Former player to return?

Mentioned just about everywhere recently, fans have asked if a former could return, some I agree with, some I don't,  below is a quick list.

Brian Stock - The midfielder joined Rovers initially in 2006 on loan from Preston. He signed the following transfer window for £150,000. Stock was an important part in midfield, and captained the club to a Wembley winning promotion. This attracted a fair bit of interest in Stocky, who was most memorably linked with Wolves for 2.5 Million, however this never happened. Stock made 178 appearances for Rovers before a 2012 move to Burnley.
After 2 seasons at Burnley, following their promotion to the Premiership, he was released and became a free agent. This has led many fans to wonder if a keepmoat return is on the cards, he did return for a charity match, however I do not believe it will go further then this. Brian is now 32, and in my opinion we should be building a younger squad capable of Championship survival. Especially if Wellens stays on, we could have a midfield of pensioners, Richie, Brian and Paul Keegan, which wouldn't be grumbled at for next season, but I doubt they could take us forward the season after.
As for Brian, I think a League 1 club will snap him up, and he will be a great asset, but for Rovers, we should look at other targets.

Paul Green - Ok, I'll admit it, I'd love Greeny back. He fell out of favour at Leeds, after joining from Derby and has been released. He had spent the back end of last season on loan to Ipswich, despite now being 31, that was his first loan spell. Greeny is a Rovers legend making 236 appearances in a spell that saw him joing a conference club's youth team, a stay with them to League 1 promotion. Many fans have said Paul's motor in midfield is exactly what's needed, however the same applies as with Stock, at 31, could we get a few more seasons out of him that we need? Maybe, I'm not sure. But with budget cuts, an no doubt Greeny has been on a decent wage, I imagine he will stay at a Championship club, possibly Ipswich.

Billy Sharp - Unlikely to return, his latest spell was a sad one for all involved, clearly out of match fitness. Where is he off next? Well Blades fans believe he is returning to Bramhall Lane. But I think if he gets fit he could do a job in the Championship as he has proved many times before. Is he returning to Rovers? No, it's very unlikely. We can't afford his wages and based on last season, we need a different type of striker.

Ryan Mason - Still at Spurs, however his contract is up in the summer. He has bags of skill and potential,  since his time at Rovers he has spent loan spells with Millwall,  Lorent and Swindon, where he scored 5 in 18, a good return for a midfielder, and in League 1. Remember Ryan is only 22, the type of player I believe we should be focusing on, can perform in League 1 and has the potential to progress. Could we afford his wages? I don't know, would he come back? I don't know. But I would welcome him. A good creative midfielder.

Milan lalkovic - Still at Chelsea and still just, unfortunately for him there are players in the first team of Chelsea, his age or younger. Like Ryan Mason, his contract runs out in the summer and looks likely to move. Could we afford his wages? Well he was rumoured to be on a fair wack at Chelsea. His last loan spell was at Walsall, where he was liked by the fans, he scored 6 goals in 38 appearances. Could he come back? It's unlikely, I think Harry Forrester could be a better option.

Bryon Webster - Centre Back never got a good enough chance at Rovers following Darius Henderson's elbow. He looked promising then, and Yeovil seem to of beafed him up and brought out his best. I believe he is still under contract at Yeovil, but following their relegation he has been linked with a number of Championship clubs including Ipswich and Leeds.

Paul Heffernan - Stop It, yes O'Driscoll maybe should of given him more playing time and he might be doing well in Scotland, playing in the SPL, but Heffs isn't what we need right now, people have wanted him back every window since he left.

James O'Connor - Out of Contract in the summer at Derby, been on loan to Bristol City, until injury forced his return to Derby. He has had a lack of football this season, now aged 29 he could be a possible target. I'm unsure about this one, he could be a decent signing.

JET - Former Arsenal prospect, currently playing for Bristol City with still 1 year remaining on his contract. He could be awful and lazy all game and have a moment of brilliance. He has bags of skill, but he work rate was never there. I would take him back, but I believe he would cost too much to take the risk. That said, he has scored 15 in 46 at league 1 level.

James Baxendale - Since leaving Rovers he has proved himself to be a useful player at Walsall,  whilst many question why we let him go, unfortunately his position is one we are strong in, with Copps, Cotts, Duffy, Forrester and even Bennett.

El Hadji Diouf - After leaving Rovers he joined Leeds, and like Paul Green has been released. Diouf enjoyed his short spell at Doncaster, and there is doubting his excellence. However, it is unlikely he will return, due to the league and wages, I wouldn't be surprised to see him play in America.

John Lundstram - Still at Everton, although I believe his contract is up in the summer. Since helping Rovers to League 1 victory he has had loan spells at Yeovil Town and Leyton Orient. He could certainly do a job, but I am expecting him to be given another year at Everton, if he is released by Everton, a top end Championship or lower end Premiership club would snap him up for the future.

Fabien Robert - Former loanee at Doncaster, still at Lorent, now 25 with 1 year remaining on his contract. Unlikely to be a target but added to this list anyway.

So sometimes it is better to move on then go back. Players such as Stock who were great players have sadly peaked, and we should be using the drop to League 1 as a chance to bring through younger players. The ideal situation is Dickov puts together a team that can earn Promotion and then keep going in the Championship, with 1 or 2 additions. This cannot be done signing a load of 32 year olds.
Do not get me wrong, we need leaders on the pitch,  Rob Jones, Richie Wellens but these should be there to guide younger players.

Thanks for Reading, what are you thoughts? Who would you like to see back?

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Season Review 2013-14

It's over for another year, a season that has many ifs and buts, and has no doubt gave us every emotion. Fitting to this I have contacted a die hard Rovers fan called Josh Arnold to write his season's review. Many of you may know Josh, if not by name, probably by face in and around the grounds. Josh has not missed a game this campaign, which makes him very qualified to give his views. I would like to express my thanks to Josh for taking the time to write this, you have been great!

