Up until the end of last season Fletcher Hibbert was Rovers’ longest serving chairman over 13 seasons between 1929 and 1948. However, this season will be John Ryan’s 14th at the helm of Rovers making him the longest serving and most successful leader the club has ever had.
John’s enthusiasm and dedication for the club he has supported since he was a boy has seen the rise of Rovers from the ashes of the Richardson era and possible extinction. He has seen Rovers beat Leeds at Wembley to reach the Championship and win a national final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. He came back to take charge of Rovers in their darkest hour, reviving a club that was on the brink of the abyss of lower non-league football. He has invested a large amount of his time and money to get Rovers back to being a club to be reckoned with.
He is now, along with fellow major shareholders of 5 years Dick Watson and Terry Bramall, overseeing Rovers complete the takeover of the Rovers’ home, the Keepmoat Stadium.
John commented: “That is news to me that my 14 years in charge makes me the longest serving chairman but it’s been a pleasure to get my team back up there, even if it has been a bit stressful at times.
“Last year was just a blip so my partners, Dick and Terry, and I will be aiming to get us back up there this season by giving Dean a good budget for this division. Dick and Terry have been here 5 years now and have helped me enormously over that time, both financially and with the infrastructure of the club. I now need all the fans to get behind us and help us get back into the Championship.
“Every fan that comes to a game, buys a ticket or spends at the stadium helps the club achieve its goals as an important part of the local community. So I want all fans to please buy tickets and get Rovers back on track this season”