Doncaster Rovers Belles LFC
Encyclopedia
Doncaster Rovers Belles Ladies Football Club, previously Doncaster Belles, are an English
semi-professional Women's association football club based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster
, South Yorkshire
. They were admitted to the FA WSL in 2010.
They are one of English women's football
's most famous and successful clubs, being one of only two non-London
teams to have won the FA Women's Premier League National Division
, in 1992 and 1994. Founded in 1969 by lottery ticket sellers at Belle Vue, home of Doncaster Rovers Football Club, they have also won the FA Women's Cup
six times and reached the final on a further seven occasions.
home games at Belle Vue
. After finding success in informal local competition, the club became Doncaster Belles in 1971 and joined the Sheffield League in 1972. With the demise of the Sheffield League after three seasons, the Belles joined the Nottinghamshire League setup and dominated for over a decade. Following a reorganisation in 1989, the club won the new North East League in both seasons of its existence, before being invited to join the inaugural eight–team National Division
in 1991.
Stocks played for the club for 24 years, hanging up her boots aged 41 after the 1994 Women's FA Cup final. She later served as physiotherapist and club welfare officer. A teacher by trade, she married future Belles manager Paul Edmunds
who worked at the same school. In 2008 Sheila was awarded the FA Special Achievement Award.
in Nottingham
. Doncaster Belles retained the Cup in 1987–88 by defeating Merseyside
team Leasowe Pacific
3–1. But they missed out on the following year's final, as a resurgent Leasowe inflicted a 3–2 defeat on Friends of Fulham at Old Trafford
, in front of Channel 4
television cameras. In 1990 the Belles were back in the final, Gillian Coultard
scoring the only goal as Friends of Fulham were beaten at the Baseball Ground
in Derby
. 1991's final saw the club lose out 1–0 to Millwall Lionesses
at Prenton Park
.
That summer the Women's Football Association
invited the club to affiliate to a new, eight–team National Premier Division. England
strikers Karen Walker
and Gail Borman
scored a combined total of more than 50 goals as the Belles won the inaugural 1991–92 championship with a 100% record. Red Star Southampton
were vanquished 4–0 in the WFA Cup final as the club won a League and Cup double.
The following season's League was expanded to 10 teams, and in March 1993 newly–promoted Arsenal
inflicted only the Belles' second league defeat in 15 years, 2–1, before a crowd of 18,196 at Highbury
. The dropped points, coupled with a shock defeat to Wimbledon, meant that Arsenal captured the National Premier Division title. The following month Arsenal confirmed their dominance by beating Doncaster Belles 3–0 in the WFA Cup final.
In 1993–94 another costly defeat to Arsenal left the Belles needing three wins from their last four games to win the League. This was achieved and the club regained the Premier Division title by four points from second–placed Arsenal. The Belles also relieved Arsenal of the Cup after reaching their 11th Cup final in 12 years—the first to be played under the direct control of the Football Association. Karen Walker's header from a Joanne Broadhurst
corner defeated Knowsley United
1–0 at Glanford Park
in Scunthorpe
. The club was denied the chance of an historic treble, when the season overran and the Premier League Cup final against Arsenal was held over until the following campaign.
from the youth team and Vicky Exley
from Sheffield Wednesday, but injuries to key players saw the team limp to a third place finish in the Premier Division. In summer 1995 Edmunds stood down to be replaced by Mel Woodhall. A fixture backlog at the end of season 1995–96 saw Croydon
playing five games in ten days, winning four and drawing one to erode the Belles' 13–point lead and win the National Premier Division on goal difference
. In March 1996 the Belles played Wembley
in the Premier League Cup final. They conceded an injury–time penalty kick to draw 2–2 and then lost the penalty shootout
.
