs like ourselves and Scunthorpe, who don't get massive crowds, to get something out of it, but that is part of the fun of it. We know what to expect - we aren't going in there with our eyes closed - so we have to do things in a different way. We have to be more organised and have more aces up our sleeves and be more streetwise and learn from what we've done in the previous two years and put it to good use. He added: "Two of the three relegated clubs, Hull City and Portsmouth, have got financial problems. But, as we have seen in the past, they still pay an absolute fortune out in wages and generally keep the majority of the top players and in one way or another end up stronger than ever. I would say that both clubs would love to keep as many of their strong players as they can, so I would expect them both to be rather tough to compete against. Because of the way they played the year they went up, and the quality they had, and some of the games they had last year, Burnley will be a threat. Of the teams coming up, Norwich City have done what Leicester City did the previous season by going down and bouncing straight back up again. Leeds United are a massive club and have been knocking on the door for the last two or three years and I think that both will be a big threat next season. Millwall are probably the team that people will look at and say they'll struggle, but I watched them towards the end of the season on quite a few occasions and they looked tough. I don't think going into the Championship will faze them because they've got players who are just breaking through at this level." |
| June
16, 2010 |
Home
pre-season game ticket info |
 |
Doncaster
Rovers have confirmed ticket price information for their home pre-season
games against West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday. For the game against West Bromwich Albion, which is set to be played on Tuesday, 27th July, adult tickets are £10, concessions £5 and Under-16s £1. For the game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, 31st July, adult tickets are £10 and concessions £5. Tickets will go on sale from Monday, 21st July, with season ticket holders having their seats reserved until Monday, 5th July, when they will go on general sale. |
| June
16, 2010 |
Norbury
moves on |
 |
Ex-Rovers
striker Micky Norbury has left KoolSport Northern Counties East League
club Worsbrough Bridge to take up a management position at Harrogate Railway
in the Evo-Stik League Division One North. A Worsborough club spokesman said: "Mick goes with the best wishes of all at Worsbrough. We understand that Mick could not afford to turn down the chance to move back up to the Evo-Stik League where he had previously worked with Goole AFC. We thank him for what he did for us by stepping in at short notice to try to help us through a crisis in the middle of the season." Norbury had resigned as assistant manager at Goole AFC last September following a string of disappointing results. |
| June
16, 2010 |
Swindon
turn down bid |
 |
Swindon
Town have turned down a second bid for former Doncaster Rovers defender
Gordon Greer from Brighton & Hove Albion. Greer faced the disappointment of having to miss out on the League One play-off final at Wembley after being somewhat harshly sent off in the semi-finals - and saw Swindon go down to defeat against Millwall to face another season in League One. Sky Sports report that Brighton made an initial offer at the end of last season, but have now come back with a £250,000 bid for the 29 year old Scot - but the Robins rejected the offer. Greer has been a big success after moving to Swindon last summer from Doncaster Rovers and was virtually ever-present last season. |