List of Doncaster Rovers F.C. players explained

This is a list of notable footballers who have played for Doncaster Rovers. The aim is for this list to include all players that have played 100 or more senior matches for the club. Other players who are deemed to have played an important role for the club can be included, but the reason for their notability should be included in the 'Notes' column.

For a list of all Doncaster Rovers players with a Wikipedia article, see, and for the current squad see Doncaster Rovers F.C.#Current squad.

Explanation of List

Players should be listed in chronological order according to the year in which they first played for the club, and then by alphabetical order of their surname. Appearances and goals should include substitute appearances, but exclude wartime matches. Further information on competitions/seasons which are regarded as eligible for appearance stats are provided below, and if any data is not available for any of these competitions an appropriate note should be added to the table.

League appearances

League appearances and goals should include data for the following league spells, but should not include play-off matches:

Midland Alliance: 1890−91
Midland Football League: 1891-92 to 1900-01; 1903–04; 1905-06 to 1922-23
The Yorkshire League: 1897−98 to 1898−99
Football League: 1901-02 to 1902-03; 1904–05; 1923-24 to 1997-98; 2003-04 to present
Football Conference: 1998-99 to 2002-03

Total appearances

The figures for total appearances and goals should include the League figures together with the following competitions:

Play-off matches (2002–03 and 2007–08)
FA Cup; FA Trophy (1998-99 to 2002-03)
Football League Cup, Football League Trophy (including three seasons as a Conference club 2000-01 to 2002-03), Football League Group Cup (1982–83), Football League Third Division North Cup (1933-34 to 1934-35; 1937–38)
Conference League Cup (1999-00 to 2000-01)
Sheffield and Hallamshire FA Minor Challenge Cup
Sheffield and Hallamshire FA Senior Challenge Cup
Gainsborough News Charity Cup
Wharncliffe Charity Cup
Mexborough Montague Charity Cup
Friendlies (pre 1890−91 when Doncaster weren't in a league)

NOT included:

Wartime League matches
Friendlies (1890−91 onwards)

List of players

Statistics are up to date as of 18:24 5 April 2021 (UTC).

