Doncaster Rovers v Scunthorpe United Official Matchday Magazine 2018/19 by Mark Hughesman

DONCASTER ROVERS vs SCUNTHORPE UNITED

SATURDAY 15TH DECEMBER 2018 12.15PM | ISSUE 14 | Â£3 SKY BET LEAGUE ONE

/19 CLUB 2018 FOOTBALL S R E V O R STER OF DONCA MAGAZINE MATCHDAY L A I C I F F THE O

MAIN CLUB SPONSOR LNER ASSOCIATE CLUB SPONSOR Stoneacre Motor Group TECHNICAL KIT SUPPLIER FBT Chairman: David Blunt Major shareholders: Terry Bramall, David Blunt, Marion Watson, Gavin Baldwin Directors: Terry Bramall, David Blunt, Andy Watson, Gavin Baldwin Chief executive: Gavin Baldwin Commercial director: Jim Lord

FOOTBALL STAFF

Manager: Grant McCann Assistant manager: Cliff Byrne Goalkeeping coach: Paul Gerrard Physiotherapist: Joe Sharp Club doctor: Dr Tim Douglas

CLUB STAFF

Director of finance: Richard Poole Head of administration & football operations: Mary Lally Head of stadium & operations: Marie Hepburn Head groundsman: Pete Needham Head of commercial: Jon Warburton Lottery manager: Ken Porter Ticket manager: Tracy Bawden Head of marketing & communications: Shaun Lockwood Media manager: Luke Thornhill Marketing manager: Mark Hughesman Supporter liaison officers: Craig Gleadhall, Dean Medcalf, Sheila Lynch

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 Executive director: Jim Lord Head of Foundation: John Davis NCS programme manager: Jan Budtz

CLUB DONCASTER SPORTS COLLEGE

08 05

Grant McCann

News feature

Gavin Baldwin

Action replay

Feature interview

Player sponsorship

Head to head

Commercial

Four to watch

Supporters liaison officer

Connections

Supporters club

Memorable match

Away travel guide

Numbers game

Club Doncaster Foundation

Development squad

League One stats

News feature

Fixtures and results

Junior Rovers

Rovers roll-call

Principal: Adi Turnpenny Deputy principals: Joe Burton, Ben Thompson

PROGRAMME

Contributors: Robbie Andrews, Clare Bailey, John Coyle, Jack Ireland, Paul Mayfield, Sophie Scargill, Jon Warburton, Alex Gibbings Photography: Phil Ryan, AH Pix, Heather King, Rex Features Design: Daniel Parker Amberley Court Associates www.aca-creative.co.uk

40 DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

"IT WAS ONE OF OUR MOST COMPLETE PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON, AND SETS A STANDARD WE KNOW WE NEED TO MAINTAIN AS WE HEAD INTO THE BUSY CHRISTMAS PERIOD"

GRANT McCANN GOOD AFTERNOON, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE KEEPMOAT STADIUM. I’D LIKE TO WELCOME STUART McCALL, AS WELL AS THE SUPPORTERS, STAFF, PLAYERS AND OWNERS OF SCUNTHORPE UNITED. My two years at the Iron were a really successful period for the club, Cliff Byrne - now assistant with me here was skipper and Nigel Adkins a brilliant manager. The fans have always welcomed me back, and I wish them well after today. We go into today’s game with a real sense of belief, having moved back into the top six with last weekend’s 4-0 win at Bristol Rovers. It was one of our most complete performances of the season, and sets a standard we know we need to maintain as we head into the busy Christmas period. There is a sense of confidence around the club, and we have the belief we can go on and have a memorable second half of the season.

about this person spitting in the face of a young ballboy, and was pleased we as a club reacted quickly and strongly in identifying the person involved. This club is renowned in football for doing things the right way, with a reputation many people have worked hard to craft. We won’t let the actions of this one person derail that, but we want to be clear in the strongest possible terms that we do not accept that from anyone. We can create a really intimidating atmosphere at our games, but we should always do it the right way. Enjoy the game.

Last Saturday’s win at the Memorial Stadium was marred by the actions of one so-called fan after the game. I was very disappointed and angry when I learnt

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"THE MANAGER AND OWNERS HAVE A PLAN WHICH GIVES US THE BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS THIS SEASON, BUT ALSO MEANS WE GO INTO NEXT SEASON WITH A TEAM THAT REFLECTS GRANT’S PLAYING PHILOSOPHY WHICHEVER DIVISION WE ARE PLAYING IN"

GAVIN BALDWIN GOOD AFTERNOON. I’D LIKE TO WELCOME THE OWNERS, SUPPORTERS, PLAYERS AND STAFF OF SCUNTHORPE UNITED WHO HAVE MADE THE SHORT TRIP ACROSS FROM NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE. Confidence and belief is high around the club after our recent run, and this Christmas period gives us a real opportunity to cement our position among the promotion contenders. We are well underway with our plans for the January transfer window. Grant is very happy with the signature of Kieran Sadlier who will join us officially from January 1 although he is already based over here working with our sports science team to ensure he gets up to speed in terms of fitness ready for when he is eligible to play. Grant, the owners and I had a very positive meeting a couple of weeks ago to discuss our approach to the January transfer window, and you’re already seeing the results of the strategy. The manager and owners have a plan which gives us the best chance of success this season, but also means we go into next season with a team that reflects Grant’s playing philosophy whichever division we are playing in. We will keep you aware of player dealings as they happen through our social media and are hopeful that we will be making our next announcement very soon.

Rovers follower was not acceptable, which was reflected in the anger and disappointment felt by players, staff and supporters afterwards and seen so clearly in our manager’s interview after the game. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming club, and have had great backing from our supporters in creating an atmosphere where everyone is welcome at games - and that always includes fans of the team we are playing. We had contact with Bristol Rovers as well as the relevant police forces on Monday, and this quick and decisive action shows how seriously we take our position as role models. I would also like to thank our players and staff who reacted with class on Saturday to assist the young boy who was the victim in the incident. That reaction is everything we want Rovers to be. We will invite the young ball boy to the return fixture and show him what we are really about as a club. Enjoy the game.

As a club we say in the strongest possible terms that the behaviour we saw from one person at the game from a

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ANDY R E L T BU ANDY BUTLER IS ABOUT TO REACH A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE AS HE APPROACHES HIS 200TH GAME FOR HIS HOMETOWN CLUB.

The club captain has seen just about everything in more than four years with the club, and says the landmark has come around quicker than he expected. “It has come around really quickly, I’ve been here for more than four years now and there have been plenty of highs,” he says. “We’ve had an interesting journey since I arrived, it’s nice that the 200th game will come against one of my old clubs in Scunthorpe. “We’ve got some very good young players who will go on and get a lot of experience, to come in and play as often as I have is great for me personally. “Copps isn’t far away from his 600th game and it would have been nice if we could have celebrated the two milestones on the same day.”

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Butler is one of the more experienced heads in a Rovers dressing room full of young talent at Sky Bet League One level.

“It’s extra special that it will come against Scunthorpe, I got my chance there when I was a young lad so it’s a big game for me,” he says.

He has shown his ability to lead from the back while wearing the captain’s armband this season, and come out on top in battles against some of the league’s best forwards.

“I’ve obviously played against them a fair few times now so it won’t feel any different, but it is nice that it’s fallen against one of my old clubs.

“I still feel young and age is just a number, I feel as fresh as I ever did and I know what I’m good at so I’m backing myself to play plenty more games,” he says. “I’ve always had the belief in myself and the club have been very good to me and I’ve managed to develop as a player. “I treat every game as my last as you never know what might happen, when I got injured last season all sorts of things went through my head. “If I had an injury like Danny Andrew had where it kept him out for a year, it would have been a long way back for me at my age. “I’ve had injuries before and it makes you realise just how much you enjoy playing football, but now I’m fit and I feel good.” This afternoon’s opponents Scunthorpe United were Butler’s first professional club, and one that he went onto play well over 100 games for at senior level. Reaching the 200 game mark against the Iron makes it extra special for him, although there will be no split loyalties once he enters the field of play.

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

“I think this is the longest spell I’ve had at a club in my career, I’ve been up at 180 appearances for others but never managed to reach 200 for one reason or another. “It means a lot to me, I’m really proud to have reached such a milestone with my hometown club as not everyone gets to achieve something like that.” Promotion from League Two in the 2016/17 season stands out as the highlight of Butler’s time with Rovers so far, after suffering relegation the season before.

