Donald George Beaumont Roper (14 December 1922 – 8 June 2001) was an English footballer who played for Southampton and Arsenal, winning two league titles with the latter in the 1947–48 and 1952–53 seasons.

[2] It was while playing for Bitterne Nomads what he was scouted by Toby Keleher, assistant manager to Tom Parker,[3] and in July 1940 was persuaded to sign for his local club, Southampton, making his debut for them during wartime matches.

[3] During the war, he was Southampton's leading goalscorer in wartime competitions, having formed a successful strike partnership with Ted Bates.

[5] He formed partnerships with Archie Macaulay and Ronnie Rooke,[2][5] with Arsenal's success being in stark contrast to their previous season, in which they had avoided relegation.

[2] He switched to the left wing in 1949–50, but was displaced by both Denis Compton and Freddie Cox in Arsenal's FA Cup-winning side of 1950.

[4] In 1993, he was visited by Bill Stroud who attempted to persuade Roper, in vain, to forgo his grudge against Bates and attend his 75th birthday celebrations.

[9] Described by Wisden as a "useful middle order batsman",[10] Roper made a single appearance as an amateur in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Cambridge University at Portsmouth in 1947.