All Golds v Doncaster KPL1 2017 Final

Money troubles were never
far away however and new
owner John Wright had
to rescue the club in 1991
before announcing in 1997
that the club would have
to be liquidated unless
new owners were found
who arrived in the shape
of Shane Miller and Craig
Harrison.
In 2007 the club moved to
the new Keepmoat Stadium
on the edge of town and
dropped their short lived
‘Lakers’ moniker to be
known as the Dons again.
a half thousand the Dons
moved to a new stadium
on Bentley Road in 1953,
which was later renamed
Tattersfield in honour
of former chairman Len
Tattersfield.
Success was elusive,
however. Between 1956
and 1961 Doncaster were
bottom of the league every
year, in the bottom three
between 1963 and 1968
and only twice out of the
bottom three between 1970
and 1985.
The appointment of
former Great Britain
international Tony Fisher -
a tough uncompromising
Welshman - as coach
heralded happier times in
the 1990s. Promotion from
Division 2 was achieved in
the 1993/4 season when
Doncaster finished second
behind Workington Town.
Overseas players such
as Jamie Bloem (who
later became a referee),
Vila Matautia and Sonny
Whakarau and stalwarts like
Audley Pennant, Tony Miller
and Robert ‘Rocky’ Turner
formed the backbone of
the team.
A sensational start in the
top division with wins over
St Helens, Widnes and
Wakefield Trinity saw the
Dons briefly on top of the
league. Sadly it did not
last and Doncaster finished
their only season in the top
flight at the bottom, their
last win coming against
Hull on 15 January (winter
rugby league in those days,
of course).
Relegation and liquidation
followed but the club
reformed as the Doncaster
Dragons in the bottom tier
of the league in 1995/6.
Tattersfield had been sold
for housing and the club
moved to the Meadow
Court Greyhound Stadium
then later shared the Belle
Vue stadium with Doncaster
Rovers FC.
After St John Ellis became
coach in 1999 the club
began to prosper again.
Playing a tough, aggressive,
physical style, their ground
was referred to as “the
House of Pain” by Ellis an
ebullient larger than life
character who sadly died
all too soon on New Years’
Eve 1995.
With the legendary
Ellery Hanley at the helm,
Doncaster (with a young
Luke Gale at scrum half)
won the 2008 National
League 2 play off final
18-10 against Oldham at
Warrington’s Halliwell Jones
Stadium to earn promotion
to the game’s second
tier. Unfortunately Hanley
resigned shortly after citing
financial constraints and the
club were relegated back
to the third tier the next
season.
History repeated itself in
2012 when player coach
Paul Cooke led the Dons
to another play-off victory
in Warrington, 16-13 against
Barrow, as well as winning
the League Leaders Shield.
Now back in the third tier
and owned by the town’s
football club, Doncaster are
looking to newly-appointed
coach Richard Horne to
guide the club to better
times ahead - a far cry from
the days of “Another Bloody
Sunday”. The Documentary
is available on YouTube:
CLICK HERE
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