March 9, 2010

Preston North End v Rovers

Doncaster Rovers have no new injury concerns ahead of this evening's trip to Deepdale, when they try to build on their superb victory at the weekend over Bristol City. It will be hard for Sean O'Driscoll to make any changes to the side, but on-loan defender Elliott Ward will probably be added to the squad after missing Saturday's game due to a twisted testicle.
Martin Woods and Shelton Martis are both making good progress, but are again not likely to be risked at this stage, with the weekend's game against Derby County the more likely date pencilled in for their return.
The 'regular' absentees continue to be Adam Lockwood (foot), Jason Shackell (groin), Brian Stock (back), Steve Brooker (ankle) and Waide Fairhurst (foot).
Preston North End will see Paul Coutts return to their squad after missing Saturday's draw at Plymouth owing to suspension.
They have doubts over Ross Wallace, who limped off the pitch on Saturday with a hamstring injury; he will have a late fitness test. Callum Davidson wil return after proving his fitness in training yesterday and "will be involved", but on loan striker Danny Welbeck is remain absent as he continues to recover from injury.
Preston's former Rovers striker Chris Brown will, if selected, make the 200th League appearance of his career tonight - and if Rovers emerge victorious this evening, it will be the 200th win of his managerial career - and Rovers will score their 100th away league goal during O'Driscoll's time as boss.

March 9, 2010

Tonight's match officials

The match officials for this evening's game at Preston North End have been confirmed by the Football League as being:
Referee: PT Crossley
Assistant referees: AJ Scregg & J Whiteley
Fourth official: P Graham

March 9, 2010

Rovers duo in Team of the Week

Doncaster Rovers have two players included in the Championship Team of the Week, thanks to their two goal hauls against Bristol City on Saturday. Billy Sharp and Jay Emmanuel Thomas are both named in the side, which is chosen by the Press Association, who name the eleven top performing players in each position from the weekend's matches.
Congratulations go to Billy and Jay - may we see them, or some of their Rovers colleagues, in the Team of the Week next Monday!
The full team named for thsi weekend was: Matthew Gilks (Blackpool), Matthew Connolly (QPR), Shaun Barker (Derby), Sean St. Ledger (Preston), Chris Cohen (Nottm Forest), Darren Ambrose (Crystal Palace), Danny Guthrie (Newcastle), Alejandro Faurlin (QPR), Jonathan Stead (Coventry), Billy Sharp (Doncaster )

March 9, 2010

Stock's fitness boost

Although it is likely to be another three weeks before Rovers fans see skipper Brian Stock back in action, it looks as though the injection he opted for last week is working.
Sean O'Driscoll commented: "The injection has resolved his pain issue and he's feeling really good. He was bright as a button and he wanted to train because he felt that his back felt about as good as it has ever done. It was tempting but John the physio warned us that if we went down that route that we'd be back in the same cycle. The underlying problem is still there and we are not going to sort it out in the short term."
"He needs to be put on a programme which will mobilise his spine because it is a nerve problem so there are certain things that he needs to do before we throw him back in. If we threw him back in as he is, I think he'd just end up with the same problem and we don't really want to do that, If he gets the problem again then the closer he becomes to having surgery - and if we can avoid that we will. We are going to try to see if we can maintain a level of fitness without having to resort to surgery to resolve the problem. When we feel he's ready we'll put him in and see how he goes."

March 9, 2010

Man of the Match results

For the first time we can recall, the entire votes we received for this week's Man of the Match were restricted to just three players - Billy Sharp, James Coppinger and Jay Emmanuel Thomas. Not surprisingly, Emmanuel-Thomas was the clear winner, impressing boss Sean O'Driscoll with his contribution, which led to him being given a standing ovation by the Rovers fans when he was substituted late in the game.
The final result of the voting was:
1 Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (73.53%)
2 Billy Sharp (17.65%)
3 James Coppinger (8.24%)
May we thank the very pleasing number of people who cast their vote. The next poll will open following this evening's away game at Preston North End.

March 8, 2010

New dates for youth team games

Doncaster Rovers have confirmed revised dates for a number of youth team games which were postponed due to the severe wintry weather of the last couple of months.
As we advised last week, the Youth Alliance Cup game against Preston North End will now take place on the same day as the first team are at Preston - so the match is tomorrow morning, with an 11:00am start.
The winners of that tie have been drawn against Stockport County, with that match due to be played on Monday, 15th March.
The youth team's away game at Hartlepool, postponed from 13th February due to a waterlogged pitch, will now be played on Tuesday, 13th April with a 2pm kick-off.
The away game at Chesterfield will now be played on Tuesday, 30th March with a 2pm kick-off.
Finally, the away fixture at York City will now be played on Tuesday, 6th April with a 2pm kick-off.

