view Rogers's match-by-match record
 
Don ROGERS

An exciting winger, Rogers is arguably the greatest player ever to wear a Swindon shirt.

Having signed for Swindon just hours before local rivals Bristol City came in for his signature, Rogers made his debut at the age of 17, in a 4-1 win over Southend. He scored his first league goal in his next game, another win, this time over Notts County. His first season brought seven goals.

By 1965/66, Rogers was a regular name on the Town scoresheet. He was the Town's second top scorer that year, one behind Keith East with eighteen goals. The next three seasons saw Rogers top-score each season, netting 71 times in 188 league appearances. His goals helped the Town on the way to Wembley, resulting in Swindon's and Rogers' greatest achievement - a League Cup winners medal. Rogers tore Arsenal apart that day, scoring the two extra time goals that took the cup to Wiltshire.

His performance that day attracted interest from bigger clubs, and a bid from Liverpool was rejected. In an attempt to keep him at the club, Swindon helped him to purchase a sports shop in the town centre, which he runs to this day. The move succeeded in keeping Rogers in town until 1972, when former manager Bert Head - the man who brought Rogers to Swindon nearly twelve years previously - enticed him to Crystal Palace for a fee of £147,000.

Although he was an England under-23 international, Rogers never achieved full international honours, probably due to Sir Alf Ramsey's dislike of the winger.

After a short spell at Q.P.R., Rogers returned to Swindon in 1976, in an exchange deal which saw Town striker Peter Eastoe head in the other direction. He made just eleven appearances in this second spell, when a hip injury, caused by the body swerve which allowed him to waltz past defenders so easily, forced him out of the game.

PLAYING RECORD:

Season LEAGUE FA CUP LEAGUE CUP OTHER TOTAL
Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls
'76/'77 2 1 (+2) - 2 - - - 4 (+2) 1
'75/'76 9 (+1) 1 - - - - - - 9 (+1) 1
'72/'73 16 7 - - 1 - - - 17 7
'71/'72 41 7 1 - 1 - - - 43 7
'70/'71 39 16 2 - 3 4 4 1 48 21
'69/'70 36 9 4 1 2 - 7 2 49 12
'68/'69 45 22 3 1 12 7 - - 60 30
'67/'68 46 25 3 2 2 1 - - 51 28
'66/'67 46 24 8 7 5 1 - - 59 32
'65/'66 46 18 3 - 1 1 - - 50 19
'64/'65 42 9 1 - 1 - - - 44 9
'63/'64 36 7 3 1 4 3 - - 43 11
'62/'63 7 2 3 - - - - - 10 2
TOTAL 411 (+1) 148 31 (+2) 12 34 17 11 3 487 (+3) 180


TRANSFER INFORMATION:

DATE IN/OUT TRANSFER DETAIL
JAN 1961 IN (signed youth contract)
OCT 1962 IN (signed professional contract)
28 OCT 1972 OUT Crystal Palace
£147,000
8 MAR 1976 IN Queens Park Rangers
Exchange for Peter EASTOE
NOV 1976 OUT Yeovil Town
(loan)
JAN 1977 IN Yeovil Town
(loan return)
Summer 1977 OUT (retired)


full name

Donald Edward Rogers


 ENGLAND
U-23 international apps

2 apps
youth international apps


League representative apps



date of birth
25 October 1945


           
             
             
             
             
             

usual positions
left wing

youth career
Thicket Mead Youth Club
SWINDON TOWN

senior career
SWINDON TOWN
Crystal Palace
Queens Park Rangers
SWINDON TOWN
Yeovil Town (loan)

Lambourn Sports
manager

Swindon Supermarine
manager

Hungerford Town
manager

Pewsey Vale
manager