We've set a record

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Doncaster's fifth place is the highest position achieved by any club to have come up from the Conference since automatic promotion to the Football League was introduced 23 years ago.

Wey hey !!

[Dutch Uncle]

Not strictly true - or at least not an outright record

Colchester were 5th after 3 games in their first season in the Championship (2006-7)

5th is certainly higher than any ex Conference team has finished a season in the Championship - Colchester's 10th of that same season (2006-7) is the current best and a good target IMHO

[dumbroofer]

wait come may ....

[MrFrost]

How long did it take Colchester to achieve it?

[Dutch Uncle]

If you mean how long for Colchester to get from the Conference to the Championship - then 15 years. We did it in 6 which really is a record since only Colchester and ourselves have made it up to the Championship from the Conference.  

Since Colchester were relegated in their second season in the Championship we are also the ex Conference club with the greatest longevity in the Championship

Obscure or what  

[Snods Shinpad 2]

Surprised it hasn't been mentioned that we are now officially Yorkshire's number one team (without having to pretend that Hull really isn't in Yorkshire).

That must be another first surely?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Let's hope there are many more firsts to follow.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Dutch Uncle wrote:

If you mean how long for Colchester to get from the Conference to the Championship - then 15 years. We did it in 6 which really is a record since only Colchester and ourselves have made it up to the Championship from the Conference.  

Since Colchester were relegated in their second season in the Championship we are also the ex Conference club with the greatest longevity in the Championship

Obscure or what  

What about Wigan and Wimbledon?

[The Red Baron]

They weren't promoted from the Conference- which didn't exist until 1979. In those days it was re-election. Wimbledon (Southern League) were elected in 1977 in place of Workington. A year later Wigan Athletic (Northern Premier) replaced Southport.

Automatic promotion/ relegation between the Football League and the Conference didn't happen until 1987- when Scarborough were promoted at the expense of Lincoln City.

[Mike_F]

It wasn't called the Conference then?

EDIT: TRB beat me to it!

[Superspy]

Snods Shinpad 2 wrote:

Surprised it hasn't been mentioned that we are now officially Yorkshire's number one team (without having to pretend that Hull really isn't in Yorkshire).

That must be another first surely?

somebody did mention it in a thread on saturday night, it went something along the lines of \"right now we are the highest placed team in yorkshire...albeit only by alphabetical order\" lol

[Dutch Uncle]

Glyn_Wigley wrote:

Dutch Uncle wrote:

If you mean how long for Colchester to get from the Conference to the Championship - then 15 years. We did it in 6 which really is a record since only Colchester and ourselves have made it up to the Championship from the Conference.  

Since Colchester were relegated in their second season in the Championship we are also the ex Conference club with the greatest longevity in the Championship

Obscure or what  

What about Wigan and Wimbledon?

Although others have answered, assuming Glen/Viva Rovers doesn't mind I would like to put up here part of one of the old Windmills articles on his site - Glen's polished words to my research:

Jump from Non-League to Tier 2

The addition of promotion from the Conference to the Football League in 1986-87 has meant that three promotions are now needed to reach tier two from non-league football. Prior to 1987 clubs joining the league had to be generous with their Christmas presents and then rely on election or by being voted in by the current league members. Since this change to the football pyramid only Colchester United and Rovers have achieved those three required promotions. The U's took fifteen years to make their steady progression to tier two, so Doncaster's equivalent rise in six seasons ensures that Rovers are the quickest ever to achieve this feat.

From the 1958-59 season, following the change from the regionalised third tier to the introduction of Division Four, one election and two promotions were required to reach tier two from non-league. In this period, from 1958 - 1987, six clubs have made the jump from non-league to the second tier;

Hereford United; 5 years (1972 - 1976)
Oxford United; 7 years (1962 - 1968)
Wimbledon; 8 years (1977 - 1984)
Cambridge United; 9 years (1970 - 1978)
Wigan Athletic; 26 years (1978 - 2003)
Peterborough United; 33 years (1960 - 1992)

Meaning that only Hereford United have ever progressed quicker from non-league to tier two quicker than Rovers recent rise.

Prior to 1958-59, one election and only one promotion was sufficient to take clubs from non-league to the second tier. Scunthorpe achieved this in a period of 9 years from 1950 to 1958. The other two sides to achieve the same feat were Shrewsbury Town and Gillingham who were also elected to the football league in 1950-51. Upon the end of the regionalised Division Three in 1958 both sides were put in Division 4, with Shrewsbury reaching the second tier in 1979 and Gillingham finally following in 2001. So since World War II only Hereford have progressed quicker than the Rovers.

However, it is of course worth noting that three sides have made the extra leap from non-league to the top flight. Wimbledon (9 years; 1977 - 1985), Oxford United (24 years; 1962 - 1985) and Wigan Athletic (28 years; 1978 - 2005) have all achieved this impressive feat since World War II.