I spoke to Bob Chappel today, a colleague from teaching and coaching days. He has an interest in Rotherham and although I have mentioned the Yorkshire club a few times in the blog, I wanted to look up Rotherham on a weekend when they are playing in a League Play Off against Shrewsbury tomorrow at Wembley.
What a great moment for their loyal fans (and the others who decide to hang on once their is a sniff of glory).
On this same weekend Liverpool Football Club are playing in the European Champions' League Final against Real Madrid; "tiers" apart from Rotherham's special match!
Liverpool and Rotherham first played each other in a friendly at Anfield in September 1892 (see above). It was controversial, for John Houlding left the Everton FC "board" to form his own club in Liverpool, made entirely originally of Scotsmen. Liverpool played Rotherham Town, as they were known then and thumped them 7-1 in a friendly at Anfield. Charlie Leatherbarrow scored the Town goal, the first to be scored by any opposition at Anfield.
This animation covers that historic match.
https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/daily/2017/09/01/news/this-animation-of-liverpool-s-first-game-125-years-ago-is-completely-gripping-1126271/
In 1878 Lunar Rovers (don't ask) was formed and this club became Rotherham Town. They joined the Football League Second Division from the Midland League in 1893, coming second to bottom in the division in the first season. The original colours of black and yellow! and this changed in 1928 to the well known red and white.
Rotherham United was formed in 1925 when Rotherham County (founded in 1870 originally at Thornhill playing in the Sheffield and Hallamshire League-in which Hepworth United play now) and Town merged.
The Millers and Liverpool first met in the Football League in October 1954 at Anfield with a 3-1 win to Liverpool and the return match in May 1955 ended up 6-1 to Rotherham at their home ground, Millmoor. Nearly 18,000 watched the game.
The clubs have met once in the League Cup in November 1982 with Liverpool winning at Anfield 1-0 and once in the FA Cup in January 2001 Liverpool winning 3-0 again at home.
So we don't yet know the fate of Rotherham or Liverpool, but shortly I shall know the fate of Aston Villa and Fulham...another play off.
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