1997–98 Doncaster Rovers F.C. season

Doncaster Rovers
1997–98 season
Chairman Ken Richardson
Manager Kerry Dixon (until August)
Dave Cowling (during October)
Danny Bergara (during November)
Danny Bergara[1] and Mark Weaver (from November to May)
Stadium Belle Vue
Third Division 24th (relegated)
FA Cup First round
League Cup First round
Football League Trophy First round
Top goalscorer League:
Prince Moncrieffe (8)

All:
Prince Moncrieffe (8)
Highest home attendance 4,547 (vs. Nottingham Forest, 11 August)
Lowest home attendance 580 (vs. Rochdale, 9 December)
Average home league attendance 1,772[2]

During the 1997–98 English football season, Doncaster Rovers competed in the Football League Third Division. Doncaster had an awful season finishing bottom of the table and being relegated to the Football Conference. They lost 34 matches, setting a new league record.

Season summary

Doncaster suffered the worst season in their history. They were rooted to the bottom of the table for almost the entirety of the season, had to wait 21 matches for a first league victory of the season, won only four league games all season, finished 15 points adrift of 23rd-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and lost 34 league games, the most for any English club in a season - the worst of these defeats being 7-1 at Cardiff City (who finished 21st) and 8-0 at Leyton Orient. This poor form saw Doncaster rightly relegated from the Football League to the Conference for the first time in their history.[3]

Rovers' poor form came amidst a background of gross interference and poor judgement from the board. Player-manager Kerry Dixon was sacked in August; youth-team coach Dave Cowling replaced him, but only managed the club for two games (losing both) before resigning due to interference from chairman Ken Richardson. Cowling was replaced by experienced Uruguayan Danny Bergara, who allowed Richardson to pick the team: Bergara lasted seven games, picking up only two points. Eventually Richardson's right-hand man Mark Weaver appointed himself manager.

Just weeks after Rovers were relegated, Richardson was found guilty of attempting to set fire to Belle Vue, apparently to claim insurance money to pay off the club's debt.

Kit

Rovers wore four kits during the season, all produced by new kit manufacturer Olympic Sports. The first, worn from August to September, featured sleeves with jagged red shapes on a white background. An alternate kit, with the jagged red shapes also featured on white panels on the sides of the shorts, was also used during this period. From October to April Rovers wore a red kit with white panels on the sides of the shorts, plain red socks with a white band around the ankle and a buttoned collar; this kit was the only one worn by Doncaster this season to bear the club's crest. During May the club returned to wear the first kit, albeit with completely red shorts.[4] The away kit evoked that worn by the Brazil national side, with a yellow shirt with green collar, sky blue shorts with white panels on the side, and white socks.[5]

None of the kits worn by Doncaster this season carried sponsorship.

Final league table

Pos Team Pl W D L F A Pts
1. Notts County 46 29 12 5 82 43 99
2. Macclesfield Town 46 23 13 10 63 44 82
3. Lincoln City 46 20 15 11 60 51 75
4. Colchester United 46 21 11 14 72 60 74
5. Torquay United 46 21 11 14 68 59 74
6. Scarborough 46 19 15 12 67 58 72
7. Barnet 46 19 13 14 61 51 70
8. Scunthorpe United 46 19 12 15 56 52 69
9. Rotherham United 46 16 19 11 67 61 67
10. Peterborough United 46 18 13 15 63 51 67
11. Leyton Orient 46 19 12 15 62 47 66
12. Mansfield Town 46 16 17 13 64 55 65
13. Shrewsbury Town 46 16 13 17 61 62 61
14. Chester City 46 17 10 19 60 61 61
15. Exeter City 46 15 15 16 68 63 60
16. Cambridge United 46 14 18 14 63 57 60
17. Hartlepool United 46 12 23 11 61 53 59
18. Rochdale 46 17 7 22 56 55 58
19. Darlington 46 14 12 20 56 72 54
20. Swansea City 46 13 11 22 49 62 50
21. Cardiff City 46 9 23 14 48 52 50
22. Hull City 46 11 8 27 56 83 41
23. Brighton & Hove Albion 46 6 17 23 38 66 35
24. Doncaster Rovers 46 4 8 34 30 113 20
Key
Promoted to Division 2
Qualified for the promotion playoff
Relegated to Conference

