Doncaster Rovers v MK Dons Official Matchday Programme by Mark Hughesman

MATCHDAY vs MILTON KEYNES DONS . Saturday 2nd October 2021 . Sky Bet League One . KO: 3.00pm

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CONTENTS

ASSOCIATE CLUB SPONSOR Stoneacre Motor Group TECHNICAL KIT SUPPLIER Elite Pro Sports Chairman: David Blunt Major shareholders: Terry Bramall, David Blunt, Gavin Baldwin Directors: Terry Bramall, David Blunt, Gavin Baldwin Chief executive: Gavin Baldwin FOOTBALL STAFF Manager: Richie Wellens Assistant manager: Noel Hunt Goalkeeping coach: Paul Gerrard Physiotherapist: Jonathan Chatfield Club doctor: Dr Tim Douglas CLUB STAFF Director of finance: Richard Poole Head of administration & football operations: Mary Lally Head groundsman: Andy Thompson Head of commercial: Jon Warburton Ticket manager: Tracy Bawden Chief operating officer: Shaun Lockwood Marketing manager: Mark Hughesman Supporter liaison officer: Dean Medcalf CLUB DONCASTER FOUNDATION Chair of trustees: Linda Tully Trustees: Gavin Baldwin, Nigel Brewster, Natalie Shaw, Allan Stewart, Rupert Suckling, John Wallbank Honorary ambassador: Stuart Highfield Chief executive officer: John Davis NCS programme manager: Tom Foy CLUB DONCASTER SPORTS COLLEGE Principal: Adi Turnpenny Deputy principals: Joe Burton, Ben Thompson PROGRAMME Contributors: Robbie Andrews, Dan Breslin, Jon Warburton, Mark Hughesman, Hayley Ford, Sophie Scargill, Gavin Hepworth, MATCHDAY John Coyle, Abi Rodwell, Clare Bailey Photography: Phil Ryan, AH Pix, Heather King, Rex Features Design: Daniel Parker Published by: ACA Creative Limited www.aca-creative.co.uk

05 05

Richie Wellens

Matt Smith

Player Sponsorship

Academy Update

Donny Kicks

MK Dons

We've Met Before

On This Day

Fixtures & Results

vs MILTON KEYNES DONS . Saturday 2nd October 2021 . Sky Bet League One . KO: 3.00pm

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IN CHARGE:

RICHIE WELLENS "I LOVE THIS CLUB, AND I WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR IT AND ITS FANS AND I WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE EVERYTHING I CAN TO BRING SUCCESS HERE" Good afternoon everyone, I’d like to begin by welcoming Liam Manning and the staff, players, directors and fans from MK Dons to the Keepmoat Stadium for this afternoon’s Sky Bet League One match. I really admire the way MK Dons go about things – they have always played a passing game and recently they have found a way to turn possession and passing into points. They are third for a reason and they will provide a different kind of challenge for us this afternoon. I’m writing these notes on the way back from Ipswich, so I haven’t had long to reflect on that game. It was a bitterly disappointing evening for myself and the players. I love this club, and I want what’s best for it and its fans and I will continue to give everything I can to bring success here. There’s not much that can be said or written after a defeat like that, but it makes today’s performance even more important. We as a coaching staff and a squad of players need to show that that was an anomaly and we need to give everything for this shirt and this club. I hope that you will see a performance which is much more like the Doncaster Rovers we all love this afternoon. Finally, I would like to welcome the children from the Doncaster School for the Deaf who are joining us at today’s game. I hope you all have a great day. Thank you for your support, Richie

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GUNNING FOR MORE WORDS: Abi Rodwell

HOW MANY 20-YEAROLDS CAN SAY THEY HAVE AN FA CUP WINNERS' MEDAL? THE ANSWER IS PROBABLY NOT MANY, BUT MATT SMITH CAN. THE 20-YEAR OLD IS YET TO MAKE A FIRSTTEAM APPEARANCE FOR PARENT CLUB ARSENAL, BUT IS ONE OF THE GUNNERS' MOST HIGHLY-RATED STARS EMERGING FROM THE CLUB'S ACADEMY.

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Smith - who is currently enjoying the third loan spell of his career - has notched up more than 40 career appearances, despite only making his professional debut last season.

