Grant McCann looks back on Doncaster Rovers' year of progress as he looks to make 2025 memories

Rovers went into the last calendar year in dire form on the pitch with many supporters apathetic after years of decline. But McCann and his coaching staff got the club moving in the right direction. They would go on to mount the most unlikeliest of promotion tilts, with a club record-matching run of ten consecutive league wins key to them qualifying for the play-offs.

Whilst they ultimately fell short to Crewe Alexandra in the semi-finals, the club continued their upsurge in form this season with the club ending 2024 in the automatic promotion spots.

McCann looks back fondly on the last 12 months and says that the progress made needs to be replicated.

"This football club has changed massively in the space of a year," said the Rovers chief. "Even with things people don't see behind-the-scenes. There's a real togetherness at the club and it wasn't easy, I have to be honest. If you speak to Gavin (Baldwin), Terry (Bramall) or anyone, they'll tell you the same.

"The club was in a really bad place. But where we are now, the last 12 months we've had and all these stats that we see about what we did in 2024 - it's amazing.

"What we have to do is continue that in 2025 and aim to get into the next league.

"Everyone - across all departments - has pulled in the same direction. We all want this club to be as successful as possible. The fans too. It's gradually getting busier here (Eco-Power Stadium) on matchdays and we can sense that. When I think back to the early part of last season it felt quiet and maybe as if people were just waiting for things to happen. Now I think there's a sense of energy about this place. We need to keep that because we thrive off it.

"All we want to do is put this great club back into League One and then hopefully in years to come, back into the Championship."

Rovers turn their attentions to the FA Cup third round this Sunday. Their midday trip to Hull City will see them roared on by more than 2,300 supporters in East Yorkshire after they sold out their entire allocation.