How sustainable are Doncaster Rovers compared to other Football League clubs?

Rovers ranked seventh out of 24 teams in the Fair Game Index 2023, which analysed the sustainability of clubs in the top four divisions of English football across financial solvency, governance and equality standards, and fan engagement.

Fair Game is a campaign group working to improve how football is governed and says the sport needs a "reboot", with many clubs in lower leagues struggling financially.

It was created to provide an answer to one of English football’s biggest problems: sustainability.

Using over 80 sources of data, the organisation has put together a new index of fairness in football, which saw Doncaster – who lost £1.07 million in the 12 months to July 2022 – score 52 out of 100.

That score would have also put them in the top half of League One for overall sustainability.

The club’s chief executive, Gavin Baldwin, has consistently said Rovers would be better off financially in the third tier.

Financial sustainability was given the greatest weighting (40 per cent) when calculating each team’s score, underlining Baldwin’s claim.

In League Two, AFC Wimbledon topped the rankings, scoring 74 overall, with Carlisle United taking second spot (72) and Tranmere Rovers third (64).

At the other end of the table, Hartlepool were bottom, scoring just 15, followed by Mansfield Town (20) and Stockport County (23).

Fair Game is calling for lower league clubs to receive a greater proportion of television revenue.

It wants the rankings it has produced to reward well-run clubs, so higher-scoring teams receive a greater share of football’s TV revenue.

Mark Middling, director of financial policy for Fair Game, said “Football is unsustainable. Since the start of the Premier League, there have been 64 incidents of clubs in the top four divisions going into administration.

"Companies House data reveals that 44 of the top 92 were technically insolvent in 2022, and 31 per cent of clubs were spending more than they earn on players’ wages – that figure rises to 68 per cent when you look at the Championship."

"The culture of penalties to control clubs has failed. Football needs a reboot,” he added.

Under Fair Game proposals, Premier League clubs would contribute 25 per cent of their revenue to lower league clubs, alongside 10 per cent of all transfer fees.

This would see Rovers receive an estimated £8.3 million – £8 million more than they do under the current model of redistributing funds.

According to the index, the club ranked joint 13th in League Two for its financial sustainability.

The findings also show Doncaster is signed up to the Living Wage Scheme, which commits employers to pay all staff a minimum of £10.90, or £11.95 if they are based in London.

Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, added: "Premier League clubs have rejected calls to increase the financial flow through the pyramid because of risky financial behaviour by some clubs in the EFL.

"Distributing more money through the Index to the better-run clubs in the pyramid resolves those concerns."

Despite their losses during the 2021/22 season, a football finance expert told The Free Press Rovers were “tracking to the norm” from a financial perspective.