A local businessman and former Doncaster Rugby League player is aiming to generate support for the Dons by setting up local supporter groups in and around the area that have dwindled over the past few years.

Stewart Piper, now the club’s president, is aiming to re-establish supporter groups each month in the areas where they used to be strong including: Askern, Rossington, Stainforth, Retford and Thorne. The aim of each supporter group will be to generate interest and revenue for the club.

Piper said: “It’s time for the town to get back behind the Dons. For many different reasons these local supporter groups have folded and I am setting myself the target of getting them back up and running. No longer has the club got cash rich owners who can bank roll it; if we want professional rugby league in the town then we need the help of the town to support it. I’ve made contact with some of the key people who used to run these groups and there is a lot of interest. I am confident I can make this work.”

Now under the ownership of director’s Dave Marshall and Karen Bailey, the Dons are working hard to develop the club and source revenue. Under the current financial climate things are hard for most professional sports clubs and all support is welcome.

Last week the Dons launched an advisory committee aimed at generating revenue for the club over the next three years. This, however, does not mean that the Dons are not in need of support and will instead seek assistance to further increase this to help move the club forward.

The Dons chief executive, Dave Marshall, commented: “What Stewart is doing for the club is a tremendous example to everyone. We’ve got a tough job on our hands to make this club a success, something that is achievable given the support of the town.

“Karen and I took on this task knowing it was never going to be easy, however, the initial objectives were, and still are, to keep the Dons afloat and maintain professional rugby league in Doncaster. The consortium will give us the backing to take this great club forward if we get the right support from the public; we have a fantastic opportunity here if we can all work together.

“Here at the Keepmoat Stadium we have the facilities and surroundings most Super League clubs can only dream of. The Doncaster community and the surrounding areas should be proud of this fact and get behind the Dons in these tough times.

“We play Widnes Vikings on Easter Monday at the Keepmoat and we’re expecting a tough game. We really need the support of the Doncaster people to be our fourteenth man.”

Anyone interested in helping Stewart in his quest should call him at Pipers Car Sales on (01302) 887001. Piper added: “Please come and support me and help the Dons. There are a lot of people out there who have been involved in the club over the years and your support could really make a difference to the club.”

We could play on Bentley wreck people would watch if we were a decent competative side, flashy stadiums do attract people to watch sport!.

The current squad is a poor NL2 side (with a few exceptions) without some major changes both on the the pitch and in the backroom its going to be a very very hard season.

I still stick by my prediction that we wont win a league game until May.

I'm sure that people (if they are interested) are becoming extremely confused.

In the last 8 years we have had groups such as the Thorne Supporters Branch and the Mallard (Scawthorpe / Scawsby) Supporters Branch, although looking at the report you'd think the Mallard Branch, who raised and spent approaching in excess of £7k on the Club and its players between 2002 and 2007 never existed.

After these Clubs had folded amid demands from Club representatives for a Central Branch, there were to be fans forums and fans liaison groups - these came and went.

Then DISC was born - I honestly can't say where that group stands in light of the recently formed Doncaster Supporters Club / Committee based at the Conservative Club (apologies if I have the name of that group wrong).

Now the suggestion is to re-establish groups in formally strong areas such as Askern, Rossington, Stainforth, Retford and Thorne.

I find the whole thing confusing and I've been involved with a number of these groups on one level or another so I'm sure that there are others who simply do not understand the confusing messages coming from various people connected with the Club and are therefore unlikely to care!

Why are we knocking the club after the last couple of seasons we have experienced, we may not have a St Helens or Leeds Rhinos on the park but we do have a debt free club with a boss who will not spend what we have not got, I for one hope he keeps it this way because come next season when the credit crunch really hits home and the over spending and heavily in the red clubs can not offer or even pay contract money where will their players go to play ? “I would say to a solvent club where wages (even if smaller) are paid“.

I also believe Pats on the back can only last for so long, sulking and being mardy is not the acts that make winners, I think it’s clearly time now for looking forward, getting your second (I know in most cases your breathless) wind and getting behind Stuart and the club ! It’s obviously OK to look back at the way funding was achieved in the past, it’s also necessary to see who is doing what and what is making money, bringing old expertise to the table while at the same time looking around and forward while taking in what is happening today is definitely needed and that means all you diehards have a part to play.

