The New York Stadium, home of Rotherham United based in South Yorkshire and play their trade in League One. Nicknamed the “Millers” after their old ground ‘Millmoor’ was on the same site as a flour mill. Another revisit coming your way and what a revisit it’s hopefully going to be!! I’ll be joining the Merry Miller to watch his beloved Rotherham at the New York Stadium!! Today they face Cheltenham Town to hopefully boost the Miller’s hopes of promotion back to the Championship! My third time watching Rotherham with the previous two both ending in a Rotherham loss… Will it be third time lucky? Or will I be banned from watching them by the Merry Miller?
A fairly local game for me today as I’ve got a friend’s birthday to celebrate later tonight but first, it’s time for the football! The short tram journey from Sheffield to Rotherham sees me here in time for the second half of Nottingham Forest and Derby County… But will it be the last time we see Derby County…? Surely not! Into the County bar to watch that with a pre match jar! Forest win 2-1 and tempers are flaring! Derby certainly going out fighting! Time for the main event now! Mr & Mrs Merry Miller are here and so is Pete!! Off we go to the ground!
A Free ticket for me!! You know who your mates are! But first before kick off, we remember former Rotherham players: Lol Morgan and Glyn Jones as well as club sponsor Eric Twigg who all lost their lives recently. A fun fact from the Merry Miller but Rotherham United fans once won the Kop Choir competition destroying the decibel meter at Millmoor back in 1970!! Let’s hope for some of that in the New York Kop today!!!
Kick Off! “Paul Warne’s Red Army!!” Rotherham fans in fine voice so far! An early injury to Cheltenham’s Sean Long sees the game stopped early on. An early substitution is made and play continues. 8 minutes in and a chipped trough ball is played by Rotherham towards Ben Wiles running into the box on the left, he shoots… Over!
20 minutes now and Rotherham have a corner, “Come on you reds!” In it comes… Rotherham win the header… It’s loose… Where’s it gone? Is it in…? The Referee blows for a foul and Cheltenham have a free kick… It looked close from where we were. 3 minutes later and Rotherham play a long ball forward towards Michael Smith, he beats his man and gets into the box, he shoots… HE SCORES!!!!! Rotherham have the lead!!! 1-0! “If he’s good enough for you he’s good enough for me! We’ve got Michael Smith and he is 6 foot 3!”
“Paul Warne’s Red Army!” Rotherham fans in high spirits!! Not much happening in the game as a whole with Rotherham sitting pretty comfortably. 40th minute and Rotherham lose the ball just outside the box… Alfie May wins it and charges into the box from the right and he goes for goal… He misses the target and it’s a goal kick. Rotherham lead at half time 1-0.
Second half, “Everywhere we go! We’re the Cheltenham boys making all the noise! Everywhere we go!” A bit of noise from the Cheltenham fans now! Injuries galore today… This time to Alfie May and Michael Smith which sees play stopped… A lot of stoppage time coming soon! “Paul Warne’s Red Army!” But the Rotherham fans aren’t stopping anytime soon!!
66 minutes on the clock and Rotherham come forward down the left, it’s crossed in, it’s fallen on a plate to Freddie Ladapo!! OH! He’s skied it… He had to score there! Rotherham fans not happy! “Who’s that team we call United! Who’s that team we all adore!?”
3 minutes later and Rotherham play down the left side again, it’s crossed in towards Michael Smith!! OH YES!!! It’s there and the Rotherham fans go CRAAAZZZYY… OH NO!! The flag is up… It’s not going to count…
“Oh when the reds go marching in!” 1 minute later and Rotherham have a corner, “COME ON YOU REDS!!” Deafening from the Rotherham fans there! In it comes… That’s going all the way in… Off the line by Liam Sercombe and it’s cleared. 77th minute and Cheltenham come forward down the right, it’s played to Callum Wright on the edge of the box, he cuts inside and shoots… Keeper saves comfortably.
As play goes on it’s looking more likely that Rotherham will add a second than a Cheltenham equaliser but as they say, you never know in football! 89th minute and Rotherham play it out to the right, it’s crossed in, Ben Wiles with the looping header… Over!
“There will be a minimum of 9 minutes added time…” No surprise with all the injuries… Can Rotherham hold on? About 90+2 minutes on the clock and Cheltenham are starting to pile on the pressure now, they lump it forward, it comes to Callum Wright about 30 yards out, he goes for goal… Saved by the keeper!
“Paul Warne’s Red Army!” Rotherham fans cheering their team home till the death here! Rotherham looking good for the win as play goes on with Cheltenham giving away silly fouls and Chiedozie Ogbene holding the ball in the corner flag. One last chance for Cheltenham as they lump it forward… No there isn’t!! START SPREADING THE NEWS!!! It’s third time lucky for me!! A big win for Rotherham as I celebrate with the merriest of Millers tonight!!
FT: Rotherham United 1-0 Cheltenham Town
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 8/10 – They are certainly a passionate fan base! Great to see Miller Bear banging the drum and I have to say that was the loudest “Come on you reds” at a corner I’ve ever heard! That was a head shaker!!! Not just loud but a friendly atmosphere here today as well! Singing with good intentions!
- The Ground: 9/10 – I gave it 8 last time… I was wrong! There’s a lot more to it as it looks nice at night as well with the outside sign lighting up. It’s one of the best new builds in this country in recent years and a unique one at that! It is a fantastic ground full stop! That is the bottom line!!
- Expense: 10/10 – A free ticket means only one thing… Not the best of games I have to say but it’s a freebie!
- Overall Experience: 10/10 – A simply glorious day with my good mate the Merry Miller in the ground today!! The result we wanted and it sure was great fun!!
37/40! – Much better than last time!
To see how last time was click here
Nice one Jake. Yes not the best of games but I don’t think Cheltenham helped. It was very stop , start and they were very physical whilst the referee was weak.