# Don Rossiter > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Don_Rossiter > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Don_Rossiter.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rossiter > Source revision: 1254688806 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|English footballer (1935–2016)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Don Rossiter | image = | caption = | fullname = Donald Paul Rossiter | birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|06|08|df=y}} | birth_place = [Strood](/source/Strood), England | death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|02|18|1935|06|08|df=y}} | death_place = [Somerset](/source/Somerset), England | height = | position = [Forward](/source/Forward_(association_football)) | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = [Arsenal](/source/Arsenal_F.C.) | years1 = 1951–1952| clubs1 = → [Walthamstow Avenue](/source/Walthamstow_Avenue_F.C.) (loan) | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1952–1954| clubs2 = [Arsenal](/source/Arsenal_F.C.) | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1954–1955| clubs3 = [Hartlepool United](/source/Hartlepool_United_F.C.) | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1955–1956| clubs4 = [Arsenal](/source/Arsenal_F.C.) | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1956 | clubs5 = [Leyton Orient](/source/Leyton_Orient_F.C.) | caps5 = 1 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 1956–1957| clubs6 = [Dartford](/source/Dartford_F.C.) | caps6 = | goals6 = | years7 = 1957 | clubs7 = [Gillingham](/source/Gillingham_F.C.) | caps7 = 1 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 1957–1958| clubs8 = [Dover](/source/Dover_F.C.) | caps8 = | goals8 = | years9 = 1958–1960| clubs9 = [Ashford Town](/source/Ashford_Town_F.C._(Kent)) | caps9 = 49 | goals9 = 16 | years10 = | clubs10 = [Chatham Town](/source/Chatham_Town_F.C.) | caps10 = | goals10 = | years11 = | clubs11 = [Tunbridge Wells](/source/Tunbridge_Wells_F.C.) | caps11 = | goals11 = }} '''Donald Rossiter''' (8 June 1935 – 18 February 2016) was an English professional [association football](/source/association_football) player turned [politician](/source/politician). During his footballing career he made two appearances in [The Football League](/source/The_Football_League) and gained a winner's medal in the [FA Amateur Cup](/source/FA_Amateur_Cup). He later became active in [local politics](/source/Local_Government) and served as [Mayor](/source/Mayor) of [Rochester, Kent](/source/Rochester%2C_Kent). ==Football career== Born in [Strood](/source/Strood), Rossiter represented [Kent](/source/Kent) at [football](/source/association_football) and played local youth football before being spotted by [Arsenal](/source/Arsenal_F.C.) and signed up at the age of 15.{{cite book | first=Roger|last= Triggs | title=The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club| publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd | year=2001| isbn=0-7524-2243-X|page=281}} The club loaned him to amateur club [Walthamstow Avenue](/source/Walthamstow_Avenue_F.C.) of the [Isthmian League](/source/Isthmian_League) for the [1951–52 season](/source/1951-52_in_English_football).{{cite book | first=Barry J.|last= Hugman | title=Canon League Football Players' Records 1946–1984| publisher=Newnes Books | year=1984| isbn=0-600-37318-5|page=411}} Still aged just 17, he gained an [FA Amateur Cup](/source/FA_Amateur_Cup)-winner's medal as Avenue defeated [Leyton](/source/Leyton_F.C.) at [Wembley Stadium](/source/Wembley_Stadium_(1923)).[https://www.fchd.info/WALTHAMA.HTM The Football Club History Database] Upon his return to Arsenal in June 1952 he turned professional, but failed to make a single appearance in the [first team](/source/first_team_(association_football)) for the "Gunners". In March 1954 he was transferred to [Hartlepool United](/source/Hartlepool_United_F.C.), where he again failed to break into the first team. In July 1955 Arsenal re-signed him, but he once again could not progress beyond the [reserve team](/source/reserve_team) and he moved on to [Leyton Orient](/source/Leyton_Orient_F.C.) in March 1956. While with Orient he finally made his Football League debut, but he only remained with the club until August 1956, when he joined [non-league](/source/non-league_football) club [Dartford](/source/Dartford_F.C.). From there he rejoined the professional ranks when he signed for another Kent-based club, [Gillingham](/source/Gillingham_F.C.). He made one further Football League appearance when he lined up for the "Gills" against [Brighton & Hove Albion](/source/Brighton_%26_Hove_Albion_F.C.) in August 1957, but the following month he left the club and joined non-league [Dover](/source/Dover_F.C.). He later played for [Ashford Town](/source/Ashford_Town_F.C._(Kent)),{{cite web | url=http://www.nutsandboltsarchive.co.uk/player-Profile.php?ID=530 | title=Don Rossiter Player Profile | website=Nuts and Bolts Archive: History of Ashford Town / United| accessdate=28 June 2022}} [Chatham Town](/source/Chatham_Town_F.C.) and [Tunbridge Wells](/source/Tunbridge_Wells_F.C.) before retiring. He also had a stint as manager of Chatham Town.[http://www.chathamtownfc.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=37 Chatham Town F.C.] ==Post-football career== After leaving football, Rossiter became involved in [local politics](/source/Local_Government) in the [Medway towns](/source/Medway). He was elected to the Medway District Council and spent a year as [Mayor](/source/Mayor) of [Rochester](/source/Rochester%2C_Kent) between 1985 and 1986. He died in 2016 in [Somerset](/source/Somerset).[http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/news/article/don-rossiter-1935-2016-3010076.aspx Former Gillingham player Don Rossiter has died, aged 80] ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Rossiter, Don}} Category:1935 births Category:2016 deaths Category:People from Strood Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Walthamstow Avenue F.C. players Category:Arsenal F.C. players Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players Category:Dartford F.C. players Category:Gillingham F.C. players Category:Dover F.C. players Category:Ashford United F.C. players Category:Chatham Town F.C. players Category:Tunbridge Wells F.C. players Category:Kent Football League (1894–1959) players Category:British sportsperson-politicians Category:Footballers from Kent Category:English Football League players Category:20th-century English sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Don Rossiter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rossiter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rossiter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.