Position	Club career	League apps	League goals	Total apps	Total goals	Notes
	1887−1905	45	28	48	48	Doncaster's longest serving playerAppearance stats not including seasons 1887−1901 nor 1903−04, during which he was theoretically available for a further 324 league and 88 cup games giving a maximum possible of 460. Added to this there were a further 77 friendly games during his first three seasons when Rovers were not in a league.
	1894–1903	67	0	70	0	Stats only for 1901–03. He'd been a regular in the side for several seasons before this
	1895−1901		53		65
	1895−1905	80	2	83	2	Appearance stats not including 1895−1901, 1903−04
	1896−1902	31	2	33	2	Stats only for 1901−02 season, he scored 17 League and 5 other goals in total
	1900–02 1905−06 1909	38	6	40	2	Stats not including 1899–1901, 1905−06 and 1908−09 seasons where he scored 33 league and 14 other goals
	1901–03 1906−07	62	16	65	16	Playing stats for first period only, scored 9 League goals in his second period
DF	1920–1925	181	0	202	0
	1922–1927	182	57	196	61
GK	1922–1926	105	0	117	0
	1922–1929	176	4	191	4	^[1]
	1923–1929	231	180	241	186	Record Doncaster goalscorer
	1924–1932	189	1	201	3
	1924–1932	257	0	275	0
	1924–1936	417	30	439	32	Record pre war Doncaster League appearancesManager of Doncaster 1936-1940
	1925–1930	137	20	143	21	Ireland international whilst at Doncaster^[2]
	1926–1929	110	28	113	28	^[3]
	1926–1930	150	4	158	4
	1926–1929	101	1	105	1
	1927–1931	111	32	120	33
WI	1928–1932	99	6	105	6
	1928–1936	149	7	161	8
	1929–1937	264	35	277	39
	1929–1935	127	0	135	0
	1930–1937	226	22	237	24
	1930–1944	180	0	190	0	One of two current Rovers players to be killed in WWII
WI	1932–1938	196	50	204	54
	1933–1937	176	1	183	1
	1933–1937	119	51	122	53	Scored in 6 consecutive games and 5 times in one game in 1934-35 season
	1933–1939	126	0	140	0
	1936–1951	333	2	355	2	Including Wartime League matches, he played 501 games for Doncaster giving him the overall all-time second highest number of appearances behind James Coppinger.Joint manager of Doncaster January−June 1958
	1936–1945	95	26	106	28
	1936–1940	98	44	102	44	Welsh international whilst at Doncaster
	1937–1948	131	6	145	6
	1940–1948	60	48	67	50	Most Doncaster league goals in one season (42 in 1946/47)He also scored 63 goals in 102 games during the war years
	1946–1958	402	122	429	131
	1946–1950	160	49	170	56
	1947–1953	142	11	153	13
	1947–1956	308	0	331	0
	1947–1951	95	2	100	2
	1947–1953	140	3	147	4
	1948–1959	158	1	174	1	Famous comedian
	1949–1953	103	55	109	58	Ireland international player and manager of Northern Ireland whilst at Doncaster Manager of Doncaster 1949-1958 (PM until 1953)
	1949–1958	312	3	332	3	Northern Ireland international whilst at Doncaster
	1950–1954	126	47	134	50
	1950–1956	108	15	117	15
	1950–1954	127	47	143	49	Republic of Ireland international whilst at Doncaster
	1950–1955	113	0	120	0
	1951–1961	353	0	378	0
	1949–1956	113	0	120	0
	1952–1957	94	0	99	0	Northern Ireland international whilst at Doncaster. Hero of the Munich air disaster
	1952–1961	240	46	258	49
	1953–1960	147	5	156	5
	1953–1957	126	32	139	38
	1953–1959	168	32	182	36
	1954–1959, 1963–1968	262	129	293	140	Youngest Doncaster player (15 years 229 days v Fulham, 15 September 1954).
	1952–1961	132	1	147	2
	1956–1959	119	16	124	18
	1958–1962	182	0	197	0
	1959–1961 1963-1966	206	39	231	42
	1961–1966	157	19	179	22
	1962–1964	88	57	101	62
	1962–1965	119	42	135	44	Republic of Ireland international whilst at Doncaster
	1962–1966	123	0	140	0
	1962–1966	128	7	152	7
	1964–1968	150	16	174	18
	1964–1968	124	0	143	2
	1964–1968	124	2	144	2
	1965–1971	186	33	207	36
	1965–1968	131	3	149	2
	1965–1968	107	2	126	2
	1966–1971	164	4	186	4
	1966–1972	227	8	252	11
	1966–1968, 1979-1983	129	33	150	38
	1966–1968, 1968–1973	157	33	174	38	"Willie" Watson
	1968–1972	100	4	111	4
	1968–1974	172	20	187	20
	1968–1971	107	23	121	24
	1968–1973	153	8	169	9
	1968–1971	95	25	104	27
	1968–1973	170	6	183	6
	1969–1973	156	5	166	6
	1969–1973	120	34	127	36
	1969–1975	228	16	247	19
	1970–1973	95	0	102	0
	1970–1977	228	89	256	105
	1971–1977	236	7	263	7
	1971–1974	97	30	108	34
	1971–1977	185	9	211	12
	1972–1979	140	2	162	3
	1972–1977	130	1	142	1	Manager of Doncaster 2000-2001
	1973–1977	146	21	165	23
	1973–1978	187	65	212	78
	1973–1977	84	3	102	4
	1975–1978	124	14	139	15
	1975–1980, 1982–1986	329	0	373	0
	1975–1979	119	3	134	3
	1975–1978	119	12	131	13
	1976–1979	128	27	137	27
	1976–1985	309	59	345	62
	1977–1981	154	15	175	17
	1978–1982	122	0	132	1
	1978–1985	238	30	268	31
	1979–1982	5	0	5	0	Manager of Doncaster 1979-1985, 1989–1991
	1979–1983	94	3	111	7
	1979–1982, 1983–1986, 1989–1992	189	23	217	27
	1979–1985	244	15	285	16
	1980–1984	104	0	115	0
	1980–1988	180	8	200	9
	1980–1985, 1998–2000	190	25	216	27	Player-manager of Doncaster 1998-2000
	1981–1986, 1988–1993	404	53	444	62	Forward in his first spell, fullback in his second
	1984–1986, 1997–1998	95	13	107	14
	1985–1987, 1990	101	4	114	4	Manager of Doncaster 1985–1987
	1985–1988	106	0	118^[4]	0
	1985–1988	85	0	102	2
	1987–1992	164	20	195	25
	1987–1991, 1994	134	22	146	24
	1988–1992	139	2	145	2
	1988–1991	109	3	118	3
	1988–1992	121	0	128	0
	1989–1992, 1995	110	21	120	24
	1989–1992	89	2	105	3
	1990–1993	118	16	134	17
	1993–1996	92	26	105	30
	1994–1997	110	12	111	12
	1994–2000	191	4	199	4	Rovers Player of the Year 1997–98
	1996–1997, 2000–2006	211	6	220	6
	1998–2001	97	6	112	7
	1998–2002	93^[5]	13	102^[6]	17	Manager of Doncaster 2001-2006
	1999–2006	154	0	185	1	Rovers Player of the Year 1999–2000
	1999–2007	196	0	207	0
	2000–2004	100	34	118	37	Rovers Player of the Year 2000–01 and 2001–02
	2001–2008	235	30	277^[7]	33
	2002–2006	116	3	134	3
	2002–2006	137	9	152	10
	2003–2004, 2011–2014	109	29	119	33	Rovers Player of the Year 2013–14
	2003–2006	90	19	104	23
	2003–2006	122	28	142	35	Rovers Player of the Year 2004–05 and 2005–06
	2004–2021	607	67	688	78	Rovers Player of the Year 2017–18
	2004, 2006–2011, 2013	143	3	161	3
	2005–2010	148	18	187	24
	2005–2010	128	35	150	43
	2006–2012	215	4	242	5	Rovers Player of the Year 2009–10
	2006–2012	152	8	179	8	Joint Rovers Player of the Year 2006–07
	2006–2009	93	17	114	23
	2006–2010	141	8	165	8
	2006–2012	193	18	216	23	Welsh international whilst at Doncaster
	2006–2013	200	0	220	0
	2007–2012	165	34	178	39
	2007–2012	148	1	164	2
	2007–2009, 2013–2016	172	12	199	15	Rovers Player of the Year 2007–08
	2007–2013, 2013–2014	117	7	135	10
	2009–2012, 2014	98	44		102		45	Record transfer fee paid (£1.15 m)Rovers Player of the Year 2010–11
	2011–2015	116	15	131	16
	2011–2017	124	2	145	2
	2013–2019	99	0	112	1	Northern Ireland international whilst at Doncaster
	2015–2019, 2020–	206	15	238	17	Manager of Doncaster 2021–
	2015–2019	128	25	145	31
	2015–2018	92	23		106		29
	2016–2020	139	8	162	10
	2016–2019	134	61		153		67	Rovers Player of the Year 2016–17
	2016–2019	98	3	120	3
	2016–	120	4	148	5
	2017–2020	92	10	117	23
	2017–2021	133	19	159	25	Rovers Player of the Year 2018–19
	2018–	97	6	119	8

