December 31, 2011

Watford v Rovers

Rovers will be without influential midfielder Brian Stock for this afternoon's away game at Watford. The Welsh international sits out the game due to a one match suspension after receiving his fifth booking of the season against Burnley on Boxing Day. Herold Goulon is likely to return in his place.
Boss Dean Saunders has now new injury concerns ahead of the game, with Pascal Chimbonda fit again after recovering from a hip injury, but he may well have to settle for a place on the bench again.
El-Hadjii Diouf will be fit to start the game after being substituted as a precaution at Burnley in what was his first match back after a hamstring injury.
The trio of new signings announced on Christmas Eve are not available today as their contracts cannot take effect until the January transfer window opens, but apart from that, the injury list has a strange familiarity about it, with those continuing to be absent being Carl Ikeme, Neil Sullivan, James Chambers, Tommy Spurr, Martin Woods, John Oster, Shelton Martis, Richard Naylor and Chris Brown.
Watford, who are seeking to extend their recent good run of form to eight matches without defeat today, have no new injury worries ahead of this afternoon's game at Vicarage Road. They will be without centre-half Martin Taylor, who is still recovering from knee ligament damage, and Stephen McGinn, whilst striker Chris Iwelumo will be hoping for a recall after recovering from illness.

December 31, 2011

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's game against Watford at Vicarage Road have been confirmed as:
Referee: Darren Drysdale
Assistant referees: M.Bull & D. Bushell
Fourth official: J. Magill

December 31, 2011

Saunders warns players must fight for their place

Rovers boss Dean Saunders has warned all of the players in the squad that no-one's place in the side is assured, with competition for a number of positions now hotting up.
Experienced defender Lamine Diatta has yet to make his first team debut for Rovers after being signed earlier this month, although the slight abatement of the Rovers' injury crisis has been a contributory factor.
Saunders said: "I signed Lamine when we were short of players, when we were struggling to make a bench. I signed Lamine as cover for what we had and now it's up to him. At the minute he's not had the chance to play because Sam Hird and Habib Beye have been playing well. At the time he arrived (Adam) Lockwood was suspended and (Richard) Naylor's finger was broken so we were struggling for bodies. He's now in a competition with them. You've also got Shelton Martis who is going to be fit soon and he'll probably be available for maybe the Barnsley game."

December 31, 2011

Ten more wins to be safe

Dean Saunders has set his side a target of ten wins in the second half of the season to make sure that they stay in the Championship. Those ten wins, on top of the 19 already achieved, would give Rovers 49 points, which ought to be enough to avoid relegation comfortably.
The chances of achieving ten wins from the 23 remaining league games may well depend on the players that come and go from tomorrow, but Saunders is confident of success. He said: "The players are in good shape for Watford, they're looking fitter than ever and we're battling as much as we ever have been because the players have realised they have to do the 'ugly' side of things to win. Watford are a determined, organised and hard working side who know how to get a draw. We've got a plan in our head and we've got no one to fear, we just need to keep doing what we're doing," said Saunders.

December 31, 2011

Shiels in the dark over his future

Rovers midfielder Dean Shiels is unsure of whether he will be allowed to stay with Kilmarnock for the rest of the season, with Kilmarnock reporting that they are struggling to get a decision out of Doncaster Rovers on whether the loan deal can be extended. At the moment, Shiels' loan is due to expire on 16th January, after which he will return to Rovers, unless a new deal can be struck by then.
Shiels has been a regular part of the side at Kilmarnock, who play in the Scottish Premier League, and their boss, his father Kenny, is keen to keep him at Rugby Park.
Shiels (senior) said: "I'm talking away and trying to make some headway but there is no headway. It's really hard."

December 31, 2011

Pittman has future at Oxford

Former Rovers striker Jon-Paul Pittman can still have a future at Oxford United, says Oxford boss Chris Wilder, despite being sent out on loan for three months at Crawley Town this season.
Wilder told BBC Radio Oxford: "He's contracted to the football club, so he is part of the squad. If he wants to stop here then I'll be more than happy. It's up to him but he can be a big player for us."
The U's boss continued: "We made a decision that he needed to go out and get games, unfortunately that didn't happen at Crawley. Now he has to go out and show his qualities on the field that made us sign him in the first place."

December 30, 2011

Chimbonda stays for rest of season

Doncaster Rovers defender Pascal Chimbonda has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until the end of the season. He had initially signed a short-term deal that was due to expire in January, but following El-Hadjii Diouf's decision to pen an extended stay, Chimbonda now wants to stay to help Rovers up the table.
He told DROS after signing his new contract: "The aim is to stay in the Championship, if we do that then we can achieve big things. There's a lot who've followed me in that are quality like Diouf and Ilunga, and I want to stay with them until the end of the season. Maybe after that we can aim for the playoffs, but first we have to beat Watford and Barnsley - a game that is £20, I think it's good value for the fans!"
The 32-year-old former Wigan, Tottenham and Blackburn full-back was Dean Saunders' first signing, and was included on the substitutes' bench for the Boxing Day game at Burnley after missing several games with a hip injury.

December 30, 2011

Ricky wants to stay a Bantam

Ex-Rovers midfielder Ricky Ravenhill is enjoying his time on loan at Bradford City, and wants to stay beyond the end of his current deal, which runs until January 14th. With his parent club, Notts County, looking to reduce their wage bill, if Ravenhill can agree terms, there is the possibility that the move may be a permanent one.
He told the Telegraph & Argus: “I’ve made it clear I’d love to stay here. It’s a good club to play for. I’ve settled in straight away, the lads have made me feel very welcome and I really feel we’re going in the right direction. Obviously we’ve got to get these games out of the way before we can really start talking about things. But I’m really enjoying it. I was a little dubious at first dropping back to League Two again but if there’s any club you’re going to come to in this division it would be this one.”

December 30, 2011

Ryan to the Lions

Ex-Rovers loan midfielder Ryan Mason has agreed a loan deal at Millwall for the rest of the season. He started the season on loan at Doncaster Rovers, but partly due to injury and the change of manager in the autumn, Ryan rarely featured for Rovers and his loan deal, which had been agreed for the full season, was cut short.
Tottenham Hotspur's official site has announced that two of their young players, Harry Kane and Ryan Mason, will be joining Millwall on loan on 1st January.
The move gives Mason the prospect of a return to Doncaster with his new club on 20th March.

December 30, 2011

Beye happy to stay

On-loan defender Habib Beye will be happy to stay at Doncaster Rovers for the rest of the season if the club can come to an agreement with his parent club, Aston Villa.
The Senegalese international was hoping for a fresh start at Villa with the arrival of Alex McLeish as manager, but it failed to happen, and he now hopes that his time at Rovers will be a useful stepping stone to finding another club.
Beye is "excited" by the prospects at Rovers and, along with the other signings at the club in recent months, he thinks that there is enough quality in the Rovers squad to avoid relegation.
He told the Yorkshire Post: “I don’t want to go back to Aston Villa. If I can stay here until the end of the season, that will suit me. This was a good opportunity and I like the project. I spoke with the manager, the chairman, and they all wanted to achieve something. It’s a great club and I made the choice to be part of it."
There is still the prospect of him leaving during the next month. He continued: "If anyone comes in for me in January, like a Premier League club, I have the authorisation to speak with them, but right now I am happy here and 100 per cent a Doncaster player.”
“The project is to stay in the Championship and we have the quality you need to do that,” he said. “We are fighting to get out of trouble and we have been playing well as a team. Confidence grows when you keep things tight at the back and the goals start to come. As you get to know each other more, there is also more affinity and more complicity. I am confident that we can stay up. The team is not in the right place in the table. We are better than bottom three but we have to work our way out."

December 30, 2011

Collin eyes Championship football

With Carlisle United just one point outside of the play-off places in League One, Carlisle goalkeeper Adam Collin is keeping his fingers crossed that he will be able to play in the Championship without having to change clubs.
Collin, who spent some time at Rovers on loan earlier in his career as cover for Andy Warrington, is rated as one of the best keepers in the lower two divisions and is the subject of continual speculation over his future. He kept 16 clean sheets in 56 games last season, and even though he is contracted to the Cumbrians until summer 2013, the club are still fearful that he could be lured away by a bigger club.
Carlisle have announced plans to build a new 12,000 seater stadium capable of hosting Championship football, so the club are matching Adam's ambition of playing higher up the divisions.
He told the News & Star: "When the news broke about the stadium plans and new training facilities, there was a buzz around the dressing room and players were saying what a good idea it was. My aim is to play at the highest level I can and hopefully I will get to play in the Championship one day. If it is with Carlisle that would be brilliant because they’re my local club. You don’t know if teams are watching you. You just have to keep putting good performances together and my name might get touted around but I’m under contract here until 2013 and I’m happy to do my stuff here. The plans that are in place for the ground are gearing everything towards the Championship even more. I don’t see why we can’t aim for the play-offs this season as we have a really good squad and, apart from Charlton, there is nobody else capable of running away with things.”

