Former scholars round-up (14/02/22)

The latest round-up featuring players who all appeared for Doncaster Rovers' youth team at some point - with many having now flown the nest.

The Bears have a new signing: Charlie Bell.

The big news this month is that Charlie Bell has played his last game for Staveley Miners Welfare!

A hard-working right-back and a top quality character - undoubtedly one of the best to have pulled on a youth team shirt in recent seasons, Chaz is embarking on a new chapter of his life in America having signed on at Missouri State College whose university team (Missouri Bears) are widely considered to be amongst the top 10 in the USA.

His last game for the Trojans was nine days ago and his team continued their excellent form with a 4-1 win over Goole AFC to consolidate their place in the top half of the NCEL (Premier Division).

Target man Declan Howe struck again to take his tally to 19 goals for the season though that figure would be higher already if he'd been credited with a goal in a recent win over Knaresborough Town; instead it was given as an own goal. Cody Prior also featured in Chaz's final game for Staveley following his recent arrival from Sheffield FC whilst Tyler Walker was in Goole's line-up wearing an unfamiliar No.8 shirt.

In total, Chaz made 30 appearances for Staveley, contributing 10 assists and towards 11 clean-sheets and even scoring once (against Silsden in October) - a goal which was from 20 yards in reality, but at least a 35-yarder the last time he mentioned it!

He now joins Lewis Scattergood (Stetson University), James Morris (Seattle Redhawks), Junior Smith (Eastern Florida State College) and Josh Clemitson (Aquinas College) who are all playing on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Good luck in America pal.

Staveley chairman Terry Damms with kind words regarding Charlie Bell.

A player who sometimes used to cadge a lift to training with Chaz when they were in the youth team together is Bobby Faulkner and he too has been making a big impact during his loan at Frickley Athletic.

No-nonsense and never one to shirk a challenge, the 17-year-old centre-back has secured three 'Man Of The Match' awards in his first three outings for the Blues - including one against table-toppers Liversedge which you can read all about here.

Despite clubs from higher non-league divisions taking note of his potential (plus a few scouts at EFL clubs), he's just extended his loan at Westfield Lane by another month and will be keen to continue his good form in a bid to break into the Doncaster Rovers first team at some point soon.

Bobby Faulkner defending in a mudbath at Liversedge (Photo: John Hobson).

Elsewhere, last-gasp winners and equalisers always evoke the best emotions in football and a few former scholars have been involved in those over the past few weeks.

Reece Fielding was the scorer as Stocksbridge Park Steels battled courageously to beat Worksop Town in the Northern Premier League Division One (East) on 22nd January, whilst Danny Amos claimed an injury-time assist and went into a Temuri Ketsbaia-style trance by booting the absolute sh*t out of a few advertising boards as Grimsby Town recorded a dramatic 2-1 win at Notts County to very much keep alive their Play-Off aspirations in the National League.

Meanwhile, when Keegan Townrow joined Grantham Town from St Joseph's Rockware of Worksop last month, he stepped up four divisions in the process. Although he didn't score, he was involved in a 3-3 draw with his new team at Warrington Town just over a week ago and also featured as the Gingerbreads held promotion hopefuls Matlock Town to a goalless draw in their last outing.

In other recent goals - and there's been quite a few, Aron Gordon has been at it again - bagging twice for Grays Athletic as they hammered local rivals Romford in the Isthmian Division One (North) before finding the target against Great Wakering Rovers one week later, whilst Jack McKay opened his account for York City by scoring in a 3-0 win at Blyth Spartans. 

Maltby Main have just signed Rieves Boocock and although he hit the post in Saturday's defeat to Bottesford Town in the NCEL (Premier Division), it was Morgan James, operating as a right-winger for probably the first time ever, who was on the score-sheet for Maltby. One step up in the NPL (West), Michael Carberry played his part in a stirring comeback by bagging the first of three goals in a wild final 10 minutes as Bootle overcame local rivals City Of Liverpool. 

And two more divisions up, in the National League North, Billy Whitehouse scored as Play-Off hopefuls Chorley picked up a point against struggling Farsley Celtic who have just appointed Doncaster-based Russ Wilcox as their new manager.

Jack Muldoon also bagged a hat-trick for Harrogate Town, taking his tally for the campaign into double figures, as they sent Oldham Athletic one step nearer to non-league with a 3-1 win, whilst Alex Peterson has been in a rich vein of recent form at Belper Town - bagging three goals in recent weeks to help the Nailers nail down a Play-Off spot in the NPL (Midland Division). His appearance in their game against Yaxley was also his 100th for Belper and he received a special award from the club's directors afterwards in recognition of the landmark.