March 8, 2010

Heffernan keen on extending Pirates stay

With the prospects of a first team place at Doncaster Rovers looking unlikely, it is perhaps not surprising that striker Paul Heffernan is keen to remain at Bristol Rovers for a little longer.
Heffernan has now played the final match of his initial month's stay, but is hoping that Sean O'Driscoll will let him stay at the Memorial Stadium for another month.
Heffernan told BBC Radio Bristol: "I'm happy down here and would like to stay on and get some more games. As a striker you can have a great game but if you're not on the scoresheet people think you're not doing well. Obviously I'd like a few more goals and a few more chances but you can't have everything. We're creating enough chances so hopefully I'll get my fair share in the coming games."
Bristol Rovers manager Paul Trollope commented: "He's a player who's made a decent impression and we'll be speaking to Doncaster in the not so distant future about maybe extending it for the remainder of the season. His attributes have been there for all to see and he's done well for us. The lad's out of contract in the summer so the situation at Doncaster needs clarifying. But certainly he's a player that's fitted in with how we do things very well and we've got a keen interest in him."

March 8, 2010

Martin on the move

March 7, 2010

Bristol City 2 Rovers 5

Doncaster Rovers cruised to their most convincing victory of the season in a truly remarkable match at Ashton Gate. The opening quarter of an hour saw the score locked at 2-2, with fans wondering how many more goals they were going to see, but it was Rovers that comfortably went on to victory, an with a little more luck, along with some better shooting, Rovers could have almost doubled their tally.
It all started off well, with Jay Emmanuel Thomas, making his first start for Rovers after making a late debut appearance last Saturday, slotting his first goal for the club with just ninety seconds on the clock when he was set up nicely by strike partner Billy Sharp. The score was level in the ninth minute, when Bradley Orr equalised, but Rovers took the lead again in the 12th minute, when Billy Sharp scored his 13th goal of the season. Again, Orr equalised after quarter of an hour's play - but the scoring hadn't stopped!
The home side could have gone in front in the 21st minute when Nicky Mayard volleyed the ball against the crossbar, but Rovers then took control, with Gerken having to save from James Coppinger and Gareth Roberts.
Billy Sharp and Jay Emmanuel Thomas both scored again before the break to give Rovers an incredible 4-2 lead.
In a relatively boring second half (only one goal!), Rovers had to sustain some initial pressure from Bristol City, with Campbell Ryce firing narrowly wide and Orr having a good shot saved by Neil Sullivan. City's misery was completed in the 61st minute when a cross from John Oster was diverted into his own nett by an unfortunate Bradley Orr.
In the closing moments, Rovers had the opportunities to extend their lead even further with a shot from Coppinger going wide of the post, as did a curling shot from Emmanuel-Thomas.

March 7, 2010

What the managers said

Needless to say, Bristol City boss Gary Johnson was not a happy man following yesterday afternoon's defeat at the hands of Doncaster Rovres.
He said: "We were at sixes and sevens from the start and although we hit back twice, the game was lost in the first 20 minutes. We managed to fight back from 1-0 and 2-1 down and Nicky Maynard even hit the crossbar at 2-2. We didn't make enough tackles in any area of the pitch and when you fail to do that the opposition are made to look very good. The players will be working very hard tomorrow and Monday before our midweek trip to Crystal Palace."
"We're disappointed with how the game has gone. The game was too open as far as we were concerned. Every time they got the ball they looked dangerous. They had a few players who were on their game and we weren't able to handle them. The defensive display as a team was very, very poor. Of course you don't want to let in five goals at home. It's like a dagger into your heart with every goal that goes in.
Rovers manger Sean O'Driscoll was very pleased with the performance of his side, and in particular with the contribution of Jay Emmanuel Thomas.
The Rovers boss said: "Jay suits our style of play perfectly and it is quite something for a club like us to attract a player from Arsenal. I'm so pleased to have him and hopefully we can help him make progress in his career. He has work to do on his play off the ball, but at this stage he could be anything. I was delighted with all the team. Bristol had height in the middle with Chris Iwelumo and pace down the flanks so they were always going to be a threat, but we were very brave in the way we defended."