Enjoy!

Doncaster Rovers Fc season review 2013-2014

What another roller coaster season once again following Doncaster rovers it came down to the last minute of the last game of the season to decide our fate. The fans and players felt every emotion going until the final whistle sounded at the end of the Leicester match. The result didn’t go our way but no one could have blamed any of the players for the determination and effort to play for the shirt and attempt to keep us up in the championship.
Pre-Season was very tough and a lot of unrest with news of a possible takeover by Sequentia Capital. The Takeover talk came at the wrong time in my opinion during last summer we needed a clear plan to allow us to build a good enough squad in order for us to stay up. The takeover talk was still surrounding the club with a week before the season which didn’t help but the players we managed to bring in with the small amount of time we had was very pleasing. The quality of Mark Duffy, Harry Forrester, and Ross Turnbull was great and it showed that Paul Dickov contacts in the game managed to help us get these types of players in. Throughout pre-season I was confident we were good enough to avoid the drop which was always our target.  
We started off the season with a similar team to what we went up with which was a good decision by Paul Dickov because every player deserved their chance for a few months to show us what they can do and in the first month we picked up a few notable results with a win against Blackburn and a Draw against Wigan. The following month in September we picked up 5 points so it was very pleasing to have picked up 9 points in the first two months with us dropping points against teams because of referring decisions i.e. Watford away. From October this is when we our form began to drop with such a small squad we started to pick up injuries and with the lack of experience began to show. In October we started to concede a lot more goals with a 4-0 and a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough and reading respectively. 
November provided to be a better month for us with us picking up a great win at home to QPR which raised many eyebrows in the championship because QPR was on form at that time with Charlie Austin scoring goals left right and centre. The disappointing factor was that we dropped four points to other relegation candidates Charlton and Barnsley which was disappointing because we should have been looking to win in them type of matches. December one the most vital months in the football season it can prove vital because you play lots of game over a short time. In December this is the month I started to get nervous about because we had lots of key injuries at this point and the results can speak for themselves. We managed to concede 13 goals in six games which is great but we had to have a makeshift defence before we could improve in January.
January couldn’t come quickly enough and thank fully Paul Dickov was heavily backed by the board with the signings of Abdoulaye Méïté, Gabriel Tamaș and Billy Sharp. These players were very pleasing for the fans to see with the amount of experience and quality they would bring to the club. The Signing of Abdoulaye Méïté particularly worked the best he managed to play in the majority of the games. In every game he played he might not have the pace but he had a good footballing brain and he was always there to make a vital interception or tackle. Obviously at the time every single fan was over the moon with the signing of Billy Sharp but they do say never go back and in this case it may be correct .In the majority of matches Billy looked like he wasn’t in the zone lacking that big of sharpness or match fitness. Just like many other fans I will remember and always be grateful for what Billy did during his first few seasons for the club.
January provided a good month we narrowly lost at QPR to a late Charlie Austin goal but then we picked up a respectable 7 points which started to push us to closer towards the safety mark. Just like typical Rovers after a good month in January we had a poor February which is typical Doncaster we always lack consistency. In February we dropped points to Yeovil and Barnsley which would have disappointed many fans because for us to achieve safety we need to be picking up as many points we can when playing teams around us. March was a fantastic month with wins against Huddersfield, Watford, Sheffield Wednesday and finally Leeds after years of trying. At the end of the month we all became confident because we was 8 points clear of the drop zone and we only needed another win to guarantee championship survival.
In true rovers fashion the Rovers Players took the run in to the deciding day after not winning in the final 7 games. In the Run in I became very nervous and frustrated because in games at home to Birmingham and Bolton we expected to pick up some number of points after a very good season at the keepmoat. In both of the games none of our squad turned up for a period of time which cost us because in this league you need to be at your best for every minute of the game or the quality of the players in this league will punish you and this is what happened. On the other hand in games at Ipswich and Millwall we performed very well but referring decisions cost us. At Ipswich we was deserving of a point and that is what we would of got if the referee made the correct decision to give a free kick for the tackle on Gabriel Tamas or at Millwall if Abdoulaye Méïté wasn’t wrongly sent off we may of got more than a point because we would have had 11 players on the pitch. Leicester away felt a strange day and I could have sensed it was going to go down go the wire and that is what happened and sadly this year it didn’t quite go our away but we will come back up a bigger and stronger team. 
The things that need to happen for next season is Paul Dickov gets a hassle free summer to build a team that he thinks will be good enough to get Doncaster rovers back in the championship. Ideally I would like to start building a team for the years to come with us bringing in players in for 2/3 years rather than 6/12 month contracts. We need a mix of players that we can develop for the future but have the quality to play in league one such as Luke McCullough and a mix of senior players who have been there and done it Paul Quinn rob jones etc.
Rovers Till I Die
Josh Arnold

Massive thanks to Josh, I'm sure he, like all of us will be eagerly anticipating the start of the 2014/15 season!
What do you think about this review?
What are your thoughts on the season?
Comment below!

Want to write something for thedonnypop? maybe your views on the season, a look to next season or anything Doncaster related, if you do, simply send an email to thedonnypop@gmail.com and I will put it up.

I am hoping to tempt Josh to write a few more bits for the blog as I have enjoyed reading his review.

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Chris Howe: Doncaster to L.A (Part 2.)

Following on from last weeks article where Chris explained what life in the Rovers youth team was like, here is part 2. Chris explains his current roles and how he got there.

Not read part 1? View it here.

First of all, Chris explains how he earned his stripes and got to be part of one of the biggest football clubs in America.

