It could well be argued that a terribly poor start to the 1926/27 season cost the Rovers dear, for once they had gained the 'winning habit', they proved to be a very combative outfit, andtheir final league placing of eighth in the old Third Division did not flatter them at all.

The team were hit with a series of serious injuries in the opening flurry of early season games, and did not register their first victory until the opening week of October, when they defeated Wrexham at the Racecourse. The next game, a home fixture with Wigan Borough, also provided both points, but three of the next four games were lost, including the game at Spotland, where Rochdale put seven past the Rovers, with only two in reply.

By this point, the Rovers looked to be in for a long, hard season, but the heavy defeat at Rochdale proved to be the turning point. The side tightened up in defence and enjoyed an unbeaten run of five games into Christmas. Those Christmas fixtures comprised back-to-back games with Bradford Park Avenue, who were doing very well. The games provided great entertainment with plenty of goals, with Bradford winning 7-3 at Park Avenue, before the Rovers stormed home 4-1 in the return fixture on Boxing Day.

By this stage of the season, the Rovers were a far superior outfit to the injury-ravaged team that had struggled earlier in the season. Nelson were beaten by six clear goals at BelleVue at the end of January, thus eclipsing the thrashing that they had given the Rovers earlier in the campaign, this against one of the three teams in the Division who scored over a hundred goals over the season. The Rovers line was scoring on a regular basis with Frank Keetley joining his brothers Harold on the team, their other brother Joe having left the club before the start of the campaign.

Winter turned to spring, and the Rovers continued to progress up the table with just one defeat in twelve matches, and their home game with leaders, Stoke City, on Good Friday 1927 was hugely anticipated. In the event, a club record 'gate' of over 18,000 saw the Rovers beat the 'Potters' 3-1, with Frank and Tommy Keetley amongst the scorers.

A disappointing run of four games without a win followed, and the season ended with something of a goal feat as bottom of the table Barrow were hammered 7-0 at Belle Vue with Tommy Keetley getting four goals and Eric Longden three. All this before a disappointing final 'gate' of just over three and a half thousand.

The FA Cup saw the Rovers lose at home to Chesterfield in the Second Round after beating non-league Desborough in the First Round, albeit following the abandonment of the first meeting through fog.

Leading scorers: Keetley (T) 36, Hargreaves 8

Division Three (North)
 1926-1927
 
P
W
D
L
F
A
Points
Stoke City
42
27
9
6
92
40
63
Rochdale
42
26
6
10
105
65
58
Bradford Park Avenue
42
24
7
11
101
59
55
Halifax Town
42
21
11
10
70
53
53
Nelson
42
22
7
13
104
75
51
Stockport County
42
22
7
13
93
69
49
Chesterfield
42
21
5
16
92
68
47
DONCASTER ROVERS
42
18
11
13
81
65
47
Tranmere Rovers
42
19
8
15
85
67
46
New Brighton
42
18
10
14
79
67
46
Lincoln City
42
15
12
15
90
78
42
Southport
42
15
9
18
80
85
39
Wrexham
42
14
10
18
65
73
38
Walsall
42
14
10
18
68
81
38
Crewe Alexandra
42
14
9
19
71
81
37
Ashington
42
12
12
18
60
90
36
Hartlepool United
42
14
6
22
66
81
34
Wigan Borough
42
11
10
21
66
83
32
Rotherham United
42
10
12
20
70
92
32
Durham City
42
12
6
24
58
105
30
Accrington Stanley
42
10
7
25
62
98
27
Barrow
42
7
8
27
34
117
22