History of Rotherham United F.C. facts for kids

The first Rotherham United kit (1925)

Rotherham United F.C. is a football club with a long and interesting history! It all started way back in 1870 as a team called Thornhill Football Club. Later, in 1925, two local teams joined together to form the Rotherham United we know today.

Early Days: 1870-1925

For many years, Rotherham Town was the main football team in the area. They even played in the Football League for a few seasons. Meanwhile, Thornhill United was playing in a local league.

Around the year 1900, Rotherham Town stopped playing. A new club with the same name started up later. Thornhill United became stronger and changed its name to Rotherham County in 1905.

For a while, both Rotherham Town and Rotherham County played in the Midland League. In the 1911–12 season, they even finished first and second! After World War I, Rotherham County joined the Football League for the first time. Their first game was a 2–0 win against Nottingham Forest.

Forming Rotherham United (1925)

Playing in the Second Division was tough for Rotherham County. In 1923, they were moved down to Division Three (North). By 1925, the club was struggling a lot. Rotherham Town was also having a hard time. It became clear that the town couldn't support two professional football clubs.

So, in May 1925, the two clubs decided to join forces! They merged to create Rotherham United. Just a few days later, the new club was officially allowed to stay in the league under its new name.

The new Rotherham United team started with new amber and black kits. But even with a fresh start, things were still difficult. Around 1928, the team changed to the familiar red and white colours. After World War II, the club's luck changed. They finished second three times in a row between 1947 and 1949. Then, in 1951, they became champions of Division Three (North)!

Rotherham reached their highest league position ever in 1955. They finished third in the Football League Second Division. They were so close to getting into the top league! They had the same points as the champions, Birmingham City, but missed out because of goal average. During their 19 years in the Second Division, they played against famous teams like Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Manchester City.

The club stayed in the Second Division until 1968. Then, in 1973, they dropped down to the Fourth Division for the first time. But they quickly bounced back! In 1975, they were promoted to the Third Division, which was their first promotion in 24 years.

Success in the 1980s

The Millers, as Rotherham United are known, won the Division Three title in 1981. They even beat their neighbours, Barnsley, to the championship!

The 1981–82 season was exciting. Even though they started slowly, they became surprise contenders for promotion. This was the first season where teams got 3 points for a win instead of 2. They ended up finishing seventh, just 4 points away from promotion. This is the highest they have finished since then.

A big highlight of this season was playing against Chelsea. Rotherham thrashed Chelsea 6–0 at their home ground, Millmoor. Then, they won 4–1 at Chelsea's stadium, Stamford Bridge!

This strong team included talented players like John Seasman and Ronnie Moore. However, they couldn't keep up this level of performance. They were surprisingly relegated the very next year. By 1988, United were back in the Fourth Division, but they won the championship and were promoted again a year later.

Wembley and Promotions (1990-2004)

In the 1990s, Rotherham often moved between the third and fourth divisions. They were relegated in 1991 but promoted again in 1992. They stayed in the third tier for five years before being relegated in 1997.

A special moment happened in 1996 when Rotherham played at Wembley for the first time! They beat Shrewsbury 2–1 to win the Football League Trophy.

In 1997, one of the club's best ever players, Ronnie Moore, became the manager. He led the club to great success. After finishing mid-table in his first season, they lost in the play-off semi-finals in his second. But in the 1999–2000 season, it was third time lucky! Rotherham finished second in Division Three and were promoted to Division Two.

Many thought they would be relegated again in the 2000–01 season. But they surprised everyone by finishing second in Division Two! This meant they got a second promotion in a row, moving up to Division One. They beat Brentford 2–1 at a packed Millmoor, with Alan Lee scoring a historic goal. During this amazing season, Rotherham also comfortably beat Premiership team Southampton in the FA Cup.

Rotherham stayed in Division One for four seasons. Their best season was 2002–03, where they were close to a play-off spot. They had some memorable wins, including two against Sheffield Wednesday and a home win against West Ham United.

Challenges and Comebacks (2004-2009)

The 2004–05 season was tough, with the club often at the bottom of the league. A group of supporters called Millers 05 Ltd bought the club. Manager Ronnie Moore resigned, and the team was eventually relegated.

The club faced serious money problems in 2006. They needed to raise a lot of money to keep going. Fans launched a "Save Our Millers" campaign. Other clubs, like Sheffield United, also helped out. A group of local business people stepped in and saved the club from closing down.

The last match of the 2005–06 season was a big one. A draw kept Rotherham in the league and sent two other teams down. However, Rotherham started the next season with a penalty of minus 10 points because of their financial issues.

Despite the points deduction, Rotherham played well in the 2006–07 season. They even moved out of the relegation zone after a 5–1 win against Crewe Alexandra. The manager, Alan Knill, won Manager of the Month. But losing key players later in the season hurt the team, and they were relegated again.

In 2007–08, Rotherham were doing well and were in the promotion spots. But in March 2008, they faced more financial trouble and were deducted another 10 points. This caused their form to drop. Local businessman Tony Stewart took over as chairman.

The club also had to leave their home ground, Millmoor, after more than 100 years. They had to play their games at the Don Valley Stadium for a while. The Football League also made them pay a large bond to play outside of Rotherham.

New Beginnings (2008-2009)

Under Tony Stewart's new ownership, Rotherham started the 2008–09 season with a 1–0 win against Lincoln City at the Don Valley Stadium.

The Millers had a great season, quickly making up for their points deduction. They were even close to a play-off spot. They also had good runs in two cup competitions, beating higher-league teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United.

Manager Mark Robins kept most of the team together and signed new players like Adam Le Fondre and Paul Warne. The team continued their good form, winning three of their first four games. However, Mark Robins left to manage Barnsley, which caused some changes in the coaching staff.

Recent Years (2010-Present)

Ronnie Moore returned as manager in September 2009. In January 2010, it was announced that a new 12,021-seat stadium would be built for the club. This new stadium, called the New York Stadium, opened in 2012.

After some changes in management, Steve Evans took over in 2012. In their first season at the New York Stadium, they won promotion by finishing second in League Two!

In the 2013–14 season, Rotherham reached the League One play-offs. They beat Preston North End and then faced Leyton Orient in the final at Wembley Stadium. The game went to a penalty shoot-out, and two amazing saves from Adam Collin helped Rotherham win! This meant they achieved a second promotion in a row.

Rotherham spent four seasons in the Championship, which is a higher league. They faced challenges, including a points deduction for playing a player who wasn't allowed to play. But they managed to stay in the league until 2016.

After more manager changes, Paul Warne became manager. In 2018, Rotherham returned to the Championship by winning the League One play-off final against Shrewsbury. However, they were relegated again after one season.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019–20 season ended early. Rotherham were promoted to the Championship based on points per game. Fans had to watch games from home. Despite their best efforts, Rotherham were relegated again at the end of the 2020–21 season.

In the 2021–22 season, the Millers were promoted back to the Championship as runners-up. They also won the 2021–22 EFL Trophy at Wembley Stadium, beating Sutton United 4–2 after extra time!

Later in 2022, manager Paul Warne left, and Matt Taylor took over. At the end of the 2023–24 season, Rotherham were relegated back to League One.