In 1997 manager Julie Chipchase ascribed the loss of the Belles' pre–eminent status to a rise in the standards of other teams. In 1996–97 the club had been knocked out of both Cups by eventual winners Millwall Lionesses, and finished second in the League to Arsenal. The next two seasons saw third–placed finishes for the Belles, while 1999–00 resulted in another FA Women's Cup final appearance when holders Arsenal were beaten in the semi–final. The final at Bramall Lane
ended in a controversial 2–1 loss to Croydon, after Karen Walker had a penalty saved by Pauline Cope
and Croydon scored a disputed winning goal. Five days later Croydon became the first club to retain the National Premier Division title. A 6–0 win over Aston Villa
ensured a finish one point ahead of the second–placed Belles.
The next season began with an extensive recruitment drive; as England internationals Becky Easton
and Karen Burke arrived from Everton and former stalwart Joanne Broadhurst rejoined the club from Croydon. When Croydon were taken over by Charlton Athletic, their veteran player-manager Debbie Bampton
resigned and moved to the Belles in a playing capacity. Although they had finished as runners–up to Croydon in both league and cup, the club were overlooked for a place in the inaugural Charity Shield
match. An article in The Guardian
described the selection of Charlton Athletic and Arsenal as curious and related to unspecified "commercial reasons". The 2000–01 National Premier Division campaign saw the Belles return to top form, maintaining a 100% record until April, when a 1–0 home defeat to Arsenal handed the initiative to their southern rivals. Arsenal also knocked the Belles out of both cup competitions on their way to a domestic treble. In May 2001 a presentation marked the retirement of club captain Gillian Coultard.
Doncaster Belles did receive an invite to the 2001–02 Charity Shield, where they were beaten 5–2 by Arsenal at Kingsmeadow. Goalkeeper Leanne Hall
conceded a penalty, after her challenge on Clare Wheatley left the Arsenal player with a career–ending knee injury. Two weeks later at the teams' next meeting both sides lined up in tribute and Hall presented Wheatley with a bouquet of flowers. The match finished in a 4–1 defeat for the Belles.
s five days later. In January 2003, Belles chairman John Gomersall met with the FA women's committee to discuss the merger. In July 2003 the Doncaster Belles website announced the merger's completion. Under the terms of the agreement, the Belles would retain their financial and strategic independence. They also secured agreements to play a portion of home games at Belle Vue, to use the male club's Cantley Park training facility and to sell merchandise in Rovers' club shop.
On 26 February 2009, the team played in the final of the Women's FA Premier League Cup but lost 5–0 to Arsenal Ladies.
The club was one of eight founding teams in the FA WSL in April 2011.
in 2005, however, the team has worn their current red and white hooped shirt with black shorts.
, who eventually overtook the Belles as the leading club in English women's football. In 1994, the Belles' manager Paul Edmunds
contrasted the northern
, working class
background of his players with the contrasting identity of the Arsenal team: "These soft Cockneys never done a hard day's work in their life. Never been down the pit
, this lot [...]" Stressing the relative loyalty of Doncaster Belles' players, in comparison to those of other leading clubs, long-serving Karen Walker
said in May 2003: "There's a feeling here that we are representing the north."
During the 2000s Doncaster Rovers Belles contested regular local derby
fixtures with Leeds United Ladies
. The rivalry was increased by several former Belles players defecting to Leeds. However, the 2010 failure of Leeds' WSL bid left Doncaster Rovers Belles as the only Yorkshire
club playing at the top level.
inside the main arena.
When the English women's football setup was nationalised in 1991, the Belles became the first team to play their home games in a professional Football League ground at Belle Vue
. However, they were often barred from doing so by Doncaster Rovers F.C.
and had to find local non–League grounds in order to fulfil their fixtures.
For many years the team played at the Welfare Ground, home of Armthorpe Welfare F.C.
, and in 2002 were playing at Brodsworth Welfare Ground, home of Brodsworth Welfare F.C.. The 1999–00 season was spent playing at Hatfield Main F.C.
's Broadway ground.
