doncaster rovers 1908/09 photo

[vaya]

This is a fantastic thread. Great read.

[idler]

This is a fantastic thread. Great read.

It is also great to have a thread that stays focussed and no arguing or name calling. A pleasure to read this thread.

[andy didcott]

Great photo, got to be at 90years old at least,also kid behind the shield, would love to know who he was, guess we will never find out for sure.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Great photo, got to be at 90years old at least,also kid behind the shield, would love to know who he was, guess we will never find out for sure.

The mascot is either a kid...or a jockey!!

Which brings me back to the conundrum. The non playing people in the photo mostly appear to be wearing rosettes which, as others suggest, were usually worn on special occasions like a cup final.

What we know so far.

It is Belle Vue
The date is somewhere between 1922 and 1927.
The Shield is not the Div 3 North Championship
It's not the Wharncliffe Charity Cup
It's not the Sheffield County Cup


Is it a DRFC first or reserve team? Possibly. (The striped kit pretty much matches what was worn in that period although it's not the kit of the 26/27 season which had red collars and white shorts)
Do we have a positive player ID? Possibly. Only one but difficult with quality of photos.

[Silkscarf]

It’s not a school team but I remember shields from local schoolboy competitions - the ‘Major Clarke’, ‘Gundry’ and ‘Bryn Jones’ shields for example.

I suppose shields may have been more common than cups due to cost and ease of manufacture.

[GlennKirkwoodFanClub]

Going back to the original post.

Andrew, what can you tell us about the photograph? How have you ended up with it? Has it been handed down to you through a family member for example. If you are able to put a name on just one player, it will probably be enough for us to identify the team.

[Andrew Sanderson]

got the photo in a job lot of items relating to the career of jim harkin who played for doncaster mansfield peterbrough and played cricket in the south yorkshire league

[Silkscarf]

Going back to the original post.

Andrew, what can you tell us about the photograph? How have you ended up with it? Has it been handed down to you through a family member for example. If you are able to put a name on just one player, it will probably be enough for us to identify the team.

Also - what made you think it might be the 1908/09 season?

[GlennKirkwoodFanClub]

I think I may have an answer. Whether it is the correct answer, is not so sure.

With the name Jim Harkin, I was able to find that he played one game for Rovers in the 1934/35 season. He also made 33 appearances for the Midland League side. The first team were champions of 3rd Division (Northern Section). The reserves finished 12th in the Midland League.

The attachments to this message are from the 1935/36 Supporters Club Handbook:

The 34/35 squad photograph on which Jim Harkin
Page 21 showing the Midland League stats
Page 30 the second page of profiles.

On that Midland League page it mentions the Goal scorers in the Doncaster Invitation Cup. I know the picture in question shows a shield, but it is possible that it is the trophy we are looking for.

So any of you out there, can you see any similar faces in the team picture from 1934/35 compared to Andrew's original post. From the names on the picture you can probably work out the most likely to be in the reserve side.

I think the striped kit may be just a change kit used for the one game and it is likely that an kit from a few seasons before could have been used.
   

[roversdude]

Excellent detective work GKFC noted the team photo also by Mason

[GlennKirkwoodFanClub]

Good spot. I hadn't noticed that.

[tommy toes]

The first player top left looks to me like Jack Buckley, who made hundreds of appearances for the Rovers. He was there from 1924 to 1932. This may be late in his career.
I knew him quite well towards the end of his life.
He died in 1985.
Edit:
Those who have the ‘Donny’ book, see the team photo from 1926/27 and compare the photo of Jack with the one on here I identified as him.

[wilts rover]

Jim Harkin was born in 1913 and played his one and only game for Rovers in the final match of the 1934-35 Div 3 (North) Championship winning season away at Halifax. Here he is in the team photo for the 1935-36 season.

I can't definitely identify him in the original photo (unless he is the mascot?). Which would make sense if it does show a team at Belle Vue prior to the extension of the main stand in 1927 when Harkin would be 14. Maybe the photo shows a relative of his?

[hamiltonrover]

I think I may have an answer. Whether it is the correct answer, is not so sure.

With the name Jim Harkin, I was able to find that he played one game for Rovers in the 1934/35 season. He also made 33 appearances for the Midland League side. The first team were champions of 3rd Division (Northern Section). The reserves finished 12th in the Midland League.

The attachments to this message are from the 1935/36 Supporters Club Handbook:

The 34/35 squad photograph on which Jim Harkin
Page 21 showing the Midland League stats
Page 30 the second page of profiles.

On that Midland League page it mentions the Goal scorers in the Doncaster Invitation Cup. I know the picture in question shows a shield, but it is possible that it is the trophy we are looking for.

So any of you out there, can you see any similar faces in the team picture from 1934/35 compared to Andrew's original post. From the names on the picture you can probably work out the most likely to be in the reserve side.

I think the striped kit may be just a change kit used for the one game and it is likely that an kit from a few seasons before could have been used.
   

In 34/35 Rovers reached the Doncaster Challenge Cup Final (Reserve Comp) however were defeated 1-0 by Thurnscoe Victoria, and according to my info, Harkin was not selected.

So not sure where that leaves things!!

[Bristol Red Rover]

Interesting thread. The shirts are varied in a few way, most notably on the thickness of stripes. Suggesting not first team.