IT CAN CHANGE SO QUICKLY IN THIS DIVISION, THAT’S WHY A WINNING MENTALITY IS IMPORTANT. ONCE YOU HAVE THAT JUST A FEW WINS ON THE BOUNCE CAN CHANGE THINGS QUITE A LOT

The Harlow-born midfielder joined Doncaster in the summer, eager for more first-team football as he looks to make a name for himself at the top. "Last season was really good for me," he says, reflecting on the 2020/21 campaign. "I do feel like I did well to say it was my first one, but I just want to push on and do well this season now I’ve got the experience under my belt." The 20-year-old’s professional debut came during his first loan spell with Swindon Town. In fact, it was current Rovers manager Richie Wellens who signed the midfielder and gave him his debut, a game in which Smith also scored his first professional goal and hasn't forgotten in a hurry. "It was a big day for me, I remember it well," he adds. "I remember us winning 3-0, I scored in the game as well and that’s not something you forget, to score on your professional debut is amazing, it was amazing for me." Although things started well for Smith at Swindon on an individual basis, they struggled as a team at the bottom of the table and, following the departure of Wellens to League Two side Salford City, the Arsenal loanee began to fall out of favour with new manager John Sheridan. "Overall last season was a really good experience for me. "It was my first season playing professional first-team football and it was a very different experience playing in League One. League football comes with lots of highs and lows "I had to deal with managerial changes, relegation battles, winning games, losing games as well as being in and out of the team.

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"At times it was hard for me, I was going through things for the first time and experiencing the highs and lows of competitive football for the first time." Mature beyond his years, a down to earth Smith speaks openly about the ups and downs of competitive football at such a young age, as well as his desire to use those experiences to not only make him a better player, but contribute positively for Rovers who only have one league win this season. "I made sure I spoke regularly to the more experienced players to help me deal with the highs and lows," he continues. "I needed to learn how to deal with them because they’re part of football, highs and lows are always going to be there and it’s important that as a player you learn how to deal with them, not matter how young you are. I learnt that very quickly. "I feel a better player this season for that and I think I’ve come into this season with the right tools to be able to deal with certain situations and a better-equipped footballer." On signing for Rovers in the summer, he identified Wellens as a key reason for moving north saying that he "loved" working with him last season making the decision to sign an easy one. "He was massive, having worked with Richie before I knew how he liked to play his football and I really enjoyed it at Swindon under him last season. "I knew Doncaster was a big club and they were a very good team last season so they were all things that influenced my decision." A lifelong Arsenal fan, Smith joined the Gunners as a sevenyear-old, progressing through the ranks in North London. Part of the team that reached the final of the 2018 FA Youth Cup, the midfielder regularly played above his age group, captaining the Under-18s along the way.

He began to make a name for himself at the Emirates in the 2018/19 season, as he racked up 14 assists and chipped in with five goals in just 22 appearances in the Under-18s. A technically gifted midfielder renowned for his creativity and passing, Smith comes highly rated by the Gunners backroom staff and his performances at youth level prompted Mikel Arteta to name him in the first-team squad six times at the back end of the 2019/20 campaign. "That was massive for me," he says. "Especially having been at Arsenal my whole career. I support Arsenal, my family supports Arsenal, as a young player I looked up to all the first-team players and so to be in the squad for a first-team game at that age was amazing. "Just being in the changing room, in and around the squad and just being among that environment can help you so much. I just tried to learn off everyone all the time and I was loving the experience." Although he is yet to make his senior debut, his development was also rewarded with a place in the matchday squad in Arsenal's FA Cup Final victory over Chelsea in 2020, an experience Smith describes as "the best of his career." "When you’re in the moment it’s hard to take it in as much as you want, but I remember a couple of weeks later when the season finished I looked back and thought ‘wow’, what an amazing experience. "Even just to be there and be on the bench in an FA Cup Final was an unbelievable experience, but to go on and win it as well was amazing. I remember the celebrations afterwards, it’s something I’ll never forget and easily the best experience of my career so far.” Despite his tender age, Smith hopes to use his experiences to positively influence Rovers' season as Wellens' side look to climb the League One table. "We know we’ve got the capability to get wins. Even before we got our first league win, the standard of training had been brilliant, morale has been good and the team has genuinely been surprised by the difficult start that we’ve had given the quality we know that we have in the side. "Games aren’t always the prettiest in League One, it’s a tough division and every opposition is different, you get all different types of games against different teams. "League One is tough but most of the time the win is all that matters." With 38 games still to play, the midfielder is confident they can turn things around. "It can change so quickly in this division, that’s why a winning mentality is important. Once you have that just a few wins on the bounce can change things quite a lot. "With that comes confidence within the team which is important because as we've seen so many times, anyone can beat anyone in this league."

