Doncaster Re-born

[Guest]

After a hard day at the races after spending much needed cash on the dogs at belle vue, i was just walking back to the bookmakers to put on yet more needed cash in hopes of getting a lucky break. where i was approached by some man in about his 50's early 60's, asking me whether i would like to become a manager of a famous football club. i just laughed in his face as if he was joking. to my amazement his face was still, not a flinch. i was silent for a moment and asked him what club was he talking about. he took me to a quiet place and spelt it out for me. 'Doncaster Rovers' he said. i was gobsmacked that i have been chosen to succeed Dave Penney as Doncaster boss. Maybe this was my big break and to prove everyone i wasnt just some dole wallor.

So the day came when John Ryan gave me the guided tour of Belle Vue, my home for the future.

At 8A.M he took me into his office to put the finishing touches on my new contract. i had just signed my life to Doncaster Rovers Football Club and was installed to bring the team some silverware in the future...I knew this would be one of my lifes hardest challeges but i was up for it.

it was now 9AM where John Ryan took me to the press conference where i was unveiled as the successor to Dave Penney. Questions were being fired at me left, right and centre but i kept my cool and tried not to give any of my secrets away.

9:30AM and the press conference was over. it was time to meet the squad................

[Guest]

After a hard day at the races after spending much needed cash on the dogs at belle vue, i was just walking back to the bookmakers to put on yet more needed cash in hopes of getting a lucky break. where i was approached by some man in about his 50's early 60's, asking me whether i would like to become a manager of a famous football club. i just laughed in his face as if he was joking. to my amazement his face was still, not a flinch. i was silent for a moment and asked him what club was he talking about. he took me to a quiet place and spelt it out for me. 'Doncaster Rovers' he said. i was gobsmacked that i have been chosen to succeed Dave Penney as Doncaster boss. Maybe this was my big break and to prove everyone i wasnt just some dole wallor.

So the day came when John Ryan gave me the guided tour of Belle Vue, my home for the future.

At 8A.M he took me into his office to put the finishing touches on my new contract. i had just signed my life to Doncaster Rovers Football Club and was installed to bring the team some silverware in the future...I knew this would be one of my lifes hardest challeges but i was up for it.

it was now 9AM where John Ryan took me to the press conference where i was unveiled as the successor to Dave Penney. Questions were being fired at me left, right and centre but i kept my cool and tried not to give any of my secrets away.

9:30AM and the press conference was over. it was time to meet the squad................

[Guest]

so my first day in my new job and meeting my team. i liked the sound of that, 'My Team'

dave penney had left me a little thin on the ground and only left me with only 26 players. With no youth coming through the ranks i knew this was going to be a hard task but i had to be strong.

The Squad....

GK - Andy Warrington- 27 year old looked quite good and will be my #1 GK also a fans favourite,

my back-up GK Barry Richardson was 33 getting a little bit old but he also had his coaches badge so that could come in use for the future,

a large selection of defenders with most being able to play in midfield.

RB - Simon Marples a 27 year old D/DMR looks good and will be my #1 RB for the season.

LB - Martin Drury a 19 yr old D/DML looks like i have the future of doncaster with this one, good left back.

CB - Steve Foster 28 yr old Sweeper looks to be the captain of the team as his leadership shnes throughout the squad, will be looking for him to help more with the youngsters.

CB - Tim Ryan 28 year old CB looks quite good and will partner Foster, both have similiar stats and look like they will be a good team.

MR - Paul Green 20 yr old Att Mid can play on the right or in the centre, a future class winger and also the future of doncaster, fans favourite.

ML - John McGrath 21 Att Mid plays on the left, good stats and hope they can improve to become better.

CM - Micheal McIndoe 23 yr old midfielder, can play left or centre. looks to be a penalty specialist.

CM - Ricky Ravenhill 22 yr old midfielder, lacks the pace i need but makes it up with good teamwork and workrate;

SC - Steve Burton 19 year old good pace, good header of ball, will feature heavily in my future plans.

SC - Gregg Blundell 27 year old looks to be a hit for doncaster and i hope he can help Burton come to terms with first team football.

Subs/Reserves..

Dave morley 25 yr old defende can play centre or on the right and could do a good job if my defence gets broken up.

Jamie Price - 21 yr old D/DMR looks to be a little fragile but the more training he does im sure he can become a good player for the club.

Chris beech - 27 yr oldleft back, could rival drury for the left back place just needs to keep training hard.

Mark Albrighton 27 D/DMC lacks pace which has kept him out of the first XI but looks deadly in front of goal.

Chris Dickman 18 year old MRC will need looking after as is the baby of the squad but looks a good player for his age.

Rob O'Brien 22 yr old MRC has great pace and dribbling abilty and hope he can improve on more important aspects of his game.

John Doolan - 29 yr old MC, one of the older players i will be looking for him to guide the younger players.

Francis Tierney 27 yr old Att Mid/Forward can play on left and right, looks versatile and has good crossing and dribbling will be challenging my forwards and wingers alot.

Brian Craig - another 18 yr old but looks more fragile than d!ckman but am hoping my older players will help guide him;

James Paterson 30 yr old Att Mid L/C getting on abit but could feature in my plans along the way.

Paul Barnes - the dad of the squad at 35(nearly as old as me)striker, also has a coaching badge so will be looking for him to help out with youngsters more.

Leo Fortune-West 32 year old striker if he trains hard he could find himself in the starting XI

Robert Gill - 21 yr old striker looks very good but too bad he is on loan at Chester till the end of season.

Tristram Whitman - 23 yr old Striker needs to work more on his finishing as he has good stats otherwise.

well thats the team i have been left with not much but i am sure i can work my magic with them.

coaching staff:

Ass Man - Mickey Walker

Coach - Paul Barnes

Coach - Barry Richardson

Physio - Barry Windle

Scout - Mike Jackson

will have to look for more coaches as my coaches are still playing football.

[Guest]

Financial Situation

I would say that i have a fair amount of money for my task in hand.

