JakeRubin

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Hello,

I have been browsing the forums for a while but never made an account.

I started a save with Doncaster Rovers (my first venture into the game about two months ago).

As in real life I started without a job and the position opened up around October 2012. Via a moneyball approach I was able to make some cash along the way, buying low selling high.

After reaching the Premier League the Keepmoat stadium was upgraded all the way to expansion capacity. 20,231 or something like that. During that time we were playing at Sheffield United's ground, and were selling out around 36,000 or so seats for the big name games. I think this was in 2015 or something.

It is now January 2026 - twenty years after the Keepmoat was built. FINALLY the option to build a new stadium is not greyed out. The only issue is the board will not accept my request for a new stadium.

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I have tried every combination of statement under the sun. They continually reject. I have waited nearly 15 years for this stadium to be built. I have to continually sell my best players in order to keep from going under financially.

I have won EVERYTHING imaginable with Doncaster. Three Premier League titles in the past 5 years. Three consecutive Champions League Titles, Three Consecutive Club World Cup titles - not to mention the quintuple I won in 2023/2024.

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Attendance is maxed out at the Keepmoat. Given Doncaster's proximity to Sheffield I don't believe the board that our fanbase is not large enough. We are in the top 5 in the world in regards to reputation, I don't know how our fanbase could possibly be any larger.

Basically I am totally frustrated. I have put so much time and effort into this save. Maximizing facilities, training youngsters and I am finally getting world class regens. I don't know how there hasn't been a board takeover yet. The ONLY thing keeping this club from world domination is a new stadium. What do I do?!

Maybe the answer is to move clubs, however the only thing I haven't achieved is to have a stadium named after myself. If I just wasted all that time then I might as well quit.
 
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I tried every combination and it was literally impossible for the board to accept a new stadium.

I know this has been posted before, But I hate my chairman John "Penny Pincher" Ryan. He has put money into the club on ONE single occasion. And that was when we were well over 40 million in debt. Made a profit of about 130M last season and what do the board do? Pocket the dividends.

Bastards... I have a new found motivation and I am going to try to win every single game in the league. I will keep you updated as I have heard that winning everything can sometimes sway the board to build a new stadium. The next time they offer me a contract I am going to turn it down.
 
same problem here, I'm stuck in a 20.000 capacity stadium, would fill many more and increase my budget, but they refuse to build a new one (having 150+m on my transfer budget), and the current one can't be expanded :(
 
First off, big congrats on the results you have had with Doncaster :).

In terms of your stadium, I could be wrong here however I think that because your current stadium is still relatively new (less than 20 years old) that may stop the Board building another new one, regardless of how successful you have been. I don't know what the age limit is, but I seem to remember reading that somewhere once - hopefully I am wrong.

And (just to compound the bad news), 20231 is the maximum expansion capacity for Keepmoat.

If that is the case, I think it sucks - if you are successful, pack out your stadium and cash rich (which you clearly are) there should be a mechanism to increase capacity more and/or divert funds towards a new stadium.

Realism in the game is all well and good, but if we are able to take the likes of Doncaster to CL glory (which, lets be honest, is not realistic) then we should be able to affect things like stadium expansion/moves in a similar vein.
 
I feel your pain! Mine is stuck at 12,500 I have won everything numerous times!
 
First off, big congrats on the results you have had with Doncaster :).

In terms of your stadium, I could be wrong here however I think that because your current stadium is still relatively new (less than 20 years old) that may stop the Board building another new one, regardless of how successful you have been. I don't know what the age limit is, but I seem to remember reading that somewhere once - hopefully I am wrong.


Thank you for the kind words. You are right. There is a 20 year limit on building a new stadium. The Keepmoat was built in 2006. On January 1 2026 the option was no longer grayed out and I was able to ask the board. But no matter which combination I used (5 initial proposals - 4 secondary proposals and "you are right...I can't pretend that I'm not dissapointed") they said no because of the "fanbase not growing in the near future".

Now I understand that there are fanbase restrictions based on the size of the city. Doncaster has a population of about 67k or so. Somewhere I read that it is limited to 10% of the population of the city, however Doncaster is close in proximity to bigger markets like Sheffield which I mentioned earlier. And while they were expanding the Keepmoat I played games at Sheffield United's ground and nearly sold it out. Whenever I am in a cup final - half of the crowd is wearing my colors, our fanbase travels well and I would imagine a club with a "Worldwide" reputation (5th biggest club in the world) would have more than a potential of 20,231 fans at the home games.

