Rotherham United

Rotherham United FC is a professional football club from the South Yorkshire town of the same name that can trace its roots back to 1870. The actual club in its present form came into being in February 1925. 

Before that, a mixture of Thornhill FC, Thornhill United FC, and two incarnations of Rotherham Town FC all played a part in football in the town before Rotherham County and Rotherham Town amalgamated to form United and continue playing football at Millmoor, which had opened in 1909.

They took the place left by County in the Football League and adopted the red and white colours in 1928. The majority of the 'Millers' history has been spent in the bottom two divisions. In 1950-51, they were promoted to Division Two after finishing as runners-up in Division Three North in three consecutive seasons.

In 1955, Rotherham just missed out on promotion to the First Division (now Premier League) on goal average. In 1961, the club reached the final of the League Cup, but were defeated by Aston Villa 3-2 on aggregate. In 1968, United were relegated to Division Three, and by 1973, they found themselves in the League basement.

In 1974-75, the club climbed back to the third tier and then back to Division Two in 1981 under the stewardship of Ian Porterfield, with the goals of Ronnie Moore doing the damage.
Emlyn Hughes later took over as manager. The highlights of that era were undoubtedly the two meetings with Chelsea. Firstly, the Millers thrashed the Londoners 6-0 at Millmoor before triumphing 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in the return in front of just 11,900 fans.

However, by 1988, United found themselves back in Division Four after a couple of demotions. The team went straight back up as champions at the first attempt under Billy McEwan. 1991 and 1992 saw relegation but immediate promotion. 

New York Stadium with the floodlights of Millmoor in the distance

In 1997, Rotherham found themselves back in the retitled bottom-tier Division Three, a year after they had made their first-ever visit to Wembley for the Football League Trophy in 1996. Former legendary player Ronnie Moore took over as manager and led the club to the second tier by 2001, staying there for four seasons.

Sadly, relegation and severe financial problems followed. The problem was compounded as Rotherham had already sold their ground to businessman and former chairman, Ken Booth in return for clearing £3m of debt and had no tangible assets, so administration was not a viable option. 

This led to the launch of a "Save Our Millers" campaign, aiming to raise the £1m needed to complete the season. It was also estimated that another £1m was required to complete work on the new stand. A consortium of local businessmen kept the club going.

Further financial problems continued to dog the club, with the team being given point deductions for failing to meet their obligations. On 6 August 2008, United were forced to accept a seventeen-point penalty if they wished to remain in the League. 

Further problems followed as they were forced out of their Millmoor home after a dispute with the Booth family. The Millers were moved to Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, with the proviso that they paid the League a £750,000 bond.

New Chairman and local businessman, Tony Stewart, was left with the task of finding a new ground in Rotherham by the start of the 2012-13 season, or Rotherham would lose their League place. Good news was at hand in January 2010 as the site of the old Guest and Chrimes Foundry was established as the location for the new stadium, with clearance work beginning the following month.

The work continued throughout the 2011-12 season as fans marvelled at the rate the stands went up. The New York Stadium, named after what the area is known as locally, was ready for the start of the new season as promised. The Millers had controversially headhunted the notorious former boss of Boston United and Crawley Town, Steve Evans, to take control of team affairs. 

Evans worked his magic on the side as the first season at New York Stadium was one of real celebration as United were promoted. He carried this on in 2013-14 as The Millers marched through to the playoffs. Preston North End were seen off in the semi-finals before Leyton Orient were defeated in a Wembley classic.

The Millers enjoyed a testing season back in the second tier, but Evans' side eventually secured safety in the penultimate match of the 2014-15 campaign, despite being deducted three points late in the day for fielding an ineligible player.  

Evans departed soon into the 2015-16 season, with Neil Redfearn arriving as his replacement. Form was not good under the new man, and he was sacked in February 2016 as Neil Warnock took up the reins at the New York Stadium.

