Rotherham United’s next pre-season friendly sees them make the hop, skip and a jump to the Keepmoat where they take on Doncaster Rovers. Of course, the hot weather could scupper this game but, as yet, as far as we know, it’s still going ahead.
September 1879 saw Doncaster Rovers formed their first game being a friendly goalless draw at Rawmarsh. Six years later they moved into their first ground at Intake and 1890 saw them join the Midland Alliance League. March the following year saw them win the Hallamshire Senior Challenge Cup against Sheffield United and three months later they were elected to the Midland Counties League which they twice won the title. They were invited into the Second Division of the Football League in 1901 and twice found themselves back in the Midland League and the club ‘ceased to be’ when World War One broke out. 1920 saw the club revived and back in the Midland League, the following year moving to a new ground Low Pastures which was then called Belle Vue. Rovers were elected to the Division Three (North) in 1923 and in April 1935 a record crowd of 27,554 saw them lose five-three to Rotherham but also saw them win the championship and promoted. In 1936 they won the Sheffield County Cup, the following year seeing them relegated to the Division Three (North), before winning the County Cup for a second time. After the war Rovers fluctuated between the Division Two and Division Three North leagues and December 1957 saw goalkeeper Harry Gregg join Manchester United for what was then a record fee for a ‘keeper at £25,000. The following year saw them relegated to Division Three and then down to Division Four and they fluctuated between the bottom two divisions until 1998 when they were relegated to the football conference and the following year their former Chairman, Ken Richardson, was jailed for four years after being involved in arson at Belle Vue. In 2003 Rovers were back in the Football League and they were promoted again starting the next season in Division Three, later to become League One. January 2007 saw Rovers move to the Keepmoat Stadium christening their new ground with a three-nil win over Huddersfield Town and later on in the year they won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. 2008 saw them in the Championship after a play-off final win over Leeds United at Wembley and they stayed there until 2012 saw them relegated to League One but they were promoted straight back but then down again the following season before 2015 saw them relegated to League Two. They were promoted the following season but the end of last season saw them relegated back to League Two. In December last year Rovers appointed former left-winger Gary McSheffrey in his first role as manager.
The Millers and Rovers have met ninety-one times in League, Cups and Trophy games in the past, Rotherham winning forty-five of those to Doncaster’s twenty-four. Just last season the pair met three times, twice in League One and once in the Papa John’s Trophy – Rotherham winning all three scoring thirteen goals to Rovers’ none.
Rotherham and Doncaster last met in a friendly game at the beginning of August 2014 again at the Keepmoat. Visiting forward Jordan Bowery had two goals disallowed for offside before Matt Derbyshire did well to get to a cross from Ben Pringle and slot the ball home to put the Millers in front. Five minutes later Rotherham doubled their lead when Lee Frecklington crossed for Ryan Hall who volleyed home. Rovers made it two-one after Curtis Main broke free of his marker and finding Scott Loach, in the visitors goal, slowly coming towards him he lifted the ball over him into the net.
The game is scheduled for Tuesday, 19th July when it is a 7pm kick-off.
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