the Dons

[coventryrover]

I think its positive.  Its all about potential revenue for the kms.  If they can make it to superleague there will be weekends when rovers aren't using the stadium that another income stream is there.

Rake you rovers blinkers off as a successful rugby league, in fact any sports team can only be beneficial.

[auckleyflyer]

My good god! its so obvious. watch the Bells get taken into team Doncaster for next to nowt, hence the hushed "nowt to do with us " when facing expulsion by the FA.
Then... there will be no complaints of a community team having the stadium, from the cash strapped councxl,  rather than the kickback if rovers alone bought it.
 Team Doncaster will get the stadium, Then my friends there is no lease no restrictions to use and its ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ all the way home.
Why do you think were attracting takeovers, none football directors and cheesed off former director who's been done like a kipper!!!!
My thoughts anyhow!

[graingrover]

If SPORTING club DONCASTER is to have as a central strategy  of development of sport in the community all centred around the stadium then it is respecting the principles that were put forward in order to get a yes vote for the stadium to be built . Maybe these are old fashioned principles and values but don't we all need more of that in out world today?
  I would be very pleased if the idea were further extended to taking over the Belles . Have you seen the work THEY do in our local community.!

[LongbridgeMGRover]

For quite a few years when i still lived in Donny, i watched the Dons a lot.
Their rise from Another Bloody Sunday in the seventies with crowds as low as 97 (and yes i was one of them!), to a Brentfordesque victory at Batley to gain promotion to the top flight where they briefly topped the table and had a sellout attendance if 6,200 against Leeds was almost to the same script as the Rovers rise from the ashes!

Those days could well return with good steady growth and prudent management.

As football becomes more bloated, greedy and expensive, RL becomes more attractive.

I am taking my wife and two kids to Wembley to see both World Cup semi finals. Total cost £100 for four of us to see two games.

[newyankee]

Hey Longbridge

 I was also in the 97, having been pushed to watch the Dons by my History teacher Derek Wilkinson who then played for the Dons.

 I suppose you can remember the Goodyears, Alan and George, George Pflaster, Marra Towle and others from that time.

  In those early days we had players like Ted Heath, Ken Burt, Brian Saville, Peter Goodchild, Kenny Rushton and more. 

  I always remember getting a get well card if not able to make a game ( joke) and the other where they trained against dustbins and always lost.

 I used to like travelling to town by bus and then walking over North Bridge to Tatters Field and then the walk home.  My favourite memory is when we drew 4-4 in the Cup to St Helens and then went to Knowsley Road and got hammered.

 

[Norfolk N Chance]

For quite a few years when i still lived in Donny, i watched the Dons a lot.
Their rise from Another Bloody Sunday in the seventies with crowds as low as 97 (and yes i was one of them!), to a Brentfordesque victory at Batley to gain promotion to the top flight where they briefly topped the table and had a sellout attendance if 6,200 against Leeds was almost to the same script as the Rovers rise from the ashes!

Those days could well return with good steady growth and prudent management.

As football becomes more bloated, greedy and expensive, RL becomes more attractive.

I am taking my wife and two kids to Wembley to see both World Cup semi finals. Total cost £100 for four of us to see two games.

Shame the people of Doncaster don't think the same?

Steady decline and even 1,000 people watching is classed as a fantastic crowd.

Sorry this really worries me as reports suggest unpaid tax bills but they won £50k but 12 months ago?

Reason for the decline in interest of the Dons is that the life blood of promotion and relegation of the super league has been removed and generally the game is poorly run!

[glosterred]

Don't let's start that rubbish all over again. They DO NOT damage the pitch.

  The Rovers are the ones who play in the winter when the weather is bad, you have had two or three very bad winters lately.

 If anything is to blame it is global warming or climate change.

Never said it was due to pitch damage, it may be another reason to get them off the pitch

COYR

[drfc1951]

I remember the front row of Goodyear Heath and Kirk,all heavyweight wrestlers.

[FilanDivorce]

Balls to the dons, this money could be spent on a loan or 2!!!

