RUFC – Head-to-Head v Leeds United

Zipadeedoodah has been looking through his stats books for our game against Leeds United . . .

Rotherham United entertain Leeds United in the Johnstone Paints Trophy 2nd round this Wednesday at Don Valley, here’s a look at the history of this fixture….

Wednesday’s meeting of Rotherham and Leeds is only the 4th time the pair have locked horns in the past 25 years.
Last time out brought a 2-0 Carling Cup win for Leeds at Millmoor on 20th September 2005.
Former Sheffield Wednesday and England under 21 striker, Richard Cresswell netting a brace on 19 and 28 minutes of the tie to send the Leeds contingent home the happiest of the 5,445 crowd.

During the previous season, the 2 sides met in the Football League for the first time since 1983 when the Millers were relegated on the final day despite a creditable 2-2 draw at Elland Road.
The game at Millmoor came first on Monday 29th November, (The date had been switched from the previous Saturday for Sky TV coverage).
Rotherham had gone since May 1st that year without a League win and a total of 22 games since a 3-0 win over Burnley at Millmoor.
Leeds put Rotherham under pressure from the off, and only a string of fine saves from Keeper Mike Pollitt plus our fair share of luck, as Clarke Carlisle hit the woodwork 3 times kept us in the game.
We went till the 66th minute before our first shot on target, when Junior’s 25 yard free-kick was well held by Leeds stopper, Neil Sullivan.
However, in the 77th minute, a Paul McLaren free-kick led to the only goal of the game, as Chris Swailes headed the ball down in the Leeds area to Shaun Barker, who back-heeled it into the path of Martin McIntosh, and the tall Scots centre-half stroked the ball home to the delight of the Rotherham faithful in the 8,860 crowd.
The result wasn’t enough to turn the Millers season around, as only 4 more League games were won that season,and we were inevitably relegated from the Championship.
We finished the season on a happier note however when we held Leeds to a goalless draw on the final day at Elland Road in front of 30,900.

Teams at Millmoor
ROTHERHAM UNITED
1 Pollitt
2 Stockdale
8 Swailes
16 Hurst
23 McLaren
22 Barker
21 Campbell-Ryce
15 McIntosh
7 Proctor
27 Junior
9 Butler
Substitutes
30 Montgomery
4 Scott
19 Vernazza
17 Mullin, J (Campbell-Ryce 86)
20 Monkhouse

LEEDS UNITED
Sullivan
26 Kilgallon
18 Walton
2 Kelly
4 Carlisle
6 Butler
8 Gregan
7 Wright
14 Oster
9 Healy
10 Ricketts
Substitutes
13 Carson
15 Richardson (Carlisle 13)
25 Lennon (Oster 70)
17 Spring
11 Joachim (Walton 81)

Older fans will lalso ook back in admiration at the 3rd round FA Cup tie between the 2 clubs in 1971.
Leeds United were THE team in those days under Don Revie as they challenged for almost every honour at home and in Europe.
However it took mighty Leeds 2 games to finally beat 3rd division Rotherham in the Cup.
After scoring 10 goals in rounds 1 and 2 against Great Harwood (6-2) and Grantham (4-0) the Cup draw gave the Millers a financial windfall in the shape of Leeds at Millmoor.
24,000 crammed into the ground to see household names such as Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter and Johnny Giles in a Leeds side who had only lost 2 games in the League all season as they fought it out with Arsenal for the title.
The original date for the game was Saturday 2nd January 1971 but a frozen pitch caused its postponement till Monday 11th.
record receipts of £7,666-8s-0d were produced for the tie and the gate of 24,000 was never bettered again at Millmoor.
Rotherham did themselves proud and may have even won the game if Johnny Fantham hadn’t squandered a great chance in the second half.
England centre-half and World Cup winner Jackie Charlton was also lucky not to have been ordered off the pitch after flattening Dave Bentley and grabbing Trevor Phillips by the scruff of the neck, but lenient ref Jim Finney took no action.
The replay was fixed for 2 days later, but again the game was called off, this time because of thick fog, and this time just an hour before kick off.
The game was eventually played on Monday 18th January, and despite a 27th minute opener from Peter Lorimer, Rotherham fought back and went into half time 2-1 up following goals from Trevor Womble and Dave Bentley.
After the break though, Leeds took advantage of the strong wind behind them and won the tie 3-2 after goals from Peter Lorimer’s second and Johnny Giles.
The Millers fans in the crowd of 36,890 must’ve gone home very proud of the way their teams performance against one of the greatest clubs sides of that era.

Teams
ROTHERHAM UNITED
1. Tunks
2. Houghton
3. Leigh
4. Hudson
5. Hague
6. Swift
7. Womble
8. Lill
9. Fantham
10. Bentley
11. Mullen
sub. Phillips (Bentley)

LEEDS UNITED
1. Sprake
2. Reaney
3. Cooper
4. Bremner
5. Charlton
6. Hunter
7. Lorimer
8. Clarke
9. Jones
10. Giles
11. Madeley
sub. Bates

In the replay, Rod Belfitt played in place of the injured Mick Jones, and Trevor Phillips came on as sub for John Fantham.

TOTAL RECORD
Home….P 14 W 8 D 1 L 5 GOALS 24-20
Away….P 14 W 4 D 2 L 8 GOALS 18-29
Cups….P 5 W 1 D 2 L 2 GOALS 5-7
Totals..P 33 W 13 D 5 L 15 GOALS 47-56

League Results
English League Championship
08.05.2005 Leeds United 0-0 Rotherham United
29.11.2004 Rotherham United 1-0 Leeds United

English Division Two (old)
14.05.1983 Leeds United 2-2 Rotherham United
11.12.1982 Rotherham United 0-1 Leeds United
03.09.1963 Rotherham United 2-2 Leeds United
28.08.1963 Leeds United 1-0 Rotherham United
28.08.1962 Rotherham United 2-1 Leeds United
22.08.1962 Leeds United 3-4 Rotherham United
12.01.1962 Rotherham United 2-1 Leeds United
02.09.1961 Leeds United 1-3 Rotherham United
31.12.1960 Rotherham United 1-3 Leeds United
27.08.1960 Leeds United 2-0 Rotherham United
23.04.1956 Rotherham United 0-2 Leeds United
24.09.1955 Leeds United 4-1 Rotherham United
30.08.1954 Rotherham United 3-0 Leeds United
25.08.1954 Leeds United 2-4 Rotherham United
19.12.1953 Rotherham United 2-4 Leeds United
22.08.1953 Leeds United 4-2 Rotherham United
17.01.1953 Leeds United 4-0 Rotherham United
06.09.1952 Rotherham United 3-1 Leeds United
09.02.1952 Leeds United 3-0 Rotherham United
29.09.1951 Rotherham United 4-2 Leeds United
02.04.1923 Rotherham County 3-1 Leeds United
30.03.1923 Leeds United 2-0 Rotherham County
14.01.1922 Rotherham County 1-0 Leeds United
31.12.1921 Leeds United 0-2 Rotherham County
07.05.1921 Rotherham County 0-2 Leeds United
08.01.1921 Leeds United 1-0 Rotherham County

Cup Reuslts
English FA Cup
18.01.1971 r3r Leeds United 3-2 Rotherham United
11.01.1971 r3 Rotherham United 0-0 Leeds United

English League Cup
20.09.2005 r2 Rotherham United 0-2 Leeds United
15.01.1962 r4r Leeds United 1-2 Rotherham United
12.12.1961 r4 Rotherham United 1-1 Leeds United

Thanks for these facts and figures Zip!