November 30, 2011

Millwall 3 Rovers 2

The agony goes on for Doncaster Rovers after a 3-2 defeat against Millwall, who started the game only out of the bottom three on goal difference. Defeat sees Rovers seven points adrift of third-bottom Nottingham Forest, and the poor form suggests it will be a battle to close that gap.
A good save from Carl Ikeme stopped Millwall going in front within the first ten minutes, but the home side went in front in the 25th minute, when a run by Marquis was ended when he was tripped by Rovers midfielder Brian Stock inside the penalty area, with the referee having little hesitation in pointing to the spot. Liam Trotter stroked the penalty kick home to put the home side ahead.
Rovers were almost level moments later when Goulon's header was blocked by a Millwall defender on the line, and the equaliser came five minutes before the break. Sharp was pushed over in the box by Millwall defender Scott Barron, and Billy stepped up to take the penalty and put Rovers level. That state of affairs only lasted two minutes though, with Trotter collecting the ball 35 yards out, ran towards the penalty area and, after a one-two with Smith, Trotter fired home past a diving Carl Ikeme.
Rovers were lucky not to go further behind just after half time when a shot by Lowry hit the cross bar, but the two-goal cushion was attained six minutes from the end when Henderson headed home from a cross. Things got interesting when Billy Sharp capitalised on some good work by Kyle Bennett to score Rovers' second.
It proved to be another substandard performance by Rovers - it will be a long, hard winter unless those performances improve.

November 30, 2011

What the managers said

Rovers boss Dean Saunders praised the effort put in by his players last night, although he again criticised the defensive mistakes that led to their downfall.
He said after the game: "We are obviously disappointed to lose the game but I thought we played well and I am delighted with the effort my guys showed. We had enough chances to win the game and I thought we played really well, but the goals we gave away were from terrible mistakes and it is hard to eradicate them really. Every one of them kept going right until the end and we have all seen those games end up a draw. And the main thing is that my players never packed it in. That is key because things will turn around and we will win games, but only if they have the drive and determination. If they had packed in I would have been worried but they didn't, so we are getting there."
Millwall boss Kenny Jackett was delighted with the result last night, which eases his own club's relegation fears, and was quick to mention his pleasure in the contribution of two-goal hero Liam Trotter.
He said: "I was delighted with Liam's performance and he is continuing to develop so he is only going to get better. Since he joined us from Ipswich he has continued to work hard and continued to develop his game and he came up with two vital goals for us. He has the armband and he leads by example and does his talking on the pitch like a good captain should. Although we made it a close-run thing at the end and tighter than it perhaps should have been, it was a first-class result for us first and foremost and that is the most important thing."

November 30, 2011

Beye wants to extend stay

On-loan defender Habib Beye has said that he does not want to return to parent club Aston Villa and would like to stay at Doncaster Rovers for the rest of the season.
The 34 year old defender joined Rovers recently on loan until January, but told BBC Radio Sheffield this weekend: "I think I will be here all season because I don't want to go back to Villa. Unless Doncaster kick me out, I will be here all season. It's a great club and I want to be part of it."
Beye made a successful start to his Rovers career by being voted as "Man of the Match" in Saturday's game against Watford, but saw enough in that game to think that Rovers' fortunes will improve in time. He continued: "There's quality in the team and I don't think it is in the right place because if you look at it Watford are not in the bottom three and we are better than them. At the end of the day we are in the bottom three and we have to work to get out."
Whether Villa will allow Beye to stay longer is another thing - they are still subsidising his wages to a huge extent, and would prefer that he earn a full transfer, since he is unlikely to play in their first team this season.

November 30, 2011

Ticket update v Southampton

Tickets are currently on general sale for Saturday's home game against Southampton, who will arrive as the Championship's leaders after their 2-1 win last night.
The game has been determined to be a "Category 1" match, meaning that the prices for tickets are:
Category A - Adults £27 - Concessions £20 - Juniors (12-16) £15 - Juniors (11 & under) £10
Category B - Adults £27 - Concessions £20 - Juniors (12-16) £5 - Juniors (11 & under) £5
The Ticket Office web site is indicating that 6,285 tickets have been sold in the home stands (including season tickets, Premier Club), with 877 sold to Southampton supporters.

November 30, 2011

Rovers players past and present pay tribute to Speed

Doncaster Rovers players, past and present, have spoken over the last couple of days of their shock over the death of Wales manager Gary Speed at the weekend.
Former striker Gareth Taylor told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I was on a course and when I came out of the meeting and heard the news. I could’t get over it. It’s just such a really sad day. He was a top fellow and he could never do enough for you. He really looked after me when I first broke into the Wales squad and I remember him being so happy for me when I scored my first goal for my country. Something like this can never come at a good time but for this to come when things were going so well for him with Wales and Welsh football was really on the up, it has just hit the whole world of football so hard. You would have to go a really long way to find anyone who would have a bad word to say about him.
Ex-player and manager Ian Snodin said to the Liverpool Echo: "I'm still reeling from the news of Gary Speed’s death – like everyone else I simply can’t get my head around it. I was watching my 14-year-old son play Sunday League football when my pal Graeme Sharp phoned me with the news. At first I told him he must have been mistaken – it could’t have been true. Then he said it had just been reported on Sky and I was left on the sidelines as my lad’s match went on feeling dumfounded and numb. I knew Gary from when he was a 16-year-old trainee at Leeds United and I was club captain. He was part of a crop of great young lads along with David Batty and Simon Grayson, and even then he was a diamond. He told me he was an Evertonian, and when Liverpool and Everton both made bids for me in 1987 I’ll never forget Speedo telling me to sign for the Blues."
"We kept in touch and like so many others I came to consider Gary a friend. He said he was enjoying life as Wales manager, and he sounded like he loved it."
Striker El-Hadjii Diouf knew Speed from his time at Bolton Wanderers, where he was a team-mate. He said to the Doncaster Free Press: “When I stepped out of line he was the one who helped put me back on the right track. He was a positive influence on me and I respected him as much as anyone I have played with. When I was finding it difficult to deal with the boos that followed me everywhere he was the one who spoke to me and told me to ‘stay strong.’ He used to say to me ‘they only boo you because you’re a good player. Don’t let it upset you.’
“He was the nicest footballer I have known. On and off the pitch he was an incredible man, he was such a positive person in the dressing room, I cannot believe he has gone,” he added. “I loved his kids, I knew his wife well, he always treated me like a friend, not just a team-mate. I could’t sleep on Sunday night, all I can think about at the moment is him and my thoughts are with his family.”
Finally, former Wales and Rovers goalkeeper Neville Southall has called for the Welsh FA to play a special match in aid of Gary Speed's family. He suggested: “I’d love to see Wales play a game in an international week against players from his former clubs. Get some of the Newcastle lads down, Everton, Bolton, Sheffield United, Leeds and dedicate the game to his family. You don’t know what sort of state his finances are in. Pack the Millennium and everyone can pay their respects. If that can’t be done, I’d like to see a proper footballing power turn up. It would be sombre, but a success."
“It’d be nice if they name the Wales player-of-the-year award after Gary. Name a stand after him. It would be nice for Everton to do something."
Southall continued: “As a fellow, Gary Speed was a Rolls Royce. You could’t fault him, as classy as a Rolls. I was in goal when he played his first game for Wales. It’s just shocking, a waste of talent. You feel so despondent for his kids and his missus and parents – they must be absolutely devastated. I know his dad quite well. You always think you’ll go before your kids. To find yourself in that situation, what do you do? I never saw anything that would cause you to think anything like this would happen. Something must have happened that was drastically wrong. When you look at his life from the outside, he had everything going for him didn’t he? So you are thinking it’s got to be something major. You don’t know how fragile people are. You see them every day as a friend and a colleague you played with. With Gary, because he didn’t have any cracks in his armour, he didn’t seem like that. He wasn’t miserable, he was outgoing and funny. How you get to that stage where Gary was is beyond me. How do you deal with it?”‘Get the lads down, dedicate it to his family’

