During the 2007–08 English football season, Doncaster Rovers F.C. competed in League One. The team were in fourth place by the New Year, and ended up in the top three during the final stages of the league. They were promoted to the Championship along with two other teams.
Season summary This was Doncaster's fourth consecutive season in League One.
With Adam Brown, Jan Budtz, Liam Green, Rob Pacey, Jon-Paul Pittman, and Sean Thornton released, several new players were brought in for the beginning of the season. James Hayter was bought from Bournemouth, Gordon Greer came from Kilmarnock, free agents Sam Hird and Neil Sullivan came from Leeds, Richie Wellens from Oldham, Martin Woods from Rotherham, and Matt Mills was loaned from Manchester City.
Rovers were in 4th place by the New Year, and by the last game of the season they were in 2nd place but needed a win at Cheltenham to guarantee promotion to the Championship. Cheltenham won, as did 3rd placed Nottingham Forest, so Doncaster had to compete in the play-offs. First, they drew away at Southend where Paul Heffernan was sent off for a "head butt", but in the home leg they won 5–1, with James Coppinger getting a hattrick.
The play-off final was at the new Wembley against a Leeds side that had failed to get an automatic place partly following a pre-season 15 point deduction for exiting administration without a CVA. The contest attracted an attendance of 75,132, the biggest crowd Doncaster had ever played in front of. From a Brian Stock corner, James Hayter headed in the only goal of the match in the 47th minute and Doncaster were promoted to the second tier after an absence of 50 years when they had been relegated at the end of the 1957–58 season.
Progress in the three cup tournaments was limited.
The average league attendance figure of 7,978 was marginally up on the previous season and the highest since the 1969–70 season.
During the season it was announced that Terry Bramall and Dick Watson had become equal controlling shareholders alongside John Ryan.
League One League table
Results + League One match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance11 August 2007MillwallHD0–07,54218 August 2007Hartlepool UnitedAL1–2 Hayter 71' 5,54425 August 2007AFC BournemouthHL1–2 Greer 24' 6,4761 September 2007Swansea CityAW2–1 Wellens 68', 84' 11,9337 September 2007Northampton TownAL0–2 5,27416 September 2007Crewe AlexandraHW2–0 Heffernan 31', Woodards 48' o.g. 6,72622 September 2007Southend UnitedAL2–3 G. Roberts 28', Guy 36' 8,11729 September 2007Cheltenham TownHW2–0 Guy 18', Mills 58' 6,1502 October 2007WalsallHL2–3 Mills 17', Guy 40' 6,0386 October 2007Luton TownAD1–1 Hayter 67' 6,51314 October 2007Huddersfield TownHW2–0 Stock 13', Wilson 65' 6,86620 October 2007Nottingham ForestAD0–0 23,10828 October 2007Leyton OrientHW4–2 Wellens 52', 88', Price 69', Hayter 83' 7,1843 November 2007Swindon TownAW2–1 Stock 31', Guy 73' 6,5176 November 2007GillinghamAD1–1 Hayter 65' pen. 5,03017 November 2007Tranmere RoversHD0–0 7,07024 November 2007Port ValeAW3–1 Guy 59', Hayter 68', Wellens 81' 4,5814 December 2007Brighton & Hove AlbionHD0–0 6,2158 December 2007Oldham AthleticAD1–1 Hayter 90' pen. 4,77616 December 2007Yeovil TownHL1–2 Skiverton 90' o.g. 5,96722 December 2007Crewe AlexandraAW4–0 Price 38', 50', Green 90', Guy 90' 4,12226 December 2007Northampton TownHW2–0 McCammon 11', Lockwood 29' 7,04629 December 2007Southend UnitedHW3–1 Lockwood 8', Green 30', G. Roberts 42' 7,1631 January 2008WalsallAD1–1 Price 45' 6,26612 January 2008Carlisle UnitedHW1–0 Hayter 84' 8,19719 January 2008Leeds UnitedAW1–0 Stock 21' 31,40225 January 2008Swansea CityHL0–4 10,35829 January 2008Hartlepool UnitedHW2–0 