£330K in the bank and the board have given me £127.5K in transfer funds.

im not a big spender unless im betting but there will be no more of that, so this money should go a long way.

one major problem is that i am £750 over my wage bugdet and i see that as a lot considering were only in the 3rd division. so a few player will have to be sold.

Contracts

this does not look good. many of my team are out of contract at the end of the season and it doesnt look like i will be able to keep all of them on unless i get some money from somewhere in the season. i will look into this situation when the time comes.

The season begins in less than a month, my first friendly is against wigan, lets hope i can start on a high.

[Guest]

well my 5 friendlies went according to plan

a home tie with wigan 2-1 win

away to kettering 1-1

away to stalybridge - 3-0 win

home to connah's quay 5-1 win

home to hartelepool 4-0 win

so a good start to the season. my first league match is in 4 days at home to carlisle.

Transfer News

Transfers In:

Matthew Ghent - GK - free

Mark Rasmussen SC - free

Peter Kydd MC - free

Mike Turner - FC - free

Transfer out

Leo Fortune-West - £1K to peterborough

Micheal McIndoe - £40K to livingston

i now have £160K to spend on players and am now £1.2k under my wage budget.

i have 3 players on trial awaiting the chance to play for me.

First round of the league cup Northampton at home. maybe i can get quite far in this cup so i get recognised as one of the better managers of my division,

Any feedback would be nice btw

[Guest]

well the odds for the Division three promotion was sent out to day with Doncaster given 25-1 of getting promoted. that has give me confidence as my board and fans expect to fight against relegation.

The Odds

[Guest]

well first match of the season and looks like the odds of 25-1 are looking good.

with a 5-0 will over carlisle saw me go 2nd in the table to hull who won 6-0.

the scorers:

o'brien

burton 2

mcgrath

green

one thing overshadowed this great victory was the injury to my star striker burton who got injured in the match and will be out for 2 weeks with a groin strain. the whole team will be wishing him a quick recovery.

bring on northampton in the league cup 1st round

[Guest]

another delightful match at belle vue as doncaster overcame a lackluster northampton town side.

doncaster strolled to success with very little resistance.

Rob O'Brien, also man of the match opened the scoring on 23minutes with his second goal of the season. derek asamoah levelled the match on 40minutes. there was a tense atmosphere in the dressing room at half time as i had to let my voice be heard.

we came out strong again and went ahead on 54minutes with Mark Rasmussen's first goal for the club on his full debut. the crown went wild.

northampton came strong in the last ten minutes with 3 corners coming close to levelling the mathc and a few free kicks on the end of the area. with most of their players up field doncaster broke away and Paul Green scored a magnificent header in the 90minute to wrap up a place in the second round and his second goal of the season.

The final whistle went and there was a huge sigh of relief. a 3-1 win, a 2nd round place and £20K in the bank.

[Guest]

Disaster strikes

My season took a turn for the worst as i played Leyton Orient in my 2nd league match of the season.

We started off great with Gregg blundell scoring after 6 minutes unfortunately blundell got injured on 16 minutes and was replaced by Mike turner. Peter Kydd added a 2nd on 23 minutes but leyton orient struck in the 25th minute to make it 2-1.

4 minutes from half time Mike turner made it 3-1 to doncaster. things were looking great.

The team talk at half time was a mellowed one from my last game. i just told them to keep it tight for that first 10 minutes (never tell your team that).

my team talk didnt seem to go to plan when on 52 miuntes Gary Alexander scored his second for orient, now the score was 3-2. we gave a sloppy freekick away straight from the kick-off and gary alexander went and scored his hat-trick on 52 miuntes. now 3-3 i was furious with my team after letting a 2 goal lead slip. i was preparing myself for the worst.

The wortst happened

it was late on in the 58th minute when we were attacking down the right wing with the ball in Mike turners feet. all was going good until turner decidd to turn round and play a ball 40 yards back to my CD foster.Foster was caught off gaurd and Alexander popped and scored his fourth goal of the afternoon. i was gobsmacked.

i tried to fix things by bringing on tierney for ravenhill to add abit of flair to my side but all in vain. we lost 4-3 and my first loss. not a very good start to my managerial career. the coach ride home was unpleasent(sp) as an eerie silence was on the coach as the whole team was angry.

i just hope that i can get tehre morale up for the next match at home to torquay.

[Guest]

time for my team to redeem theirselves against Torquay today at Belle Vue.

with the same team as the last match besides blundell was injured so i brought in the not fully fit burton as his replacement.

the match started off great as peter kydd put us into the lead in 3 minutes with a great strike from outside the area. just what we needed after out last defeat.

20 minutes and burton was brought down on the edge of the area. up stepped ravenhill for the free kick. i would count this as luck rather than deliberately. he struck the free-kick and it cannoned off the wall and slipped its wa past the GK who dived the wrong way. 2-0

on the half hour mark we went 3-0 up, i was just hoping we werent going to have a repeat performance of our last match. John McGrath scored from a goal mouth scrambul.

at half time i substituted the not 100% fit burton who still hadn't recovoured(sp) from his groin injury and replaced him with Mike Turner.

on the hour mark we made it 4-0 with Mark Rasmussen scoring a great header from a Kydd cross to seal the 3 points.

this win took us to 6th place and 3 points behind joint leaders Hull and Southendon 9 points.

next match is an away trip to York.

[Guest]

with a great win at home to torquay our sites were set on York City. with 3 points here we could go 3rd in the table and maybe second on GD,

unlike my matches so far we started off rather slowly,maybe because of a sligty new tactic which the team hadnt mastered yet. with the first half coming to a close at 0-0 i felt we had done a great job to get here as york were very strong. in the 44th minute john McGrath raced away for a loose ball tha Foster had headed away from a corner. only Mark rasmussen was up the field with his marker Richard Hope of YOrk closely behind him. McGrath sprinted forward with the ball. the york players were closely catching up with him when he made an inch perfect cross to Rasmussen who was running through to the 18 yard box, Rasmussen some-how sneaked in behind his marker and neatly made it 1-0 with an elegant shot which was slided passed the goalkeepers out-stretched hand to nestle in the right hand corner of the net.

