IT was a long season, but a look at the games that led to promtion.

AUG 12: ROVERS kick off the season as favourites for promotion and make a storming start with a 2-0 opening day victory over Crystal Palace

AUG 17: The club is rocked to the core after Jack Walker loses his short battle against cancer

AUG 26: Ewood is gripped by emotion as Rovers fans say an emotional farewell to Uncle Jack before the players pay their own fitting tribute with a 3-2 win over Norwich

SEPT 8: Graeme Souness bolsters his defensive resources by snapping up Henning Berg on loan in time to face Nottingham Forest

SEPT 12: Rovers crash to their first defeat after tossing away a 2-0 lead against Watford, triggering a run of five games without a win

OCT 15: Graeme Souness admits automatic promotion may be out of reach after Rovers drop to 15th following a 2-1 defeat at Fulham

OCT 18: The green shoots of recovery start to sprout after a 2-0 victory at Wimbledon sparks a run of six straight wins

OCT 25: Mark Hughes becomes an instant hit with the fans after scoring twice on his debut in a 3-2 victory over Tranmere

NOV 18: Brad Friedel makes a dream debut as Rovers celebrate their 125th anniversary in style with a 1-0 victory over Wolves thanks to a David Dunn penalty

NOV 25: Gillingham bring Rovers crashing down to earth with a shock 2-1 win at Ewood despite the arrival of Marcus Bent -- ending an eight-game unbeaten run

DEC 17: Rovers rediscover that winning feeling thanks to a 2-0 derby victory over Burnley at Turf Moor -- the first league meeting between the clubs in 17 years

DEC 26: Matt Jansen ensures it's a happy Christmas with an injury time winner against Birmingham to lift Rovers back up to third in the First Division table

JAN 1 2001: Mark Hughes starts the New Year with a red card at Norwich but 10-man Rovers battle back for a precious point

JAN 10: Rovers are made to sweat by plucky Preston in a Lancashire derby thriller but eventually emerge 3-2 victors

FEB 10: Eyal Berkovic makes his Rovers debut at Forest but can't stop the team from crashing to their first defeat in 10 league outings

FEB 20: Rovers begin a make-or-break period of four successive games against top six opposition with a crucial 1-0 win over nine-man Watford

FEB 23: Bolton are blitzed at the Reebok as Matt Jansen and David Dunn turn it on for watching England boss Sven Goran Eriksson

MAR 3: A solitary strike from Marcus Bent proves enough to sink West Brom at Ewood

MAR 14: Birmingham are next to perish as a wonder strike from Damien Duff caps a brilliant 2-0 win at St Andrews

APR 1: Rovers move ominously into second spot thanks to a crushing 5-0 win over arch-rivals Burnley in front of the Sky TV cameras

APR 11: Fulham all but clinch a place in the Premiership after a 2-1 victory at Ewood courtesy of a last minute winner from Sean Davis

APR 16: Rovers get back on the winning trail with a priceless 2-0 win over Huddersfield in front of a season's best crowd of 29,426

APR 24: Rovers keep up the pressure on Bolton by crushing Grimsby 4-1 courtesy of another Matt Jansen brace

APR 29: Struggling Portsmouth threaten an upset at Ewood after taking a shock 12th minute lead but Rovers roar back to win 3-1

MAY 2: The day after Bolton kept their automatic promotion hopes alive with a 2-0 win at Wolves, Matt Jansen kills them off with the winning goal at Preston which ensures a Rovers return to the Premiership.