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Oct/Nov ‘25
FANZINE
KICKS IN YOUR AREA
MONDAY - ADWICK KICKS
Adwick Leisure Complex, Welfare Road, DN6 7QF
Ages 8-13, 5pm-6pm / Ages 14-18, 6pm-7pm
TUESDAY - GROVE PARK KICKS
TBC
WEDNESDAY - ECO-POWER KICKS
Eco-Power Stadium, Stadium Way, DN4 5JW
Girls only, 5pm-6pm / Ages 8-18, 6pm-7pm
THURSDAY - MEXBOROUGH KICKS
Laurel Academy, Stadium Way, DN4 5JW
Ages 11-13, 3.45pm-4.45pm / Ages 14-16, 4.45pm-5.45pm
FRIDAY - SCAWTHORPE KICKS
Don Valley Academy, Jossey Lane, DN5 9DD
Ages 11-16, 5pm-6pm
FRIDAY - BALBY KICKS
Astrea Academy Woodfields, Weston Road, DN4 8ND
Ages 8-13, 5pm-6pm / Ages 14-18, 6pm-7pm
HELLO EVERYONE!
I’m Mark Cooper, and I’ve been involved with Club Doncaster Foundation’s Premier League Kicks project for over 15 years. I first started out as a casual coach and now work as a Sports Development Officer, overseeing our fantastic Kicks programme.
I’m extremely excited to introduce our brand new Kicks Fanzine! This monthly publication will give you a closer look into the work we do, celebrating the incredible impact of the project and the positive difference it makes across our communities throughout the year.
Thank you for your continued support, Coops
Sports Development Officer
Club Doncaster Foundation
STREET REDS TOURNAMENT
Towards the end of October, we were delighted to accept an invitation from the Manchester United Foundation to send a Kicks team to participate in their Street Reds tournament in Rochdale.
Our Mexborough Kicks group were selected and had a great day out, kicking the day off with a workshop on the importance of kindness, with the boys engaging really well.
SOME SQUAD! »
This was followed by games against, amongst othersEverton, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town.
Well done to Kolton, Eno, Oskar, Ozzy, Seb, Freddie, Evan, Rayon, Paddy, Mason and Jacob, who represented Rovers in exactly the right way and are a credit to their families.
ENO - THE SKIPPER!
WHOAREYA WHOAREYA WHOAREYA
Session: Age:
Team supported:
Favourite player: My position:
Favourite food:
Favourite drink:
Favourite film/TV: Other hobbies:
Funniest Kicks baller:
EVAN
Mexborough Kicks
12
Manchester United Matheus Cunha
Left midfield
Pizza
Chocolate milk
One Punch Man
Basketball
Jacob
Scoring in the Street Kicks Tournament
“My favourite thing about Kicks is being able to play football with friends”
COACH SAM
Age:
Team supported:
Favourite player: My position: Squad number:
Favourite food:
Favourite drink:
Favourite film/TV: Other hobbies:
Funniest Kicks baller: Best Kicks baller: You might not know...
24
Liverpool
WHOAREYA WHOAREYA WHOAREYA
Virgil Van Dijk
Left Back
#3
Chinese
Dr Pepper
The Hangover
Rugby, Darts, Cricket
Young Billy Sharp
Justin Greaves
I won the rugby Man of Steel back in 2015
“My favourite thing about Kicks is being able to give back to the community”
ROVERS PLAYER
At our Kicks sessions, we regularly organise player visits and this month, Rovers first-team player Connor O’Riordan surprised participants at our Adwick Kicks session, where he spent the full hour with participants. Connor spoke of the value and importance of Kicks sessions in local communities and did a Q&A about life as a professional footballer. Before the football, there was a warm-up activity discussing mental health and how we had all been feeling lately.
“Meeting Connor was amazing! I couldn’t believe it when he walked onto the pitch, I’ve always wanted to meet a Doncaster Rovers player. He was really nice and told us about what it’s like to play for the team. I’ll never forget it, it made me so happy and even prouder to be a Rovers fan.”
CHARLIE PAWSON Adwick Kicks Participant
COMPETITION TIME
My England
IT’S COMING HOME!
Name the starting XI you think Thomas Tuchel will go with in the first game of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 26 tournament.
The entrant with the most correct names in the line-up will win a prize of their choice from the Doncaster Rovers Club Shop (not the till though!)
In the event of a tie, substitutes will be taken into account if they enter the field of play.
Ask your Kicks coach for a form. All entries to be in by 30th November please.
How will you compare to our coaches?
ROVERS PLAYER VISIT 2
Rovers’ Spurs loanee Damola Ajayi recently paid the lads a surprise visit at their Grove Park session. After the initial shock of a Premier League footballer turning up in the middle of their estate to see them, they were thrilled when he pulled on a training bib and joined in with their session. Damola made sure he switched sides so that all participants had the chance to play both against him and alongside him. The looks on the faces of the lads was priceless!
Midway through the session, we paused for a Q&A session where the boys asked Damola some really interesting and insightful questions and generally had a laugh with a fellow teenager, whose story and background was relatable to these young people. When we suggested to Damola that he was free to go, he politely declined and said that he'd like to stay a little longer, and finished the session with a skills session which nobody, including Damola, wanted to finish - leading to us wrapping up 20 minutes later than we normally would!
To see a successful young man give up his time to engage with 25 young people in their own community (and that he obviously related to) was incredible - and the fact that he actually clearly enjoyed being there was amazing to seea night these boys will never forget. Thanks Damola!
LEGACY SHIRTS
As a thank you to regular Kicks attendees, we will be launching the Kicks Legacy shirts at the end of November...our version of international caps!
We will start the count week commencing Monday 24th November, and as you amass appearances, you will receive a specially-designed football shirt. There will be 4 to collect:
• 25 appearances legacy shirt
• 50 appearances legacy shirt
• 75 appearances legacy shirt
• 100 appearances legacy shirt
Make double-sure your Kicks coach has your mark on the register at every session! More information and designs will be posted on the Instagram page @drfckicks
PROSTATE UNITED Fundraising
PAIN!
During October, coaches Tom and Jamie ran 5km every day for Prostate United, as part of the Doncaster Rovers team, fundraising for vital research into Prostate Cancer.
The pair ran over 155km each during the month to help TeamRovers raise £42,398 meaning that for the third year running, Rovers topped the fundraising charts, with Manchester United and Arsenal second and third respectively.
Kicks participants did their bit as well on Day 4 when 16 of our Grove Park boys joined Jamie on his run around the Lakeside following their matchday experience against Burton Albion... legends!
Tom and Jamie would like to thank everyone for all the support they received throughout October. Every penny and every word of encouragement meant the world.
WELLNESS WORDS Competition
Creative writing is proven to be a great way of aiding positive mental health.
Thinking of your local session, we’ll give away two Rovers match tickets for the best effort in the style below:
Adwick Leisure Complex
Diversity and equality always Workshops that are fun
Incredible opportunities Coaches we can relate to Kicks is mint!
Knowing I have a place to play I love football! Cool people
Knowledge to be gained Safe place to play
Dark nights sorted
Open to anyone aged 12-18
No payment required! Nice facilities
Your weekly football fix!
As part of Anti-Bullying Week, Kicks coaches wore odd socks on Monday, raising awareness of bullying among young people, and promoting prevention and effective responses. And not just this week but every week, Doncaster Kicks and Club Doncaster Foundation encourage and celebrate individuality and being kind to others, always.
Follow us on Instagram: drfckicks
