The depressing future of sport in Doncaster

[DonnyOsmond]

Good write up by Paul Goodwin on our teams being priced out of ever competing at the top level.

https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/comment-why-the-dynamic-of-professional-sport-in-doncaster-is-changing-and-not-for-the-better-1-8918985/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Belles - despite being currently top won't be able to be promoted as there is a restructure again in the women's leagues and they're applying for the second tier due to cost and requirements.
Knights - just before the final against Bristol the other year they announced they wouldn't be wanting promotion due to cost of running a team at that level.
Rovers - We could potentially get in the Championship but we could never financially compete for promotion to the Premier League.
Dons - Not too sure but possibly our biggest chance. Initially in the 5 year plan it was for these to play at the top level but now its only the second tier. The long term ambition may still be the top but we'll see.

I have to agree with him sport is now more about money than skill or anything else.

[silent majority]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

[Donnywolf]

.... pity about all of them.

Knights was a good place to go when Rovers were away but they cant compete with the Premiership Clubs coming down and apparently know it would be futile - but - I have stopped going now because the price of a similar ticket there has now outstripped a comparable one at Rovers

[graingrover]

It would help somewhat if they all regrouped on the Club Doncaster platform. Belles have hitherto insisted on remaining independent but clearly cannot afford the £350,000 pa the FA require for a Grade 1 license

.

[DMnumber4]

It would help somewhat if they all regrouped on the Club Doncaster platform. Belles have hitherto insisted on remaining independent but clearly cannot afford the £350,000 pa the FA require for a Grade 1 license

.

Why shouldn't they? Fair play to them for wanting to be stand-alone. Women's FA want an independent competition which isn't dictated to by the men's game but then wants the money generated by men's sides. You can't have it both ways, so are left with the instances of Notts County (formerly Lincoln) and Sunderland who dispense with the women's teams when the men's sides under perform.

[since-1969]

It only takes ambition to grow and you’ve got as long as takes to fulfill it .

[RedJ]

It would help somewhat if they all regrouped on the Club Doncaster platform. Belles have hitherto insisted on remaining independent but clearly cannot afford the £350,000 pa the FA require for a Grade 1 license

.

Why shouldn't they? Fair play to them for wanting to be stand-alone. Women's FA want an independent competition which isn't dictated to by the men's game but then wants the money generated by men's sides. You can't have it both ways, so are left with the instances of Notts County (formerly Lincoln) and Sunderland who dispense with the women's teams when the men's sides under perform.

There isn't a women's FA.

[selby]

  Not a lot will change though, as the town has hardly competed at the top table in the past when it was a realistic option.
   The Belles were at the top when Ladies football was amateur, and poorly  supported, The Dons flirted with the top table for one or two seasons, and The Rovers have only had the odd couple of cup runs that have made a small ripple in over a hundred years.
  The question is does it really matter, I doubt if any Manchester United fan has had any more pleasure following their club, than I and many more of our supporters get following the Rovers.
  Does anyone really think that any Manchester United fan takes as much pleasure out of the game than Paul Mayfield for instance.
  The money go round and greed at the top table will be its own undoing, if I was to hazard a guess it would be a European Super League, but only one super club can win that. I wonder how many fans would go to watch the London and Manchester clubs when they have finished 8th for about six seasons like Everton do in our league.

[Filo]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

Between 1935 to 1958 our average crowds were in double figures, but we could n't make it higher than tier 2, so we did n't capitalise when the crowds were there really

http://european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/donr.htm

[DMnumber4]

What top flight sides (in these respective sports) does Sheffield have?

Granted, SWFC & SUFC could make it to the Premier League - and they could both do it this season - but the point remains.

[DonnyOsmond]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

I agree with that, were a town of 300,000 and our biggest club is lucky to get 3% of that. Whereas look at Burnley.

I don't think there's enough chance of smaller clubs ever getting up there though minus the crowds. I think the last few years of the women's game proves they don't care and just want those big name teams in their top division. I bet if Man Utd started a team tomorrow they'd be straight in the top division.

[DonnyOsmond]

What top flight sides (in these respective sports) does Sheffield have?

Granted, SWFC & SUFC could make it to the Premier League - and they could both do it this season - but the point remains.

Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Steelers?

Just read the respective sports part. It doesn't what sport. They still have top flight teams.

[Alan Southstand]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

Size of crowds at Bournemouth were nearly the same as ours when they were in the Championship!

[since-1969]

All it takes is a winning team no matter who you support or what sport you follow . If your watching a team that’s trying you’ll keep coming back  .

[silent majority]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

Size of crowds at Bournemouth were nearly the same as ours when they were in the Championship!

And?

It still doesn't change the fact that the Doncaster public won't turn out and support their local teams.

[anne honemous]

With ourselves, it's not unfeasible that we could get promoted and then promoted again to the Premier League.

It would either take huge sums of investment (unlikely with our current board) or getting a squad together that's capable of having one lucky season in the Championship, where we somehow win promotion - if Blackpool, Huddersfield, Barnsley, years ago, and other unfashionable teams have done it, there's still hope for ourselves.

It's incredibly bloody unlikely but not impossible.

[steve@dcfd]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

Size of crowds at Bournemouth were nearly the same as ours when they were in the Championship!

And?

It still doesn't change the fact that the Doncaster public won't turn out and support their local teams.

