And The Millers Are Going Up

Rotherham United have been promoted!

This is something that Millers fans have been waiting for for some time – finishing second in League One behind Coventry City the EFL have made the decision to promote both Rotherham and City after the season was abruptly ended due to the coronavirus outbreak.

OK, the Millers might have gone up by ‘default’ but when the season ended in March we were in second place with a far better goal difference than Wycombe Wanderers who had a game in hand which might have put them on the same number of points as Rotherham (sixty-two) but would have needed to win by nineteen clear goals to jump into second place.

Over the seven months played Paul Warne’s men had won eighteen of their thirty-five games, drawing eight and losing nine. We started the season with an away win at Wimbledon but lost our first home game of the season to Lincoln City. We went on to win and draw our other two games in August which was a little disappointing after relegation the season before.

Our first game in September saw us lose to neighbours Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat and heads were certainly hanging but a six-one home win to ‘a new’ Bolton Wanderers side plus a good point away from home at Sunderland on a Tuesday night pleased the fans with a home draw and a one-nil loss away at Bristol Rovers didn’t dampen the spirits too much.

October saw us beat a much fancied Coventry side, four-nil, at the New York Stadium and three more away wins saw the Millers climb to ninth with a disappointing one-nil home loss to Wycombe spoiling the month.

Back to winning ways in November saw us beat Gillingham (and former Millers Boss Steve Evans) three-nil at the Priestfield Stadium with two more league wins in the month with only a three-two loss away to Portsmouth spoiling the month.

The busy month of December saw Rotherham start with a one-nil home loss to Rochdale, followed by two two-all draws with the first league win of the month coming on Boxing Day at Shrewsbury followed by revenge for the last game of the year with a four-nil home win over Rochdale and saw the Millers rise to third with the ‘P’ word on supporters lips, albeit quietly.

Wins at home to Blackpool and Bristol Rovers plus a three-nil home win over Bristol Rovers saw 2020 get off to a good start. A blip saw us lose away at Peterborough but the a one-nil win at the New York Stadium over Ipswich Town saw us finish January in top spot. Promotion was being sung about in the stands.

We narrowly got a win over mid-table Burton Albion at home to start February off followed by a win away at Lincoln and a home draw with Wimbledon. A two-one win away at Accrington Stanley kept us in top spot, although on the same points as former Miller Mark Robins’ team Coventry who had a game in hand. We kept that spot when we got a draw away at St Andrews where the Sky Blues were currently playing their home games with a home draw against MK Dons helping us finish February still in top place.

March arrived – and little did we know when we travelled to Rochdale it would be the last game of the season. The game wasn’t the best seen by Millers fans this season and a three-one loss saw Coventry move above us and put a dent in our promotion title hopes.

But, here we are, at the strangest end of a football season I’ve ever known and we are promoted. Somehow, though, I don’t really feel like celebrating.

Stay Safe.

UP THE MILLERS!