Is this the end for Dons?

By Steve Hossack
HAS the time come to put Doncaster Rugby League Club out of its misery?
That will no doubt be the view of many people after the Dons went into administration again this week.

Ever since I started working in the town in the 70s, the club has rarely been off a life support machine and I have lost count of the 'Dons in crisis' stories that I have written in that time.

Somehow, they have always managed to survive and, due to wealthy benefactors, have enjoyed periods of success.

But the club has never been able to build on that success and disaster has often followed - notably when they went bust with debts of £1m in the mid-90s at the end of their first ever season in the top flight.

The arrival on the scene of Halifax-based businessman John Wright at the turn of the decade, heralded arguably the best period of sustained succes in the club's history.

But it came at a cost and Wright was close to being a broken man when the money ran out after pumping over £1m into the club and his pleas to the local business community fell on deaf ears.

Things looked bleak for the club in the summer of 2007 - just months after they had talked about bringing Super League to the town - when they went into administration.

But local millionaire Craig Harrison and former Dons player Shane Miller came to the rescue, injecting six-figure sums to ensure the Dons finished the season.

The partnership looked to herald a bright future for the Dons, but Miller had to pull out within months due to business commitments.

Harrison carried on alone and pumped a reputed £250,000 into the club which was instrumental in the club reaching their first ever major final and winning promotion.

Disappointed with the crowds, business support and the workload, Harrison announced that he was stepping down shortly after victory in the play-offs.

From that moment onwards the Dons were living on borrowed time - especially when the advisory business consortium failed to come up to expectations due in no small part to the grave economic climate.

Considering that he has had to work on a shoestring budget, and contend with a crippling injury list for most of the season, head coach Tony Miller and his backroom team have done a great job.

It is by no means certain that the Dons will survive this time and those people who mistakenly believe that rugby league damages the pitch at the Keepmoat Stadium will probably shed few tears would that prove to be the case.

But for all their trials and tribulations, the Doncaster sporting scene would be the poorer for its demise.

Oh for the like of someone like Rovers' chairman John Ryan, who has both money and the patience to stay the course.

Rovers once expressed an interest in taking the Dons on board.

They would be welcomed with open arms by the Dons were they to do so again.


http://www.thestar.co.uk/rugbyleague/Is ... 5339770.jp

Is this the end for Dons?

By Steve Hossack
HAS the time come to put Doncaster Rugby League Club out of its misery?
That will no doubt be the view of many people after the Dons went into administration again this week.

Ever since I started working in the town in the 70s, the club has rarely been off a life support machine and I have lost count of the 'Dons in crisis' stories that I have written in that time.

Somehow, they have always managed to survive and, due to wealthy benefactors, have enjoyed periods of success.

But the club has never been able to build on that success and disaster has often followed - notably when they went bust with debts of £1m in the mid-90s at the end of their first ever season in the top flight.

The arrival on the scene of Halifax-based businessman John Wright at the turn of the decade, heralded arguably the best period of sustained succes in the club's history.

But it came at a cost and Wright was close to being a broken man when the money ran out after pumping over £1m into the club and his pleas to the local business community fell on deaf ears.

Things looked bleak for the club in the summer of 2007 - just months after they had talked about bringing Super League to the town - when they went into administration.

But local millionaire Craig Harrison and former Dons player Shane Miller came to the rescue, injecting six-figure sums to ensure the Dons finished the season.

The partnership looked to herald a bright future for the Dons, but Miller had to pull out within months due to business commitments.

Harrison carried on alone and pumped a reputed £250,000 into the club which was instrumental in the club reaching their first ever major final and winning promotion.

Disappointed with the crowds, business support and the workload, Harrison announced that he was stepping down shortly after victory in the play-offs.

From that moment onwards the Dons were living on borrowed time - especially when the advisory business consortium failed to come up to expectations due in no small part to the grave economic climate.

Considering that he has had to work on a shoestring budget, and contend with a crippling injury list for most of the season, head coach Tony Miller and his backroom team have done a great job.

It is by no means certain that the Dons will survive this time and those people who mistakenly believe that rugby league damages the pitch at the Keepmoat Stadium will probably shed few tears would that prove to be the case.

But for all their trials and tribulations, the Doncaster sporting scene would be the poorer for its demise.

Oh for the like of someone like Rovers' chairman John Ryan, who has both money and the patience to stay the course.

Rovers once expressed an interest in taking the Dons on board.

They would be welcomed with open arms by the Dons were they to do so again.


http://www.thestar.co.uk/rugbyleague/Is ... 5339770.jp