Doncaster release statement on alleged incidents as Port Vale players and officials left the pitch

Doncaster Rovers release a statement on the alleged incidents take took place as Port Vale players and officials left the pitch.

Doncaster find themselves sitting 6th in the League Two table after Ryan Croasdale and Lorent Tolaj gave Port Vale a two goal lead, before Jamie Sterry grabbed a late consolation for the hosts with a deflected effort from 30 yards.

But after the referee blew for full time, some Doncaster fans are reported to have made their way down the tunnel when Port Vale players and the officials were coming off the pitch. Doncaster have condemned abuse which took place.

STATEMENT | The club wishes to condemn in the strictest of terms alleged incidents which took place as opposition players and officials left the pitch following the game against Port Vale

Read more ⬇️https://t.co/5Vdv77L8T4

🔴 #drfc ⚪️

— Doncaster Rovers FC (@drfc_official) January 4, 2025

CLUB STATEMENT:

The club wishes to condemn in the strictest of terms alleged incidents which took place as opposition players and officials left the pitch following the game against Port Vale.

We have received reports of incidents involving home supporters as individuals entered the tunnel after the final whistle and promise a full investigation into those events.

The club will not tolerate abuse towards players, staff and officials and will take action against those we find to be guilty of such behaviour.

Doncaster boss Grant McCann said after the game, per the club website: “We just work on it. But what I will say is that people who don’t want to run won’t be in the team. It’s a fact.

“We need people to run, fight and get back into the shape, picking people up in the box and tracking runners. It’s the only way you be successful and where we want to be.

“The two goals are so avoidable which is really frustrating and disappointing for us. To put low crosses into the box and not pick up runners is not like us really. We pride ourselves on man marking in the box. Space never scores goals but we end up marking space.

“Two cutbacks, two goals, which is really annoying.

“What I was pleased with was the response by the group in the second half to keep going, keep grinding and keep digging out opportunities.”

“We just need to get back on track,” he added. “I wish we had another league game on Tuesday. It’s disappointing that we haven’t got one until Gillingham.

“It was an opportunity for us today and every time we have an opportunity to put a gap between ourselves and the chasing pack, we disappoint.

“We need to get to the bottom of why we’re doing this, why we’re not getting back into our shape quicker or tracking runners.

“We’ll keep working. I do believe wholeheartedly in this group in this group as I say all the time. We just let ourselves down, all of us.”

Hear from the Gaffer after his side picked up a huge three points at the Eco-Power Stadium 🗣️

Watch the full interview on PVTV ➡️ https://t.co/85JOjGe5R4#PVFC | #SVA pic.twitter.com/SVAnFtBBUq

— Port Vale FC (@OfficialPVFC) January 4, 2025

Port Vale’s Darren Moore said: “It’s been a hard couple of months but if you are going to get back on to a streak, you have to get that win from somewhere.

“Let’s hope this win is the first one. I think this really optimises the team and it was a performance that we built on from the Cheltenham game.

“We’ve come away to a difficult place and put in a strong performance.

“Hopefully when we pick the bones out of the game, it’ll stand us in good stead for the tough week ahead and prepare us for another important game.

“It was always going to be hard fought and if we were going to get the win, we would have to earn it. Ben Amos pulled a wonderful save off at 0-0 and if that had gone in, it could easily have been a different game.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Doncaster release a statement on alleged incidents as Port Vale players and officials left the pitch…

Paul Barton: I sit next to the tunnel and stopped until the officials came off. I am passionate about our club and very frustrated about yet again poor officials. These so called professionals need to improve, I have seen better u10s refs! The Ref decided while he was walking down towards the tunnel to start smirking and laughing while the fans were booing and shouting. Does he think his actions are helping the situation?

Mark Button: Referee was shocking. Football is emotional. The ref was blatantly bad the entire game, missing lots of obvious fouls, a very strong penalty shout, and letting Vale time waste to the nth degree. Lost count of how many times Vale players threw themselves to the ground at the slightest touch or no touch at all and he bought it every time. It was constant. You can’t have that level of abysmal officiating and not expect people to be irate. If I was that bad at my job I wouldn’t have a job very long. And yet officials are protected and there’s no course of justice for clubs impacted by incompetence or bias. Any action is too late. The fact that he apparently found it something to smirk about just shows the lack of understanding of the impact of his shitehouse performance. That completely compounds the problem. Perhaps there should be substitute refs and the FA Assessor can make the call to change if the ref is clearly not up to the task, which this clown clearly was not. I wonder what would happen if a manager just decided to take the team off the pitch in protest. Probably get a massive fine and points deduction…. Typical for Rovers to get assigned a half wit for his first league game!!!

Tony Hatton: I never usually criticise referees. Being one myself I know how difficult it is but todays ref definitely made a few mistakes. He will watch it back tonight or tomorrow and will see where he went wrong and will probably be kicking himself. Had he given us a last minute penalty we wouldn’t be discussing him. Yes he made mistakes but made more correct ones than wrong ones. We can’t keep blaming refs for below par performances from the players. None of his decisions today cost us. Poor finishing cost us.

Alan Jones: No point hiding behind the match officials and wholly wrong to abuse them. Not seen a game since mid-December because am away but sounds like infantile, bad losing on the part of a few which reflects badly on the entire Club. Shameful. I hope to make Gillingham and see how we get over, for me, the acid test which we failed.

Beth Windle-Sill: Something has to be done about refs. Mccann can’t moan because he’ll get fined and banned and players can’t say anything without getting a card but who is there to manage referees and pick up on mistakes? I don’t mean 1 or 2 because we’re all human but many times this season the standard of refereeing has been well below expected standards and it is undoubtedly affecting games.

Keith Dobson: Sort your security staff out not hard is it.