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.

Don Rossiter
Personal information
Full name Donald Paul Rossiter
Date of birth (1935-06-08)8 June 1935
Place of birth Strood, England
Date of death 18 February 2016(2016-02-18) (aged 80)
Place of death Somerset, England
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Arsenal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1951–1952Walthamstow 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

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Born 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

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After 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

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ The Football Club History Database
  4. ^ "Don Rossiter Player Profile". Nuts and Bolts Archive: History of Ashford Town / United. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  5. ^ Chatham Town F.C.
  6. ^ Former Gillingham player Don Rossiter has died, aged 80