VSC Board Statement

The VSC Board welcomes the news of the verdict of fraud case heard at Leeds Crown Court following the reporting restriction in place until 19th September 2025.  

This case involved key figures in the failed takeover of Doncaster Rovers by Sequentia Capital in 2013.

We would further like to pass on our thanks to Judge Belcher, Tim Hannam KC and his team for the prosecution, and the jury members for reaching their decision.

Those involved in the failed takeover and now awaiting sentencing for fraud on January 8th 2026 are Kevin Phelan, Daniel Giles and Adrian Bashforth.

The takeover attempt did enormous damage to the Doncaster Rovers fanbase, which has taken many years to heal.  Public support for the Sequentia Capital takeover was expressed by many supporters despite no real information available on who was behind the bid or where the proposed funding was coming from.  Support was also given from representatives of Doncaster Rovers Supporters Club, and former club Chairman John Ryan, fronting these bids, even enlisted Louis Tomlinson to promote and help raise funds.  Tomlinson later said in a statement that he was “misled”.   

The VSC did what a Supporter’s Trust was meant to do.  We sought to scrutinise the potential new owners, particularly with regard for the good governance of the Football Club and ensuring that its future would be secure for the benefit of future generations of supporters.  The fact that we couldn’t complete this due to a lack of information and those behind Sequentia Capital being unwilling to provide it only raised further concern.

In the face of mounting pressure and speculation the VSC stood firm and worked diligently behind the scenes with various individuals and groups to help ensure that these takeovers did not succeed without full transparency.  Some of these people worked at the FA, the EFL, Supporters Direct, and the FSF.  We also received help from many Rovers fans and individuals who kept their identity secret and yet provided valuable information, and Conor Ryan, an investigative journalist then working at The Irish Examiner newspaper.  We would like to place on record our thanks to all those who supported the VSC.

Now, in the light of this verdict and at a time with Doncaster Rovers in settled and stable ownership whilst other clubs are facing an uncertain future due to ownership issues, with the recent well publicised concerns for Morecambe and Sheffield Wednesday supporters as examples, the actions of the VSC regarding the takeover attempt can finally be viewed as correct and justified by all. 

It has taken a long time to get to this point, but the truth about the people behind the ownership bid is now a matter of public record.

In the months to come we will detail more information on how the takeover bids came about and the dangers they held for the club and it’s proud supporters. We will also reach out to the club and individuals involved at the time and ask the questions that need to be asked, and ensure that we are prepared for the future.  

Football clubs are the cornerstone of communities, and by ensuring good ownership and holding it to account we can help ensure Doncaster Rovers supporters have a well-run club to enjoy for many more years to come.

Legend is a term that gets thrown around a lot in football, usually out of context or applied to people to whom the term is wholly inappropriate. James Coppinger does not belong in that category. 

Today saw genuine Rovers legend Coppinger play his last competitive game for us in the defeat to Peterborough at the end of his 17 seasons here.  This past week or so has seen Copps confirm that this really is the end, and many of the fans (including us at the VSC) were hoping for one more season, especially as fans haven't been able to see any of James's performances this season in the flesh at a game due to the Covid restrictions.  

The increasing emotional intensity of James's interviews over the past week or so have made us all realise that this was actually happening.  Our hope of a U-turn evaporated and James's decision was made, and this was real. His tears in interviews cut through us all.  The most stoic of us had a lump in our throats, as the man who many see as the cornerstone of the club, "Mr Doncaster Rovers" himself, finally drew the curtain on his playing career.

We all have our own special Copps-inspired memories, and now is definitely the time to remember them, catalogue them, savour them. There will be no more. Don't let the ones we all have and share get lost.

Thank you, James. For everything.

It is with sadness that the VSC learnt the news of Andrew Watson taking the decison to leave his position on the Board of Doncaster Rovers.

We have been aware for some months that Andrew had been considering stepping down from his Board position as Vice Chairman, which he undertook in 2016, and had been expecting this day to come.  Obviously, we would have preferred Andrew to stay, especially as a lifelong and passionate Rovers fan with the club's best interest firmly front and centre in all he did for and with the club, and we did express that opinion, but we have the utmost respect for him reaching this difficult decision.

It would be remiss of us not to mention that his participation in our club, and that of the wider Watson family, has been incredibly beneficial to all of us. Their presence in our club has seen the success, on and off the field, exceed anything that we could possibly have imagined as recently as 15 years ago. They have helped create the conditions to enable some wonderful memories, but what many fan's maybe wont appreciate is just how Andrew has participation in our fan engagement schemes. Our meetings with him found him to be enthusiatic and productive and helped the club and fans build something enduring and beneficial, something that he can always be proud of.

Andrew's sister, Sarah, is also stepping down from club involvement.  We hope to see them and the family around the stadium sometime soon, when we all can get back to enjoying our club and supporting the team. Andrew and Sarah leave with our best wishes and our continued friendship.  

It just remains to say a huge thank you to them for all they've done for the club and the fans.

Following months of discussions with Doncaster Rovers Football Club over formalising the commitment of the club and fans to work together, the VSC is delighted to announce that we and the club have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  This document provides a written framework for how the club and the VSC will operate together to ensure that fan's views are represented in the key decisions taken at the club that have an impact on supporters.  It defines activity around regular contact and meetings and defines actions placed on both the club and the co-operative.

Martin O'Hara, the VSC's secretary said "We are delighted to announce this MoU as a pathway to ensure that supporter's views are consistently heard in the strategic decisions directing the club forward that have an impact on them.  This document provides a written agreement to supporters with an assurance that the club will be receptive to their comments and ideas, and that communication will be open and constructive between the club and the VSC.  It is a major achievement for club and trust to be one of the first to agree this approach and underlines the relationship that the VSC already has with the club and the value within that which is recognised by both parties"

The terms of the MoU operate with immediate effect.

VSC Secretary Martin O'Hara talks to partners Fansbet about how the trust's relationship with the club has developed over the years. Martin also explains how the trust's first payment from FansBet will be spent.