While I was playing football for a college in Florida, during the summers I would work for a company (UK International Soccer Camps) here in LA, coaching community football camps all over the West Coast of America just to earn money for when I went back to college. After I finished college the company offered me a full time job; working in the office and also coaching a local team. So I drove across America to start my career as a 'soccer coach'. I was living in a small town about 60 miles outside of LA, not very exciting at all but being in my first year out of college, had to go where the money was and where it was cheap to live! I volunteered with a couple of different youth teams/clubs, including LA Galaxy and college teams just to gain some experience and try to get my foot in the door. Finally got a job offer to coach a couple of teams from a bigger club, FC Golden State, and moved to Pasadena where they were based. Volunteering with Galaxy was starting to pay off and was working with them more and more regularly. I took as many coaching courses and licences/badges as I possibly could and just tried to build my resume like any other person would trying to work their way up in a any other job. Tried to network as much as possible and build my reputation which is where I find myself today. It's been a hard path so far and by no means nearing the end!

This goes to show, hard work does pay off. In a time where many people question attitudes of young footballers, Chris's story is fantastic, he hasn't got to where he is now through connections or Luck, he has got there from working his way up, and from the sounds of Things, he certainly hasn't reached his peak, and even bigger things could be ahead for the local lad. He is still only around 30, and is young for someone in his position.

I asked Chris what he currently does out in the states, and I was surprised by the answer. I was expecting Chris to tell me he was doing some sort of coaching at L.A Galaxy or FC Golden state, as I mentioned in the article 'American Dream', however this is a massive underestimate of what he actually does.
Instead of working for 2 teams/organisations, Chris currently works for 4.

His main or what he calls his first time job is with L.A Premier FC, Chris explains

I work for LA Premier FC which is a youth football club based in Pasadena (I was formally with FC Golden State in a similar role). This is considered my full time job. I have three teams which I coach and then games/tournaments on the weekend. I have a Boys Under 8 team, a Boys Under 16 team and a Girls Under 17 team.

In the US the structure of youth soccer is different. To play on a club team, the kids have to pay fee's. It can range between $1600 - $2200 a year depending on the club. Our fee's are $1850 per year. Obviously the price to play will depend on where a parent wants to take their child. Some teams do not charge fee's as they do not pay their coaches, so it is normally a dad running the team where as our coaches are billed as professional, qualified coaches.

Chris during his time With FC Golden State on a visit to Old Trafford

It is interesting to hear how the youth structure is so different, in England, the clubs some times pay to get hold of the players with the best potential, where as in the US it sounds the other way around.

He went on to explain about his other roles

Also work for the State of Nevada for whats called Olympic Development Program. Every State has an ODP team which is made up of the best players from that State (different age groups as well starting at U14). Then the States compete in a Regional Tournaments - West Coast, East Coast, Mid West etc. The US National teams at U14 and up select players from these teams as its the best players. As you can imagine at the tournament there is a lot of interest. My role is Director of Goalkeeping for the State of Nevada. It's handy as all our trials are held in Las Vegas!

I also coach a female high school team. Here the high school has only one team, made up of the best players regardless of age. As we know at home each year has their own team so its completely different. This is just seasonal though as the high school season is just from Nov - Feb.

Chris' detailed explanation of his roles, gives us an insight into the differences between football in the two countries.

I also coach the goalkeepers at the University of Redlands. As you may be aware playing football at university/college in America (College/university is the same thing however we classify college and university as two different things in England) is a very good standard. College players are 'drafted' (aka selected) every year by MLS teams. How it works is the worst team in the MLS that year has the first pick of all the college players and it goes down the line. Again, so many rules involved. A scholarship isn't just for foreign players. Many American players get scholarship money also. Basically a scholarship is an amount of money that the coach is willing to give you to pay for your school fee's (tuition, room, board etc) out of his team budget. Some players will receive 100% scholarship money and therefor have all their fee's payed, some may get 75 % or 50% etc. Some colleges may have a big budget, others not so big. So it's a very competitive environment. This year we at the U of R has a player selected by Philadelphia Union in the MLS.

Finally as you will know, Chris is connected to MLS giants, L.A Galaxy, Chris explains his role there

As you've seen I also work for the LA Galaxy. I've worked there for just over 4 years and have basically been involved with just about every aspect of the club. My main role is working with the youth programs. Its similar to football in the community at home but on a larger scale. We hold many different camps year round at the stadium complex and also in various communities around LA and even further. Camps range from: 

• Community Camps - all ages and abilities are welcome. Main focus on having fun, learning and making the camp a great experience for the kids.
• Elite Player Camps - Players must have played club soccer for a number of years, be 13 or older and of a high level. We have invited players who are good enough that we have seen to train with the Galaxy Academy on a trial basis.
• Residential Camps - where the players can stay over night. We have a lot of people from all over the US and even beyond attending these. Ties in with the Elite Player Camp.
• Academy Identification Camps - We will generally go into a community where we know there is a high level of teams and put players through their paces to see if the are good enough to trial with the Academy at their age group.
• Goalkeeper and Striker Camps - Specific training for gk's and strikers.
• Community Clinics - going into an area and putting on an hour or so training session for local kids to get them excited about the Galaxy. We will make these an even and have a player come to sign autographs etc.

Chris' roles range from community work to coaching up and coming talent. Who knows in a few years time there could be the next Tim Howard or Brad Friedel, coming through, having been coached by Doncaster lad Chris Howe.

The Galaxy have also just started another professional team to play in a league below the MLS. They are the first to do so in America and its a massive step forward for football in America. Other clubs will definitely do the same thing if they can afford it. Its basically a reserve team (like Barcelona B playing in the third division) made up of young players who are being molded for the first team. They are there own entity, train separately and have their own budget etc. However players can be loaned to and from the first team to the Galaxy Two (as they are called) which has caused massive uproar in the MLS because there are so many complicated rules in the MLS such as salary cap and so forth. Also, the players are actually signed to the league, rather than the individual club. It's crazy and just one of the many reasons why, in my opinion, the MLS is restricting itself. So during the forming of this Galaxy Two team I was involved with working training the goalkeepers and helping identify the pecking order for potential GK players. We then also had an open try - out for any player (at a cost of $175) and I was involved with the scouting for that as well. Finally, I've actually trained with the team! Hahaa I know, completely random but fantastic experience. I was working there doing a camp one morning when my friend came over and said the keeper has been injured and they wanted me to fill in! My friend called me later on the night and said they wanted me to come back the next morning again - I thought he was winding me up as I was supposed to be going out for a few beers that night! Great experience.