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ONE HUNDRED P A R T N E R S CLUB

DIAMOND

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

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TRAINING AWAY HOME MAIN

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TIBERIUS BATCHELOR & ROSSINGTON HALL

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JOE DODOO

IN MEMORY OF CHOCCO

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AJ GREAVES

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27 TRAINING AWAY HOME MAIN

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MARK & SIAN LISTER

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DENNIS & DAVE HARVEY

RETFORD BRANCH

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RODRIGO VILCA

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MATT SMITH

PONTUS DAHLBERG

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CHARLIE SEAMAN

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19 TRAINING AWAY HOME MAIN

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RICHIE WELLENS

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ED WILLIAMS

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OMAR BOGLE

RO-SHAUN WILLIAMS TRAINING AWAY HOME MAIN

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CAMERON JOHN

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BEN BLYTHE

LIRAK HASANI

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BEN SCHOFIELD

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TIBERIUS BATCHELOR & ROSSINGTON HALL

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22 TRAINING AWAY HOME MAIN

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DAN GARDNER

TIAGO CUKUR

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BRANDEN HORTON

TRAINING AWAY HOME MAIN

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DENNIS & DAVE HARVEY

BEN BOTTOMLEY

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BARRY JOHNSON

CARA & JACK LISTER

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ETHAN GALBRAITH

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RED VIKING RAIL

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LIAM RAVENHILL

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JAKE & ZACK SKINN

JORDY HIWULA

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IDEAL ELECTRICITY

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JON TAYLOR

TOMMY ROWE

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AIDAN BARLOW

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MONEYFIELDS FOOTBALL CLUB

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HSR LAW

TRAINING AWAY HOME MAIN

LAUREN & HOLLY BYTHWAY

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RETFORD BRANCH

JOHN BOSTOCK

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REECE KERRIDGE-McCOLL

RETFORD BRANCH

FEJIRI OKENABIRHIE

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JOSEPH OLOWU

TOM ANDERSON

KYLE KNOYLE

LOUIS JONES

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BEN CLOSE

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STADIUM STARS

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ACADEMY UPDATE

LUKE CHADWICK COMPLETES WORK EXPERIENCE LUKE CHADWICK IS THE MOST RECENT U18S PLAYER TO RETURN FROM A MONTH OF WORK EXPERIENCE. THE YOUNG SHOT-STOPPER SPENT TIME AT STAVELEY MINERS WELFARE WHERE HE WAS ABLE TO DEVELOP HIS KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF A FIRST-TEAM ENVIRONMENT. Academy manager Tony Cook spoke about the importance of this kind of opportunity for young players in his usual monthly update. He said: “Work experience opportunities for our young players is massive. We have had a technical board meeting about getting our younger players more experience in men’s football. This is something first team manager Richie Wellens is keen to have in place.

“It is part of our remit to get more second year scholars out into the men’s environment to see what it’s like. In non-league, a lot of players are fitter and stronger than they used to be so it is a massive learning curve for any young player. “Luke played two games while at Staveley - which means he's playing in front of 200-300 people which opens him to that side of the game. Head of Academy goalkeeping Steve Hernandez and I managed to go and watch him. “Having spoken to Luke and his dad he really enjoyed the experience. If we could get him back out on work placement he would jump at the opportunity.” Cook was keen to thank Staveley for giving the young goalkeeper the opportunity which will help to support his professional development. He added: “I would like to thank Staveley, their chairman Terry Damms and manager Brett Marshall for having Luke. “If other local clubs are interested then our door is always open. Even if our lads don’t get to play, just being around that kind of environment will really benefit them.”

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Donny’s a-maze-ing game

Hello everyone We are all set to play MK Dons today. I am delighted with my pictures and I have them displayed on my noticeboard in the Family Stand (see photos).

