The 2021/2 season is just around the corner so let’s have a quick glance at who we will be meeting
OXFORD UNITED
Ground – Kassam Stadium
Nickname – The U’s
Head Coach – Karl Robinson
Founded as Headington United in 1893 the name Oxford United was adopted in 1960.
After winning the Southern Football League Oxford joined the Football League in 1962, reaching the Second Division six years later. Moving up and down between the leagues between 1976 and 1986 the U’s won the FA Cup beating QPR three-nil in 1986 but due to a UEFA ban on all English Clubs were unable to take their place in the UEFA Cup. 2001 saw them leave their home at the Manor Ground and move into the Kassam Stadium. In 2006 the club were back in the Conference becoming the first club n the history of English football that had won a major trophy to be relegated from the Football League.
In 2010 they reached and won the Conference Play-Off Final with 2016 seeing them promoted to League One. A couple of managerial casualties saw Derek Fazackerley become caretaker in January 2018 with Karl Robinson being appointed manager two months later.
Last season the U’s finished in sixth place in League One earning them a play-off game against Blackpool, losing the first leg three-nil they didn’t have a lot of hope of getting through away against the Seasiders. But they put up a good show leading after seven minutes only for two quick goals from Blackpool to put them two-one up. Again Oxford came back to equalise with former Miller Jerry Yates putting the hosts back in front a couple of minutes later. Another Oxford goal made it three-three with Blackpool going through on aggregate. Matty Taylor was top scorer for the U’s last season with nineteen goals.
Rotherham and Oxford last met in League One in January 2020 at the Kaasam Stadium where two goals from Kyle Vassell and one from Richard Wood gave the Millers a three-nil lead at half-time with Marcus Browne getting a consolation goal for the hosts in the second half.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Ground – Home Park
Nickname – The Pilgrims
Manager – Ryan Lowe
Founded in 1886 as Argyle FC they went out of existence eight years later only to reform in 1887 as a sports club named Argyle Athletic Club. In 1903 the club joined the Southern League as Plymouth Argyle winning the title in 1913 and entering the Football League in 1920 as a founder member of the Third Division eventually winning promotion to DivisionTwo at the end of the 1929/30 season.
1950 saw them relegated but they were back in Division Two again two years later but were down again in 1956.
Arguably the most memorable moment in Argyle’s history was in March 1973 when more than thirty seven and a half thousand people saw them play a friendly against Brazilian side Santos FC who included Pele in their line-up. The following season saw them back in Division Two but 1977 saw them relegated again. The 1990’s saw them up and down. 2001/2 saw them win the Division Three title with a club and league record of 102 points. 2004/5 season saw them promoted to the newly named Championship. 2010 saw Argyle relegated and the following season they went down again. Twice Plymouth got to the Play-Offs in recent years losing in the final in 2015/16 to AFC Wimbledon.
The Pilgrims didn’t win a game last season from the beginning of April until the season ended and finished in eighteenth place in League One and with eighteen goals Luke Jephcott was top scorer.
Rotherham and Plymouth last met in a League Once game at Home Park in April 2018. Richie Towell put the visitors in front on thirty-three minutes but Joel Grant equalised eleven minutes into the second half and a late Graham Carey penalty making it a two-one home win.
PORTSMOUTH
Ground – Fratton Park
Nickname – Pompey
Manager – Danny Cowley
Founded in 1898 the club joined the Southern League a year later and after a successful few seasons saw them join the Football League’s Third Division for the 1920/21 season moving up to the Second Division at the start of the 1924/5 season.
Pompey were promoted to the First Division for the 1927/8 season when they just managed to survive relegation. After a couple of defeats in FA Cup Finals Portsmouth defeated Wolves to win the 1939 Final. 1948/49 and 1949/50 saw them win back-to-back First Division titles but they struggled a bit after that and 1959 saw them relegated going down again two years later although they came straight back up again.
1976 saw the club in financial difficulties and three years later saw them relegated to the Fourth Division. Two years later they gained promotion and 1986/7 saw them promoted to the First Division but again they had financial problems and were relegated eventually going into administration in December 1998 with Milan Mandaric coming in to save the day. 2002/3 saw Plymouth win the First Division title and promotion to the Premier League. Having a steady time in the Premier League 2008 saw them win the FA Cup again beating Cardiff City seeing them earn a place in the 2008/9 UEFA Cup. 2009 again saw the club have money problems and they were placed under a transfer embargo and were eventually given a nine point penalty and ended up being relegated. 2011 saw them go into administration yet again and got an automatic ten point penalty and again they were relegated. The following season things got no better and they were relegated to League Two at the end of the 2012/13 season.