Results

Doncaster's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Division Three

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
19 August 1997 Shrewsbury TownA1 – 23,029Conlon
216 August 1997 Peterborough UnitedH0 – 51,920
323 August 1997 Macclesfield TownA0 – 32,635
430 August 1997 Exeter CityH0 – 11,186
52 September 1997 Leyton OrientH1 – 41,098
65 September 1997 Mansfield TownA1 – 12,874Moncrieffe
713 September 1997 Scunthorpe UnitedA1 – 13,378McDonald
820 September 1997 Cambridge UnitedH0 – 01,258
927 September 1997 Torquay UnitedA0 – 21,650
104 October 1997 Brighton & Hove AlbionH1 – 32,351Cunningham
1111 October 1997 Hartlepool UnitedH2 – 21,526Moncrieffe (2)
1218 October 1997 DarlingtonA1 – 52,451Moncrieffe
1321 October 1997 Colchester UnitedA1 – 22,588McDonald
1424 October 1997 Swansea CityH0 – 31,170
151 November 1997 ScarboroughA0 – 42,345
164 November 1997 Cardiff CityH1 – 11,004Moncrieffe
178 November 1997 BarnetA1 – 12,015Warren
1818 November 1997 Lincoln CityA1 – 22,957Moncrieffe
1922 November 1997 RochdaleH0 – 31,503
2029 November 1997 Hull CityA0 – 34,721
212 December 1997 Chester CityH2 – 1846Helliwell, Smith
2213 December 1997 Notts CountyA2 – 54,024Pell, Smith
2319 December 1997 Rotherham UnitedH0 – 33,533
2428 December 1997 Leyton OrientA0 – 84,437
2510 January 1998 Shrewsbury TownH1 – 01,116Moncrieffe
2617 January 1998 Exeter CityA1 – 54,145Pemberton
2727 January 1998 Macclesfield TownH0 – 31,707
2830 January 1998 Scunthorpe UnitedA1 – 22,036Mike
293 February 1998 Mansfield TownH0 – 31,538
307 February 1998 Cambridge UnitedA1 – 22,478Wilson
3110 February 1998 Peterborough UnitedA1 – 04,577Smith
3214 February 1998 Brighton & Hove AlbionA0 – 06,339
3321 February 1998 Torquay UnitedH0 – 11,424
3424 February 1998 DarlingtonH0 – 21,342
3528 February 1998 Hartlepool UnitedA1 – 31,920Rowe
363 March 1998 BarnetH0 – 2739
3710 March 1998 ScarboroughH1 – 21,129Rowe
3814 March 1998 Cardiff CityA1 – 72,931Mike
3921 March 1998 Lincoln CityH2 – 42,357George, Donnelly
4028 March 1998 RochdaleA1 – 41,858Tedaldi
414 April 1998 Hull CityH1 – 02,597Mike
4211 April 1998 Chester CityA1 – 21,593Mike
4313 April 1998 Notts CountyH1 – 22,485Messer
4418 April 1998 Rotherham UnitedA0 – 34,328
4525 April 1998 Swansea CityA0 – 03,661
462 May 1998 Colchester UnitedH0 – 13,572

FA Cup

Main article: 1997–98 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R115 November 1997 Preston North EndA2 – 37,953Mike, Hammond

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R1 1st Leg11 August 1997 Nottingham ForestH0 – 84,547
R1 2nd Leg27 August 1997 Nottingham ForestA1 – 29,908Armstrong (o.g.)

Football League Trophy

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R19 December 1997 RochdaleH0 – 1580

Squad

Appearances for competitive matches only

Name League FA Cup League Cup Football League Trophy Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
England Robert Betts 2(1)00000002(1)0
England John Borg 1000000010
England Darren Brookes 9(2)010200(1)012(3)0
England Ian Clark 1(1)00000001(1)0
England Paul Conlon 4(10)10000004(10)1
England Harvey Cunningham 32(1)1001(1)01034(2)1
England Craig Davis 150000010160
England Robert Debenham 4(2)00000004(2)0
Scotland Jim Dobbin 28(3)010001030(3)0
England Mark Donnelly 8(1)10000008(1)1
England Wayne Dowell 1000000010
England Paul Edwards 5(4)00000005(4)0
England David Esdaille 9(3)000200011(3)0
England Darren Esdaille 22(1)000100023(1)0
England Gary Finley 6(1)00010007(1)0
England Daniel George 16(2)100000016(2)1
England Ian Gore 250102010290
England Andrew Hammond 100(1)1000011
England Steve Hawes 8(3)00000008(3)0
England Mark Hawthorne 7(1)00000007(1)0
England Ian Helliwell 8100001091
England Maurice Hilton 9(1)010000010(1)0
England Gary Hoggeth 8000000080
England Gary Ingham 100002000120
England Simon Ireland 340101(1)01037(1)0
Scotland Martin McDonald 152102000182
England Gary Messer 4(9)10000004(9)1
England Adie Mike 424112010465
Jamaica Prince Moncrieffe 30(8)810201034(8)8
England Tony Parks 6000000060
England Robert Pell 6(4)10000006(4)1
England Martin Pemberton 24(2)1000(1)00024(3)1
England John Ramsay 2(8)00(1)00(1)0002(10)0
England Zeke Rowe 6200000062
England Matt Russell 4(1)00000004(1)0
England Steve Sanders 19(6)000201022(6)0
England Michael Smith 10(10)310101013(10)3
Wales Dominico Tedaldi 0(2)10000000(2)1
England Rob Thornley 1000000010
England Andy Thorpe 2000000020
England Darren Utley 2(2)00000002(2)0
England Lee Warren 441101010471
England Dean Williams 6010000070
England Paddy Wilson 101000000101

References

  1. Bergara was appointed Director of Football and worked alongside general manager Mark Weaver as the "management team"
  2. 42528/24
  3. http://www.statto.com/football/teams/doncaster-rovers/1997-1998
  4. "Doncaster Rover - Historical Football Kits". Historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  5. "Iconic Change Kits - Historical Football Kits". Historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-07.

External links

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