Rovers boss Tony Mowbray believes Rovers’ promotion to the Championship was built on three key principles.
In a nod to the club’s motto – arte et labore – the manager regularly spoke about the importance of skill and hard work on the pitch, but he insists the togetherness of the group off the pitch also played a major part in Rovers’ success.
“In any team that manages to be successful over 46 games, you have to be together,” said Mowbray. “They have to have a spirit about them.
“So on the days where the defeats come along, rather than the fractions splintering away and moaning and ‘why am I not playing?’ etc, they stick strong together.
“In any team that manages to be successful over 46 games, you have to be together."
“There’s a strong core through this group. The Mulgrews, the Bennetts, the Conways, the Grahams – they are experienced players who managed the dressing room from inside and that’s very important.
“There’s an old saying in football ‘you’re only as strong as your seniors pros’ and we’ve got some fantastic senior pros who have managed to drive and keep the dressing room together.”