Warnock assisted the team to pull off one of his great escape acts as United stayed in the Championship. However, a contract extension could not be agreed upon, so the veteran boss departed to be replaced by Alan Stubbs.

Stubbs was sacked and replaced by Kenny Jackett within a few months, who then resigned a few weeks later. The former popular Millers player Paul Warne was chosen as the new manager, but he could not prevent Rotherham from finishing bottom of the table and being relegated.

The 2017-18 campaign saw the Millers reach the play-offs, where Scunthorpe United were defeated prior to a 2-1 win against Shrewsbury Town after extra time at Wembley, through a brace of goals from Richard Wood.

However, United's spell in the Championship lasted just one season. Warne's side recovered in 2019-20 and were promoted as runners-up from League One on points per game when the season ended early owing to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the team dropped back down to League One just twelve months later.

The Millers kept faith with Paul Warne and were rewarded as Rotherham were promoted once again in 2021-22 as Michael Smith put away the goals. The manager’s talents were spotted by Derby County, leading to his departure as Matt Taylor took up the role.

Relegation was avoided, but United dropped down a level once again at the end of the 2023-24 season. It was one in which Leam Richardson became manager in November but was replaced with three games to go by the returning Steve Evans. He lasted until the following March, when he was succeeded by Matt Hamshaw.

Rotherham United FC will play in Football League One in the 2025-26 season.

My visits

Rotherham United 0 Hull City 1 (Tuesday 27th December 1983) Division Three (att: 6,298)

I travelled on the train with my brother Nick to this Bank Holiday afternoon fixture. Rotherham station at the time was a two-minute walk to Millmoor, but we still arrived early. We walked round the corner to be threatened by some London Millers. Not knowing what to do, we waited on the station platform for some more City fans to arrive.

We eventually got inside the ground, where there was quite a large away following. There was something about Millmooor I really liked. It wasn't pretty, but it always had a great atmosphere, especially in the away end. This was called The Railway End, and it was a large covered terracing which continued around the corner to the players' tunnel. 

The Main stand stood above the terracing down two-thirds of this side. The home supporters were in The Tivoli End, which was also a covered terracing. The final Millmoor Lane Side was split into three. The part nearest the home end was a continuation of terracing without a roof. The middle part was an old-fashioned stand with seats, which continued towards the away end, only that section had a new roof.

The game was a battle royal on a sticky patch as City took the spoils as revenge for their FA Cup exit on the same ground, a few weeks earlier, thanks to a Peter Skipper goal.

Rotherham United 1 Hull City 1 (Saturday 23rd February 1985) Division Three (att: 7,068)

On this occasion, there were a few more of us from our regular party travelling together on the train, and we arrived a little nearer kick-off time. City had missed out on promotion by the narrowest of margins the previous season, but were on their way to putting it right. 

Again, a large away support made plenty of noise. United played their part in an excellent game as Billy Whitehurst netted for City.

We had to change trains in Doncaster on the way home. We were filling in time innocently in the Frenchgate Shopping Centre, looking for a snack, when some locals decided we were on the menu. I'm glad I could still move back then!

Rotherham United 1 Scarborough 1 (Tuesday 14th March 1989) Division Four (att: 6,010)

United had been relegated in the playoffs at the end of the previous season, but were intent on putting things right. Boro had a good side and were on their way to a playoff finish. They had a terrible habit of conceding goals early in games, and sure enough, Rotherham took a rapid lead. 

It was an even game after the early pressure subsided and Neil Thompson sent the rowdy away following crazy, with a thunderous free kick. The Millers went on to be champions at the end of the season.

I was on a minibus with my regular pals, and we celebrated with some excellent Tetleys in Sherburn in Elmet on the way home.

Rotherham United 0 Scarborough 2 (Saturday 4th January 1992) Division Four (att: 4,497)

I went in a minibus again with some older lads of more discerning taste, beer-wise. This is why I'm puzzled as to why we stopped at a Samuel Smith's pub in Conisbrough on the way. Anyway, that didn't detract from a great day as Boro totally outplayed United. There weren't as many away fans as usual, but those that were there made a racket. The celebrations at the end were more befitting of a promotion.