"WE SAW LAST YEAR IF YOU CAN PICK UP MAXIMUM POINTS IN THE CHRISTMAS WEEK IT CAN GIVE THE LEAGUE TABLE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LOOK"

He sees similarities from that team with the current squad at Grant McCann’s disposal, and feels they are capable of achieving big things this season. “The promotion from League Two is the one that stands out, the year before it was a bad season so we did well to bounce back,” he says. “Promotion is massive for any player and looking back every member of the squad gave everything to get us back up. “I still believe we’re one of the best teams in this league, we’ve played nearly everyone once so we know what to expect in the second-half of the season. “I think with the players we have here and the creativity we have going forward we know we can hurt teams.”

"IT’S EXTRA SPECIAL THAT IT WILL COME AGAINST SCUNTHORPE, I GOT MY CHANCE THERE WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAD SO IT’S A BIG GAME FOR ME"

Rovers have been in and around the play-off places for the majority of the season, with several players improving week by week.

“He was unfortunate to pick up the injury when he did but he’ll be better for it, he’s not far off now which will add to us.

One of those players is Joe Wright, someone who Butler has played alongside for the majority of the past two seasons.

“Every team goes through a blip so hopefully ours is out of the way now, a couple of injuries affected us slightly but it made us stronger.

“I’ve been really impressed with how Joe has matured and made the position his own before his injury, we’re learning from each other all the time,” he says.

“Things started to go against us and we couldn’t quite get the bounce of the ball in our favour, the Fleetwood game springs to mind where they had four shots and scored with all of them. “If we can be clinical in both boxes then we’ll stay towards the top end of the table, Christmas is a big time of year and can have an impact on the second-half of the season.” The Christmas period in football requires players to make a lot of sacrifices, including spending time away from family and managing what they eat and drink. “We’ve got two away trips around Christmas so we’ll have to look after ourselves and if we do that and prepare right we’ll be ready,” he adds. “The more years you spend in football you just get used to being away from people at this time of year, it is part of the sacrifice you have to make. “People do enjoy it once they’ve finished playing because they get that time back with the family, but it is something that I’m used to now. “It can be hard when the rest of your family are enjoying themselves and you have to be disciplined but I wouldn’t change it for anything. “It’s a massive time of year and we all know that, we saw last year if you can pick up maximum points in the Christmas week it can give the league table a completely different look.”

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HEAD TO HEAD DONCASTER ROVERS v SCUNTHORPE UNITED | COMPLETE RESULTS COMPETITION Football League

FA Cup

League Cup

League Trophy

Grand Total

FOOTBALL LEAGUE - HOME LEVEL SEASON DATE 3 1966 05/05/1967 4 1968 23/08/1968 4 1971 18/12/1971 4 1973 02/03/1974 4 1974 17/09/1974 4 1975 19/04/1976 4 1976 11/04/1977 4 1977 26/12/1977 4 1978 01/09/1978 4 1979 16/02/1980 4 1980 27/03/1981 4 1988 17/12/1988 4 1989 04/11/1989 4 1990 08/03/1991 4 1991 20/12/1991 4 1992 13/03/1993 4 1993 01/11/1993 4 1994 27/12/1994 4 1995 16/03/1996 4 1996 01/02/1997 4 1997 30/01/1998 4 2003 26/12/2003 3 2005 17/09/2005 3 2006 20/01/2007 2 2009 24/04/2010 2 2010 01/01/2011 3 2012 24/11/2012 3 2014 03/05/2015 3 2015 26/12/2015 3 2017 17/09/2017 FOOTBALL LEAGUE - AWAY LEVEL SEASON DATE 3 1966 09/12/1966 4 1968 14/03/1969 4 1971 04/09/1971

H A N Total H A N Total H A N Total H A N Total H A N Total

P 30 30 0 60 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 4 3 0 0 3 37 32 0 69

W 14 9 0 23 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 1 17 10 0 27

D 7 13 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 2 9 14 0 23

L 9 8 0 17 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 8 0 19

F 55 41 0 96 5 0 0 5 4 3 0 7 2 0 0 2 66 44 0 110

A 33 37 0 70 3 0 0 3 2 2 0 4 1 0 0 1 39 39 0 78

OPPONENT Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United

VENUE RESULT FOR AGST PENS SCORERS H W 3 0 Gilfillan, Ricketts (pen), Warboys H W 4 3 Wilcockson, Rabjohn, Webber, Jeffrey H L 0 2 H W 1 0 Murray (pen) H D 1 1 Markham (og) H L 0 1 H W 3 0 Kitchen (2), O'Callaghan H D 1 1 Snodin G H D 0 0 H W 5 0 Bentley (2), Warboys (2), Mell H W 1 0 Dawson H D 2 2 Dobson (pen), Daly H L 1 2 Rankine H L 2 3 Whitehurst, Muir H L 1 2 Gormley H L 0 1 H W 3 1 Hulme, Williamson, Jones H D 1 1 Bryan H W 2 0 Marquis, Parrish H D 1 1 Cramb H L 1 2 Mike H W 1 0 Blundell H W 3 1 Fortune-West, McIndoe, Forte H D 2 2 Lee, Price H W 4 3 Emmanuel-Thomas, Mutch, Hayter, Martis H W 3 0 Sharp, Hayter, Mills J H W 4 0 Ribeiro (og), Cotterill, Jones, Paynter H W 5 2 Canavan (og), Tyson (3, 2 pens), Jones H L 0 1 H L 0 1

OPPONENT Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United

VENUE RESULT FOR AGST PENS SCORERS A L 1 2 Ricketts A W 2 0 Briggs, Regan A D 0 0

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

4 1973 26/12/1973 4 1974 04/01/1975 4 1975 27/12/1975 4 1976 27/12/1976 4 1977 27/03/1978 4 1978 11/11/1978 4 1979 28/09/1979 4 1980 28/10/1980 4 1988 01/04/1989 4 1989 05/05/1990 4 1990 15/12/1990 4 1991 24/08/1991 4 1992 07/11/1992 4 1993 16/04/1994 4 1994 15/04/1995 4 1995 23/04/1996 4 1996 09/11/1996 4 1997 13/09/1997 4 2003 07/02/2004 3 2005 21/01/2006 3 2006 30/09/2006 2 2009 26/09/2009 2 2010 16/10/2010 3 2012 23/03/2013 3 2014 04/10/2014 3 2015 08/03/2016 3 2017 23/01/2018 FA CUP - HOME LEVEL SEASON DATE 1 2001 17/11/2001 2 2017 03/12/2017 LEAGUE CUP - HOME LEVEL SEASON DATE 1 1967 23/08/1967 1 1983 13/09/1983 LEAGUE CUP - AWAY LEVEL SEASON DATE 1 1983 30/08/1983 1 2018 14/08/2018 LEAGUE TROPHY - HOME LEVEL SEASON DATE G 1990 27/11/1990 1 1990 15/01/1991 G 2017 31/10/2017

Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

L D L D D D D D L L D L W W W D W D D W L D W W W L D

1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 3 5 2 2 1 2 2 0 2 3 3 2 0 1

2 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 2 4 1 3 0 1 0 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1

Kitchen Kitchen Brookes

Nimmo Rankine Morrow Turnbull Kerr, Tynan Brady Worthington, Yates, Roche Norbury (3), Warren, Harper Cramb (2) Cramb (2, 1 pen) McDonald McIndoe (pen), Fortune-West McIndoe, Lee Woods M (pen), Sharp Sharp (2, 1 pen), O'Connor Mirfin (og), Hume Brown C Coppinger, Tyson Beestin

OPPONENT Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United

VENUE RESULT FOR AGST PENS SCORERS H L 2 3 Tierney, Watson H W 3 0 Rowe (2), Mandeville

OPPONENT Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United

VENUE RESULT FOR AGST PENS SCORERS H L 1 2 Jeffrey H W 3 0 Humphries, Douglas, Snodin I (pen)

OPPONENT Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United

VENUE RESULT FOR AGST PENS SCORERS A D 1 1 Moss A W 2 1 Wilks, Andrew

OPPONENT Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United

VENUE RESULT FOR AGST PENS SCORERS H W 1 0 Muir H D 0 0 2-4 H D 1 1 3-2 Mandeville

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FOUR T SCUNTHORPE UNITED

JAK ALNWICK TOP STOPPER

The former Newcastle United youth trainee is on loan from Scottish Premiership side Rangers until January. Alnwick is the younger brother of former Sunderland and England under-21 stopper Ben, who came on loan to Rovers in 2010 for a short spell. Alnwick joined Port Vale in 2015 following his departure from St Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Park, and after two seasons he crossed the border to join Rangers, however after a handful of appearances at Ibrox, he made a temporary switch to Glanford Park this season. Like his older sibling, Alnwick has also represented his country at youth level, playing for both England under-17s and under-18s, whilst also going to the FIFA under-20s World Cup in 2011 as back-up to Jack Butland.