In 1999 the club announced proposals for a purpose–built stadium at Toll Bar. The following year Doncaster Council granted the club a lease of some land in the area. The £1.6 million project was intended for the FA's launch of a professional women's League in 2003.
television documentary screened in January 1995, called The Belles, featured the squad winning and then celebrating their double
win the previous Spring. However, the 'work hard, play hard' ethos revealed in the film did not find universal favour and the club was censured by the FA. Team captain Gillian Coultard
felt the film led to her being controversially stripped of the England
captaincy in the run-up to the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The following year a book entitled I Lost My Heart To The Belles told the story of the club's 1994–95 campaign through the eyes of journalist and author Pete Davies. In April 2000 the Doncaster Rovers Belles squad released the first ever FA Women's Cup
final song, entitled "Northern Pride".
In 1998 the BBC television drama series Playing the Field
began. Directly inspired by Doncaster Rovers Belles, it was written by Kay Mellor
, starred James Nesbitt
and Ricky Tomlinson
, and ran for five series' until 2002.
In 2008 Doncaster Rovers Belles defender Natasha Hughes embarked on a modelling career.
:
, Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers footballer John Buckley
took over as manager.
titles in 1992 and 1994. They have also finished as runners-up on seven further occasions; in 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
The FA Women's Cup
has been won six times, during a period of dominance which saw the Belles reach eleven out of twelve Cup finals from 1983 to 1994. Doncaster Rovers Belles also reached the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost out to Croydon
and Fulham
, respectively. Their record in the competition is behind that of Arsenal Ladies, who have 11 wins in total, and Southampton, who were victorious eight times in the early years of the competition.
The club has been less successful in the FA Women's Premier League Cup, reaching the final three times. A loss on penalties to Wembley
in 1996 came between two heavy defeats to Arsenal in 1994 and 2009.
Doncaster Rovers Belles also competed for the FA Women's Community Shield
in 2001 and 2003, but were beaten by Arsenal and then Fulham.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
semi-professional Women's association football club based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
. They were admitted to the FA WSL in 2010.
They are one of English women's football
Women's football in England
While women's football has been played in England for over a century, it has only been in the 1990s that the game has seen a large increase in female players, as well as in female spectators, culminating in England hosting the Women's European Championships in 2005....
's most famous and successful clubs, being one of only two non-London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
teams to have won the FA Women's Premier League National Division
FA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
, in 1992 and 1994. Founded in 1969 by lottery ticket sellers at Belle Vue, home of Doncaster Rovers Football Club, they have also won the FA Women's Cup
FA Women's Cup
The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...
six times and reached the final on a further seven occasions.
Early years
The club was founded as the Belle Vue Belles in 1969, by Sheila Stocks and other women who sold 'Golden Goals' lottery tickets during Doncaster RoversDoncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
home games at Belle Vue
Belle Vue (football)
Belle Vue was the home of English professional football club Doncaster Rovers from 1922 to 2006. The ground was affectionately called by fans as 'Old Belle Vue' or OBV.-History:...
. After finding success in informal local competition, the club became Doncaster Belles in 1971 and joined the Sheffield League in 1972. With the demise of the Sheffield League after three seasons, the Belles joined the Nottinghamshire League setup and dominated for over a decade. Following a reorganisation in 1989, the club won the new North East League in both seasons of its existence, before being invited to join the inaugural eight–team National Division
FA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
in 1991.
Stocks played for the club for 24 years, hanging up her boots aged 41 after the 1994 Women's FA Cup final. She later served as physiotherapist and club welfare officer. A teacher by trade, she married future Belles manager Paul Edmunds
Paul Edmunds (footballer)
Paul Edmunds is an English former professional footballer and manager.-Playing career:A pacy winger, Edmunds trained as a teacher in Sunderland and was called into Great Britain's 1979 World Student Games squad...
who worked at the same school. In 2008 Sheila was awarded the FA Special Achievement Award.
National dominance
The club reached the Women's FA Cup final for the first time in 1983, defeating St Helens 3–2. The Belles then lost the next three successive finals; to Howbury Grange (2–4), Friends of Fulham (0–2) and Norwich (3–4). In May 1987 the club recaptured the trophy, beating St Helens 2–0 at the City GroundCity Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. Doncaster Belles retained the Cup in 1987–88 by defeating Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
team Leasowe Pacific
Everton L.F.C.