Rotherham did go up at the end of the season as runners-up. Another everlasting memory was buying the last two wonderful pies, only to look around and realise Crusher was next in the queue! Ah, well, I'm sure he liked burgers.

Rotherham United 0 Scarborough 0 (Saturday 28th March 1998) Division Three (att: 3,836)

Boro went into this bottom-tier game with a real chance of going up automatically with just a few matches remaining. Our minibus hit sun-kissed Rotherham early, and we found a terrific pub recommended by some Millers fans we'd met at the corresponding fixture at the McCain Stadium.

Around 1,500 Seadogs proceeded to create a superb atmosphere. The game was tight and lacking much goalmouth action until Steve Brodie broke through with not long left. He only had the keeper top beat, but fluffed his chance. I liked the bloke. He tried his heart out, but his finishing really could be woeful at times.

That was the big chance gone, as Boro blew the playoffs against Torquay United, before being relegated the next season as the wheels came off and the financial mismanagement at the club began to come out of the woodwork.

Wednesday 20th July 2011

I was in South Yorkshire after staying the night in Doncaster following Scarborough Athletic's pre-season friendly at Goole the previous evening. I took advantage of a Day Tripper ticket and set out on what I foolishly saw advertised as an express bus to Rotherham that seemed to go off the beaten track at regular intervals.

I alighted at Rotherham Interchange and set off for Millmoor, not knowing what to expect. I knew that because of the Miller's success on the pitch, the club had to upgrade Millmoor. A new Main Stand was started in 2005, but never completed. The remaining terracing was fitted with seats, therefore reducing the capacity.

Finally, the owner of the ground, Ken Booth and his family, set unrealistic rental and other demands which forced the club out. The final game at the ground, which lasted over one hundred years before greed and shady business kicked in, was a 1-0 win over Barnet on 3 May 2008.

What condition Millmoor was still in was purely guesswork. Masborough Street, up from the station, had seen better days as at least three former pubs up from town were now shut down after The Millers had decamped to Don Valley Stadium for the 2008-09 season. The stadium site from the road was surrounded by high fencing with warnings of security patrols. 

A gate was open, and a business had set up in a previous club office. I approached a friendly North Easterner who told me to take some photos quickly from the open corner and then from the railway bridge, but to be careful as the security staff were not tolerant.

The stadium was exactly as it was after the final football game there, and even the pitch was in good condition. It must have been heartbreaking for United fans to pass it on their way to the Don Valley for home games. I was later told that it was likely to be used for Rotherham Titans rugby games in the future.

My friend also pointed me in the direction of the location that was to be where a brand new stadium would be built. It was only a couple of hundred metres away on Don Street. I was happy to see work was underway with workers on site preparing the land. 

Midfield action at Don Street in June 2011

I went away to take a bus towards Sheffield, wishing the club the best of luck. I have some happy memories of Millmoor and found it disgusting the way United were held to ransom by the Booth family. Ideally, no one would ever rent Millmoor again, and the local council would never grant planning permission for it.

To read about The Don Valley Stadium, United's temporary home from August 2008 until May 2012, please click here.

Rotherham United 4 Gillingham 1 (Saturday 30th November 2013) Football League One (att: 7,152)

Although I’d been past the New York Stadium several times, I wanted to tick it off my list and see a game there. It certainly looked impressive from the outside, and every bit of feedback I was hearing was positive.

Even though I was on night shift, I worked out that I could still get a decent rest and visit a game. I traded in my loyalty points and caught the 12.03 from Kings Cross to Doncaster, before hopping on a local train to Rotherham.

I followed the crowds down the newly laid paths and had a little stretch along the banks of the River Don, before passing along the side of what remained of the old Guest and Chrimes works, which once occupied the whole site. The floodlights of Millmoor stood around half a mile in the distance. The stadium is located in an area of town historically known as New York, hence the name.