1-0 Half-Time. all was good in the dressing room as we had taken the lead on half time and went in in a boyant mood. my team talk was light and told them to keep up the good work as we were doing great.

2Nd Half.

the first 5 minuted i wanted us to be secure at the back, but with york coming out on full cylinders this looked highly unlikely. we got to 50minutes and still 1-0. my forwards hardly had any chances so far as york were the more attacking team. then disaster struck. on 55minutes Dunning Scored off a header from a york city corner. the home fans went crazy and i just sat in the dugout in disgust.

'how can you let him score off a corner' i said to myself. i shot up and walked hastily to the touchline. 'What the f*ck was that!' i shouted, i felt the adrenaline run through my body, just like when i used to be at the races and the dogs would be coming on the final bend to the finish line. The team looked amazed, they had never heard me shout like that, not even in training.

we kicked off as if it was a training match, just lacsidasical(sp) and i was just hoping we wouldnt get complacent. my wish came true in the 59th minute when after a great shot by Kydd cannoned off the GK palms and fell straight at the feet of Rasmussen, you could bet your house that he would score from 6 yards out. with the GK scrambling to his feet Rasmussen slotted home his 2nd of the afternoon.

little else happened until the 70th minute when i brought on tierney for burton just to give him a rest. tierney served as an attacking midfielder just behind rasmussen for that extra support fr the midfield.

On 81 Minutes we get a corner, Tierney floats a lovely ball to the near post but a York defender heads the ball out but luckily it falls to tierney who lofts a precise cross straight onto McGraths head, who neatly heads home to make it 3-1. surely the 3 points are secured now.

3 minutes and we strike again, Rasmussen scoring from a goal mouth scramble to make it 4-1 and to get his first hat-trick for the club, and as a 19year old things can only get better,.

on 89 minutes i make 2 substitutions, Mike TUrner for Rasmussen who recieved a standing ovation, and james paterson who replaced ravenhill.

3 minutes of injury time later and3 points were sealed, 2nd Place in the table was captured and Rasmussen gets MoM.

[Guest]

after the great win at york we brought the proud heroes back to belle vue with a match against Lincoln.

The team remained unchanged.

we started off broughtly and McGrath scored a fabulous strike from outside the area. but within 4 minutes lincoln equalised.

half time came, 1-1.

a slow start to the 2nd half as we struggled to find motivation when in the 76th minute paul green scored a superb strike after running from inside his own half and beating 4 lincoln players before smashing the ball in the top corner of the net. 2-1.

all was calm again and the final whistle couldnt of came a minute sooner. 2-1 win, second place still, McGrath MoM and Greene had the much needed praise he deserved in the Papers the next morning.

[Guest]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>

we started off brightly and McGrath scored a fabulous strike from outside the area. but within 4 minutes lincoln equalised.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Harleqin]

Ehm.... why were YOU offered the job?

A few pointers as you are new If you mess up then instead of using quotes to correct it we have a help thread where you post a problem and a friendly moderator will fic it.

You might also want to use bold and Italics in your story.

Finally, please be careful and remember to start your sentences with a capital letter

Other than that a good start

Oh, and welcome to CMS

[Guest]

im not new to the forums just new to the stories part.

thanks for the advice.

[OMDave]

Which you obviously don't intend to follow...

Like the story so far, welcome to CMS and keep it up

[Guest]

On a cold wednesday night in southend i took my team out on to the pitch for a warm up. There was a strong wind tonight and i knew that we could make this wind tun into our advantage. We did a light training session as i didnt want my stars to be too tired before the kick-off. Just before we went in to get our kit on i had a little talk with all my players. Only a little chat about what tactics to use and so on, they all understood.

The only change i made was replacing Joel Johnson with Gregg Blundell as i wanted a more experienced striker in this hard fixture. We were lying in 2nd place while southend were top of the league, we knew that a good, solid performance would see us through and maybe take top spot.

SOuthend came out very quick with a few shots coming close in the opening few minutes. When in the 10th minute a costly goalkeeping mistake let BLundell in with a great opportunity to make it 1-0, with the GK struggling to make up for his mistake Blundell slotted the ball home to make it 1-0. I wasnt expecting this great start tonight.

Disaster strikes for Southend

On 24 minutes disaster struck for Southend but relief struck for Doncaster. After an alledged push by Dave McSweeney on Green, referee Martin Atkinson showed him his 2nd yellow card after a series of fouls. Southend now had to operate more defensively.

With Southend with only 3 men in defence i started tweaking with my tactic. i told my two wingers Green and McGrath to start pushing up the field more and create a lot of pressure for the SOuthend defence. my tactic worked, when in the 26th minute Mark Rasmussen scored his 5th in the league and his 6th in as many matches. He was left with a tap in after Blundell drew in the GK and then made a superb pass to Rasmussen to finish off the job.

Half Time Comes

Half time and my players went in the dressing room very pleased with themselves. My best player was not very happy at all.

'What's wrong Green' i shouted across to Paul Green.

'Its my thigh boss' he screamed in agony.

'Oi Barry (my physio) come over here, get the magic sponge on his leg.' The dressing room fell about laughing with Green not seeing the funny side of things, after all he was unlikely to start the second half so i had to rack my brains and come up with a solution.

Then it struck me, i had a just as good player on the bench in Tierney, he was a superb player but yet to break into the first team as green had been so consistent. So on came tierney at half time.

2nd Half

We started very sloppy in the second half and it was all one-way traffic. in the 59th minute SOuthend got a free-kick on the edge of the area, i knew they were dangerous here as tehy came close on previoues occasions. Up stepped MArk Gower. Only a short run up and i thought 'ahhh not enough pace on this ball' i was wrong. the ball rocketed into the top left hand corner and left my GK gazing in amazement.

The rest of the half was tense as i knew that one goal could wreck everything. Southend had thrown everything besides the kitchen sink at us and we had denied them the goal they needed.