Charle Chester 1892-99

Football League 100 Legends

The following Doncaster players have been included in the Football League 100 Legends.

PFA Team of the Year

The following have been included in the PFA Team of the Year whilst playing for Doncaster.

1975–76 Ian Miller, Peter Kitchen (Fourth Division)
1976–77 Ian Miller, Peter Kitchen (Fourth Division)
1977–78 Ian Miller, Brendan O'Callaghan (Fourth Division)
1980–81 Alan Little (Fourth Division)
1983–84 Ian Snodin (Fourth Division)
1984–85 Ian Snodin (Third Division)
1990–91 Brendan Ormsby, Rufus Brevett (Fourth Division)
1994–95 Russ Wilcox (Fourth Division)
2003–04 Michael McIndoe (Third Division)
2005–06 Michael McIndoe (League One)
2006–07 Richie Wellens (League One)
2007–08 Richie Wellens (League One)
2012–13 Rob Jones, David Cotterill (League One)
2016–17 James Coppinger, John Marquis (League Two)
2018–19 John Marquis (League One)

References

Book: Bluff, Tony. Donny:Doncaster Rovers F.C. The Complete History (1879−2010). 2011. Yore Publications. 978-0-9569848-3-8.
- Soccerbase stats (use Search for...on left menu and select 'Players' drop down)
- During Doncaster's period in the Conference the database does not include full match stats:
  - FA Cup qualifying round matches do not have line-ups included in the database. This affects a total of 7 matches during the period.
  - Only one of their FA Trophy games has match line-ups in Soccerbase, namely the original game against Yeovil on 19 February 2002, leaving a total of 9 Trophy matches without line-ups.
A to Z Doncaster player stats at doncasterrovers.co.uk - Other than league matches appearance data only appears to include FA Cup and Football League Cup matches (the latter do not seem to be present for seasons 1993-94 to 1997-98). Play-off statistics are included, but are listed within the 'League' totals.
List of managers with date of first/last game in charge at doncasterrovers.co.uk
Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . Soccerdata . 2004 . 1-899468-67-6 .
Appearances, goals and club years stats at since1888.co.uk Michael Joyce (site no longer active)

Notes and References

Web site: Doncaster Rovers' 30-Year struggle with poverty . 1 October 2012.
Web site: Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. 1 October 2012.
Web site: 1929/30 season. doncasterrovers.co.uk. 7 January 2013.
Does not include any appearances he may have made in the Football League Trophy
Penney's League stats are derived from the Soccerbase seasonal breakdown for 99/00 to 01/02 and from A to Z players for 98/99 as league data for this season is not included at Soccerbase. Note there are minor differences between the two sources for both 99/00 and 00/01
Penney's other stats are taken from Soccerbase but may not include any FA Trophy matches, or consistently include Conference League Cup data
Data does not include any matches he may have played in the FA Trophy, or in the FA Cup whilst Doncaster were in the Conference