I’d been told by a pal who’d previously visited that I could pay at the gate, but the stewards informed me that I had to purchase a ticket from the office. The queue was quite long, and it soon became obvious that we would not make kick-off. The fans were quite rightly not happy with the situation. We were all in agreement that the old system of paying at the door worked for the previous hundred years without any real problems.

I made a snap decision and left the queue to buy a ticket at the away fans' office and joined the visiting Gills fans for the afternoon. I was inside and in my seat with a pie and Bovril as the teams came out. My ticket cost £21, with the excellent programme another three quid.

New York Stadium was really quite good. The arena was all seated and held 12,000 fans. The main West Stand was the tallest of the sides with a TV gantry over the seats, which were lower in the centre than at the wings, allowing everyone to get a decent view. 

Each end is similar, with the roof dropping down in sections to the East Stand down the final touchline. The whole stadium was enclosed, which aided the atmosphere. For all that, there was something about the old away terrace at Millmoor that I really missed.

Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ blasted out over the speakers before referee Andy Woolmer blew his whistle for the game to start. This was later repeated for the second half. Most of the 248 fans in the Gills section were in good voice. They did a decent alternative version of Herman's Hermits' “I’m into something good”. However, their spirits were soon dampened.

Like many, I was hardly the biggest fan of the Millers' boss Steve Evans, but nobody could deny that he had built a really good side. They sprang out of the blocks at full speed with real physicality. Gillingham chose the wrong venue to doze. 

After several pieces of questionable defending, Nouha Dicko, the Frenchman on loan from Wigan Athletic, proved too good and too strong as he waltzed past a defender and rifled the ball into the roof of the net.

The defence was about as handy as the ticketing set up outside. After several near misses, Kieran Agard rammed home on twenty-three minutes. The away fans were not amused. Some hilariously blamed the referee! 

Each near miss was met with a shake of the head from me and the fellow, with his son along a few seats from me. I commented that this was the first time I’d seen Gills that season, and I was a neutral. They discreetly revealed themselves as Sheffield United fans! Gillingham had won at Bramall Lane the previous week, which only led to the hilarity.

Twelve minutes later, it was three, as the excellent Ben Pringle was given the freedom of the pitch to waltz through and fire home from the edge of the box. Somehow it remained at 3-0 until half time. The interval was spent on the concourse watching the scores on the numerous TVs. Now that was a bit different to Millmoor! The stewarding was also top rate.

To be fair to the visitors, Peter Taylor got them fired up, and they put in a lot more competent effort after the break. Rotherham still created chances, but not as easily. Gillingham brought on the chubby Ade Akinfenwa after an hour, and he immediately set up Cody McDonald to pull a goal back. 

For a few minutes, it looked like another goal was coming to set up a grandstand finish. However, the home defence, which was expertly marshalled by Craig Morgan, held firm. 
Newcastle loanee defender James Tavernier scored a cracking goal in the seventy-sixth minute to quell any doubts. 

The scoreline was probably about right. I did a runner with a few minutes to go, so I could definitely catch my connection.  As things turned out, the train was late, but it still gave me plenty of time in Sheffield to board the Midlands Train hazards of wanting a quiet ride. 

I had thirty minutes of young students planning Christmas before some of Millwall’s travelling support decided “We sit where we want” at Leicester and took over the adjoining first-class compartment.

I’d had another decent day and was most impressed with Rotherham United. I expected to see them in the end of season promotion shake-up.

Rotherham United 2 Hull City 0 (Saturday 19th December 2015) EFL Championship (att: 10,355)

My long weekend off work pre-Christmas gave me a good opportunity to head north to drop the presents off with my brother Nick in York and get to a game. I travelled up on Friday lunch and enjoyed a lovely family evening with Nick’s wife Rachel and my young nephew Stan.

