ON THIS DAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
WORDS: John Coyle
Three players who have represented Rovers in senior matches were born on this day. Perhaps fitting on a day where the club is celebrating the Academy, PAUL GORMAN (b. September 18 1968 in Macclesfield) came through the youth ranks at Rovers. The striker scored 27 goals in reserve and junior teams in 1987-88 and was given his senior debut as substitute for Billy Stubbs in a 0-2 defeat at Mansfield Town on September 29 1987. He went on to make one start and nine substitute appearances, scoring in a 2-4 defeat at Blackpool towards the end of a campaign that saw Rovers finish bottom of Division Three. In 1988-89 Gorman was again mostly used as a substitute and on November 5 1988 he came off the bench to score in a 3-1 win at Feethams against Darlington. As Rovers finished the season second bottom of the Football League with Darlington bottom, it was a significant result. Paul Gorman’s last game for Rovers was in December 1988 and he joined non-League Fisher Athletic at the end of the season. His record with Rovers was three starts, 21 substitute appearances and two goals. In 1991 he returned to League football with Second Tier side Charlton Athletic. He stayed there for four seasons and scored 8 goals in 40 League games, the majority as a substitute. Subsequently he remained in the south-east and played for Welling United and Dover Athletic. Striker PAUL WHITMARSH (b. September 18, 1973) joined Rovers in 1993 having been with West Ham United as a youngster. He made eight appearances, four as sub, scoring his only goal in November 1993 in a defeat at Hereford United. Those eight games were the extent of his professional career, but he had a lengthy spell in non-League football where his clubs included Gateshead, Stevenage Borough and Hendon (where he scored 70 goals in 120 games.) Welsh-born striker PETER SMITH (b. September 18 1978) had five seasons with Crewe Alexandra without establishing himself in the first team. He had a loan spell at Rovers, then in the Conference, in February 2001 but made only one appearance, in a 1-1 draw with Dover Athletic. Subsequently he moved on to Telford United. Rovers’ biggest win on this day came in 1937 when they beat Rochdale 5-0 at Belle Vue in a Division Three (North) game. It was 0-0 at half-time but after 48 minutes Welsh international forward Eddie Perry gave Rovers the lead. On the hour Bob Allen made it 2-0 and a minute later Perry scored his second. His hat-trick was completed on 69 minutes when he shoulder-charged the Rochdale goalkeeper over the line (permissible in those days.) Mick Killourhy completed a result that had seemed unlikely at the break.
Paul Gorman
Paul Whitmarsh
ROVERS’ BIGGEST WIN ON THIS DAY CAME IN 1937 WHEN THEY BEAT ROCHDALE 5-0 AT BELLE VUE IN A DIVISION THREE (NORTH) GAME
doncasterroversfc.co.uk
25