Everton Ladies Football Club are a semi-professional women's association football team from the city of Liverpool, who compete in the FA WSL. They were runners-up to Arsenal in the 2009–10 Premier League National Division season. They have won the title once in 1998 and the FA Women's Cup on...
3–1. But they missed out on the following year's final, as a resurgent Leasowe inflicted a 3–2 defeat on Friends of Fulham at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, in front of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television cameras. In 1990 the Belles were back in the final, Gillian Coultard
Gillian Coultard
Gillian Coultard is a retired English football player, and former England captain. She is England Women's most capped international, with 119 appearances; she is also the highest capped outfield England international ever, with only goalkeeper Peter Shilton gaining more with 125...
scoring the only goal as Friends of Fulham were beaten at the Baseball Ground
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby County Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 1997. It was commonly referred to as the "BBG".As the name suggests, the stadium was...
in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. 1991's final saw the club lose out 1–0 to Millwall Lionesses
Millwall Lionesses L.F.C.
Millwall Lionesses Ladies Football Club were founded in March 1972 by Patricia Maslin and Rita Bullions. In a time when women's football was almost unheard of the group of women who made up the Lionesses were at first snubbed by Millwall FC but went on to became the first women's football team to...
at Prenton Park
Prenton Park
Prenton Park is an association football stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is the home ground of Tranmere Rovers F.C. The club moved to the current Prenton Park in 1912. The ground has had several rebuilds, with the most recent occurring in 1995 in response to the requirement of the Taylor Report...
.
That summer the Women's Football Association
Women's Football Association
The Women's Football Association was formed in 2002 and folded in 2003.-Teams:*Birmingham Steel Magnolias*Carolina Crusaders*Georgia Enforcers*Indianapolis Vipers*Jacksonville Dixie Blues*Orlando Fire*Tampa Bay Force-Championship game:...
invited the club to affiliate to a new, eight–team National Premier Division. England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
strikers Karen Walker
Karen Walker (footballer)
Karen Walker is an English former international football centre-forward. She played for Doncaster Belles for 17 years, starting at the age of 16, and began playing for England as a teenager, making 83 appearances and scoring a record 40 goals until she retired from international football in...
and Gail Borman
Gail Borman
Gail Borman is a former English women's international footballer, who played club football for the Doncaster Belles. She was described by journalist Pete Davies, author of the book I lost my Heart to the Belles, as a "quick and elegant England striker."-Club career:In 1991–92 Borman hit 17...
scored a combined total of more than 50 goals as the Belles won the inaugural 1991–92 championship with a 100% record. Red Star Southampton
Southampton Saints L.F.C.
Southampton Saints Girls and Ladies Football Club is an English women's football club formerly affiliated with Southampton F.C.. They play in the South West Combination Women's Football League, after winning the Southern Region Women's Footbal League in 2009–10.The club is descended from the...
were vanquished 4–0 in the WFA Cup final as the club won a League and Cup double.
The following season's League was expanded to 10 teams, and in March 1993 newly–promoted Arsenal
Arsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...
inflicted only the Belles' second league defeat in 15 years, 2–1, before a crowd of 18,196 at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
. The dropped points, coupled with a shock defeat to Wimbledon, meant that Arsenal captured the National Premier Division title. The following month Arsenal confirmed their dominance by beating Doncaster Belles 3–0 in the WFA Cup final.
In 1993–94 another costly defeat to Arsenal left the Belles needing three wins from their last four games to win the League. This was achieved and the club regained the Premier Division title by four points from second–placed Arsenal. The Belles also relieved Arsenal of the Cup after reaching their 11th Cup final in 12 years—the first to be played under the direct control of the Football Association. Karen Walker's header from a Joanne Broadhurst
Joanne Broadhurst
Joanne "Jo" Broadhurst is a former English female footballer. She represented England at full international level and played for the leading English clubs Doncaster Belles, Arsenal and Croydon/Charlton Athletic.-Club career:...
corner defeated Knowsley United
Liverpool L.F.C.
