APL PREDICTION LEAGUE & PREVIEW -
DONCASTER ROVERS************** DOUBLE BUBBLE GAME *************One of my favourite away days, and a trip to the Keepmoat after a season in League 2, I haven’t a clue why I like it here, I’ve never seen a goal, from either side, and one trip up the M1 had to be abandoned when news came through on 5 Live that the game had been called off with a waterlogged pitch.
Match that up with the pitch is like a ploughed field normally, as they share it with some team of peanut huggers, so no, I haven’t a clue why, but I like it t’up North!
Last season they were promoted as of right in third place behind Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle, following a relegation the previous season from League 1. Last season they suffered just three defeats at home, but the step up has proved difficult, and like us consistency has been a problem, and they currently sit below us in the league table.
So, let’s take a gander at the Rovers.
DONCASTER ROVERS – THE STORY SO FARRovers currently sit in 17th place with a record of
PLAYED 18, WON 5, DRAWN 5, LOST 8, GF 19 & GA 21 with 20 POINTS.Their League results in chronological order are as follows.
Doncaster 0 Gillingham 0
Blackburn 1 Doncaster 3
Doncaster 3 Blackpool 3
AFC Kingston 2 Doncaster 0
Doncaster 0 Peterborough 0
Northampton 1 Doncaster 0
Rochdale 2 Doncaster 1
Doncaster 0 Scunthorpe 1
Plymouth 3 Doncaster 0
Doncaster 1 Shrewsbury 2
Bradford 2 Doncaster 0
Doncaster 4 Southend 1
Charlton 1 Doncaster 0
Doncaster 2 Portsmouth 1
Doncaster 0 Walsall 3
Bury 0 Doncaster 1
Doncaster 1 Rotherham 1
Fleetwood 0 Doncaster 0
Wigan v Doncaster (Playing Tuesday)
THE MANAGERWell, well, well, look who it is, it’s that great Dons favourite Darren Fergusson, son of former Man Utd manager Red Nose.
His 18-year playing career as a midfielder started at Man Utd and ended at Peterborough, and in between he had spells at Wolves, Sparta Rotterdam and Wrexham, the latter being the place he played the most, with 310 appearances and 51 goals, and in total achieved 468 games scoring 56 goals, he also represented Scotland at U21 level playing 5 times.
He started in management at the Posh in 2007 and in his first full season achieved promotion into League 1 finishing second, the following season in League 1 he led Posh to 2nd again to rise to the Championship.
His first season in the Championship was not a happy affair, with Posh bottom of the league in November, Fergusson left by mutual consent.
He has also managed Preston North End, where famously after being sacked, his Dad recalled Man Utd loanees from Preston, Tony Pullis also doing the same with Stoke City loanees, inevitably Preston were relegated.
He returned to Posh the following season where he got them into the playoffs against us, sadly we lost 4-3. They then spent two seasons in the Championships getting relegated in the final game of the season, winning with just 7 minutes to go, where a draw would have been enough to keep them up.
The following season Fergusson left by mutual consent after a 3-0 defeat to us.
Fergie Jnr has been at Doncaster since October 2015, managing to successfully relegate them in his first season, and as previously mentioned won promotion last season back into League 1.
In total he has overseen
530 games with a record of WON 220, DRAWN 112, LOST 198, and that’s a 41.6% WIN RATIO.
THE GROUNDThe 15,231 all seated Keepmoat Stadium, Stadium Way,
Sat Nav DN4 5JW and is a 124-mile trip from Stadium MK.
Not sure where we are going to be seated, as I’ve been in the Case Construction North Stand and the East Stand, I guess it depends on how many we sell.
A modern place, but annoyingly set back from the action with a type of running track separating the fans from the pitch.
Modern concourses with plenty of TV’s to keep you amused in the pre-match build-up / pissup, and the usual football ground fayre on sale.
Pre-match boozers are a bit thin on the ground being on the outskirts of Doncaster, although there is a Beefeater nearby that allows away fans. There is also the Belle Vue Bar at the stadium, which allows away fans on most occasions, but it will be full of home fans and it does get very busy.
For those taking the train, the Railway pub on West Street or the Cask Corner a ten-minute walk seems to be the pubs of choice.
For those driving up there is a 1,000-space carpark at the stadium, although it may be a battle to get out after the final whistle.
FORMER PLAYERSAdebayo Akinfenwa, Richie Barker, Danny Cadamarteri, Stephen Bywater, Brian Deane, Kerry Dixon, JET, Harry Forrester, Lewis Guy, John Moncur, Neil Sullivan, and Neville Southall to name a few.
FORMER MANAGERSNot many familiar names except for Lawrie McMenemy, Cyril Knowles, Billy Bremner, Dave Mackay, Joe Kinnear, Kerry Dixon, Dean Saunders, Brian Flynn and Paul Dickov.
MATCHDAY MASCOTDonny Dog, another one here with a murky past!
Back in 2011 Tracy Chandeler who was the person inside the costume, appeared in her knickers, stockings and bra on the pages of the Sunday Sport with the Donny Dog costume, she was sacked, but was later reinstated.
FAMOUS FANSJezza Clarkson, Louis Tomlinson from One Direction, John Parr from St Elmo’s Fire fame, Tony “Amarillo” Christie, and comedian and Golden Shot host Charlie Williams, who also played for the club on 171 occasions.
CURRENT MATCH ODDSDoncaster
1/1 (Hills) Draw
13/5 (Bet 365) MK Dons
3/1 (Coral)
LAST TIME ROUNDTuesday 21st April 2015 – MK Dons 3 Doncaster 0
Team – Martin, Lewington, McFadzean, Spence, Kay, Alli, L Baker (Bowditch), Carruthers (Powell), Potter, Grigg, Hall (C. Baker).
Unused Subs – Burns, Hodson, Green, Cole
Goals - Bowditch 66’, Carl Baker 77’ & 84’
Referee – Roger East (2 Yellows)
Attendance – 8,159
League Position at the Time – Dons 3rd, Rovers 13th.
HEAD 2 HEAD2014/15 – MK Dons 3 Doncaster 0 (Bowditch, C Baker 2)
2014/15 – Doncaster 0 MK Dons 0
2012/13 – MK Dons 3 Doncaster 0 (Mcleod, Powell, Gleeson)
2012/13 – Doncaster 0 MK Dons 0
2005/06 – MK Dons 2 Doncaster 3 (G Smith, Wilbraham)
2005/06 – Doncaster 1 MK Dons 1 (McLeod)
2004/05 - Doncaster 3 MK Dons 0
2004/05 – MK Dons 0 Doncaster 1
YOU’VE GOT NO HISTORYEnglish Third TierChampions: 2012–13
Play-off winners: 2007–08
NorthChampions: 1934–35, 1946–47, 1949–50
Runners up: 1937–38, 1938–39
English Fourth TierChampions: 1965–66, 1968–69, 2003–04
Runners up: 1983–84 Promoted: 1980–81, 2016–17
English Fifth TierPlay-Off Winners: 2002–03
Football League Trophy2006–07
Conference Cup1998–99, 1999–2000
PREDICTIONThat’s it for this week, but a quick reminder, this is a
DOUBLE BUBBLE GAME, all points scored will be doubled, so that means you can win up to 30 POINTS for this game.
Don’t forget the rules, and the deadlines, see you at Donny.
Regards one and all.
WellDon EXAMPLEDoncaster 0 MK Dons 0
No MKDFGS
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