Donald Rossiter (8 June 1935 – 18 February 2016) was an English professional association football player turned politician. During his footballing career he made two appearances in The Football League and gained a winner's medal in the FA Amateur Cup. He later became active in local politics and served as Mayor of Rochester, Kent.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Donald Paul Rossiter | ||
| Date of birth | 8 June 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Strood, England | ||
| Date of death | 18 February 2016 (aged 80) | ||
| Place of death | Somerset, England | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Arsenal | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1951–1952 | → Walthamstow Avenue (loan) | ||
| 1952–1954 | Arsenal | 0 | (0) |
| 1954–1955 | Hartlepool United | 0 | (0) |
| 1955–1956 | Arsenal | 0 | (0) |
| 1956 | Leyton Orient | 1 | (0) |
| 1956–1957 | Dartford | ||
| 1957 | Gillingham | 1 | (0) |
| 1957–1958 | Dover | ||
| 1958–1960 | Ashford Town | 49 | (16) |
| Chatham Town | |||
| Tunbridge Wells | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Football career
editBorn in Strood, Rossiter represented Kent at football and played local youth football before being spotted by Arsenal and signed up at the age of 15.[1] The club loaned him to amateur club Walthamstow Avenue of the Isthmian League for the 1951–52 season.[2] Still aged just 17, he gained an FA Amateur Cup-winner's medal as Avenue defeated Leyton at Wembley Stadium.[3] Upon his return to Arsenal in June 1952 he turned professional, but failed to make a single appearance in the first team for the "Gunners".[2] In March 1954 he was transferred to Hartlepool United, where he again failed to break into the first team.[2] In July 1955 Arsenal re-signed him, but he once again could not progress beyond the reserve team and he moved on to Leyton Orient in March 1956.[2]
While with Orient he finally made his Football League debut,[2] but he only remained with the club until August 1956, when he joined non-league club Dartford.[1] From there he rejoined the professional ranks when he signed for another Kent-based club, Gillingham.[1] He made one further Football League appearance when he lined up for the "Gills" against Brighton & Hove Albion in August 1957, but the following month he left the club and joined non-league Dover.[1] He later played for Ashford Town,[4] Chatham Town and Tunbridge Wells before retiring.[1] He also had a stint as manager of Chatham Town.[5]
Post-football career
editAfter leaving football, Rossiter became involved in local politics in the Medway towns. He was elected to the Medway District Council and spent a year as Mayor of Rochester between 1985 and 1986.[1] He died in 2016 in Somerset.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 281. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
- ^ a b c d e Hugman, Barry J. (1984). Canon League Football Players' Records 1946–1984. Newnes Books. p. 411. ISBN 0-600-37318-5.
- ^ The Football Club History Database
- ^ "Don Rossiter Player Profile". Nuts and Bolts Archive: History of Ashford Town / United. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Chatham Town F.C.
- ^ Former Gillingham player Don Rossiter has died, aged 80