JOSH MORRIS MIDFIELD MAESTRO

The Iron midfielder has been one of League Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest performers over the last two seasons, hitting double figures for goals in his first two seasons with the Iron. A former England under-20 international, Morris joined the Iron in 2016 following his departure from Bradford City, going on to score 20 times in all competitions as he helped lead them to the play-offs in his first year at Glanford Park. Last season saw Morris spend a short period out injured, but he still managed to reach double figures in the goal-scoring charts, grabbing 10 in 29 appearances in the league, again helping the Iron to reach the play-offs.

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

TO WATCH RORY McARDLE DEFENSIVE ROCK

The Sheffield-born defender joined the Iron from fellow League One side Bradford City in the summer of 2017 and was almost immediately installed as skipper at Glanford Park. McArdle began his career with Sheffield Wednesday, but it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be until a switch across the Pennines to Rochdale where he would really kick on. After over 125 appearances for the Dale, McArdle moved across the border to sign with Aberdeen, before moving back to Yorkshire with Bradford City. McArdle helped the Bantams to reach the League Cup final in his first season as they became the first fourth tier side to reach the final in 51 years and later that season, he scored in the League Two play-off final to help them to promotion. McArdle joined the Iron last June and signed a three-year deal, and he marshalled the defence and steered them to the League One play-offs last year.

LEE NOVAK DEADLY STRIKER

The Geordie striker came through the Wallsend Boys Club in his native Newcastle, with the youth team also notable for talents such as Alan Shearer, Michael Carrick and Peter Beardsley.A successful spell with Gateshead in the Conference North led Novak to make the step up to the Football League, signing with Huddersfield Town in 2009. Novak had a very successful four years with the Terriers and was a part of the squad that won promotion to the Championship via the play-offs in 2012. He then moved on to Birmingham City in 2013, staying there for three years, before a season with Charlton Athletic.Novak joined up with the Iron in August last year and signed a two-year contract at Glanford Park, and he scored the winning goal at the Keepmoat Stadium when the two sides met in League One last September.

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THE 2008/09 SEASON WAS ONE THAT WAS A SUCCESSFUL ONE FOR ALL CONNECTED WITH THE IRON, AND 10 YEARS LATER, TWO OF THE UNITED PLAYING SQUAD WILL BE HOPING THEY CAN REPLICATE THAT WHILST IN THE ROVERS DUG-OUT. CLIFF BYRNE CAPTAINED THE IRON DURING THEIR PROMOTION-WINNING SEASON FROM LEAGUE ONE, WITH MANAGER GRANT MCCANN ALSO PLAYING A KEY ROLE THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN. McCann joined the Iron from Barnsley in January 2008 whilst they were still in the Championship, remaining at Glanford Park following their relegation from the second tier later on that year. The Northern Irishman went on to become a virtual ever-present in the United midfield during their promotion-winning season, making well over 50 appearances across all competitions in the campaign. The current Rovers boss was also a key figure in the Iron’s run to the Football League Trophy in the 2008/09 season, where Scunthorpe would meet Luton Town in the final at Wembley Stadium. McCann scored in the final two minutes of normal time to make it 2-2 and send the game into extra time, only for the Hatters’ Claude Gnapka to score five minutes into the additional 20 minutes to hand them the win in the capital. It wouldn’t be long though before the Iron would return to Wembley, and this time it would be a hugely successful trip, with Rovers’ present number two playing a big part. Byrne joined Scunthorpe in 2002, initially on loan from Sunderland, before making his move permanent the following year. He was appointed as captain of the Iron during the 2008/09 season and went on to become the most successful skipper in the club’s history. It would be his goal against Tranmere Rovers on the final day of the regular season that saw the Iron into the playoffs in the first place, scoring two minutes from time to equalise at Glanford Park, setting up a play-off semi-final against Milton Keynes. A 1-1 draw at home was followed by a goalless second leg at Stadium MK, meaning a penalty shoot-out would be in order to decide who would face Millwall at Wembley in the play-off final, which would also see the Iron travel to the national stadium for the second time that season. Millwall went into the game as clear favourites over the Iron who sealed their place in the playoffs on the final day of the season, with the Lions finishing one position higher than Scunthorpe. They had beaten promotion favourites Leeds United in the semi-finals 2-1 on aggregate, and as they only had to make a short trip across

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London, the backing from the Millwall fans was far greater than that of the Iron, making it all the more testing for Scunthorpe. Six minutes in however, and things were looking good for the Iron, taking the lead through Matty Sparrow. Two goals in two minutes from Gary Alexander though saw the Lions turn the game on its head going into the break. Sparrow equalised with 20 minutes left to play, before Martyn Woolford scored in front of the Millwall end five minutes from the end to seal the Iron’s return to the Championship at the first attempt. The following season would see the Iron maintain their second tier status, finishing 20th in the Championship, ending up five points clear of the drop zone, with McCann leaving Glanford Park after helping to keep them up. Byrne stayed on until 2012, joining Oldham Athletic, though he did briefly return on loan to the Iron the following year. The pair took up their positions at the Keepmoat Stadium this summer, with Rovers flying high at the start of the campaign, winning their first three games in charge in league and cup, with McCann also winning the Manager of the Month award for September. Alex Gibbings

MEMORABLE MATCH SCUNTHORPE UNITED

MARCH 23 2013

Rovers edged an entertaining local derby to cement their place at the top of the League One table, and continued their excellent away form, as they defeated rivals Scunthorpe United 3-2 at Glanford Park. It was the perfect start for Rovers as they raced into the lead inside the opening five minutes of the game. David Cotterill’s perfect cross from the right caused David Mirfin to panic, and he was left helpless as he tapped the ball into his own net, giving Rovers an early lead. Rovers were in complete control of the game, with James Coppinger and Iain Hume both seeing efforts on goal blocked, with Jimmy Ryan’s speculative effort from distance the only real chance early on for the hosts. Rovers would double their lead with five minutes of the first half left, with Rob Jones floating a ball over everybody, with Hume beating the offside trap and slotting into the corner past Eirik Holmen Johansen. The Iron would score right on the stroke of half-time, with a future Rovers player getting on the score sheet with a superb free-kick. Mark Duffy stepped up from 25 yards out to curl into the top corner, beyond the reach of Gary Woods and giving the hosts hope after the break that they could get something out of the game.

This hope would be all but ended just three minutes after the interval however, with Rovers regaining their two-goal lead in front of their own fans. Tommy Spurr found James Husband in the area after good work down the left-hand side, with the young full-back threading the ball across the six-yard box, where Chris Brown stood unmarked to smash the ball into the back of the net. Scunthorpe did come forward as they looked to reduce the deficit, with Ryan going closer than his first effort, with

a drive from the edge of the box going just wide of the far post. Brown almost doubled his tally and extended Rovers lead, however he could only somehow hit the crossbar from four yards out, before Coppinger fired over from the edge of the area himself as Rovers struggled to get the goals their performance deserved. The Iron did pull one back with five minutes to go, with Karl Hawley benefitting from a goalmouth scramble, but Rovers held out to ensure that they stayed top of League One heading into the final stretch of the season.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Rovers would remain top right until the penultimate day of the season, where Bournemouth would replace them following defeat at home to Notts County. With the Cherries up, it left Rovers to travel to Brentford in a promotion shoot-out, needing just a point to secure a place in the Championship. A defeat would see the Bees go up in place of Rovers, and a penalty in the fifth minute of injury time saw Brentford 12 yards away from promotion instead. However, Marcello Trotta’s penalty smashed against the bar, Rovers broke, and the rest was history, as Coppinger put the ball into the empty net, not only earning Rovers promotion but sealing the title in the most dramatic fashion. Scunthorpe would be relegated at the end of the season, despite winning their final two games, they were unable to make up the three-point gap that separated them and Colchester United. Their absence from League One wouldn’t be a short one however, as they secured an immediate return by finishing second in the fourth tier, with Russ Wilcox taking the managerial job in November 2013. He went unbeaten for the first 28 games of his reign at Glanford Park, a world-record run for a manager in a new job.