Think of the 5th biggest club in the world I would guess that's Man City or Arsenal or Chelsea or something like that, they have fans travel from the world over to pack their ground, not only people from the metropolitan area. I definitely think the 20 year rule is realistic, no team, no matter how quick their turnaround is going to build a new ground inside of 20 years.

Basically here's what I'm doing in the meantime:
1. Moved player wage slider all the way to player wages to gain more interest on my savings
2. Signed players from the largest countries (China, India, USA, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, etc.,) in attempt to garner more merchandise sales
3. Continue to buy low and sell high to bolster my finances
4. Continue to win - my goal is to win every competition I am in this year (ECC, Prem., Community Shield, Capital One Cup, FA Cup)
5. Continue to propose feeder clubs in hope that the board suggest one in a big country

The club is currently valued at 350m or so - one of the richest clubs in the world. Hopefully there will be a board takeover fairly soon - my board are absolutely atrocious - pocketing around 30m last year.

I will keep you guys posted on the state of the Rubin stadium!
 
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Any luck with that stadium yet pal? It is a real pain the **** and I honestly sympathise with you I have had same problem every year!
 
Update on the new stadium. The board said no again. Job status is now reading as 'Untouchable' after a tremendous run of form in the League and Europe - yet to lose in either competition, start of November.

New issue is TAXES. Add them to the list of Ridiculousness that is managing a small club. Apparently they are set based on the income of the previous season. Two months into the season and I have paid 65M in taxes. I will certainly go under financially because I refuse to sell any more players. Maybe if my club goes deep in debt the board will be forced to sell.

Here's the tax debacle. Ruined my profit margins in less than two months.
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well done for the getting donny to prem n into erurope and i hope you manage to get a new stadium built soo and god that is harsh
 
Guys,

This is really sad but I don't think it's possible to get a new stadium with Doncaster.

I've tried really hard. My squad is unbeatable, but the board insist that there "isn't any evidence of the fanbase increasing in the near future".

Stadium attendance has been at 99-100% capacity every year since the Keepmoat was upgraded. I have asked the board no fewer than 10 times to build a new stadium and they always give the same answer about the fanbase.

I think I have taken Donny as far as I possibly can.

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My contract runs out at the end of this season. If there's no plans for a new stadium by June 2029 I will walk away from the job.
 
Guys,

This is really sad but I don't think it's possible to get a new stadium with Doncaster.

I've tried really hard. My squad is unbeatable, but the board insist that there "isn't any evidence of the fanbase increasing in the near future".

Stadium attendance has been at 99-100% capacity every year since the Keepmoat was upgraded. I have asked the board no fewer than 10 times to build a new stadium and they always give the same answer about the fanbase.

I think I have taken Donny as far as I possibly can.

View attachment 373440

View attachment 373441
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View attachment 373443













View attachment 373444

My contract runs out at the end of this season. If there's no plans for a new stadium by June 2029 I will walk away from the job.

my question is how you get to 2029 so fast
 
Basically here's what I'm doing in the meantime:
1. Moved player wage slider all the way to player wages to gain more interest on my savings
2. Signed players from the largest countries (China, India, USA, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, etc.,) in attempt to garner more merchandise sales
3. Continue to buy low and sell high to bolster my finances
4. Continue to win - my goal is to win every competition I am in this year (ECC, Prem., Community Shield, Capital One Cup, FA Cup)
5. Continue to propose feeder clubs in hope that the board suggest one in a big country

Does this actually make much money? I've heard of people doing it but always just felt with the amount of money in football it would be little more than a drop in the ocean.

And congrats and getting them that far. Maybe you should move to a bigger club *cough* Wednesday ;)
 
I am going to table the save right now.

Moving to Birmingham currently in the Blue Square Premier. For two reasons --> 1. Mass population and possibility for fans. 2. Challenge.

I will keep everyone updated.

Does this actually make much money? I've heard of people doing it but always just felt with the amount of money in football it would be little more than a drop in the ocean.

And congrats and getting them that far. Maybe you should move to a bigger club *cough* Wednesday ;)
 
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Does this actually make much money? I've heard of people doing it but always just felt with the amount of money in football it would be little more than a drop in the ocean.

And congrats and getting them that far. Maybe you should move to a bigger club *cough* Wednesday ;)
MASSIVE club you mean?
 
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