Can you help Donny find his way through the maze

I had a great time with you all at our game against Manchester City U21’s. Enjoy the game! Donny Dog

START

Donny’s Score prediction

2 0

WHO’S BADGE IS IT? We’ve removed the names from the badges of some League One teams, can you help Donny identify which teams they are?

YOUR ANSWER

RODRIGO VILCA

HOW WELL DO YOU

KNOW...

LIAM L L I H N E V A R 1. How old is Liam? YOUR ANSWER

2. Liam’s dad played for Rovers can you name him? YOUR ANSWER

3. What squad number is Liam? YOUR ANSWER

4. How tall is Liam in centimetres? YOUR ANSWER

5. Liam is elligible for which national team? YOUR ANSWER

6. What position does Liam play? YOUR ANSWER

7. Which club has Liam recently signed for on loan? YOUR ANSWER ANSWERS (DON’T CHEAT) 1) 18; 2) Ricky Ravenhill; 3) 31; 4) 178 cms; 5) Northern Ireland 6) Central midfield; 7) Mickleover

TODAY’S MASCOTS

Alyssa Park

Luca Wainman

CHARLIE HENDERSON

Age: 7 HOBBIES: Playing football, watching football with daddy and swimming Favourite Player: Tom Anderson/ Tommy Rowe

Age: 8 Hobbies: Playing football and annoying my brother Favourite Player: John Bostock

Age: 9 Hobbies: FOOTBALL Favourite Player: Jon Taylor

A very happy birthday to our Donny Dog Club Members Reign Ardle-Cox Ellis Hankinson Mollie Jones Jazmin Monks Archie Stafford Jake Wallhead

Jacob Beverley Charlie Henderson Tillia-Rose Laws Phillip Noble Ben Tibbitts

Henry Burkitt Caleb Hibbett Callum Long Alfie Richardson Oliver Turner

Happy 9th Birthday Ben Tibbitts Love Mum, Dad, Mille & everyone at Edenthorpe JFC U9’s

IN OPPOSITION:

MILTON KEYNES DONS MEET THE BOSS:

LIAM MANNING

Following the early season departure of Russell Martin to Swansea City, MK Dons turned to Liam Manning to take over in the hotseat. Not a familiar name with many supporters, he’ll be looking to make his mark with MK, having already made an encouraging start to the League One campaign. Manning, who played for Ipswich Town and Icelandic side Selfoss during his playing career, began coaching in 2006 with the Tractor Boys where he progressed from Head Coach of the Under-13s to the club’s Lead Youth Development Coach. In December 2015, he joined West Ham United, initially as their assistant Academy manager before serving as Head of Coaching and, later, taking charge of their Under-23s. Manning was part of the Hammers setup that won the 2016 Premier League Cup as well as promotion to Premier

League 2 Division One. What’s more, players such as Grady Diangana and Declan Rice emerged from the West Ham Academy during his four years in the capital. In April 2019, he joined the City Football Group and was named Director of Coaching for the New York City Academy although he was quickly promoted to Academy Director. During his short time in the US, Manning led NYCFC to a second consecutive U.S. Soccer Development Academy Under-19 National Championship. The following summer, Manning was appointed Head Coach of Lommel SK, where he was tasked with rebuilding a team who had won just six games during the 2019/20 season. As well as implementing a new style of play, he also guided them to a third-place finish, one spot shy of a promotion play-off place.

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ONES TO WATCH DEAN LEWINGTON

Full back, captain and club legend, Lewington has a similar story to that of our very own James Coppinger. Having made his debut for Wimbledon in 2003, Lewington stayed with the club which moved to Milton Keynes and has been with MK Dons ever since, with a total of over 700 league appearances for the club and over 800 appearances in total, he is currently the longest-serving player in English football.

TROY PARROTT

On loan from Tottenham Hotspur for the season, Parrott had already made his Premier League debut for Spurs and is contracted to them until 2023, so clearly held in high regard. Having had loan spells at Millwall and Ipswich Town in previous seasons, he’ll be looking to make his mark at Stadium MK this season having already bagged a couple of goals. At 19 he’s already a Republic of Ireland international where he has made seven appearances, scoring two goals.