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THE

NUMBERS GAME WHEN ALI CRAWFORD WAS ALLOCATED THE NUMBER 11 SHIRT AT THE START OF THIS SEASON HE BECAME ONLY THE SEVENTH PLAYER TO WEAR THIS PARTICULAR NUMBER SINCE ROVERS FIRST ALLOCATED SQUAD NUMBERS AT THE START OF THE 2002-03 SEASON. The first of the Number 11s was JAMIE PATERSON (2002-04) signed from Halifax Town in 2000. Paterson had experience of winning the Football Conference with Town, where he remains a legend. The attacking midfielder certainly performed well for Rovers during his time at the club, scoring a total of 34 goals, his final one coming in 2003-04 after he had helped Rovers back into the Football League. Paterson moved on to Kettering Town during that season and for 2004-05 Rovers signed two wingers who went on to have very different careers. At first James Coppinger, who had arrived from Exeter City was kept out of the side by the speedy JERMAINE MCSPORRAN (200406) signed from Walsall. McSporran made an instant impact, scoring a spectacular goal in a League Cup win over Ipswich Town, but then sustained a serious knee injury which restricted his time at Rovers and ultimately cut short his playing career. For the next six seasons the Number 11 shirt passed to a defender. Wakefield-born ADAM LOCKWOOD (2006-12) had started his career with Reading before moving on to Yeovil Town. He operated mainly at centre-back but could also play at right-back. He was a regular in his first two seasons, helping Rovers to lift the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Cardiff in 200607 and gain promotion to the Championship via a Wembley playoff victory a year later. Thereafter his appearances became less frequent but he could always be relied upon to put in a decent performance and was well

respected throughout the club. In total he made 179 senior appearances, scoring eight times. Winger DAVID COTTERILL (2012-14) arrived at the Keepmoat Stadium with Rovers having just been relegated to League One. His response was to play a huge part in the club gaining promotion at the first time of asking. Cotterill scored 10 goals in 44 League games as Rovers secured the title with the last kick of the regular season in dramatic fashion at Brentford. Although a regular in the side he struggled to find the net so often in the Championship in 2013-14, scoring only four times, and following Rovers’ relegation back to League One he moved to Birmingham City. Striker CURTIS MAIN (2014-15) was signed from Middlesbrough as part of the deal that saw defender James Husband move to the Riverside. He started impressively, scoring a spectacular goal on debut in a 3-0 win at Yeovil. Main’s efforts were often spectacular but were not frequent enough in a team which found goals hard to come by. He contributed eight League goals in 2014-15 and only managed one more the following season, by which time he had taken on the No. 9 shirt. After a loan spell at Oldham Athletic he moved to Portsmouth and is now at Motherwell. ANDY WILLIAMS (2015-18) was signed from Swindon Town in an effort to improve Rovers goal output, and at first he was successful. He hit 15 in the 2015-16 season, and was in great form up to January, but a barren spell coincided with an alarming slump in form which saw Rovers relegated from League One. The following season he formed an effective partnership with the prolific John Marquis and scored 12 goals in all competitions, but he lost his place before the end of the season and was briefly transfer-listed. Last season he was hampered by injury and has now moved on to Northampton Town. A real case of what might have been. JOHN COYLE

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

CENTRAL LEAGUE DEVELOPMENT SQUAD FIXTURES 2018/2019 DATE OPPOSITION SEPTEMBER Tue 11 Grimsby Town Tue 18 Mansfield Town OCTOBER Fri 5 Everton NOVEMBER Tue 6 Sheffield United Tue 20 Notts County DECEMBER Mon 3 Blackburn Rovers Tue 18 Peterborough United JANUARY Tue 8 Notts County Tue 15 Rotherham United Mon 21 Everton Tue 29 Wigan Athletic FEBRUARY Tue 5 Grimsby Town Fri 8 Sheffield United Tue 12 Port Vale Tue 19 Mansfield Town Mon 25 Blackburn Rovers MARCH Tue 5 Morecambe Tue 19 Notts County Tue 26 Wigan Athletic APRIL Tue 2 Morecambe Tue 16 Port Vale Tue 23 Rotherham United

COMP

SCORE

GOALSCORERS

A H

CL CL

W L

3-2 Kiwomya, Beestin, Taylor 1-5 Beestin

PLC

0-3 -

H H

PLC CL

L L

1-3 Crawford 1-2

A A

PLC CL

H H H A

CLC CL PLC CL

13:00 13:00 19:00 13:00

H A A A H

CL PLC CL CL PLC

13:00 14:00 13:00 13:00 19:00

H A H

CL CL CL

13:00 14:00 13:00

A H A

CL CL CL

13:00 13:00 14:00

0-0 13:00

GD PTS

1 ROTHERHAM

2 PORT VALE

3 MANSFIELD

4 MORECAMBE

5 NOTTS COUNTY

-3

6 DONCASTER

-4

7 GRIMSBY

-2

8 WIGAN

-3

All home fixtures will be played at Cantley Park Training Ground

EFL YOUTH ALLIANCE UNDER 18 NORTH EAST FIXTURES 2018/2019 DATE OPPOSITION AUGUST Sat 4 Oldham Athletic Sat 11 Huddersfield Town Sat 18 Notts County SEPTEMBER Sat 8 Chesterfield Sat 22 Scunthorpe United Sat 29 Mansfield Town OCTOBER Sat 20 Rotherham United NOVEMBER Sat 10 Bradford City Sat 17 Lincoln City DECEMBER Sat 1 Hartlepool United Sat 15 Grimsby Town JANUARY Sat 5 Chesterfield Sat 26 Mansfield Town FEBRUARY Sat 9 Scunthorpe United Sat 23 Rotherham United MARCH Sat 2 Burton Albion Sat 16 Lincoln City Sat 23 Bradford City Sat 30 Grimsby Town APRIL Sat 6 Hartlepool United Sat 13 Oldham Athletic Sat 27 Huddersfield Town MAY Sat 4 Notts County TBA Burton Albion

COMP SCORE GOALSCORERS H A H

YA YA YA

H A H

YA YA YA

W W

0-0 4-0 Horton, Boocock (2), Barnett 4-2 Boocock (3), Mohammed

5-2 Gibbons (3), Watson, Boocock

A H

YA YA

L D

1-3 Smith 2-2 Boocock, Gibbons

A H

YA YA

2-3 Boocock, Watson

A A H A H A H A

W D W D

3-1 Walton, McGowan, Gibbons 1-1 Boocock 3-2 Watson, Boocock (2)

YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA

H A H

YA YA YA

A A

YA YA

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

P-P

GD PTS

1 GRIMSBY

2 MANSFIELD

3 HARTLEPOOL

4 BRADFORD

5 DONCASTER

6 CHESTERFIELD

7 LINCOLN

-1

8 NOTTS COUNTY

-4

9 SCUNTHORPE

11 -12 13

10 BURTON

-3

11 OLDHAM

-6

12 ROTHERHAM

12 -10

13 HUDDERSFIELD 10 -15

All home fixtures will be played at Cantley Park Training Ground

"TOM SUTTON AND HIS COACHES DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF ORGANISING A SUPERB ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL THE YOUNG PLAYERS IN ATTENDANCE"

KIERAN SCARFF I’M DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT ANOTHER OF OUR YOUTH TEAM PLAYERS, ANTHONY GREAVES, HAS BEEN OFFERED A PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT. Anthony signed for the club following his release from Sheffield Wednesday. Their decision not to extend his time with them has certainly been our gain. From day one with us Anthony’s potential has been obvious. He works exceptionally hard every day to be the best he possibly can be and his character is a shining example for all our aspiring young players. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate AJ and wish him all the very best for what I really believe could be a promising career. Last week we offered three more youth team contracts to some of our Under 16 players. Ben Bottomley, Max Jemson and Josh Clemitson have joined Liam Ravenhill, Charlie Bell, Ethan Bojang and Owen Derrett in agreeing to join the club full time from next season. I am sure you will all join me in wishing these players all

the best as they take the next steps in their football and personal development. Last Sunday we hosted an Under 10s festival for the EFL. Tom Sutton and his coaches did a fantastic job of organising a superb environment for all the young players in attendance and I would like to thank them for this. This further cements our ever growing, positive reputation at academy level. Good luck to the gaffer, staff and players ahead of today’s game.

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

SPORTING PAY BACK ROVERS' YOUNGSTERS Doncaster Rovers have secured a high profile sponsorship for the club's Academy teams.

The partnership will also offer local businesses in and around Doncaster the chance to benefit from the same rates as the football club, giving something back to its supporters.

