MILLERS DO NOT FLOURISH

As coincidences go I have been blessed by the score line of the EPL Cup tie between Rotherham and Morecambe. 4-5 grabbed the eye and gave me a few things to think about. If you search the blog I have mentioned the Millers about twenty times since I started this affair. The South Yorkshire club has a lot of links in football. Jamie Vardy comes to mind and he gets a mention. I was visiting his "alma mater" last night watching Hepworth United 1st team play a pre-season friendly  against the Stocksbridge Park Steels reserves. It was an entertaining game and the Steels had a Jamie Vardy look-a-like on the roster.
Vardy of course had a spell at Rotherham:
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/a-splint-tag-and-lash-on-leg.html

Vardy has moved on and so must I.

Last night in the English Football League Cup, Round One, the Millers, playing at home (at the Aesseal New York Stadium) lost to the Shrimps 4-5 after extra time. It looks as though they threw the tie away. It was quietly 0-1 at half time. Opposition player Jack Dunn, on loan from Liverpool, scored a hat trick and the Millers were 3-2 up with a few minutes of normal time left. Then a penalty. So 3-3 became 3-4, 3-5 and then 4-5 on 120 minutes. 3,800 turned up to witness what seemed to be a thriller.

The club roots go back to Thornhill FC, later United, were playing in the 1870s eventually in the Sheffield and Hallamshire League. In 1905 there were two teams, Thornhill Utd and Rotherham County playing in the Midlands League. Two clubs was not a good idea so they merged and joined the Football League Second Division after the First World War, 1919-20. In 1922-3 they were relegated to the newly formed Third Division North. In 1924-5 they were bottom of the division but survived in the league and were reformed as Rotherham United in May 1925.

Rotherham has had 36 managers since 1924 when Billy Heald was in charge. Reg Freeman lasted 523 games between 1934-52. Very few managers have lasted more than a few years, some only a few months.

But look at the list of famous past managers, bearing in mind that Alan Stubbs is presently in the hot seat, since June;-
Tommy Docherty (1967-8), Ian Porterfield (79-81), Emlyn Hughes (81-83), Norman Hunter (85-87), John McGovern/Archie Gemmill (94-96), Mick Harford (05-05), Mark Robins (07-07), legend Ronnie Moore (09-11), Neil Redfearn (15-16), Neil Warnock (16-16). Despite all this talent and experience, the Millers have not FLOURished.

Rotherham did come Runners Up in the initial League Cup Final in 1960, when in the first leg at home, they beat Aston Villa 2-0. The second leg had to be played the following season due to Villa's congested fixture card. Good move by them- they won 3-0.