The recent history of the Rovers is chequered with money problems, and the 1960/61 season was no exception. With no money to sign players who cost transfer fees, the club were reliant on the youth team players coming through. Several players including Paddy Gavin, Peter Clark, Tony Cope and Ron Sharp had left the club during the close season, with new signings including Carl Wilson and Jack Haigh.

The first two games of the season were lost, resulting in an early change of managership, with Norman Curtis, the Sheffield Wednesday left back, becoming player-manager. Fortunes did not instantly change, however, with a disastrous 5-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace being his first match in charge, with the Rovers bottom of the league. A slight improvement came after the team was changed a little, with away draws at Southport and York City, followed by a home win against Exeter City.

Hopes of the supporters were dampened with only one home win out of the rest of September's fixtures producing any points, including league newcomers Peterborough gaining a 'double' over Rovers within six days - with the Rovers crashing to a disastrous 6-2 defeat away. Slightly improved fortunes during October and November, which saw three wins and a draw from the 7 matches played saw Rovers climb out of the bottom four, with the improved form continuing through into December, with two wins and a draw coming in the run up to Christmas.

The Boxing Day fixture saw Rovers defeat Darlington at Belle Vue, but two defeats, including a second 5-1 defeat of the season by Crystal Palace. The New Year started with a rare away win, at Workington by a 3-1 scoreline.

The second half of the season saw the improvement in form continue, with a total of four away wins coming by the end of the campaign. February saw John Meredith leaving Belle Vue for Hillsborough, with John Ballagher coming in the opposite direction, with Ballagher hitting the target for the first time in his third match. Rovers had a very busy finish to the season, partly due to only two matches being played between the end of October and December 3rd, with no less than eight matches being played in April - of which four were won, two drawn and two lost. Ballagher's influence on the team was topped by his hat trick in the last match of the season, when Rovers beat Crewe Alexandra by a 6-0 scoreline at Belle Vue, to finish the season in eleventh place.

The FA Cup campaign for this season only lasted as far as the first round; although the Rovers did take their opponents to a replay, after gaining a 3-3 draw at Saltergate. Rovers had led 3-1 in this match with only eight minutes to go, but two goals in as many minutes saw the Spirites grab a draw. Home advantage was not made to pay in the reply, with Rovers going down to a single goal defeat. This season saw the introduction of a new cup competition, the Football League Cup, with the Rovers gaining a bye into the second round. Rovers were drawn against Second Division Stoke City, defeating them easily by a 3-1 scoreline, to earn a third round home tie against Chelsea. The Londoners proved not to be so obliging as the men from the Potteries, and outclassed the Rovers to inflict a seven goal defeat, the Rovers' only consolation coming from their share of a gate of almost 10,000.