The final whistle blew and we went home with a 2-1 win and top spot. Sky SPorts gave Mark Gower the MoM but i knew that McGrath had a better performance so i told him he could have a 'sing-song' on the coach home.

Next Match away to Darlington. With Darlington struggling in a low 17th we have to capitalise with a good win to stay clear of the chasing pack. with only 2 days to fully prepare and rest we had to be ready to win.

[Guest]

Darlington V Doncaster

We couldnt have wished for w worse start. Only 8minutes in and Marples brings down Olanipekun in the area and Darlington get a penalty. Up steps Olanipekun and he cooly converts.

Not much else happened until the 44th minute when a superd cross by, none other then Marples, sent a pin-point ball onto the head of Burton who headed passed the Darlington GK.

The 2nd half started brightly and as news around the groud that hull had gone in front and were now sitting atop of the league by 1 point we knew we had to get that second goal.

When in the 71st a minute a goal mouth scramble left a wide open goal for Rasmussen to slot home our second. 2-1 doncaster.

Heartache for Darlington

In the 79th minute Quentin Townsend kicked out at Burton just yards from the referee. The referee had no choice but to red card Townsend who knew he had done wrong and leaded with the referee to put the card back in his pocket, but to no avail.

After 3 minutes of injury time the final whistle blew, we were still top of the league by 1 point. Mark Rasmussen MoM.

Home tie with Hull City next and seeing as tehy are unbeaten i would love my team to be their first loss of the season and take me 4 points clear.

[Guest]

Disaster at Belle Vue

With only minutes after our win, chief physio Barry Windle, came to me with a problem. My #1 Gk had got injured and will be out for a week with a damaged shoulder. with my young understudy not yet ready for his first appearance i wil be hoping Warrington will recover quickly.

Get well soon cards have already been sent

[Guest]

GLory FOr Doncaster

In the first big game of DOncasters' league season we encountered Hull City, the team on a high after still being undefeated. With a record crown of 9235 spectators those who didnt turn up were sure to miss a great match.

This record was under threat from the start as my in-form players went all out to defeat the enemy. in the 11th mi nute we struck gold. a delicious lofted pass by drury went over the heads of the Hull defenders and Burton ran on to the awaiting ball and cooly slotted the goal home. Our home fans went crazy.

In the 16th minute Burton went on an amazing run and got past 2 defenders before hitting a slightly over-hit cross to Rasmussen. he chased the ball down and passed the ball to Ravenhill on the edge of the area, who let fly with a ferocious strike that nearly broke the net. Chants of 'We are top of the league, i say we are top of the league' rang round Belle vue. the atmosphere was amazing.

Were in heaven

For the 3rd time this half we struck gold as Rasmussen scored a great header in the 22nd minute. A superb cross by Green went straight to the head of Rasmussen who headed home the 3rd.

DOncaster fans go wild at half time.

Our fans were in great voices today as they sung songs and cheered every touch by a doncaster player. this amzing feat filled me with joy as we walked through the tunnel to have our half time team talk.

2nd Half Awaits

Coming out of the tunnel for the second half and once again the fan were in jubilant mood. After seeing the towns heroes take a 3-0 lead in at half -time they were sure of more goals, and thats just what they got.

Burton adds his second of the match and 5th of the season

In the 50th minute we struck again. and Burton was the man to reek havoc on the Hull defence once more. a loose ball was picked up by Rasmussed who slotted a ball in behind the defenders as Burton latched onto it and smashed it to the bottom corner.

A 5-0 lead, who could of expected that.

We werent finished yet. Hull got a free kick on the half way line. Just a big boot up field and a hope of someone latching onto it. But with my defenders in form they rose above th Hull players and headed clear and fortunately the ball fell to Burtons feet. with Rasmussed waiting on the wing Burton crossed it to him and started sprinting to the 18-yard box. with a first time pass burton was on for his hat-trick, he came running into the box at full speed and no-1 was going to stop him getting his first hat-trick. he tricked the GK and passed it into the net.

Youngsters win it for Doncaster

What a performance from my team. a 5-0 win over promotion candidates Hull city left the fans feeling overjoyed at there town heroes. they sure got there moneys worth this weekend.

A solid performance from Steve Burton made himself candidate for Mom and surely a place in team of the week.

A great result for Doncaster saw us go 4 points clear at the top of the league. Promotion is surely round the Corner.

The win against Hull City was a great way to prepare for our league Cup second round tie away to Sunderland. This will be our toughest match so far and hopefully my team can overcome the power of Sunderland.

[Guest]

Black Cats just too Strong for Doncaster

with a somewhat one sided encounter on paper we came out strong and made mart poom make some terrific saves in the opening 10 minutes. with the pressure of a big match and facing inferior opposition my youngsters just werent cut out for the task ahead.

On 24 minutes Tommy smith strayed from his marker as kevin kyle put him through to make it 1-0.

i was hoping for just a 1-0 deficit at half time but Healy was to ruin my plans. he scored a fabulous strike to make it 2-0.

In the 56th minute julio arca made it 3-0 with a tap in after he challenge Warrington from a corner and after warrington dropped the ball arca was there to pick up the pieces.

My substitues were ready to come on as i subbed Green for a below par performance and on came tierney. Joal Johnson replaced Rasmussen.

My subs didnt do much as then tie ended in a 3-0 loss.

Valuable experience

I thought this loss was great experience for my youngsters as they played well despite the 3-0 scoreline. i just hope they get there heads up for the next game Bury at home.

[Guest]

Financial Stability

This weeks events have gone well on the financial side of the club. With record attendance brought in £30,000 and helped with much needed funds. also with the tie against Sunderland we managed to get £200.000 of the gate receipts to bring this months income to £323,855. Wit losses of £49,846 it brought this months profit to a secure £274.009. The much needed money will surely pay for they wages of the players for the next coming months.

[Guest]

Back to Winning Ways.

With the League Cup defeat behind it was time to focus our minds on the next fixture. a home match against BUry.

