Pat Lally to take centre stage as Doncaster Rovers' 1981 promotion heroes get set for reunion

Paul Raven, the former Doncaster Rovers player, has been a busy man of late owing to him organising a big get-together in honour of a Rovers hero of yesteryear.

Pat Lally, one of the stars of the 1980-81 promotion-winning side, has recently retired from his role at the PFA after more than four decades.

To mark the occasion a host of his old teammates from that famous campaign are meeting up this weekend for a special celebratory lunch prior to the Accrington Stanley clash at the Eco-Power Stadium. The likes of Glynn Snodin, David Harle and countless others are due to attend to celebrate their old pal's retirement. That year is fondly remembered as Billy Bremner built a side mainly built on youth but peppered with experienced players and steered them to promotion.

With Grant McCann's team in fine fettle and eyeing up their own miracle elevation from the fourth tier, it promises to be the perfect backdrop for the event.

"I'm sure they'll quickly be back into the swing of things with banter about each other's shoes, clothes and what not. That dressing room mentality never leaves you," Raven, who had two spells at Rovers in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said.

"I've known Pat since I was about 15 or 16. He was involved in the first years of the YTS scheme. He was instrumental and oversaw it. You mention his name to probably any footballer across the North of England and they'll recognise Pat. He's covered a lot of ground over the years!

"Over that time he's looked after roughly 20,000 footballers so that says it all."

Over the course of his 41 years at the PFA, Lally worked closely with a host of players who went on to become stars including current England defender John Stones. He would regularly visit grounds up and down the country but in more recent times, in his role as Director of Education, he has been undertaking a more office-based role with a focus on handing out advice as he dips into a 40-year bank of knowledge.

Speaking to the Free Press from his home in Holmfirth, the 72-year-old says it has been a thoroughly rewarding role but admits that the landscape for professionals has changed immeasurably since his days as a player in the 1970s and 80s.

"I do feel for the players these days," Lally says. "There's social media which of course wasn't around in our days.

"As soon as they go into a bar or restaurant people are on their phones taking pictures. It's a lot different and the pressures are different."

Lally now has time to enjoy the finer things in life and has been undertaking somewhat of a mini-tour of his old clubs, with his day out at Rovers one he is particularly looking forward to.

"I have to thank Paul for organising it. There's one or two faces I'll have not seen for some time. I went to another old club Millwall on Good Friday and it was the first time I'd been back in 50 years but it was as if I'd never been away.

"I'm looking forward to it. It was a special time at Doncaster and it'll be great to look back on those times."

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