Yorkshire football in 2024-25: The stars, the matches, the managers, the goals, the games and the gripes
Another season draws to a close, and 2024-25 has been more good than bad for Yorkshire's clubs.
Our League One teams were a major let-down and Hull City only avoiding relegation on goal difference was not part of the plan. Sheffield United losing the Championship play-off final so late was a real kick in the proverbials for them.
But there were titles for Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers, and an overdue promotion from League Two for Bradford City.
I covered 86 games for The Yorkshire Post in the Championship, Leagues One and Two, Conference, FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy and Nations League, so inevitably some choices are biased towards them, but here are my end-of-season winners and losers.
Player of the season: Hard to split Sheffield United's Gustavo Hamer from Daniel James at Leeds. As Hamer got the official Championship nod, and as James' goals and assists brought a title, I will opt for him. In the lower leagues, it has to be Doncaster's Luke Molyneux.
Young player of the season: Sheffield Wednesday's on-loan midfielder/centre-back Shea Charles showed flexibility, maturity and talent. Honoruable mentions to Sheffield United's Sydie Peck and Bradford’s Bobby Pointon.
Old player of the season: Middlesbrough's Jonny Howson continues to be the go-to man at the Riverside, filling in wonderfully at centre-back in late season. Billy Sharp rolled back the years at Doncaster too, earning a new contract to take him past 40.
Exiled player of the season: Archie Gray carried a lot on his shoulders in his first Premier League season, a regular centre-back for injury-hit Tottenham Hotspur despite being a midfielder by trade. The Yorkshireman took it all in his stride.
Manager of the season: Daniel Farke and Grant McCann won titles to prove how good they were, but Graham Alexander edges it for finally ending Bradford's League Two torture.
Turnaround of the season: It is easy to forget what a low ebb Sheffield United were at last season, but to win 90 points after deductions was some going, even if they could not seal the deal in the Championship play-off final.
Signing of the season (summer): The £2m Sheffield United paid for goalkeeper Michael Cooper was brilliant business, but Leeds' £2.9m for Tanaka arguably shaded it. At around £3.5m Charlie Hughes was more expensive than both for Hull City, but the young defender looks an astute investment.
Signing of the season (winter): Loanees Joe Gelhardt and Brandon Khela brought a lot to Hull and Bradford respectively but it has to be striker Rob Street, who scored 12 goals to get Doncaster over the line.
Most improved player: Ivor Pandur was signed but Hull in January 2024 but not trusted to play last season by Liam Rosenior, a point of tension with Acun Ilicali. Initially it looked like the Croatian would prove his old manager right but over time he justified his chairman's faith. At Sheffield United, Vincius Souza was out of his depth and unpopular in the Premier League and Femi Seriki struggled to make bottom-of-the-Championship Rotherham United's team but both kicked on massively.
Chief executive of the season: Ryan Sparks, Bradford. Criticised in the past for being too trigger-happy, he stuck by Alexander in a tough end to 2023-24, and through four wins in 15 this (form which saw Huddersfield Town sack Michael Duff). Also did a great job of filling Valley Parade.
Game of the season: A 4-3 between two footballing sides decided by a last-minute winner takes some beating, but Sheffield Wednesday's comeback from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 at Middlesbrough just edges it over Leeds' win at Swansea City.
Worst game of the season: Hull 0 Millwall 0: "Heart attack football" my backside, Tim Walter.
Sign of things to come: Yes, he was let down by slow recruitment and yes, it was only a friendly but Hull's 4-0 pre-season defeat at Doncaster exposed all the problems with Walter's style of play. It was never going to work with those players.
Not a sign of things to come: Sheffield United drew 1-1 at Huddersfield in the final game of both teams' pre-seasons. The Blades' youthful bench looked more like one for the start, not end, of pre-season and manager Chris Wilder was exasperated but a flurry of late transfer activity set them up for a third-placed finish.Goal of the season: No contest. Watching Josh Windass score from inside his own half for Sheffield Wednesday against Derby County was an "I was there" moment. That said, Ollie Pearce's first goal for York City was well worth the short trip to Rochdale too.
Achievement that did not feel like an achievement: Sheffield Wednesday finishing in the top half of the Championship for the first time since 2019 was a big step forward, but it could have been a lot better if manager and chairman had just been a bit more grown-up in the second half of the campaign.
Collapse of the season: When Huddersfield beat Wycombe Wanderers in January, we started to wonder if they could win automatic promotion from League One but 15 defeats in 21 games saw them slide out of even play-off contention.
Most annoying tactic of the season: Goalkeepers going down with an "injury" so managers can call their team in for a time-out whilst he gets treated. Playing on is impossible because it is the keeper, but something needs to be done to stop this blatant exploitation by a player who almost always gets up and plays on.
Innovation of the season: Announcing the first half of the season's televised fixtures in July was a great step forward by the Football League and Sky Sports, and even the late-season changes were announced in good time. Compare it to the indecision about when the final Premier League game at Goodison Park, which we knew a year ago would be on television.
Family feelgood moment of the season: A joint award for Bayley McCann making an assured Barnsley debut against his dad's Doncaster team in the Football League Trophy and the Charles brothers, Shea and Pierce, starring for Sheffield Wednesday against Middlesbrough.
Atmosphere of the season: The Elland Road promotion party in its all-yellow glory outdid even the first Sheffield derby for six years, and that was not easy.
Moment of the season: Antoni Sarcevic's goal to secure Bradford's promotion. Honourable mention to Leeds' last-ditch winners against Sunderland and Sheffield United on consecutive Monday nights.
You are bound to disagree with quite a few of these choices so feel free to set them right in the comments box.