Another great start saw BUrton score within 5 minutes.

Not really much happened in this match as both teams were unable to make any sort of impression.

Still 4 points clear.

An away match to yeovil in my next match and looking to continue my great league form.

[Guest]

Monthly Awards

Well the Monthly Awards were handed out today and lets just hope the curse hasnt come with them.

English Third Division Player of the Month : Torquay Uniteds' David Graham

[/i]English Third Division Young Player of the Month : Doncaster Rovers' Steve Burton[/i]

English Third Division Manager of the Month : Daniel Sackfield[/i]

A good month for Doncaster and i am especially pleased with my first ever Manager Award. Also a well done to steve Burton.

the Board are encuraged with the start i have made so i hope i can keep in their good books.

[/i]Injury Shocker[/i]

[/i]Dismay has come to Doncaster fans as news of an injury that rocked the front pages of the Doncaster Times. Prolific Striker Mark Rasmussen has suffered a fractured cheekbone and will be out for 4 weeks.[/i]

i really hope Rasmussen gets fit quickly as we need him for the title charge.

[Guest]

Transfer Dealings

One Transfer to record this week.

Stuart Thornley of Aston Villa has joined the club on a 3 month loan. Thornley is a great defender and we will be looking to make his move permanent as we have pt in a bid of 10k to prise him away from aston Villa. we are awaiting negotiation.

[Guest]

Off to Yeovil We Go

With a trip down to Bottom of the league Yeovil i made a few changes to my team. In defence i replaced Tim Ryan to give him a rest and replaced him with loanee Stuart Thornley. Tierney was put on the subs bench as Green took his usual role of right winger. Up front and JOal Johnson replaced the injured Mark Rasmussen.

The Party Begins

The match started with a bang. in 3 minutes Burton opened up the Yeovil defence but a good savef rom the yeovil GK kept it 0-0. With the ball on the left, McGrath cross the ball to find Kydd waiting to pounce. The ball Bobbled free and kydd struck the ball with so much force it knocked the GK into the net. 1-0.

1 minute later and JOel Johnson scores his first goal for the club after signing on a free last month.

We were always on top from start to finish. in the 25th minute Green scored a tap in after the ball went through all players in the box and left the GK stranded as he slotted the ball home.

Within 2 minutes Yeovil got 1 back with a strike by Gall.

There was an instant reply to their goal with a great strike from Burton to make it 4-1.

On the stroke of half-time Green scored his second of the game 5-1 . Green was having a stormer.

2nd Half.

After a great first half i was hoping of the same. As i expected we came out all guns blazing. In five minutes Johnson scored his second of the game to make it 6-1. i was on cloud nine as this was a great match.

7 minutes later and Johnson grabbed his hat-trick. the whole bench ran towards him as the score was now 7-1.

on 66 minutes i decided to bring on two subs. Tim Ryan on for Steve Foster and Tierney on for Ravenhill.

The Whole team was playing fantastically well. to round off a great afternoon Burton scored his second in the 68th minute.

Full time and MoM obviously went to Joal JOhnson.

Great Win Overshadowed By Injury Scare

This record breaking result was marred by the news that John McGrath had suffered a fractured jaw and will be out for 3 weeks.

Top of the league now by 6 points as Hull couldonly draw against Cheltenham. To make the feeling even better we have an inferior GD of 20 goals. the Table looks like this After 10 Games

[Guest]

Record Transfer

Record transfer Staurt Thornley put pen to paper this afternoon as he signed lucrative 3 year deal worth £460000.

LDV Vans First Round

The LDV Vans Trophy First Round was made today and we were drawn away to MAcclesfield Town. The Tie is to be played on the 22nd of October.

[Guest]

Trip to Whaddon Road

On a dry evening i took my Doncaster team to Whaddon Road, home of Cheltenham Town. With Cheltenham sitting in a comfortable 6th place we knew we had to be on our best form to keep our hold of 1st place. Even though we have a 6 point advantage i wanted us to extend our points margin.

Cheltenham had the first shot which skimmed the cross-bar.

In the 15th minute Joel Johnson scored his first of the game to make it 1-0.

My first mistake of the match wa that my new defender Stuart Thornley gave away a a penalty in the 28th minute. Up stepped Jamie Victory and nicely slotted the ball in the net.

In the 43rd minuted Johnson scored his second of the game to make it 2-1.

2nd Half

There was 1 substitution made at half time as Rob O'Brian replaced the below par ravenhill.

We started off rather slow as nothing would give in the Cheltenham defence.

They came strong in the last 15 minutes so on 81 minutes i brought on a Striker and a defender to replace Green and Burton. So on came Gregg Blundell and Tim Ryan.

Another costly injury

In the 84th Minute Rob O'Brien had gotten himself injured and now left us with only 10 mean to play the last 5 minutes. I would later find this injury worse than first seemed.

Full Time

Full tme went with an astonishing 5 minutes of injury time. we won 2-1 with Joal Johnson getting MoM.

Next match we entertain Boston and hoping to carry on our supreme form.

[Guest]

Injury Shocker rips through Doncaster Rovers Teams

With already knowing that Rob O'Brien was injured i was just waiting on my physio to come back with the post-match analysis.

waiting in anticipation my physio came out of the physio room with a worried look on his face. i feared the worse.

'It doesnt look good Danny' he said to me.

'Just how bad is it Barry'

'Well it looks like he will have to spend a lenghty spell on the sidelines.'

'Now give me the news' I said with a worried voice.

'Well he[O'Brian] has suffered a torn calf muscle and is likely to be out for anywere upto two months'

I went into the Physio room and wished O'Brian to a speedy recovery. he was an integral part of our squad and i wanted him back asap.

[Guest]

New Contracts Galore

To soften the blow of losing O'Brien to injury we were welcomed by the sound of pen to paper as 3 stars signed new 3 year contracts at the club.

Burton Signs new 3 year deal worth £105.000 and at 20 years old that is a huge some of money.