November 29, 2011

Millwall v Rovers

Dean Saunders faces a selection headache ahead of this evening's away game at Millwall, with only 14 players fit, which caused him to recall midfielder Mark Wilson from his loan at Walsall.
Definitely missing tonight will be George Friend, Pascal Chimbonda, Richard Naylor, Shelton Martis, Martin Woods, Chris Brown, Paul Keegan and James Chambers injured, whilst Adam Lockwood misses out as he serves the second of a three match ban.
El-Hadjii Diouf, who has impressed since joining the club recently, was substituted with a hamstring injury on Saturday, and will have a late fitness test before the kick-off.
James Coppinger has resumed training after missing Saturday's match due with a foot injury, and will be in the squad tonight. As well as adding the recalled Mark Wilson to the squad, youngster James Husband has travelled with the squad and could well be included on the bench tonight.
Millwall will be without defender Tamika Mkandwire (knee) and keeper David Forde (thigh). Skipper Paul Ronison will be absent tonight after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Crystal Palace, with Darren Ward likely to replace him. Darius Henderson faces a late fitness test, but Shaun Batt and Jordan Stewart will definitely be out.
Loan defenders Shane Lowry and Nathan Baker are likely to make their home debuts for the Lions.

November 29, 2011

Wilson recalled from Saddlers

Doncaster Rovers have recalled midfielder Mark Wilson from his loan spell at Walsall after a resurgence of the injury crisis that has affected Rovers all year, which left Dean Saunders with just 14 fit players. Wilson's loan at the Saddlers has only just been extended after enjoying a successful first month on loan, but his game against Stevenage Borough on Saturday looks like it may have been his last for them.
He made six appearances in all for Walsall, scoring one goal.

November 29, 2011

Tonight's match officials

The match officials for this evening's away game at Millwall have been confirmed as being:
Referee: Andy D'Urso
Assistant referees: Tim Robinson & David Rock
Fourth official: Stuart Butler

November 29, 2011

Voting results

The players to have arrived at Doncaster Rovers since Dean Saunders have certainly made an impact at the club, if the results of the latest "Man of the Match" voting (for the home game against Watford on Saturday) is anything to go by. The top four players in this week's poll are all relative newcomers to the club. Those receiving most votes for that game are:
1 Habib Beye (37.78%)
2 Carl Ikeme (28.89%)
3 El-Hadjii Diouf (11.11%)
4 Herold Goulon (8.89%)
We thank everyone who took the time to vote - the next poll opens in the morning following this evening's away game at Millwall.

November 29, 2011

Charity night for Luey Jacob Sharp Foundation

Three will be a Charity Race Night tomorrow evening at the Sprotbrough Country Club in aid of the Luey Jacob Sharp Foundation, which was set up by Rovers striker Billy Sharp in memory of the recent death of his baby son. The event will also be in aid of the South Yorkshire MS Centre.
Entry is by ticket at £5 each, and they are available from Dave Glover (07980 260111) or Paul at Sprotbrough Country Club (01302 853454). We hope that the event will be well supported, with the organisers hoping that some special guests from Doncaster Rovers may attend.

November 28, 2011

Ticket information v Millwall

Tickets for tomorrow evening's away game at Millwall remain on sale from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office today.
Rovers have received an allocation of 647 tickets, of which 198 are reported as being sold so far. They are on general sale at the following prices:
Adults £24
Senior Citizens £15
Under-16s £12
Under-12s £7
Disabled supporters pay £24, but their carer will be admitted free of charge (limited availability).

November 28, 2011

Saunders joins Speed tributes

Rovers boss Dean Saunders has joined in the numerous people to mourn the sudden and tragic death of Wales boss Gary Speed yesterday morning.
Saunders was a room-mate of Speed earlier in his career, and yesterday he told the Yorkshire Post: “The whole of Wales are proud of him, they knew he was a reliable man. He was doing so well with Wales and for this to happen to somebody so young...”
"I still cannot get my head around it. I spoke to Gary last week. He never seemed down in the dumps or over excited. Even when he played golf he never got too down or too excited. He was just a determined, reliable man who would do well with any team."
“He turned Wales around as manager but that is irrelevant compared to what has happened What was going through his mind, I don’t know. I will miss speaking to him, I will just miss him. I will miss him as a friend first, and a footballer second.”
Saunders added: “As a player he played with a determination. Managers would pick players around him. But most of all he was a level-headed man. I roomed with him all the way through my Wales career. He wouldn’t go to sleep without doing his sit-ups and his press-ups and that carried him through to the end of his career. I coached his son (when manager) at Wrexham, I saw (his wife) Louise a lot and I cannot begin to think what they are going through.”

November 28, 2011

Wolves eye move for McCormack

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reported to be set to make a move for Leeds United striker Ross McCormack after the Scot grabbed the headlines with his goal scoring exploits which have seen him score ten goals in the Championship so far, only beaten in the division by Ricky Lambert of league leaders Southampton, who has two more.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has watched McCormack, who played for Rovers on loan from Rangers in the 2005/06 season, on a number of occasions this season, according to the Express & Star. However, with funds at a premium at Molineux, a loan move until the end of the season looks the most likely option.
McCarthy commented: “We’ll be looking to do something in January, definitely. Myself, Jez (Moxey) and Steve (Morgan) will sit down and have a discussion about that."
“If there’s players around we can get and do something to improve us as a squad or as a team, we’ll try to do it.”

November 28, 2011

Ameobi for the Bees?

Ex-Rovers striker Tomi Ameobi has been on trials at League One club Brentford in the hope of finding a new club. He played the full 90 minutes of their reserve team game against Reading recently.
Ameobi, the brother of Newcastle strikers Shola and Sammy, is a free agent after leaving Icelandic club BÍ/Bolungarvík earlier this year.
Since leaving Rovers in 2009, he has played for Forest Green Rovers and Whitley Bay before moving to Iceland in May 2011.

November 28, 2011

Parkin returns to Yorkshire

Jon Parkin, who was on loan for a month at Doncaster Rovers recently, has joined Huddersfield Town on a month's loan and is expected to make his debut for the Terriers in this evening's away game at Charlton Athletic. Rovers tried to extend Parkin's loan until January, but the proposal was turned down by his parent club, Cardiff City.
Parkin will stay at Huddersfield until 23rd January and will be of particular value to them at the moment, as striker Alan Lee has just started a three match suspension.

November 28, 2011

Seagulls sign Kazenga

Ex-Rovers loan striker Kazenga LuaLua has completed a full transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion after being on loan at the club from Newcastle all season. LuaLua also was on loan at the club last season, but his loan was cut short after suffering a broken leg.
Kazenga told Brighton's official web site: "Since I came to the club it has always been my intention to sign a permanent deal so this is a really happy day for me. I have come here because I feel Brighton is the place where I can really kick on with my career. At Newcastle, I wasn't really involved in the first-team squad that often and at my age, I want to start playing regular football.”
Rovers had hoped to sign LuaLua on a season-long loan two summers ago, but their prospects were scuppered when Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League, with United unwilling to let him play for a rival club in the same division.
LuaLua continued: "I haven't played as much as I would have liked this season, having picked up an injury after the opening game of the season, but I'm training hard, keeping my head down, and I'm determined to take my chance when I get it."

