Doncaster seek firm foundation

By Pete Oliver

O'Kelly has assisted Sean O'Driscoll at Bournemouth and Doncaster

When it comes to the leading lights of Yorkshire football, Doncaster Rovers have rarely warranted a mention.

Stuck in the bottom two divisions for the best part of 50 years playing success has been hard to come by.

Only Belle Vue great Alick Jeffrey, a League Cup quarter-final in 1976, a couple of promotions during the following decade and the emergence of some homegrown talents like the Snodin brothers pierced the gloom.

Doncaster's name was further tarnished when former chairman Ken Richardson was jailed for attempting to burn down their former ground in an insurance scam in 1995 and three years later the club lost their League status.

But after hitting rock bottom, things are continuing to change as Rovers are challenging for promotion to the Championship and a possible tilt at county supremacy.

Reinvigorated by the backing of chairman John Ryan since their relegation to the Conference (now the Blue Square Premier) and led back up to League One by Dave Penney, the managerial team of Sean O'Driscoll and Richard O'Kelly are now carrying the baton.

The former Bournemouth pair led Doncaster to Johnstone's Paint Trophy success in April and, following a slow start to this season, their groundwork is now paying dividends in the promotion race.

The chairman is very ambitious and can get a bit carried away at times Richard O'Kelly

"There were high expectations at the start of the season, as there are always are for every club. Whichever club you are you think 'this is the one'," O'Kelly told BBC Sport.

"We integrated the new players and pre-season went very well. We went away to an army camp for a good bonding session and played against teams from higher divisions and scored goals.

"But then when the season started we didn't quite hit the ground running."

Doncaster won just one of their first five league games and assistant manager O'Kelly admits that, bar a few unlucky decisions, he found it difficult to put his finger on the reason why results remained inconsistent into October.

"But we kept working at it and the players kept believing in what we were doing," he added.

"They are very instrumental in how we train and play and we have started to get the results our performances have warranted.

O'Driscoll has not made wholesale changes at Doncaster

"To a man they have been up for whatever we have thrown at them. We have brought our own ideas and they have bought into what we are trying to do. The players deserve a lot of credit."

O'Driscoll has stuck with the core of Penney's squad, although among the handful of new faces the signings of Brian Stock, James Hayter and on-loan Manchester City defender Matthew Mills, extended the Bournemouth connection.

One thing that has changed, though, is Doncaster's home with Rovers moving away from the out-dated Belle Vue to take up tenancy in the town's impressive new 15,000 capacity Keepmoat Stadium just over 12 months ago.

"It's a tremendous facility. Everything about the place can be better than this division. But you could say the same about Swansea, Leeds and Nottingham Forest. It's up to us and the players to get us out of this division," said O'Kelly.

We have started to get the results our performances have warranted Richard O'Kelly

"The club is looking to go forward. The chairman is very ambitious and can get a bit carried away at times.

"He wants us to win the Champions League next year but I have told him we have to get into the Premier League first.

"We have to walk before we can run and make sure we have a structure and a stability underneath, which is what we are trying to build, so that in the future the club will be on sound footings.

"I think we are happy with where we are at the moment. Sixteen months ago we had an idea where we wanted to be. Some things have happened quicker, some things have not taken off yet.

"But it's always dangerous to look too far ahead. You can forget where you are at the moment. We will deal with that and see where we go."

The club is looking to go forward Richard O'Kelly

Currently Doncaster could hardly be doing better as they prepare for Saturday's visit of League One leaders Swansea City on the back of five wins and a draw in their last six games.

Among those victims have been promotion rivals Southend, Carlisle and, most famously, Leeds United. Much more of this and their Sheffield neighbours of United and Wednesday will soon be in their sights.

"We have had a few tests over the last month or so and if we come out of these games with a good points' haul it sets us up in a nice position.

"If we are there or thereabouts when we get into March we will be in with a shout," said O'Kelly.