The Doncaster Connection

DONCASTER ROVERS F.C.

Founded: 1879

League History: Midland League 1891/92-1900/01; Football League 1901/02-1902/03; Midland League 1903/04; Football League 1904/05; Midland League 1905/06-1922/23; Football League 1923/24-1997/98; Football Conference 1998/99-2002/03; Football League/EFL 2003/04-date.

Honours:

Highest League Finish: 7th Football League Division Two [II] 1901/02.

FA Cup best performance: Fifth Round 1951/52, 1953/54, 1954/55, 1955/56 2018/19

League Cup best performance: Quarter-Finals 1975/76, 2005/06

Division Three (North) [III]: Champions 1934/35, 1946/47, 1949/50 [Peter Doherty, Len Graham, Joe Dubois]; Runners-Up 1937/38, 1938/39

League One [III]: Champions 2012/13 [Sammy Clingan]; Play-Off Winners 2007/08.

Division Four/Third Division/League Two [IV]: Champions 1965/66, 1968/69 [Tommy Aiken], 2003/04, Runners-Up 1983/84; Third Place 1980/81 [Hugh Dowd], 2016/17 [Luke McCullough]

Football Conference:  [V]: Play-Off Winners 2002/03

Football League Trophy Winners 2006/07

Bob Lord Challenge Cup Winners 1998/99, 1999/00

Sheffield & Hallamshire Cup Winners: 7 times

Northern Ireland Players at Doncaster Rovers:

Players	DRFC Career	DRFC		NI Caps
		Aps	Gls	@DRFC	Total
AIKEN Tommy	67/68-68/69	13	1	0	Am
AMOS Danny	17/18-20/21	14	0	U21	U21
ANDERSON Bert	50/51-51/52	3	0	NI-born
BLAYNEY Alan	05/06-06/07	24	0	1	5
CLINGAN Sammy	12/13	6	0	0	39
DOHERTY Peter	49/50-52/53	103	57	1	16
DOWD Hugh	79/80-82/83	94	3	0	3
DUBOIS Joe	49/50-51/52	31	5	0	Am
ELLIOTT Stuart	07/08(L)-08/09	19	0	1	39
FINLAY Darren	94/95	8	1	B	B
GALBRAITH Ethan	21/22 (L)	33	1	0	2*
GRAHAM Len	49/50-58/59	312	3	14	14
GREGG Harry	52/53-57/58	94	0	8	25
HEALY David	10/11 (L)	8	2	0	95
HORLOCK Kevin	05/06-06/07	15	1	0	32
INGHAM Michael	04/05 (L)	1	0	0	3
JONES Walter	50/51-52/53	69	2	NI-born
LARMOUR Davy	96/97	20	0	0	Yth
LAVERY Caolan	22/23	12	1	0	U21
McCARTHY Jon	02/03 (NL)	1	0	0	18
McCONNELL Pat	25/26-29/30	137	20	1	2
McCULLOUGH Luke	13/14-18/19	99	0	6	6
McMORRAN Eddie	52/53-57/58	128	32	5	15
SHIELS Dean	08/09-10/11	83	10	1	14
WALKER Jimmy	54/55-56/57	47	19	1	1
WILLIAMS Paul	95/96 (L)	3	1	0	1

_ player capped while with club; (L) on loan; (NL) Non-League games.

Peter Doherty was player-manager at Doncaster as well as a player then manager of Northern Ireland.
Lawrie McMenemy, Northern Ireland manager from 1998-99, also managed Doncaster from 1968-1971.
Grant McCann was manager 2018-19 and again from 2023.

John McClelland had a period as coach at Doncaster in 1995 while Gerry Taggart was chief scout 2013-15.

Among the Northern Irish players to have had trials at Doncaster are Tommy Lowry (1953), Fay Coyle (1953), Robin Trainor (1957/58) and Wes Boyle (2002).

Elliott Morris had a loan spell at Doncaster in October 2000, but didn't play a game.

Ground History:

Intake Ground (1885-1919), Bennetthorpe Ground (1919-1922), Belle Vue (1922-2006) [aka Earth Stadium]; Lakeside Community Stadium (2007-date) [aka Keepmoat Stadium, Eco-Power Stadium]

The site of Belle Vue is now housing, with the footballing links celebrated in the street names	The Belle Vue Bar at the current stadium is another nod to the past
The Eco-Power Stadium is shared with Doncaster Rovers Belles F.C. and Doncaster Rugby League	-
Doncaster Rover's current ground is located within the Lakeside Sports Complex which includes playing fields, an athletics track, a business park, hotels and an adjacent shopping complex

Other Doncaster Links:

Tom Evans and Adam Chapman were born in Doncaster, while Peter Boyle died there.