After taking a look at the relegated Championship sides, we now move onto the promoted League Two sides in our #FixtureReleaseDay countdown...
Doncaster Rovers
It certainly hasn’t been boring being a Doncaster Rovers fan in recent years, with the club enjoying triumphant promotions and enduring agonising relegations a total of eight times in 20 years.
In those two decades, Donny have risen out of Non-League football after five seasons in the Conference, before reaching the heights of the Championship – beating Southend along the way.
Since ending the Blues’ hopes of a return to the Championship in 2008, Doncaster spent five of the next six seasons in the second tier before slipping back down to League Two.
But after just one season at the bottom level of the Football League, Darren Ferguson’s side comfortably booked an immediate return to League One with five games to spare.
Manager – Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson took over at the Keepmoat Stadium in October 2015 after leaving Peterborough United for the second time in his managerial career.
Ferguson, who’s the son of former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, came through the ranks at Old Trafford and won a Premier League winners medal in 1993.
And he hit the ground running when it came to management, guiding Peterborough from League Two to the Championship in his first two full seasons in charge at London Road.
Ground – Keepmoat Stadium
The Keepmoat Stadium is a multi-purpose, all-seater stadium which hosts not only Doncaster Rovers, but also Doncaster Belles Ladies Football Club and Doncaster Rugby League Club.
Officially opened in August 2007, the ground has a capacity of 15,321 and cost an estimated £20million pounds to construct as part of a wider project in the area.
Situated within a large industrial estate, the stadium is impressive looking from the outside, whilst inside it is completely enclosed with no restricted views.
How they Reached League One
Following relegation the season before, Doncaster set about an immediate return to League One and after 10 games they found themselves inside the top three and never looked back.
A 10-game unbeaten run between December and February saw Donny hit the summit, and it looked like the title was heading to South Yorkshire until the final two games of the season.
Automatic promotion was never really in doubt, with Darren Ferguson’s side securing their return to the third tier with five games to spare, thanks to a 1-0 win against Mansfield.
That, though, was their last win of the season as they only picked up one point from the final 15 remaining, letting slip their chance of winning the title as they finished third.
Doncaster Rovers Facts and Figures:
Established: 1879
Nickname(s): Donny, The Rovers
Club Colours: Red and White
Ground Address: Keepmoat Stadium, Stadium Way, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 5JW
Ground Capacity: 15,321
Distance from Roots Hall: 184 miles
Position Last Season: 3rd in League Two
Transfer Activity So Far
In: Niall Mason (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Danny Andrew (Grimsby Town, free)
Out: None
Released: Paul Keegan, Gary McSheffrey, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Joe Pugh, Joey McCormick, Andy Williams
Last Time We Met
Saturday 2nd January 2016 – Sky Bet League One
Southend United 0 vs 3 Doncaster Rovers
Andy Williams 44’, Aaron Sinclair 54’, Nathan Tyson (p)58’