100k = 1 8k p/w player on a 3 month loan. Or 2 4k p/w players on a 3 month loan.

I'm sure Dickov and Flynn could find useful players to help us out, with that money!

[newyankee]

Yes drfc1951, and Mal Kirk alias King Kong Kirk died very young. George Goodyear could only play number 8 as they had to sew two shirts together to make one fit him. The only other oplayer I know like that was my old buddy Brendan Hill when we worked together at Halifax.

 Ted Heath came over here to the States and made a big name for himself in US wrestling.

[Wellred]

Yes drfc1951, and Mal Kirk alias King Kong Kirk died very young. George Goodyear could only play number 8 as they had to sew two shirts together to make one fit him. The only other oplayer I know like that was my old buddy Brendan Hill when we worked together at Halifax.

 Ted Heath came over here to the States and made a big name for himself in US wrestling.

Well he had to be good at something as he was a useless PM 

[LincolnDonny]

How about starting a Speedway Team as well?
We've got a narrow track already in place around the football pitch!
 

SPORTING DONCASTER!

[Wellred]

Couldn't a netball pitch be set up on the south stand concourse?

[LongbridgeMGRover]

New Yankee
....and there i was thinking i was the only one on this forum who walked over the North Bridge on Bloody Sundays!!! I lived on Belle Vue and going over the bridge was like visiting another country, i almost invariably went alone, my mates didnt want to know!! I stood on the right hand side of Tattersfelds equivalent of the popular side, near where that lovely old lass served the teas.
Watching Another Bloody Sunday again on u-tube i can see myself as the cameras pan round the derelict ground.

And Tony Banham, what an athlete!! Twenty stone at least!!!

And that glorious mud. And players having a ciggy at half time. And in proper militant Yorkshire fashion threateni g to strike because their losing bonuses werent enough!!!

[drfc1951]

I also remember the 4-4 against Saints.Should have been played on the Saturday but was snowed off.Werent we denied a win when ref disallowed a last minute drop goal.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The 'Sporting Club Doncaster' seemed a reasonable concept to me when it was muted some while ago. Baldwin said he would make the stadium work for us with view to bringing in income which can only be beneficial to the club.

I would hope that he has weighed up to pro's & cons but it is understandable at the moment that the football should have the priority. They said some while ago, they had earmarked 'emergency' funds for loans to cover injuries etc. No ideas whether this was a static fund or an elastic fund and whether the Dons money is separate.



   

[idler]

I also remember the 4-4 against Saints.Should have been played on the Saturday but was snowed off.Werent we denied a win when ref disallowed a last minute drop goal.

I went as well, wasn't it on a Thursday?
I thought that we missed a last minute penalty or drop goal but can't be sure. Hell of a game though.

[ferribyrover]

I also remember the 4-4 against Saints.Should have been played on the Saturday but was snowed off.Werent we denied a win when ref disallowed a last minute drop goal.

I went as well, wasn't it on a Thursday?
I thought that we missed a last minute penalty or drop goal but can't be sure. Hell of a game though.

I too remember the 4-4, also the beating in the replay 36-0 I think as normal order was restored. It is still very difficult to break into the rugby league upper echelons.

[newyankee]

 I also have a memory from much nearer todays date. It was the Cup Tie against Widnes.  I was Commercial Manager and we did a special programme and the game was on TV. They were the world Champions and so we invited our own World Champion, Dennis Priestley to the game.

The weather was atrocious a with almost all sport called off that day.  There was a massive snowfall and so we made a plea for supporters to come and shift the snow. One fella actually came from Conisborough, setting off at 6 am and walking all the way.  We had about 100 clearing snow, a local hardware store gave us snow shovels and the owner of Booth's let his JCB driver clear the car park.

 When Dougie Laughton and the Widnes bus turned up, three quarters of the pitch had been cleared, but he did not want to play. He asked me where the referee was. I told him that was him with the shovel on the half way line.  " That's buggered that then,"  he said, " There's no way we will get this off now.