Sporting Pay Ltd, a merchant services provider, delivering bespoke payment solutions to the sports industry, will see their logo on the front of Rovers' youth team shirts from the U9s and U16s age groups.

Jon Warburton, head of commercial at Club Doncaster, said: "We are excited to welcome Sporting Pay as one of our key Gold Partners for the season. It has been great working with them so far and we are already seeing the benefits and savings from having Sporting Pay as our supplier which local businesses can also use."

Joining as a Gold Partner, Sporting Pay will deliver merchant services for Club Doncaster. Managing director Chris Norminton said he was excited about the new partnership. He said: "We are delighted to become an official partner with Doncaster Rovers. "It's a really exciting time for both the club and Sporting Pay, and we are committed to this season and many more ahead. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to promote Sporting Pay and the services we offer regionally and nationally."

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

By understanding your business and the many benefits of what using the latest payment technology can bring, Sporting Pay help organisations across the UK achieve the best rates for card payments together with exceptional customer service. For more information on working with Sporting Pay, visit www.sportingpay.co.uk or call the Doncaster Rovers commercial team on 01302 764 665 to arrange an introduction.

Hello everyone! Welcome to our game against Scunthorpe United and thank you all for joining me today. I can now do my countdown to Christmas Day and we have ten more sleeps. Hope to see many of you next week at my Christmas party. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget if you did not renew your junior memberships earlier this year please contact the Box Office or reception who will be able to check for you. I visited Nottingham Hospital last week to see my friend Zeke who has been so brave and had his last treatment which meant he could ring the bell.

Enjoy the game! Donny Dog DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

AUTOGRAPH

ANDY BUTLER

MASCOTS

LUCAS HENDERSON

Age: 8 Hobbies: Football, gymnastics, NFL and Xbox Favourite Players: James Coppinger, John Marquis, Ian Lawlor & Marko Marosi

OWEN HINDS

Age: 9 Hobbies: Football and Fortnite Favourite Players: John Marquis & James Coppinger

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES TO: Emily Allen, Lewis Ashton, Oliver Cannon, Jake Daniels, Jakob Durkin, Finley Grosvenor, Noah Hathaway, Albert Healey, Tommy-Jay Hindson, Oscar Hopson, Mateo Josselin, Libby Kirkland, Jonty Mennell, Chloe Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Max Pearson, Christian Poulton, Leo Rafferty, Isabelle Robertson, Grahson Sowerby, Grace Stockbridge, Summer Taylor, Ellie Teager, Liberty Topham, Kyle Utley, Joseph Walker, Joshua Walker, William Walker, Ruby Watson, Zack Watson

Donny Dog

score prediction

2-1

GEORGE PARKINSON

Age: 7 Hobbies: Football and taekwondo Favourite Player: Josh Morris

Erik the Viking score prediction

Happy Birthday Jim Molyneux Love from all your family x

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

3-0

STAND SPONSORSHIP BOOST FOR ROVERS Rovers have been given a major boost off the pitch after announcing Ellgia Limited as the new North Stand sponsor at the Keepmoat Stadium. Joining as a platinum partner, the recycling innovation company are helping shape Club Doncaster’s general waste management and looking at ways in which the stadium can be more environmentally friendly. Ellgia offer a diverse range of waste management solutions backed up with the very latest in technology with the ability to provide bespoke reports and the tracking of customers waste trends. Operations director Jack Lavington stated: “We’re a waste and recycling company that have had foundations locally for the best part of 30 years. The service we provide is collecting waste from around the east of England extracting valuable recyclate and turning the residue into fuel. "The fact that Rovers are flying at the moment is fantastic and that represents the impressive nature of the whole town. The club is very professional and works well with it's partners, we want to make the most of that and support the local community at the same time."

Ellgia Recycling help manage customers waste streams to ensure the best value for money and environmental performance. This is done with free waste auditing, education processes and providing solutions based on the needs of their customers on a daily basis. Through Club Doncaster’s Official Partnership programme, Ellgia are one of 50 other organisations looking to pursue their business objectives through the club. Jon Warburton, head of commercial at Club Doncaster, said: “We are so excited to be working with Ellgia to raise their profile in the town. The branding on the North Stand looks excellent and will certainly help them to make some noise about their business. “The Official Partnership programme is just over 18 months old now and to have already reached 50 partners, which is a fantastic achievement. “We are hearing great stories of our partners working together and starting to pass business between each other, which really demonstrates the true value of becoming a partner of the club.” For those wanting more information on working with Ellgia or becoming a partner at Club Doncaster, contact the Commercial team on 01302 764665 or email commercial@clubdoncaster.co.uk. Or www.ellgia.co.uk

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

C I T E L H T A N O T L CHAR S R E V O R R E T S A C DON MBER SATURDAY 1 DECE

FA CUP 2018 | EMIRATES

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

0 2

S R E V O R L O T S I R B S R E V O R R E T S A C DON MBER 2018 SATURDAY 8 DECE

ONE | SKY BET LEAGUE

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP 01 IAN

02 NIALL

03 DANNY

04 LUKE

05 JOE

06 ANDREW

LAWLOR

MASON

ANDREW

McCULLOUGH

WRIGHT

BUTLER

SPONSORED BY:

The Wheatsheaf, Cirencester HOME:

HOME:

In Memory of Tim Holt

Supporters Club Main Branch

Retford Supporters Club

AVAILABLE

Irene Holt

AWAY:

Supporters Club North Branch

AVAILABLE

Retford Supporters Club

Sewa Singh

AVAILABLE

Retford Supporters Club

TRAINING KIT:

07 MALLIK

08 BEN

HOME:

Supporters Club Main Branch AWAY:

Peter Wall

TOMMY

ROWE

CRAWFORD

ANDERSON

SPONSORED BY:

WILKS

WHITEMAN

MARQUIS

SPONSORED BY:

ALISTER

JOHN

SPONSORED BY:

Tiberius Batchelor and Rossington Hall

HOME:

TOM

Retford Supporters Club

Ian and Joy Miller

HOME:

Sewa Singh

DRFC Supporters Club - Main Branch

Retford Supporters Club

HOME:

AVAILABLE

In Memory of Carl AKA Choco

AWAY:

AVAILABLE

Lauren & Holly Bytheway

AVAILABLE

South Kirkby Post Office

AVAILABLE

Allotts Chartered Accountants

13 MARKO

MAROSI

ALFIE

BEESTIN

HERBIE

SPONSORED BY:

KANE

PAUL

TAYLOR

MATTHEW

ISSAM

BLAIR

BEN KHEMIS

SPONSORED BY:

AVAILABLE

HOME:

Dr Erskine

Donny Gnome On Tour Paul Mayfield

AVAILABLE

In Memory of Jill McGarry from Paul and Dan

Keith McGlone

AWAY:

Keith McGlone

AVAILABLE

Ema Baxter

Archie Moss

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SPONSORING YOUR FAVOURITE PLAYER CALL OUR COMMERCIAL TEAM ON 01302 764665

19 ALFIE

20 TYLER

21 WILL

22 JERMAINE

23 DANNY

SPONSORED BY:

MAY

GARRATT

LONGBOTTOM

ANDERSON

KIWOMYA

SPONSORED BY:

AVAILABLE

HOME:

Richard Royston

AVAILABLE

ALEX

AMOS

Johnson Environmental Consultants HOME:

HOME:

AVAILABLE

Steven Bell True Potential Wealth Management

Stadium Stars Day Nursery

AWAY:

Jackie Farrell

AVAILABLE

South Kirkby Post Office

AVAILABLE

25 SHANE

26 JAMES

MAX

MITCHELL

29 SHAUN

30 JACOB

BLANEY

COPPINGER

WATTERS

LUND

CUMMINGS

FLETCHER

SPONSORED BY:

AVAILABLE

Daniel Calow

AVAILABLE

HOME:

AVAILABLE

Max Pearson and C&K Decorators

AVAILABLE

AWAY:

AVAILABLE

Goodnight Sleeptight Beds

AVAILABLE

31 MORGAN

32 CODY

33 LOUIS

34 JAMES

JAMES

PRIOR

JONES

MORRIS

McCANN

GRANT

DONNY

SPONSORED BY:

DOG

AVAILABLE HOME:

HOME:

AVAILABLE

AWAY:

AVAILABLE

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

DONCASTER ROVERS

OFFICIAL PARTNERS PLATINUM+

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

AE SPINK HILTON GARDEN INN BRONZE Atherton Godfrey Solicitors Bidfood Big On Bounce Copyprint Dickies Workwear Effective Heating Fleet Cars Direct Frenchgate Shopping Centre Howarth Timber and Building Supplies Ignition Training Centre infiniti Media Group

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

iPort Academy Jenkinson Electrical Engineering John Hill Associates Keyhole Creative Lakeside Village Nuffield Health PD Fabrication Ltd Pristine Commercial Cleaning Services Signum Facilities Management Venatu Visit Doncaster YESSS Electrical

DONCASTER ROVERS

COMMERCIAL HELLO AND A VERY WARM WELCOME BACK TO THE KEEPMOAT STADIUM, AS WE HOST SCUNTHORPE UNITED.

