The Rovers third consecutive season in the Second Division proved to be a bitter disappointment for all connected with the club. Just seven wins all season, coupled with no fewer than twenty five defeats could hardly have any other outcome than relegation, and the Rovers finished rock botton, six points adrift of Bradford City.

Yet the season had commenced with so much optimism. A new Team Manager in old favourite, Fred Emery, had been appointed, and a number of experienced players signed on, and, indeed, the very early signs were promising, with three points coming from the first two games, both of which were played at home. However, the wheels really came off in the following game at Plymouth Argyle, where the Rovers lost by seven clear goals! Not surprisingly, a number of players lost their places in the team, not least goalkeeper Jock Imrie, who did not play in the first team again for some fourteen months.

Although Aston Villa were beaten at Belle Vue in the last week of September, this was the last Rovers league victory until the final fixture of the year, when they beat Burnley by two goals to nil at Belle Vue. The time between had seen the Rovers losing on a regular basis, conceding five goals at Chesterfield and seven (again!) at Newcastle United.

The New Year began with a further defeat at Blackburn Rovers, before the Rovers gained revenge for that heavy loss at Plymouth by beating the 'Pilgrims' in the return fixture, albeit not by seven goals. There then followed a mini-revival in which only two of the next six games were lost. During this period, the Rovers won at Swansea - their only away success of the season, bu the remainder of the campaign saw the team register just two further victories. The fact that Bill Perry was leading goalscorer with just seven league goals tells its own sad story about one of the Rovers' most depressing seasons.

There was no escaping the gloom in the FA Cup, with Third Division Chester eliminating the Rovers in the Third Round, via a four goal margin at Sealand Road

Leading scorers: Perry 7, Burton 4

Division Two
1936-1937
 
P
W
D
L
F
A
Points
Leicester City
42
24
8
10
89
57
56
Blackpool
42
24
7
11
88
53
55
Bury
42
22
8
12
74
55
52
Newcastle United
42
22
5
15
80
56
49
Plymouth Argyle
42
18
13
11
71
53
49
West Ham United
42
19
11
12
73
55
49
Sheffield United
42
18
10
14
66
54
46
Coventry City
42
17
11
14
66
54
45
Aston Villa
42
16
12
14
82
70
44
Tottenham Hotspur
42
17
9
16
88
66
43
Fulham
42
15
13
14
71
61
43
Blackburn Rovers
42
16
10
16
70
62
42
Burnley
42
16
10
16
57
61
42
Barnsley
42
16
9
17
50
64
41
Chesterfield
42
16
8
18
84
89
40
Swansea City
42
15
7
20
50
65
37
Norwich City
42
14
8
20
63
71
36
Nottingham Forest
42
12
10
20
68
90
34
Southampton
42
11
12
19
53
77
34
Bradford Park Avenue
42
12
9
21
52
88
33
Bradford City
42
9
12
21
54
94
30
DONCASTER ROVERS
42
7
10
25
30
84
24