Ambitious Doncaster City set for bumper crowd as they insist 'no gripes' with Doncaster Rovers

Formed in 2022, the club have made no secret of their desire to rise through the leagues and become a firm part of the footballing furniture within the city. They have previously lodged extensive (and expensive) plans for a state-of-the-art football hub in Bawtry, but crucial to the club's immediate future is what happens out on the pitch.

They are in a hurry to win promotion so they can continue their development and stay on track for their bold, long-term aims. To that end, they are now looking to expand their support base. The club say they get around 200-250 fans flocking to watch their home games in the 11th tier of English football but those behind-the-scenes at City want to tap into what they feel is untapped potential. The latest census figures from 2021 show the metropolitan borough of Doncaster had a population of over 308,000 and City clearly want to get a slice of the action by trying to win over the next generation of football supporters and match-goers.

This weekend will see the club dish out full kits, free of charge. It may sound too good to be true, but City officials insist that it is not. A full kit of shirt, shorts and socks will be handed out to children aged between four and 12 accompanied by a parent/responsible adult. A ten per cent discount voucher for Sports Direct - whose logo is emblazoned across the front of the shirts - is also thrown into the mix for good measure.

It is just the latest headline-grabbing move made by the club as they look to put down solid roots within the Doncaster sporting fraternity.

A number of other high-profile stunts have got the brash upstarts in the headlines over the last few years. Some have been tongue-in-cheek, such as their audacious bid to enter the Scottish Cup a few years ago. Another saw City recruit ex-Premier League players such as Ross McCormack and Wes Hoolahan for a one-off cameo appearance last season.

Other traits have had the potential to rub people up the wrong way, though. The one in particular that probably rankles with fans of Doncaster Rovers is the tagline 'The city is blue' which accompanies most social media posts pushed out by City. Some Rovers supporters have taken umbrage with that, dismissing the notion entirely.

It's not to be taken too seriously though, claims recently-installed club chair Josh Rutherford.

"We've no gripes towards Rovers at all," he told the Free Press. "We aspire to be where they are ultimately. We're not wanting to be a threat. Plenty of cities and towns have more than one club and it's no different here."

Vice-chair Mark McKay concurs: "If Rovers happen to be playing away from home then their supporters are more than welcome to come and see our games. We already get a few coming down. There's room for both of us."

Indeed, the club are braced for a bumper turnout for Saturday's match when they host Glapwell in an important Black Dragon Premier Division North fixture. City, bossed by former Rovers and Leeds United midfielder Jason Blunt, are currently second in the table having won 13 of 14 games so far, but with only the winners of the division getting promoted it promises to go down to the wire.

If they were to clinch promotion then they would next season be playing in the NCEL Division One, the same league that Armthorpe Welfare (who they groundshare with) and Club Thorne Colliery currently compete in. Not only would that enhance the exposure the club gets, it would also push them closer to where they ultimately want to be.

The first step though is a positive result on Saturday, on what McKay and all associated with City hope is a day to remember.

"We're just wanting people, families to come down and we can introduce ourselves and then it's just a case of seeing if they enjoy it," he added. "What I would say is, come down and give us a go. We're just hoping it's going to be a fun journey that we go on and we want people to join us for it."

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