My Matchday - 177 Keepmoat Stadium

Doncaster Rovers 1v0 Newcastle United
Pre-Season friendly
26th July 2008

A rare treat of visiting an uncharted League ground with Newcastle, although it’s not a competitive game, I’m not a snob when it comes to attending friendlies, as it’s usually my best chance to get a new venue watching the Toon.
The Keepmoat Stadium was built in 2006 at a cost of around £32M, the naming rights are owned by a local housing company, with the stadium built and owned by Doncaster Council. The move after 83 years from Belle Vue was completed with Rovers first fixture on New Years Day 2007, a 3-0 win over rivals Huddersfield Town, the ground is also used by the towns Rugby League club, with the mini-stadium situated next to the main stand used by the reserves and Doncaster Belles.
The Keepmoat with it’s hilly surroundings and nearby lake, has a capacity of 15,231, it’s a single tier enclosed arena, decked out in red seats with cream interior walls. The East Stand has an additional row of executive boxes, and to the west the TV gantry, press box and players tunnel. Behind each goal the seats have the word Doncaster underlined(council logo) picked out in white and black seats, with the floodlights appear to be peeping inside the stadium, from their lofty position in each corner.
Rovers celebrated their first full season in the Keepmoat with promotion to ‘The Championship’ beating Yorkshire rivals dirty Leeds in the play-off final, it’s hard to believe that Donny were playing Conference football as recently as the year 2000.
On a boiling hot day (I even wore me shorts) I heading down to South Yorkshire, with the Patrick’s(squad # 2 & 79) After a brief stop off in Armthorpe, we headed to the Stadium parking opposite the ground, beside the industrial estate for free. After quenching our thirst at the nearby Lakeside pub, we headed to the ground, looking forward to what promised to be an entertaining game, unfortunately that wasn’t the case, with basically a piss poor performance from United.
An uneventful first half, saw plenty of possession but little action in the final third, while Rovers played some neat stuff and created a few half chances without testing Harper. After being at work earlier in the day and being on the go since 4am, I had trouble staying awake, with nothing to get excited about, watching the game with one eye shut, maybe the sweltering conditions was a factor in such a poor opening period.
There was one redeeming factor about the first half however, the Newcastle debut of no.46 at centre half, nobody knew who he was, as there was a lack of any public address announcements, so he was known only by his number. This was a cue to sing all songs dedicated to various players, but the names changed to forty-six, like “ There‘s only one forty six“ and “He’s here, he’s there, he’s every f**king where, forty six, forty six” at half time I got a text message from my pal Zippy, letting me know it was Sebastien Bassong on trial from French club Metz.
The second half improved, there was a bit more urgency but still a lack of quality, we were never going to score with a toothless front two of Shola and Smith, Ameobi never had one effort on target, he didn’t look interested and his mind seems to be on when (or if) WBA are going to sign him. As for Alan Smith, he never had one effort at goal all afternoon, he never scored a competitive goal at all last season, a complete waste of time, although his new hair style looks nice, he’s grew it longer with a nice side parting amongst his goldilocks.
Donny’s main threat came after the introduction of Stuart Elliott for the second half, he had two good efforts on goal before the decisive moment three minutes from time, a long ball forward was mucked up by Enrique allowing Elliott to take advantage before hitting a well struck shot from 20 yards, wide to the keeper’s right. The win for Rovers could prove a good boost going into the new season, I hope they do well next season in a higher division, they’re a smashing little club, where even the stewards are friendly, especially the Jesus look-alike, who took the banter from the Toon Army with a smile, with the other stewards joining in on the joke.
United were sporting their new all purple away kit, which is similar in style to the fictionist Sky One club Harchester United. The board need to back Keegan in the transfer market, it’s obvious to everyone there’s an apparent lack of quality and depth within the squad, if he doesn’t get the financial support that’s required, then I’m afraid, there’ll certainly be no ‘Dream Team’ at SJP this season.

Matchday stats
DRFC 1(Elliott 87) NUFC 0
att.9826
admission £15(North Stand)
Programme £3


Links-
Rovers match report
Keepmoat Stadium website
My Matchday visit to Belle Vue

MK James visit 5/5/07

Ground no.177-Keepmoat Stadium – Matchday Web album
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My Matchday Pics - 120 Belle Vue

Doncaster Rovers 1v0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Football League One
November 25th 2006
att.5804
At last, a trip down to Donny and a last opportunity to visit Belle Vue,or should that be the Earth Stadium'(which i doubt any self acclaimed Rovers fan would call it unless you worked for Earth Mortgages) their home for the last 84 years before their move to pastures new in the new year.
Doncaster Rovers have played at 'The Belle' since 1922 and the old ground has survived fire,mining subsidance,conspiracy and arson and on the field been graced by the likes of amongst others the Keetley Brothers,Alick Jeffery,Sydney Bycroft,Harry Gregg(at the time the worlds most expensive player) and lest not forget "me old flower" Charlie Williams.
Anyone whose visited Belle Vue will know that the old stadium is on it's last legs but it has a certain character and an historic feel to it.It was great to stand on the terraces for a league game again with the ground being made up of two open ended terraces behind each goal,I stood on the 'Town End' terrace facing towards the Brighton fans or should i say a 'flock of seagulls' ( "well I took a photograph of you,for something to remind me") facing towards us in the 'Rossington End'.
The Main Stand has a seating capacity of just over 1500 and has a paddock standing area in front with which looks like an extended roof,adjacent is the popular side which is a covered terrace where most of the home fans vocal support comes from.