November 27, 2011

Rovers 0 Watford 0

Dean Saunders gave four players their home debuts against Watford yesterday afternoon and whilst a clean sheet will be most welcome, it is perhaps not a surprise that the performance showed that Rovers have some way to go before they can produce the type of performance that the inclusion of the likes of Habib Beye and Marc-Antoine Fortune suggests. It was telling that Saunders, in his post-match interview, conceded that many players were included yesterday had not played that much competitive football of late, and the stamina dipped for the last twenty minutes of the game.
A clean sheet was also a fair achievement for Watford - the fact that they didn't score was on the cards as they have failed to score on eight occasions so far this season.
For all the headline-grabbing players to join in recent weeks, it was Billy Sharp who had the first chance to break the deadlock early on, but he just couldn't get his head to a good cross in by Diouf. Gillett had a goal-bound shot deflected for a corner in the 13th minute, but Watford also had their chances, and Stock cleared a goal-bound shot by Iwelumo for a corner in the 18th minute. Beye showed his class on the half-hour after Yeates got past Ilunga, but Baye moved quickly to close him down.
Several players put in much improved performances from a week ago, with Stock putting in a hard-working performance, whilst James O'Connor, who has only just come back from injury, also played much better in his right-back role.
One thing that will be of concern to the Rovers management is the departure from the field on the hour mark of El-Hadjii Diouf with what appears to be a hamstring injury. Goal scoring opportunities were at a premium throughout the game and looked certain that the team that managed to score first would win the game. But on the other hand, as the game went on, that looked highly unlikely, with neither goalkeeper seriously tested in the second half until Kyle Bennett's fierce shot in the 75th minute was tipped over the bar.
Rovers threw almost everyone forward for a free kick in the closing minutes in an effort to grab the all-important winner, but their efforts came to nothing and the game finished goalless.
The point gained means they are now level with Coventry City, but an inferior goal difference keeps Rovers at the bottom of the table. They have the ideal opportunity to climb above the Sky Blues on Tuesday when they are back in action, away at Millwall.

November 27, 2011

What the managers said

Rovers boss Dean Sunders was pleased to see his side pick up a point at the Keepmoat Stadium, and also with the performance of the players.
He said after the game: “The clean sheet was the pleasing aspect for me because we have been giving away far too many silly goals recently. I was pleased with the way we reacted after losing at Barnsley last week because we didn’t play well there at all. But we came out and had a fight today and looked as if we wanted to win. I thought we should have had three points on the balance of play because we got a lot of early balls and crosses into the penalty area but we just could not get the final touch.”
Watford boss Sean Dyche thought his side deserved a draw yesterday, but accepted that the Hornets lacked the necessary quality in attack. He commented: "I think it was a deserved point, without us playing as well as we have done recently. We had solid shape, good organisation and good endeavour but we lacked that bit of quality. We worked hard for the point. We are still developing and improving so it will be difficult to be brilliant every week. We have delivered some really good performances though. We come away reasonably positive. The back five were really good and that was important as it is important to set our stall out in terms of the basics and fundamentals.”
“The pleasing thing for me was that when it doesn't happen then you need to be able to rely on the key fundamentals – the shape, the basics, the energy and effort of the team – and I think that showed in abundance today.”

November 27, 2011

Goals check

We begin our review of former Rovers players scoring goals in the Championship, where Ross McCormack's 55th minute strike was not enough to earn any points in their home game against Barnsley, with the Tykes holding on to win 2-1, despite having a man sent off ten minutes from time.
In League Two, Adebayo Akinfenwa scored another late goal for managerless Northampton, but his 93rd minute goal was little more than consolation as the Cobblers went down to a hugely disappointing 4-1 loss at bottom club Plymouth Argyle.
A little further down the league pyramid, in the Evo-Stik Premier Division, former Rovers youth team player Robert O'Brien scored twice for Bradford Park Avenue in their 4-0 away win at Chasetown.
In the Evo-Stik Division One (South), Tristram Whitman scored Grantham Town's fifth goal in the 90th minute as the Gingerbreads won 5-1 at Market Drayton Town.
A little further afield, ex-Rovers defender David Mulligan scored from the penalty spot for Auckland City as they beat Manawatu 5-0 to maintain their perfect start to their ASB Premiership campaign, with six wins out of six. Auckland now head to Japan for the Club World Cup.
A couple of goals to mention from the last week - Liam Nelthorpe scored for Winterton Rangers in their 1-0 home win over Armthorpe Welfare, whilst Craig Nelthorpe scored for Winterton last Saturday, although they still lost 3-1 at home to Nostell Miners Welfare.

November 27, 201

Youth Team 4 Lincoln City 1

The Rovers youth team inflicted a heavy defeat on their counterparts from Lincoln City last Saturday with the Rovers goals coming from Chris Whincop (2), Nathan Davison and Harry Middleton.
We haven't seen any detail of the Rovers line-up for the game, but there are some telling comments from the Lincoln Head of Youth, Grant Brown, after the game.
He said: "I don't think our tempo was good enough. It certainly wasn't as good as it has been in recent weeks. They picked up a lot of second balls up in midfield and we possibly just gave them too much respect in not getting close enough to them. They were better than us. I don't think they were four goals better than us at half-time but they went in 4-0 up."
"You just have to try and salvage some pride. I told the boys that if they can score four goals in a half then why can't we? In fairness to the boys they responded well and it was a much improved performance in the second half."

November 26, 2011

Rovers v Watford

Doncaster Rovers will be hoping that they can put their dismal performance of last weekend at Barnsley behind them and regain the form that saw them pick up three points from Portman Road.
The will be bolstered by the arrival of a number of new recruits this week, but the injury situation at the club means that many will be either missing or doubtful.
Likely to make their debuts for Rovers today will be new loan signings Habib Beye, Herold Goulon and Marc-Antoine Fortune, with all having signed since the Barnsley debacle. Goalkeeper Carl Ikeme is set to make his home debut after being one of the few players to impress last Saturday.
However, Dean Saunders will be without the services of Pascal Chimbonda (hip) and Shelton Martis (groin), with James Coppinger, Billy Sharp, George Friend and Richard Naylor all doubtful.
Martis was substituted last weekend due to a groin injury, whilst Pascal Chimbonda faces a month out with a hip flexor problem. Naylor is suffering from a broken finger.
Adam Lockwood, who only made his return to the side last weekend after a long absence due to injury, serves the first of a three match suspension after being sent off at Oakwell.
Added to the above, longer term injury victims James Chambers, Paul Keegan, Martin Woods, Chris Brown and Tommy Spurr are also unavailable today, meaning a total of eight are definitely unavailable, with another four facing fitness tests ahead of Dean Saunders being able to name his side.
Watford's club captain John Eustace is hoping for a recall to the starting line-up after successfully making a comeback from injury last weekend as a substitute. He is likely to replace Jonathan Hogg, who serves a one match suspension.
Lloyd Doyley has a thigh injury and faces a late fitness test, whilst Martin Taylor and Stephen McGinn are out due to injury.