It feels fantastic to be back on home soil today, after three away clashes on the bounce. League trips to Barnsley and Bristol Rovers sandwiched a cup win against Charlton Athletic, which sees us through to the Emirates FA Cup third round proper. Attention on today’s clash and we’re back in Sky Bet League One action against Scunthorpe, who have won just one of their past six fixtures. We are delighted to welcome today’s match sponsor, and our brand new North Stand sponsor, Ellgia Recycling. Ellgia offer a diverse range of waste management solutions backed up with the very latest technology and can provide bespoke reports and can track important trends. We also wish a warm welcome to Pinders, who are today’s matchball sponsors. One of the north's leading suppliers

of Digital Print, Signage & Design, along with more than 75 years expertise, Pinders strive in supplying our customers not only the best quality print but also the best customer service. Finally, we are delighted to host PD Fabrication, who are today’s associate match sponsor. The Lincolnshirebased company pride themselves on producing almost any custom vehicle conversion part by working

MATCH SPONSOR

MATCHBALL SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE MATCH SPONSOR

PD FABRICATION LTD

closely with customers and help get the best cost effective and functional accessories required. We hope all of our sponsors today have a fantastic time with us here in the Jibba Jabba restaurant, which I’m sure you agree looks stunning with Christmas decorations in full show. Let’s hope Grant McCann’s side can deliver an early Christmas present with a win here today. Club Doncaster have a range of fantastic festive opportunities to help you celebrate this Christmas. For more information on celebration packages, or more information on how to get involved with Club Doncaster on a commercial level, contact the team 01302 764665 / commercial@ clubdoncaster.co.uk.

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

SAFETY Three points is not the only priority today. Making sure everyone goes home safe is the most important result. Over recent months we have been working closely with the police and the EFL to review security at the Keepmoat Stadium. Now we are asking you to do your bit. It is vital that everyone - players, staff and supporters - remains vigilant and reports any concerns to stewards or police. Attacks might be rare, and the chance of you being caught up in one unlikely, but the message is ACT #ActionCountersTerrorism. Rovers safety officer Sam Ramsden said:

AD-105x148-Football Foundation.indd 1

"We want everyone to enjoy today’s game at the Keepmoat Stadium but if you see anything that causes you concern, tell a steward or staff member. Please do not worry that you might be wasting our time. "The stewards are here to help keep us all safe so please be patient and cooperate with their instructions. When it comes to security it has to be a team effort and we are all players." Here's a quick reminder of what you can do to help keep yourself and others safe: • Arrive early, allowing more time for security checks • Minimise what you carry, fewer bag searches will speed up entry to the ground

• Be vigilant at all times and if you see anything suspicious, tell a steward right away • If you see anything that could pose an immediate threat to safety, call 999 • In an emergency, listen to the public address instructions and follow them • If told to evacuate, do so immediately, do not wait around to film events on your mobile • Move right away from the stadium as quickly as possible for your safety and to allow clear access for any emergency vehicles • Once you are safe, follow the local police force on Twitter for updates To find out more, visit gov.uk/ACT or @TerrorismPolice

29/07/2018 10:40

SUPPORTER LIAISON OFFICER DEAN MEDCALF GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND A WARM WELCOME TO THE KEEPMOAT STADIUM TO THE VISITING FANS FROM SCUNTHORPE. This season we have seen the ugly face of pyrotechnic rise its head again at several of our away games. Pyrotechnic devices such as flares, smoke bombs and fireworks are dangerous and it is a criminal offence to use these in football stadiums. Earlier this year all 72 English Football League clubs signed up to a new chairman’s charter with the EFL to tackle the use of these devices and to punish the people who use these devices. In conjunction with police forces around England, EFL clubs will take strong and decisive action against any supporter attempting to bring one of these banned items into a stadium. If a person is found to have used a pyrotechnic device consideration would be given to a prosecution and this will be followed by a three-year banning order from every stadium in the country being issued. I have spoken to many people regarding pyrotechnics over the years and surprisingly some people do not see any issues with these devices being used in stadiums. Someone has said to me before that no one ever gets hurt by them and I found this astonishing as many people have been burned, injured and scared because of the use of these devices, including a 15-year-old this season during a Championship game.

A story that relates to me was following a Rovers fixture several years ago where a smoke bomb was set off: following the game I was contacted by fan that was hospitalised for two weeks after inhaling this smoke, the supporter suffered from asthma and the smoke that was inhaled had a terrible effect on the person’s health and was close to being life-threatening. So just because the effects are not visible does not mean that they are not dangerous and they can even be lifethreatening. I would therefore ask please do not bring pyrotechnic devices to games as you never know how it could affect our fellow

supporters and everyone has the right to attend a football fixture and enjoy the match in a safe environment. For more information on the pyrotechnic charter please head over to the EFL website. As always I hope you all enjoy today’s game, if you have any questions then please contact me on the usual SLO social media accounts, @SLO_DRFC on twitter, DRFC SLO on Facebook or you can email me at dean.medcalf@ clubdoncaster.co.uk. Rovers Till I Die Dean Medcalf Supporter Liaison Officer

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

Follow @carabaouk for exclusive football content and competitions

SUPPORTERS CLUB PAUL MAYFIELD

A BIG WELCOME TO THE FANS, PLAYERS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE IRON WHO HAVE MADE THE SHORT TRIP OVER FROM SCUNTHORPE TODAY. I HOPE THEY ENJOY THE KEEPMOAT STADIUM EXPERIENCE, AND HAVE A SAFE TRIP HOME. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FIERCE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE TWO CLUBS AND WE HAVE SEEN SOME VERY ENTERTAINING GAMES, LET’S HOPE FOR ONE TODAY.

We had a fantastic win in the FA Cup away at Charlton, it was a great team performance and a credit to the 280 or so Rovers fans who made the trip. We will be running coaches to the third round trip to Preston North End, with times to be confirmed. Our next away game is at on Boxing Fay at Fleetwood, coaches leave Retford 9.30am, Harworth 9.35am, Rossington/Bawtry 9.45am, Punches 9.50am, Infirmary 10am, Keepmoat Stadium 10.15am - fares are £19 adult member and £17 under 16s, please add £2 for non-members. This is followed by an away game at Gillingham on Saturday December 29 leaving Kettlewells 8.15am, Harworth 8.20am, Bawtry/Rossington 8.30am, Punches 8.35am, Infirmary 8.45am, Keepmoat Stadium 9am - fares £25 adult £23 concessions, add £2 for non-members, Please book early for the games over the festive period to Fleetwood and Gillingham, at the Gills the Supporters Club have tried to get the buses to park nearer the ground but to no avail, so just beware there is about a mile walk. If you want to book on the coaches call Paul on 07961727769 or Len on 01302 817347 after 6pm, the cut off point is Wednesday. You can join on the coaches and get your discount straight away. Please see bus times and prices in this programme. Our North Branch also run coaches to most away games, departing from the Askern, Adwick, Campsall and A19 corridor (Sun Inn), please support this coach, contact on 07780316923, the Branch is also doing a weekend coach to the Sunderland game. A reminder that the Retford branch, run a coach to all home games. This leaves Retford 1pm (6pm), Haworth pit gates 1.20pm (6.20pm), Rossington Styrupp and Labour Club 1.30pm (6.30pm). There is no need to book onto this coach - you can just turn up. Fares are very competitive, and cheaper than the service buses. Don’t forget the Supporters Club shop situated in the Club Doncaster Academy has a vast collection of programmes for sale, and you can book your away travel as well. Thank you for your continued support. Rovers Till We Die Paul Mayfield