JOSH McEACHRAN

The experienced 28-year-old midfielder was labelled a real hot prospect in his youth when he was on the books of Chelsea in total making 22 appearances for them and represented England frequently between under 16 and under 21 levels. Whilst at Chelsea he gained plenty of experience at different clubs as he spent time on loan at Swansea City, Middlesbrough, Watford, Wigan Athletic and Vitesse in Holland. In 2015 he left Chelsea moving to Brentford where he remained for four seasons before joining Birmingham City in 2019. He teamed up with MK Dons towards in January last season and signed a new contract in the summer.

MO EISA

Eisa came to prominence in the 2017/18 season where he scored 25 goals in 50 competitive games having had a similar if not better goalscoring record in non-league football with Greenwich Borough in the two previous seasons. His exploits at Cheltenham Town alerted Bristol City who signed him for a deal reported to be in the region of £1.5m in the summer of 2018. Things didn’t go to plan with the Robins where he only made five appearances without scoring, and in the summer of 2019 Peterborough United broke their transfer record on signing Eisa where he went on to make 56 league appearances scoring 16 goals. He’s hot off the mark this season and at the time of writing has already scored three goals.

SHARED 5-A-SIDE ADEMOLA BANKOLE DRFC 1995 0 APPS 0 GOALS MKD 2006-08 9 APPS 0 GOALS

MATHIEU BAUDRY DRFC 2016-18 61 APPS 6 GOALS MKD 2018-19 5 APPS 0 GOALS

JORDAN HOUGHTON DRFC 2016-2018 76 APPS 2 GOALS MKD 2000-03 & 2006-07 107 APPS 4 GOALS

PAUL DOWNING DRFC 2019 22 APPS 0 GOALS MKD 2016-18 46 APPS 0 GOALS

MAX WATTERS

Perhaps the one that got away! Watters spent time in Rovers Youth Academy and made six first team appearances from the bench during his time at the Keepmoat before being released at the end of the 2019/20 season. The rest is history as they say, as he went on to sign for Crawley Town where he was prolific, notching 16 goals in 19 appearances for them. As a result in the January 2020 transfer window Cardiff City paid a reported £1m fee for Watters where he made three appearances for the Bluebirds last season. He’s already broken his scoring duck with MK Dons with a goal in the recent game away at Gillingham in a 4-1 victory and will be looking to add plenty more during his season long loan spell.

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LEWIS GUY DRFC 2005-2010 187 APPS 24 GOALS MKD 2010-12 42 APPS 4 GOALS

WE'VE MET BEFORE MK DONS HOME DATE 26/12/2004 09/08/2005 12/02/2013 25/10/2014 25/11/2017 07/12/2019 12/09/2020 AWAY DATE 11/09/2004 10/12/2005 05/03/2013 21/04/2015 14/04/2018 07/03/2020 27/03/2021

WORDS: John Coyle

VENUE Belle Vue Belle Vue Keepmoat Keepmoat Keepmoat Keepmoat Keepmoat

RESULT W 3-0 D 1-1 D 0-0 D 0-0 W 2-1 D 1-1 D 1-1

SCORERS Edds (og), Johnson (2) Heffernan

VENUE National Hockey Stadium National Hockey Stadium Stadium MK Stadium MK Stadium MK Stadium MK Stadium MK

RESULT W 1-0 W 3-2 L 0-3 L 0-3 W 2-1 W 1-0 L 0-1

SCORERS Albrighton Fenton, Roberts S, Heffernan

/20 ONCASTER ROVERS FOOTBALL CLUB 2019 THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY MAGAZINE OF D

vs MILTON KEYNES DONS

Saturday 7th December 2019 KO: 3:00pm | £3.00

1879-2019

vs MILTON KEYNES DONS . Saturday 12th September 2020 . Sky Bet League One . KO: 3.00pm