November 26, 2011

Saunders wants players to focus

Rovers boss Dean Saunders has urged his players to cut out the unnecessary mistakes ahead of this afternoon's home game against Watford.
With the arrival of three new players this week, Saunders is optimistic that Rovers can improve their situation greatly by Tuesday night, by which time they will have played Watford (home) and Millwall (away).
He said: "If we win at Watford on Saturday and then beat Millwall on Tuesday, I think we will go level with them, so we could be in a good position come Tuesday night - the players just need to believe going into Saturday that we can win. Then we will go to Millwall and try and win as well. We are capable of doing it, we just need to stop making mistakes."
Of the shift in transfer policy and the arrival of a number of players in the last few weeks, Saunders issued the warning: "Anyone who doesn't like they want to be part if it can leave".
He added: "We're just trying to improve the squad at the moment and that's all we can do. It's really good to get the ones in that we have, but I'm a bit surprised that there isn't more interest in some of the players that aren't getting games."
The injury situation shows no signs of abating, even though Saunders had previously suggested that changes to fitness and conditioning of the players would improve matters. He said: "I've never known anything like the injury situation - its remarkable the amount of long term injuries and when you get a few on top of that it only adds to the problem, but we'll get to the bottom of it eventually."

November 26, 2011

Ticket update

Ticket sales for this afternoon's home game against Watford suggest that Rovers will again struggle to near the 10,000 mark. With ticket sales at around 7,000 - 6,551 to home fans and 280 to Watford supporters - even a healthy number sold immediately before the match looks unlikely to increase that figure greatly.
The influx of new players may help to increase interest in the game, with four players likely to be making their Keepmoat Stadium debuts this afternoon.
The match has been designated as "Category 2", meaning prices are as follows:
Category A & B: Adults £22 - Concessions £15 - Juniors (16 & under) £5

November 26, 2011

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's home game against Watford have been confirmed as follows:
Referee; Paul Tierney
Assistant referees: Wayne Grunnill & Paul Hodskinson
Fourth official: Key Haycock

November 25, 2011

Baxendale goes out on loan

James Baxendale, who only recently signed a new contract at Doncaster Rovers, has gone out on loan to Evo-Stik Premier Division side Buxton until 2nd January.
Seen as 'one for the future' by boss Dean Saunders, Baxendale will have the opportunity to gain first team match experience that he would not otherwise gain if he stayed at Rovers.

November 25, 2011

Mason goes back to Spurs

Midfielder Ryan Mason has had his season-long loan with Doncaster Rovers cancelled and he has returned to Tottenham Hotspur.
The midfielder made five appearances this season for Rovers, but an ankle injury has kept him on the sidelines for the last two months. The 20-year old cannot be guaranteed a place in the Rovers side at the moment, so Spurs have recalled the player in his best interests.
Rovers boss Dean Saunders told the Doncaster Free Press: "We couldn't guarantee that Ryan would be starting every week and Tottenham expected him to be playing, so he's gone back to them. The situation allows us to use his wages elsewhere now. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go on to big things because he's a great player. It's been a difficult situation for him here but we wish him well for the future because he's a good young player."
Ryan's number 13 shirt has now been allocated to new loanee Marc-Antoine Fortune.
We would like to wish Ryan all the best in his footballing career and thank him for his contribution during his time at Doncaster Rovers this season and last season.

November 25, 2011

Wilson extends stay at Saddlers

Rovers midfielder Mark Wilson has had his loan stay at League One club Walsall extended until 7th January. Wilson has been at the Saddlers for a month after failing to be included in the Rovers first team squad on match days since the arrival of Dean Saunders. An indication that Mark's time at Rovers may be drawing to a close came when Rovers granted him permission to play in the FA Cup for Walsall.
Wilson's contract at Doncaster Rovers runs until the end of this season.

November 25, 2011

Plymouth deny O'Driscoll link

Plymouth Argyle chairman Peter Ridsdale moved to deny that former Doncaster Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll may be about to join the club yesterday after he had been seen at Argyle's FA Cup game against Stourbridge recently.
O'Driscoll sat in the directors box as a guest of boss Carl Fletcher, who played under O'Driscoll at Bournemouth.
Ridsdale explained: "Carl invited him to the game on Tuesday. As any young manager would do, he's turning to friends, colleagues and acquaintances for help, support and information. That's why he was there."

November 25, 2011

Lewis returns to Oxford

Ex-Rovers striker Lewis Guy has returned for a second loan spell to Oxford United. The 26 year old has joined Oxford until 2nd January after being left on the sidelines at MK Dons this season. A move of some kind had been expected after Guy turned out for Bradford City's reserves last week, but he joins the Oxford squad for tomorrow's game against Cheltenham Town.
Oxford boss said: "It's a no-brainer for us as Lewis is available for no financial outlay as MK Dons want him in the shop window."
Guy told BBC Radio Oxford: "I think we'll definitely be in the mix come the end of the season. I believe this club will be promoted this season and I hope I am proven right. I want to get in the team and start scoring some goals. We need to help James Constable. We can't just rely on him and we all need to chip in."
"I do really enjoy it here, I love the fans and I love the manager, and in the time I'm here I'll give 100%."

November 24, 2011

Rovers sign striker Fortune

Doncaster Rovers made a second signing yesterday, when they acquired West Bromwich Albion striker Marc-Antoine Fortune on loan until January. Rovers have been linked with the 30-year old, who was a regular in the Albion side last season, but has only made two substitute appearances this term, the last being in August.
Rovers boss Dean Saunders has been attempting to strengthen the Rovers squad ahead the closure of the "loan transfer window" later today.

November 24, 2011

Rovers complete Herold's loan

Following our report from yesterday, Doncaster Rovers have now confirmed that they have completed the loan signing of Blackburn Rovers midfielder Herold Goulon. The loan will run until 22nd January - and Saunders has strongly hinted that Goulon is unlikely to be the last signing of the week.
Goulon, a former French Under-21 international, trained with Rovers last month, but an injury prevented the move going through then, but he should be a great addition to the Rovers squad. Described as a defensive midfielder, he can also play at centre-back.
Boss Dean Saunders said yesterday: "It's another good signing for us and there could more things happening with a bit of luck before the end of the week."

November 24, 2011

Chimbonda joins the injured list

Defender Pascal Chimbonda will be out of action for up to a month with a hip injury that kept him out of Saturday's away game at Barnsley. Chimbonda has torn a ligament in his hip and will not be able to train for another three or four weeks. Boss Dean Saunders said: "It's a big blow because he's a class player and we missed him at Barnsley. Hopefully we'll have him back for some of the games over the Christmas period."
The injury jinx that affected Rovers during Sean O'Driscoll's era seems to be continuing through in to Dean Saunders' reign, with James Coppinger and George Friend also wearing protective boots following the Barnsley game. Both will have scans on their injuries this week before a decision is made on whether they can play on Saturday.
Shelton Martis and Billy Sharp join the injured list with groin injuries, whilst defender Richard Naylor has a broken finger. Striker Chris Brown has suffered another reaction after continuing his return from a knee injury.
Saunders added: "We don't know who will be fit or otherwise for Saturday just yet, but we've signed two players already this week and there could be more to follow."
Fears that defender Herita Ilunga may have broken a toe were, thankfully, unfounded. An X-Ray has shown that there is no break, and Herita should be available for selection this weekend.

November 24, 2011

England 2 Serbia 0

England won their Women's Euro 2013 qualifying match against Serbia at the Keepmoat Stadium last night, with a goal either side of half time giving them their fourth victory of the qualifying campaign. The result sees England in second place, two points behind leaders Holland, who face England in June. The England goals were scored by Ellen White and Jess Clarke.