Upon hearing this, my first question was, does that mean you was training with David Beckham?

Yes, Beckham was in the training session as it was regular team training, plus a few trialists and youth team players. It was split at the beginning with the first team doing their own thing and the resi's off to one side then everyone coming together. That was an incredible experience. All I wanted was for someone to take a photo but because it was just a normal Tuesday morning for everyone else no one even batted an eye lid. It wasn't a long training session in fairness although it finished with an 8 v 8 game and the pace was rapid. I was concentrating so hard as to not embarrass myself! Some players stayed behind to do a bit of shooting and I ended up going in net. Beck's had a couple shots (one saved by the way!!!) before leaving early. All I remember thinking is that I was absolutely knackered (basically unfit from not playing anymore!), it was bloody red hot and I just wanted to get off the pitch and out of the sun but realised I would probably never be able to do this again so was literally the last player off the field that morning.

Chris on a Soccer camp, visited by Landon Donovan and David Beckham (Chris is stood next to David)

Chris is not the first Rovers goalkeeper to face shots from Beckham, Neil Sullivan played against him, whilst at Wimbledon, however, this probably wasn't Neil's proudest moment, especially watching the ball fly over his head into the net, having been struck from the half way line. I asked what was he like in person? And Chris explained about how he is with the kids.

We do a lot of camps for the kids around the StubHub Centre (Galaxy's home ground) and sometimes we'll take the kids to watch the first team train. Beckham was always the first to wave at the kids, even while playing. He would always smile and give the kids a thumbs up or something which made the kids's day. If we saw Beckham around the ground he would always make a point to talk to the kids and take photos. The same with Robbie Keane to be fair. He's also very sociable and great when talking to the kids. Keane's son does some of the summer camps and Keane will always have a kick about with the young ones at the start before he goes off to training.

I asked what has been your highlight so far?

 I've Met some fantastic people along the way through football, played in Vinnie Jones's team for a bit which was interesting, played footy in Robbie Williams's team and at his house for a couple years - that was pretty amazing as I constantly think to myself I'm just a normal lad from Rosso!

The highlight so far has been working my up in the LA Galaxy and working with the Galaxy Two team. To be trusted to coach within the best football organisation in America is no small feat in fairness, especially working with the professional team.

On a personal level I think playing football at Robbie Williams's house and with Robbie is still unbelievable even to me. Just having a chat with him and a kick about like he's one of the normal lads. He sold his house with the footy pitch so gutted that came to an end!

Chris (in red) playing in Robbie William's team (seen directly below Chris)

Rubbing shoulders with house hold names and international superstars, I asked what the future holds for Chris.

Personally I am just trying to get more experience at a higher level of coaching, learn and educate myself all the time and see what happens. I've been in touch with a couple of professional and semi professional clubs who play in leagues below the MLS about jobs coaching in different capacities but nothing concrete yet. America is such a vast place and teams are popping up more and more but I don't think I would leave LA for the middle of no where! The lifestyle here is fantastic and it's been a long time coming so I'm happy living in Hollywood for the minute.

Finally I asked Chris what advice he would give to someone who would want to follow in his footsteps.

 As far as advice - I think people coming over here wanting to work have to realise their situation. Just like any job you have to prove yourself before climbing up. I get emails all the time from people saying "I'm so and so, played here, coached there, can you get me a job at the Galaxy?". People have a misconception that America knows nothing about football and anyone can do a job over here which isn't the case at all. Admittedly the structure for youth and professional football, in my opinion, does need some adjustments but the structure is being  constantly improved even more so now Jurgen Klinnsman is in charge of the US Soccer Federation. Obviously starting at the bottom is never going to be desirable for anyone but you must always have a strong belief there are better things to come. If you put in the hard work in; people and organisations here in America will put the trust in you - but like anywhere else that trust has to be earned. To a certain extent you must also be brave and willing. People see the glitz and glamour of LA but that comes after the 80 hour work weeks to be able to put yourself in a desirable position. You also can't under estimate the sacrifice of not seeing your family and friends. Going years at a time without retuning home is hard not being able to see loved ones and there are always certain comforts that will be missed. I think lastly, it also starts with a journey into the unknown as no one can predict what might happen so you have to be prepared to make that jump and stick with the consequences and be courageous enough to fight your way up. You have to e willing to take that first step. That's the best advice I can give really, but America is the Land of Opportunity and I, plus many of my friends, can certainly attest to that.

Chris is a great example that if you work hard you can reach good stuff, it is obvious Chris will continue to grow as his experience and reputation grow. All the best for the future Chris!

Once again massive thankyou Chris for doing this, and I would like to let everyone know despite being miles away in a different time zone he has followed the relegation battle with as much passion as most. A true pro.

We look forwards to catch up with Chris in the not so distant future.

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PART 1

Final Game

It all comes down to this, after 45 games, tomorrow will decide if this season has been a success or failure.

Following promotion and Dickov's appointment, we all pretty much said the same thing, "if we finish 21st, it will be a success". Well after a tough season we find ourselves in 21st With just one game to go.

If like me, you will of looked at the League table hundreds of times in the last few weeks, you will know we are 1 point above the relegation zone. The team that occupy the top drop spot is Birmingham who have a much superior goal difference.

