Eco-Power Stadium: Doncaster Rovers
To people of a certain age, Doncaster Rovers Football Club are synonymous with Belle Vue Stadium, the ground the club called home for over eighty years. In the wake firstly of the Bradford City Stadium Fire and then the Hillsborough Disaster, however, Belle Vue’s capacity dropped to less than 8,000 owing to safety concerns, meaning that the club had to explore the possibility of a new ground. When the Westferry Consortium took over the running of the club in 1998 they were surprised to discover that new major renovations hadn’t been done to the stadium since 1938, with only minor cosmetic changes taking place during that time.
Despite some small alterations to the stadium in the years after the Westferry Consortium had taken charge of Doncaster Rovers, a move to a new ground was always going to be the most likely outcome for the future of the club. Eco-Power Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium owned by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, opened officially in 2007 and Doncaster Rovers have called it home since, although the name changed to Eco Power Stadium at the end of 2021. It’s not only used by Doncaster, however, with the club’s Ladies team also using it along with Doncaster Rugby League FC.
Stats
| Eco-Power Stadium Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 2007 |
| Capacity | 15231 |
| Average Attendance | 7098 |
| Record Attendance | 15001 (Doncaster Rovers v Leeds (2008)) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 68 (7140) |
| Owner | Doncaster Rovers Football Club |
| Sponsor | Eco-Power |
| Clubs Hosted | Doncaster Rovers, Doncaster RLFC, Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C., Sheffield Eagles |
| First Fixture | Doncaster Rovers v Huddersfield Town (01/01/2007) |
| Doncaster Rovers Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1879 |
| Nickname | The Rovers, Donny, Vikings |
| Club Mascot | Donny Dog, Eric the Viking |
| Rivals | Rotherham United, Scunthorpe United, York City, Barnsley, Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United |
| Previous Stadiums | Town Moor, the Racecourse, Intake Ground, Bennetthorpe Ground, Belle Vue |
| Kit | Red & White Hoops (Home) / Dark Blue & Red Hoops (Away) / Blue & White Hoops (Third) |
| Training Ground | Cantley Park |
| Shirt Sponsor | Eco-Power Group |
| Team Owner | Doncaster Rovers Limited |
| Record Goalscorer | Tom Keetley (186) |
| Record Appearances | James Coppinger (544) |
Eco-Power Stadium Photos
Credit: John Stovold
By Clavdia chauchat (Own work) [CC0]
Eco-Power Stadium Seating Plan and Where to Sit
As is the case with most new stadiums, the Eco-Power is built in a ‘Bowl Style’, rather than the ‘English Style’ of having a stand on each side of the pitch. Also, as with most multi-purpose stadiums, the stands are named after their geographical locations as opposed to any interesting trivia associated with the club (they do however have sponsorship deals). The South Stand is behind one of the goals and welcomes the most vocal Donny supporters, whilst The East Stand contains the club’s family section. Away supporters are usually housed in The North Stand, with The West Stand considered to be the main stand in the ground as it houses the dressing rooms, the players’ tunnel and the dugouts.
Doncaster Rovers Ticket Prices
Doncaster categorise their seating but not their matches, so the amount you’ll pay for your ticket will depend on where you want to sit, although the difference is nominal. How old you are will also determine how much you pay to attend a match. The club offer a healthy discount if buying in bulk as well as family tickets so they’re worth exploring. Plus, members will pay £4 less than regular tickets bought on the day, and there is a £1 saving by booking in advance too, so to be fair it looks like they have tried to make the pricing as affordable as possible.
Here are the cheapest and most expensive match day ticket prices for adults and concessions when bought in advance by non-members:
- Adult: £20 – £21
- Concession: £16 – £17
How To Get Doncaster Rovers Tickets
Tickets are available online via the club’s official website, over the phone or by calling into the ticket office in person.
Where to Buy
Getting To Eco-Power Stadium
Located in South Yorkshire and not too far from the likes of Sheffield and Leeds, Doncaster is reasonably easy to reach via all of the usual methods of transport. Here are the ones you’ll typically consider using:
Train – Doncaster Railway Station is just under two miles from Eco-Power Stadium, so it’ll take you about half an hour to walk there if you want to.
Bus – The club operates a shuttle bus from the train station to the ground, though if you’d prefer public transport then bus numbers 73 and 58 serve the stadium from the centre of Doncaster and take around ten minutes to get you where you need to go.
Car – From the A1(M) get on the Eastbound M18 at Junction 35 or Junction 32 from the M1. Leave it at Junction 3 and get on the A6182 towards Doncaster and follow the signs.