Even though Rob O'Brien has been temporarily sidelined he was still able to sign a new 3 year deal worth £30.000.

Ricky Ravenhill also signs a new 3 year deal worth £60.000.

[Guest]

Tight affari at Belle Vue

On a wet evening in Doncaster it wasnt the perfect conditions for a match but we had to get the job done.

Out of the blue we got a corner after recieving heavy pressure from Boston Utd. A lovely croos from Tierney resulted in captain Steve Foster bagging his first goal of the season, don't go forgetting he is a DC. but his celebrations didnt last long as he had to come off injured 3 minutes later.

In the 37th minute Boston snatched an equalizer.

Johnson saves us again

In the 69th minute Johnson scores from a long range effort to give us the lead.

In the 85th minute Logan of Boston gets sent off for a second yellow card.

[b/]Full Time [/b]

With 5 minutes of injury we secure all 3 points and keep our 7 points advantage over Cambridge.

Next match is an away tie with Macclesfield Town in the First round of the LDV Vans Trophy, Wish us luck

[Guest]

Doncaster WIn in Penalty Thriller

Well what a match today as the Moss Rose Ground as two evenly matched teams on paper set out for LDV Vans Glory.

It all started within 8 minutes as Joel JOhnson started the scoring with a superb effort from 6 yards out.

Little else happened untl the 35th minute when. a former Doncaster trialee scored with a thunderous strike.

2nd Half

Both team started off strongly but both cancelled each other out.

in the 67th minute Macclesfield took the lead with a poor goal,from our point of view, with a colin Little strike.

5 m inutes later and we were level again, youngster Steve Burton scored from the edge of the area.

Full Time

Full time and the scores were 2-2.

First half of extra time

Little to report.

2nd half E.T

scores still the same. Now for the dreaded penalties.

Penalties

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Macclesfield Doncaster

Doug Pitts - Scored Ravenhill - Scored

Widdrington -missed Johnson - Scored

Heald - Missed Ryan - Scored

Allman - SCored Marplaes - Scored

Doncaster win 4-2 on penalties.</pre>

a great win to take us into the second round.

MoM Steve Burton

[Guest]

LDV Vans Trophy Second Round

With a great victory over MAcclesfield in the First round, it was time for the second round draw live at the FA Headquarters.

With a few 'big' teams getting knocked out from the Northern section, including Promotion rivals Hull City, things started to look good for Doncaster. Although the teams from the Southern section would certainly not be a pushover if we got that far.

We were always looking for a home tie so we could bring in some funds but once again we got an away tie. This time away to lincoln City. Our encoounter in the league was a win for Doncaster winning 2-1.

North Section ROund 2

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

D3 Lincoln V Doncaster D3

D2 Blackppol V Chester CON

D3 Carlisle V Shrewsbury CON

D3 Rochdale V Halifax CON

D3 Boston Utd V Mansfield D3

D2 Chesterfield V Barnsley D2

D3 Huddersfield V Telford CON

D3 Bury V Grimsby D2

</pre>

The ties are to be played on Wednesday 12th October.

[Guest]

Points shared at the McAlpine Stadium

well disaster struck in the first 10 minutes.

with only 5 minutes gone Marples gets injured and has to be taken off. Thornely replaces him.

Then on 10 minutes Joe Keenan scores for Huddersfield.

In the 28th Minute Kydd gets injured so i have to bring on Paterson.

2Nd Half

Nothing much to report other than the last 15 minutes were they best of the match. In the 73rd minute Johnson scores with a lovely dribble and then slides it past the Huddersfield keeper.

8 Minutes later and Johnson scores his second to take Donacater into the lead 2-1.

But 3 minutes later and Nathan Clarkes first goal of the season levelled the match.

Looks like the points were to be shared.

We keep our 7 point advantage as the lower teams couldnt punish or mistakes.

MoM Green.

[Guest]

Physio Report

A busy afternoon at the physio as 4 players had got injured in my last match against huddersfield. I always knew that it would be a hard match against promotion-tipped Huddersfield but not this hard.

Simon Marples got a calf strain and is out for 5 days.

Martin Drury suffered a torn groin muscle and unfortunately will be out for two months.

Tim Ryan Suffered a damaged neck and is out for 3 weeks

Peter Kydd also suffers a damaged neck but not as severe so it only our for a day.

It looks like Thornley will be able to prove he is worth 10K buy filling in for Ryan.

A dilemma at Doncaster

A left full back crisis has happened at Doncaster as Martin Drury is injured and Tim Ryan are my only left sided defenders. looks like a defender will have to try and adapt to the left fullback position

[Guest]

Fa Cup First Round

The first round of the FA Cup was made today. with the big teams not entering till later in the competition all the small teams will be looking for a win to have a chance to play a big team and eran some big money.

we are on the way to earning some big money with a home tie against Grimsby Town. Hopefully we can get a new record crowd in for this match.

The tie will be played on the 8th October.

So a critical 4 days in DOncasters history as they look to progress into the next round of two major cups, the FA Cup and the LDV Vans Trophy

[Guest]

Monthly Awards

With a new month upon us the awards were givin out this morning.

Player of the month Joel Johnson (doncaster)

Young player of the monthKayode Odejayi (Cheltenham)

Manager of the month Danny Sackfield (Doncaster)

Board Confidence

The board are deleighted with my performance as i am scaling new heights with my team. they wish me good luck for the future and hope i can complete promotion.

[Guest]

Frustration at Belle Vue

My Doncaster team came up against a strong Swansea side today at Belle Vue. I knew we had to strike early to get even more of an advantage over them. We are still on a high after being top of the league.

Swansea had the first opportunity when Britton went on an amazing run and missed the net by inches.

This was a surprisingly slow half as not much happened. When in the 41st minute Swansea gave away a free-kick on the edge of the area. Up stepped Green. Everyone thought he was going to shoot, including me, but he tricked the whole Swansea team. the fans, everyone besides 1 special player who knew just what was going on. That player was Thornley, yes a defender. With the Swansea team expecting a shot, Green chipped the ball over the wall to the feet of the waiting Thornley. He took one touch to set himself up and smashed it home. That was his first ever goal for DOncaster after his £10k move from Aston Villa early in the season.

