Rivalries
Doncaster Rovers Belles enjoy a longstanding rivalry with Arsenal Ladies, who eventually overtook the Belles as the leading club in English women's football. In 1994, the Belles' manager Paul Edmunds contrasted the northern, working class background of his players with the contrasting identity of the Arsenal team: "These soft Cockneys never done a hard day's work in their life. Never been down the pit, this lot " Stressing the relative loyalty of Doncaster Belles' players, in comparison to those of other leading clubs, long-serving Karen Walker said in May 2003: "There's a feeling here that we are representing the north."
During the 2000s Doncaster Rovers Belles contested regular local derby fixtures with Leeds United Ladies. The rivalry was increased by several former Belles players defecting to Leeds. However, the 2010 failure of Leeds' WSL bid left Doncaster Rovers Belles as the only Yorkshire club playing at the top level.
Read more about this topic: Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C.