December 29, 2011

Now Fulham and Hull express interest in Sharp

Two more clubs appear to have entered the contest to sign Rovers striker Billy Sharp in January - but it is still far from certain that Rovers' leading goal scorer is going anywhere. Since John Ryan publicly confirmed that Sharp can talk to any club matching the club's valuation of £3 million for the player, a number of clubs have been publicly linked with the player. It will certainly be interesting to see if these intimations of interest are actually carried through into bids next week.
Premier League club Fulham were reported as being set to start the battle for Sharp's signature on Sky Sports yesterday, with a reported £3.5 million bid, with Martin Jol wanting to inject some fire-power into his squad. A move to a Premier League club is certainly one that Rovers fans will understand, and would match the ambition of Sharp to prove himself at the highest level of English football.
Rovers boss Dean Saunders concedes that it will ultimately be down to the player to decide on his future, but has still stressed that he wants Billy to stay.
He told Sky Sports: "I'm hoping he'll stay. I think he's playing well at the moment. I don't want to lose him but I've been a striker myself and when these things are going to happen, they happen. He's a striker and if you bang goals in you go up to the next league, whatever league you're in. I'm just glad he's on form and banging goals in for us and he just needs to keep doing what he's doing, not take his eye off the ball and what will be, will be. I'm planning as if he's going to be here, nothing's been done yet. I don't know what's going to happen around the corner. At the end of the day the final decision will be Billy's."
The second intriguing possibility for Sharp is a move to Hull who, along with Leicester, offer the player the chance of moving clubs without having to move home. However, the report in the Hull Daily Mail also seems to suggest that the club owners are unlikely to sanction a sufficiently high bid - but they reckon that a bid of closer to £2 million may be close enough to swing the deal.

December 29, 2011

Saunders calls for response in Watford game

Rovers boss Dean Saunders has called on the players to show some character in Saturday's away game at Watford after a disappointing game at Burnley on Boxing Day.
He told the Doncaster Star: “Things go against you in sport and you’ve got to have the confidence to take the knocks and bounce back. It’s how you react which counts. Weak characters let their heads go down after losing 3-0 but stronger characters can see the bigger picture and what is ahead of them. We’ll come out (of the Burnley game) stronger and we’ll be trying to beat Watford."
“I thought that we gave a good account of ourselves at Burnley - though the score line might not show that - and I’m confident that we can go anywhere and get a result. We’ve recently beaten Southampton, who are top of the league, and Leicester, and we could have beaten Birmingham.”
He added: “I’ve not had a go at the players because I thought that they played well and kept fighting until the end. I also thought that we defended well all the way through the game. We were away from home and Burnley are in good form and they’ve got some sharp players - their two strikers were lively - and Turf Moor is a difficult place to go. I thought nearly every decision went against us at one stage. Hopefully we’ll get one or two things go our way at Watford.”

December 29, 2011

Watford ticket information

Tickets for Saturday's away game at Watford will be on sale at the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office - but only until 7pm this evening, when any remaining tickets will be returned to Watford.
Rovers have received an allocation of 1,417 tickets for the game, with sales so far being reported to be 322.
Tickets are on sale at the following prices:
Adults £26 - Senior Citizens (65+) £15 - Students (under 25, NUS card at turnstiles) £15 - Juniors (16-19) £15 - Juniors (15 & under) £10
Family area tickets area available on a 1:1 basis at the same prices, apart from Juniors (15 & under) £5 (who must be accompanied by an adult or senior citizen)
Ambulant supporters pay the applicable price, with a carer free of charge, wheelchair disabled £15 (carer free), Concession wheelchair disabled £5.
Please remember that Saturday's match begins at 1pm.

December 29, 2011

Voting results v Burnley

The penultimate "Man of the Match" vote of 2011 saw five players nominated for their performance at Turf Moor on Boxing Day.
In the end, it was the returning El-Hadjii Diouf who scooped nearly half of the votes cast.
The top two players receiving votes were;
1 El-Hadjii Diouf (44.45%)
2 Habib Beye (28.57%)
We thank everyone who took the time to place their vote - the next poll will open after Saturday's away game at Watford.

December 29, 2011

O'Connor looks forward to New Year

Rovers defender James O'Connor is one of a number of players who will be hoping for better things in 2012 after suffering an injury-hit year, meaning he missed the start of the current season.
He told the Doncaster Free Press: “Since the turn of the year I’ve had a few different niggles and it’s been a bit stop-start. I had a cartilage operation in the summer which meant I missed the start of the season, so it’s been difficult. Naturally I want to get back to where I was and regain the sort of form that I was in say, 12 to 18 months ago. It’s all about trying to get a run of games but I know that it doesn’t just happen, so I’ve been working very hard in training every day and I’ll continue to do so. I’ve not played as many games as I would have liked this season - but it’s not just about getting back into the team, it is about staying there because there is a lot of competition for places and that’s what you need - especially in our situation.”
Along with other long-serving players in the squad, O'Connor is backing the club's transfer policy. He added: “As a club we’re near the bottom of the league so if the manager is bringing in quality players who are improving the squad, and improving the team, then hopefully that will bring about and improvement in results and that what we all want. It’s up to the players who are already here to work hard and play well to try and keep their place in the team."

December 28, 2011

Leicester join the chase for Billy

Leicester City are the latest club to be linked with a move for Rovers striker Billy Sharp during the forthcoming transfer window.
The Leicester Mercury, as well as the Daily Express, have reported that City are to make a bid of "at least £3 million" for Sharp as boss Nigel Pearson seeks to strengthen his strike force to help them push for promotion.
Rovers chairman John Ryan has said on a number of occasions that he does not want Sharp to leave, but that he has a "gentleman's agreement" to allow Sharp to speak to any clubs matching the club's valuation of him. Sharp turned down a move to rejoin former boss Nigel Adkins at Southampton in the summer, but the Saints seem likely to make another attempt to sign him in January as they continue their seemingly inevitable march into the Premier League.
According to the Daily Express, City will attempt to lure Sharp with the prospect of £20,000 per week. Pearson is quoted as saying: “We are going to try to get players who are better than what we have got. For the most part we are going to try and shop in the right market – the January window is a difficult window to operate in. We are going to try to get players who are better than what we have got. For the most part we are going to try and shop in the right market – the January window is a difficult window to operate in. You are usually working with inflated prices. It is not really a buyers’ market. It is the opposite to the summer sales. The business we do we will try to do as sensibly as possible. We are not going to be held to ransom.”

December 28, 2011

Sall set for Donny - and then on to Stoke!

The Mirror have reported that Senegalese midfielder Moustapha Bayal Sall, currently at Saint Etienne, is a target for Stoke City boss Tony Pulis - but any move to the Britannia Stadium looks likely not to happen until the summer.
Sall has been selected by Senegal for their African Cup of Nations squad next month, meaning he will not be available to play for any club until the competition has finished.
It seems that Bayal Sall is still set to join Rovers on loan in January in a deal that will last until the end of the season, with a £250,000 move to Stoke in the summer.

December 28, 2011

Dangerous Dave on the mark

Former Doncaster Rovers defender Dave Morley was on the score sheet twice for Bangor City as they beat Prestatyn Town 5-3 in the Welsh Premier League on Tuesday evening.
Morley struck in the 60th and 71st minute for Bangor, with the three points lifting them above The New Saints and Llanelli to the top of the division, with Llanelli going down at the hands of fourth placed Neath.

December 28, 2011

Magpies to offer Nelson new deal

Notts County are to offer former Rovers goalkeeper Stuart Nelson a new contract in a bid to ward off interest from other clubs. Nelson's contract only runs until the end of the season, with a number of other clubs understood to be monitoring the situation at Meadow Lane. He joined Notts from Aberdeen in summer 2010 and has since established himself as their first choice keeper, and has been ever-present for them this season.
County boss Martin Allen is reported by Sky Sports to be determined to keep Nelson, with talks of a new contract due to start as soon as possible. Allen's tasks is of urgency, as under transfer regulations, a player in the last year of his contract can talk to other clubs from January.

