This list contains players who have appeared in nationally organised first-team competition for Doncaster Rovers from its creation in 1879 until the end of First World War. Players that also represented the club after the war are included.
Players should be listed in chronological order according to the season in which they first played for the club, and then by alphabetical order of their surname. Initially, the club only played friendlies, their first cup match being in October 1885. Doncaster joined their first league, the Midland Alliance, in 1890. To varying degrees in subsequent years, friendlies still formed a significant part of the fixtures throughout the season. Further information on competitions/seasons which are regarded as eligible for appearance stats are provided below.
League appearances and goals should include data for the following league spells:
The figures for total appearances and goals should include the League figures together with the following competitions:
The first match was in September 1879 when Albert Jenkins got together a group of young men to play against The Yorkshire Institute for the Deaf and Dumb in which they drew 4−4 after being behind 4−0 at half time. It was after this match that the group of players decided to play further games and call themselves Doncaster Rovers on the walk back into the town. The first match played under this name was a 0−0 draw on 3 October 1879 at Rawmarsh F.C.. The line up in a 2−2−6 formation was:
William Walker
Thomas Clark
William H. Salmon
William Chadwick
Arthur Roper
John Boyle Gosling
William Simpson
William Titterington
After already playing their first game of the 1901–02 season in the Midland League on 2 September, Doncaster were voted into the Football League following New Brighton Tower folding as a club. Continuing with the squad they already had, the first match was against Burslem Port Vale on Saturday 7 September 1901. The crowd at the Intake Ground was 2,000. It was 0–0 at half time, then Len Goodson scored two for Rovers. The Vale then scored 3 goals, with Frank Bailey getting the equaliser making the final score 3–3. The line up was a 2–3–5 formation of:
| Name | Position | Club career | League apps | League goals | Total apps | Total goals | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879–85 | 4 | During this time, not all scorers in games were recorded | ||||||
| 1879–86? | Also club founder, captain and secretary | |||||||
| 1879–85 | Went on to play for Bolton Wanderers on the first day of the inaugural season of the Football League in September 1888 | |||||||
| 1885?–? | Became Mayor of Doncaster in 1914 | |||||||
| 1886–87 1888–89 1891–93 | 7 | 23 | During this time, not all scorers in games were recorded | |||||
| 1887−1905 | 45 | 28 | 48 | 48 | Appearance stats not including seasons 1887−1901 nor 1903−04 which are likely to at least put him well over 200 total appearances | |||
| 1890–91 | 7 | 12 | ||||||
| 1890–91 | 11 | 14 | ||||||
| 1890–91 | 9 | 12 | ||||||
| 1890–93 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1891 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Doncaster born, he went on to play for England twice, and won the First Division title once and FA Cup twice with Sheffield United before managing Bristol City | |||
| 1892–93 | ||||||||
| 1893–96 | 5 | 9 | First manager of Doncaster, in 1920 | |||||
| 1893–94 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1894–1903 | 67 | 0 | 70 | 0 | Appearance stats not including 1894−1901 | |||
| 1895−1901 | 53 | 65 | ||||||
| 1895−1905 | 80 | 3 | 83 | 3 | 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 | |||
| 1897–1900 | 51 | 56 | ||||||
| 1900−01 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| 1900–02 1905−06 1909 | 38 | 6 | 40 | 6 | Scored Doncaster's first goal in the Football LeagueStats not including 1899–1901, 1905−06 and 1908−09 seasons where he scored 33 league and 14 other goals | |||
| 1900−04 | 62 | 8 | 65 | 8 | Stats not including Midland League seasons 1900−01 and 1903−04 when he scored 22 league goals | |||
| 1900−03 | 64 | 2 | 65 | 2 | Stats not including 1900−01 | |||
| 1900−01 | 20 | 26 | ||||||
| 1901–02 | 22 | 6 | 23 | 6 | ||||
| 1901−04 | 34 | 0 | 34 | 0 | Stats not including 1903−04 season | |||
| 1901−02 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1901−02 | 21 | 1 | 23 | 1 | ||||
| 1901–03 1906−07 | 62 | 16 | 65 | 16 | Playing stats for first period, scored 9 League goals in second period | |||
| 1901–02 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1901−02 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1901−03 | 33 | 2 | 35 | 3 | ||||
| 1901−02 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1901–03 | 59 | 17 | 61 | 18 | ||||
| 1902–03 | 30 | 3 | 31 | 3 | ||||
| 1902 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1902−03 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 1902–03 | 36 | 7 | 37 | 7 | ||||
| 1902–03 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 2 | ||||
| 1902−05 | 43 | 0 | 46 | 0 | ||||
| 1902−04 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | Stats not including 1903−04 season | |||
| 1902–03 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| 1902−03 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1902−03 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1902–03 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| 1902–03 | 27 | 7 | 28 | 7 | ||||
| 1902–03 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 1902−09 | 5 | 19 | 5 | 22 | Includes all goals, but only Football League appearances | |||
| 1902−03 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 1902–03 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1902−03 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 1903−05 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | Stats don't include 1903−04 where he scored 3 league goals | |||
| 1903–04 | 11 | 11 | ||||||
| 1903–04 | 12 | 12 | ||||||
| 1903?−04? | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1904−06 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Stats only for 1904−05 season, he scored 1 league goal in 1905−06 | |||
| 1904–05 | 19 | 0 | 21 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–06 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | Stats not including September 1905−October 1906 | |||
| 1904–05 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 3 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 26 | 1 | 28 | 1 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1904−05 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 1904−05 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1904−05 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 2 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1904−05 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1904−05 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 32 | 1 | 33 | 1 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 26 | 2 | 27 | 2 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 3 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–06 | 32 | 2 | 34 | 2 | Stats for first season, also scored 1 League and 2 FA Cup goals in second season | |||
| Left half | 1904−05 | 21 | 3 | 23 | 3 | |||
| 1904−05 | 17 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 12 | 3 | 14 | 3 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 31 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||||
| 1904–05 | 15 | 1 | 17 | 2 | ||||
| 1904−05 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1904−05 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 1905–06 | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| 1907−10 | 5 | 6 | ||||||
| 1907–09 | 7 | 11 | ||||||
| 1908–09 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1908−09 1910−11 1913−14 | 65 | 49 | 58 | Appearances not including 1913−14 | ||||
| 1909−10 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1909, 1912–13 | 10 | 12 | ||||||
| 1909−10 | 12 | 14 | ||||||
| 1909–10 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1910–13 | 20 | 26 | ||||||
| 1910−11 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1910–13 | 18 | 20 | ||||||
| 1911–13 | 14 | 18 | ||||||
| 1911–13 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1911–13 | 22 | 24 | ||||||
| 1911−13 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| 1912–13 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
| 1912 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 1912–1914 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1913?–? | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1914–15 | 6 | 8 | ||||||
| 1914–15 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| 1914–15 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1914–15 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1915−16 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1915–? | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 1915−? | 0 | 0 |