The 2023–24 season is the 145th season in the history of Doncaster Rovers and their second consecutive season in League Two. The club are participating in League Two, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the 2023–24 EFL Trophy.
Current squad
No. Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Previous club Date signed Fee Contract end Goalkeepers 1 Ian Lawlor GK Dublin Dundee 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 12 Louis Jones GK Doncaster Academy 1 July 2017 Trainee 30 June 2024 15 Thimothée Lo-Tutala GK Gonesse Hull City 1 February 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 Defenders 2 Jamie Sterry RB Newcastle upon Tyne Hartlepool United 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 3 James Maxwell LB Crewe Rangers 21 July 2022 Free 30 June 2026 4 Tom Anderson CB Burnley Burnley 1 July 2018 Free 30 June 2025 5 Joseph Olowu CB Ibadan Arsenal 10 September 2021 Free 30 June 2025 6 Richard Wood CB Ossett Rotherham United 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2024 16 Thomas Nixon RB Trentham Hull City 24 July 2023 Loan 31 May 2024 17 Owen Bailey CB Newcastle upon Tyne Gateshead 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 23 Jack Senior LB Halifax FC Halifax Town 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 25 Jay McGrath CB Doncaster St Patrick's Athletic 4 January 2024 Free 30 June 2026 28 Bobby Faulkner CB Doncaster Academy 1 July 2022 Trainee 30 June 2024 Midfielders 7 Luke Molyneux AM Bishop Auckland Hartlepool United 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 8 George Broadbent CM Tameside Sheffield United 14 June 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 10 Tommy Rowe LM Wythenshawe Bristol City 1 July 2021 Free 30 June 2024 11 Jon Taylor RM Liverpool Rotherham United 9 August 2019 Free 30 June 2024 14 Harrison Biggins CM Sheffield Fleetwood Town 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 24 Zain Westbrooke CM Chertsey Bristol Rovers 24 March 2023 Free 30 June 2026 27 Liam Ravenhill CM Doncaster Academy 1 July 2021 Trainee 30 June 2025 33 Ben Close CM Portsmouth Portsmouth 1 July 2021 Free 30 June 2026 37 Matthew Craig DM Barnet Tottenham Hotspur 9 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 38 Will Flint CM Academy 10 October 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 42 Sam Straughan-Brown CM Academy 15 August 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 Forwards 9 George Miller CF Bolton Barnsley 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 20 Joe Ironside CF Middlesbrough Cambridge United 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2026 21 Kyle Hurst LW Milton Keynes Birmingham City 22 July 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 22 Conor Carty CF Dunlavin Bolton Wanderers 3 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 31 Caolan Lavery CF Red Deer Scunthorpe United 24 January 2023 Free 30 June 2024 36 Maxime Biamou CF Creteil Dundee United 28 February 2024 Free 30 June 2024 40 Billy Waters SS Epsom Wrexham 11 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 47 Hakeeb Adelakun RW Hackney Lincoln City 22 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 Out on Loan 18 Deji Sotona LW Waterford Burnley 14 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 19 Charlie Seaman RB Waltham Forest Bournemouth 1 October 2020 Free 30 June 2024 29 Jack Degruchy AM Knaresborough York City 28 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 30 Tavonga Kuleya RW Bradford Academy 1 July 2022 Trainee 30 June 2024 32 Ben Bottomley GK Pontefract Academy 1 July 2021 Trainee 30 June 2024 35 Jack Goodman CF Nottingham Academy 1 July 2023 Trainee 30 June 2025