March 7, 2010

Around the goals

We've noticed just two goals with Rovers connections to report today.
Firstly, in League One, the on-loan Paul Heffernan scored for Bristol Rovers in the 39th minute as Rovers cruised on their way to a 4-0 away victory. The win puts the Pirates in 9th place, eight points adrift of the play-offs. More to the point, congratulations are in order, as the strike was Paul's 100th first team goal in a career that began in England when he signed for Notts County in 1999.
In League Two, ex-Rover Adebayo Akinfenwa scored his 15th goal of the season in the third minute to set Northampton Town on their way to a 3-1 win at Port Vale. That victory puts the Cobblers on the brink of the play-offs - one place and three points adrift of seventh placed Shrewsbury Town, who went down to defeat at Grimsby.

March 7, 2010

Youth Team 2 Bradford City 2

The Rovers youth team fought out a 2-2 draw against Bradford City at the Cantley Park complex yesterday morning.
No further details from a Rovers point of view are currently available.

March 7, 2010

Ronnie after Offiong?

Rotherham United boss Ronnie Moore is reported to be hopeful of signing Carlisle United striker Richard Offiong, who has struggled to make it into Carlisle's first team since moving from Hamilton in the summer. Moore wants a striker to help out hot-shot Adam Le Fondre - although the Millers striker is in prolific form, Ronnie is aware that too much pressure is being heaped on the youngster.
Moore had been hopeful of securing Offiong's services ahead of yesterday's defeat against Bradford City, but it seems that he was unsuccessful.
Moore told the Rotherham Advertiser: "'You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a striker. There are one or two we are looking at. We missed out on Scowcroft at the last minute but there are a couple of others we are talking too, one being Offiong. He's a six-footer and he's quick but he can't get into the Carlise side at the moment. We'll try and sort something out before the Bradford game and if that doesn't work out we'll turn our attention elsewhere. There's too much pressure on Alfie scoring goals and you can't have that at a club. It's difficult when Alfie isn't on or things don't go well. If we don't have an outlet then we're in trouble."

March 6, 2010

Bristol City v Rovers

A minute's applause will be held before this afternoon's game at Ashton Gate to celebrate the life of Keith Alexander, the Macclesfield Town and former Lincoln City manager, who died this week. The Football League has asked that all clubs observe the tribute as a mark of respect.
Rovers are likely to play a virtually unchanged squad for this afternoon's game, with the injured players that missed last weekend's game against Crystal Palace still absent. Those missing include Brian Stock (back), Shelton Martis (hamstring), Jason Shackell (groin), Martin Woods (groin), Byron Webster (foot), Adam Lockwood (foot) and Steve Brooker (ankle).
On-loan Arsenal midfielder Jay Emmanuel-Thomas could play more of a part today after showing some good touches in the brief time he had on the pitch last Saturday.
With Rovers having an awful away record this season, having now won away against a team in the top half of the table so far, this afternoon's match will be a tough test for Sean O'Driscoll's men, especially since Bristol City are unbeaten in their last seven matches and will be full of confidence after beating promotion candidates West Bromwich Albion in their last home game.
Bristol City are hoping to welcome back striker Nicky Maynard, who missed last weekend's game against Ipswich Town with a thigh injury. Maynard scored twice for the reserves in midweek to prove his fitness and is now hoping for a recall. Missing this afternoon will be Marvin Elliott (back) and Evander Sno (knee), along with Jamie McAllister, Jamie McCombe and Brian Wilson. Midfielder Marvin Elliott could miss up to six weeks of the season due to a knee injury sustained against Ipswich Town last weekend.
Also playing for the reserves this week and likely to be in today's squad are Jamal Campbell Ryce and Ivan Sproule.
Certain to feature for City this afternoon is striker Chris Iwelumo,currently on loan from Wolves, who has been identified by Sean O'Driscoll as a threat to Rovers.
O'Driscoll said: "Any team who have him in their line-up would potentially think that they have got the ammunition to be successful because of what he brings to the team. Not only has he got a good physical presence, but technically he's a good player as well."

