John Mitchell

[Bristol Red Rover]

Unlikely that we'll be signing him... I wanted to share a little about this unsung majesty of our club from the 1800s.

He was in the first game Rovers played after they named themselves against Rawmarsh in 1879, and likely that he also played in "that" game against the Deaf School. He then went to Newton Heath LYR (ie Manchester United) immediately after we played them. Thats in the Bluff book. I created a wiki page on him after finding out further info that maybe wasn't known about him amongst our historians?

He went on to have a great career with Newton Heath playing 204 games, including winning 4 Manchester Cups. But in the middle of this he had a spell at Bolton Wanderers, playing for them in the first two saturdays of the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888.

As far as I know thats a unique, and highly significant achievement from an ex-Rovers player of that time, never mind one from that first side we had. Also, it seems likely from browsing birth records (though I can't confirm it) that he was a Donny lad too.

[Draytonian III]

I thought he was the weatherman on Calander

[graingrover]

BRR .. worthy of a place on a Rovers Wall of Honours somewee at the Keepmoat.If you can trawl  pic of that first team it would be a real scoop.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Excellent idea about a wall of Rovers greats - there's a fair few from those early days, Mitchell definitely being one of them.

The earliest Rovers pic I've seen is the 1884-85 team pic in the Bluff book (Donny:Doncaster Rovers F.C. The Complete History), and it says there thats the earliest known pic of them. Assuming that was taken in the season before the game on 7th Feb against Newton Heath, he's likely to be one of them. Albert Jenkins is reported as one of the players in that season, so is likely to be there too - which one though!

Here's a very ropey pic of Mitchell in his Newton Heath days from a Man U site, which IMO makes him possibly the 2nd from left on the front row in that Donny pic


It may be poss to get a better one of him from a Bolton book or archives, though there's nothing on the net I've seen.

[wilts rover]

Excellent find BRR, try dropping the Football Museum an email, maybe they have something on him?

[DadsleyRover]

I have just found two census details for John Mitchel in 1881 in Doncaster as a joiner and 1891 in Newton as a footballer. If anyone is interested in the material then PM me.

[les@donr]

Unlikely that we'll be signing him... I wanted to share a little about this unsung majesty of our club from the 1800s.

He was in the first game Rovers played after they named themselves against Rawmarsh in 1879, and likely that he also played in "that" game against the Deaf School. He then went to Newton Heath LYR (ie Manchester United) immediately after we played them. Thats in the Bluff book. I created a wiki page on him after finding out further info that maybe wasn't known about him amongst our historians?

He went on to have a great career with Newton Heath playing 204 games, including winning 4 Manchester Cups. But in the middle of this he had a spell at Bolton Wanderers, playing for them in the first two saturdays of the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888.

As far as I know thats a unique, and highly significant achievement from an ex-Rovers player of that time, never mind one from that first side we had. Also, it seems likely from browsing birth records (though I can't confirm it) that he was a Donny lad too.

Interesting information. My suggestion would be to add these details about John Mitchell to the Legends Wall thread, so we can have in one place suggestions as to who should grace a Rovers Legends Wall. You make a very strong case for John Mitchell.