Rotherham United F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Rotherham United Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Millers | |||
| Founded | 27 May 1925 | |||
| Ground | New York Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 12,021 | |||
| Chairman | Tony Stewart | |||
| Manager | Matt Hamshaw | |||
| League | League One | |||
| 2018–19 | Championship, 22nd of 24 (relegated) | |||
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Rotherham United Football Club, often called The Millers, is a professional association football team from Rotherham, England. They play in EFL League One, which is the third level of English football. The team was relegated from the EFL Championship in the 2023–24 season.
Rotherham United's original colours were yellow and black. Around 1930, they changed to their famous red and white. Since 2012, their home games have been played at the New York Stadium. Before that, they played at Millmoor for a long time, and briefly at the Don Valley Stadium starting in 2008.
The club was formed in 1925 when two local teams, Rotherham County and Rotherham Town, joined together. They immediately became part of the Football League. Rotherham United won the Third Division North title in 1950–51. They also reached the first-ever League Cup final in 1961, but lost to Aston Villa.
After spending seventeen seasons in the Second Division, the team was relegated in 1968 and again in 1973. They earned promotion from the Fourth Division in 1974–75. The club then won the Third Division title in 1980–81. More promotions and relegations followed, including winning the Fourth Division title in 1988–89. In 1996, they won the Football League Trophy by beating Shrewsbury Town 2–1 in the final.
Under manager Ronnie Moore, Rotherham achieved back-to-back promotions in 1999–2000 and 2000–01. They stayed in the second tier for four seasons. Later, under Steve Evans, they earned back-to-back promotions again. This included automatic promotion from League Two in 2012–13 and promotion from League One through the play-offs in 2013–14. The club has often moved between the Championship and League One. They won the play-offs in 2018 and also the 2022 EFL Trophy final.
Contents
Club History
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| The first Rotherham United kit (1925) |
The club's story began in 1877 as Thornhill Football Club. For many years, Rotherham Town was the top team in the area. By 1905, Thornhill's team was doing much better. They changed their name to Rotherham County.
Both Rotherham County and a new club called Rotherham Town played in the Midland League. In 1919, Rotherham County joined the Football League. By 1925, it was clear that having two professional clubs in the town was difficult. So, in May 1925, the two clubs merged to form Rotherham United. The new club was then re-elected to the Football League.
Early Years and Success
The red and white kit was adopted around 1930. After World War II, the team started to improve. The Millers won the Football League Third Division North Cup in 1946. They then finished as runners-up three times in a row from 1947 to 1949. In 1951, they became champions of Division Three (North).
Rotherham reached their highest league position ever in 1955, finishing third in the Football League Second Division. They were very close to reaching the top league, missing out only because of goal average. During that season, they had big wins, including a 6–1 victory over Liverpool.
In 1961, the Millers beat Aston Villa 2–0 in the first leg of the first-ever League Cup final. However, they lost the second leg 3–0. The club stayed in Division Two until 1968. They then went down to Division Four in 1973. In 1975, they were promoted back to the Third Division.
The Millers won the Division Three title in the 1980–81 season. They almost got a second promotion in a row, finishing seventh in the second tier in 1981–82. This was their highest finish since. That season, they also beat Chelsea 6–0 at home and 4–1 away.
The 1990s and Early 2000s
In the 1990s, Rotherham moved between the Football League's lowest two divisions. They were relegated to the Fourth Division in 1991 but were promoted back to the third tier in 1992. They stayed at this level for five years before being relegated again in 1997.
In 1996, Rotherham United played at Wembley for the first time. They beat Shrewsbury 2–1 to win the Football League Trophy. Over 20,000 Rotherham fans supported them.
After being relegated in 1997, Ronnie Moore became the manager. In 1999–2000, Rotherham finished as runners-up in Division Three and were promoted. The next season, they finished runners-up again in Division Two, earning a second promotion in a row.
Rotherham stayed in Division One for four seasons. After being relegated to League One in 2005, Mick Harford became manager but was later replaced by Alan Knill. In 2006, the club faced financial problems. A group of local business people stepped in to save the club. In the final match of the 2005–06 season, a scoreless draw kept Rotherham from being relegated.
The club started the next season with a 10-point penalty due to their financial situation. Despite this, they fought hard. However, after losing key players, relegation became unavoidable. Mark Robins took over as manager in March 2007.
New Stadium and Recent Success
Mark Robins could not save Rotherham from relegation in 2007. In 2008, the club faced more financial issues and was deducted 10 points. Local businessman Tony Stewart became chairman. The club had to leave Millmoor, their home for over 100 years, and moved to the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.
Despite the challenges, the Millers had a good season under the new leadership. They overcame the point deduction and almost reached the play-offs. They also had good runs in cup competitions, beating bigger teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, and Leeds United.
In 2009, Mark Robins left for Barnsley. Former manager Ronnie Moore returned and led the club to their first play-off final at the new Wembley Stadium, where they lost 3–2. In 2012, Steve Evans became manager. In their first season at the New York Stadium, they won promotion by finishing second in League Two.
In the 2013–14 League One season, Rotherham reached the play-offs again. They beat Preston North End in the semi-finals. In the final against Leyton Orient, the game went to a penalty shootout. Two saves from Adam Collin helped the club achieve a second promotion in a row.