Half-time 1-0 Doncaster

[2Nd Half[/b]

In the 54th minute i brought McGrath off as he was still struggling to gain full fitness after his injury so i brought on Tierney to replce him, a more than adequate player to do the job.

also i changed the tactic round by making Kydd man mark Lee Trundle as i didnt want him getting any space. The only problem with this was that it left Ravenhill doing twice as much work as i wanted.

68th minute and i brought on Mark Rasmussen to replce Steve Burton. After recovering from a fractured jaw i brought him on to play the last 20 minutes or so.

Sloppy Defending

In the 5TH Minute of injury Swansea got a corner. OVer the croos went when the ref blew his whistle. I was just going over to shake the Swansea managers hand when the ref pointed to the spot. I was livid. The ref had already played 2 minutes extra of injury time and now he has givien a penalty. 'what the f*ck for' i shouted. 'Apparantly' Jason Lanns had tugged Trundles shirt and he fell to the ground. So up steps James Thomas to convert the penalty. He scores. I go mad at the fourth official who said there was only being 3 minutes of stoppage time. The ref blew and the final score was 1-1.

Full Time

I was sick to the stomach as we had thrown away our lead so late in the game. after hearing that SOuthend had won we now only had a 5 point lead, and our 3rd draw in as many matches, we had not won in 90 minutes for 3 games. I was getting worried.

Thankfully i could drive home in my Ford Fiesta and not lose my rag with my team on the coach.

Our next match was an away trip to Kidderminster. We wanted a good result here to help us go into the FA Cup 1st round in a good frame of ming

[Guest]

Frustration Turns to Glory

After a frustrating match against Swansea my DOncaster redeemed themsleves with a 6-0 drubbing of lowly Kidderminster.

It all started in the 27th minute when Johnson[/b[ scored his 1st of the match with a superb volley.

In the 36th Minute Johnson got his second of the game with a tap in from 6 yards.

Just 2 minutes later and Mark Rasmussen got his first of the match as he out jumped the Kidderminster defence to head his goal home.

1 minute later and [b[Rasmussed struck again with a neat finish in the bottom corner.

Dismay for Doncaster fans

Glory turned into dismay at half time when Marples was taken off with a knock. On came Price to relace him.

2nd Half

We started off the half as we ended the first half. With a goal.

In the 48th Minute Rasmussen netted his hat-trick with a fabulous strike from 18 yards out. a great way to come back from injury.

Heartache for Kidderminster Fans

In the 51st minute Kidderminster were left with 10 men as Willis was sent for a secong yellow card.

On came my second substitution was Mcgrath replacing Tierney.

6-0 to Doncaster

In the 66th minute we made it 6-0. And no other than Rasmussen scored his 4th of the match.

In the 77th minute i brought the goal hero off to be replaced by Burton.

Full Time

Full time upon us as we won 6-0, MoM Rasmusen for his star show. Now we are 6 points clear andon the glory trail once again.

Well a great way to start to prepare for out FA Cup match against Grimsby.

[Guest]

Second Round Here We Come

What a superb match the 8490 strong crown witnessed today at Belle Vue.

The 25th minute so the first goal of this goal-frenzy of a match, unfortunately DOncaster was on the recieving end as Iain Anderson scored a great goal.

Then in the 34th Minute, in form Rasmussen scored his first of the match to make the scores 1-1.

Grimsby took a lead into half time as Mike Edwards scored to make it 2-1

Second Half

Well it was all one way traffic in the second half as we grabbed the bull by the horns and realy went at it against Grimsby in this half.

3 minutes into the second hald Johnson scored his goal of the match after a lovely goal which all the team contributed to.2-2

6 minutes later and Rasmussen gets his second of the match and takes Doncaster into the lead for the first time in the match.

3 minutes later and we get a Penalty. Up steps Thornley and he puts the ball in the back of the net. surely a second round spot secured.

Heartahce for Doncaster

In the fourth minute of injury the worst happened as Johnson gets injured aftera late tackle from a grimsby player who must of just been frustrated. So on comes Burton.

Full time

Full time and we make it into the second round. the fans are jubilant as this is the furthest they have ever been in this tournament***

with a first round win we get rewarded with a nice £12,000 to help with funds

After a great win against Division 2 side Grimsby we next take our heroes down to lincoln to play in the LDV Vans Second round.

[Guest]

FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round draw as made today, witho nly one round before the big guns come into the frame i was hoping for another home tie to make matters easier. Unfortunately we got drew against Darlington at Darlington. Our previous match against Darlington in the league was a 2-1 win for Doncaster.

[Guest]

LDV Vans Glory

a slow game today at Sincil Bank as Johnson opened the scoring on 39 minutes.

Scott Willis scores an equaliser for Lincoln in the 68th minute.

Substitute Tierney scores the winner on 87 minutes

[Guest]

LDV Vans Quarter Final

THe North section quarter final was made today with Doncaster getting a home tie against Boston Utd. A good result for Doncaster in the league against Boston saw us win 2-1.

The North Section Quarter Final

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">D3 Bury V Chesterfield D2

D3 Rochdale V Blackpool D2

D3 Carlisle V Huddersfield D3

D3 DONCASTER V Boston Utd D3 </pre>

Only two Division 2 clubs left in the North section

Southern Section Quarter Final

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">D2 Peterbourough V Colchester D2

D2 Rushden V Cambridge D3

D3 northampton V Plymouth D2

D2 Swindon V Dag & Red CON </pre>

[Guest]

Unbeaten Run Continues

Our unbeaten run carries on as we easily disposed of Mansfield.

We started the scoring on 7 minutes when prolific scorer Johnson netted his first of the afternoon with a nice shot from close range.

