Doncaster Rovers are our next focus as we look at all the teams that will be competing in League One during the 2014-15 season.
LAST SEASON
Doncaster Rovers suffered relegation heartbreak from the Championship on the final day of last season, and went down in similar fashion to what Posh did the season before. They travelled to league winners, Leicester, and had to hope that Birmingham lost at Bolton. It was looking good for Donny, as Lee Chung-Yong and Lucas Jutkiewicz put Wanderers 2-0 up against Birmingham, and despite losing 1-0 themselves, Doncaster would`ve been safe. But then things turned ugly, Nicola Zigic pulled one back for Lee Clark`s Birmingham, and Paul Caddis scored a dramatic equaliser in the 90th minute to save Birmingham and break Doncaster hearts. This meant that Doncaster went down on goal difference, and after one season in the Championship, they were resigned to playing League One football once more.
THE MANAGER – PAUL DICKOV
Doncaster`s 41 year old manager, Paul Dickov, had a length playing career, and he turned out for a number of different clubs in his 421 matches as a player. He started at Arsenal, scoring 4 goals in 22 games. During his time at Arsenal, he had two loan spells away from the club, at Luton and Brighton.
In 1996 he moved to Manchester City, where he played 158 games and scored 35 goals, before notching 32 goals in 89 games for Leicester City. After Leicester, he moved on to Blackburn, before returning to the blue half of Manchester for a second spell at the club. But this spell didn`t go quite as well, and he failed to score in 16 appearances.
The rest of his playing career was played at Crystal Palace, Blackpool, Leicester (again), Derby and Leeds, before he took the player manager role at Oldham Athletic. He only played 2 games for the club and announced his playing retirement mid-way through his reign, to concentrate on managing the club.
In January 2013, Dickov masterminded one of the biggest scalps in recent years, as his Oldham side ran out 3-2 winners against Liverpool in the FA Cup Fourth Round. However, he resigned just 6 days later, primarily owing to the clubs poor league form.
On 20th May 2013, the Scotsman took control of Doncaster Rovers, who were promoted to the Championship in the 2012/2013 season, but Dickov failed to keep Rovers in the league, and they suffered relegation heartbreak last season.
VISITING THE GROUND?
Doncaster play their home games at the Keepmoat Stadium. The 15,231 capacity stadium was built in 2006, and was officially opened in 2007.
The North Stand sponsored by ‘Case Construction` houses the visiting supporters at the Keepmoat, depending on the amount of away fans, they are usually situated in the corner of that stand, closest to the East Stand.
Post Code for SAT NAV: DN4 5JW
Distance from London Road: 86.3 miles
SUMMER BUSINESS SO FAR
Doncaster have lost a lot of players so far this summer, and expect to lose more. Jordan Binns, Evan Finnegan, Joshua Meade, Billy Paynter and Chris Whincop have all been released, and David Cotterill has also left the club to sign for Birmingham City.
Chris Maxted and James Coppinger have also departed the Keepmoat, and Ritchie Wellens is also expected to leave the club in the next few days.
Former Chelsea keeper, Ross Turnbull, has also left the club. He has signed a deal at fellow relegated side, Barnsley. Chris Brown has also joined another club, with Blackburn Rovers being his new home.
THEY PLAYED FOR BOTH
Ex-Posh defenders Grant Basey and Ben Futcher are among a list of players to have turned out for both clubs. Former midfielder, Paul Carden is also on that list.
Emile Sinclair spent him on loan at Doncaster from Posh, but it was an unsuccessful loan spell and a permanent deal didn`t come from it.
PAST MEETINGS
Posh and Doncaster have faced each other 35 times in the clubs histories. Posh have just edged the head to head record, winning 15 games in all competitions, to Doncasters 13. As for league competition, it is 13 a piece, but Posh have won once in the FA Cup and once in the League Cup. There have been 7 draws, and the last of those draws was last time the two teams played, in February 2012.
In October 2011, Posh welcomed Doncaster to London Road, for a Championship fixture, in a game that ended 2-1 to the visitors. It started brightly for Posh, as Grant McCann gave them the lead, but goals from Brian Stock and Kyle Bennett secured the three points for Donny.
The reverse fixture at the Keepmoat was a more memorable one for Posh. Doncaster took the lead on the stroke of half time, through former West Brom midfielder, Giles Barnes. But Posh introduced the striker they`d just paid well over a million pounds for – Tyrone Barnett. Ryan Bennett, in the last minute of his last game for the Posh, went on a storming run down the right wing, and delivered a perfect cross that saw Barnett open his account and send the visiting fans into raptures. It was a story of a player at the start of his Posh career, and one at the very end. The game ended 1-1 thanks to a moment of brilliance in the last minute.
WHAT THE BOOKIES THINK
Donny are 14/1 to win League One in 2014-15 and 4/1 to get promoted.
They are 6/4 to finish in the top six and 12/1 to get relegated.
UP THE POSH
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Photo courtesy of www.theposhpics.com
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