Doncaster Rovers F.C. Academy

Doncaster Rovers Academy is the youth team run by Doncaster Rovers to encourage and develop young footballers in South Yorkshire.

Doncaster Rovers Academy
Full nameDoncaster Rovers Football Club Academy
Nickname(s)The Rovers
Donny
The Vikings
GroundCantley Park
ManagerTony Cook
LeagueFootball League Youth Alliance, North East Conference

The youth team runs 9 teams and has over 100 players from the ages of 8 to 17. Tony Cook is the current academy manager and was promoted to this position in January 2019 after initially joined the club as head of academy coaching in September 2017. The academy team plays in the Football League Youth Alliance, North East Conference and is only for players below the age of 18. Home games are played at the club's training ground at Cantley Park.

The role of the Doncaster Rovers Academy is to develop players and their abilities to their full potential for the club's first team. Rovers youth team were runners-up of the FA Youth Cup in 1988[1] and the winners of the Youth Alliance Cup in 2012.[2] The youth system currently has Category 3 status but with future plans to achieve Category 2 status Academy in the Elite Player Performance Plan which would make Doncaster one of the few teams outside the Premier League with Category 2 status.[3]

Current squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   ENG Tom Chambers
41 GK   ENG Jake Oram
34 DF   ENG Jak Whiting
39 DF   ENG Alex Fletcher
28 DF   ENG Bobby Faulkner
36 DF   ENG Charlie Petch
DF   ENG Freddie Allen
DF   ENG Chris Pooley
MF   ENG Will Green
40 MF   ENG Faris Khan
No. Pos. Nation Player
37 MF   ENG Jack Raper
MF   ENG Joshua Lindley
MF   ENG Justin Bennett
MF   ENG Harry Wood
38 MF   ENG Will Flint
42 MF   ENG Sam Straughan-Brown
FW   ENG Ethan Harrison
35 FW   ENG Jack Goodman (on loan at Stamford until 25 January 2023)
FW   ENG Tom Parkinson
FW   ENG Owen Scattergood
FW   ENG Max Adamson
MF   ENG Franklin Middleton

Players listed in bold have signed a professional deal with Doncaster Rovers but are still eligible to play for the U18's.

[4]

Staff

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Role Name
Academy Manager Tony Cook
Head of Academy Operations Calum Oakenfold
Head of Coaching Steve Welsh
Lead Youth Development Coach - 13 – 16 Frank Sinclair
Foundation Lead Coach - 7 -12 Adam Pilgrim
Head of Goalkeeping Steve Hernandez

[5]

Age Groups

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There are currently 9 squads at the Academy.

  • Under 18
  • Under 16
  • Under 15
  • Under 14
  • Under 13
  • Under 12
  • Under 11
  • Under 10
  • Under 9

Notable Academy Graduates

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The following are players from Doncaster's academy team past or present who have gone on to play in the top 2 tiers of the Football League, or the top tier in another country with prominent national leagues.

References

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  1. ^ "FA Youth Cup Past Winners". Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
  2. ^ "ITV/FA Youth Final".
  3. ^ "Special report: All systems go with Rovers' youth remit - Ben Mawson".
  4. ^ "Academy Profiles" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Doncaster Rovers Academy Staff".
  6. ^ "Doncaster Rovers/Darius Henderson". YouTube. 27 July 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2012.

53°30′35.1″N 1°06′50.0″W / 53.509750°N 1.113889°W / 53.509750; -1.113889