We move on, after another poor performance we head away to the Championship's bottom club. Up until I joined the millions on the mortgage ladder in 2002, as well as my season ticket, I'd go to around 10 away matches per season. In 2003 I met my future wife and that put the final nail into the away day coffin and after Boxing Day in 2003 away matches became "one of those things I used to do". At first it was probably just as well, as at that time in our history we were still reeling from the ITV Digital collapse and it was looking like the beginnings of another period like much of the 1990s, with the main difference from 10 years earlier when an away ticket was less than £10 and the whole day could be done on a reasonable budget. By the 2003/04 season an away day could cost somewhere between £50-£75, so it wasn't a massive sacrifice to give up away games. From that point I have only been to finals (2006, 2013, 2019), a semi-final (2019) and just TWO league games. Those were the 5-0 win at Fulham in December 2014 and a 3-1 defeat at WBA in December 2016. But this coming Saturday I will be going to Rotherham! As a regular away tripper up to 2003, I'd visited many clubs at both their old and new stadiums, like Leicester, Stoke, Millwall and some others; and Rotherham will join the little list of mine, having previously been there in November 1996 when we played ou a dreary 0-0 draw at Millmoor. Rotherham United have been in existence since 1925, it formed out of the merger of two clubs based in Rotherham, one of which was Rotherham County who were playing in Division 3 North and were based at Millmoor. Millmoor was Rotherham's home up until 2008, unlike a number of other clubs who'd moved having sold land to fund a new stadium, Rotherham were simply tennants and couldn't agree a new lease with the land owner. They played at the Don Valley athletics stadium in nearby Sheffield before moving into their current home in 2012. As a result of not owning their previous stadium, the old ground still remains about a quarter of a mile away from the New York stadium. Millmoor, with extra vegetation The AESSEAL New York Stadium Since moving to their new home, they have been a yo-yo club between the EFL Championship and League One, their last promotion was two years ago when they finished as runners up to Wigan. This season has been a pretty poor one for them, they are rooted to the bottom of the Championship having only won 3 matches all season. Our last meeting with them was at home in November just before the international break, after our 5-0 win they sacked their manager Matt Taylor. After 3 months will we see another win and a clean sheet combo? Who knows, come back here at 5pm on Saturday to more details. Their forum https://boards.footymad.net/forumdisplay.php?f=450 Additional Rotherham architecture
Horrendous timing this match. The home game against Huddersfield was bubbling up nicely to be a game where the feeble minded fanbase would finally turn against the despot running the club and his ever greedy inner circle. Unfortunately Rotherham are so poor that we will win this at a canter. The timid citizens will lose conviction, even though they know what is right. The vile Pozzo facilitators in the fanbase will be emboldened once again to double down and defend their wretched leader. The jackbooted Pozzo stewards will no longer need to give free speech a good kicking, 3-0 Watford.
You can tell you don’t go anymore. They get clapped off by the Rookery every game now, whatever the result. They got a standing ovation after the Lesta defeat. 99% of the stadium going fans couldn’t care less what league we’re in or whether we win or not.
I was really looking forward to this away day and thought we may get something after watching us dismantle an extremely poor Rotherham side at The Vic earlier in the season. However, due to our current form I am dreading it now. No doubt come Friday evening I will be buzzing for another away day with the lads. We really need to be getting 6 points from our next two games Rotherham away and Huddersfield to steady the ship a little bit and give the players some confidence. I think this is possible if Val doesn’t try putting square pegs in round holes and he simply plays our best players in their natural position.
I mean, it definitely isn't / wasn't. As @GoingDown says there's no sense of that at all from going to recent home games. Barely a grumble about anything. On the way out after games there's sometimes some whinging about Val's tactics and subs but that's usually it.
Well it’s not about what league we are in it’s about how we are run. Nonetheless point stands what is the matter with these people?