Marquis, Blair John Gomes

Marquis (2) Ramsey

Milton Keynes Dons (better known as MK Dons) was officially established in 2004, ending a controversial chain of events. Wimbledon’s owners had moved the club to Milton Keynes a year before and in 2004 the club was renamed despite opposition from the FA, the Football League and, most importantly, the vast majority of Wimbledon fans. The aim was for MK Dons to play at a new stadium, the centrepiece of a sports and leisure complex, but with the stadium not ready until 2007, MK Dons played their matches at the town’s National Hockey Centre. It was this venue that played host to the first meeting of MK Dons and Doncaster Rovers on 11th September 2004 in League One. Rovers scored the only goal of the game after 66 minutes when Jermaine McSporran’s corner was headed home by defender Mark Albrighton. The return match was played at Belle Vue on Boxing Day 2004 and two goals from loanee Simon Johnson helped Rovers to a 3-0 win. They finished 10th while MK just avoided relegation, finishing above Torquay United on goal difference. Perhaps the most exciting contest between the two clubs came on 10th December 2005, again at the National Hockey Stadium. Visiting defenders Nick Fenton (13 minutes) and Steve Roberts (24 minutes) put Rovers 2-0 up at the interval. After 73 minutes Gary Smith pulled one back, only for Paul Heffernan to restore

Rovers’ lead with five minutes remaining. Although a young Aaron Wilbraham scored for MK, Rovers held on to win a pulsating game 3-2. After 2005-06 the teams did not meet again for seven seasons and when they did, both had moved to new stadiums. On 12th February 2013 Rovers and MK Dons played out a 0-0 draw at the Keepmoat Stadium. Less than a month later, on 5th March 2013 MK beat Rovers 3-0 at Stadium MK with goals from Izale McLeod, Daniel Powell and Stephen Gleeson. Despite this setback, Rovers went on to clinch the League One Championship while MK finished just outside the play-offs in eighth place. Coming up to date, the quirks of the fixture list meant that MK Dons and Rovers met in successive matches over two different seasons. On 7th March 2020 Rovers won 1-0 at Stadium MK with a second half goal from Jacob Ramsey. A week later the football programme in England was suspended due to Covid-19 and the 2019-20 placings were decided by a Points-Per-Game formula. League One resumed on 12th September 2020, and in a match played behind closed doors at the Keepmoat, Rovers and MK Dons drew 1-1. Finally, in seven meetings on home soil Rovers have never lost to MK Dons. After a disappointing start to the season Richie Wellens’s men will hope to maintain this record.

doncasterroversfc.co.uk

ON THIS DAY 18TH SEPTEMBER

WORDS: John Coyle

On this day in 1911 VIC DODSWORTH was born in Mexborough. He began his professional career with Grimsby Town, making his Football League debut in September 1932. A year later he was transferred to Manchester United, then in Division Two, but he failed to make a first team appearance. In January 1936 the central defender moved to Rovers, making his debut on 25th January 1936 at Belle Vue. Rovers lost the game 0-2 to West Ham United. Vic made 16 appearances for Rovers, his final one coming in March 1937 in a 2-1 home win over Fulham. Thar was the end of his professional career as later in 1937 he joined the police force in Grimsby. He died in 1986. ROY YOUNG was born in 1950 and played as an amateur in Sheffield United’s reserves before signing professional forms with Rovers in July 1970. Although signed as a striker, he played most of his brief Football League career at right-back. His Rovers career consisted of seven League appearances, six of which were lost and the other drawn. During the 1971-72 season he signed for Frickley Colliery and so left the full-time game.

Vic Dodsworth

This day in 1958 saw the birth, in Doncaster, of MARK JONES. The young midfielder showed great potential in Rovers’s youth team and signed professional forms in November 1975. In April 1976 he made his League debut in a 1-1 draw at Haig Avenue against Southport. Over three seasons he made thirteen appearances but never established himself in the first team. Following his release in May 1978 he joined Frickley Athletic. In 1948, English football was enjoying a post-war boom with many attendance records broken. Rovers started the 1948-49 season in Division Three (North) after a brief flirtation with the second tier. By 2nd October 1948 Rovers were in third place while visitors Hull City lay in second. The match was made all the more attractive because England international forward Raich Carter was player-manager of City. The crowds flocked to Belle Vue that Saturday afternoon, the gates being closed well before kick-off. The official attendance was given as 37,099, Rovers highest ever home crowd. An entertaining game ended 0-0 and Rovers ended the campaign in third place, fifteen points behind Hull who were promoted as Champions. Finally, twenty years ago, Rovers were “enjoying” their fourth season in the Football Conference. On Tuesday 2nd October 2001 they faced Northwich Victoria at the Drill Field. Tris Whitman and Neil Campbell put Rovers 2-0 up before The Vics made it 2-1 on the stroke of half time. On 69 minutes Barry Miller put Rovers 3-1 ahead but later he turned villain, receiving a red card after an altercation with Northwich’s Jimmy Quinn. The home side made it 3-2 late on, but Rovers hung on for a precious three points. Here’s to a similar outcome today (preferably without any red cards!)

