Another opponent who we’ve had very little experience of playing since the 1960s to face this weekend. However, Doncaster Rovers are a long established Football League club (apart from a brief spell in the National League) with a history going back well beyond that decade, so setting a quiz for them shouldn’t be anywhere near as problematical as setting one for the likes of Burton and Stevenage would have been.
On the face of it, Doncaster looks like a banker home win for an in form City side given that, after a fine start to the season, they’ve picked up just six points and one win from their last twelve matches to become, almost certainly, the most out of form side in League One.
Doncaster will take heart from the fact that they picked up a good point at Stevenage in their last away match with a goalless draw, before beating Peterborough 2-1 at home. A 2-0 home loss to Stockport on Tuesday was a blow which dropped them to nineteenth place, but the fact that four of those six points I mentioned earlier have come in their last three matches offers a suggestion that they might be turning a corner.
Of the promoted sides, Bradford have done really well, AFC Wimbledon have coped better than most expected, while Port Vale have struggled to cope with the loss of their leading scorer from last season. The table suggests Doncaster, like Port Vale, are going to be battling relegation, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that Donny were promoted as Champions in 24/25 and should have the quality to stay clear of the bottom four come May.
The question has to be asked as well will City players have more than one eye on the League Cup Quarter Final with Chelsea on Tuesday? You’d like to think not and the commitment they’ve shown in recent matches suggests this is not the case, so, much as I don’t like doing it because I’m probably jinxing them, it’s hard to see anything else but a home win on Saturday.
On to the the quiz then, the answers to which will be posted on here on Sunday.
60s. After making an impact with a non league club close to his capital City birthplace, this forward earned a dream move to First Division giants in blue at just 17, but after a goal on his debut for them in a League Cup game, he played just four times in the top flight before embarking on a career spent in the lower leagues. Doncaster were one of five teams in Divisions Three and Four he played for with one of the others being a Welsh side and another one that, at times in their history, couldn’t make up their mind which country they were in! Dropping into non league football, he played his last competitive game in 1974, just nine years before his untimely death at the age of only 40. Can you name him?
70s. Probably better known as a manager, this defender nevertheless had a long playing career spent in the lower divisions. Doncaster were his second club after a spell spent mostly as a squad player at a club that could probably boast they were the second best in Yorkshire at the time he was with them. He played most games though for his final club, clocking up close to two hundred league appearances for a city club in a neighbouring county. As a manager, he did well at his first, hooped, club, then found himself in the top flight managing at a club where his relationship with their best player seemed to dominate his tenure. His final job in management was with a club that’s stadium is probably closer to water than any other in the country, who am I describing?
80s. This Midlands born full back wore blue and white stripes for his first two clubs before switching to white birds and then blue borderers for whom he played most games. He then made what could well be the longest possible move in the domestic game from his fourth club to his fifth where he continued to wear blue. From there he went to Doncaster for a couple of seasons before checking in at the west’s biggest city and then at a seat of learning for just one game. Who is he?
90s. Cider and roast meat ending their playing days at Doncaster?
00s. Star sign comes into money where the sun sets?
10s. Sell anvil to Northern Ireland University initially. (4,8)
20s. This midfielder has currently played twice as many games for his country at five age groups and senior level (34) than he has in league football (17), name him?
Answers to follow:
