Ryan has been at Doncaster since 1998

Doncaster Rovers chairman John Ryan says the club will need a major cash injection if they are to challenge for a place in the Premier League.

In 12 years at the club, Cheshire-based Ryan has guided Rovers from the Conference to the Championship, where they currently lie in 14th place.

"It needs cash investment and the directors have done their bit," Ryan told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"We've put in probably towards six million in the past two years."

It is thought that Ryan has personally financed the club to the tune of £5m.

But now the lifelong Doncaster fan says the gulf between the Championship and the Premier League is too much for himself and the fellow directors to finance out of their own pockets.

"We can't continually make up this great big gap to bring in the players you want," said Ryan.

"You can't do it all the time and the fans might be unhappy that the prices may have gone up a bit."

Meanwhile, the club have extended the loan of Birmingham City midfielder Jordon Mutch by another month.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version