March 6, 2010

Today's match officials

The match officials for this afternoon's game at Bristol City have been confirmed as:
Referee: DJ Phillips
Assistant referees: SJD Daly & MF Thompson
Fourth official: BJ Malone

March 6, 2010

Ex-Rovers players feature in fund-raiser

Former Rovers stars Glynn Snodin, Tommy Wright, John Sheridan and Brendan Ormsby afre set to feature for a Leeds United side selected by current Leeds boss Simon Grayson in a match to be played at Garforth Town's ground tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 1pm). The game will be against a Leeds Fans Remembrance XI, with Leeds Fans Remembrance aiming to raise at least £100,000 for the Candlelighter's Children's Cancer charity.

March 6, 2010

O'Driscoll encourages positive approach

Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll encourages his players to concentrate on what they are good at, rather than worring about what they can't do. The approach must be working, with Rovers currently doing well in their second season in the Championship.
He said: "What we try and do here is look at the qualities of players and say 'this is what you're good at and we'll try and get that out of you rather than worry about what you can't do'.
"We concentrate on the positives rather than worry about the negatives. If you're always saying 'you need to do this or that' and 'you don't do that very well or this very well' the players are on a downer from the start."
"We just try and encourage people to play. You want the likes of John Oster, James Coppinger and Billy Sharp to do the things they're good at and all we ask is for a positive reaction if something doesn't come off."

March 5, 2010

Early Bird Deadline Extended!

After the furore surrounding the 31st March deadline for the "early bird" season ticket prices, we are pleased to announce that Doncaster Rovers have extended the deadline to the end of April. With the mailshot which would have advised fans of the details for next season still not sent out, Rovers chairman John Ryan has listened to the problems the short notice had created, thanks to representations made to him on behalf of Rovers fans by VSC chairman, Gareth Thomas.
We would like to thank John Ryan for this gesture, and hope that fans will now be more amenable to renewing their season tickets for the forthcoming season.
The revised details for season tickets are, therefore, as follows:
From 1st March to 30th April:

Category	Adult price	Concessions	17-20s	12-16s	U11s
A	£440	£320	£200	£95	£50
B	£380	£265	£150	£95	£50
C*	£320	£200	£150	£95	£50

* only available to renewing season ticket holders
1st May to 31st May:

Category	Adult price	Concessions	17-20s	12-16s	U11s
A	£460	£335	£210	£95	£50
B	£400	£280	£160	£95	£50
C	£400	£280	£160	£95	£50

From 1st June:

Category	Adult price	Concessions	17-20s	12-16s	U11s
A	£480	£350	£220	£95	£50
B	£420	£295	£170	£95	£50
C*	£420	£295	£170	£95	£50

Category	Adult price	Concessions	12-16s	U11s
A	£420 (£459)	£305 (£339)	£60	£30
B	£360 (£399)	£250 (£279)	£60	£30
C	£280 (£280)	£150 (£150)	£60	£30

Category	Adult price	Concessions	12-16s	U11s
A	£23	£17	£17	£10
B	£20	£14	£13	£5
C	£15	£8	£8	£5

March 5, 2010

Rovers after Rooney!

Docnaster Rovers are interested in signing John Rooney, the younger brother of England striker Wayne, according to the Daily Mail. The young striker, aged 19, is currently at Macclesfield Town, and is also reported to being chased by Sheffield United.
Reports say that Sean O'Driscoll is hopeful of persuading Rooney that Rovers are the preferable option, as he would get more regular first team action than at Bramall Lane.

March 5, 2010

Injury update

Less than 24 hours after we mentioned the lack of update on the injury situation at Rovers, the club have updated their website with information on a number of players.
As we reported, skipper Brian Stock has had an injection into his back injury. It appears to be working, and he is able to walk without pain, but it will be some time before there is any possibility of him returning to the first team. Rovers are expecting that it will be up to two weeks before he can train, with an anticipated return to the team in around four weeks, meaning he would be available for the vital season-end run-in.
Defender Shelton Martis is due to return to training today, and could be available for selection for next weekend's game against Derby County.
Martin Woods (groin), Adam Lockwood (broken metatarsal) and Waide Fairhurst (damaged foot ligaments) have all resumed training after recovering from their respective injuries. Whilst they are recovering, the club have not given any indication that any will imminently return to first team action.
Byron Webster is still recovering from his foot injury, and may have to have a pin put in his broken metatarsal if the specialist deems it necessary. If that is necessary, Byron's period of recover will be extended by around a month.
Steve Brooker still has his foot in a walking boot after the latest surgery on his injured ankle. Everything is apprently going well, but it will be four weeks before he sees the surgeon again.
Jason Shackell may well have played his last game for Rovers after news emerged that he faces up to twelve weeks on the sidelines. His parent club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, have decided that he does not need surgery on his groin injury, but his injury will take time to heal.
Sean O'Driscoll told the Free Press: "Jason hasn't had surgery but it's a problem with the groin muscle which will take time. He's on a course of injections and back in rehabilitation but it looks to me as if it could take eight to 12 weeks and that would rule him out altogether, but he has a different view and he's determined to play for us again before the end. He's been spending time here - and at Wolves - but he always seems keen to get back here and is really motivated to get back in action. He's enjoyed his time here and has done a great job for us."