November 24, 2011

Rovers in talks with Zenden

Doncaster Rovers are in talks with former Sunderland midfielder Boudewijn Zenden, who is currently a free agent. Agent Willie McKay has confirmed that he has talked to Zenden, but it is uncertain as to how good the prospects are.
Ht told the Press Association yesterday: "We've spoken to Bolo. He played for Celtic in a friendly against St Johnstone. I'm a Celtic fan myself and I was told he was outstanding. But he couldn't agree anything there and we've been in contact with him."
Should anything happen, Zenden will be the latest of a number of high-profile signings made by Rovers since Dean Saunders was appointed as manager.
Aged 35, Zenden is currently without a club after being released by Sunderland at the end of last season, having played for the Dutch national side in the 2002 World Cup finals and the Euro 2000 and 2004 campaigns. He has also played for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Marseille before joining Sunderland in 2009.

November 24, 2011

Owen thrilled at Welsh Cup clash

Ex-Doncaster Rovers skipper Gareth Owen, now head coach at Welsh Premier League club Airbus UK, has spoken of his pleasure of the outcome of the Welsh Cup draw, which pairs his current club with one of his former clubs, Wrexham. The tie at the Racecourse is scheduled for December 3rd/4th - but since Wrexham are involved in FA Cup action against Brentford on that day, the game will have to be rescheduled.
Wrexham are back in the Welsh Cup for the first time since 1995.
Even so, Owen is still delighted at the prospect of facing his former club. He told the Flintshire Chronicle: “I had spoken to our director of football Craig Harrison about how good it would be if we got Wrexham and lo and behold, we get them. It was a big shock and obviously I have a few memories of Wrexham when I played for them, including that Welsh Cup final at Cardiff in 1995. The Racecourse Ground is a fantastic place to play the game and the memories are still there. It’s a dream come true to go back and it will be a special occasion. I am a big believer in fate and it is the first year Wrexham are back in and we get them.
Owen added: “I was part of the Wrexham team which beat Arsenal 2-1 in the 1992 FA Cup, so it can be done, and if we win at Wrexham, we can beat anyone in the cup.”

November 24, 2011

Wolves extend Ikeme contract

Carl Ikeme penned a new contract with Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining Doncaster Rovers earlier this month. The 25 year old, who made his Rovers debut against Barnsley on Saturday, signed a three and a half year deal, which means he is tied to the Molineux club until 2015.
He told Wolves' official site: "The gaffer had spoken to me at the start of the season about staying here for longer and I'm delighted the contract has been signed. My deal was up at the end of the season so it was great to be able to sign a new long-term contract. I'm confident my injury problems are a thing of the past now. I've changed different things about the way I train in particularly cutting it down a bit."
"I am still confident in my own ability and just want to keep moving forward and keep improving. I enjoyed playing games at Middlesbrough and will try and do the same for Doncaster, but beyond that I want to try and push for the place at Wolves and wouldn't have signed this contract if I didn't. Short-term I need to keep playing games but long-term I want to try and play for Wolves."

November 23, 2011

Goulon set to sign

It looks as though Blackburn Rovers midfielder Herold Goulon will join Doncaster Rovers ahead of Thursday's loan transfer deadline. Goulon had been training with Rovers in October, but it appeared that the proposed move was off after nothing materialized. It seems that injury may have affected Rovers' decision at the time, and Dean Saunders is now looking to add him to the Rovers squad this week.
Aged 23, Goulon began his career with the famed Clairfontaine academy in France and can play in defence or midfield, and had a trial spell with Cologne earlier this season.
The Lancashire Telegraph and Daily Mail are reporting that Goulon will sign a short term loan until January.

November 23, 2011

International football at the Keepmoat tonight

International football comes to the Keepmoat Stadium this evening when England's Women's team face Serbia in their Euro 2013 qualifying game. England go into the game in third place, but have a game in hand on both Holland and Serbia, who are above them, and drew 2-2 with Serbia in Belgrade in September, but since they have beaten Slovenia 4-0 and drawn 0-0 away to Holland.
England boss Hope Powell said: “We have to get three points to make sure we stay in contention with the Dutch at the top of the group, but to do that we need to be more clinical in front of goal. We created 30 openings against Serbia last time and we only scored two. Had we taken some more of our chances it would have been a different story.
“We recognise that it was two points dropped as opposed to a point gained,” Powell continued. “We did enough on the day to win the game, although you have to give credit to Serbia. They dug in, especially when they realises the heat might have been having an impact on our players, they kept pushing right until added time and got the equaliser. But we had enough chances to bury the game and the players were understandably disappointed coming off the pitch.
Tickets for the game are available from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office on 01302 762 576 or by personal application. Ticket prices are £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions. Under-7s can get in free when accompanied by an adult.
The game is also being streamed 'live' on the FA's web site at www.thefa.com/FATVLive
The England squad is:
Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Linköpings, on loan from Sky Blue), Rachel Brown (Everton), Siobhan Chamberlain (Bristol Academy)
Defenders: Sophie Bradley (Nottingham Forest, on loan from Lincoln), Alex Scott (Boston Breakers), Casey Stoney (Lincoln), Dunia Susi (Birmingham City), Rachel Unitt (Everton), Fern Whelan (Everton)
Midfielders: Laura Bassett (Birmingham City), Dani Buet* (Chelsea), Jess Clarke (Lincoln), Steph Houghton (Arsenal), Jade Moore (Birmingham City), Jill Scott (Everton), Fara Williams (Everton), Rachel Yankey (Arsenal)
Forwards: Karen Carney (Birmingham City), Natasha Dowie (Everton), Kelly Smith (Boston Breakers), Ellen White (Arsenal), Rachel Williams (Birmingham City)

November 23, 2011

Rovers decide against red card appeal

After reviewing the video evidence, Doncaster Rovers have decided against appealing against Adam Lockwood's red card from the Barnsley game. The decision looked to be very harsh at the time, but since it seems the video shows that the referee did see the incident, there is little chance of the decision being overturned. A number of appeals by several clubs last season resulted in an increased ban being imposed by the FA.

November 23, 2011

Hulse rejects Rovers

Queens Park Rangers striker Rob Hulse has turned down a loan move to Doncaster Rovers, saying that he did not want to move so far away from his family, who are based in the south. West London Sport have suggested that Hulse is now likely to join Ipswich Town - QPR alerted Paul Jewell of his availability once the chance of a move to Rovers was rejected.

November 23, 2011

Nelly released by Trinity

Ex-Rovers left winger Craig Nelthorpe has been released by Blue Square North club Gainsborough Trinity, and played for Winterton Rangers in their game on Saturday.
Nelthorpe has only recently joined Gainsborough, but clearly boss Steve Housham has seen enough to make his decision.
Housham told BBC Radio Lincolnshire: "It's sad to let players like that go but I've given them chance after chance and they haven't lived up to expectations."

November 22, 2011

Beye signs for Rovers

Aston Villa defender Habib Beye has signed on a three month loan deal with Doncaster Rovers. He becomes the latest high-profile player to join the club on a short-term deal, which gives players with top-level clubs the opportunity to put themselves in the "shop window" instead of languishing in the reserves. With only seven minutes on the pitch this season (a seven minute appearance against Hereford in the Carling Cup and nine appearances in total since 2009), this is certainly the case for Beye. His contract at Villa expires at the end of this season. He will stay at Rovers until 21st February, although there is a recall clause in his contract which applies after the first 28 days.
The Senegalese international joins countryman El-Hadjii Diouf at Rovers, along with Pascal Chimbonda, Herita Ilunga and Carl Ikeme, who have all joined since the new transfer policy was introduced at Rovers. He is principally a right back, although he can play in a more central role if required and was Newcastle United's "Player of the Year" in 2008.
He has been allocated the number 41 shirt for his time at Doncaster Rovers.
The player told Sky Sports News: "I spoke with Dean Saunders and he's looking for a player like me. I'm 34 and I've played a lot of games. I've played in the World Cup and the Champions League. I hope I can help the young boys in this club to achieve something. If we can improve a couple of players it is always good for the team. I'm bringing my experience and I hope it goes really well. I am very happy because it is a challenge and an exciting challenge for me. I feel that I will play football every week and do my best for Doncaster Rovers."