December 27, 2011

Burnley 3 Rovers 0

Some days things don't go for you - and that was certainly the case in yesterday's game at Turf Moor if you looked at things from a Doncaster Rovers perspective.
After surviving an early bombardment from Burnley, Rovers could have taken the lead on the half hour, but James Coppinger hesitated after being put through by Diouf, and lifted his shot over the bar. However, the deadlock was broken in dubious circumstances ten minutes before the break, when Sam Hird and Chris McCann competed for the ball, with Hird being harshly judged to have impeded the Burnley player. After some hesitation, the referee pointed to the penalty spot, and Rodriguez drilled the penalty home with confidence.
Rovers almost hit back in style with an instant response as Sharp's glancing header from Stock's cross hit the post, but Gary Woods had to be alert to deny Paterson before the break - and then Giles Barnes had the ideal chance to level the scores but side-footed wide of the goal from close range.
Roves were unfortunate not to equalise in the 70th minute when Coppinger's dipping volley had Burnley keeper Lee Grant backpedalling to tip the ball round the post. However, as Rovers pushed forward for an equaliser, gaps began to appear in the Rovers defence and the second goal of the game came in the 84th minute, with Burnley's Paterson nodding the ball into an empty net after Beye's headed clearance reached Rodriguez, who cracked the ball against the bar, with Paterson quickest to get to the rebound.
Rovers' misfortunes were compounded in the fifth minute of time added on at the end of the game when Hird put through his own goal after a searching cross by Trippier was headed back across goal by Rodriguez.

December 27, 2011

What the managers said

Dean Saunders was, by implication, highly critical of decisions made by the referee in yesterday's away game at Burnley, although Rovers' inconsistency returned to frustrate him as well.
Speaking after the game, Saunders said: "That was not a 3-0 game. I thought we played well. The decision for the penalty is ridiculous but there were lots of other decisions that went against us. I'm not going to slaughter the referee because financially it doesn't make sense - that is the only reason. You see it in any sport that has umpires and referees that sometimes things don't go your way. In cricket, I have seen batsmen get out when they shouldn't have but you have to react to that."
"These players have an ingrained self-confidence. We have to go to Watford and not let that score line affect us because it could have been the other way. Their goalkeeper made a good save at 1-0 but we had plenty of chances. This is a difficult place to come and they have some very sharp players, but to have that many chances and not score is disappointing."
Burnley boss Eddie Howe conceded that they were lucky to have been awarded the penalty kick that opened the scoring, but was delighted with most aspects of their game.
He said: "We were delighted with the win. I thought we got some good passing triangles and inter-play going. It was a very open game. Doncaster came here and both sides were going for the win which made it a real spectacle. It was a little too open in the second half and I don't think we controlled the game but on another day we could have put the game to bed a lot earlier. I thought we looked solid today and in recent games we have played well defensively but it is never something you master, you have to keep improving."
Howe added: "At the time I was surprised it (the penalty) was given, but I was glad to take it because you never know what is around the corner. We are going to be on the end of decisions like that ourselves, so you are glad when one goes for you and Jay tucked it away well. The second goal was always going to be the key though because there was a large period of the game in the second half when Doncaster caused us problems with their front two."

December 27, 2011

Yesterday's action

December 27, 2011

Thompson uncertain over future

Former Rovers midfielder Tyrone Thompson went into yesterday's game for Lincoln City against local rivals Grimsby Town uncertain over his immediate future, with his short term contract at Sincil Bank son to come to an end.
However, it has been reported that boss Dean Holdsworth has been pleased with his contribution, and is likely to offer him a new deal.
He told the Lincolnshire Echo: "I want to stay at the club, but the gaffer has a lot of things he has to concentrate on in terms of getting the team playing and getting results. At the moment, my future is not important, but as long as I can keep doing what I am doing, hopefully something will be offered to me."

December 27, 2011

Coaches to Watford

The Supporters Club are running coaches to the away game at Watford on Saturday, 31st December. With it being a 1pm kick-off, coaches will set off a little earlier than you may expect, and are as follows:
Retford 7am, Bawtry 7.15am, Harworth Pit Gates 7.05am, Rossington Styrrup 7.15am, Hare & Tortoise 7.20am, Doncaster Royal Infirmary 7.30am, Keepmoat Stadium Car Park 1 7.45am
The fares for the trip are:
Members £19 - OAP's £17 - U16's £15
Non-Members £21 - OAP's £19 - U16's £17
To book a place on the coach, please contact Len South (01302 817347) or Paul Mayfield (01427 880154).
With the game being played on New Year's Eve, they would appreciate it if everyone could book as soon as possible.

December 26, 2011

Burnley v Rovers

El-Hadjii Diouf is likely to return to play in this afternoon's away game at Burnley after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury. It will mark his first appearance since news was announced at the end of last week that he has agreed an 18-month contract to stay at Rovers.
Pascal Chimbonda could also be included this afternoon after a six match absence with a hip injury, and midfielder Heron Goulon faces a late fitness test on a hamstring that has kept him out of the last couple of games.
Lamine Diatta could be set for his first inclusion in the squad since his recent arrival at the club.
Rovers will be without striker Marc-Antoine Fortune, who has been recalled by West Bromwich Albion from his loan with Rovers, so Diouf is likely to partner Billy Sharp up front at Turf Moor.
Apart from that, Rovers will be without a long list of injured players, which comprise Carl Ikeme, Neil Sullivan, James Chambers, Tommy Spurr, Shelton Martis, Richard Naylor, Martin Woods, Rachid Bouhenna, Chris Brown and John Oster. Woods is understood to be only a week or two away from being available, although we presume a number of practice matches will have to be arranged to allow him to regain some match fitness.
The three new signings announced late last week will not be available for selection until the January transfer window opens.
In contrast to Rovers' still lengthy injury list, Burnley boss Eddie Howe has an almost fully fit squad to choose from for their Christmas and New Year games. He only has striker Danny Ings and goalkeeper Brian Jensen injured, whilst striker Martin Paterson got his first start last weekend for the first times since the opening day of the season.

December 26, 2011

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's game at Burnley have been confirmed as being:
Referee: David Webb
Assistant referees: Paul Graham & Joe Hull
Fourth official: Darren Handley

December 26, 2011

Ameobi gets another run out

Ex-Doncaster Rovers striker Tomi Ameobi has been given another run out in Brentford reserves as he continues to look for a new club. Ameobi had been on trials at Griffin Park, but was released by the club, although he has been allowed to continue to train with the Bees until he finds a new club.
Ameobi has had a succession of clubs since leaving Rovers in May 2009, and has played for, or has had trials at Whitley Bay, Blyth Spartans, Forest Green Rovers, Bradford City, Gateshead and Hereford United.

December 26, 2011

Hayter to move back to Cherries?

Rovers striker James Hayter has been linked with a return to AFC Bournemouth, according to the Bournemouth Echo. The Cherries are set to move into the transfer market on a number of occasions in January, and have already confirmed that they will sign Brighton defender Steve Cook after a successful loan period, and have been reported to have had a bid of £150,000 for winger Scott Malone accepted by Wolves.
Moves reckoned to be possibilities include Hayter's return to the club, along with targets Matt Richie (Swindon) and James Constable (Oxford).
We don't think that this has any more credibility than most newspaper speculation, but a move back down south may appeal to Hayter if he turns out to be sidelined by the short-term contract players likely to be brought in by Rovers in January.

December 26, 2011

Bradford want to keep Ricky

League Two club Bradford City are hoping that they will be able to keep former Rovers midfielder Ricky Ravenhill for the rest of the season following an upturn in performances and results since his arrival.
City brought in three loan players in November, but all three are only contracted to the club on loan until mid-January.
Bradford boss Phil Parkinson said: “Out of the team that started at Southend, there are three key players who you ideally want to keep beyond the middle of January. Davies and Seip are class acts and part of the reason we’re not leaking goals like we were. Ricky Ravenhill has done well and we’re speaking to Notts County. Each deal has got different problems associated but we’ll do whatever we can within reason. If they aren’t going to stay then we’ll have to make other plans but our priority is to keep them here.”

December 26, 2011

Rovers to feature in new Match Attax collection

Doncaster Rovers are to feature in a new Match Attax trading card collection,with Topps announcing that a Championship edition of the trading cards are to be launched.
There will be 18 players featured from all 24 clubs in the Championship, with cards and starter packs available from Tesco, ASDA, One Stop, Martins & McColls, WH Smiths and a number of local independent stores. Each pack, which contains 10 cards, will cost £1.
The interesting thing for Rovers fans will be to see who is representing Rovers - a thorny issue, especially since many players may change during January!
Rod Pearson, Sports Marketing Director at Topps, comments: “The new Championship Edition cards feature all the stats you’d expect from Match Attax and gives fans of Doncaster Rovers an exciting new way to extend their Match Attax collection”.

