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Doncaster Rovers Ground Name:
The Earth Stadium |
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| Contents | |
| What's
The Ground Like? Future Developments Looking Towards The Rossington End (photo) What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? Where To Drink? Popular Terrace (photo) How To Get There And Where To Park By Train Town End (photo) Admission Prices Programme Price Main Stand (photo) Ground Layout Local Rivals What Do The Doncaster Fans Sing? Local Rivals Ground Layout Disabled Facilities Fixtures 2006-2007 Record & Average Attendance Fans Ground Reviews Hotel Accommodation Car Hire Feedback Return To The Main Menu |
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| What's The Ground Like? | |
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Sometime during the 2006/07 season, the Club will say
goodbye to Belle Vue, there home for the past 84 years and move to a new
stadium. So if you have a passion for old grounds then you may want to get
yourself to Doncaster before the Club leave in December 2006. The ground itself looks a little tired, but with promotion back to the Football League in 2003, some much needed improvements have taken place. The ground is largely open, with both ends being open terracing. On one side is the old covered Main Stand, with seating to the rear and terracing to the front and at either side. It runs about half the length of the pitch and straddles the half way line. It seems to be a fairly old wooden structure, with a number of supporting pillars along the front. Opposite, the Popular Side is a small covered terrace with a TV gantry perched on its roof. During the close season 18 executive boxes have been constructed behind the Town End and in one corner of the ground. Belle Vue is currently shared with Doncaster Dragons Rugby League team. |
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| Future Developments | |
| Work is well underway on a new 15,000 capacity stadium. The stadium which is being funded by Doncaster Council, will be the new home of Doncaster Rovers Football Club, Doncaster Dragons Rugby League Club and Doncaster Belles Ladies Football Club. The site is adjacent to a lake, at the back of what has recently been re-named Lakeside Village (the old Yorkshire Outlet shopping centre), which is about a mile and half South from the present Belle Vue ground. It is hoped that the stadium will open in December 2006. | |
Thanks to Owen Pavey for supplying the photos for this page. |
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| What Is It Like For Visiting Supporters? | |
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Away fans are housed in the Rossington Terrace at one end of the ground,
where up to 2,400 fans can be accommodated. A small number of seats (241)
are also allocated to away supporters in the Main Stand. There
are a number of supporting pillars at the front of this stand that could
hinder your view, but at least you will be under cover unlike the Rossington
Terrace which is open to the elements. I had a fairly uneventful day out at Belle Vue, with no problems being
experienced. David Mouland a visiting Swindon Town fan adds; ' The away seating in the Main Stand has no segregation whatsoever between the home and away fans. Also, if you want to visit the nearest tea bar you get a 'pass' from a steward and mix with the Doncaster fans on their terrace. Whilst neither of these things caused a problem at our game it just seemed odd these days. Also the leg room in this area was very tight to say the least'. |
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| Where To Drink? | |
| Andy Liney informs me; 'the Club has its own sizeable supporters bar called the Rovers Return, the entrance of situated is situated to the right of the main car park entrance. Away fans are normally admitted to the bar (unless there is an objection to this for some games by the local Police) for a day membership fee of £1,'. David Rose adds; 'There is a bar in the bowling alley next to the View Cinema, which is situated behind the ground'. Otherwise there are two pubs in short walking distance from the ground; 'The Park Hotel', on Carr House Road and the 'Rockingham Hotel' on Bennethorpe Road. | |
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| How To Get There And Where To Park | |
| From the A1(M) join M18 Eastbound at Junction
35 (signposted Hull) or from the M1 and join the M18 Eastbound at Junction 32. Once on the M18, it's basically a
case of following the brown tourist signs for Doncaster Racecourse as the ground is next
to the racecourse, otherwise..... Leave M18 at Junction 3, taking first exit (left) at top of slip road signed Doncaster (A6182). Go over the First roundabout and at the second roundabout leave the A6182 going straight ahead onto a new road passing a McDonalds. Bear right at the next roundabout, then straight over the next two, before taking a right (2nd exit) at the next traffic island, which takes you onto a dual carriageway. Go straight over the next roundabout (where there is another McDonalds) and at the next roundabout turn left onto the A638. The entrance to the fair sized club car park is just down on the left, which costs £3. Otherwise some fans have informed me that they have parked at the nearby Lakeside cinema and bowling complex. However if you do this, please make sure it is legal to park there before you do so. If you are early enough then there is some street parking to be had in the residential streets behind the Popular Terrace. Thanks to Nick Pleasant for providing the directions. For a map showing the location of the ground click here (to take you to the Street Map website). To go to a simplified page, containing the directions and pub info, which you can print out click here. |
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| By Train | |
| Doncaster Station is just
under two miles away, so you are probably best taking a taxi to
the ground. If you do have time on your hands and you
fancy the long walk then it is a fairly straight route from the railway
station; Leave the station
and proceed straight ahead,
(possibly around various work huts that keep appearing
as the area is being re-developed),
and cross the road by
the pelican crossing. Turn Right, walk about 100 m. and turn left.