Rovers face League champions Leicester on their home turf, whilst Birmingham travel to Bolton, below we look at the possible outcomes.
•Rovers win - If we beat Leicester, it doesn't matter what happens at the Reebok, or anywhere else for that matter, if we win, we stay up, and could finish as high as 19th.
•Rovers Draw, Birmingham Draw - If both teams Draw, Birmingham will drop, we will stay up.
•Rovers Lose, Birmingham Draw - Putting us on equal Points, we would be relegated on goal difference.
•Rovers lose, Birmingham Win - we will go down.
•Both Rovers and Birmingham Win - Rovers would ofcourse stay up, Birmingham would depend on Millwall and Blackpool.
League One next season?
Not for me, some People like the prospect of lots of local derby games, however, it is all about competing with the big boys.

Does Dickov say?
Yes, he has had a tough season and alot to learn, but his recent signings have been top quality, I believe with more luck with injuries we have the basis of a strong team.

What do I think?
Regardless of the Rovers score, I think Bolton will win, despite having little to play for.

Will Leiscter bring their foot off the gas?
Not a chance, they want as many points as the can get, and get over the tone mark. Go out on a win, in front of their home crowd, if possible.

What will the atmosphere be like?
Immense, an almost sold out away allocation, and sold out partying home fans. The King Power stadium will be bouncing.

Can't get to the game?
You can follow the goals on our website.

All finish at 2pm
With kick off 12:15, we will know what League we play in next year.

As the season finishes, don't forget, we will give you your dose of Doncaster through out the world cup, I have spoken to a fan who hasn't missed a game this season and he will be doing a season review. Next week we have Part 2 of that great interview with Chris Howe.

Look out for app updates, in the close season I will be updating the app, I will keep you guys informed, but it will have some great new features.
Make sure you give us a like and follow on facebook and twitter, the buttons are to the right.
And share us with friends, next season will be the first full season for TheDonnyPop and we want to grow, we can only do this with your help, we would like to see more getting involved.


We never do it the easy way, and it's going to be tough
Remeber what ever happens this weekend, we are all Rovers till we die!

Chris Howe: Life in the Youth team (Part 1.)

Recently I did an article called 'american dream' all about Rovers players which have played in the states, one of the features of the article was local lad, Chris Howe, who played for Rovers youth team, and currently involved in L.A Galaxy. Following the release of that article, Chris kindly got in touch, thanked me for the article and asked if I have any questions for him. Chris's response was fantastic.

His emails were so in depth that I have split into 2 articles, the majority of these articles will be 'straight from the horses mouth'. Part 1 will look at what it was like to play for Doncaster, and his time in the youth team. Part 2 which looks at how he got to where he is now and his current roles.

Life in the youth team, Chris Howe played for Rovers youth team circa 2000. I asked Chris what it was like to be a part of the youth team.

Being at Donny was fantastic for so many reasons but at the same time there were many different struggles we all had to face. Being from Doncaster I was very proud to be involved with my home town team. I used to love being stood at the side of the pitch during the first team games and in/around the stadium on match days. Belle Vue had a very unique atmosphere being one of the last true, proper football grounds. The new ground is a tremendous piece of architecture and a real step forwards for the club as a whole but there was always something magical about a packed house at Belle Vue. It felt like family.

As a group of lads training day in day out, you could imagine the bond was very strong. The problem at that time Doncaster was, like all lower league teams, being run on a very tight budget. The youth team were more than just players. We literally had to do everything imaginable to help with the running of the club. Obviously the sweeping and cleaning of the changing rooms, both at Cantley Park and Belle Vue, were a given but there were so much more. From painting the Pop Stand one summer, shovelling snow off the pitch before games, sweeping the rubbish in the Main Stand after games to the cleaning of cars! When Cantley Park got relaid with new grass we had to walk through the soil and pick up all the big stones out the muck which would prevent the grass from growing again - not sure we even kicked a ball that day! Everyone stuck together though and you were never left to do anything on your own. Mickey Walker was very hard to please at times but the lads supported each other constantly. 

In terms of the football - Getting to train every day with your best mates was an experience which will never be forgotten. Had some great rivalries with Scunthorpe United and Bradford City, always tough games which would no doubt end up with at least a sending off and a scrap! The banter was different level as well, boys running round Cantley Park starkers, no one dared show up with new boots, and the constant ribbing of anything out of the ordinary!

For me personally the learning was constant. Being a goalkeeper training with the Andy Warrington and Barry Richardson was a tough environment to train in. Andy was very level headed, very calm and poised. There is an old saying that goes something like "you've got to be a nutter to be a goalkeeper" and I think Barry epitomised that phrase hahaha. He was very intense, very unforgiving and ferocious - plus I had the job of cleaning his boots which scared me stiff! However, both were great professionals and laid out some very important advice which helped tremendously.

I asked Chris if he still sees or speaks to any of his old team mates from Rovers

I still speak to quite a lot of the lads which is great. 

I know Dunc (Milligan) works with Donny Belles in some capacity. Slacky (Liam Slack) has a PhD in Psychology and works with some Premier League refs. We always meet up in town for a beer when I'm home as he's still in Doncaster himself. We also used to play for Rossington Main together so we go a long way back. Slacky was playing for Retford United, not sure if he still is or has been bombed haha

 Snods (Lee Snoddin) moved to London after playing for Charlton for a year or so under his dad. Haven't spoke to him for a while to be fair but we both went to Hayfield together so good pals.

 Big Robbo (Paul Robinson) is in New York working or a tech company, like I said we had a cracking night out few weeks ago, was good to catch up. He was telling me about the Nottingham lads - Ben Sherwood, Robert Gil, Marin Kearney playing for local teams in the local leagues etc.

 Little Robbo (Paul Robson) has done well, he's played footy in America and now at Lincoln city I think. We give each other a bit of stick on Facebook every now and again.

 To be fair I'm in contact a lot with Jon Maloney and Adam Frazer. They both player in America as well and we actually played against each other which was a crazy coincidence! Jono is back home playing for Harrogate Railway at the minute. Chris Dickman is at home in Maltby, not sure if he's still playing though. 

 I got back in touch with Pricey (Jamie Price) recently as my little brother went on loan to Bradford Park Avenue where Pricey is playing so we had a good catch up. He's doing well with his sports company for kids.