November 22, 2011

Husband signs on pro contract

Rovers have announced that youth teamer James Husband has signed a two and a half year professional contract after impressing in the youth team this season. The 17 year old, who has scored five times in ten games for the under-18s even though he is a left back, has been attracting attention from a number of Premier League clubs, which is doubtlessly why Rovers have moved to protect their interest.
He has been allocated the number 40 shirt in the squad list.

November 22, 2011

Ticket information v Watford

Saturday's home game against Watford has been designated as a "Category 2" match, meaning slightly reduced admission prices apply.
Interestingly, the Keepmoat Stadium web site is not listing the number of tickets sold for any home matches at the moment - this last happened when Rovers experienced a downturn in ticket sales and, presumably, they did not wish to advertise the fact.
Tickets are now on general sale at the following prices:
Category A & B: Adults £22 - Concession £15 - Juniors (16 & under) £5

November 22, 2011

Players back transfer policy

Rovers defender Tommy Spurr has revealed that the players have "embraced" the new transfer policy at the club, even though it has yet to result in a significant upturn in Rovers' fortunes.
Spurr, sidelined with injury until the New Year, says that the players are looking positively at the situation.
He told the Doncaster Star: “I think the players have embraced the new signings. They have welcomed them and not thought negative things. They are here to help us and as long as the team benefits from them signing then that can only be a good thing for the club.”

November 22, 2011

Voting results

Bearing in mind the criticism of the standard of the performance of Doncaster Rovers in their game at Barnsley on Saturday, it is perhaps of little surprise that there were a relatively low number of votes cast in the latest "Man of the Match" poll, even though it was one of the highest attendances for an away match this season. However, we thank everyone who voted, which saw debut-making goalkeeper Carl Ikeme the runaway leader with three quarters of all votes cast.
There were six players who received votes, with the leading votes cast as follows:
1 Carl Ikeme (76.47%)
2 Giles Barnes (8.82%)
3 El-Hadjii Diouf (5.88%)
The next poll will open after Saturday's home game against Watford.

November 21, 2011

Beye to join today?

Aston Villa defender Habib Beye is, according to reports on the Doncaster Free Press, due to complete a loan move to Doncaster Rovers today, which will keep him at the Keepmoat Stadium until January.
The 34 year old Senegal international defender is primarily a right back, but can play in central defence, but has played just once for Villa this season - a three minute outing in their Carling Cup game with Hereford back in August.
It marks the next stage in Rovers' controversial transfer policy in order to give Beye first team football and put him in the "shop window" to earn a move elsewhere. As with the current policy at Rovers, Rovers will only pay a small percentage of his wages, will Aston Villa continuing to pay the remainder - and Rovers could earn 40% of any transfer fee received should Beye be transferred in January.
He joined Villa from Newcastle United in August 2009, and has also played for Strasbourg and Marseille, where he played in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup, before he came to England to play for Newcastle in August 2007.
He has played 35 times for Senegal and played for his country in the 2002 World Cup.

November 21, 2011

Maxfield in charge

Former Doncaster Rovers defender Scott Maxfield has been appointed as manager at Evo-Stik Premier League club Buxton following the abrupt departure of thee experienced John Reed on Tuesday evening. Buxton have been struggling this season and find themselves just above the relegation places, which led to Reed's departure "by mutual consent".
Maxfield, who had been player/coach at the club throughout Reed's time at the club, agreed to take charge immediately - and for the foreseeable future - on Wednesday morning, and Reed has backed Scott to succeed. Reed said: “I’ve told him that if there’s anything I can do, or if he needs any advice, all he has to do is pick up the phone.”
Chairman Tony Tomlinson said: “The board wishes to express its gratitude to John for his services and for the commitment he has shown to the club. In particular we remember how well he did in his first season here to lead us to the play-off final and who can forget last season’s memorable FA Cup occasions at Telford and Fleetwood? We wish him well for the future."
“Maxi is certainly up for the challenge and is confident he can turn things round to improve our league position.”
As well as the departure of Reed on Tuesday, former Rover Clive Freeman, his assistant, also left the club. On leaving the club, Freeman said: “I’m very sad really. I think we’ve had a good four years and a really poor half a season. I understand that with football it is a results business and it’s just one of those things. We’ll be back and hopefully John will take me with him when he gets another job.

November 21, 2011

Ward set for another operation

November 21, 2011

Green makes a return to action

We are pleased to note that former Rovers midfielder Paul Green has returned to action for Derby County following a long absence due to a serious knee injury. Green had surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which was ruptured during Derby's defeat at Cardiff in early April, and was expected not to return to full fitness until the end of this year or early 2012. His return as a substitute for Derby on Saturday was, therefore, a little ahead of the anticipated schedule, although he is likely to have to settle for a place on the bench for the next few games as he regains full fitness.

November 20, 2011

Barnsley 2 Rovers 0

Rovers fans were optimistic going into yesterday afternoon's game at Barnsley, with the performance and result at Ipswich two weeks earlier giving cause for hope. However, the performance of the Rovers side took a huge step backwards at Oakwell, leading many of the travelling supporters to boo the players as they trooped off at the end of the game.
Looking at things from a positive point of view, Carle Ikeme looked to be a good goalkeeper on his debut and should provide a solid last line of defence in the coming weeks, and Adam Lockwood made a return to the side after Shelton Martis was withdrawn on the half-hour due to injury. Unfortunately for Lockwood, he didn't finish the game as he was harshly shown a straight red card for a challenge on Stephen Foster with twenty minutes to go.
You have to feel sympathy for Billy Sharp and El-Hadjii Diouf, who were starved of any service by the Rovers midfield, with Barnsley running through the centre of the field at will. It was concerning to hear in the post-match interview that many players were either carrying knocks or had not trained since the last game owing to injuries - you might be able to carry one or two that were less than 100%, but it looks as though the gamble backfired yesterday.
The damage was done by Craig Davies, who struck midway through both the first and second halves, but the 2-0 score line rather flattered Rovers, who could have lost by a far heavier margin if the home side had taken full advantage of their chances.
One thing that Rovers fans have got used to in recent years is that the side could maintain possession - even if they didn't always convert possession into shots on goal. Yesterday saw Rovers credited with possession for 40% of the game, and as many mangers will tell you, if you can have possession, it means that the other side can't score, a mantra that Sean O'Driscoll clearly believed in.
Dean Saunders and the Rovers players look to be facing a hard week of reflection and work to overcome the set-back that they received this weekend. Let us hope that the coaching staff are able to get the players to deliver next weekend!

November 20, 2011

What the managers said

November 20, 2011

Around the goals

There were not all that many former Rovers players scoring goals yesterday, but we begin in League Two, where Adebayo Akinfenwa was on target for managerless Northampton Town in their home game with Shrewsbury. His 85th minute strike may have been welcome - but since they were 4-1 down at the time, it did little to change the Cobblers' fortunes - it got worse for them as they eventually went down 72, with two goals coming in the six minutes of time added on at the end of the game.
In the FA Vase Second Round, Ben Muirhead scored for Armthorpe Welfare in their 3-1 away win at Eccleshill United.
Finally, in the Northern Counties Premier Division, Craig Nelthorpe scored for Winterton Rangers in their 3-1 home defeat by Nostell Miners Welfare.