December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and to thank you for continuing to visit this site in superb numbers. We have seen visitor numbers rise by approximately 40% this season, for which we are extremely grateful - and with the expected transfer activity in January, we can expect to have a busy month for news coming up!
After a disappointing start to the season, fortunes now seem to be picking up, despite the continuing horrendous injury list, which continues to greatly limit the number of players available to Dean Saunders.
Tomorrow's away game at Burnley sees Rovers in with a chance of moving out of the bottom three in the Championship for the first time in many weeks, and tickets for that game will be available at Turf Moor for anyone making a last minute decision to watch the game.

December 25, 2011

Ryan - Rovers are innovators

Rovers chairman John Ryan has insisted that the 'revolutionary' transfer policy implemented at the club since the arrival of Dean Saunders and Willie McKay will work, despite a number of Rovers fans continuing to be doubtful over the long term success of the experiment.
With the players set to arrive in the January transfer window, it could well be that Ryan is proved right, but it looks as though the Rovers squad is set for a massive overhaul next month, with a number of players, in addition to the short-term deals, likely to move on.
He told the BBC this week: "We were the innovators. If it works well - the test for that will be if we stay up. We had to do something drastic and we have brought some quality players in."
The relationship between Saunders, McKay and the board seems to be working well at the moment. Ryan added: "It works well between Willie, Dean and myself. I've known Willie for a few years and Dean has been a breath of fresh air, being very positive. They have convinced me that we would have a good chance of staying up if we did it this way."
The gradual upturn in results seems to suggest that the plan may well work.
The Rovers chairman continued: "It looked like we were going to be relegated by Christmas. We had one point from the first seven games, which is a desperate situation. Although we are still in the relegation zone, obviously hope is springing eternal now. We have had wins against the likes of Leicester and Southampton recently."

December 25, 2011

Players are wanting to join the Rovers!

The transfer policy at Doncaster Rovers may have its doubters amongst the supporters, but apparently it is proving successful as far as the players are concerned, with a number of players now interested in joining the club. It may have been a busy week for Rovers as far as signings are concerned, but it looks like there will be more to follow.
Boss Dean Saunders told the Doncaster Star: “Lots of people are wanting to join us. People are seeing the type of player we’ve got here - players like El Hadji Diouf, Habib Beye, Herita Ilunga, Pascal Chimbonda, Herold Goulon - and they’re thinking ‘I’ll have some of that’.”

December 25, 2011

Kilgallon set to move on

It's been talked about for many months, but it now looks as though former Rovers loan defender Matt Kilgallon will be moving on to a new club in the January transfer window as he strives to rebuild his career.
He was sidelined by former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce and, even though Matt was included on the bench for Martin O'Neill's first match in charge at the Stadium of Light, a move away from the club still looks to be the best option for him.
He told the Sunderland Echo: “It just hasn’t happened for me here. Getting out in January would be good. I don’t want to just sit here and see my contract out. I’m not the sort of lad to do that. I just want to get out there, enjoy my football again and play. It’s no fun at all to be a club where you’re not playing. You lose that buzz when you’re not playing regularly. You lose the rhythm of your preparation for match day and it’s all a bit weird – you just want to get back to the football routine you’ve always been used to.”
A move to a Championship club looks likely. He added: “I know that there’s a few clubs who are interested in taking a look and if I have to train with them for a week or two first, then I’m happy to do that to prove myself. I’m sure that the financial side will sort itself out, clubs always find a way of doing that and I’m sure Sunderland will help me get out and start playing again. The main thing from my point of view is just getting back playing football again.”

December 25, 2011

Oji joins Tamworth

Former Doncaster Rovers loan defender Sam Oji has joined Blue Square Bet club Tamworth on an "undisclosed deal". Oji was briefly at Belle Vue on loan from Birmingham City earlier in his career, but after only making one senior appearance in three and a half years at Birmingham, he joined Leyton Orient in January 2008, then on to Hereford in August 2008.
Oji had a trial with Leyton Orient earlier in the month, but was not offered terms.

December 24, 2011

Diouf agrees 18 month deal

Doncaster Rovers announced yesterday that they have extended the contract "in principal" (sic) of striker El-Hadjii Diouf for a further 18 months, meaning that he will remain contracted to the club until the summer of 2013.
Clearly highly delighted by the news, Rovers boss Dean Saunders told BBC Radio Sheffield: "He's probably the best signing this club has ever made. The way everybody has taken to him here, I think he's happy. He's probably got enough money, and just wants to be somewhere he's valued. He's signed a modest contract, a lot less than some of the players who are already here."
"To be fair to him he's had different offers thrown at him and he's decided to stay. He's enjoying his football, he enjoys it at the club, he sees how ambitious we are and sees how ambitious I am – I don't want to be managing a team down the bottom, I want to be managing a team at the other end of the table."
El-Hadjii has turned down approaches from Russian big spenders Anzhi Makhachkala and top US club LA Galaxy to stay at the Rovers. The deal has been agreed, subject to "dotting the i's and crossing the t's", but it seems that Diouf will remain on a relatively modest wage.
The Rovers boss then told the Doncaster Free Press: “Dioufy is very happy at Doncaster and the fans here have made him very welcome. He wants to be part of what we’re trying to achieve at this football club. This season is all about surviving but next season I want us to be challenging at the other end of the table. This signing will hopefully help us achieve both of those things. Some big clubs have been interested in El Hadjii but he’s settled at Doncaster - and some times there’s more to life than money.
Diouf told Sky Sports: "Yesterday, I talked with the club and I agreed to sign a new deal for one-and-a-half years. Why not? I am happy here.We have a good team. We laugh on and off the pitch. We are doing well. Why not stay?"
As a result of Diouf agreeing to stay at Rovers, the Rovers boss is hopeful that he can persuade Pascal Chimbonda, Herita Ilunga and Habib Beye to extend their stays at the club until the end of the season.
Saunders added: “Chimbonda wants to sign and Ilunga wants to stay so I’m going to try and do something on that as well. I spoke to Pascal on Thursday and he wants to sign. He’s enjoying his football as well – and Habib Beye, I’m hoping I can do that.”

December 24, 2011

Plessis, Bagayoko and Bamogo sign for Rovers

Following on from our report from yesterday that Damien Plessis, Mamadou Bagayoko and Habib Bamogo had been training with Rovers with a view to signing, Rovers yesterday confirmed that all three have now signed short term deals with the club, which keeps them at Rovers until the end of the season.
Plessis, a defensive midfielder, has signed on loan from Greek club Panathanaikos until the end of the season.
Bamogo is also a free agent and has signed for Rovers until the end of the season after being released by Greek club Panetolkos, and striker Bagayoko has agreed a short-term contract after leaving Greek side PAS Giannina.
Plessis has experience of playing in England during his time with Liverpool, but the other two new signing are unproven in English football, but have the potential to make a big impact at the club.
Saunders said of Bagayoko's signing: "He was a top player in France for a long time and when I was at Newcastle we tried to take him there. I've followed him since then because I like his hustle and bustle centre forward style. He has a great goal record at domestic and international levels. His pedigree will help us and we've helped him by stepping in when he's had a problem with his contract in Greece."
Presumably asking Rovers fans to be patient with the trio, he finished by telling DROS: "Fans will be excited when they see them play, they might not be 100% match fit as yet but we're strengthening all the time."

December 24, 2011

Ipswich priced out of move for Sharp

Ipswich Town have been priced out of making a move for Rovers striker Billy Sharp in the January transfer window, according to the local press in Ipswich.
Ipswich boss Paul Jewell made a joint move for Sharp and Coppinger in the summer, with their £2.3 million bid for Billy being rejected by John Ryan.
With news this week that there is a clause in Sharp's contract that he can talk to clubs making a bid of at least £3 million, it seems that the figures are too high for Jewell, even though he desperately needs to strengthen his squad, which has dropped to 19th in the table, just five points above the bottom three.
Jewell told Sky Sports: "We went for Billy in the summer, but I think at that price he's definitely out of our price range. I might be wrong, but I don't think there are too many Championship clubs that are going to pay £3million for a player at this moment in time. I know West Ham paid a lot for Kevin Nolan in the summer, but it's pretty rare you get such big fees in the Championship."
Jewell is also keen on signing Bristol City striker Nicky Maynard, but believes a move to the Premier League may be on the cards instead of a move to Portman Road. He added: Maynard is a striker that is proven at this level, but he might be one like Shane Long where a lot of Premier League clubs are interested. Let's be honest, when you're up against Premiership teams for a player it's difficult to compete because of the money."
Sharp is reported to be on the radar of Southampton and Wigan Athletic, but with yesterday's news of new signings at Rovers, will that swing his decision to stay at the Keepmoat Stadium?

