1997–98 Doncaster Rovers F.C. season


During the 1997–98 English football season, Doncaster Rovers competed in the Football League Third Division. Doncaster had an awful season finishing bottom of the table and being relegated to the Football Conference. They lost 34 matches, setting a new league record.

Season summary

Doncaster suffered the worst season in their history. They were rooted to the bottom of the table for almost the entirety of the season, had to wait 21 matches for a first league victory of the season, won only four league games all season, finished 15 points adrift of 23rd-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and lost 34 league games, the most for any English club in a season - the worst of these defeats being 7-1 at Cardiff City and 8-0 at Leyton Orient. This poor form saw Doncaster rightly relegated from the Football League to the Conference for the first time in their history.
Rovers' poor form came amidst a background of gross interference and poor judgement from the board. Player-manager Kerry Dixon was sacked in August; youth-team coach Dave Cowling replaced him, but only managed the club for two games before resigning due to interference from chairman Ken Richardson. Cowling was replaced by experienced Uruguayan Danny Bergara, who allowed Richardson to pick the team: Bergara lasted seven games, picking up only two points. Eventually Richardson's right-hand man Mark Weaver appointed himself manager.
Just weeks after Rovers were relegated, Richardson was found guilty of attempting to set fire to Belle Vue, apparently to claim insurance money to pay off the club's debt.

Kit

Rovers wore four kits during the season, all produced by new kit manufacturer Olympic Sports. The first, worn from August to September, featured sleeves with jagged red shapes on a white background. An alternate kit, with the jagged red shapes also featured on white panels on the sides of the shorts, was also used during this period. From October to April Rovers wore a red kit with white panels on the sides of the shorts, plain red socks with a white band around the ankle and a buttoned collar; this kit was the only one worn by Doncaster this season to bear the club's crest. During May the club returned to wear the first kit, albeit with completely red shorts.
The away kit evoked that worn by the Brazil national side, with a yellow shirt with green collar, sky blue shorts with white panels on the side, and white socks.
None of the kits worn by Doncaster this season carried sponsorship.

Final league table

Results

Doncaster's score comes first

Legend

Football League Division Three

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
19 August 1997Shrewsbury TownA1 – 23,029Conlon
216 August 1997Peterborough UnitedH0 – 51,920
323 August 1997Macclesfield TownA0 – 32,635
430 August 1997Exeter CityH0 – 11,186
52 September 1997Leyton OrientH1 – 41,098
65 September 1997Mansfield TownA1 – 12,874Moncrieffe
713 September 1997Scunthorpe UnitedA1 – 13,378McDonald
820 September 1997Cambridge UnitedH0 – 01,258
927 September 1997Torquay UnitedA0 – 21,650
104 October 1997Brighton & Hove AlbionH1 – 32,351Cunningham
1111 October 1997Hartlepool UnitedH2 – 21,526Moncrieffe
1218 October 1997DarlingtonA1 – 52,451Moncrieffe
1321 October 1997Colchester UnitedA1 – 22,588McDonald
1424 October 1997Swansea CityH0 – 31,170
151 November 1997ScarboroughA0 – 42,345
164 November 1997Cardiff CityH1 – 11,004Moncrieffe
178 November 1997BarnetA1 – 12,015Warren
1818 November 1997Lincoln CityA1 – 22,957Moncrieffe
1922 November 1997RochdaleH0 – 31,503
2029 November 1997Hull CityA0 – 34,721
212 December 1997Chester CityH2 – 1846Helliwell, Smith
2213 December 1997Notts CountyA2 – 54,024Pell, Smith
2319 December 1997Rotherham UnitedH0 – 33,533
2428 December 1997Leyton OrientA0 – 84,437
2510 January 1998Shrewsbury TownH1 – 01,116Moncrieffe
2617 January 1998Exeter CityA1 – 54,145Pemberton
2727 January 1998Macclesfield TownH0 – 31,707
2830 January 1998Scunthorpe UnitedA1 – 22,036Mike
293 February 1998Mansfield TownH0 – 31,538
307 February 1998Cambridge UnitedA1 – 22,478Wilson
3110 February 1998Peterborough UnitedA1 – 04,577Smith
3214 February 1998Brighton & Hove AlbionA0 – 06,339
3321 February 1998Torquay UnitedH0 – 11,424
3424 February 1998DarlingtonH0 – 21,342
3528 February 1998Hartlepool UnitedA1 – 31,920Rowe
363 March 1998BarnetH0 – 2739
3710 March 1998ScarboroughH1 – 21,129Rowe
3814 March 1998Cardiff CityA1 – 72,931Mike
3921 March 1998Lincoln CityH2 – 42,357George, Donnelly
4028 March 1998RochdaleA1 – 41,858Tedaldi
414 April 1998Hull CityH1 – 02,597Mike
4211 April 1998Chester CityA1 – 21,593Mike
4313 April 1998Notts CountyH1 – 22,485Messer
4418 April 1998Rotherham UnitedA0 – 34,328
4525 April 1998Swansea CityA0 – 03,661
462 May 1998Colchester UnitedH0 – 13,572

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R115 November 1997Preston North EndA2 – 37,953Mike, Hammond

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R1 1st Leg11 August 1997Nottingham ForestH0 – 84,547
R1 2nd Leg27 August 1997Nottingham ForestA1 – 29,908Armstrong

Football League Trophy

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R19 December 1997RochdaleH0 – 1580

Squad

Appearances for competitive matches only