CRAZY was the only word to describe the budgets of many League One clubs whom Doncaster Rovers were competing against last season, according to Grant McCann.

Alongside being successful at third-tier level, the Doncaster Rovers manager, who won the title with previous club Hull City in 2020-21 and took his current club to the play-offs in his first spell in South Yorkshire in 2018-19 - knows the division better than most.

Several clubs waved the chequebook with abandon last season. Others, like Rovers, were more considered.

A barometer for that could be seen in the last set of agents' fees revealed by the Football Association in April.

Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann, pictured in the home loss to Cardiff City in February. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

placeholder image — Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann, pictured in the home loss to Cardiff City in February. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

The biggest rise in expenditure across the EFL came in League One as spending soared by a massive 85 per cent on the previous season's figures.

Huddersfield Town (£1.5m) were the third highest payers behind Luton Town (£3.3m) and Cardiff City (£1.7m) with the trio making up almost half of the £14m divisional total. By contrast, Rovers (£158,005) had the third lowest total in the division.

Despite a modest outlay compared to many, Doncaster—despite being in strife at the bottom end of the table at Christmas—stayed calm and consolidated. They did not spend their way to safety either; they did it in the right way.

Offering his take on League One finances, McCann said: "It's gone crazy; whether it's inflation or how things have moved, the league is mad.

McCann pictured with long-time assistant Cliff Byrne. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

"Some of the goalkeepers in this division were paid more than two or three of my players put together.

"We're probably not at that point to compete with some of these teams at this moment in time but we will, we'll try and get to that point.

"It may take a sale, who knows, it may take a lot of money to come into the club to kick us off to do that again.

"I'm not saying we're trying to sell anyone, but that may be the case where it sustains itself over a longer period and gives you a better sort of understanding of where you need to be.

"I think I read somewhere that there's only two clubs that had got three-and-a-half million budgets (in 25-26) and two years ago there were 13.

"I think I underestimated how big the finances have become at this level. I remember the last time I was at this level, we had the sixth highest budget at Hull in League One. At the time in League One, we thought we had a really good budget, but it was still sixth."

EFL rule changes designed to try and reduce losses and reliance on owner funding come into operation in 2026-27 and time will tell as to whether they have an impact in levelling-off the spending sprees in League One over the past few years.

Clubs relegated from the second-tier will be permitted to spend 65 per cent of turnover on wages during their first season in League One.

Amendments to the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) will see the percentage of turnover that remaining clubs in League One will be able to spend on wages reduced from 60 to 50 per cent, with manager costs to now also be included within the SCMP calculation.

McCann continued: "It has to level itself out at some point. It's not all about finances because Luton had a big budget alongside others in the division. If it were always about finances, they should be running away with the league title.

"But it's not, it's what you have in your changing room."