 I think that's about it really but we still all chat every now and again on Facebook - usually about something funny that happened when we were all playing together!

Chris has a busy work schedule, as explained in part 2 of this, but he did tell he is still a fan of Rovers.

I don't get home much but every time I do I always make a point to go and watch The Rovers and also Rossington Main who I played for when I was younger. I follow them both closely and like to see them do well. People in America as me all the time who I support (expecting a Premier League team) and when I say Doncaster Rovers they say "who?!" as no ones ever heard of them haha! I have the Donny badge as the screen saver on my phone and they don't believe its an actual team! When I'm home, still go drinking in the same pubs in Rosso and Bawtry and hang out with my mates from as far back as primary School.

He also told me that he proudly has a signed 2001-2002 Doncaster shirt hanging on his wall, however this attracts a fair bit of banter from his English mates, and most likely a fair amount of questions from his non English mates, i'm sure Chris has heard 100s of times 'who are they?'

Thanks for reading, and I must thank Chris for his time in effort to answer and write in such detail, he is a true pro. I recommend following him twitter too.
Dont forget, Part 2 covering how he got to where he is now and what he actually does is out now

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PART 2

Look alikes

Ever saw a Rovers player and thought, they look like so and so, well here is a list of current and ex rovers players that looks like other people. I will update this list if I can think of more, but also if you can think of more, please share, maybe you or your mate looks like one, we can feature it on this list, just simply get in touch with me via a comment or Email.

Recent signing Lucas Neill looks alot like F1 driver Jensen Button

   Lucas Neill Former Rovers, Oscar Radford looks alot like Philippe Senderos

Jensen Button

 Oscar Radford

 Philippe Senderos

I heard this one of the VSC forum at the time of his signing, ex Rover and current Yeovil defender Byron Webster looks abit like Big Bird from Sesame Street

 Bryon Webster Now you're gone, ex Rovers Goalie, Jan Budtz looks like Basshunter

Big Bird

Jan Budtz

  Basshunter

 Not a Rovers player, but disliked by many, David Kitson looks alot like Beaker from Sesame Street Dave Kitson

Beaker

Rovers legend Alick Jeffery looks like Elvis, and even did an Elvis act once. Elvis

Alick Jeffery

Mark Wilson looks simular to Kevin Horlock in these pictures Kevin Horlock at Man City

Mark Wilson at Middlesborough

Breif Rovers player Michele Di Piedi looks like England striker Andy Carroll Andy Carroll Don't forget to get your look alikes sent in!

Michele Di Piedi

James Coppinger - Rovers Hero!

May 2004, Rovers manager Dave Penney introduced James Coppinger as a new 30,000 pound signing from Exeter City. Making his debut in League 1 game away at Bradford City on the 14th August 2004.

Copps had started his career as a trainee at Darlington, however at the age of 17 he moved to Newcastle United for 500,000 in a joint move with Paul Robinson, not the goalkeeper. At the time of the move, Kenny Dalglish was manager of the toon, however his departure saw new manager Sir Bobby Robson take the role.

Copps made 1 first team appearance in his time at St. James' Park, coming on as a substitute in 2000 against Tottenham Hotspurs. During his time, he spent a loan spell at QPR, however didn't make an appearance, he also spent 2 loan spells at Hartlepool, making a total of 24 appearances, scoring 5 goals. He was also linked with a 650,000 move to Scottish club Hearts.

Copps at Hartlepool

Jamie left the Newcastle in 2002 and joined Exeter City, he went on to make 82 appearances for the Grecians scoring 13 goals. It was then in 2004 that he made his move to Belle Vue.

Above is the interview he gave after signing

Rovers were in pre season, ready to start their first year in League 1, and Jamie was a welcome addition. Despite being an important part of the team, in his first season he failed to find the net in his first season, making a total of 38 appearances in all competitions. He scored his first goal for Rovers on 26th November 2005 winning 2-0 to Bristol City. He has enjoyed many successful moments with Doncaster, so far, one of the first big moments he was involved in was the 2005-2006 League Cup run, which saw Belle Vue rocking, beating Manchester City, Aston Villa, and coming close to beating Arsenal. The next season saw Copps play his part in the team that won the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, but arguably his best moment came the next season. With Rovers pushing for League 1 promotion, we earned a play off spot. 

It was the semi final against Southend, and after a 0-0 draw at Roots Hall, it was all to play for in the second leg at the Keepmoat. 

Brain Stock scored an 11th minute penatly, and an own goal by Adam Barratt in the 21st put Rovers 2-0 up. 

But then on the 38th minute, O'Connor wins the ball back, by the touchline, and gets it to Copps who uses his quick feet the wriggle his way past 5 Southend players to just inside the box before slotting it past Darryl Flahavan in the goal.

It was then in the second half, the 51st minute, Copps received the ball again by the touchline, and going past Southend players as if they wasn't there, he cut inside to a central position on the edge of the box where he shot with his left foot, again finding the back of the net.

In the 78th minute, Copps was again running into the box, this time it looked like he was wanting to pick out a team mate, with 3 Rovers players already in the box. Instead he was brought down just outside the box by Nick Bailey. Copps stood over the freekick he had won, with Paul Green standing with his back to the goal 2 meters away, Copps passed the ball to Greeny, who stopped it for Copps to hit, he curled it into the far left top corner.

This was a truly excellent hattrick, maybe the best I have ever seen. Ever goal was worthy of goal of the month. 

A bad day for the Southend goalkeeper, however he cannot be put at blame for the sheer excellence. Darryl himself made an impressive 294 appearances for Southend in 8 years and is currently at Bournemouth.

Rovers of course went on to win the Play Off final against a small local team called Leeds United, with Copps playing his part in that match.

With Rovers now in the Championship, Copps was still a major part in the team, making at least 30 league appearances in the 4 years before relegation.

