Doncaster Rovers are a professional football club based in Doncaster, England. They reside at the Eco-Power Stadium.
📜 Doncaster Rovers History
Rovers were founded by railway worker Albert Jenkins, who organised a friendly game between his friends and the Yorkshire Institute for the Deaf in 1879. After Jenkins' side came back from 4-0 down to draw in that match, he and his team were inspired to start the club, who would turn professional 6 years later.
Doncaster entered the Football League Second Division in 1901, and their 7th place finish in England's second tier in their first season remains their highest-ever league position. The club would later shut down for 5 years during the First World War.
On 30 March 1946, Rovers and Stockport County played out the longest ever competitive football match, a cup tie which lasted 203 minutes. After the 2 sides could not be separated after 90 minutes and a pair of 10-minute periods of extra time, the rules determined that they would keep playing until 1 team scored (essentially the "golden goal" rule). The game was finally stopped with the teams still level at 2-2; at this point the sun had set and some fans had even left, eaten their evening meal, and returned to continue watching.
The club reached a nadir in the 1990s when chairman Ken Richardson was jailed for hiring 3 men to set Rovers' stadium, Belle Vue, on fire, supposedly to use the resulting insurance money to pay off the club's debts.
Rovers were subsequently relegated from the Football League in 1998 – with a staggering goal difference of -83 – but an impressive turnaround over the following decade saw them back in the second tier by 2008, having lifted the EFL Trophy in 2007.