December 24, 2011

Bradley in charge at Rose

Ex-Rovers midfielder Mark Bradley has been placed in charge at Scottish Super League club Linlithgow following the sacking of Dave Baikie.
Bradley has previous experience as caretaker manager at the club, but joined the club back in 2007, but began his career at Heart of Midlothian, where he made one SPL appearance, before moving on to play for Stirling, Berwick, Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton. He has the distinction of playing in Rovers' first match in the Conference, away at Dover, but never appeared for the club again and went back to playing in Scotland.
He suffered a bad leg injury in August 2010 when he suffered a serious break of a leg in Linlithgow's game against Tayport, and now makes his move into management.
Linlithgow are currently interviewing four candidates, one of which we understand to be Bradley, and are expected to make their decision in the next few days.
Rose secretary Jim Harkins said: “We are pleased with the candidates that have applied. The standard has been very high. It’s now just a matter of picking the right one.”

December 24, 2011

Barnsley ticket update

Tickets for the home game against Barnsley on 2nd January are currently on sale from the ticket office at the Keepmoat Stadium.
As part of the agreement that saw prices reduced for the reverse fixture at Oakwell earlier in the season, whilst the match has been designated as a "Category 1" game, a reduced pricing policy is in effect for the game, meaning that ticket prices are as follows:
Category A & B: Adults £20 - Concessions £15 - Juniors (16 & under) £5
The latest ticket sales figures (including season tickets, Premier Club etc) are 6,307 for home fans and 1,500 away sales.

December 24, 2011

Lester banned for violent conduct

Ex-Rovers loan striker Jack Lester, now at Chesterfield, will be banned for three games following an alleged incident in the 84th minute of last Saturday's game against Walsall. The incident was missed by match officials, but was captured on the match video.
The FA are charging Lester with violent conduct - Chesterfield have decided not to contest the charge, meaning Lester faces an immediate automatic three match ban, meaning he now misses their games against Huddersfield, Scunthorpe and Oldham.

December 23, 2011

Plessis lined up for loan move

Panathanaikos midfielder Damien Plessis is understood to be one of a number of players set to join Doncaster Rovers in January.
Sky Sports have reported that Rovers are understood to have agreed a loan deal with the Greek club to bring Plessis to the Keepmoat Stadium for the rest of the season, which will make him the latest of a number of high profile signings to be made by the club this season.
Plessis began his career with French club Lyon before joining Liverpool in the summer of 2007, but his chances at Anfield were limited and he moved on to Panathanaikos two summers ago.
However, Plessis has now fallen out of favour and is hoping to earn a move back to the top flight in England - and sees Rovers as a useful stepping stone to achieve that end.
Willie McKay, who has set up the deal, told Sky Sports yesterday: "We have lined up a deal to sign Damien Plessis from Panathanaikos on loan. Because of the financial situation in Greece we have been lucky enough to agree a deal with Panathanaikos to sign a player of the calibre of Damien. He played in a fantastic youth team at Lyon and was regarded as one of the best young prospects in France before he joined Liverpool. Unfortunately it did not work out for Damien at Liverpool, but he is a quality player and has played in the Champions League"
"He is still only 23 and we believe he will be a valuable addition to the squad at Doncaster and will prove a massive success in the Championship. Again we are only paying £2,000 a week for the player with Panathanaikos covering the remainder of his salary. Damien wants to get back to the Premiership and we will give him that chance at Doncaster to put himself in the shop window."
The player has trained with the Rovers squad this week and is expected to sign once the transfer window opens in January.

December 23, 2011

Two more set for Rovers

In addition to Damien Plessis, reported above, Doncaster Rovers also are hoping to sign two more players from abroad in the January transfer window.
Both are French players currently based in Greece, but are hoping to make the move to England in the hope of attracting a transfer to a Premier League club in the summer.
Strikers Habib Bamogo and Mamadou Bagayoko both trained with Rovers this week and is understood to have impressed boss Dean Saunders.
Football agent Willie McKay, who has set up the deals, thinks that they will be a big success in English football.
He told Sky Sports: "Both players trained yesterday and Dean was very impressed. Bamogo is a top player and I have been trying to get him over to the UK for some time. He is quick and strong and I believe he will prove to be one of the best players in the Championship when he arrives. Unfortunately we lost Marc-Antoine Fortune after he was recalled by West Brom, but Mamadou has the same attributes as Marc and I believe both players could prove a real difference for the side. They have both scored lots of goals in France and I am sure they will do the same in England and I'm sure Premier League clubs will be interested."
We understand that Bamogo is a free agent, whilst Bagayoko, who plays for PAS Giannina in Greece, would be a loan move.

December 23, 2011

Ticket office opening times

The Keepmoat Stadium ticket office have announced their amended opening hours for the Christmas and New Year period.
They will be operating normal opening hours except for the following days:
Saturday, 24th December: 10am to 1pm
Sunday, 25th December to Tuesday, 27th December: Closed
Monday, 2nd January: 9am to kick-off
For your information, the normal opening hours are:
Mondays to Wednesdays: 9am to 4:30pm
Thursdays: 9am to 7pm
Fridays: 9am to 4pm
Saturdays (non-match days) 10am to 1pm, (match days) 9am to kick-off

December 23, 2011

Burnley tickets on sale on Boxing Day

Tickets for the away game at Burnley on Boxing Day will be on sale at Turf Moor on match day, but they are available for purchase in advance from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office until 11am on Saturday, 24th December.
Adult tickets can be bought from the turnstiles on the day, but all concessions must buy their tickets from Burnley's ticket office.
Rovers have received an allocation of 1,552 tickets, of which 706 have already been sold.
Ticket prices for the game are:
Adults £26 - Concessions £15 - Juniors (15 & under) £12
Disabled supporters pay the appropriate price, but a carer is admitted free of charge.

December 23, 2011

Jordon scores on return to action

Former Rovers loan midfielder Jordon Mutch scored on his return to action in Birmingham City's reserve team friendly game against Reading on Tuesday. He has been out of action since breaking his ankle in the early stages of the season, but was named as an unused substitute for Birmingham last weekend. However, he started the game on Tuesday and scored with a curling free kick from 25 yards as the Blues went on to win the game 2-0. Jordon was also involved in the build-up for City's second goal.

December 23, 2011

Timlin to sign for Southend

Former Rovers loan midfielder Michael Timlin is set to sign a permanent transfer with Southend United once the transfer window opens in January, according to BBC Wiltshire.
Timlin is currently on loan from Swindon Town after falling out of favour at the County Ground following a change of management at the club and has been a regular in Southend's side since moving on loan earlier this season, since when he has played 18 games and scored two goals.

December 22, 2011

Richard moves abroad

Ex-Doncaster Rovers striker Richard Offiong has found himself a new club after being released by Blyth Spartans last month. He has signed for Malaysian club Johor, who are strengthening their squad ahead of the new M-League season which begins on January 13th.
However, his club have a serious problem to face before they open the new campaign - they haven't got a ground to play on after work at the Larkin Stadium is closed for repairs. Work on the ground should have started at the end of last season, but it began late, and work is not expected to start until early next year, and building will take three to four months once it does start. The club are now looking at using the UTM Stadium or the Kluang Stadium, but whether both can be used will depend on whether the Football Association of Malaysia give their approval once a ground inspection has been carried out.

December 22, 2011

Radford stays for third month

Doncaster Rovers defender Oscar Radford has had his loan deal at Matlock Town extended for a third month after impressing in his first two months at the club, which has seen Matlock climb up the table, although they are, of late, becoming known as draw specialists in the Evo-Stik League Premier Division.
Radford has been missing due to injury in recent games, but returned on Saturday when they played Rushall Olympic in a league game.
The news of Radford's loan extension was revealed in the Chesterfield Post last week - working on when the last month's loan was due to expire, his additional month's loan at Matlock should expire on 7th January.