His fine form, and ability to win the game on his day, he attracted interest from clubs including Ipswich and Barnsley. However Ipswich seemed to never make an official serious bid, despite a few numbers been rumored, and Copps rejected Barnsley.

In January 2012, he became one of only 10 players to reach 300 league appearances for Rovers.

With Rovers relegated from the Championship, new manager Dean Saunders needed to cut the wage bill.

In August 2012, Rovers fans feared the worst when the team coach stopped on the motorway for a player to get off and join another club, it was James Coppinger who exited the coach, linking up with ex manager Sean O'Driscoll. However he only made 2 starts and 4 sub appearances.

Ending his loan in December, he returned to Doncaster and played an important part in Rovers winning League 1 at first try. Many Rovers fans said, his return was just like a new signing and brought a lot to the squad.

In fact, Copps played his part in Rovers history once again, and one of the best, most exciting moments in English football as the league ended in fantastic style.

They say a picture says a thousand words, and i'm not going to describe what happend, but instead watch the video below.

It was James Coppinger that got the goal, and we won the League 1 and earned promotion.

On the 15th March 2014, James became 1 of 5 players to reach 250 league appearances for Rovers.

The 5th April 2014, Rovers are at home to Birmingham, if selected, James Coppinger will make his 400th appearance in all competitions for Doncaster Rovers. An achievement that is incredible.

This achievement shows great loyalty, and when people question if there is loyalty in the modern game, just think of Copps. He has had the opportunity to player for 'bigger' teams but has stayed loyal.

On Saturday, the club have a special plan for Copps, however, details of this plan are being kept secret, however what we do know is the match day programme will be a special one to show his achievement, also as fans we will sing his name before the match and on the 26th minute. Also after the game, whatever the result, don't beat the traffic, stay in the ground, maybe something will happen then.

Testimony, for me, we need to sell out the Keepmoat, I think Newcastle would be fitting, with him starting his professional career there. 

The future, I have seen many people say they would like him to become a future manager for Rovers, or a coach. But for me, I hope he has a few seasons left here. We have seen recently his adaptability whilst playing right back. I hope he gets a contract extension at the end of the season, 2 years maybe. Even if players like Duffy and Forrester keep him out of the first team, he is a hell of a substitute to come on. After he does hang up the boots, I hope he sticks around at Donny, and gets a role within the club. I would also like to see his number retired. I am unlikely to see a player reach what he has in a Rovers shirt. However, he is only 33!

His latest interview post Sheffield Wednesday

Thanks for the years Jamie! 

Copps has played with 5 managers at Rovers

Penney, O'Driscol, Saunders, Flynn and Dickov

Copps played at both Belle Vue and the Keepmoat, scoring at both

Colin Douglas holds the record for the most Rovers appearances with 444, between 2 spells at Rovers. (not including wartime leagues) 

Fred Emery holds to record for the most League appearances for Rovers with 417.

Syd Bycroft who made 333 official appearances could of beaten Fred, however the Second World War limited his appearances. (he made 501 appearances including wartime leagues)

James Coppinger stats whilst at Doncaster

Signed 2004

League 

Appearances

353

Goals

35

F.A Cup

Appearances

18

Goals

0

League Cup

Appearances

18

Goals 

2

Johnstone's Paint Trophy

Appearances

7

Goals

0

Play Offs

Appearances

3

Goals

3

All Competitions

Appearances 

399

Goals

40

Career Total

Appearances

519

Goals

59

Acheivements

Johnstone's Paint Trophy 2006-2007

League 1 Play-Off final winners 2007-2008

League 1 Champions 2012-2013

I do not own the pictures or videos

www.newsrt.co.uk

Nufc.co.uk

doncasterrovers.co.uk

http://www.football-league.co.uk/

http://www.thestar.co.uk/

 

Hi all, thanks for reading, I would just like to add that I have been working on a Doncaster Rovers app, the app has been approved and will be available to download soon, however, I am not 100% happy with it yet and need a handful of people to download it and us the app and report back to me with feedback. The app will be free to use and download. If anyone is interested in helping out you need to email me at thedonnypop@gmail.com and just explain that you are interested in helping out with the app. For more info contact me.

Thanks

Confient Cotterill

Last year we saw new signing David Cotterill getting the most assists for the whole of League 1 with 20 and scoring 10 goals, many of which were wonderful, funny enough the player that finished 2nd in the assist table was Scunthorpe United player Mark Duffy on 15. However, he has been unable to continue this during the current season, we look at why the Welsh International has been struggling. I mentioned this in my article about how this season has been difficult for him, you can read other difficulties the team has faced here.

Firstly let's remind ourselves what Cotterill brought to the team last year......

There is no doubting his brilliance and skill. He can bring a lot to the team and certain help the team win a good number of points over the season. Recently David has had a revival in form, and starting to show he can do it at this Level. We all knew he had the class, but grew frustated with him, many people used him as a scape goat, wrongfully.

He has scored recently against Huddersfield and Leeds, but more importantly, his game has improved. His best assest are his shooting, passing, crossing and dead balls. And according to Paul Dickov, David stays behind at the end of training to work on these. So for those questioning his attitude, should take note.

So why has he had this revival?
In my opinion, it is all due to confidence, David is a confidence player, last season we saw him at high confidence and he was unstoppable, however he lost his confidence mid this season. The reason for this probably lies with Paul Dickov, who has recently gave David a run of games in the team. Another reason could be do to with Billy Sharp, as someone had pointed out on the VSC forum.
Billy's presence does bring out good form in those around him, you only need to look at Cotts and Copps to see the effect of this.

David is out of contract at the end of the season, has he done enough to earn a new one, well providing he isn't after mega bucks, I do believe he has done enough, and still at the age of just 26 has many years ahead of him, I think a 2 year contract would be ideal. And ofcourse there are always those people that believe his good form is a result of his near ending contract, but if you gave these people 5 pound, they would moan that it isn't 10. From watching David all season, you could see he was low on confidence, we witness the same with James Coppinger, he goes through stages where his performances drop due to low confidence, and then when his regains his confidence, he is unstoppable.