What Stuart is proposing and prepared to do is a step in the right direction for the club and it’s the expertise of forming supporters clubs that you long term sufferers have to offer is really what Stuart needs at this moment.

totally in agreement with marshland.good post mate

You make some valid points in general terms but the whole situation has become confusing and if you take that as 'knocking the Club' thats up to you.

I won't get into debate with you about sulking, being mardy etc as it's only a few weeks since you had a right go on here about my post advertising the Poker Night only to realise you'd got it wrong (yes I do know despite your removal of the criticism

).

I'm like you Jim, I call it as I see it. Occasionally people won't agree and that is their prerogative but if you look at a large number of my posts on here, they are intended to be helpful and informative.

Just a couple of questions(Jim)--
Did you enjoy the Gateshead-game last Sunday?
Do you believe that last Sundays performance will have increased our chances of a big crowd against Widnes on Monday night?

The point is even after all the up evils the club have gone through over the last few years, WE STILL HAVE A SOLVENT CLUB, WHO ARE PUTTING A TEAM ON THE PARK.

The club have had to (Yet again) start from scratch (We had to wait this year for the RFL to come back from Australia before we could find out even if we where still in business) for the last two seasons for one reason or another and that is common knowledge.

Do YOU really want us to go down the same road again and spend what we have not got and end up in the same position that is embarrassing for everyone and far to common for anyone’s liking, “I don’t” the way forward is to build the squad slowly and aim for a gradual improvement season by season and that is the aim of the present management who have openly told everyone who is prepared to listen.

The club are putting down a very good development structure that at this moment is probably more important (It’s the future) to the club than winning every game.

I go all over watching Rugby League from the lowest amateur leagues to the top of Super League because I enjoy the game ! Can I suggest that we enjoy the game win, draw or loss, if the clubs development goes to plan we should start to see it winning more than it loses in a few years.

I did not go to the game because I have a family who needs some quality time after I have spent Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (We didn’t have a game Saturday) on Marauders business.

Question for you ! Do you believe negative waves coming from the Dons faithful will help to boost any home crowds.

So sit and suffer in silence or be blamed for the failure to attract new supporters? Not much of a deal that one and with respect Jim it us that are 'sitting and suffering' - we are the ones at the games.

Although I thought this thread was about Supporters Groups?

The negative waves emminating from last Sundays game are justified and there is no way that can be dressed up. I have supported Doncaster RL for 30 yrs. Most of us are experienced to know that win after win is not in the Dons nature. What we cannot stomach is souless, leaderless, clueless rubbish. No one is expecting miracles this year apart from hoping we stay up, what we do hope is to come along and watch a Doncaster team giving it's all and at least give the impression that they are prepared to give it a go. The negative waves on here I suggest have no impact on crowd figures as far as fresh faces are concerned. Doncaster sporting public attendance figures are results based, nothing more nothing less. History proves that in all aspects of Sport in the Town.

Negative remarks made on here come from the heart of true supporters
who week in week out (home and away)follow the Dons who like yourself
probably need to give more quality time to our families but fail to do so.

And when we enjoy the game on a Sunday even if we lose (and that happens)
we post positives on the forum------have a look at postings made after the Batley away game.

Whats written on here has no influence on the crowd figures whatsoever
But believe me the performance on the field does
---and as a long-time rugby-league fan you must surely be aware of that.

Yes we know it was always going to be hard this season- and the majority of us belive Dave and Karen are doing a stirling job,but
i'm sure if you ask them what they thought of last weekends performance they would find it hard to find positives if they are being honest

The simple fact of the matter is not one of objectives.
That is laudable and of course we want the Dons to be solvent and balance their books.
We want the Dons to have plans for better things....and the infrastructure is looking good and things are promising....none of that is in doubt.
What is in doubt is simply if they continue playing lack-lustre stuff, will they be able to balance the books to even get to their dreams?
Now we can argue as to whether it is harsh to judge so early in the season....but the signs are there.
We want some determination....we want to see a turnaround in the next half a dozen games.... optimism, pessimism, philosophy aside...if that doesn't happen...the club will be faced with a big problem.
This is about jam today......not tomorrow.
It is a trade off between now and the future....and it's a tricky balancing act.