And at the Keepmoat Eco-Power Stadium, although it seems pretty much inevitable that Doncaster Rovers will be relegated this season, Branden Horton scored his third goal in professional football in a recent loss to Plymouth Argyle.

Alex Peterson with his award for 100 appearances (Photo: Belper Town).

One of Branden's best mates is Myron Gibbons and he's certainly found his shooting boots again. He scored two goals in Rossington Main's win over whipping boys Teversal along with one against Rainworth Miners Welfare - and he's now scored 13 times since his arrival at Oxford Street in October.

He'll have a chance to increase that figure when Rozzo host Staveley (his old team) in the NCEL Cup Quarter-Finals on a date which is yet to be confirmed because although Main actually lost to Brigg Town in the last round, they were reinstated in the competition after their opponents were found to have fielded an ineligible player. The same two teams also went head-to-head in league action last Saturday and Brigg, who had Chaz Fisher in their team, came out on top in that game.

Two ex-Staveley players who'll soon be hoping to score past Rossington 'keeper Kian Johnson who has again been training at Derby County over the past few days are Matt Parkin and Joe Pugh. 

Parkin has scored a total of four times for Retford in recent wins over Clipstone, Teversal and Nostell, whereas Pugh bagged twice for Armthorpe Welfare in a draw against Hall Road Rangers. Both Retford and Armthorpe face Rossington next month.

AJ Greaves has joined York City on loan (Photo: York City FC).

There's also been a fair amount of transfer and loan activity, plus a few other stories, since the last update.

- Conner Williamson has re-joined Armthorpe after a year-long stint at Rossington Main.

- Matt Gains has moved from Thorne Colliery to Retford United. Both teams are still hoping to win the Central Midlands League (North) title later this season.

- Lewis Cunningham has linked up with Glossop North End on loan from York City for the next month and made his first appearance in a friendly against Curzon Ashton last Friday.

- AJ Greaves has arrived at York's LNER Community Stadium from DRFC until the end of the season and made his Minstermen debut in the FA Trophy against Morpeth Town on Saturday.

- Nathan Dimou will be hoping to one day play in Australia's A-League having joined Macarthur FC Youth from his previous club, Adelaide Comets.

- Liam Ravenhill featured for the first time in his second loan spell at Mickleover who beat Radcliffe on Saturday, to continue their climb away from the drop zone in the NPL (Premier Division).

- Luke Chadwick, the current youth team 'keeper, had a recent loan spell at Sheffield FC. His first trip ended in disappointment as their match at Dunston was postponed due to the team bus getting caught up in gridlocked traffic on the A1, before he featured in a defeat to title-chasing Marske United.

- Andrew Boyce was involved in a humbling experience as Eastleigh became the first team to get beat by Dover Athletic in the National League this season.

- Paul McKay, who has been sidelined by a hip problem since before Christmas, will be getting a new manager at Queen Of The South in the near future; the Doonhammers having parted company with Allan Johnston.

- Will McGowan is playing an advance role for South Shields and has featured frequently since Kevin Phillips took the reigns. They're a point behind current league leaders Matlock Town with a game in-hand and could go top with victory over Mickleover tomorrow.

- Liam Mandeville has a new manager at Chesterfield who are joint-top of the National League following the well-publicised sacking of James Rowe (who it appears was a nightmare behind-the-scenes. Paul Cook has taken over at the Technique Stadium for his second spell in charge.

- Mitchell Lund has been involved in 5-0 and 3-0 wins for Bradford Park Avenue over Alfreton Town and York City, respectively, in the past few weeks which helped BPA move away from relegation danger in the National League North.

- Ethan Bojang featured for Peterborough United's U23s, where he's contracted until the end of next season, in a Premier League Cup defeat to Sheffield United last night.

That (I think) covers everything - aside from the fact Rovers' current youth team lost 1-0 to Bradford City last weekend - and Managing the Bantams for that game was Martin Drury. If you want to read about what unfolded then you can do so by clicking on this link otherwise that's it for another month!

If I've missed anything significant, let me know and I'll include it in the next update.

In the meantime, feel free to click on the following links if you've missed any previous articles on former DRFC scholars which features dozens more names:

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