Last season saw Pompey at Wembley in the season before’s EFL Trophy Final (delayed due to Covid-19). With the game goalless after extra time they lost four-two on penalties to Salford City. The day after, having just one win in seven games and in seventh place, Kenny Jackett was sacked with Danny Cowley taking over until the end of the season. Portsmouth finished in eighth place and Cowley signed a ‘long term’ contract in mid-May. Top scorer last season with seventeen goals and six assists was John Marquis.
The Millers last met Portsmouth at Fratton Park in a League One game in November 2019 in a game that saw five goals. Ronan Curtis opened the scoring for the hosts in the first minute but Freddie Ladapo equalised on the quarter of an hour mark. Johm Marquis put Pompey back in front but a second-half Ladapo spot-kick brought the Millers to two-all. But four minutes later Ben Close scored to give Portsmouth all three points.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Ground – Hillsborough
Nickname – The Owls
Manager – Darren Moore
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 the Owls stayed in the Championship until last season when, like the Millers, they were relegated. They started the season on minus twelve points for ‘breaching profitability and sustainability rules.’ But, in November, with them at the bottom of the league, this was halved to minus six points. Wednesday did climb out of the bottom three at times but ended the season in bottom spot with forty-one points. Sheffield Wednesday sacked Garry Monk in November with Darren Moore taking over as Manager at the beginning of March. Josh Windass was top scorer with ten goals.
Rotherham last met the Owls at Hillsborough in March this year with Michael Smith putting the visitors in front on seventeen minutes. In the second half Smith saw red – which was rescinded the next day – and sixteen minutes later an unfortunate own goal from Matthew Olosunde gave the hosts an equaliser. But in time added on substitute Freddie Ladapo scored a cracker of a goal to give the Millers all three points.
SHREWSBURY TOWN
Ground – New Meadow
Nickname – The Shrews, Salop, The Blues, The Town
Manager – Steve Cotterill
Formed in 1886 the club were founder members of the Shropshire & District League, later being admitted to the Birmingham & District League in 1895/6 and later playing in the Midlands Champions League before being elected to the Football League in 1950 in the Division Three (North).
1958/59 saw them promoted to the Third Division where they lasted thirteen years before slipping to the Fourth Division. In 1974/5 they were promoted back to the Third Division and three years later with help from Richie Barker and later Graham Turner were promoted to the Second Division as champions where they stayed for ten years. 1992 saw them relegated to the Fourth Division but twice got promoted. After fifty-three years in the league the Shrews found them starting the 2003/4 season in the Football Conference but went straight back up.
2007 saw them move into their new home New Meadow and at the end of the following season the found themselves in the play-off final but were beaten one-nil by Gillingham. 2011 saw them promoted to League Two and, after two seasons, to League One but at the end of the 2014/15 season were relegated, although just a year later, were back in League One. 2017/18 saw former Miller Paul Hurst lead the Shrews to the EFL Trophy Final losing to Lincoln and they were back at Wembley in May when they met the Millers in the League One Play-Off Final.
This last season saw the Shrews get a new manager when Steve Cotterill was appointed at the end of November with Town next to bottom in League One. But Steve’s appointment wasn’t without problems when he was admitted to intensive care with Covid-19 and although he was released in mid-February he was re-admitted two weeks later with Covid-pneumonia with Aaron Wilbraham taking over in the dugout. Shrewsbury ended the season in seventeenth place in League One with fifty-four points and top scorer with nine goals was Shaun Walley.
The last time the Millers and Shrews met was in a League One game on Boxing Day 2019 at the Greenhous Meadow which saw the Millers win two-one thanks to goals from Joe Mattock and Michael Smith while Aaron Pierre scored for the hosts in-between those.
