LIVE updates as Doncaster Rovers fans put questions to the club’s owners
Major shareholders David Blunt, Terry Bramall and Gavin Baldwin will be present at the club’s annual Meet the Owners event, as will head of football operations James Coppinger and first-team head coach Danny Schofield.
Doncaster’s hierarchy is facing pressure from sections of the fanbase following two tough years which has seen the team fall back into the fourth tier, having been in contention for promotion to the Championship in early 2021.
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Hide AdLast month chief executive Baldwin revealed the club is now self-sustainable and operating without owner funding, which raised questions over the future commitment of Bramall and Blunt.
Tonight’s event is due to begin at around 6.30pm with a presentation from Coppinger on first team affairs, including the changes made since he took on the role.
Questions will then be taken from supporters until 8pm.
Scroll down for live updates.
LIVE updates as Doncaster Rovers fans put questions to the club’s owners
Key Events
- Major shareholders David Blunt, Terry Bramall and Gavin Baldwin face fans’ questions
- Head of football operations James Coppinger and head coach Danny Schofield will also answer questions from supporters
More from Bramall
Also about growing attendances to help the club become more sustainable. Will have more on this tomorrow.
Break to come before emails from social media/online are read out. More than 40 received.
Terry Bramall continues answering the question
Says GB has told him he’s put in £12.6 million into the club since 2006, when he came in.
‘The question we pose is how can we invest the money more wisely? What do we do before we make the club sustainable?
‘I don’t want the club to die? Will the club find other owners who will put in £25 million? It’s a tall order’.
First question for the owners
What are you doing to support Danny and Copps? Met with a round of applause.
DB: ‘I don’t thin we’ve ever knocked anything back they have proposed. We have a meeting on Wednesday to looking at the prospects of increasing permananet players for next year. I don’t envisage that being a problem.
‘It’s a misnomer to think football clubs aren’t supported by the owners. The majority are and we’re no different’.
On retaining players and squad rebuilds
Why do we allow this to happen and what do we do to improve it?
‘I can’t answer for past seasons but we have been negotiating about contract extensions since December.
‘We have got a meeting on Wednesday with David (Blunt) about contracts.
‘For us to go into next season with 18/19 players singing from the same hymn sheet is a massive, massive thing’.
Time for questions from the floor
On players getting booed at half time and how that impacts ‘psychological security’, Copps goes first:
‘As a footballer you understand you are going to get criticism. The back end of my career I was probably one of the best at dealing with criticism.
‘It’s about stratergies. We’ve have conversations with players who didn’t understand they could improve in that area.
‘It’s like water off a duck’s back for Tom (Anderson). When you have players who are 20/21 we have to take that into account and not judge them on just their performance.’
Final words from Schofield ahead of the Q&A
‘I think we can do really good things. I think we can build something.
‘Let’s see where we go.
‘I know how I want football to be played. How long does it take? I’ve seen early signs of it. The biggest thing is the players are buying into it.’
Collaborative recruitment
Schofield insists he’s happy with the collaborative approach to recruitment.
Schofield working through video analysis
Shows a training ground clip that’s almost identical to their first goal against Swindon on Saturday.
‘Everything we do on the training pitch is for a reason’.
Player turnover
Between 2020 and 2022 65 players have played for Doncaster, including 19 loanees. The club has also had 17 different football staff and five different managers.
Copps on Schofield
‘I believe he has a clear coaching style aligned with our framework.
“He’s absolutely blown me away. He’s probably exceeded my expectations in terms of what he is as a person but also as a coach.
“The effort, commitment, the energy is relentless.
“He gets in at 7am and leaves at 6pm.”
James Brown v Kyle Knoyle
Copps uses some playing data comparing the pair to illustrate the club’s scouting process.
‘James Brown was higher in a lot of areas where we wanted to improve’.
Club now recruits to a specific style and identity
‘Having a clear playing style and identity has been the biggest game-changer in my role
Nine-step process consisting of squad planning, player identification, initial video scouting, player profile created, player ranked on shortlist, live scouting, background check, extensive video scouting.
Says there are 10 scouts across the country.
Club focuses on player development as they don’t have money to challenge for ready-made talent.
James Coppinger is presenting
He’s going to present on recruitment, playing style and identity and performance reviews over his first eight months.
Says he asked himself three questions: how the club operates financially, what the current playing squad look like and how can we align staff and players at the club, which he says was the most important.
‘I spent five years in the best era of the club’s history and this was the biggest thing’.
Copps first up
James Coppinger, who has been employed as Doncaster’s head of football operations since April, is due to speak first.
The club legend will be making a presentation on the changes brought into effect since he started.
What will tonight have in store?
We’re expecting a variety of topics to be covered in tonight’s Q&A, from the owners’ plans for the club moving forward to the temperature of the pies served on matchdays.
Stay with us and keep refreshing this page for updates through until the event closes at 8pm. We’ll be bringing more stories on this throughout the day tomorrow, too.