Rotherham United are getting ready to take on SKU Amstetten this morning at their training camp in Austria let’s have a quick look at some of the teams the Millers will be facing next season. (The game this morning kicks-off at 9.30am, our time).
Derby County
Derby County were founded in 1884, originally playing their home games at the cricket club’s Racecourse Ground with their first competitive match was a seven-nil defeat to Walsall Town in the 1885 FA Cup. In 1895 County moved to the Baseball Ground where they stayed until 1997 when they moved to Pride Park Stadium. Arguably, some of the Rams best years came from 1967-73 when Brian Clough and Peter Taylor were in charge.
Of the fifty league games the Millers and Rams have played in Derby have won nineteen to Rotherham’s fourteen. The last time the pair met was in May 2017 when Lee Frecklington put the Millers ahead on sixty-six minutes at the New York Stadium. A penalty six minutes from time scored by Tom Ince gave the visitors a point. The teams have met just once in the League Cup which was at Don Valley in August 2009 and although Gary Teale put the visitors ahead in the first half goals from Paul Warne and Kevin Ellison gave the Millers the win on the night.
The Rams finished in sixth place going into the play-offs with Fulham. Derby won the first game one-nil at Pride Park but lost two-nil at Craven Cottage to send Fulham to Wembley. After Manager Gary Rowett was given permission to speak to and take on the job at Stoke City, Frank Lampard was given his first job in management on the last day of May.
Derby’s top scorer last season was Matej Vydra with twenty-two goals.
Ground – Pride Park
Nickname – The Rams
Manager – Frank Lampard
Hull City
Founded in the summer of 1904 Hull City were finally admitted to the Football League the following season finishing in fifth place of the Second Division. They were relegated in 1930 to the Third Division North and after the Second World War, the club moved to Boothferry Park. Yo-yoing between the second and third divisions City found themselves in receivership, and the Fourth Division, in the early 1980’s. After a lot of comings and goings Hull moved to the KC Stadium in December 2002 and two years later had back-to-back promotions which got them into the Championship and eventually into the Premier League for the start of the 2008/9 season. They were again relegated to the Championship but under Steve Bruce got back to the top tier of English football. They were relegated again at the end of the 2014/15 season and have been in the Championship ever since.
The Millers and Tigers have met sixty-eight times in the league the last time being when Neil Warnock had saved Rotherham from relegation. Although Lee Frecklington opened the scoring on sixteen minutes goals from Robert Snodgrass, Abel Hernandez, Jake Livermore and Mohamed Diame saw the hosts go into half-time with a four-one lead. Livermore scored another to make it five-one in the second half to send Hull into the play-offs. Of those sixty-eight games Rotherham have won twenty-six to the Tigers twenty-three. The teams have met five times in the League Cup which saw two draws, one win for Rotherham and two for City with both teams having beaten the other twice in FA Cup games.
After Nigel Adkins took over the helm when Leonid Slutsky was sacked in December the Tigers finished last season in eighteenth place.
Jarrod Bowen was top scorer last season with fifteen goals.
Ground – KC Stadium
Nickname – The Tigers
Manager – Nigel Adkins
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town were founded in 1878 but not turning professional until fifty-eight years later joining the football league in 1938 playing in Division Three (South). They won the title at the end of the 1953/4 season but were relegated straight back down the following year but began to make better progress when Alf Ramsey took over as manager in 1955 and in 1961 won promotion to the top tier of English football. Under Bobby Robson the team flourished and in 1981 went on to win the UEFA Cup.
Of the thirty games the Millers and Town have played Ipswich have won fourteen to Rotherham’s eight. The last time the two met was in April 2017 at the New York Stadium when a goal ten minutes from time from Tom Adeyemi gave the hosts all three points.
Finishing last season in mid-table Bryan Klug took over the managers chair after Mick McCarthy left on 10 April. Former Miller Paul Hurst was named as the Tractor Boys new Manager on 30th May.
With sixteen goals Martyn Waghorn was Ipswich’s top scorer last season.