I travelled down on the train,in first clarss,thanks to my old mucker and companion for the day Jimmy,who has one of those train-season-ticket-thingys,so I had a free trip to the match(well so I thought)after a couple of pints in Central Station we boarded the 12.32 and arrived at Doncaster Station just before two o'clock.

We decided to jump a taxi to the ground to give us a bit more time in the beerbar,while travelling to the ground the taxi driver asked why we were here and Jimmy jokingly replied "We're sick of watching Newcastle so we've come to watch Doncaster instead" our taxi-driver was straight on to his radio to notify head office that unbelievably,he had two Geordies in his cab coming to watch Rovers instead of Newcastle,the lass in the taxi office then proceeded in telling all the other taxi drivers about us,so our arrival in the town of Doncaster was announced with disbelief even though Jimmy's remark was with his tongue firmly in his cheek,and of course they mustn't have known that the Toon were at home the following day and I would be at that game as well.

The taxi dropped us off at a pub next to the Dome complex,and after a few pints of Tetley Bitter(funny,it always tastes nicer when drinking it in Yorkshire)we walked along to the ground.This involved trying to walk through what can only be described as' puddle city' or maybe 'Mini-Venice' but not as picturesque.

The match wasn't a classic but was still enjoyable to watch,a tight encounter settled by a first half header scored by former Seagulls striker Mark McCammon.Overall Doncaster deserved the the victory,while having the best of the opening period Brighton pushed for an equaliser in the second half,but the home defence held firm and didn't look like letting the three points slip.

match report -

http://www.doncasterroversfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Match/Reports/0,,10329~34397,00.html

After the game we walked around to the taxi rank at the nearby ASDA store,there were no taxis there,so we went into the store and the young girl on the customer services desk was very helpfull in ordering us transport back to the train station.But the taxi didn't show up,because the traffic outside the Dome Complex was chocka-block and the taxi had no chance in reaching us,after trying to order another taxi from the nearby pub we gave up on any chance of us boarding the 17.35 to Edinburgh.

So there we were Smid and Jimmy stuck in Donny having missed our train,trekking back on foot in 'pissed off mode' back to the station and on arriving having to cough up £69 between us(so much for the free trip) we then toured the train stations of Yorkshire and finally treked back on to the East coast line back to the Toon.

My only previous recollection of Doncaster train Station was on TV,and the first ever episode of 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads' when Bob and Terry were reunited after five years, having bumping into each other on a Newcastle Bound Train.Terry had just came out of the army and after speaking to Bob on the way North decided that he didn't want to go home to Tyneside and decided that he was going to alight at Doncaster and return to London,to cut a long story short Bob got left behind in Doncaster having missed the last train,so this station has a bad history for Geordies,as another couple of likely lads would have been left there,if it wasn't for the fact Jimmy was carrying his little plastic friend.

Apart from the missed train incident,I had a very enjoyable trip to Doncaster and was pleased to finally get to view Belle Vue in there third last game at the old ground.I'll return again but next time it will be in better surroundings at the impressive looking Keepmoat Stadium,about a half a mile away from the current site and next time I'll make sure we'll get a later train home,so for now Doncaster "Ahl Sithee"

A Brighton fans view of the game @-http://thegroundhog.wordpress.com/2006/11/29/doncaster-rovers-part-2/

A New Era For Donny

Doncaster Rovers new stadium the Keepmoat Stadium will be officially opened by the Mayor on 17th December and their first match in their new home will be the derby with Huddersfield Town on New Years Day.
The stadium has a 15,000 capacity and at a cost of £32m,the development includes The Lakeside suite and supporters bar,restaurant,a health and fitness club,eleven all weather floodlit five and seven-a-side pitches,two external full-size floodlit grass pitches,car parks,outdoor amphitheatre and a 500 seater mini stand(better than the main stand that's currently at Belle Vue)with six lane running track.

The Keepmoat Stadium and the Lakeside Sports Complex will be a great addition to the Doncaster community and will also be the home of Doncaster Lakers Rugby League Club,Doncaster Belles FC,Doncaster Athletics Club and of course 'The Vikings' Donny Rovers.