November 19, 2011

Barnsley v Rovers

November 19, 2011

Saunders - looks forward to derbies

Rovers boss Dean Saunders is looking forward to this afternoon's away game at Barnsley - his first taste of a local derby since joining the club.
Since joining, Rovers have won three of their nine games, and even though they won the last game, at Ipswich, are still at the bottom of the table. At least there is the prospect of climbing up the table as long as Rovers pick up points today, with Coventry City and Bristol City within one point of Rovers.
Saunders said ahead of today's game: “There is something wrong with you if you don’t look forward to derbies. If you lose, the fans get slaughtered by opposition fans when they go into work on Monday. But they will all go home really happy if we win. Sometimes they are all about wanting three points more than the opposition and we are going there looking for three points.”
He added: “We’ve got to want to win more than them, we need to really want the three points more than them. More often than not with derby matches that’s what it’s all about. You’ve not got to be frightened to lose. “The players will be up for it and I want to win. We want to send our fans home happy."
"Barnsley are a mobile team, they’ve got a lot of energy in the team and they look like they work hard. We need to get to the ball first. If we can win on Saturday then we go three points behind Barnsley which is a good place to be in. “We’re going there for three points.”

November 19, 2011

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's away game at Barnsley have been confirmed as:
Referee; Kevin Friend
Assistant referees: Simon Barrow, Jake Collin
Fourth official: Gary Sutton

November 19, 2011

Ricky joins Bradford City

Former Doncaster Rovers midfielder Ricky Ravenhill has joined Bradford City on two months loan from Notts County. Ravenhill has played seven games for County this season, but has been frustrated not to be included in their side on a regular basis. He should go straight into Bradford's squad for today's game against Rotherham United. The Bantams are placed perilously in League Two, just one point out of the relegation places, so Ricky's experience should prove useful as they try to improve their position.
County boss Martin Allen said: "Rick's an absolute diamond of a bloke, a good player and still has a lot to offer. At times he's been a bit frustrated, which is understandable, and I'm pleased that he's frustrated because anybody that's just sitting around here dossing and couldn't care less is no good to us. He does care, he wants to play and he is still a good player and he can still do it."

November 18, 2011

Chelsea date confirmed

Chelsea have confirmed that their FA Youth Cup game against Doncaster Rovers will be played on Wednesday, 14th December, with the match kicking off at 7pm.
Unfortunately for the Rovers lads, the game is not being played at Stamford Bridge, but at Staines Town FC (Wheatsheaf Park, Wheatsheaf Lane, Staines, Middlesex TW18 2PD)>
Tickets for the tie will be £3 for adults and £1 for children and can be bought on the night at the turnstiles.

November 18, 2011

Buy your Rovers tickets at the Dome!

Doncaster Rovers have announced that there is a new outlet for match day tickets as they try to reverse the drop in attendances seen over the last three seasons.
Top Screen Media Kiosk have installed a touch-screen kiosk at the Doncaster Dome which will allow supporters to buy tickets without having to go into the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office. The kiosk will be linked directly to the ticket office, with Top Screen confident that the concept will be a success. The kiosk opens today.
They said: "The Doncaster Culture & Leisure Trust and Doncaster Rovers are two of the biggest organizations in Doncaster and we're delighted to be able to work with both of them with this new exciting partnership.We hope to one day open more kiosks around Doncaster, but for now, the only way to have a go with the technology is to visit Doncaster Dome."
They are looking to open new outlets around the area - they are encouraging any venues that consider themselves as suitable to contact Top Screen Media at www.topscreenmedia.com.

November 18, 2011

Brown staying at Rovers

Manager Dean Saunders has said that Rovers striker Chris Brown will not be going out on loan, contrary to recent news stories in Crewe's local press, which suggested he was likely to go to Gresty Road.
Saunders has stressed that Chris will be staying at Rovers, and they are concentrating on getting him fully fit.
Saunders said: "He's trying to get himself right and play for us. We have not discussed it with him. We're just seeing how he looks in training. We're disappointed he pulled out of the reserves on Tuesday, but he trained on Thursday. Hopefully, it's one of those injuries that swells up and goes down again."

November 18, 2011

Saunders- we never talked to Pires

Rovers boss Dean Saunders has revealed that he never spoke to Robert Pires about the possibility of him joining Doncaster Rovers. The player revealed on his Twitter account that he had been approached with a view to helping Rovers out, but it now seems that Pires was only contacted by an unnamed third party.
Saunders told the Daily Mail: "I never spoke to him. Someone asked him if he'd be interested and he said no, I never got round to talking to him."

November 18, 2011

Rovers hope Billy will stay

Doncaster Rovers are keeping their fingers crossed that leading scorer Billy Sharp will remain a Rovers player for the rest of his contract, despite the highly publicised comments by Ipswich boss Paul Jewell that Sharp remains a target.
The Rovers boss commented: "I don't want to lose Billy, he scores goals and that's hard to come by. I am hoping he will stay with us, he is looking sharper every day and looking as if he has a weight off his shoulders. Hopefully he keeps banging them in and we get in a good position."
Speaking of Jewell's statements over recent weeks, he continued: "You should speak about your own players and that should be it. It's not something I would do. But Billy has had bigger problems than that and I am sure he can deal with it.'

November 18, 2011

Offiong released by Blyth

The downwards direction of the football career of former Rovers striker Richard Offiong seems to be continuing following news this week that he has been released by Blue Square North club Blyth Spartans.
Offiong only recently joined Blyth after returning to the country from playing in Australia, but Blyth have four strikers on their books, and boss Steve Cuggy cannot promise him a first team place.
Cuggy told Blyth's official web site: "I have four forwards at the club now and I can't guarantee Richard a game. Losing a striker means I can look to strengthen other areas of the squad."
Cuggy added: "Richard needs matches under his belt. Richard leaves us on amicable terms and he will continue to train with the team so we haven't burned all our bridges."
Offiong has played six times for Blyth without finding the back of the net.

November 17, 2011

McKay - Sall to join Rovers in January

Agent Willie McKay has stated that Senegalese international Mustapha Bayal Sall is set to join Doncaster Rovers on a six-month loan deal from St Etienne in the January transfer window.
Sall's name has been mentioned before as a potential target, even if a somewhat ambitious target, but in an interview with the Yorkshire Post, McKay seems to be more confident of getting his man than had previously being the case.
The Yorkshire Post article also states that Sall is already checking out places to live in Yorkshire, and is taking advice from former Leeds United winger Max Gradel. Rovers assistant manager Brian Carey is reported to have watched him playing for Senegal this week.

November 17, 2011

Oster and Woods setbacks

Rovers physio John Dicken has given an update of how the injured players at Doncaster Rovers are doing in their recovery. Whilst some are now closing in on a return to training, there are some who seem to be as far away from playing as they've ever been.
Midfielder John Oster has recently had surgery on his neck, but the period of his recovery seems to have lengthened from the previous diagnosis, with a further three month absence likely. Dickens has said that Oster is due to see the surgeon again in two weeks as a routine appointment, but it is unlikely that he can return to training for between 10 and 12 weeks.
Midfielder Martin Woods has seen a surgeon this week about his on-going hip/groin injury problem. He has three more weeks of strengthening work to go, and a decision will then be made as to whether he needs another operation or not.
Defender Tommy Spurr faces another operation. After having hip surgery, he now needs a hernia repair in two weeks' time, and he is unlikely to return to training for another three months.
Summer signing Rachid Bouhenna still has his ankle in plaster, and returns to see a specialist in two weeks' time.
Better news comes with the progress of James Chambers and Paul Keegan. Chambers is expected to be back in full training in the New Year after a lengthy absence, whilst Keegan should be back in training next week after overcoming the knee problem he experienced on a previous comeback.
We presume that Adam Lockwood, Chris Brown and Ryan Mason from the players discussed by mean that they have now recovered from their injuries.