9 minutes later and he gets his second. with a neat one-two with green he smashes home from a re-bound.

on 35 minutes johnson gets his hat-trick with a superbly rounded off goal taht made the after noon.

on the stroke of half time Green scores to make it 4-0

Full-Time

Full time and a score of 4-0. we now have a 7point lead over Hull City who climbed 2 places from fourth spot at the top of the league.

Our next match is an away trip to Bristol Rovers.

[Guest]

Well not a very good start today at the Memoril Stadium, home to Bristol Rovers. as Bristol go ahead inside 7 minutes with a strike from Martin Nash.

Just as i though it wasnt going to be our day, after lots of pressure by Bristol, up pops Johnson once again to score his first of the match.

4 minutes later and he scores his second of the match with a wonderfully crafted move.

Half Time 2-1

2nd Half

The second half strated off as the 1st ended when 3 minutes after the restart ohnson gets his hat-trcik after a break away from a Bristol Corner.

Another 3 minutes later on 51 minutes Johnson nets his 4th of the match and his 20th goal of the season.

In the 92nd minute Tierney rounded off a great win with a dribble round 3 players before cooly slotting the ball past the keeper.

Full Time

Full time score 5-1 with really a one man show. this must be the bargain of the century as Joel Johnson was snapped up on a free transfer at the start of the season. Obviouslt Johnson gets MoM

[Guest]

Johnson steals the show again!

Once again it was our star striker who stole the show. He didnt just stal the show but saved us from losing our cool when we needed it most.

Johnson opened the scoring inside 7 minutes with a lovely strike to slide it past the keeper.

Nothing much happened really until on the stroke of halftime Green score a fabulous header from a tierney cross.

2nd Half

A rubbish start from Doncaster saw Cambridge score two quick goals. A goal in the 50th minute from Matt Hockley and another 3 minutes later from DAve Kitson made the scores level.

On 53 minutes we also brought on Rasmussen to replace the below par Burton.

On 62 minutes Johnson scored his second of the match to take us into the lead again. The score now 3-2.

Cambridge really put the pressure on us in the latter minutes of the match and we had to be wary and not push too many players up field

With most cambrige players up the field trying to snatch a late equaliser and a point. they left a huge gap at the back which johnson just stayed in waiting for any chance to break. That chance happened in the 92nd minute when from a Cambridge corner Thornley headed clear and the ball rolled into the empty field. Johnson ran on to the ball and proceeded to run towards goal. with only the keeper to beat he slipped the ball into the back of the net so secure all 3 points for us.

Full Time

Full time and we won 4-2. a great match and a great win as we kept our advantage of 7 points over Hull City. We are also 10 points clear of third place team Southend so it will take a huge amount of effort to dislodge us from this dominant position.

Also we have an inferior goal difference as we have +45 and Hull have +25.

A second rounf Fa Cup tie against bottom of the league Darlington should pose no problems for Doncaster but we will not get complacent as we want to get as far as we can in this competition. We also want to get through this round as the big teams will be in the next round and we will be hoping that, if we get through, we will have a big team to play against.

[Guest]

Monthly Awards

With a new month upon us again there were some awards to be given out.

Player of the Month - oel Johnson(Doncaster) He scored an incredible 12 goals in 5 games.

Young Player of the Month - Paul Green(Doncaster) Making five outstanding apearances for the club over the weeks.

Manager of the Month - Peter Taylor (Hull City) Guided his team to victory in all five of their leagues games this month

Board Confidence

The Doncaster board are delighted with my performance as mamanger.

They are satisfied with the clubs current financial status, over £800,000 in the bank and £1.2k under my wage budget.

Supporters Confidence

The Doncaster supporters are delighted with the progress the club has been making.

They are in full support of your management of the club.

With this confidence i am eager to make history and be the manager to take them into Division 2 and beyond.

[Guest]

FA Cup third round here we come!

Doncaster are through to the 3rd round of the FA Cup with a thrilling 6-1 ove Darlington.

An early goal is what Doncaster wanted and an early goal is what they got. Rasmussen was brought down in the area and the ref, Andy D'Urso, awarded a penalty in the 7th minute. Up stepped McGrath to slot the ball home.

3 minutes later and the in-form Johnson scored his first with a great strike.

In the 13th minute Darlington got 1 back from Gibson. i thought this was going to be a long hard match but my players had other ideas.

28 minutes had gone and we stretched our lead to 3-1 with a header from Johnson and his second of the match.

4 minutes later in the 32nd minute Paul green scored a fabulous strike from 20 yards out.

Half time 4-1 to Doncaster

2nd Half

After a great first half i wanted the same start. In the 57th minute Mark Rasmussen scores his 15th goal of the season with a well worked goal.

Disaster for Collett

after a great run by Johnson to get in the box he tried a shot with a very tight angle. He shot with so much for that the ball cannoned off the keeper and went into the net. We all thought Johnson had got his hat-trick but the goal stood with [iCollett[/i] the Darlington keeper, and im sure that he would of wanted Johnson wo claim this goal.

Full-Time

Full time and a place in the FA cup third round. just what we wanted. a fantastic game by my Doncaster players with Johnson in sensational form once again and a MoM to prove it.

Prize money

With a win we secured £16,000 in prize money and a possible big match in the third round. Our Bank Balance has incredibly increased with now £955,000 in the bank.

[Guest]

FA Cup Third Round Draw

With the whole team hoping for a big team to pop out if the bag, we were left with an away trip to Leigh RMI. This might suit some fans as it might be an easy route to the fourth round but a big team would of urely meant a bigger financial package. anyway we are still happy with our draw and will be looking forward to playing Leigh RMI.

Some Games to Look Out For

Man Utd V Arsenal

Cambridge V Liverpool

Swindon or Southend V Bolton

Macclesfield V Aston Villa

[i}Some Big money games there for Cambridge and Macclesfield and i am sure that Southend would love to play liverpool if they can overcome SWindon.[/i]

[Guest]

LDV Vans trophy Semi-Fianl next

With a tense affair at Belle Vue the stakes were high.

Only one thing to report was the goal that decided this tie.

A Johnson goal on the stroke of half time that won the match for us. he also got MoM