A Quick Look At Our Opponents – S-W

Rotherham United are getting ready to start the new season in The Championship so let’s have a quick look at who we will be meeting . . .

Sheffield Wednesday

The Wednesday, as they were first known, were founding members of the Football Alliance and were it’s first champions before joining the Football League in 1892. Having played most of their football in the top tier in England Sheffield Wednesday (as they became in 1929) were founder members of the Premier League in 1992 before being relegated in 2000. First playing at Bramall Lane Wednesday moved to Olive Grove before buying land at Owlerton in in 1899 building a stadium which is now Hillsborough. Post war saw the Owls relegated a number of times although they always came straight back up and had a very successful time in the late 1950’s to mid-1960’s although a betting scandal in 1964 didn’t do them any favours. At the beginning of the 1970’s Wednesday had their worst time when they were relegated twice down to the old Third Division for the first time ever and it took them until 1984 to return to the First Division. Not doing too badly The Owls started to flirt with relegation and failed to stave it off in 2000 when they dropped out of the Premier League and then dropped into Division Two for the start of the 2003/4 season. With the change in names of English Divisions the Owls were promoted, via the play-off final, to the Championship in 2005 and have stayed there ever since.

The Millers and the Owls have played forty-five times in all competitions in the past with Wednesday winning twenty-four of those to Rotherham’s twelve. The pair last met at the New York Stadium in the EFL Cup in August 2019 which the visitors won with an injury time Atdhe Nuhiu goal.

Ground – Hillsborough
Nickname – The Owls
Manager –Garry Monk


Stoke City

Founded in 1878 as Stoke Ramblers the club changed its name firstly to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 and were the second oldest professional football club in the world being founding members of the Football League in 1888. The Potters have won just one major trophy in their footballing life which was the League Cup in 1972 but have twice won the Football League Trophy. 1972/3, 1974/5 and 2011/12 saw Stoke City in Europe. Stoke played at the Victoria Ground until they moved into their new ground which is now called the bet365 Stadium.

The Millers and Potters have played forty-six times against each other in the past the last time being in the Championship at the bet365 Stadium in April 2019. Sam Vokes and Sam Lucas gave the hosts a two-nil lead going in at half-time but goals from Michael Smith and Matt Crooks in the second half gave the Millers a point to take back to South Yorkshire with them.

Ground – bet365 Stadium
Nickname – The Potters
Manager – Michael O’Neill


Swansea City
Swansea City was founded in 1912 as Swansea Town joining the Football League in 1921 and changed from Town to City in 1969. After years of ups and downs 1981 saw them win promotion to the First Division topping the table on a few occassions finally ending the season in sixth place. More seasons of downs, downs and a couple of ups and worry of liquidation Swansea fought their way back into League One for the start of the 2005/6 season which also saw them move from Vetch Field to their new Liberty Stadium. 2011/12 saw Swansea back in the top tier in the Premier League after beating Reading in the Championship play-off final.

The Millers and the Swans have played in seventy league games together the last one being an Easter Friday seven goal thriller at the Liberty Stadium in 2019. Michael Ihiekwe gave the visitors a ten minute lead with an Oli McBurnie equaliser coming on the thirty-sixth minute. Two minutes later the Millers were back in front thanks to Matt Crooks but five minutes into the second half Barrie McKay got a second equaliser for the Swans. George Byers and McBurnie made it four for the hosts with Will Vaulks giving the travelling fans some hope seven minutes from time but the game ended four-three to the hosts.

Ground – Liberty Stadium
Nickname – The Swans
Manager – Steve Cooper

Watford

Founded in 1881 as Watford Rovers they began playing in the Southern League in 1896 being elected to the Football League in 1920 as Watford. Spending most of the next fifty years in the lower divisions the Hornets started to do well when Graham Taylor took over as manager in 1977 when they rose from Fourth to First Division finishing second in the First Division at the end of the 1982/3 season. Taylor left after ten years and Watford went into a bit of a decline getting relegated in 1988 and were relegated again in 1996 to Division Two. In 1996 Graham Taylor returned as Manager and helped Watford to a double promotion but their first in the Premier League ended with relegation. In 2006 Watford, under Aidy Boothroyd, beat Leeds United in the play-off final to get back into the Premier League only to get relegated the following year. Watford were promoted back to the Premier League at the end of the 2014/15 season and spent five years there before being relegated again at the end of last season.

The Millers and the Hornets have met twenty-five times in the past with Watford winning ten league games to the Millers four. The last time the met was in February 2015 at Vicarage Road which saw Odion Ighalo score twice and Troy Deeney get one to give the hosts the three-nil win.

Ground – Vicarage Road
Nickname – The Hornets
Manager – Vladiir Ivic



Wycombe Wanderers

History is rather vague as to when Wycombe Wanderers came into being but a team called North Town Wanderers were around in 1884 and three years later Wycombe Wanderers appeared and a year later they were entered in the FA Cup. In 1986 they joined the Southern League and 1908 saw them join the Great Western Suburban League and after the war joined the Spartan League. 1921 saw them move into the Isthmian League remaining their until 1985 when they accepted promotion to the Alliance Premier League and although they were relegated on goal difference they returned in 1987 which was now called the GM Vauxhall Conference. In 1993 the club reached the dizzy heights of the Football League Division Three and they went further the following season by beating Preston North End in the play-offs to move to Division Two. Wanderers became a bit of a yo-yo club for the next few years and were promoted to League One at the end of the 2017/18 season and found themselves in the Championship via the Play-Offs for this season.

Of the seventeen times the Millers and Chairboys have met in the league Wycombe have won seven to Rotherham’s four. The pair met last season in League One at the New York Stadium in October where a five minute goal from Scott Kashket gave the visitors all three points.

Ground – Adams Park
Nickname – The Chairboys
Manager – Gareth Ainsworth