Mark Jones

THE CROWDS FLOCKED TO BELLE VUE THAT SATURDAY AFTERNOON, THE GATES BEING CLOSED WELL BEFORE KICK-OFF. THE OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE WAS GIVEN AS 37,099, ROVERS HIGHEST EVER HOME CROWD

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That’s why eBay are proud to support 300,000 small businesses who help power EFL clubs nationwide. We’ll be donating our advertising space to a lot of these businesses – on match day hoardings, around grounds and beyond – throughout the coming season, to ensure they can continue to thrive in our local communities. So, join us in giving your support to Small Business Power, because today, they need us more than ever.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

ON THIS DAY 2ND OCTOBER

WORDS: John Coyle

ROVERS RESULTS ON THIS DAY: LEVEL SEASON

To view the programme from our very first encounter with MK Dons, please click the image if viewing digitally:

OPPONENT

H/A

1948/49

Hull City

37,099 D 0 0

ATT RESULT GOALSCORERS

1954/55

West Ham United

13,841 W 2 1 Herbert (2, 1 pen)

1958/59

Plymouth Argyle

5,345 L 4 6 Walker.R (2), Graham (pen), Meredith

1965/66

Torquay United

9,913 L 0 1

1971/72

Gillingham

4,899 L 0 2

1973/74 Peterborough United

2,383 W 3 1 Elwiss, Ternent, Kitchen

1974/75

Chester

2,922 L 0 3

1979/80

Tranmere Rovers

2,973 D 1 1 Warboys

1982/83

Orient

1,846 L 0 1

1984/85

Brentford

4,901 D 1 1 Douglas

1990/91

Torquay United

3,312 L 0 1

1993/94

Rochdale

3,103 W 2 1 Roche, Jones

1999/00

Welling United

3,497 D 1 1 Minett (Pen)

2001/02

Northwich Victoria

2004/05

Wrexham

2007/08

Walsall

6,038 L 2 3 Mills, Guy

2010/11

Nottingham Forest

10,759 D 1 1 Lockwood

878 W 3 2 Whitman, Campbell, Miller 7,567 D 0 0

2012/13

Preston North End

5,681 L 1 3 Cotterill

2018/19

Accrington Stanley

2,327 L 0 1

doncasterroversfc.co.uk

FIXTURES & RESULTS DATE

OPPOSITION

COMP

RES/KO

ATT

AWAY POS

2021/22

STARTING XI

AUGUST Sat 7

AFC Wimbledon

EFL1

1-2

6,419

612

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

Rowe

Tue 10

Walsall

CC1

0-0*

2,384

310

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

John

Sat 14

Sheffield Wednesday

EFL1

0-2

24,738

1,980

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

Rowe

Tue 17

Accrington Stanley

EFL1

0-1

2,223

463

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

Rowe

Sat 21

Portsmouth

EFL1

0-0

6,660

1,292

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

John

Tue 24

Stoke City

CC2

0-2

6,193

541

Jones

Knoyle

John

Blythe

Horton

Sat 28

Rotherham United

EFL1

0-2

9,748

1,716

Dahlberg

Knoyle

John

R Williams

Horton

SEPTEMBER Tue 7

Rotherham United

PJTG

0-6

1,765

tbc

Jones

Seaman

Rowe

R Williams

Horton

Sat 11

Wigan Athletic

EFL1

1-2

8,975

568

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Olowu

R Williams

Rowe

Sat 18

Morecambe

EFL1

1-0

5,651

410

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

Rowe

Tue 21

Manchester City U21s

PJTG

2-1

1,802

102

Jones

Seaman

Olowu

R Williams

Horton

Bostock

Sat 25

Plymouth Argyle

EFL1

1-2

11,003

261

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

Rowe

Tue 28

Ipswich Town

EFL1

0-6

18,111

165

Dahlberg

Knoyle

Anderson

R Williams

Rowe

OCTOBER Sat 2

Milton Keynes Dons

EFL1

Sat 9

Crewe Alexandra

EFL1

15:00 15:00

Sat 16

Wycombe Wanderers

EFL1