Liverpool Ladies Football Club is a semi–professional women's football club affiliated with Liverpool Football Club and playing in the FA WSL...
1–0 at Glanford Park
Glanford Park
Glanford Park is a football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and the current home of Scunthorpe United. It is the smallest stadium by capacity in the Championship ....
in Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
. The club was denied the chance of an historic treble, when the season overran and the Premier League Cup final against Arsenal was held over until the following campaign.
Gradual decline
After the Belles' second double in three years, long–serving manager Paul Edmunds considered retirement. He was persuaded to stay when three of the club's top players left for Knowsley United, who had reconstituted as Liverpool Ladies. Edmunds drafted in youngsters Claire UtleyClaire Utley
Claire Utley is an English female footballer. She currently plays for Whitley Bay Ladies after a long association with Doncaster Rovers Belles. She has represented England at full international level.-Club career:...
from the youth team and Vicky Exley
Vicky Exley
Vicky Exley is an English international women's footballer, who plays for Doncaster Rovers Belles in the FA WSL, the top division of women's football in England. She has also played over 50 times for England's national side.-Club career:...
from Sheffield Wednesday, but injuries to key players saw the team limp to a third place finish in the Premier Division. In summer 1995 Edmunds stood down to be replaced by Mel Woodhall. A fixture backlog at the end of season 1995–96 saw Croydon
Charlton Athletic L.F.C.
Charlton Athletic Women's Football Club play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division in England. Between 2000, the year it was founded from Croydon Women's F.C. and 2007, Charlton had one of the most successful women's teams in England...
playing five games in ten days, winning four and drawing one to erode the Belles' 13–point lead and win the National Premier Division on goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
. In March 1996 the Belles played Wembley
Barnet F.C. Ladies
Barnet Football Club Ladies is an English women's football club affiliated with Barnet F.C.. They play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division, after winning the Southern Division in 2009–10....
in the Premier League Cup final. They conceded an injury–time penalty kick to draw 2–2 and then lost the penalty shootout
Penalty shootout
The shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots in that a single player takes one shot on goal...
.
In 1997 manager Julie Chipchase ascribed the loss of the Belles' pre–eminent status to a rise in the standards of other teams. In 1996–97 the club had been knocked out of both Cups by eventual winners Millwall Lionesses, and finished second in the League to Arsenal. The next two seasons saw third–placed finishes for the Belles, while 1999–00 resulted in another FA Women's Cup final appearance when holders Arsenal were beaten in the semi–final. The final at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
ended in a controversial 2–1 loss to Croydon, after Karen Walker had a penalty saved by Pauline Cope
Pauline Cope
Pauline Cope , whose married name is Pauline Boanas, is a retired English football player, and former England goalkeeper.-Club career:...
and Croydon scored a disputed winning goal. Five days later Croydon became the first club to retain the National Premier Division title. A 6–0 win over Aston Villa
Aston Villa L.F.C.
Aston Villa Ladies Football Club is an English women's football team affiliated with Aston Villa F.C., currently playing in the FA Women's Premier League Northern Division. The club has been in existence under several names since 1973. Originally titled Solihull FC, the team became officially...
ensured a finish one point ahead of the second–placed Belles.
The next season began with an extensive recruitment drive; as England internationals Becky Easton
Becky Easton
Rebecca "Becky" Easton is an English footballer, currently playing for Everton Ladies as a right-back, having previously played as a central midfielder, particularly for England at full international level.-Club career:...
and Karen Burke arrived from Everton and former stalwart Joanne Broadhurst rejoined the club from Croydon. When Croydon were taken over by Charlton Athletic, their veteran player-manager Debbie Bampton
Debbie Bampton
Deborah Bampton, MBE, is an English former international football midfielder. She was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005. In 1998 Bampton was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to women's football as both a player and a manager.-Club career:Bampton began her career...