December 22, 2011

Shiels relief as X-Ray shows no break

Doncaster Rovers midfielder Dean Shiels, currently on loan at SPL club Kilmarnock, has not broken his ankle as was first feared, according to an X-Ray. Sky Sports have reported that Shiels is suffering from a badly swollen ankle, which is still likely to keep him out of Saturday's game with Celtic, although he could be fit enough to play in Kilmarnock's game against St Johnstone on 28th December.
Shiels has been an influential play for Killie this season, and has linked up well with former Rovers striker Paul Heffernan, who is currently sixth in the SPL's goals chart, having scored 7 goals so far this season.
Shiels's loan at Kilmarnock is due to expire next month, with his future at Rovers now uncertain following the departure of Sean O'Driscoll as manager. Shiels has said that he would like to stay at Kilmarnock for the rest of the season, but has not heard anything from Rovers as to what his future in South Yorkshire may be.

December 22, 2011

Gormley for Dundalk

Former Doncaster Rovers captain Eddie Gormley is expected to be named as the new manager at Irish club Dundalk, according to the Irish press. The announcement had been due to be confirmed at the end of last week, but a statement on Dundalk's official site by their General Manager, Paul Johnson, suggests that the club make make a statement some time this week.
Johnson said: “We appreciate the patience shown by Dundalk fans so far. The panel are working every day to bring this process to completion. We are going to continue to examine every possibility to ensure that we make the best decision in the long-term interests of the club. We are planning more meetings over the weekend with the aim of making a final announcement early next week.”
Dublin based newspaper "The Argus" has put 43 year old Gormley as a leading contender for the job after he left Bray Wanderers in the summer of 2010. After playing for Rovers for three years, Gormley returned to his homeland in 1993 to play for Drogheda United and St Patrick's Athletic before retiring.

December 22, 2011

Euell sets an example

Former Doncaster Rovers striker Jason Euell is revelling in his new role as a role model for the young players at Charlton Athletic, even if it has meant that he is not playing as much first team football as he would like.
Euell rejoined the Addicks for a second time in the summer after being without a club after being released by Blackpool at the end of last season, and after his loan spell at Rovers for the latter part of last season ran out.
Euell, now aged 34, said: "I suppose you're going to be there at some point and I've been lucky enough to carry on playing at the age I am. I just see it as we're all learning from each other, regardless of age and how many games you've played, and from a day-to-day basis, we all want to improve as players. We're in it together, and we just want to take it day-by-day and each game as it comes."

December 21, 2011

Fortune recalled by Albion

Doncaster Rovers have been dealt a blow after hearing that West Bromwich Albion have recalled on-loan striker Marc-Antoine Fortune after the Baggies have injury problems ahead of this evening's away game at Newcastle United.
Fortune is one of three players to be recalled by Albion yesterday, with George Thorne and Gonzalo Jara Reyes, on loan at Portsmouth and Brighton respectively, also called back to the Hawthorns.
After producing a "Man of the Match" performance on Saturday, and clearly forming an understanding with Billy Sharp, the news that Fortune has been recalled will be a major blow to Rovers over the busy Christmas and New Year period, and perhaps highlights one of the major problems of overly relying on loan players and short term contract players.

December 21, 2011

Hynes move confirmed

The transfer of former Rovers striker Peter Hynes from Limerick to Drogheda United was confirmed by Drogheda manager Mick Cooke earlier this week. The news had been anticipated, but Hynes was one of eight new signings to be announced by Cooke as he prepares for the 2012 Irish season. League football in the Republic of Ireland starts in the spring and is played through the summer to finish in the autumn, with the winter being their close season.

December 21, 2011

Burnley ticket information

Tickets for the away game at Burnley on Boxing Day are currently on general sale from the Keepmoat Stadium Ticket Office. Rovers have been allocated 1,552 tickets for the game, with the stadium web site reporting that 206 have been sold to date.
Ticket prices for the game are as follows:
Adults £26 - Senior Citizens (65+) £15 - Students (NUS card required) £15 - Juniors (16-18) £15 - Juniors (15 & under) £12
Disabled supporters pay the relevant price, but their carer is admitted free of charge.
Tickets will remain on sale until 11am on Saturday, 24th December.

December 21, 2011

Wigan join the chase for Sharp

Reports have suggested that Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez is the latest manager to be linked with signing Rovers striker Billy Sharp, following John Ryan's revelation that Sharp would be allowed to talk to clubs who matched Rovers' £3 million valuation of the player.
Whilst Ryan has stressed that he does not want to lose Rovers' top scorer, he has a gentleman's agreement that he would allow Sharp to speak to such clubs - but the player will only move if he wants the move and agrees terms.
Southampton and Ipswich Town are also understood to be likely to enter the chase, although the £3 million price tag may put off Ipswich. Also mentioned in dispatches yesterday were Burnley, Cardiff City and Leicester City.

December 20, 2011

Rovers duo in Team of the Week

Doncaster Rovers players Sam Hird and Billy Sharp have been named in the latest Championship "Team of the Week" by the Press Association for their contribution to the Rovers' home win over Leicester City.
Sharp is in a rich vein of form at the moment, having picked up the "Player of the Month" for November, and has now scored seven goals in the last seven games, including the two that defeated Leicester on Saturday. Hird is reaping the benefits of playing alongside the experienced Habib Beye, with the Rovers' defensive record gradually improving in recent games.
The full "Team of the Week" is: Matthew Gilks (Blackpool); Kieran Trippier (Burnley); Kaspars Gorkss (Reading); Sam Hird (Doncaster Rovers); George McCartney (West Ham United); Joel Ward (Portsmouth); Neil Kilkenny (Bristol City); Papa Bouba Diop (West Ham United); George Boyd (Peterborough United); Billy Sharp (Doncaster Rovers); Bart Ogbeche (Middlesbrough)

December 20, 2011

Hull City 3 Youth Team 2

The Rovers youth team suffered their fourth defeat of the season at top of the table Hull City on Saturday, after going into the game in third place, with 23 points from 12 games.
Rovers went behind in the tenth minute after a cross in from the right was converted by Margetts. Rovers responded with James Husband firing a left-foot shot just wide of the goal before coming under more pressure, but eventually came back into the game to equalise in the 40th minute when a low driven free kick from just outside the box by James Husband went through the Hull wall and past the keeper in to the net.
Hull put pressure on the Rovers goal early in the second half and regained the lead in the 61st minute from the penalty spot, but Rovers hit back to equalise within 60 seconds, with an attempted clearance ricocheting into the path of Patrick Mullen, who smashed his shot into the net, despite the Hull keeper managing to get a hand to the shot.
The winning goal came in the 68th minute after Rovers won a free kick - the ball was cleared and Hull beat the offside trap for Chambers to score, despite the Rovers defenders sprinting back in attempt to catch him. Despite late pressure by Rovers, which saw Husband denied by the Hull keeper, Hull held on to win the game.
Hull City: Joe Cracknell, Adam White, Tom Davie, Brad Ricketts, Ben Clappison, George Stannard (Jordan Holt 46), Jack Barlow, Dougie Wilson, Danny Chambers, Johnny Margetts, Joel Sutton.
Substitutes Not Used: Henry Gill, Fraser Papprill, Matty Dixon, Jules Gabbiadini.
Doncaster Rovers: Aaron Busby, Jordan Binns, James Husband, Jacob McCormick, Liam Wakefield, Brett Lucas, Patrick Mullen, Edward Wilding (Evan Finnegan 71), Jordan Ball, Chris Whincup (Alex Peterson 64), Harry Middleton (Josh Meade 78).
Substitutes Not Used: Alex Thompson, Lewis Ferguson.

December 20, 2011

Shiels injury blow

Rovers midfielder Dean Shiels, currently on loan at SPL club Kilmarnock, is feared to have broken his ankle just four weeks before his loan spell in Scotland is due to expire. Shiels suffered the injury in Kilmarnock's 1-1 draw with Dundee United and he has been sent for an X-Ray to see if he has suffered a break. In any case, he will miss Christmas Eve's clash against Celtic, but could face a lengthy time ont he sidelines, putting an extension to his loan from Rovers into doubt.
Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels has said: "His ankle has swollen up and we don't know if it's broken, so we are sending him for an x-ray. Even if it's not broken I would think he will be out of the Celtic game."
"He took a kick to it but we'll need to wait and see how he is.It is still swollen up like a balloon.It will be a big blow to us if he is out with a broken ankle as he's a good player, it will be a major loss and also for Dean as his loan spell is up next month."
Unfortunately for Shiels, the injury could put a desired loan extension on hold and comes just days after telling the Scottish Sun that he wanted to stay at Rugby Park for the rest of the season. Of his loan from Rovers, Dean commented: "I wish I knew, as I honestly don't know what's happening. I'd like to extend my loan at Kilmarnock but I'm not sure if that's going to be possible at the moment. There isn't much communication with Doncaster. I had a good agreement with the previous manager Sean O'Driscoll, who was great with me. I spoke with him in the summer and he reluctantly let me come up. Obviously the new manager Dean Saunders has come in, there are new playing staff and things are different. I think Doncaster know I'd be happy to stay in Scotland with Kilmarnock and we're trying to make that happen at the moment."
He added: "It's what I want. My contract is up at Doncaster at the end of the season. I've got to be wary that if a contract offer came in for two or three years it could offer a bit of security for my family. Everything's a bit up in the air at the moment and we are getting ever closer to January so it's a bit unsettling. My loan deal is up on the 16th. I've no idea why it's that date as it's usually the beginning or the end of a month."
"I've really enjoyed my time at Kilmarnock. When I watched a bit of Kilmarnock last year I fancied playing that style of football. Since I came up, I've really enjoyed working with the staff and the lads here. Doncaster are in a relegation battle whereas Killie are trying to win a cup and get into the top six. It's quite appealing. The manager and the lads know I want to stay so I hope that can happen for me.