November 17, 2011

Woods makes return in practice game

Further details have now come from both clubs regarding the practice match against Chesterfield which was played on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Gary Woods made a return to playing after being out for a month with a collar bone injury and came through the game with no ill effects. However, he is unlikely to be involved in Saturday's game at Barnsley, as Rovers signed Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme since their last game a fortnight ago, with Neil Sullivan likely to revert to being on the bench at Oakwell.
Youth teamer Jordan Ball scored the Rovers goal, whilst the Chesterfield goals came from Neal Trotman, Temitope Obadeyi and Dean Morgan (2).

November 17, 2011

Kilgallon for Rovers return?

It may seem unlikely, but it now appears that a return to Doncaster Rovers for Sunderland defender Matt Kilgallon could be on the cards. A report by TalkSport states that Doncaster Rovers are keen on signing him on another loan, but with six other clubs also after his signature, Matt's return to the Keepmoat Stadium is far from certain.
The issue of wages has been the stumbling block in past efforts to find the player a new club, whether it be a full transfer or a loan, but there seems to have been a change in the attitude of Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, who now recognises the need for Kilgallon to play first team football.
As we reported yesterday, the player's agent seems to believe that a move is likely within the next week.

November 17, 2011

Bradford check out Lewis

Ex-Rovers striker Lewis Guy may be about to move back to Yorkshire, with Bradford City a potential destination.
Guy played 81 minutes of Bradford's reserve team game against Middlesbrough this week, scoring the City equaliser just after half time.
City included five trailists in their side - Guy has only played one game for MK Dons this season and was out on loan at Oxford United from mid-August to mid-September, during which time he played seven times.

November 17, 2011

Rovers face competition for Hulse

Doncaster Rovers face competition from Blackpool in their efforts to sign Queens Park Rangers striker Rob Hulse on loan. The 32 year old striker has not featured for Rangers so far this season after being left out of their 25-man Premier League squad.
Blackpool were apparently keen on signing Hulse in September, but the player then suffered a knee injury, which ended their interest at that time. Hulse is now back in full training and is reported to be keen on a loan move before the 'loan window' closes later this month.

November 16, 2011

McKay - Rovers can reach play-offs!

It sounds somewhat incredible that Doncaster Rovers, currently bottom of the Championship, could reach the end of season play-offs this season, but football agent Willie McKay, who has been widely reported as arriving at the club to acquire some high-level short-term "shop window" players, thinks that it is possible.
For the first time we can recall, McKay revealed in the Guardian the financial gain that Rovers could make out of the arrangement, although intriguingly, he declined to reveal what he would receive from each transfer. He said: "We'll put them in the shop window. England, with Sky Sports (and) the Premier League is a shop window. We give them the opportunity to play, then if another club comes in for them we split the fee - 40% to us, 60% to the selling club. I've always thought international loans are a good method for smaller clubs, and if we can keep Diouf, Chimbonda, Ilunga, and get other players in, I think we can make the play-offs this year."
In the same interview, McKay stated that Moustapha Bayal Sall, a 6ft 4in Senegal centre-half, will be joining Rovers in January from St Etienne, with Rovers again paying around 10% of the player's wages.
Revealing that further player movement is likely in January, McKay told Sky Sports: "We have them short-term to put themselves in the shop window and we're happy to have them, the board's happy to have them and Dean (Saunders, manager) is happy to have them."
"We need a team, the fans need a team and they need people to relate to - we don't just want people coming in and leaving within five minutes," he said. "Hopefully we can keep some of these players."

November 16, 2011

Goals review

Looking back over the last few days, there are a few more former Rovers players scoring goals to report on.
On Sunday, Dave Morley scored twice in Bangor City's 4-3 away win at top of the table New Saints - a win that lifts Bangor up to second, just a point away from the leaders. Morley headed his first goal five minutes before half time, with the second coming from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute.
Also at the weekend, Ben Muirhead scored one of Armthorpe Welfare's goals in their 2-0 win over Arnold Town in the Northern Counties East, which stretches Welfare's recent good run of results to only having lost once in the last ten matches.
Finally, from last night's action, Bradley Grayson scored for Frickley Athletic in their 4-2 home win over Garforth Town in the Doodson Sport Cup Third Round - their equivalent of the League Cup.

November 16, 2011

Brown set for loan move?

There are suggestions that Doncaster Rovers striker Chris Brown may be about to go out on loan to Crewe Alexandra, who are searching for some strikers to score the goals to revive Alex's league campaign.
Crewe have a new manager, Steve Davis, who replaced long-serving Dario Gradi last week, with Gradi moving 'upstairs' at the club.
The "emergency loan" deadline comes at the end of this month, so Davis is keen to add to his squad ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Reports in Crewe's local press states that Davis has contacted a few clubs about such a move, with Doncaster Rovers stated as being one club that has been contacted.
Davis said: "We've not got long to act and the quicker we can get someone in the better so we can start to work with him. A big striker will give us another option up there."
Brown faces stiff competition to regain his first team place following the arrival of El-Hadjii Diouf on a short term contract, so a loan move may well be beneficial to all concerned. However, Chris is still recovering from a knee injury and suffered a set-back in his recovery last week when playing in a behind-closed-doors game, so we doubt that any such move will take place in the immediate future.

November 16, 2011

Kilgallon move edges closer

It starts to look as though former Doncaster Rovers loan defender Matt Kilgallon, who is still consigned to the Sunderland reserves squad, could be set for a move out of the Stadium of Light.
It has been reported that Steve Bruce has wanted to offload Kilgallon for many months, but there have been no takers, but now the player's agent is reporting considerable interest, with Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Millwall and Burnley all reported to have been in touch with Kilgallon's agent, Paul Masterton.
He told the Sunderland Evening Chronicle: “There is a good chance something will happen this week. It has been a very difficult time for Matt because he is not playing at Sunderland and that does not look like changing for the time being. He just wants to be back playing again, and a loan move would be the best option for him at the moment.”
“Matt needs to go somewhere to start playing games again, because unfortunately he is not getting games here at Sunderland. If you are not in the first team, you need to move on. Matt knows the situation.”
Unfortunately for Matt, the arrival of John O'Shea and Wes Brown from Manchester United in the summer have meant his prospects of a first team recall are even less likely. He hasn't played for Sunderland's first team for 18 months.

November 16, 2011

Moore out again

Ex-Rovers skipper Darren Moore is set for a spell on the sidelines after breaking his toe in training a couple of weeks ago. With current club Burton Albion short of defenders, the club 'patched him up' so that he could be a substitute for their game against Macclesfield Town, but he has since had a scan on the injury and missed Saturday's FA Cup tie at Oldham Athletic.
Boss Paul Peschisolido commented: “Darren knew we were short of defensive cover for the Macclesfield game. He had an injection that would have got him through the game, but he wasn’t needed. We should be okay for centre-halves this weekend, so we need to find out how bad the injury is. Greg Pearson was out for more than two months with his broken toe and I’m hoping that Mooro’s break isn’t as bad. Knowing him, he’ll be itching to play again in a couple of weeks.”