resigned and moved to the Belles in a playing capacity. Although they had finished as runners–up to Croydon in both league and cup, the club were overlooked for a place in the inaugural Charity Shield
FA Women's Community Shield
The FA Women's Community Shield is the female football equivalent of the FA Community Shield in the male football. It is the first competitive match of the football season, although it is seen by most fans as a showpiece event...
match. An article in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described the selection of Charlton Athletic and Arsenal as curious and related to unspecified "commercial reasons". The 2000–01 National Premier Division campaign saw the Belles return to top form, maintaining a 100% record until April, when a 1–0 home defeat to Arsenal handed the initiative to their southern rivals. Arsenal also knocked the Belles out of both cup competitions on their way to a domestic treble. In May 2001 a presentation marked the retirement of club captain Gillian Coultard.
Doncaster Belles did receive an invite to the 2001–02 Charity Shield, where they were beaten 5–2 by Arsenal at Kingsmeadow. Goalkeeper Leanne Hall
Leanne Hall
Leanne Hall is an English female footballer. She is a goalkeeper for FA WSL club Birmingham City and also played at full international level for England.-Club career:...
conceded a penalty, after her challenge on Clare Wheatley left the Arsenal player with a career–ending knee injury. Two weeks later at the teams' next meeting both sides lined up in tribute and Hall presented Wheatley with a bouquet of flowers. The match finished in a 4–1 defeat for the Belles.
Merger with Doncaster Rovers
The merger was considered at a meeting between representatives of both clubs on 3 April 2002, followed by EGMExtraordinary General Meeting
An extraordinary general meeting, commonly abbreviated as EGM, is a meeting of members of an organisation, shareholders of a company, or employees of an official body, which occurs at an irregular time. The term is usually used where the group would ordinarily hold an annual general meeting , but...
s five days later. In January 2003, Belles chairman John Gomersall met with the FA women's committee to discuss the merger. In July 2003 the Doncaster Belles website announced the merger's completion. Under the terms of the agreement, the Belles would retain their financial and strategic independence. They also secured agreements to play a portion of home games at Belle Vue, to use the male club's Cantley Park training facility and to sell merchandise in Rovers' club shop.
John Buckley era
In the 2008–09 season, they finished fourth in the league.On 26 February 2009, the team played in the final of the Women's FA Premier League Cup but lost 5–0 to Arsenal Ladies.
The club was one of eight founding teams in the FA WSL in April 2011.
Colours and crest
The club's traditional colours are yellow and blue. Since the link-up with Doncaster RoversDoncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
in 2005, however, the team has worn their current red and white hooped shirt with black shorts.
Rivalries
Doncaster Rovers Belles enjoy a longstanding rivalry with Arsenal LadiesArsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...
, who eventually overtook the Belles as the leading club in English women's football. In 1994, the Belles' manager Paul Edmunds
Paul Edmunds (footballer)
Paul Edmunds is an English former professional footballer and manager.-Playing career:A pacy winger, Edmunds trained as a teacher in Sunderland and was called into Great Britain's 1979 World Student Games squad...
contrasted the northern
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
background of his players with the contrasting identity of the Arsenal team: "These soft Cockneys never done a hard day's work in their life. Never been down the pit
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, this lot [...]" Stressing the relative loyalty of Doncaster Belles' players, in comparison to those of other leading clubs, long-serving Karen Walker
Karen Walker (footballer)
Karen Walker is an English former international football centre-forward. She played for Doncaster Belles for 17 years, starting at the age of 16, and began playing for England as a teenager, making 83 appearances and scoring a record 40 goals until she retired from international football in...
said in May 2003: "There's a feeling here that we are representing the north."
During the 2000s Doncaster Rovers Belles contested regular local derby
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
fixtures with Leeds United Ladies
Leeds United L.F.C.
Leeds United Ladies Football Club are an English women's football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They compete in the FA Women's Premier League National Division for the 2009–10 season and are one of two Yorkshire teams in the FA Women's Premier League National Division, along with...
