Latest news
February 6, 2012
Crystal Palace ticket update
Tickets for Saturday's away game at Crystal Palace are now on general sale from the Keepmoat Stadium's ticket office. Their site is currently showing that 133 tickets out of the 1,075 initial allocation have now been sold.
Ticket prices are as follows:
Adults £25 - Senior Citizens (60+) £15 - Students (under 24 in full time education) £15 - Juniors (15 & under) £10
Disabled (ambulant/wheelchair): £15 (carer free)(limited availability)
February 6, 2012
Keegan eyes return
Rovers midfielder Paul Keegan, who has only made two appearances so far this season, is keeping his fingers crossed that he can make a return to action towards the end of this month after recovering from knee and quad injuries that have blighted his season.
With new boss Dean Saunders not having seen him play, and his contract being due to expire at the end of the season, Keegan is understandably keen to prove to his boss that he is worth a new deal in the summer.
He told the Doncaster Star of his season so far: “It’s been a complete nightmare, but there is light at the end of the tunnel now. I’m back running and could be back playing in two or three weeks. I just want to get playing again. The new manager hasn’t seen me play yet so I have a lot to prove to him, but he has been supportive and given me encouragement. We need all the players we can get so we can move up the table and stay in the division."
He ended by saying: “I have to get back fit and get into the team before I can start worrying about a new contract.”
February 6, 2012
Baldwin moves up at Rovers
Doncaster Rovers have announced that they have appointed Gavin Baldwin as Operations Director in a bid to develop "the club's business model while helping o generate revenue and attract more fans to the stadium."
Whilst we applaud the appointment, which is a definite step forward for the club, the Free Press reported his appointment as a "director of operations" on 10th November, but presumably the Rovers' announcement means he has stepped up to a different role within the club.
Gavin used to be the CEO of the SMC, meaning that he is already familiar with the stadium, and it is widely seen that he has been brought on board in anticipation of Rovers assuming control of the stadium at some stage.
He told DROS after last week's announcement: "This is a very exciting new role which will be a great challenge for me. I have always had a passion for sports and this is a fantastic opportunity for me to share my expertise and experience with a professional football club which takes me back to my roots. Key elements of my role will see me helping the team to further the strategic approach to increasing footfall at the Keepmoat Stadium and identify other revenue streams for the club."
His track record suggests that he will be striving to improve on the lacklustre behind the scenes operations at Rovers, with the marketing and promotion of the club and stadium needing some radical improvement if the club are to improve their financial situation.
He has also worked for the Doncaster Dome and is currently chairman of Doncaster's 2012 Olympic Committee.
February 6, 2012
Wright joins the Vics
Former Doncaster Rovers loan defender Alan Wright has joined Northwich Victoria as assistant manager following the appointment of Paul Simpson as boss.
Wright was last heard of playing at Fleetwood Town last year, but is best known for an eight year stay in the Premier League with Aston Villa, where he played over 200 games.He played three times for Rovers during the 2006/07 season when on loan from Sheffield United, but during his career which began at Blackpool as a trainee back in 1989, he has also played for Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Derby County (loan), Leeds United (loan), Cardiff City (loan), Nottingham Forest (loan) and Cheltenham Town.
February 6, 2012
Redfearn noncommittal on Leeds job
Former Rovers striker Neil Redfearn ducked the question of whether he would be interested in taking up the manager's job on a full time basis when asked ahead of Saturday's game against Bristol City, following the sacking of Simon Grayson last Wednesday.
Also leaving Elland Road last week were former Rovers players Glynn Snodin and Ian Miller, who held the posts of assistant manager and coach respectively.
Redfearn, who has managerial experience at Scarborough and Northwich Victoria, is confident that he could do the job if asked, but told Sky Sports: "I'm capable that goes without saying, but the bottom line is the decision is up to the club. The decision is out of my hands. From my point of view I'm only interested in Saturday's game and making sure everything's ready for whatever happens and whatever happens I will take it in my stride."
"I'm not putting myself under any pressure either way. I'm in this position now and have still got a lot of good friends at this club that I want to help through in the short-term future, and if I can get some results for Leeds United and if that benefits whatever happens then great."
Although welcoming the chance to prove that he can manage in the Championship, Redfearn then commented of the departure of Grayson to the Yorkshire Post: “It is a sad day because I have worked with the guy for three years and it is difficult when these things happen. But after taking the news in, I then had that night to think about the lads and what I want to do against Bristol City. I have watched all the home games this season and I am well aware of what the players are capable of."
"I am not going to make wholesale changes. But I need to get them comfortable with what we are doing. We have got the talent to go there and get a result, it is just a matter of setting them up right.”