Follow this road to the front of the shopping centre and carry on past the
shops until you reach a cross roads junction, (this is all paved). Turn right by
the HSBC
bank, and onto the High Street.
Keep going straight on for about
a mile and half or so, until
you reach the ground on your right. For the pub in which fans meet, (Park Hotel),
turn right at first big round-about by the racecourse
and the pub is about a
quarter of a mile down on
the left. It should
take around 20-25 minutes to walk this route. Thanks to Steve Follows for providing the above directions. Nick Pleasant adds; 'You can also catch the number 57 bus from Duke Street in the town centre. Exit the railway station from the front entrance and cross over the dual carriage way using the crossing. Turn right and walk for around 200 yards to the second street on the left. Go down here and walk up to McDonalds, and take the first right after McDonalds into Duke Street. The first bus stop that you reach is for the No. 57 to Cantley. Get off the bus after the large roundabout where Doncaster Racecourse is situated. The bus takes around 5-10 minutes depending on traffic. The cost is around 70p for an adult and 40p for a child. |
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| Admission Prices | |
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The Club operate a category system (A & B) for ticket
prices, whereby the more popular matches cost more to watch. Category B
prices are shown below in brackets. Seating: Adults £18 (£15), Concessions £12 (£10) Terrace: Adults £15 (£13), Concessions £8 (£5) |
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| Programme Price | |
| Official Programme £2. | |
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| What Do The Doncaster Fans Sing? | |
| Doncaster la la la, Doncaster
la la la! Oh Doncaster (oh Doncaster) is wonderful (is wonderful), Oh Doncaster is wonderful, Its full of ****,***** and rovers, Oh Doncaster is wonderful! We're the Yorkshire republican army, We're barmy where ever we go, We fear no foe, for we are the Y.R.A! In Doncaster's fine city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone, As she wheeled her wheelbarrow, Down the streets broad and narrow singing rovers! the rovers! Thanks to Gary Robinson for supplying the song information. |
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| Local Rivals | |
| Rotherham, Scunthorpe United & Hull City. | |
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| Disabled Facilities | |
| For details of disabled facilities at the ground please visit the relevant page on the National Association Of Disabled Supporters (NADS) website. | |
| Fixtures 2006-2007 | |
| For the Doncaster fixture list click here (to take you to the BBC Sports Website) | |
| Record & Average Attendance | |
| Record Attendance: 37,149 v Hull City Third Division North, October 2nd 1948 Average Attendance: 2005-2006: 6,139 (League One) 2004-2005: 6,886 (League One) 2003-2004: 6,939 (Division Three) |
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| Fans Reviews Of Belle Vue | |
| Visited Belle Vue recently as an away fan or general football supporter? Then submit your own review of the ground and general day out click here. | |
| Hotel Accommodation | |
| If you require hotel accommodation in the area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Football Hotels who are powered by Activehotels, who specialise in locating accommodation near or within a short travelling distance of the football ground. They also have the added advantage over some other hotel booking services that you pay on departure. Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will go to help with the running costs of keeping the Guide going. To access their Doncaster page click here. Alternatively there is a similar service provided by Superbreak in conjunction with Harvey World Travel. To access their service click here. | |
| Car Hire | |
| For Car Hire we recommend IIB Autos, our partners for Car Hire Doncaster. | |
| Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect or you have something to add,
please e-mail me
and I'll update
the guide. |
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