VIKING SUPPORTERS CO-OPERATIVE Football is the national game, and football supporters are the lifeblood of the game. While many privately owned football clubs are well run, ours included, there are numerous examples over the years where this model of ownership has failed the supporters of that club, and has led to a number of clubs becoming either partly or fully owned by those supporters. The Minister Of Sport set up the Expert Working Group with the intention of looking at ways to improve engagement and dialogue between clubs and fans, and therefore to improve transparency and trust. The detailed recommendations from the EWG led to the government instructing the EFL and the Premier League to enter into structured dialogue with those supporters, and especially with the supporters trust at that club. As you may be aware the club hold two Meet The Owners events each year which meet the criteria set down by the EFL. On top of that the club have a Supporters Board which meets on a regular basis during the season to discuss a very broad range of topics. Suffice to say that DRFC have not only met the requirements but have exceeded them in both frequency and content, and that is something we can once again be proud of. Martin O'Hara

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

*Times and prices are all subject to change

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

15:30

11:15

08:00

11:00

08:30

10:45

09:30

08:15

09:00

10:45

06:30

07:30

11:15

12:15

09:45

08:30

10:15

10:30

09:30

13:00

18:00

12/03/19 Blackpool

06/04/19 Bradford City

08/12/18 Bristol Rovers

18/04/18 Burton Albion

03/11/18 Charlton Athletic

27/10/18 Coventry City

26/12/18 Fleetwood Town

29/12/18 Gillingham

23/03/19 Luton Town

27/04/19 Oxford United

01/09/18 Peterborough United

29/09/18 Plymouth Argyle

02/02/19 Portsmouth

13/10/18 Rochdale

23/02/19 Scunthorpe United

26/01/19 Shrewsbury Town

04/08/18 Southend United

19/04/19 Sunderland

15/09/18 Walsall

12/01/19 Wycombe Wanderers

Home Bus Saturday

Home Bus Night

17:30

12:00

14/08/18 Scunthorpe United (CC1)

08:30

24/11/18 Barnsley

RETFORD

09/03/19 AFC Wimbledon

DESTINATION

15:30

DATE

02/10/18 Accrington Stanley

17:35

18:20

13:20

09:35

10:35

10:20

08:35

09:50

12:20

11:20

07:35

06:35

10:50

09:05

08:20

09:35

10:50

08:35

11:05

08:05

11:20

15:35

12:05

08:35

15:35

HAWTH

17:45

09:45

10:45

10:30

08:45

10:00

12:30

11:30

07:45

06:45

11:00

09:15

08:30

09:45

11:00

08:45

11:15

08:15

11:30

15:45

12:15

08:45

15:45

BAWTRY

17:45

18:30

13:30

09:45

10:45

10:30

08:45

10:00

12:30

11:30

07:45

06:45

11:00

09:15

08:30

09:45

11:00

08:45

11:15

08:15

11:30

15:45

12:15

08:45

15:45

ROSS

17:50

18:30

13:35

09:50

10:50

10:35

08:50

10:10

12:35

11:35

07:50

06:50

11:10

09:20

08:35

09:50

11:10

08:50

11:20

08:20

11:35

15:50

12:20

08:50

15:50

H/T

PICK UP POINT DRI

18:00

10:00

11:00

10:45

09:00

10:15

12:45

11:45

08:00

07:00

11:15

09:30

08:45

10:00

11:15

09:00

11:30

08:30

11:45

16:00

12:30

09:00

16:00

18:05

10:05

11:05

10:50

09:05

10:20

12:50

11:50

08:05

07:05

11:20

09:35

08:50

10:05

11:20

09:05

11:40

08:40

11:50

16:05

12:40

09:05

16:05

WATERDALE

18:15

18:45

13:45

10:15

11:15

11:00

09:15

10:30

13:00

12:00

08:15

07:15

11:30

09:45

09:00

10:15

11:30

09:15

11:50

08:50

12:00

16:15

12:50

09:15

16:15

KEEP

CONC

£21.00

£15.00

£18.00

£21.00

£15.00

£10.00

£14.00

£25.00

£28.00

£16.00

£21.00

£23.00

£17.00

£16.00

£23.00

£14.00

£23.00

£12.00

£15.00

£11.00

£23.00

£15.00

£25.00

£19.00

£22.00

£25.00

£19.00

£13.00

£17.00

£29.00

£32.00

£20.00

£25.00

£27.00

£20.00

£27.00

£18.00

£27.00

£16.00

£19.00

£13.00

£27.00

£19.00

ADULT

£23.00

£17.00

£20.00

£23.00

£17.00

£12.00

£16.00

£27.00

£30.00

£18.00

£23.00

£25.00

£18.00

£25.00

£16.00

£25.00

£14.00

£17.00

£12.00

£25.00

£17.00

CONC

NON-MEMBERS

£11.00

£10.00

£13.00

£12.00

Contact P. Mayfield for details of fares

£23.00

£17.00

£20.00

£23.00

£17.00

£11.00

£15.00

£27.00

£30.00

£18.00

£23.00

£25.00

£19.00

£18.00

£25.00

£16.00

£25.00

£14.00

£17.00

£12.00

£25.00

£17.00

ADULT

MEMBERS

SUPPORTERS CLUB TRAVEL DETAILS

ROAD

FLEETWOOD TOWN

WEDNESDAY 26TH DECEMBER | 3.00PM | SKY BET LEAGUE ONE Rovers travel to the coast to face Fleetwood Town in Sky Bet League One on Wednesday December 26. Ground: Highbury Stadium Capacity: 5,327 (2,672 seated) Phone: 01253 775080 Postcode: FY7 6SP TRAVELLING BY CAR: Take the exit at Junction 3 on the M55, joining the A585 Nelson Road, and take the third exit at the roundabout. Turn left onto Garstang New Road, then take the second exit at the next roundabout. At the next two roundabouts, take the third exits, before taking the second exit at the third roundabout. Take the first exit at the next roundabout onto Denham Way, turn right onto Copse Road, then a left onto Radcliffe Road and a right onto Peel Road. Turn right onto Nelson Road and the ground is on the left. TRAVELLING BY TRAIN: There is no train station in Fleetwood itself, the closest instead is Blackpool North which is around seven miles away. It is best to catch either a bus from the station towards the ground, or to get a taxi to Highbury Stadium.

GILLINGHAM

SATURDAY 29TH DECEMBER | 3.00PM | SKY BET LEAGUE ONE Rovers travel to Kent to face Gillingham at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium in Sky Bet League One on Saturday December 29. Ground: MEMS Priestfield Stadium Capacity: 11,582 (all seated) Phone: 01634 300000 Postcode: ME7 4DD TRAVELLING BY CAR: Take the A1, A14, M11 and M25 onto the A2, before taking the exit for the A289 from the A2. Continue onto A289 Hasted Road, and then take the second exit at Four Elms Roundabout, before taking the first exit at the next roundabout onto A289 Berwick Way. At the next roundabout, take the first exit, before taking the third exit at the last roundabout onto Church Street. Continue first onto Ingram Road, which leads onto Gillingham Road, before turning left onto Linden Road. Turn right onto Redfern Avenue and the ground is on the right. TRAVELLING BY TRAIN: The closest train station to the MEMS Priestfield Stadium is Gillingham (Kent) station, which is located just over a half a mile from the ground.

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

FOUNDATION UP

Many Fit Rovers participants had their facial hair shaved off in aid of Movember 2018, raising more than £1,000 in the process. The Movember movement, which aims to prevent men dying too young, was one of the many campaigns the Fit Rovers team felt passionately about, adding to the desire to do their part. After teaming up with local barbershop Blades Barbers by Bev Roberts, the Fit Rovers members decided to get their facial hair removed before their weekly at the end of last month. From shaved moustaches to fully shaved heads, the members embraced the occasion, much to the delight of the Foundation’s health and wellbeing officer Nick Gillott.

ISSUE 14 v SCUNTHORPE UNITED

He said: “This was the second year of taking part in Movember and yet again the guys taking part have gone above and beyond with their tashes and the money they have raised. “It was agreed this year that the money would be split 50/50 with Movember and the Fit Rovers project, this would allow the people who took part and the people who donated to physically see where the money is being spent and how it benefits the men of Doncaster.” Movember has seen more than five million join the global initiative, having raised more than £450 million and funding 1,200 men’s health projects since it began in 2003. For more information on Fit Rovers and the work they do, please visit clubdoncasterfoundation.co.uk/ health-and-wellbeing/fitrovers

"THE FIT ROVERS MEMBERS DECIDED TO GET THEIR FACIAL HAIR REMOVED BEFORE THEIR WEEKLY AT THE END OF LAST MONTH"

DATE Kids from Doncaster and Barnsley came together to take part in a Premier League Kicks mini-tournament before Rovers’ Sky Bet League One game at Barnsley. Club Doncaster Foundation took children from its Premier League Kicks programme down to Oakwell. Consisting of four teams, two from each club, the tournament saw each team face the other sides once, celebrating with a team photo at the end, before heading over to watch the match afterwards.