March 5, 2010

Bristol City ticket information

Tickets for tomorrow's away game at Bristol City remain on sale until midday today. Rovers have received an allocation of 500 tickets, of which 268 are reported as being sold.
Ticket prices are:
Adults: £25
Senior Citizens (65+): £20
Students (with NUS cards): £15
Juniors (U16): £10
Ambulant disabled: £15 (carer free)
Wheelchair disabled: £15 (carer free) - need to be bought direct from Bristol City on 0871 222 6666.
The Supporters Club are running coaches to the game, leaving Retford at 8am, Harworth 8.05am, Doncaster Royal Infirmary 8.30am and Keepmoat Stadium Car Park 1 at 8.45am.
Prices are:
Members £20, OAPs £18, U16s £16
Non-members £22, OAPs £20, U16 £18.

March 5, 2010

Elliot joins Albion

Stuart Elliott, who left Doncaster Rovers to join Hamilton Academical in January, has now joined Scottish First Division promotion chasers Stirling Albion on a month's loan. He made his Albion debut on Tuesday evening against Stenhousemuir, coming on in the 54th minute from the subsitutes' bench.

Stirling boss Allan Moore told the Stirling Observer: "I’m delighted we have managed to get Stuart. He had the chance to go to Ayr United but was keen to come to us because we are up near the top of the league and should hopefully be creating lots of chances. It will just be a one-month deal because Hamilton boss Billy Reid wants him back at the end of March for the run-in.”
Since joining Hamilton, Elliott has started two league games and been substitute on three occasions, as well as being involved in two cup matches. Hamilton are keen for the player to get his match sharpness back before returning to New Douglas Park to play his part in the club’s fight against relegation. With Stirling scheduled to play nine games during the time Stuart is at the club, there will be plenty of matches to play!

March 5, 2010

Grayson moves on

Former Doncaster Rovers striker Neil Grayson has signed for Rainworth Miners Welfare, who play in the Northern Counties East Premier Division. However, he has signed Dual Registration forms, which means he can still turn out for Glapwell. It's a different world in non-league - and no transfer windows either!
Neil joined Doncaster Rovers in 1989 and went on to start 21 League games for the club before joining York City during the 1990/91 season. Most of his games in the Football League came between 1994 and 1997 when he played over 130 times for Northampton Town.

March 4, 2010

Shiels plays against Albania

Doncaster Rovers striker Dean Shiels played half of Northern Ireland's away game against Albania last night. The Irish lost 1-0 in what is described as a "dull friendly" played on a poor pitch at the Qemal Safa Stadium in Tirana, wiht the only goal of the game coming in the 26th minute.
Northern Ireland were without a number of key regular players, which gave a number of fringe players to play, but the result means that Northern Ireland's awful away record - they have won only three away games in 22 matches - continues.
Shiels was introduced as a half time substitute by boss Nigel Worthington.
Northern Ireland: Taylor (Tuffey 72), Little, McGivern,McCartney, Craigan, O'Connor (Evans 46), McGinn (Shiels 46),Davis, Healy (Kirk 78), Lafferty, McCann.
Substitutes not used: Carson, Patterson.

March 4, 2010

Mutch makes England U19 debut

Jordon Mutch, on loan at Doncaster Rovers from Birmingham City, made his England Under-19 debut on Tuesday night, playing the second half of the game, which ended as a 1-1 draw.
Mutch was a late call-up to the England squad after Tottenham's Dean Parrett withdrew at the weekend due to injury - and he came on as a substitute after half time to replace John Bostock.
The game, which was a friendly, was preparation for both sides' European U19 Championship Elite Round Qualifiers in May.

