Yorkshire football in 2024-25: The lows, the letdowns and the downright unlucky
After a poor 2023-24, last season was a marked improvement for Yorkshire's football clubs but there were some big letdowns too.
Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers won titles, and Bradford City finally got out of League Two after six years marooned in the fourth tier.
But unfortunately the mood was not so good everywhere, with some real setbacks along the way. Here are some of the big disappointments, and the areas that will need to improve next season.
Sheffield United and York City failing to win promotions after collecting 90 and 96 points respectively: The Blades' missing out owed much to the brilliance of Leeds and Burnley, and the resilience of Sunderland in the play-off final – not that they were entirely blameless, of course. In York's case it was more about only one automatic promotion place – the Conference really deserves another and League Two would benefit too – and a play-off system designed to help the second- and third-placed teams, but which had the opposite effect.
League One: Barnsley, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United should all have been at least competing for promotion, but ended up mired in mid-table mediocrity. Thank goodness the divisions either side provided plenty of good news.
The impatience which saw Huddersfield and Hull City sack Michael Duff and Ruben Selles: Duff's football was not the best, but he had the Terriers competing for promotion, and they stopped almost as soon as he left. Likewise, Selles ground Hull to safety on goal difference but it was one step at a time after inheriting a bottom-of-the-Championship mess in December.
Rotherham kicking the can down the road: A root-and-branch overhaul was needed at the New York Stadium and especially Roundwood after relegation from the Championship in 2024 but instead they tried a short cut under Steve Evans and got lost. Twelve months wasted.
Walterball: We were told Tim Walter was going to bring "heart attack" football to Hull. Not only was it not very successful – just three wins, all in the space of a week-and-a-half – it was not even entertaining. Little wonder the German did not make it to the end of the Christmas markets.
Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley missing an opportunity in January: It felt like both clubs needed a kick in the mid-season transfer window to be play-off contenders but neither hierarchy seemed to have the stomach for it.
Managerial immaturity: Danny Rohl has let himself down with his behaviour since he stopped talking to chairman Dejphon Chansiri in that transfer window. It is damaging the reputation of an exciting coach. And speaking of Rohl, Chris Wilder's table-top singing after the Sheffield derby was unnecessary too.
January strikers: What was it with Yorkshire clubs and strikers in the winter window? Tom Cannon (one goal), Kyle Joseph (none), Kelechi Iheanacho (one), Dion Charles (none), Joe Taylor (two) and Clement Rodrigues (none) all backfired. If you want to count Boro's Morgan Whittaker, he did not score either. Twelve-goal loanee Rob Street showed them all up with Doncaster.
The cups: Our 11 teams managed just 19 wins combined in the FA and League Cups – and five of them were against fellow Yorkshire teams.
Richard Wood's ankle: It was a shame to see the Doncaster centre-back have to give up on his dream of playing until he was 40, but at least he should be what Rotherham need for their cultural reset as a coach.
Ben Doak's thigh: You kind of feel Middlesbrough would have found a way to miss the play-offs even if their on-loan winger had been fit from February, but it was a huge blow.
The disrespect shown to Daniel Farke: To hear some of the vitriol spewed Farke's way, and especially to read it on social media, you would not think he had won a game in his life, never mind two Championships at Norwich City. The stories about Farke's job being at risk between winning promotion and the title from respected journalists who will have been well-briefed took the biscuit. Other managers suffered too.
Fans in the press box: Most of every football ground is set aside for supporters, but not our little section of benches. It is often the writers who do not even support the clubs they cover who go in for the most performative celebrations when they are supposed to be working.
Acun Ilicali's racism comments: "In Turkey there is no racism" – denial is where the problems start. It did not sit well.
Sheffield United's indiscipline: Far too many fines for failing to control their players.
The Championship play-off final kick-off: After such progress this season with fans shown respect over televised kick-off times in the Football League it went out of the window for their showpiece game, when the start was announced at a week-and-a-half's notice.
Women's football: Sheffield United bottom of the Championship, Halifax Town relegated from National League Premier North, Doncaster Rovers Belles from Division One North, Hull United bottom of the North East Regional Women's League Premier Division, infighting at Hull City Ladies... Well done Division One North champions Middlesbrough, but what a mess from a county still producing top players.