Transfers In DatePosPlayerTransferred fromFeeRef 14 June 2023 CM George Broadbent Sheffield United Undisclosed 1 July 2023 CB Owen Bailey Gateshead Free Transfer 1 July 2023 CF Joe Ironside Cambridge United Free Transfer 1 July 2023 GK Ian Lawlor Dundee Free Transfer 1 July 2023 LB Jack Senior FC Halifax Town Free Transfer 1 July 2023 RB Jamie Sterry Hartlepool United Free Transfer 1 July 2023 CB Richard Wood Rotherham United Free Transfer 14 July 2023 LW Deji Sotona Burnley Free Transfer 8 August 2023 GK Rory Watson Wrexham Free Transfer 4 January 2024 CB Jay McGrath St Patrick's Athletic Free Transfer 28 February 2024 CF Maxime Biamou Free agent
Out DatePosPlayerTransferred toFeeRef 30 June 2023 CF Kieran Agard Free agent Released 30 June 2023 LM Aidan Barlow Eastleigh Released 30 June 2023 GK Jonathan Mitchell Free agent Released 30 June 2023 CB Jak Whiting Bradford (Park Avenue) Free Transfer 30 June 2023 CB Ro-Shaun Williams Free agent Released 24 August 2023 GK Rory Watson York City Free Transfer 10 November 2023 CF Reo Griffiths Free agent Mutual Consent 1 February 2024 CB Adam Long AFC Fylde Mutual Consent
Loaned in DatePosPlayerLoaned fromFeeRef 1 July 2023 RW Tyler Roberts Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 January 2024 24 July 2023 RB Tom Nixon Hull City End of Season 11 August 2023 CF Modou Faal West Bromwich Albion 13 January 2024 1 September 2023 SS Louie Marsh Sheffield United 10 January 2024 3 January 2024 CF Conor Carty Bolton Wanderers End of Season 9 January 2024 DM Matthew Craig Tottenham Hotspur End of Season 11 January 2024 SS Billy Waters Wrexham End of Season 22 January 2024 RW Hakeeb Adelakun Lincoln City End of Season 1 February 2024 GK Thimothée Lo-Tutala Hull City End of Season
Loaned out DatePosPlayerLoaned toUntilRef 22 July 2023 AM Jack Degruchy Marske United 19 January 2024 22 July 2023 RW Tavonga Kuleya Marske United 26 August 2023 24 July 2023 CF Jack Goodman Gainsborough Trinity 26 August 2023 27 July 2023 RB Charlie Seaman Hartlepool United 5 January 2024 8 September 2023 RW Tavonga Kuleya Sheffield 7 October 2023 15 November 2023 CB Will Green Maltby Main 13 December 2023 24 November 2023 LW Deji Sotona Boston United 13 January 2024 28 November 2023 GK Ben Bottomley Gainsborough Trinity 26 December 2023 10 January 2024 RW Tavonga Kuleya Gainsborough Trinity 7 February 2024 19 January 2024 AM Jack Degruchy Kettering Town 17 February 2024 19 January 2024 RB Charlie Seaman Wealdstone End of Season 27 February 2024 CF Jack Goodman Matlock Town End of Season 27 February 2024 RW Tavonga Kuleya Gainsborough Trinity End of Season 27 March 2024 AM Jack Degruchy Matlock Town End of Season 28 March 2024 GK Ben Bottomley Cleethorpes Town End of Season
Pre-season and friendlies On 25 May, Doncaster announced their first pre-season friendly, against Rossington Main. A second friendly was confirmed on June 6, against Port Vale. A day later, a third was added, against Sheffield Wednesday. On 14 June, the club confirmed a three further friendlies, against Boston United, York City and Scunthorpe United.
Competitions Overall record
League Two
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches On 22 June, the EFL League Two fixtures were released.
Play-offs
Doncaster finished 5th in the regular 2023–24 EFL League Two season, so were drawn against 6th placed Crewe Alexandra in the Play-off Semi-Final. The first leg, which Doncaster won 2–0, took place at Gresty Road and the second leg took place at the Eco-Power Stadium. Crewe won the second leg 2–0, making the aggregate score 2–2, and then won a penalty shoot-out 4–3 to reach the final for promotion to EFL League One.
FA Cup
Rovers were drawn at home to Accrington Stanley in the first round and away to Peterborough United in the second round.
EFL Cup
Doncaster were drawn away to Hull City in the first round and at home to Everton in the second round.
EFL Trophy
In the group stage, Doncaster were drawn into Northern Group H, alongside Burton Albion, Mansfield Town and Everton U21. After topping the group, they were drawn at home to Nottingham Forest U21 in the second round, and Wigan Athletic in the third round and away to Bradford City in the quarter-finals.
References