March 4, 2010

Fossie joins Spartans

Within 24 hours of news emerging that former Rovers defender Steve Foster had left League Two stugglers Darlington, it was announced that he had found himself a new club.
Foster has joined Blue Square North club Blyth Spartans on a contract until the end of the season, after which time the arrangement will be reviewed. Foster went straight into the Blyth squad for Tuesday night's game at Workington, which Workington won 3-1, which leaves Spartans in mid-table.
Manager Mick Tait said: “Foster has been a good pro and has lots of experience. He is a quality central defender with good positional sense and has a magnet for a head. He won’t be match-fit as he hasn’t been in the Darlington side since the end of November but he is a great addition to the squad. He’ll be here until the end of the season and then we’ll take it from there, although I’m sure there will be some Conference Premier clubs keen to sign him in the summer.”

March 4, 2010

Woods continues recovery

Rovers midfielder Martin Woods is still making good progress back to fitness and has trained this week without any adverse reaction. He is scheduled to train with the rest of the squad today, although it is rather uncertain whether he will be fit enough to be included in Saturday's first team squad.
Richard O'Kelly commented: "Because of the nature of his injury he'll join in some days but he might have to drop out on others."
There is been no new news about skipper Brian Stock, who had an injection in a troublesome back injury last week. Rovers were hopeful that the injection will relieve the symptoms sufficiently to allow Stock to play the rest of the season, as surgery is the only alternative available.
Sean O'Driscoll said last Friday: "Brian had the injection on Friday. We'll see how that pans out and see what the reaction is. We will go on to make a decision with Brian as and when."
In the week since, there has been no word from the club on whether the injection has proved to be a success or not.

March 4, 2010

Shields rejoins Raith

Former Rovers striker Dene Shields (no connection with current player Dean Shiels!) has re-signed for Scottish club Raith Rovers, the club where he began his career back in 1999 as a trainee. Since then, Sheilds has played for several clubs, mainly north of the border, namely Sunderland, Scarborough, Doncaster Rovers, Brechin, Cowdenbeath, Gretna, Stranraer, Stirling Albion and Ross County. He left Ross County last summer after an injury-hit season, and has now joined Raith on non-contract terms.

March 3, 2010

Ryan - Rovers need cash to progress

Rovers chairman has defended the season ticket price rises announced on the Internet by Doncaster Rovers on Monday,. He told BBC Radio Sheffield that the gulf between income and expenditure necessary to challenge for promotion is too much for Ryan and his fellow directors to finance.
He said: "It needs cash investment and the directors have done their bit. We've put in probably towards six million in the past two years."
"We can't continually make up this great big gap to bring in the players you want. You can't do it all the time and the fans might be unhappy that the prices may have gone up a bit."
According to a survey currently being conducted on the VSC forum, most supporters (80% at the time of writing) don't have too much of a complaint over the price rises - but they do have a problem with the short notice given by the club, meaning that prices rise, in some cases substantially, on 1st April.

March 3, 2010

England game at the Keepmoat tonight!

England Under-21's are in action at the Keepmoat Stadium this evening in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifer against Greece. Tickets are on sale this evening at £10 for adults and £5 for all concessions. Group tickets are available in advance of the match, with ticket prices halved if a group of 15 or more book. Groups need to download a booking form from the Keepmoat Stadium website. Please remember, however, that the match kicks off at 6pm, owing to the England senior team being in action against Egypt at 8pm.
The England squad for tonight's match is:
Goalkeepers: Frankie Fielding (Rochdale (loan from Blackburn)), Scott Loach (Watford), Alex McCarthy (Yeovil Town (loan from Reading))
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Reading (loan from Chelsea)), Michael Mancienne (Wolves (loan from Chelsea)), Kyle Naughton (Middlesbrough (Tottenham Hotspur)), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Chris Smalling (Fulham), James Tomkins (West Ham United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Tom Cleverley (Watford (loan from Man Utd)), Jack Cork (Burnley (loan from Chelsea)), Fabien Delph (Aston Villa), Jack Wilshere (Bolton Wanderers (loan from Arsenal)), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton Wanderers), Dan Gosling (Everton), Henri Lansbury (Watford (loan from Arsenal)), Victor Moses (Wigan Athletic), Lee Cattermole (Sunderland), Jack Rodwell (Everton)
Strikers: Andy Carroll (Newcastle United), Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Welbeck (Preston North End (loan from Manchester United)).
Under-21's boss Stuart Pearce is looking to his return to the Keepmoat Stadium, having visited the ground previously when the Under-19s played agains tTurkey.
He said of that match: "It was a fantastic night, a full house. Obviously with the senior match being played at Wembley, we didn't want a game anywhere near Wembley on the same evening so this is a perfect venue. It's hosted international football before and I think the facilities are great and it is a fantastic stadium, so we're looking forward to the evening."

