Doncaster Rovers F.C.

Player of the Year

The following players have won Doncaster Rovers Player of the year award.

Early years

The club was formed in 1879 by Albert Jenkins, a fitter at Doncaster's Great Northern Railway works. He gathered together some friends to play a match against the Yorkshire Institute for the Deaf in September 1879. The institute side took a 4–0 lead but the game ended as a 4–4 draw. On walking back from the game, the team took a rest at the Hall Cross, and had a discussion in which they decided to play more and called themselves Doncaster Rovers. The first match under the name was on 3 October 1879, a draw away against Rawmarsh. The club turned professional in 1885. Gradually, they became the main team in the town, and appear to have had their first professional players in 1887–88. Rovers first entered the FA Cup in 1888–89, losing 9–1 to Rotherham Town at home. Season 1890–91 was to be a significant move forward. The club were a founder member of the Midland Alliance League and came second. The following season, saw them enter the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA Challenge Cup, beating Sheffield United 2–1 at Bramall Lane to win the final. That same season, they also moved up to the Midland League, becoming Champions in 1896–97 and 1898–99. They were first elected to the Football League in 1901, as a replacement for New Brighton Tower. Their first season in the League was in fact the one when Doncaster achieved their highest position ever (7th in the Football League Second Division). They only lasted two seasons in the league before being voted out in favour…

Doncaster Rovers have played their football in the following leagues: Midland Alliance League 1890–91 Midland Football League: 1891–92 to 1900–01, 1903–04, 1905–06 to 1922–23 Football League: 1901–02 to 1902–03, 1904–05, 1923–24 to 1997–98, 2003–04 to Present 2nd Tier – Division 2, Championship: 1901–02 to 1902–03, 1904–05, 1935–36 to 1936–37, 1947–48, 1950–51 to 1957–58, 2008–09 to 2011–12, 2013–14 3rd Tier – Division 3 North, Division 3, League 1: 1923–24 to 1934–35, 1937–38 to 1946–47, 1948–49 to 1949–50, 1958–59, 1966–67, 1969–70 to 1970–71, 1981–82 to 1982–83, 1984–85 to 1987–88, 2004–05 to 2007–08, 2012–13, 2014–15 to 2015–16, 2017–18 to 2020–21, 2025–26 to Present 4th Tier – Division 4, Division 3: 1959–60 to 1965–66, 1967–68 to 1968–69, 1971–72 to 1980–81, 1983–84, 1988–89 to 1997–98, 2003–04, 2016–17, 2022–23 to 2024–25 5th Tier – Football Conference 1998–99 to 2002–03

Last ten seasons

Pos = Position; P = Played; W = Won; D = Drawn; L = Lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

League

Third Division North / League One (level 3) Champions: 1934–35, 1946–47, 1949–50, 2012–13 Runners-up: 1937–38, 1938–39 Play-off winners: 2008 Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4) Champions: 1965–66, 1968–69, 2003–04, 2024–25 Runners-up: 1983–84 Promoted: 1980–81, 2016–17 Football Conference (level 5) Play-off winners: 2003 Midland Football League Champions: 1896–97, 1898–99 Runners-up: 1900–01, 1922–23 Midland Alliance League Runners-up: 1890–91 Yorkshire League Runners-up: 1898–99 Cup

Football League Trophy Winners: 2006–07 Conference League Cup Winners: 1998–99, 1999–2000 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup Winners (7): 1935–36, 1937–38, 1940–41, 1955–56, 1967–68, 1975–76, 1985–86