 We did play and Arsenal who had under soil heating and 40,000 species could not get enough volunteers to clear the outside of Highbury. Who says we were little Donny, small in number but big in heart.

[drfc1951]

Newyankee, were you commercial manger after Harry Barton?

[newyankee]

Yes, I was there with Dave Sampson, Vila, Carl Hall and Ian French.

[Lifelong supporter]

LS,
Please correct me if I am wrong but don't you have a connection with Rugby? I won't be offended if you wish to deny it.

I've been to watch them, if that's what you mean.
I'm not against us taking them over and, if SC move in, I think they've already said they would like to get involved with Dons, Belles and even the athletics people!
But I take JR's point that the £100,000 would be better spent on bringing in a centre half on loan during the present injury crisis.
However, like others have said, it wouldn't take a lot of investment to try and get Dons in Super League and then they would get better crowds and increase revenue.
But most of the fans would be away supporters and it's a tricky balancing act shovelling money into Dons while at the same time making sure we don't neglect the most important team in the 'Sporting Club'.

[silent majority]

You are Dave Parker and I claim my £5!

[BobG]

Disregarding Mr Parker for just a second, I've simply got to mention Dave Varey on this thread. WHAT a man! You wouldn't want to meet him on a bright sunny afternoon, never mind a dark night if he was wearing the kit opposite to yours. He could play a little too. Him and George Pflaster....Bloody hell! I've seen nothing to compare, anywhere, since those guys. Used to love Dave Varey. Wonder what he's doing nowadays?

Cheers

BobG

[newyankee]

Yes BobG, Dave Varey what a fella, never took a step back when two forward would do. Also Graham Arrand on the wing.

 Can anyone remember the South African who shot himself and his girlfriend outside Bullars Dance Hall on St Sep?  He was fast and scored a few good tries, but he was classed as cloured in South Africa and his girlfriends father said she could not see him any more. Sallie Schroeder was his name.

 Then of course there was the biggest rogue from Rosso, the late great Mark Roache. Can you lend me a fiver, no Mark, I'll give you a fiver as I know I won't get it back.

 Finally, the biggest racist at the Dons, Audley Pennant, he always played Snow White in the club panto because he disliked black people. Odd really. But again a nice fella.  In fact I have to say that Rugby players are generally nice people. They will knock anyone's head off on the field, but once the games over they are, in most cases, as soft as a brush.

  Maybe it's because they are part timers who play for the enjoyment not the big money.

[coventryrover]

New Yankee
....and there i was thinking i was the only one on this forum who walked over the North Bridge on Bloody Sundays!!! I lived on Belle Vue and going over the bridge was like visiting another country, i almost invariably went alone, my mates didnt want to know!! I stood on the right hand side of Tattersfelds equivalent of the popular side, near where that lovely old lass served the teas.
Watching Another Bloody Sunday again on u-tube i can see myself as the cameras pan round the derelict ground.

And Tony Banham, what an athlete!! Twenty stone at least!!!

And that glorious mud. And players having a ciggy at half time. And in proper militant Yorkshire fashion threateni g to strike because their losing bonuses werent enough!!!

I am going too.  £20 to watch two international, intensely played matches at Wembley.Bargain

[roverssam1879]

It costs peanuts, not even the price of a decent midfielder. Add to that the profits they make and the potential for extra revenues into the DRFC coffers and that gives you a good enough reason. It's an investment to strengthen the playing budget.

Is that right ? , so we can bring Machede back on the fact that it will strengthen the playing budget?

Probabaly not...I cant see us spending naff all!

[Lifelong supporter]

You are Dave Parker and I claim my £5!

I'm not actually, and I don't get any free tickets to go to games either...

[drfc1951]

Yes, I was there with Dave Sampson, Vila, Carl Hall and Ian French.

You are Billy Margets and i claim my £5.

[the dons]

 :byebye:And I thought I was the only 1 who could remember those happy,sad. but GREAT days when Rugby League was played as it should be.

I was with Terry Dewsbury.Alan Goodyear,Ken Rushton and many others about a month ago. Great Memories.

Richard Huby.