The games were played in true sporting fashion, as all teams showed good footballing skills throughout. One Doncaster and one Barnsley team went unbeaten throughout the tournament, winning two games and drawing against each other. Foundation community coach Sean Fearn said: “It was a great opportunity for the kids from our kicks sessions around Doncaster. “They have never played together

before and for some of them it’s the first ever time they’ve met so to see them all interacting together and playing well as a team is fantastic. “It’s great to have this relationship with Barnsley FC so kids get this opportunity to put on the strip of two professional football clubs and play against each other at amazing facilities.” Find out how you can get involved in Premier League Kicks at clubdoncasterfoundation.co.uk/ school-participation/kicks

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

SKY BET LEAGUE ONE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

PORTSMOUTH LUTON TOWN SUNDERLAND PETERBOROUGH UNITED CHARLTON ATHLETIC BARNSLEY DONCASTER ROVERS BLACKPOOL WYCOMBE WANDERERS WALSALL COVENTRY CITY ACCRINGTON STANLEY FLEETWOOD TOWN BURTON ALBION SOUTHEND UNITED GILLINGHAM SHREWSBURY TOWN ROCHDALE OXFORD UNITED SCUNTHORPE UNITED BRISTOL ROVERS PLYMOUTH ARGYLE AFC WIMBLEDON BRADFORD CITY

P 21 21 19 21 21 20 21 20 21 21 21 20 21 20 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21

W 14 12 11 11 11 10 10 9 8 8 8 7 7 8 8 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 4

D 5 5 7 6 4 5 5 7 7 6 5 7 6 3 2 3 6 6 7 6 5 5 3 3

TOP GOALSCORERS

L 2 4 1 4 6 5 6 4 6 7 8 6 8 9 11 11 9 9 9 10 12 12 14 14

F 35 41 39 38 34 34 34 25 30 23 22 22 28 26 25 31 24 28 27 29 17 24 15 18

A 17 21 18 26 25 20 26 19 28 29 25 24 23 28 28 34 27 39 33 44 25 40 31 39

GD 18 20 21 12 9 14 8 6 2 -6 -3 -2 5 -2 -3 -3 -3 -11 -6 -15 -8 -16 -16 -21

PTS 47 41 40 39 37 35 35 34 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 24 24 24 22 21 17 17 15 15

D W W W W W L L L L W L W L L W L W W L L W L L

W D W L W W L W W L D D L W L L W D D D W L L L

FORM W W W W W D D D W W W D W D W W D W D D L D D L D L W L L L L L W L L W W L W L L L L W L W D W

W W D W L L W L W L L L W L W W W L W L L L L L

L W W D W L W W W W L L L W L W L D D L L D D D

FIXTURES & RESULTS TUESDAY 27TH NOVEMBER Accrington Stanley 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers Bristol Rovers 1-2 Gillingham Burton Albion 1-2 Charlton Athletic Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Blackpool Fleetwood Town 3-0 Coventry City Luton Town 4-0 Bradford City Oxford United 4-2 Rochdale Peterborough United 1-0 AFC Wimbledon Portsmouth 2-0 Walsall Shrewsbury Town 2-0 Plymouth Argyle Southend United 2-0 Scunthorpe United Sunderland 4-2 Barnsley

PLAYER

TEAM

GLS

Tom Eaves

Gillingham

Ian Henderson

Rochdale

John Marquis

Doncaster Rovers

Karlan Grant

Charlton Athletic

Josh Maja

Sunderland

Kieffer Moore

Barnsley

Mallik Wilks

Doncaster Rovers

Matty Blair

Doncaster Rovers

SATURDAY 8TH DECEMBER AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Rochdale Blackpool 2-1 Charlton Athletic Bristol Rovers 0-4 Doncaster Rovers Burton Albion 2-1 Shrewsbury Town Luton Town 2-0 Fleetwood Town Peterborough United 2-2 Oxford United Plymouth Argyle 3-3 Bradford City Portsmouth 2-0 Southend United Scunthorpe United 0-2 Gillingham Walsall 2-1 Coventry City Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Barnsley TUESDAY 11TH DECEMBER Portsmouth 1-2 Charlton Athletic

DONCASTERROVERSFC.CO.UK

FIXTURES & RESULTS DATE

OPPOSITION

COMP

SCORE

ATT

AWAY POS

STARTING XI

AUGUST Sat 4

Southend United

EFL1

3-2

7,147

591

Marosi

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Crawford

Sat 11

Wycombe Wanderers

EFL1

3-0

7,122

414

Marosi

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Kane

Tue 14

Scunthorpe United

CC1

2-1

3,272

1,206

Marosi

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Kane

Sat 18

Burton Albion

EFL1

0-1

3,129

1,031

Marosi

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Tue 21

Shrewsbury Town

EFL1

0-0

6,943

331

Marosi

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Sat 25

Portsmouth

EFL1

0-0

7,618

1,121

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Tue 28

Blackpool

CC2

1-2

3,188

192

Lawlor

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Andrew

T Anderson

Butler

Blair

T Anderson

Butler

Marosi

Mason

T Anderson

Kane Kane Kane Blair

SEPTEMBER Sat 1

Peterborough United

EFL1

1-1

7,060

641

Marosi

Mason

Tue 4

Newcastle United U21

CTG1

1-3

1,544

115

Marosi

Lund

Sat 8

Luton Town

EFL1

2-1

7,526

1,013

Sat 15

Walsall

EFL1

4-1

4,546

496

Marosi

Mason

Sat 22

Bradford City

EFL1

2-1

8,481

1,298

Marosi

Mason

Sat 29

Plymouth Argyle

EFL1

3-2

8,532

257

Marosi

Mason

Andrew Andrew

Marosi

Mason

Andrew Andrew Andrew

Wright Wright Wright Wright

Butler Butler

Kane Kane Kane Kane

Butler

Kane

Butler

Kane

OCTOBER Tue 2

Accrington Stanley

EFL1

0-1

2,327

546

Marosi

Mason

Sat 6

Fleetwood Town

EFL1

0-4

6,846

205

Marosi

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Tue 9

Grimsby Town

CTG2

2-0

1,420

143

Lawlor

Lund

Horton

T Anderson

Blaney

Kane

Sat 13

Rochdale

EFL1

3-2

3,600

754

Marosi

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Butler

Crawford

Sat 20

Gillingham

EFL1

3-3

6,891

237

Marosi

Butler

Kane

Tue 23

Sunderland

EFL1

0-1

11,881

3,973

Marosi

Mason

Andrew

Wright

Sat 27

Coventry City

EFL1

1-2

11,006

tbc

Marosi

Blair

Andrew

Wright

Mason

Andrew

T Anderson

Andrew

T Anderson

Mason

Andrew

Wright

T Anderson

Butler

Butler T Anderson

Kane Kane

NOVEMBER Sat 3

Charlton Athletic

EFL1

0-2

9,873

617

Marosi

Sun 11

Chorley

FAC1

2-2

3,239

496

Lawlor

Mason

Butler Butler

Wed 14 Notts County

CTG3

2-4

915

193

Lawlor

Cummings

Amos

T Anderson

Blaney

Sat 17

AFC Wimbledon

EFL1

2-1

7,843

362

Lawlor

Mason

Andrew

T Anderson

Tue 20

Chorley

H FAC1R

7-0

3,048

599

Lawlor

Mason

Andrew

Sat 24

Barnsley

EFL1

1-1

13,573

tbc

Lawlor

Blair

Andrew

Tue 27

Blackpool

EFL1

2-0

6,473

289

Lawlor

Mason

Andrew

Kane Kane2 Crawford

Butler

Kane

T Anderson

Butler

Kane

Mason

Butler

T Anderson

Kane

Butler

Kane

DECEMBER Sat 1

Charlton Athletic

FAC2

2-0

3,249

250

Lawlor

Mason

Andrew

T Anderson

Butler

Kane

Sat 8

Bristol Rovers

EFL1

4-0

7,356

364

Lawlor

Cummings

Andrew

T Anderson

Butler

Kane

Sat 15

Scunthorpe United

EFL1

12:15

Sat 22

Oxford United

EFL1

15:00

Wed 26 Fleetwood Town

EFL1

15:00

Sat 29

EFL1