December 20, 2011

Voting results v Leicester

The two Rovers strikers dominated the voting for Saturday's "Man of the Match", picking up 80% of all votes cast between them in what was one of the largest number of votes seen so far this season. Another five players received nominations, but those receiving the most votes were as follows:
1 Marc-Antoine Fortune (41.54%)
2 Billy Sharp (38.46%)
3 Sam Hird (7.69%)
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to place their vote - all votes are added together to produce the "Player of the Season" - we'll update you on the current standings in that regard over the Christmas and New Year period.

December 19, 2011

Ryan names the price for Billy

John Ryan has gone public on the price that it will take for any club to lure leading goal scorer Billy Sharp away from Doncaster Rovers.
In an interview in The Sun today, Ryan has been quoted as saying that clubs will have to offer £3 million to persuade Rovers to listen - and even then, it will depend on whether Sharp wants to move, which is far from certain.
Ryan told The Sun: "I don't know whether we can keep Billy here. There has been a lot of loose talk and idle chatter surrounding the lad, so I want to set the record straight once and for all. When the window opens on January 1, Billy's contract with Doncaster Rovers will include a release clause priced at exactly £3m. Lots of clubs are circling. Southampton and Ipswich made previous bids. Anybody who matches that new figure can talk to Billy."
"Obviously, we don't want to lose the lad at this vital stage when we are fighting to retain our Championship status. Although we have brought in some bigger names, it's still Billy who makes the difference. I've given my word to Billy, though. We have a gentlemen's agreement and any final decision on a move is down to Billy himself."
It is unclear as to whether Sharp would want to move at the moment - his contract at Rovers has 18 months to run, but he accepts that he will move on one day, whenever that may be.
He told the Yorkshire Post: “I am glad the speculation is there – if it wasn’t, it would mean I wasn’t scoring goals – but I will not be going anywhere yet because the window is not open. Until the next window opens, there will be more speculation but I’m going to give it 110 per cent for Doncaster until I am told otherwise. Hopefully, I will keep scoring goals and a Premiership team will come in.”
However, it seems that the support he has received from Rovers and their supporters have been recognised by Billy, and that may be a factor on whether he decides to move on in the near future.
He added: “Considering what’s happened, I have had a tough few weeks but I’ve managed to keep my head on and get my goals which has kept a smile on my face. I had to use football to my benefit and it’s helped me out massively just being round the boys.”
Sharp is clearly still wanted by Dean Saunders, despite the arrival of the high-profile short-term contract and loan players over the last couple of months. Saunders said: "I’m expecting people to make bids for Billy but they’ve got to match our valuation. I’m not really thinking about having to replace him in January, I want to add to what we’ve already got. Hopefully Marc-Antoine Fortune will stay longer than a month and hopefully El Hadji Diouf will be here for the rest of the season - he’s very happy here and agreed to stay but we’ve still got to cross the t’s and dot the i’s on that one."
"There are a couple of Premier League teams showing an interest so it’s not a forgone conclusion.”

December 19, 2011

O'Driscoll helps out Fletcher

Ex-Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll has been giving advice to Plymouth Argyle's young boss Carl Fletcher as Argyle battle to pull away from the bottom of League Two and the prospect of being relegated into non-league football.
Fletcher was a player at Bournemouth under O'Driscoll's managership, bringing him through the club's youth academy before the player left to join West Ham United.
Fletcher took the Argyle job after Peter Reid was sacked in September, despite never having held a coaching job before.
He told BBC Radio Devon: "He's just someone that I asked to give us another set of eyes to look at it from a different point of view. While he's not in a job it's really nice that he's helping me out."
"There's enough people out there that want to give you their opinion but you're only going to listen to ones that you respect. I'm one of those people that if I don't know I'll ask the question. I think if you're not sure and you don't ask questions then you're just ignorant really."

December 19, 2011

Walker asks fans to back McKay

Rovers' Director of Football, Mickey Walker, has asked fans to support what Willie McKay is trying to do for Doncaster Rovers, despite many being deeply suspicious on a number of aspects of McKay's involvement with the club.
He told the Doncaster Free Press: “I’m an acquaintance of Willie, I know him and I trust him. Some people might be surprised just how much he’s got Doncaster Rovers at heart. He’s got the heart of a dustbin lid when it comes to the club for all sorts of reasons. He lives locally and although he is one of the best known agents in the football world if you asked him what his ambition is he’d tell you that it is to get something going at Doncaster which is achievable and to make sure it was successful. I want us to finish halfway up the league and then we can start planning for next season and try and get into the play-offs or whatever.”
Mickey added: "People shouldn’t forget that we have achieved more than any other football club over the last few years but you can’t live on past achievements. What you need to do is to move on and that’s what the club are looking to do. The club decided to bring in a new manager after we made a poor start to the season and he brought in his own back-room team and with the appointment of football guru Willie McKay there is a fresh feel to the club.”

December 18, 2011

Rovers 2 Leicester City 1

Doncaster Rovers did their fight against relegation the world of good yesterday afternoon at the Keepmoat Stadium by upsetting the form book by defeating Leicester City, who are on the fringes of the play-offs, and spent heavily during the last year.
Rovers were forced to make a change in goal, with Carl Ikeme sidelined due to injury, with Gary Woods deputising. Dean Saunders also brought Giles Barnes back into the side at the expense of Herold Goulon. Perhaps surprisingly, Saunders opted to leave new signing Lamine Diatta out of the squad altogether, preferring to keep the centre back partnership of Habib Beye and Sam Hird together
To pick up the valuable three points, Rovers had to come from behind after Nugent put the visitors ahead in the 38th minute, but Rovers responded well to finish the half strongly, and although they spent much time in the Leicester half, they were unable to test Schmeichel in their goal.
Rovers hit back in the second half with a brace from Billy Sharp in the second half, within three minutes of each other, which Rovers in front. His first was a header from close range after Fortune crossed the ball, whilst the second was a superb volley from Stock's ball into the box. The rest of the game was end to end stuff, with Leicester intent on pushing forward in search of an equaliser, but Rovers were also looking to score a third goal which would have made the game safe. The introduction of Beckford for Leicester in the 77th minute caused problems for the Rovers defence, and he won a couple of free kicks which were successfully defended by Rovers.

December 18, 2011

What the managers said

Both managers came away from yesterday's game at the Keepmoat Stadium thinking that their team should have won the game.
Rovers boss Dean Saunders was clearly very pleased that his players had upset the form book by taking all three points out of the match.
He said afterwards: "We've got a lot of injuries and had everything stacked against us so it was a great result for us. I didn't think we deserved to be behind but it was a game where we had to fight and scrap - and we did that. A draw would have been a good result today and I set the team up to make it difficult for them. But we kept battling away and in the end we ground out a result. The first goal, Billy has got in-between two of their players and headed the cross downwards, which is what you teach strikers to do, and it's gone through the keeper. For the second he's got into a position where knew the ball was heading, Stocky pulled off the pass for him to hit a brilliant volley. If we carry on like that we won't have a problem climbing out of the bottom three."
"As you could see out there today, Leicester have built a squad to win the league and play in the Premier League, so I think a draw would have been a good result for us today - but we are delighted to have all three points.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson was very disappointed to see his side throw away a one goal lead. He said after the game: "I would have been disappointed just to draw - let alone lose - after being in front. We have to be better than that. It was nothing to do with the technical side - we just have to be mentally tougher. I need to change the players' mentality, or change the players themselves, because we are under-performing and that's the reason we are not where we want to be almost halfway through the season."
Pearson added: "We looked in control of the game when we were a goal up and to go from that to a goal down is very disappointing. You have to give Billy Sharp some credit - especially for the way he took his second goal - but I expect us to do a lot better."