March 3, 2010

Rovers play friendly against Tigers

Doncaster Rovers went down to a 5-0 defeat in a 'behind closed doors' friendly fixture against Premiership Hull City. Rovers played a number of unnamed trialists in their side, as well as a few first team players who have not featured regularly in recent games, including Lewis Guy, Sean McDaid, John Spicer and Ben Smith featuring.
Hull named a strong line-up, with several first teamers playing, with their goals coming from Jimmy Bullard, Craig Fagan (3) and Kamel Ghilas.
As all reports originate from either Hull City or their local press, there is no word from a Rovers point of view.

March 3, 2010

Foster releasd by Quakers

Former Doncaster Rovers skipper Steve Foster has been released by Darlington after over two years at the club. Foster had been frozen out of the Darlington side as a clause in his contract meant that if he started two more games for the Quakers, it would automatically trigger a further year's extension to his Darlington deal. Foster has, as a consequence, been out of action since the Quakers' game against Morecambe in November.
Darlington were hit badly by going into administration last summer and as a consequence lost virtually all of their professional players by the time Steve Staunton was appointed as manager in June 2009. Since then, they have struggled and are currently 16 points adrift of safety, having just 15 points from 29 games played, with relegation to the Conference all but certain this summer.

March 3, 2010

Offing - it's time to deliver

Former Doncaster Rovers striker Richard Offiong has been told "it's time to deliver" by Carlisle boss Greg Abbott after a poor start to his career at Brunton Park.
Offiong has scored only one goal since joining from Scottish club Hamilton in September and has struggled to hold down a first team place, despite costing the Cumbrians a £75,000 transfer fee.
Abbott told BBC Radio Cumbria: "He's had a tough talking-to. We've told him it's time to start to deliver. Patience is something you don't get a lot of in football and he's had more than most."
"He's been in this situation before. We've asked him to come to the party. We're hoping the penny is going to drop with Richard."
Offing enjoyed a prolific time with Hamilton, but has clearly struggled to adapt to the differing demands of English football.

March 2, 2010

Ryan - Rovers to offer a free Premiership ticket!

Following on from the furore surrounding yesterday's release of season ticket information for next season, Rovers have come up with a novel way of deflecting the criticism - offering a free season ticket for the following season to all supporters who buy one for the 2010/11 season. But there is a catch - it only applies if Rovers are promoted to the Premiership next season!
With the economic recession hitting the Doncaster area hard, crowds have struggled to break through 10,000 this season - but even so, John Ryan has called on the supporters to rally behind their club if Rovers are to challenge for promotion next term.
He said: "To progress further we really need your support. To compete at the top end of the Championship we need to improve our fanbase and particularly our season-ticket sales. In recent years Watford, Hull City, Burnley and Wigan Athletic have all been promoted to the Premier League. Why not us? We have quality players, a top management team and a board who have invested over £5million in the last two years. We need your help to move to the next level and for the key signings we need. If we can increase season tickets, and therefore attendances, it gives us a chance. We run the club extremely well and have a proven record of success. If we all pull together anything is possible, especially in football. Buy your season ticket to help our cause for further success. If we make it to the Premiership next season I guarantee we will give you your Premiership season ticket free."
Whilst the "early bird" prices show only a moderate increase in most cases, and the introduction of the 17-20 age bracket will ease the difference between junior and adult tickets for some, what seems to have angered the supporters is that these "early bird" prices only apply until the end of this month - whereas in all previous seasons, the initial discounted period lasts until the end of May. After the end of May, a further increase applies, with some substantial increases involved, particularly to those with Category C season tickets.
Incidentally, whilst the information was released on the Internet yesterday, no season ticket holders have yet received notification of increases by post - meaning those who do not have Internet access are not yet aware of these increases - and they will have even less chance to qualify for the cheapest level of increase!

March 2, 2010

Mutch extends Rovers loan

Birmingham City have today announced that their young midfielder, Jordon Mutch, has extended his Football League youth loan at Doncaster Rovers for a further month.
Mutch has made just one appearance for the Blues, and has also been out on loan at Hereford United earlier this season.

