Should he play, Saturday will mark the 600th time James Coppinger has stepped onto a football pitch as a Doncaster Rovers player.
On the September 8 1888, twelve member clubs from the midlands and the North of England organised a football competition that would prove to be the basis for football as we know it.
130 years, four professional leagues, and 92 professional teams later only 59 players have made more Football League appearances for one club than Rovers’ James Coppinger.
220: Total players who’ve played alongside Coppinger across his Rovers career
More than 250 players have called James Coppinger team-mate since he made his debut in 2004 and 220 of those were playing for Doncaster Rovers. Defender James O’Connor shared the pitch with Coppinger on the most occasions (198). Of the current Rovers squad, Andy Butler has made the most appearances alongside Coppinger with 160.
Stat by Glen Wilson
132: The gap between Coppinger and the second appearance holder
James Coppinger’s 600 appearance tally looks unlikely to be beaten. Second in the overall Rovers appearance table is Colin Douglas who made 468 appearances in two spells at the club between 1981 and 1993. Third in that table is Fred Emery on 438 appearances.
24: Exemplary disciplinary record
In 599 matches for Rovers, Coppinger has picked up just 24 yellow cards and two red cards. It speaks to the kind of clean game Coppinger plays. Of the two red cards, one was for a badly-timed challenge and the second was for getting involved in an altercation between Luke McCormick and a young team-mate.
6: Promotions and Relegations
During his 14 seasons, Coppinger has suffered three relegations and celebrated three promotions. Coppinger has played in the Championship, League One and League Two for Rovers which is not only testament to his loyalty to the club but also his ability to adapt to the different demands of each league.
5: Only five Rovers players have scored more goals in the club’s history than James Coppinger
Coppinger has scored 66 goals in his 14 seasons at Rovers. Sitting top of that table is Tom Keetley who scored 186 goals for Rovers in his 6 years at the club and just behind him is Alick Jeffrey who got 139 goals in his two spells at the club.
3: Three in a row
In April 2006, Coppinger scored in three consecutive 1-0 victories for Rovers which helped the side secure maximum points from games against Walsall, Southend United, and Oldham Athletic.
2: Hat-tricks at the Keepmoat
Coppinger is the only person to score more than one hat-trick at the Keepmoat Stadium since it opened in 2007. He has managed two and both were very memorable.
In 2008, Coppinger shone when Rovers dominated Southend United in the play-off semi-final. Not particularly known for his goal-scoring ability, James Coppinger appeared to launch his own goal of the season competition scoring three fantastic goals to firmly secure a place in the play-off final.
The midfielder’s second hat-trick at the stadium came in 2010 in a 3-1 win over Norwich City. This result was made even more impressive by the fact the Canaries would go on to finish the season in second place securing automatic promotion alongside Queens Park Rangers.
1 Minute: The shortest amount of time Coppinger has shared a pitch with any player
Jon-Paul Pittman made just one appearance for Doncaster Rovers in his short loan spell with the Club in 2007. The match in question was a Football League Trophy match vs Darlington in which he shared the field with James Coppinger for just one minute.
Spending only slightly longer on the pitch with Coppinger was Reece Brown. They played side-by-side for a grand total for 5 minutes.
Stat by Glen Wilson
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