Belles move to Millmoor

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers-belles-to-play-home-games-at-rotherham-uniteds-old-millmoor-ground-5256506

Just doesn't feel right to me. You'd think jump on the success of the lionesses but nope.

[DonnyOsmond]

That's not great optics. How have we not got anywhere suitable in the whole of Doncaster.

I remember I went to Belgium about 20 years ago, I had a bartender ask me who I supported, I said Doncaster Rovers and he goes "Ahh, Doncaster Belles!" He hadn't heard of the men's team but had the women's team. Shame whats happened to such a historic and famous club.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Doesn't look great on face value although the article says it's a temporary solution until they get a stand built at the eco.

Makes you wonder about the athletics stadium but maybe there's issues with the suitability plus access, who knows?

[Thorney]

It might only be temporary but it isnt good that club doncaster cannot find them a pitch locally.

It wont be doing any favours for their attendances being out there.

[Silkscarf]

It’ll be a sad day when Doncaster have lost the Belles. Imagine if the headline referred to Rovers in August 1998 kicking off in the Conference at Millmoor.

What are the reasons why they can’t use our stadium (you know, the one we got largely on the basis of it being a shared Doncaster Community Stadium for Rovers, Dons and Belles)?

Presumably money is the big reason. But don’t we need to subsidise Belles out of everything Club Doncaster does? Are Belles still part of this in the same way?

[drfchound]

It might only be temporary but it isnt good that club doncaster cannot find them a pitch locally.

It wont be doing any favours for their attendances being out there.

That’s a good point, about attendances.
I wonder why one of the local non league grounds isn’t suitable, Hatfield Main for instance or maybe Armthorpe.

[TonySoprano]

That's an embarrassment for club doncaster

[IDM]

Maybe club Doncaster is paying for the development outside the KM.?

If you read the article the team has played at Denaby, Retford, Thorne, but that’s not suitable for them any more.

Temporary move to get them back to Doncaster within a couple of seasons.  Hardly an embarrassment.

I don’t thing the Belles have a rivalry with Rotherham in the way Rovers do, so that’s not an issue either.

[TonySoprano]

Can't spin it any other way

[IDM]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

[selby]

  The stadium is run as a business,  and the regular use of the pitch by three sides including the Dons would not be great for the standard of the ground which we have been lucky with as far as a bad winter is concerned since it opened really.
  I would guess that one late postponement would cost more than the cost of the Belles playing at the ECO, and if they can be avoided by not overusing the playing area the reason would be cost effective.

[TonySoprano]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

[DonnyOsmond]

Isn't public transport an issue getting to Millmoor as well?

[Silkscarf]

  The stadium is run as a business,  and the regular use of the pitch by three sides including the Dons would not be great for the standard of the ground which we have been lucky with as far as a bad winter is concerned since it opened really.
  I would guess that one late postponement would cost more than the cost of the Belles playing at the ECO, and if they can be avoided by not overusing the playing area the reason would be cost effective.

Is there a long-term objective for the Belles to play in the stadium? They used to do that. Could that happen again or is there no longer a plan to achieve that?

Fair enough if there’s some plan to build a stand  at the 5G pitch (maybe with occasional use of the main stadium).

[IDM]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

Nope, just being realistic.  All you can come up with it’s an embarrassment.  No other ideas, or do you always look to knock the club.?

[TonySoprano]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

Nope, just being realistic.  All you can come up with it’s an embarrassment.  No other ideas, or do you always look to knock the club.?

would Sunderland ladies play at Newcastle? No.

[Dagenham Rover]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

Nope, just being realistic.  All you can come up with it’s an embarrassment.  No other ideas, or do you always look to knock the club.?

would Sunderland ladies play at Newcastle? No.

Would Sunderland Ladies  play in Newcastle if circumstances dictated probably but very doubtfully at St James Park! its not as if Rotherham Utd still play at Millmoor, Not ideal but a temporary solution as stated. Plenty of mens professional teams have had to groundshare  temporarily

[EasyforDennis]

Apart from friends and family, who is going to travel to Rotherham to watch the Belles?
I'm afraid it's just another step down the ladder towards ignominity.
2 seasons using Millmoor will spell the end of the Belles.

[VivaRovers]

I think it's a big shame – it doesn't feel right a Doncaster side playing outside the borough, let alone at Millmoor.

BUT, if that's the best option for the club as they look to get back on their feet and moving in the right direction then fair enough.

It's easy to criticise the decision, but the fact is that the other grounds they've tried in recent years haven't worked for them for the reasons outlined in the article, plus Armthorpe is too heavily used as Doncaster City are playing there too, and Rossington is out as they decided to set up their own women's team.

Perhaps if more people came down and supported them when they played at Thorne or Retford they'd have been able to make those locations work.

[DonnyOsmond]

Castle Park?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Imagine the absolute devastation of Rotherham having to train at the Keepmoat and play matches at Don Valley stadium. Oh yes, temporary solutions.

Obviously not ideal but it is what It is as someone has had to make a decision for the short term benefit of the Belles.

[IDM]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

Nope, just being realistic.  All you can come up with it’s an embarrassment.  No other ideas, or do you always look to knock the club.?

would Sunderland ladies play at Newcastle? No.

Irrelevant.

What’s that got to do with you saying this is embarrassing for club Doncaster.?

[TonySoprano]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

Nope, just being realistic.  All you can come up with it’s an embarrassment.  No other ideas, or do you always look to knock the club.?

would Sunderland ladies play at Newcastle? No.

Irrelevant.

What’s that got to do with you saying this is embarrassing for club Doncaster.?

You that hard of thinking ?

[IDM]

Clearly not..

[wilts rover]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

Nope, just being realistic.  All you can come up with it’s an embarrassment.  No other ideas, or do you always look to knock the club.?

would Sunderland ladies play at Newcastle? No.

Mate, Sunderland Ladies actually used to be CALLED Newcastle!!! (RTM Newcastle Kestrels)

Probably best if you actually knew something about the subjects you post about before just trying to post inflammatary rubbish to knock the club.

[TonySoprano]

Why do you have to spin it any way.?

Why does there have to be some kind of agenda in everything that happens.?

Yes, it’s not ideal, but as the article suggests, public transport to the outlying non league towns is an issue potentially effecting attendances.

Plus it’s temporary.

Im not the one trying to put a spin on it, you are

Nope, just being realistic.  All you can come up with it’s an embarrassment.  No other ideas, or do you always look to knock the club.?

would Sunderland ladies play at Newcastle? No.

Mate, Sunderland Ladies actually used to be CALLED Newcastle!!! (RTM Newcastle Kestrels)

Probably best if you actually knew something about the subjects you post about before just trying to post inflammatary rubbish to knock the club.

Well, your clearly being pedantic and ignoring my point. Either intentionally or not.

[In the box]

Are the Belles maybe just trying to make a point with the current owners that it come to moving to another stadium as we won’t accommodate??

[BobG]

A few years back it was a problem with the supporter space at the small Eco pitch.  Don't know if it still is, but that could be a very sensible reason for not playing there.

BobG

[Donnywolf]

Its not THAT long ago.that Rotherham United played at Don Valley Stadium in "shock horror" ...... Sheffield

I watched them play Wolves in League Cup ( probably Round 1 )

It was a temporary arrangement while they got their new home built so I see nothing wrong with Belles doing the same

[Donnywolf]

PS . I had no idea they were there for 4 Seasons 2008 to 12. Deffo no shame on Belles