I really think David is an important player, people should lay off him and credit him. Thankfully I have seen one or two go back on their word, hold their hands up and admit they made a mistake.

Forgotten Rovers: Jon Paul Pittman

Former Aston Villa youngster, can you remember him at Rovers?
Well you probably can't, certainly didn't make much of an impact at the Keepmoat.

Rovers signed Jon Paul Pittman on a short term contract, from Nottingham Forest in January 2007 as a 20 year old. Despite never making a league appearance for Forest, he had made 2 appearances in cups, he also had loan spells at Hartlepool and Bury.

As a youngster, he had shown signs of promise, and the American born striker was also known in parts of his native country as his progress and career has been discussed on a number of American soccer forums, especially under the subject of American players abroad. People who was familiar with his career saw his move to Doncaster, who were playing in League 1 at the time, as a chance to restart his career and move onto bigger and better things. Unfortunately it didn't really work out this way.

Jon-Paul's uneventful time at Doncaster saw him play for just 1 minute plus injury time, as he came on as a 89th minutes substitute, in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, against Darlington in the Northern semi final, a game in which we won 2-0 with goals from Paul Heffernan in the 54th minute and Jason Price in the 89th (Pittman came on following this goal).
Pittman did two things in his time on the field, he cleared the ball and fouled David Wheater.
We later went on to win the Trophy at the Millennium stadium. However, I think it is a long shot to say Jon-Paul's 1 appearance helped us win this.

Jon-Paul was also seen making 3 unused substitute appearances overseeing a win, lose and draw.

As expected, there was no contract extension following the expiry of his short deal at the end of the season and he left Rovers. He found himself a move to Crawley who were playing in the conference, this drop in league proved much more successful for him. Playing at the club between 2007 and 2009 he scored 22 goals in 61 appearances, his improved form also earned him a call up to the England C team, the non league national squad.

In 2009 former England national team caretaker manager Peter Taylor, who was managing Wycombe Wanderers at the time, places a successful 5 figure bid for Jon-Paul Pittman, and he signed at the end of January 2009. Jon had a good first season here, and helped the club achieve promotion into League 1. The following season the team was relegated back to League 2 with Jon scoring 7 goals.

With the team back in League 2 for the 2010-2011 season, he scored on the opening day however, he picked up an injury during September keeping him out for 6 months. Upon his return he played an important part in Wycombe's promotion and had an impressive record of scoring 4 goals in just 6 starts.

At the end of the season he was not offered a new contract and moved to Oxford United, his goal scoring record here was not impressive scoring just 6 goals in 30 appearances between 2 years. His time here also saw him make a return to previous club Crawley on a 3 month emergency loan.

At the end of the 2013 season, he was out of contract at Oxford, and returned to Wycombe where he plays now.

Thanks for reading, all feedback is welcomed. Don't forget to support us by following us on twitter, liking us on facebook and sharing with friends.

As always just a reminder, due to lack of time I need some help with TheDonnyPop, to offer your services email me at thedonnypop@gmail.com if you help out you will earn a magnificent amount of kudos.

American Dream

According to stats TheDonnyPop has quite a few stateside readers, so I decided to do this Article.

Before reading any further lets see if you know an ex Rovers player currently at L.A Galaxy?
The player who has had 3 spells with Doncaster, and has made appearances for Manchester United and FC Dallas?
The ex Rovers currently playing in the MLS?


Okay, the second and third questions are quite easy, but chances are you haven't got the first question correct, and you probably won't remember the player.

So let's start with the third question, who is the current MLS player that played for Rovers, one of them is former French International Frederic Piquionne. The striker joined Rovers on loan in 2012 from West Ham and scored 2 goals in 8 appearances, receiving mixed reviews. He had previously been at Portsmouth, Lyon, Monaco, Saint-Etienne and Stade Rennais.
Many that have caught Freddie in a game for Portland Timbers have given mixed reviews once again.

There is another ex Rover playing in the MLS, this one plays for Houston Dynamo. Former Derby wonder kid Giles Barnes. Giles was once dubbed a future England star whilst making his name at Derby, however injures halted his progression. He went on to play for West Brom before signing for Rovers in 2011, this was an exciting signing as Giles had a lot to prove and had the quality. However the attacking midfielder scored just 1 goal in his 33 appearances and his one year contract was not extended. He then moved to Houston, where he remains today.

On to the second question, working up. The player who spent three spells with Rovers and has played for FC Dallas is of course, Mark Wilson. The midfielder started his career at Manchester United and even made 3 appearances for the club under Sir Alex Ferguson. He left Old Trafford in 2001 joining Middlesborough, whilst at the club he spent loan spells at a number of clubs including Doncaster in 2004, this was his first spell, making 4 appearances. In 2005 he left England and joined FC Dallas. He spent 1 year in the states making 20 MLS appearances. In 2006 he returned to Rovers where he stayed for 6 years making 140 appearances. Some fans questioned Mark's ability, however I am a big supporter of Mark, and his services to the club. He did a job, nothing fancy but the job was done. In 2013 he returned to Doncaster on a non contract basis.

Okay, you have read long enough, I can reveal the ex Rover, currently at L.A Galaxy is goalkeeper, Chris Howe.
Now I know your wondering who? You may of even checked their current squad and not found him.
Well that is because the former Youth team goalkeeper is currently a goalkeeper coach at the MLS club. Whilst I am not 100% sure on his role at the club, his personal twitter page states he is still at the club, although he has also been connected to FC Golden State.

Chris on the left

It also need stating that a number of former youth teamers that didn't make the grade have tried their luck in America after earning scholarships.

If anyone has any further info I would like to hear from you.
Thanks for reading and remember to support thedonnypop by sharing with friends, joining us on facebook and twitter and getting involved if you can!