Exclusive:'Carnage' - Ex-Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme offers insight into Doncaster Rovers' infamous experiment
Carl Ikeme details his experience of Doncaster Rovers’ now-infamous 2011/12 season experiment
Former Doncaster Rovers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme has lifed the lid on his experience of the club’s now-infamous 2011/12 season ‘experiment’.
The now-retired stopper had two loan spells at Doncaster during that ill-fated Championship campaign, building experience away from his parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He was dropped into an environment far from ordinary, as Doncaster turned to high-profile figures signed to short-term deals to keep them in the second tier.
Among those recruited with the help of agent Willie McKay were former Liverpool maverick El Hadji Diouf, ex-Newcastle United defender Habib Beye and France-capped frontman Frédéric Piquionne.
‘Chaotic’ Doncaster Rovers spell
“It was a bit chaotic in all honesty,” Ikeme told The Yorkshire Post. “I'm sure a lot of people have said the same.
“We had El Hadji Diouf and Pascal Chimbonda and a few other characters. I think there was talent in the squad, but I think in order to get a few of these players here, Dean Saunders kind of had to let them do what they wanted in a way, which didn't really help Doncaster.
“It was frustrating for a lot of the players that were training all the time. You probably heard some lads would just come on a Friday and train and play Saturday.
“It all seemed okay at the time if you're looking maybe from an outside point of view, but when you're in it yourself, it's a bit of a p**s take.”
Ikeme only dropped in at Doncaster for two short-term loans but committed to relocating to the area from his Midlands home.
“It was frustrating because I was living up there and obviously you had lads who would come down on a Friday,” the now-40-year-old said. “I'm staying up Doncaster all week, which is fine because that's my job.
“But it just gets frustrating I think and you had some good lads there as well, but it was hard work in all honesty.”
Good amid the bad
The so-called experiment was unequivocally a failure and Doncaster tumbled into League One at the end of the season.
Ikeme was back at Wolves by the time relegation was confirmed and did not leave Molineux again, seeing out his career with the club before retiring in 2018.
“It makes you know what you're not about, and what you don't want,” he said. “But at the same time I met some great people at Doncaster.
“Dave ‘Mud’ Richards, the kitman, great guy. Mal Purchase, who went everywhere with Dean, another great character man, really good guy. The goalkeeper coach, there were a lot of good people there behind the scenes, but it was just carnage and it wasn't how a team should really be run.
“I understand it to a degree, but football is a tough game and sometimes it doesn't really matter if you've got players that are supposed to be above the level, if they don't really care then it's going to be difficult.
“Obviously the Championship's outrageously hard anyway, and if everyone's not pulling in the same direction it becomes really difficult, and that was kind of a moment where it was really difficult.
“I liked to play games, which was good. The club, really good club as well. I really had a lot of time for Doncaster and everyone up there, it was just the situation at the time that wasn't ideal.”
Ikeme spoke The Yorkshire Post on behalf of Midnite. Midnite, the Principal Partner of Wolverhampton Wanderers for the 2026/27 season, are providing luxury coach travel on the ‘Midnite Express’ for 100 Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters, as they set off on a 130-mile-round trip to watch their beloved Wolves take on the league’s glamour club, Wrexham, this Saturday, November 7.
Fans will be joined on the Express by Wolves club legends, Steve Bull, Carl Ikeme and Matt Jarvis and treated to club-centric quizzes and live Q&As, with exclusive prizes up for grabs.