In the 2014–15 Championship season, Rotherham managed to stay in the league. Safety was secured in the second-to-last game with a 2–1 win against Reading. After this, some key players left the club. Managers changed several times, including Neil Redfearn and Neil Warnock. The club was relegated to League One at the end of the season.
Rotherham returned to the Championship in 2018, beating Shrewsbury in the play-off final. They were relegated the next season. In the 2019–20 season, Rotherham were promoted again, finishing second. They were relegated back to League One 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. In the 2022–23 season, manager Paul Warne left and Matt Taylor took over. At the end of the 2023–24 season, Rotherham were relegated back to League One.
Club Kit and Sponsors
Since 2015, the stadium's naming rights belong to AESSEAL, a local company.
The main sponsors of the club are IPM Group and Asura, whose names appear on all the playing kits. The training clothes have a separate sponsor, Guardian Electrical. All the team's kits are made by Puma, who have worked with the club for over 10 years.
Stadium History
The club's long-time home was Millmoor in Rotherham, where they played from 1907 to 2008. The ground had an unfinished Main Stand and other seating areas. The pitch at Millmoor sloped towards one end. The stadium also had very tall floodlights, about 124 feet high. In 2008, the club left Millmoor because of disagreements with the owners.
While a new stadium was being built in Rotherham, the club moved to the Don Valley Stadium in nearby Sheffield. They played there for four seasons, from 2008–09 to 2011–12.
In January 2010, the club announced that their new stadium would be built in Rotherham town centre. This site used to be the Guest and Chrimes foundry. Construction started in June 2011. The first game at the new stadium, later named the AESSEAL New York Stadium, was a friendly match against Barnsley on July 21, 2012. Rotherham won 2–1. The first goal in the stadium was scored by Jacob Mellis of Barnsley, and David Noble scored Rotherham's first goal. The New York Stadium hosted its first league game on August 18, 2012, when Rotherham beat Burton Albion 3–0. Daniel Nardiello scored the first competitive goal there.
Supporters
The TV show ChuckleVision often mentions Rotherham United. The Chuckle Brothers, who support the club in real life, were made honorary presidents of Rotherham United Football Club in 2007. In one episode, Paul and Barry play for Rotherham.
Club Records and Statistics
- Highest league finish: 3rd, 1954–55 Football League Second Division
- Best FA Cup performance: Fifth round, 1952–53, 1967–68
- Record league victory: 8–0 against Oldham Athletic, Millmoor, Division 3 North, May 26, 1947
- Record cup victory: 6–0 against Spennymoor United, FA Cup second round, December 17, 1977
- Record defeat: 1–11 against Bradford City, Division 3 North, August 25, 1928
- Record home attendance at Millmoor: 25,170 against Sheffield United, Football League Second Division, December 13, 1952
- Record home attendance at Don Valley Stadium: 7,082 against Aldershot Town, Football League Two play-offs, May 19, 2010
- Record home attendance at the New York Stadium: 11,758 against Sheffield United, Football League One, September 7, 2013
- Most league points in a season: 91, Division 2, 2000–01
- Most league goals in a season: 114, Division 3 (N), 1946–47
- Record league goal-scorer: Gladstone Guest, 130 league goals (1946–1956)
- Highest league scorer in one season: Wally Ardron, 38 goals, 1946/47
- Most goals in one match: Jack Shaw, 5 goals against Darlington, FA Cup, November 25, 1950 (won 7–2)
- Most internationally capped player: Kári Árnason (36 caps for Iceland)
- Record appearances: Danny Williams, 621 total matches
- Youngest player: Kevin Eley, 16 years 71 days, May 15, 1984
- Record transfer fee paid: £1,000,000 for Sam Nombe from Exeter City
- Record fee received: £1,600,000 from Cardiff City for Danny Ward
Current Players
First-team squad
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Club Management
Coaching positions
- Manager: Matt Hamshaw
- Assistant Manager : Dale Tonge
- First Team Coach: Richard Wood
- Goalkeeping coach: Andy Warrington
- Senior performance coach: Brent Dickinson
- Head of Performance : Ross Burbeary
- First team Physiotherapist: James Starmore
- Head of Talent ID: Rob Scott
- Lead Technical Scouts: Warren Spalding and Lewis Scott
- Academy Manager: Richard Hairyes
- Academy Head of Coaching: John Williams
- Development Phase Lead coach: Gavin Atherton
- Foundation Phase Lead coach: Dave Atkinson
- Head of Academy Physiotherapy: Adrian Littlejohn
- Head of Academy Recruitment: Scott Duncanson
Board of directors and ownership
- Chairman: Tony Stewart
- Vice-chairman: Richard Stewart
- Chief Executive: Paul Douglas
- Operations Director: Julie Hunt
- Commercial Director: Steve Coakley
- Financial Director: Karen Thomas
Club Honours
League Titles
- Third Division North / Third Division / Second Division / League One (level 3)
- Champions: 1950–51, 1980–81
- Promoted (2nd place): 2000–01, 2019–20, 2021–22
- Play-off winners: 2014, 2018
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4)
- Champions: 1988–89
- Promoted (2nd place): 1991–92, 1999–2000, 2012–13
- Promoted (3rd place): 1974–75
Cup Wins
- Football League Cup
- Runners-up: 1960–61
- Football League Trophy / EFL Trophy
- Winners: 1995–96, 2021–22
- Football League Third Division North Cup
- Winners: 1945–46
See also
In Spanish: Rotherham United Football Club para niños