By Air – Robin Hood Doncaster-Sheffield Airport is, as the name suggests, the closest airport to the city of Doncaster, so if you’re flying then head there.
Taxi – Getting a taxi from Doncaster Railway Station to the stadium will only take you about ten minutes and shouldn’t cost more than £7.
Parking Near Eco-Power Stadium
There are 1,000 parking spaces at the stadium itself, with 60 of them reserved for disabled fans. They cost £5 per car, though some private companies offer parking on nearby industrial estates for more like £3-£4 per car.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Eco-Power Stadium Hotels
Doncaster is a surprisingly fun place to stay, so here are some of the hotels you might want to consider staying at:
Campanile Doncaster - £35+
Grand St Leger Hotel - £55+
The Earl of Doncaster Hotel - £90+
Pubs and Bars Near Eco-Power Stadium
Doncaster has quite a few fun little watering holes that you might want to check out for your pre-match pint. Because of the fact that the stadium itself is a little outside the centre you might need to drink before you jump on public transport. Here’s some options for you:
The Lakeside Beefeater
Cheswold Lodge Brewers Fayre
The Salutation
Facilities
The facilities at Eco-Power Stadium are pretty impressive, even if the concourses do lack a little bit of personality. This is to be expected at a ground that has to host several different teams of different sports, however. It’s clean, comfortable and there are places to buy food and drinks before and during the match.
Prices
- Programme: £3
- Pie: £3.3
- Cup of tea: £2.2
- Beer: £3.5
Hospitality
The main hospitality package at Eco-Power Stadium is membership of the Legends Club. It promises unrivalled VIP treatment, with a three-course pre-match meal at the Jibba Jabba Restaurant, a welcome drink when you arrive, access to a cash bar throughout the day, half-time refreshments and executive seats in The East Stand. You’ll also enjoy a visit from the Doncaster Rovers Man Of The Match, and you may even be selected to present them with the award yourself.
Private Hire
Eco-Power Stadium considers itself to be one of the foremost events venues in the Yorkshire region, so the options available to you are befitting of such a tag. You’ll be able to host conferences, banquets, dinner parties, exhibitions, musical events or even weddings at the stadium, should any of them tickle your fancy. They even host the local car boot sale on a Sunday if you are having a clear out.
Stadium Tours & Museum
Doncaster Rovers don’t offer a tour per se, although tours of the stadium including dressing rooms are included in some of the group activity packages. Don’t be surprised if regular tours start running in the future though. In the meantime, you could always look at their virtual tour available on the website.
About Doncaster Rovers
Founded in 1879, Doncaster Rovers turned professional in 1885 and have spent most of their playing history bouncing between the third and fourth tiers of the English Football League. During their existence they have become one of only four clubs to win the Third Division three times. Success isn’t the right of only the Doncaster men’s team, with the associated Doncaster Belles Ladies team considered to be one of the most successful women’s teams in the game.
The club was formed by Albert Jenkins, a fitter at the Great Northern Railway Works in Doncaster who gathered some friends together to play a match against a team from the Yorkshire Institute for the Deaf and Dumb. After the game they walked home together and decided to play more often under the name of Doncaster Rovers, and thus the club was born. They were elected to the Football League in 1901, replacing the Wirral based team of New Brighton Tower. They were voted out in 1902, with Bradford City replacing them, before being elected back in 1904.
Eco-Power Stadium History
In many ways it’s probably fair to say that Eco-Power Stadium doesn’t have a huge degree of history, with the ground only opening for business in 2007. The first match at the stadium was actually a rugby league game, with Sheffield Eagles taking on Doncaster Rovers Rugby League FC and beating them 16-10. The first game of football was actually against Huddersfield Town on 1st January 2007, though most records say it was against a Manchester United XI on 3rd of August that year. That’s because the stadium didn’t officially open until then.
The stadium was awarded ‘Best Match Day Experience’ at the Stadium Business Awards in 2010. The capacity is about 5,000 more than it was at Belle Vue, Doncaster’s previous stadium, and the seats offer more legroom and much better disabled access. Other facilities include a supporters’ bar where fans can gather before the match and a sports complex next to the ground with a six lane running track and a number of 5-a-side pitches. As well as rugby and football matches the pitch has also been used to host numerous music concerts, including the likes of Ronan Keating, Sir Elton John and Bryan Adams.
Future Developments
As Eco-Power Stadium is one of the newest and most state-of-the-art stadiums around it is unlikely that it will see any further developments in the coming years.