Wellens 34', Lockwood 54' 6,4422 February 2008MillwallAW3–0 Price 43, Coppinger 77, Green 90' 8,2309 February 2008Bristol RoversHW2–0 Stock 65' pen., Heffernan 90' pen. 8,16812 February 2008AFC BournemouthAW2–0 Price 1', 70' 4,94723 February 2008Carlisle UnitedAL0–1 8,3901 March 2008Tranmere RoversAW1–0 Coppinger 2' 7,5514 March 2008Bristol RoversAW1–0 Heffernan 3' 3,9338 March 2008Port ValeHW2–1 Heffernan 11', McCammon 19' 8,04011 March 2008GillinghamHW2–1 Coppinger 4', Heffernan 48' pen. 7,86715 March 2008Brighton & Hove AlbionAL0–1 6,25221 March 2008Yeovil TownAL1–2 Heffernan 73' 6,14624 March 2008Oldham AthleticHD1–1 Heffernan 37' 8,77728 March 2008Nottingham ForestHW1–0 G. Roberts 74' 12,5081 April 2008Leeds UnitedHL0–1 15,0015 April 2008Huddersfield TownAD2–2 Taylor 52, Green 84' 10,27911 April 2008Swindon TownHW2–0 McDaid 39', Stock 68' pen. 8,37119 April 2008Leyton OrientAD1–1 McCammon 60' 4,58226 April 2008Luton TownHW2–0 Mills 34', McCammon 68' 9,3323 May 2008Cheltenham TownAL1–2 Green 76' 6,787
Play-offs + League One play-offs match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceSemi-final first leg9 May 2008Southend UnitedAD0–09,109Semi-final second leg16 May 2008Southend UnitedHW5–1Stock 11' pen., Barrett 21' o.g., Coppinger 39', 52', 80'13,081Final25 May 2008Leeds UnitedNW1–0Hayter 48'75,132
FA Cup + FA Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round10 November 2007Oldham AthleticAD2–2Hayter 63', 86'4,280First round replay27 November 2007Oldham AthleticHL1–2McCammon 26'4,340
League Cup + League Cup match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round14 August 2007Lincoln CityHW4–1Hayter 23', Wellens 55', Heffernan 59', McCammon 73'5,084Second round28 August 2007Plymouth ArgyleAL0–25,133
Football League Trophy + Football League Trophy match detailsRoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round4 September 2007Bradford CityHW5–1McCammon 16', 41', Guy 24', Woods 64', Harban 78' o.g.4,710Second round23 October 2007Oldham AthleticHW3–0Price 54', Green 74', Woods 87'4,608Quarter-final13 November 2007Grimsby TownAD2–2Guy 25', Heffernan 79' pen.4,011
Squad Statistics Players with a zero in every column only appeared as unused substitutes.
|colspan="16"|Players who left the club during the season:
Goals record
Rank No. Po. Name League One League One Play-offs FA Cup League Cup League Trophy Total112FWJames Hayter7121011214FWPaul Heffernan700119323FWJason Price7000187FWLewis Guy6000289FWMark McCammon401128619MFRichie Wellens60010778MFBrian Stock51000620MFPaul Green50001626MFJames Coppinger330006103DFGareth Roberts30000322DFMatt Mills30000311DFAdam Lockwood3000031317MFMartin Woods0000221424DFGordon Greer10000115MFMark Wilson10000110MFGareth Taylor10000118MFSean McDaid100001Own Goals210014Total656341088
Disciplinary record
No. Pos. Name League One League One Play-offs FA Cup League Cup League Trophy Total 1GKNeil Sullivan3001000000000004002DFJames O'Connor3000000000000003003DFGareth Roberts3000000000000003004MFStephen Roberts3010000000000003017FWLewis Guy1010000000000001018MFBrian Stock6000002000000008009FWMark McCammon40000000000000040011DFAdam Lockwood50000000000000050012FWJames Hayter10000000000000010014FWPaul Heffernan10000100000000010115MFMark Wilson30000000000000030017MFMartin Woods10000000000000010018MFSean McDaid00000000000010010019MFRichie Wellens20000010000000030020MFPaul Green20000000000000020021DFSam Hird10000000000010020022DFMatt Mills70100000000000070123FWJason Price30000000000000030025MFStuart Elliott10000000000000010026MFJames Coppinger300000000000000300Total53031013000002005904
References
External links Doncaster FC Player Appearances | Past & Present | Soccer Base