Club History
22 Apr 2007

DONCASTER PUMAS
THE STORY OF THE RISE AND RISE OF A WHEATLEY BASED JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB.

THE BEGINNING.
Established in 2002 after a group of like-minded parents
had taken the decision to break away from another football club,the fledgling group of eight-year old footballers chose to be known as the Doncaster Pumas, with their own coach Paul McCreadie.

PROGRESSION TO UNDER 11 LEAGUES.
By the season 2003-2004, the boys were learning the tactics
of the eleven a side game, in preparation for the competitive football of the East Division of the Free Press Sunday morning under-lls league.

A NEW GROUP OF 8-YEAR OLDS IS ESTABLISHED.
In parallel with the above developments, a new team of eight-year olds was formed under its coach, Graham Emmerson. This was of course vital in ensuring a progression, after the original team had passed through the various age groups.
In other words, the Pumas would not become a seven day wonder existing only the life of the first team.

CHARTER STANDARD STATUS.
The club has always been well aware that a good football club is a well-run football club and was putting in place the administrative framework, which would lead eventually, in the 2004/2005 season, to the award of Charter Standard Status. This, of course is the blue ribbon award for a junior football club, guaranteeing, as it does, to prospective players and parents, that the club is run according to the highest standards. Consequently, it has its own democratically- elected committee; observes all recommendations for child protection and does not tolerate racism or bullying. Furthermore, it observes the highest standards in its coaching tuition, at its Kingfisher School training ground. The club, therefore, proudly displays the Charter Standard-Award Logo on all its correspondence with outside bodies.

PROMOTION TO THE UNDER 12s PREMIER DIVISION.
The season 2004-2005 saw the Pumas under-11 team finish
in fourth place in the East Division League, just behind
Barnby Dun, Armthorpe Rovers and Rossington. This proved successful enough to join the above teams in winning promotion to the under-12 Premier Division for the season 2005-2006.

LEAGUE-CUP FINAL RUNNERS-UP AND SEMI-FINALISTS IN ONE YEAR.
In their first season 2005-2006 in the premier Division, the
Pumas under-12 team succeeded in retaining its Premier Division status for next season 2006-2007. Unusually, this team also reached, in one year, the final of the League Cup for 2004-2005 (losing to Barn by Dun) and also the semi-final of the League Cup 2005-2006 (losing to Branton J.F.C.)

THE CURRENT SITUATION.
Most recently of all, the Pumas are in the process of developing a new group of under eight year olds. This will be the third of the Pumas teams and will again be drawn largely from the Wheatley area of Doncaster, where the club has enjoyed very strong links with the local primary school, Kingfisher.
Meanwhile, the second of our teams has graduated to eleven a side football themselves and in the coming season,2006-2007 will compete in the Doncaster Free press Sunday League, for their first competitive season.
The eldest of our Pumas teams will compete at under 13s level.