SUNDERLAND
Ground – Stadium of Light
Nickname – The Black Cats
Manager – Lee Johnson
Founded as Sunderland and District Teachers AFC in 1879 evidence suggests that they were re-founded a year later as Sunderland AFC and joined the Football League for the 1890/1 season. Sunderland won the title in consecutive years and became the first team to score one hundred goals in a season regaining the time in the 1894/5 season. In 1898 they moved from Newcastle Road to Roker Park and won their fourth league title in the 1901/2 season. After suffering a few scandals the late 1950’s saw them charged with making payments to players other than the minimum wage and after the Chairman and the following season saw Sunderland relegated for the first time in their history which saw them out of the top flight for six years. 1964 saw them promoted but at the end of the decade, they were again relegated to the Second Division. 1973 saw them win their first major trophy beating Leeds United in the FA Cup at Wembley seeing them get to the UEFA Cup Winners Cup the following year. A couple of up and downs happened before Sunderland saw themselves relegated to the Third Division in 1987. They did go back up but came close to relegation again in 1995 but Peter Reid managed to keep them up and a promotion the following year saw them in the Premier League but relegated again the following season returning in 1999 as First Division Champions. In between this they had moved away from Roker Park to The Stadium of Light. A few more ups and downs between the top two divisions ensued before consecutive relegations saw them drop to League One in 2018.
December 2020 saw Lee Johnson appointed as Head Coach when the Black Cats were just one place below a play-off place. In March Sunderland beat Tranmere in the 2021 EFL Trophy Final at Wembley and they finished fourth in the table but there was no return to Wembley as they lost three-two on aggregate to Lincoln City in the play-offs. With a cracking twenty-six goals the top scorer for the Black Cats was Charlie Wyke.
September 2019 was the last time Rotherham United and Sunderland met which was a one-all draw at the Stadium of Light. Marc McNulty had put the hosts in front in the opening minute but a sixty-sixth minute Jake Hastie goal gave the Millers a point to take home to South Yorkshire.
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Ground – DW Stadium
Nickname – The Latics
Manager –Leam Richardson
Formed in 1932 Wigan were finally elected to the Cheshire County League finishing as champions at the end of the 1933/4 season followed by a second title the following season. Finishing bottom of the league in 1946/7 they failed to get re-elected and joined the Lancashire Combination winning the title in their first season and moved back to the Cheshire League in 1961 and won their first title four years later. Wigan were founder members of the Northern Premier League and won the title in 1971. In 1972 Wigan bizarrly applied to join the Scottish League’s Second Division but, not surprisingly were knocked back. After numerous election attempts Wigan were finally elected to the Football League in 1978. They got their first League promotion at the end of the 1981/2 season and hung about there nearly getting promoted by the play-offs in 1987 losing to Swindon. 1992/3 saw Wigan relegated and were lucky not to get relegated again after ending in the bottom four of the league but with no clubs ready to be promoted from the Conference they were saved. Things didn’t really get any better until Dave Whelan, local millionaire, took over the club in February 1995 and the following year were Division Three Champions. Losing in League Two Play-Off finals three times they finally became Division Two Champions under Paul Jewel at the end of the 2002/3 season with one hundred points. May 2005 saw the Latics promoted to the top tier of the Football League finishing their first season in tenth place. After a few ups but, unfortunately, more downs, Wigan finally ended their eight year association with the Premier League at the end of the 2012/13 season – although they did win the FA Cup that year against Manchester City, becoming the first team to win the FA Cup and be relegated. 2014/15 saw Wigan relegated to League One with them getting promoted back to the Championship the following season but relegation came again and they found themselves starting 2017/18 season back in League One. Again Wigan were promoted straight away but found themselves back in League One last season.
After twice being caretaker manager Leam Richardson was given the job on a full time basis in April this year. Despite losing on the last day of the season The Latics finished one point above Rochdale to finish one place above the relegation places. Will Keane was top scorer last season with ten goals while also having five assists.
Rotherham and Wigan last met in February 2019 in the Championship at the New York Stadium when Clark Robertson gave the hosts the lead on twenty-eight minutes and a goal four minutes later from Josh Windass gave Wigan a point.
WYCOMBE WANDERERS
Ground – Adams Park
Nickname – The Chairboys
Manager – Gareth Ainsworth
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.
Like the Millers last season saw Wycombe relegated and although they’d rarely been off the bottom spot they finished above both Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday in twenty-second place. Top scorer with six goals was Uche Ikpeazu.
Rotherham and Wycombe last met at the New York Stadium on Easter Monday this year when goals from Admiral Muskwe, Jason McCarthy and David Wheeler gave the visitors a three-nil win.