Ground – Portman Road
Nickname – The Tractor Boys
Manager – Paul Hurst
Leeds United
Leeds City FC was formed in 1904 and elected as League members a year later but, in 1919 disbanded but reformed as Leeds United and were voted into the Midland League. A year later Leeds were elected to the Football League and found themselves fluctuating between League One and League Two. Manager Jack Taylor resigned in 1961 and Don Revie took over in March saving the club from relegation to the Third Division and the rest, as they say, is history!
The last time the Millers and Leeds met in the league was on 2nd January 2017 when goals from Kyle Bartley and Chris Wood (2) gave the hosts a three-nil win. Of the thirty-four league games the pair have played both have won fifteen. Leeds have won twice in the FA Cup with Rotherham winning the only League Trophy game the two have played. Of the three League Cup games both sides have won one each and there was one draw.
June last year saw the ever spinning Managers door at Elland Road welcome Spanish striker Thomas Christiansen to the hot seat. After a poor run in form saw Leeds in tenth place, Christiansen was dismissed in February and former Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom took over. He lasted four months. Leeds finished the season in thirteenth place and start the new season with new Head Coach Argentinian Marcelo Bielsa in charge.
Kemar Roofe was Leeds’ top scorer last season with fourteen goals.
Ground – Elland Road
Nickname – The Whites. The Peacocks
Manager – Marcelo Bielsa
Middlesbrough
Formed in 1876 Middlesbrough turned professional twenty-two years later and although reverting back to amateur status in 1892, they turned professional permanently in 1899. The club won promotion to the First Division in 1902 and moved to Ayresome Park the following year. 1924 saw the ‘Boro relegated and then for the next few years they seemed to yo-yo between Division One and Two with the low time of the club coming in 1966 when they were relegated to Division Three for the first time in their career although they were only there for a season. After financial difficulties in the mid-1980’s the club once again found themselves drop to Division Three which, if not for a board member getting together a consortium ten minutes before a deadline, they could have found themselves out of the Football League all together. After a few more ups and downs the club were founder members of the Premier League.
Rotherham and ‘Boro have played thirty-four league games with Middlesbrough winning seventeen to the Millers ten. Last time the pair met was a one-nil win for the Millers at the New York Stadium in March 2016. Lee Frecklington scored with two minutes to go with Greg Halford getting a second yellow card and early bath a minute later. The pair have played in two League Cup games with ‘Boro winning both of them.
The club had a change of manager mid-season with Gary Monk, who had been appointed in the summer, leaving in December, Tony Pulis was appointed just a few days later leading the side to a fifth place position in the Championship missing out in a trip to Wembley at the hands of Aston Villa in the play-offs.
With fifteen goals Britt Assombalonga was ‘Boro’s top scorer last season.
Ground – Riverside Stadium
Nickname – ‘Boro
Manager – Tony Pulis
Millwall
Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885 a resolution was passed for the club to drop ‘Rovers’ from their name in 1889 and add ‘Athletic. As Millwall Athletic they were founding members of the Southern Football League and moved to The Den in 1910. Dropping ‘Athletic’ from their name Millwall were invited to join the Football League in 1920. In August 1993 Millwall moved to The New Den, which was the first new football stadium constructed for a professional team in London since 1937 and the first all-seater stadium built after the ‘Taylor Report’.
The Millers and Lions have played in thirty league games together both winning eleven. Last time out was February 2015 at the New York Stadium and after Martyn Woolford had put the visitors ahead two goals in the second half from Danny Ward and Kari Arnason gave the hosts all three points. The pair have played in two FA Cup games, one being a draw and Millwall winning the other with both teams winning a League Cup game each.
This season saw Millwall go on a club record seventeen game unbeaten run, six of those being away wins. The club eventually ended the season in eighth place, three points below the play-off places.
Last season saw both Lee Gregory and George Saville top the Lions goalscoring chart with ten goals each.
Ground – The Den
Nickname – The Lions
Manager – Neil Harris