Over 5000 went to Arsenal a proportion of those just went to that game. Success on the field especially in the Championship would see crowds returning at the Rovers. League 2 success was not enough for floating supporters, we may get more if we got to the dizzy heights of League 1 top 2.

Women’s football is hard to judge. The top teams like Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea attendances are dropping. Even ManCity have an average of 2000 and their attendances are dropping.

Rugby Union attendances in the Championship for most clubs are between 2000 and 3000. The capacity of Knights is 5000 even if they win the Championship the costs in the Premiership would be prohibitive that’s why they have made decision about not moving up.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

The latest I read about the Belles is they were centering their training around the Keepmoat so it looks like their proposed centre of excellence near Bawtry has been shelved?

We seem to be a 'cosmopolitan' town where many people commute in from other towns and villages, or have moved from other towns, where their support for other sports teams is already established. We're full of service industries and warehousing where I guess the average wage is on or below the national average.

Doncaster is distinctly an average town which is struggling to maintain an identity.

In football terms it would take something big to stimulate interest for people to jump on, or back on the bandwagon.

I guess for those in charge of all our sports clubs just see the leap of faith just too risky financially. Who can blame them.

It's a shame because, the town needs something for us to feel good about, and I thought the Rovers had a good a chance as any to progress this season to the top end of the league. Ticket sales and attendances were encouraging, but we're on the cusp of slipping back again.

[Chris Black come back]

I have been pleasantly surprised by attendances this season and for some considerable time, we had a high utilisation rate for home seats when we were in Championship. Granted it must be like pulling teeth for any folk trying to make ends meet for professional sport in Donny though.

[selby]

  Looks like the pips are beginning to squeak,  even at Manchester United, their supporters are baulking at the £133 price of an away ticket in the Champions League match in Italy.
  It will end in tears.

[deebee]

How many went to Cardif and Wembly. The support is their. Build it and they will come.

[DMnumber4]

What top flight sides (in these respective sports) does Sheffield have?

Granted, SWFC & SUFC could make it to the Premier League - and they could both do it this season - but the point remains.

Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Steelers?

Just read the respective sports part. It doesn't what sport. They still have top flight teams.

Course it matters. Getting to the top flight in those sports is a damn sight easier financially than it is in football and both rugby codes and that's what this is all about.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

Size of crowds at Bournemouth were nearly the same as ours when they were in the Championship!

The population Bournemouth is half that of Doncaster, so their crowds are a bigger percentage of the populace than ours.

[drfchound]

Size of crowds. We're rubbish at supporting our local teams.

Size of crowds at Bournemouth were nearly the same as ours when they were in the Championship!

The population Bournemouth is half that of Doncaster, so their crowds are a bigger percentage of the populace than ours.

Do they have as many teams in the area pulling supporters away though, the likes of the Sheffield teams and Leeds ?

[graingrover]

I think the Rovers have analysed this issue well before Liam Holden penned his downbeat article and they are doing all they can to work in the community through the Foundation and Club Doncaster to build a platform that is sustainable . Belles not in my view and they were taken over by the Lygo family and have very limited resources and have seen the deaprture of their best players over the last three years ;Beth England , Leandra Little , Sweetman Kirk and the goalkeeper Hobbs.. They don't necessarily need to be 'taken over' by Rovers to gain the advantages of a shared platform for attracting sponsors , pooling resources , cutting admin cost by eliminating double functions but most of all by presenting a common front on all community work at schools sports clubs etc .. all possible on the Club Doncaster platform.

[chrisd_123]

I think the Rovers have analysed this issue well before Liam Holden penned his downbeat article and they are doing all they can to work in the community through the Foundation and Club Doncaster to build a platform that is sustainable . Belles not in my view and they were taken over by the Lygo family and have very limited resources and have seen the deaprture of their best players over the last three years ;Beth England , Leandra Little , Sweetman Kirk and the goalkeeper Hobbs.. They don't necessarily need to be 'taken over' by Rovers to gain the advantages of a shared platform for attracting sponsors , pooling resources , cutting admin cost by eliminating double functions but most of all by presenting a common front on all community work at schools sports clubs etc .. all possible on the Club Doncaster platform.

I think your information is very outdated.

Firstly, no matter what position the Belles are in, if Everton, Chelsea et al come calling, players leave. If a Middlesbrough/Sunderland came in for Marquis do you really expect him to stay with Rovers? You also need to take into account the relegation which could happen with no funding or a lot of funding. Plus, Leandra Little is still at the club.

In the last year or so the Rovers and Belles have made big inroads in relationships including having the RTC (Regional Talent Club) based at the keepmoat now.

I can't give too much information but your notion of the Belles not wanting to form any relationship with the Rovers is far from the truth. Independence is and has always been a USP of the Belles but discussions have been taking place over various aspects in which the two can work together for some time but these things don't happen overnight.

[DonnyOsmond]

I think they should keep their independence in the name Belles, the yellow and blue colours but they should definitely join up financially. They'll never be able to compete with Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal on their own. This was one of the biggest women's club in England thrown aside because its Doncaster.

Ideally for me, we get everyone under Club Doncaster and get as much investment in as possible.

[Colemans Left Hook]

has it ever dawned on anyone that if Doncaster could secure City status (poxy Brighton even did it years ago) then this might be a catalyst  to an upturn

[Axholme Lion]

 Would you really want to be in the Premier League?
As much enjoyment can be taken from following your team whatever league they compete in.

[drfchound]

The ground would be full every week.