. The rivalry was increased by several former Belles players defecting to Leeds. However, the 2010 failure of Leeds' WSL bid left Doncaster Rovers Belles as the only Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
club playing at the top level.
Stadia
Since 2007 the home of Doncaster Rovers Belles has been the Keepmoat Stadium, although the majority of the team's matches have been played at the 500–capacity athletics track beside the stadium. In January 2007 the club's first match in the 15,000–capacity main stadium resulted in a 5–2 defeat to Leeds United, before a crowd of 1,797. Doncaster Rovers Belles are to play all their home fixtures in the 2011 FA WSL2011 FA WSL
The 2011 FA WSL was the inaugural season of the FA WSL, the top-level women's football league of England. The season began on 13 April 2011 and ended on 28 August 2011. The league also took a break between 12 May and mid-July in order to allow preparation for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.Arsenal...
inside the main arena.
When the English women's football setup was nationalised in 1991, the Belles became the first team to play their home games in a professional Football League ground at Belle Vue
Belle Vue (football)
Belle Vue was the home of English professional football club Doncaster Rovers from 1922 to 2006. The ground was affectionately called by fans as 'Old Belle Vue' or OBV.-History:...
. However, they were often barred from doing so by Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
and had to find local non–League grounds in order to fulfil their fixtures.
For many years the team played at the Welfare Ground, home of Armthorpe Welfare F.C.
Armthorpe Welfare F.C.
Armthorpe Welfare F.C. are a football club based in Armthorpe, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.They were established in 1926 and played in the Doncaster Senior League before joining the Northern Counties East Football League Division Two North in 1983...
, and in 2002 were playing at Brodsworth Welfare Ground, home of Brodsworth Welfare F.C.. The 1999–00 season was spent playing at Hatfield Main F.C.
Hatfield Main F.C.
Hatfield Main F.C. is an English football club based in Hatfield, South Yorkshire. They are currently members of the Premier Division of the Doncaster and District Senior League and play at the Welfare Ground.-History:...
's Broadway ground.
In 1999 the club announced proposals for a purpose–built stadium at Toll Bar. The following year Doncaster Council granted the club a lease of some land in the area. The £1.6 million project was intended for the FA's launch of a professional women's League in 2003.
In popular culture
A BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television documentary screened in January 1995, called The Belles, featured the squad winning and then celebrating their double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
win the previous Spring. However, the 'work hard, play hard' ethos revealed in the film did not find universal favour and the club was censured by the FA. Team captain Gillian Coultard
Gillian Coultard
Gillian Coultard is a retired English football player, and former England captain. She is England Women's most capped international, with 119 appearances; she is also the highest capped outfield England international ever, with only goalkeeper Peter Shilton gaining more with 125...
felt the film led to her being controversially stripped of the England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
captaincy in the run-up to the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The following year a book entitled I Lost My Heart To The Belles told the story of the club's 1994–95 campaign through the eyes of journalist and author Pete Davies. In April 2000 the Doncaster Rovers Belles squad released the first ever FA Women's Cup
FA Women's Cup
The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...
final song, entitled "Northern Pride".
In 1998 the BBC television drama series Playing the Field
Playing the Field
Playing the Field is a BBC television drama series following the lives of the Castlefield Blues, a fictitious female football team from South Yorkshire.-Outline:...
began. Directly inspired by Doncaster Rovers Belles, it was written by Kay Mellor
Kay Mellor
Kay Mellor, OBE is an English actress, scriptwriter, and director best known for her work on several successful television drama series.-Early life:...
, starred James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster...
and Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
, and ran for five series' until 2002.
In 2008 Doncaster Rovers Belles defender Natasha Hughes embarked on a modelling career.