I stand corrected. As always the fanbase disappoint me. Pozzo could not have hoped for better. My triumphant homecoming seems a long way off. Had visions of arriving on a small chariot or something when Pozzo is gone.
Potential banana skin for the Millers but can Watford do it on what is forecast to be an unseasonably warm February afternoon in Rotherham?
We always look at these fixtures through a Watford prism, but Rotherham will probably look at this and think it’s their easiest remaining fixture. A home game against a team on the decline, plus it’s a chance for revenge for that humiliating drubbing we gave them earlier in the season. For that reason, I think this will be a difficult game. It’s their last real chance of trying to it ignite their season before all hopelessness swallows them up. Sadly, I think our dismal run will continue, and our fall into the abyss will extend.
Nice preview Otter and thank you for taking the time to write it. I have to admit after last night's performance this is going to be a very nervy game. I can see the response at FT if we lose. Clapped off. In all reality, VI looked pretty shaken in the Post Match vs Norwich. I think his unbreakable will of steel is being worn down by the teams poor form. I think we can name the starting XI before he does. We know Raj will play, TDB will be at RB, Sema will play alongside Martins with Kone'. Hamer in goal with Lewis, Heodt and Port-a-loo at the back. Struggle first half and create nothing, then concede a sloppy goal and Rotherham put ten men behind the ball and see out the victory. Ok, that's what will probably happen anyway. What I would like to see is: A: Change in formation and line up B: TDB benched or moved into the #8 role C: Porteous benched in favour of the Chilian D: Dennis to start (if possible) to give us a bit more bite going forward Will it happen? Doubt it. But VI knows if he loses this, his position will begin to fall into squeaky bum time. Oh and Rotherham looks like a dump.
A mixture of cost and time, particularly Saturday morning clubs the kids have, this weekend I'm visiting my brother who lives about 30 minutes from there so I thought I'd go for a change.
Personally a triumph for us. Laurel wreaths round our heads, wearing classic IVECO shirts while Gino and Dux in chains infront wind their way through Vicarge Road into Occupation Road mocked by the masses.
I didn’t want to get your hopes but but now you mention it when the stadium falls silent (as it often does), I swear I can sometimes hear a growing chant on the wind… “Jum…bo, Jum….bo, Jum…bo…”
Ismael needs to be out the door if we lose this. It won't fix anything, really, because the club is absolutely rotten to the core and that won't change until Pozzo is gone, but 1 win in 10 league games can't be tolerated.
That’s just someone arguing over sausage roll sizes with one of the poor zero hours contracts food kiosk kids.
Easy win this. 3-1 to the good guys. ‘ORNS! Dennis adds to goal account, and notches several nutmegs. Dennis Goal-o-meter: 2 Dennis Meg-o-meter: 3
0-0, solid away point at one of Sth Yorkshire's toughest venues. Podders 'loving the teams character', Duxbury pockets another clean sheet bonus. I notice to the south of Rotherham is a place called 'Crystal Peaks' - shopping centre apparently, not an 80's "adult" star.
I don't care what league we are in I Don't always applaud them off infact most games I leave dead on the final whistle. We aren't getting back to the premier League anytime soon . If we went doya league at some point it means a few new grounds to visit
I think you're mishearing the chants of "Gi...no, Gi...no, Gi...no" although if you're up for it we could try and get some sort of WWE/MMA event set up between Gino and @Jumbolina with either Moog or HB1 fulfilling the Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl role (I'll let them fight for that). Apologies to anyone who finds the above image a bit disturbing
Hamer TDB Pollock Hoedt Lewis Chakvetadze Livermore Kone Martins Rajovic Sema Bachmann, Andrews, Morris, Sierralta, Kayembe, Ince, Dennis, Asprilla, Adu-Poku. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Rotherham 0-0 Watford
...after Tuesdays travel debacle coming home from Naarch I have a difficult decision to make . Do I take the A1 or the M1 to Rotherham ? . 0-3 Rajovic (3)