December 18, 2011

Goals check

There are only a few former Rovers players scoring goals yesterday to mention, but we begin in League One, where Jack Lester scored a 90th minute equaliser for Chesterfield in their home game against Walsall, with a point probably easing the immediate problems of Spireites boss John Sheridan, another former Rover. Chesterfield remain rooted to the bottom of the League One table.
Also in League One, ex-Rovers striker Chris Beardsley scored in the 38th minute for Stevenage as they won 2-1 at home to Tranmere Rovers, which lifts Boro' to just one point outside the play-offs.

December 18, 2011

Saunders battles to keep Diouf

Doncaster Rovers boss Dean Saunders is facing a battle to keep El-Hadjii Diouf at the club after the January transfer window, with the policy of putting players in the "shop window" seeming to be working, with a couple of clubs already having been mentioned as in talks with the player. That doesn't mean that Saunders is giving up hope of signing the Senegalese international.
Saunders told DROS last week: "It's really difficult trying to keep Diouf. We're relying on his good nature to stay at the club. When you look at it, he's a 30-year-old who is such a good player that he should be in the Premier League. He's a player of real quality and I'm going to try everything I can to keep him here."
In addition to reports last week that Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala are in talks with Diouf, reports are now surfacing that LA Galaxy are also interested in signing the striker.
Diouf is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, but should be back over the Christmas period after resuming light training last week.

December 17, 2011

Rovers v Leicester City

Rovers could be boosted by the return of defender Pascal Chimbonda for this afternoon's home game against Leicester City after a four week absence with a hip injury. He played in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week and could be ready to return to action. El-Hadjii Diouf started light training this week, but is not expected to be fit enough to be considered today.
Also added to the Rovers squad is new signing Lamine Diatta, who could not play at Birmingham last weekend as he had not received international clearance. Another making a return is defender Richard Naylor, who has missed a number of matches after having complications with a broken finger, which had to be reset. Adam Lockwood is available after completing a three match ban after being sent off at Barnsley in controversial circumstances.
However, Rovers now have a goalkeeping crisis after it emerged that both Carl Ikeme and Neil Sullivan are sidelined with thumb injuries. It means that Gary Woods will resume duty in goal this afternoon, with youth team keeper Jonathan Maxted likely to be included on the bench.
Apart from the above, the injury list remains the same as it has for much of the season.
Former Rovers defender Matt Mills could return for Leicester this afternoon after completing a two game suspension, and it now looks as though striker Paul Gallagher could be fit to play, even though he limped off with a recurrence of an ankle injury that kept him out for six weeks earlier in the season. Gallagher has trained all week and has been declared fit to take part today.

December 17, 2011

Ikeme injury blow

Doncaster Rovers have been hit by the huge blow that on-loan goalkeeper Carl Ikeme will be out for two months after having surgery on a thumb injury. Ikeme has impressed for Rovers since joining on loan from Wolves, but suffered the injury in a freak accident during training this week. What makes the situation worse is that the experienced Neil Sullivan is also out of action with a thumb injury, meaning that Gary Woods is the only senior keeper fit at the moment.
Dean Saunders explained: "Carl's had to have an operation on his thumb, as well as Neil Sullivan. They're both freak injuries. On Monday morning, James Coppinger has gone round Ikeme, his thumb got caught in the grass and the ligament's come off the bone. I'm really disappointed."
The Rovers boss added: "Gary Woods will get his chance and hopefully take it with both hands. We'll see how he does because the shirt is his and it's up to him to keep it."
The news is the latest to hit the Rovers squad, which has seen the injury list regularly into double figures throughout the season.
Ikeme's injury effectively means that his loan spell at Rovers is now over, as his loan only runs until 4th January.

December 17, 2011

Leicester ticket update

It looks as though there will be a substantial following from Leicester at the Keepmoat Stadium this afternoon with Leicester's web site indicating that they may bring 3,000 supporters to the game. Ticket sales from the Keepmoat Stadium's web site indicate that there are 6,356 sales to home fans, with 1,593 to away supporters.
Tickets will be on sale until kick-off. The match has been designated as a "Category 1" game, with prices being:
Category A areas: Adults £27 - Concessions £20 - Juniors (12-16) £15 - Juniors (11 & under) £10
Category B areas: Adults £27 - Concessions £20 - Juniors (12-16) £5 - Juniors (11 & under) £5

December 17, 2011

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's home game against Leicester City have been confirmed as:
Referee: Darren Sheldrake
Assistant referees: Stephen Ross & David McCallum
Fourth Official: Alf Greenwood

December 16, 2011

Dalmat on Rovers' radar

The Doncaster Free Press has reported that Rovers are set to "swoop" for ex-Internatzionale and Spurs midfielder Stephane Dalmat, who is close to leaving current club Rennes after struggling to impress the club this season.
Dalmat is understood to be one of a number of players that Willie McKay and Dean Saunders have noticed during scouting trips to France this season.
Indications from Rennes are that they are keen to offload the player and his six-figure weekly wage, and that Dalmat will leave the club during the January transfer window. Presumably Rovers will offer the player a minimum wage as is their current policy, in the hope that another club will sign him either later in the season or in the summer.

December 16, 2011

Forte returns to the Saints

Former Rovers loan striker Jonathan Forte has returned to parent club Southampton after a month's loan at Preston North End. During his loan, Jonathan played four appearances without scoring.
His return to the south coast was not unsurprising, with news on Wednesday that Preston had sacked their manager, Phil Brown, even though the club are 10th in League One and Brown had only been at the club since January 2011.

December 16, 2011

Mutch makes return for Blues

Jordon Mutch, a former Doncaster Rovers loan player, made his return to action last night for Birmingham City in their Europa League came with NK Maribor, which City won 1-0.
Mutch has been out of action since breaking his ankle in training session after impressing during the first two games of this season.
City boss Chris Hughton commented before last night's match: "The good news is Jordon is in the squad and that's a real plus for us. He is a player that had a very good pre-season for us and started the season well. He has missed a period since then, but he has done some good rehab and has been involved with training with the first team for about a week and a half. We hope as each day goes past he gets fitter and fitter. When the opportunities will come I don't know, but I'm delighted he's back in the frame."
Jordon played the last 11 minutes of last night's game as a substitute.

December 16, 2011

The dreaded vote of confidence?

Chesterfield boss John Sheridan has received a vote of confidence from the club's directors, despite the fact that the Spireites have struggled so far this season.
The club have issued the following statement on their web site: "Chesterfield FC is aware of the concerns of its fans in view of the club's current league position and wish to provide some reassurance by the actions that the club is taking to redress the current situation. After last season's outstanding success the club takes the view that manager John Sheridan does not suddenly become a bad manager overnight. John, and his management team, will be supported in their endeavours with changes both on and off the pitch."
"Further footballing expertise will be brought in at boardroom level and the manager has been given the thumbs up to improve the squad during the January transfer window. The majority shareholder Dave Allen has confirmed that funds are being made available. The club is looking for a radical improvement during the second half of the season."
Of course, the "vote of confidence" is not always a good sign for the long-term future of under-fire managers, as many will testify over the years!
Sheridan featured in the Rovers' side in their first season in the Conference when Ian Snodin was manager.

December 16, 2011

Whaley released as Magpies hit financial trouble

Simon Whaley, who had a brief spell at Doncaster Rovers last season, appearing as a non-playing substitute on one occasion at the height of last season's injury crisis, has left Chorley after the club has been plunged into a financial crisis after their accountant was arrested by police on suspicion of theft and false accounting in September.
Chorley had made a number of relatively high-profile signings this season, but following the discovery of financial problems, several players have left the club in order to cut the wages bill.
Boss Garry Flitcroft revealed that, despite one of the directors putting in £15,000 of his own money to make up some of the shortfall, the situation at the club is still serious.
He told the Lancashire Evening Post: “It has been well documented that the club has had some major financial problems over the last few months and there is a limit to what I can say on that because of an ongoing police investigation. However the reality is the club has been plunged into a major crisis and, despite the best efforts of Ken Wright and the board, those problems aren’t going away. There is a big hole in the budget and we are facing a major battle to fill the void."
“I’ve already had to release some players because of the situation we find ourselves in. Over the last few months Chris Haworth, Nathan Fairhurst and Lee McEvilly have all left the club and more could follow. The sad thing is this is a time when we should be kicking on as a football club and enjoying the success we are having on the pitch. Instead, we are having to work tirelessly just to keep the club afloat."
Whaley left Victory Park at the beginning of the monty after making 19 appearances and scoring four goals.