March 2, 2010

Voting results v Palace

Thanks go to everyone who took part in the "Man of the Match" voting for Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace. Out of the nine players nominated by you, the majority of the votes were shared between four players as follows:
1 James Coppinger (25.64%)
2 Elliott Ward (23.08%)
3 Billy Sharp (15.38%)
4 John Oster (12.82%)
The next poll will open following Saturday's away game at Bristol City.

March 2, 2010

Mutch to play for England U19s

Midfielder Jordan Mutch, on loan from Birmingham City, has received a late call-up into the England Under-19s squad for this week's friendly against Holland. The 18 year old has been drafted in to replace Tottenham's Dean Parrett for this evening's clash, which is being played in Waalwijk this evening.
The young midfielder has made seven appearances for Rovers, all but one of them as a substitute, scoring a superb goal on his debut against Middlesbrough.

March 2, 2010

More goals

There are two more former Doncaster Rovers players scoring goals at the weekend that we neglected to mention on Sunday.
Firstly, in the UniBond Premier Division, Andy Campbell scored a 16th minute goal for Whitby Town in their game at Matlock Town, although Whitby eventually went down to a 3-1 defeat. Campbell has been enjoying a goal-scoring spree since joining Whitby on loan from Bradford Park Avenue a couple of months ago.
Also, Dave Morley scored a dramatic winning goal in the third minute of added time at the end of Bangor's Welsh Cup quarter-final clash against arch-rivals Llanelli at a muddy Farrar Road. The win means that they will meet Prestatyn Town in the semi-finals on the weekend of 10th/11th April, and means they are on course to win the Welsh Cup for the third successive season.

March 2, 2010

Rovers complain about referee

Doncaster Rovers have made an official complaint over the performance of referee Neil Swarbrick following Saturday's home game against Crystal Palace. There were numerous occasions where Swarbrick gave some baffling decisions, including turning down what appeared to be two good appeals for penalties in the second half of the game.
Rovers chairman John Ryan told Radio Sheffield: "The word appalling comes to mind. I've spoken to David Allison, the head of League referees, and told him of my absolute disgust of several decisions."

March 1, 2010

Rovers announce inflation-busting season ticket price increases

Doncaster Rovers have announced the season ticket prices for next season - with all prices subject to inflation-busting increases. No mention is yet given of the match-by-match prices, although Rovers have said that prices will also rise for those.
Season tickets for the 2010/11 season go on sale from this morning - with prices due to rise from 31st March - giving most fans almost no chance of saving sufficiently to take advantage of the lower increases. Season ticket holders will have their seats reserved until 31st May.
Category C season tickets will only be available to those renewing - there are only the south-west and south-east corners where they are currently available, but they will be categorised B for any new season ticket applications.
Season ticket prices for the 2010/11 season are given below - for comparison purposes, we also include the season ticket prices for the current season, so you can appreciate the level of increases which apply to your season ticket.
From 1st March to 31st March:

Category	Adult price	Concessions	17-20s	12-16s	U11s
A	£440	£320	£200	£95	£50
B	£380	£265	£150	£95	£50
C*	£320	£200	£150	£95	£50

* only available to renewing season ticket holders
1st April to 31st May:

Category	Adult price	Concessions	17-20s	12-16s	U11s
A	£460	£335	£210	£95	£50
B	£400	£280	£160	£95	£50
C	£400	£280	£160	£95	£50

From 1st June:

Category	Adult price	Concessions	17-20s	12-16s	U11s
A	£480	£350	£220	£95	£50
B	£420	£295	£170	£95	£50
C*	£420	£295	£170	£95	£50

Category	Adult price	Concessions	12-16s	U11s
A	£420 (£459)	£305 (£339)	£60	£30
B	£360 (£399)	£250 (£279)	£60	£30
C	£280 (£280)	£150 (£150)	£60	£30

Category	Adult price	Concessions	12-16s	U11s
A	£23	£17	£17	£10
B	£20	£14	£13	£5
C	£15	£8	£8	£5

March 1, 2010

Bayo in talks

Northampton Town have confirmed that they are to hold contract talks with several of their first team squad this week, with only four players definitely contracted to the club for next season. Many have options for a second year on their contract, but many key players, including ex-Rovers striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, are clean out of contract in the summer. With the club currently challenging for promotion from League Two, scouts from other clubs will undoubtedly be checking out Northampton players - with the current financial situation, any player receiving an offer from elsewhere will have to give it serious thought.