Building for promotion
There are many clubs in Yorkshire who over the years have had success in the top divisions of English Football. However there is one Yorkshire based team that is looking to build their way slowly up the football leagues, and that is ‘The Millers’, Rotherham United.
The club have cemented themselves as League two team for some years now. Rotherham United’s most successful period in recent years was under Ronnie Moore in the early 2000’s. At this time Rotherham had earned back to back promotion from Division three to Division one. Rotherham successfully stayed in Division one (the second tier of English football) until 2004-2005 when they were relegated to League one when the leagues were all renamed after Coca-cola became the new football league sponsor.
That era was successful for Rotherham, however what followed in the next couple of years wasn’t. In 2006 Rotherham needed to find £140,000 to keep the club in business and although a group of local businessmen managed to save the club it came at a price as the club were charged with a 10 point deduction which ultimately sealed their fate. By the end of that season in 2007 when they were relegated into league two.
Again in League two the club had more money problems and were given a 17 point deduction for entering administration and were forced to leave their home ground Millmoor and take residence at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.
In the 2008-09 season local businessmen Tony Stewart bought the club and looked to change the fortunes for ‘The Millers’ and their fans. That season Rotherham had a successful year and managed to reach the play-offs only to be knocked out in the semi-finals. Rotherham were also involved in a successful Carling Cup run and reached the Johnstone Paint Northern final that year.
Following the 2008-09 season Rotherham have regularly been a side pushing for promotion but they have never actually managed to achieve their main goal yet. This season the club has moved into their new 12,00 seater stadium named the New York Stadium, and manager Steve Evans has brought in new recruits such as Daniel Nardiello, Kayode Odejayi and Ian Sharpes to boost the squad and to turn it into a team capable of earning promotion.
The Millers have certainly started the season well at home as they are unbeaten and yet to concede a goal in their new ground. Away from home they have struggled slightly as thus was shown in their recent 6-2 thrashing by Port Vale. The club are currently in 10th place and with all the financial backing that has been put into the project, there is one thing for certain, promotion whether it be automatic or through the play-offs is number one priority and it must be achieved in the near future.
Daniel Clark
@ClarkyD92
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