Doncaster Rovers F.C.

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Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based at Belle Vue in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

The club was formed in September 1879 by Albert Jenkins, a fitter at Doncaster's LNER railway works in response to the emerging popularity of the game in the nearby city of Sheffield.

In 1997-98, Doncaster suffered the humiliation of enduring a record 34 league defeats as they finished bottom of Division Three and went into the Conference. Just after this relegation, chairman Ken Richardson was sent to prison after he tried to set fire to the Bellvue ground in hope of being able to pay off the club's debts with the insurance money.[link] They returned to the league five years later as Conference playoff winners, and were Division Three champions the following season. In 2006-07 they will be playing their third successive season in League One.

In 2005-06, Doncaster beat two Premiership teams in the League Cup - Manchester City and Aston Villa. They reached the quarter finals of the competition.

Harry Gregg kept goal for Doncaster in the 1950s, and was sold to Manchester United in December 1957 for £23,500. At the time, he was the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. He went on to help save lives in the Munich Air Disaster and was a regular goalkeeper for Northern Ireland.

The late Billy Bremner, who achieved fame for his playing career with Leeds United and Scotland, managed Doncaster twice, his final spell ending in November 1991 - six years before his death.

Contents

1 Achievements
2 Current squad
3 Mascot
4 Fanzines
5 Supporters Organisations
6 External links

Achievements

Carling Cup, Quarter Finals
*2005/2006 Knocked out Manchester City of the Premiership in a 3-0 on penalties[link] and Aston Villa 3-0[link] en route to the Quarter Finals where narrow defeat to Arsenal on penalties[link] brought an exciting cup run to an end.

Nationwide League Division 3 Champions
*2003/2004

Third Division North Champions
*1934/1935, 1946/1947, 1949,1950

Fourth Division Champions
*1965/1966, 1968/1969

Nationwide Conference Play-Off Winners
*2002/2003

Nationwide Conference Cup Winners
*1998/1999, 1999/2000

Sheffield & Hallamshire FA Senior Challenge Cup Winners
* 2000/2001, 2001/2002

Sheffield County Cup Winners
*1890/1891, 1911/1912, 1935/1936, 1937/1938, 1955/1956, 1967/1968, 1975/1976, 1985/1986

Northern Intermediate League Cup
*1984/1985, 1986/1987

Midland Counties League Champions
*1896/1897, 1898/1899

Yorkshire Electricity Cup Winners
*1995/1996

Current squad

As of July, 2006

Mascot

The team's mascot, portrayed by Andrew Liney, is a brown dog known as "Donny Dog". The Donny Dog costume consists of a double-lined brown fur suit with a detachable head, and the mascot also wears a red and white Rovers jersey.

Before a scheduled appearance during a game against Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium in 2006, police prevented Liney from entering the stadium in costume, citing unspecified "police intelligence". Liney offered to remove the costume's head and sit in the stands without performing, but police refused to allow any part of the costume within 50 meters of the stadium, and Liney had brought no other clothing with him. As a result, he was forced to remain outside for the entire match.[link]

Fanzines

[Popular Stand]

Supporters Organisations

Doncaster Rovers badge from the 1950s

External links

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