Current squad
Out on loan
Former players
For details of former players, see :Category:Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. players.English Football Hall of Fame
The following have played for Doncaster Rovers Belles and have been inducted into the English Football Hall of FameEnglish Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
:
Players Debbie Bampton Debbie Bampton Deborah Bampton, MBE, is an English former international football midfielder. She was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005. In 1998 Bampton was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to women's football as both a player and a manager.-Club career:Bampton began her career... (2005 Inductee) Gillian Coultard Gillian Coultard Gillian Coultard is a retired English football player, and former England captain. She is England Women's most capped international, with 119 appearances; she is also the highest capped outfield England international ever, with only goalkeeper Peter Shilton gaining more with 125... (2006 Inductee) Karen Walker Karen Walker (footballer) Karen Walker is an English former international football centre-forward. She played for Doncaster Belles for 17 years, starting at the age of 16, and began playing for England as a teenager, making 83 appearances and scoring a record 40 goals until she retired from international football in... (2007 Inductee) |
Managers
In June 2003 former CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers footballer John Buckley
John Buckley (footballer)
John William Buckley is a Scottish former professional footballer and current manager of Doncaster Rovers Belles.-Celtic:Buckley began his professional career in the youth ranks of Celtic, and won the Glasgow Cup against Rangers in 1982...
took over as manager.
Current technical staff
- As of 26 July 2011
Name Job title 
John BuckleyJohn Buckley (footballer)John William Buckley is a Scottish former professional footballer and current manager of Doncaster Rovers Belles.-Celtic:Buckley began his professional career in the youth ranks of Celtic, and won the Glasgow Cup against Rangers in 1982...Manager Manager (association football)In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
Paul GreenAssistant Manager Scott DuncansonFirst Team Coach Duncan MilliganCoach Matthew Hall-NaylorPhysiotherapist
Honours
Doncaster Rovers Belles won two of the first three National DivisionFA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
titles in 1992 and 1994. They have also finished as runners-up on seven further occasions; in 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
The FA Women's Cup
FA Women's Cup
The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...
has been won six times, during a period of dominance which saw the Belles reach eleven out of twelve Cup finals from 1983 to 1994. Doncaster Rovers Belles also reached the finals in 2000 and 2002, but lost out to Croydon
Charlton Athletic L.F.C.
Charlton Athletic Women's Football Club play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division in England. Between 2000, the year it was founded from Croydon Women's F.C. and 2007, Charlton had one of the most successful women's teams in England...
and Fulham
Fulham L.F.C.
WFC Fulham, previously known as Fulham LFC, was a Ladies Football Club formerly associated with Fulham Football Club. The team were dissolved as of 16 May 2006, but were later re-established with independence from Fulham F.C....
, respectively. Their record in the competition is behind that of Arsenal Ladies, who have 11 wins in total, and Southampton, who were victorious eight times in the early years of the competition.
The club has been less successful in the FA Women's Premier League Cup, reaching the final three times. A loss on penalties to Wembley
Barnet F.C. Ladies
Barnet Football Club Ladies is an English women's football club affiliated with Barnet F.C.. They play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division, after winning the Southern Division in 2009–10....
in 1996 came between two heavy defeats to Arsenal in 1994 and 2009.
Doncaster Rovers Belles also competed for the FA Women's Community Shield
FA Women's Community Shield
The FA Women's Community Shield is the female football equivalent of the FA Community Shield in the male football. It is the first competitive match of the football season, although it is seen by most fans as a showpiece event...
in 2001 and 2003, but were beaten by Arsenal and then Fulham.
League
- FA Women's Premier League National DivisionFA Women's Premier League National DivisionThe FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
:Up until 1991, there was no top national division of English women's footballWomen's football in EnglandWhile women's football has been played in England for over a century, it has only been in the 1990s that the game has seen a large increase in female players, as well as in female spectators, culminating in England hosting the Women's European Championships in 2005....
; from then, until the formation of the FA WSL in 2010, it was the FA Women's Premier League National DivisionFA Women's Premier League National DivisionThe FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
. The FA only took over the direct running of the domestic league structure from the WFA in 1993. 2- 1991–92, 1993–94
- Nottinghamshire League: 11
- 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
Doubles
- League and FA Women's Cup: 2
- 1991–92, 1993–94