Nick decided to drive to the match so that he and Stan could get back and go out for a family meal. This suited me fine, as I’d booked a cheap train ticket through Megabus from Sheffield at 7.30pm.

We parked just behind the old Millmoor ground before walking into town. Nick had done his research, and before long, we had found the recommended Cutlers Arms pub. The excellent old-fashioned local was the tap for the Chantry Brewery, based in nearby Parkgate.

The next ninety minutes were highly enjoyable. Stan read his Star Wars comic, while I got stuck into the beautiful ale. The hoppy Parkgate Pale was stunning, as was the price. A pint and a meat & potato Pukka Pie came to just £4.50. Nick had to be a little more circumspect as he was at the wheel.

The home fans were friendly and decent company. The older lad amongst them said City would win by at least three goals. He was so certain of his side’s inadequacies that he claimed that he’d run round the pub naked if Rotherham won. 

For some reason, I was going for a draw, despite City having a chance of entering an automatic place and The Millers being in the relegation zone. It took just over ten minutes from the pub to the stadium. We walked around the away end, which had been sold out a week earlier. 

Once again, Frazer had done the business and got us tickets together with him and his boy, Billy. John Groombridge was meant to be with us, but he’d gone on a boozy day on the train. Frazer caught up with him at one point downstairs. We had a magnificent view. The atmosphere was good. My trip had been brilliant. Then City came out.

The signs were there from the kick-off. Rotherham looked like a poor side, but they were really up for it. City’s players seemed to be strolling about like they had been invited to open the ground, rather than fight for three valuable points.

Forward Chuba Akpom, on loan from Arsenal, had caused a reaction in the previous midweek game after throwing a strop when Steve Bruce had substituted him. He’d been useless a couple of weeks earlier at Manchester City, but Bruce had given him another chance. Why, oh why?

Just before the half-hour mark, the home side took the lead. A marauding run down the wing had City fans screaming that the ball had gone out. We didn’t think so. The move ended in a corner. From the set piece, Moses Odubajo tripped Kirk Broadfoot in the area. Lee Frecklington stepped up and smashed the penalty home.

Akpom missed a sitter at the other end before the interval, but the score was about right. The visiting fans were far from happy with their team's performance.

Straight after the interval, Akpom hit the post when in on goal, a simple square pass to Abel Hernández would have left the Uruguayan with an open goal. The anger from the away section doubled along the United lead when Joe Newell danced into the Hull area before hitting a right-foot shot off the underside of the crossbar.

City continued to try and counter, but the lack of any decent forward replacements on the bench meant that it would be a game where there would be no return. The home fans were loud and in a state of disbelief. Akpom managed to hit the post for a second time. At this point, there were a couple of thousand or so blokes hoping to have a word with him.

My mood was even darker as news of another Scarborough Athletic tonking was coming through; this time a 4-2 reversal to struggler's Droylsden. We left just before the final whistle. Rotherham United and the local services were top drawer in their organisation. We were directed down a ramp and along a path for away fans only below the Main Stand concourse. 

This led us to the main road, which was also split to mean no hope of aggro. I went to collect my overnight bag from the car before heading to the station for a train to Sheffield. When I put my radio on, I realised that results matter, but it wasn’t the end of the world as news of Jimmy Hill’s death came on 5 Live. Hill had done so much for the game and those who’d played it over the years.

My battery was running desperately low on my phone, and I had my train confirmation on it. I had planned for a few quiet pints in the Sheffield Tap, one of my favourite pubs, and to charge the phone. However, it was packed. I managed one pint before I headed up over the road and went into The Howard, a Marston's pub. 

The ales were nothing special, but I found a spare pug and laughed at the callers ringing in about Leicester being top of the Premier League and Manchester United’s defeat at home to Norwich City. Fortunately, my train was pretty empty. I sat back listening to some music before crashing out and waking up as we arrived at St Pancras. 

Rather than another beer, I bought a takeaway supper and watched Match of the Day. Now, I wonder if our friend did run naked through the Cutlers?