Archived News from November 2005
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STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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After enjoying some success in the League cup, disposing of Championship sides Stoke and Southampton, and nearly accounting for another last week, Millwall, the Stags now travel to League One side Rotherham for an FA Cup first round encounter.
But it isn't the first time the Stags have faced the Millers in the FA Cup. The first time was in the – to be – memorable 1968-69 season. After beating Tow Law in the first round, the Stags were for the only time that season drawn away in the second. A relatively short trip to Rotherham took place on December 7, 1968. A good crowd of 10379 – better than the ones in the league that same campaign between the sides – saw the teams share four goals. Keeley and Sharkey, a few months later to be two of the men that sent West Ham crashing out of the Cup, netted for the Stags while Alan Gilliver scored both for the Millers. The outcome of that tie at Millmoor was a replay at Field Mill two days later. By that time, both sides knew, that in the event of a victory, they would face Sheffield United at home – a money-spinning game. No wonder that 12876 turned up at Field Mill on December 9, 1968. The Stags fans were the happier ones, as Ledger scored the only goal of the game. The second time the sides clashed in the FA Cup was in the 1984-85 season. On November 17, 1984, 4161 – one of the Stags' highest home attendances that season – saw the Stags go through by the virtue of a 2-1 scoreline thanks to goals from Lowery and Caldwell. In the league, the sides have clashed on 28 occasions as well as home and away. And the very latest league clash between the sides broke a hoodoo. By winning 3-2 at Millmoor on March 17, 2000, the Stags won for the first time at Rotherham since the final day of the 1933-34 season! And that was on May 5, 1934, when just 1324 saw Hill and Methven secure a 2-1 victory at Millmoor. Some early league fixtures in Stags league history may not be memorable for Rotherham supporters, anyone remembering them? On December 27, 1932, the Stags recorded their up-to-date highest league victory by winning 9-2 at Field Mill in front of 7192 who watched Readman, Hoyland and Bowater score three times apiece. Another one was on the final day of the 1935-36 season. On May 2, 1936, 3264 witnessed an 8-2 rout by the help of Bytheway, Harston and Parker who netted twice apiece. The other Stags on the score-sheet were Atkinson and Anderson. And more recently, a Terry Austin hat-trick on October 8, 1979, helped the Stags secure their biggest win of the 1979-80 season, a 5-1 mauling of the Millers. And only three league fixtures at all have been goalless, one at Field Mill, two at Millmoor. In the 1950-51 season, the Stags notched 64 points, their then all-time best. But Rotherham that season were even more formidable by securing 71 points and winning the Division 3 (N) title, seven points ahead of the Stags – and only one side were promoted then. But the Stags were unbeaten at home then, holding the Millers to a 1-1 draw on January 13, 1951, when Reeve scored for the home side. The attendance then was 18241, the Stags highest in the league that term, only bettered in a 4th round FA Cup replay against – Sheffield United! On January 31, 1951, 20314 watched the Stags dump the Blades out of the Cup thanks to a 2-1 scoreline and goals from Steele and Ottewell. After that campaign, the Stags didn't meet the Millers until September 21, 1968. That game, ending in a 0-1 defeat in front of 10033 at Field Mill, marked a special occasion for Sandy Pate. That fixture was the first of 366 consecutive league and Cup appearances for the reliable right back, a tremendous feat! Later, the sides have been promoted together twice and relegated together once. The first promotion together was in 1974-75, when the Stags notched their first championship and the Millers finishing third in the old Division Four. Two years later, the sides were close again to be promoted together again. While the Stags did it by notching another championship, Rotherham just missed out on inferior goal difference to Crystal Palace. But the Millers beat all other league sides in another way – using only fifteen players, six of them being ever-presents. In 1990-91 the sides were relegated together from the old third, but were promoted together the following season! A record that ten seasons later was beaten by Cardiff, Chesterfield and Blackpool, also in the bottom tier of the league. Several players have appeared for both sides. To name but a few: Sweden National Coach during the WC finals in 1958, George Raynor – and more recently, Kevin Pilkington, Richie Barker and Dave Artell. Played for both sides (including Rotherham County and Rotherham Town before 1925): Charles Alton, Dave Artell, Richie Barker, Wilfred Barks, David Bentley, Daniel Black, John Bramley, Tony Brien, Graham Brown, Bernard Chambers, Steve Cherry, John Clayton, Jack Clough, Alan Crawford, Arthur Dallison, George Darwin, William Death, Joseph Depledge, Ted Dransfield, John Dungworth, Robert Frith, Bert Garner, Adam Gibson, Lee Glover, Charlie Goddard, Alec Gray, Edgar Hardy, James Hardstaff, John Haselden, Ian Hathaway, Ian Helliwell, Arthur Hetherington, Glyn Jones, Phil Kite, Fred Laycock, Richard Lee, Alexander Lennon, Gary Martindale, Paul Matthews, Billy McEwan (later manager at Rotherham), Ernest Miller, Bobby Mimms, Bob Mite, Neil Moore, Carl Muggleton, Gordon Owen, Jacob Parsons, John Pearson, Nathan Peel, Kevin Pilkington, Frank Rayner, George Raynor, Mark Rhodes, Neil Richardson, Andy Roscoe, Stephen Slawson, Steve Spooner, Mark Todd, Robert Todd, Imre Varadi, Michael Walker, Paul Warne, Ernest Wheatley, Ernie Whittam, George Williams, Lee Williamson, Albert Wilson. Managed both sides (including Rotherham County and Rotherham Town before 1925): Jack Baynes, Danny Williams. Stats file: Pre-league fixtures (as Rotherham Town): Home games: P 4, W 4, D 0, L 0, GF 10, GA 3 Away games: P 4, W 2, D 1, L 1, GF 5, GA 4 Season Home Date Away Date 1921-22 2-0 1922-03-25 0-1 1922-04-29 Midland Counties League 1922-23 1-0 1923-04-07 2-1 1923-02-08 Midland Counties League 1923-24 5-2 1924-03-01 2-1 1924-03-08 Midland Counties League 1924-25 2-1 1924-09-06 1-1 1924-10-11 Midland Counties League (Note: The Stags also played against Rotherham County reserves during the same period, results not listed here. Rotherham Town and Rotherham County amalgamed to the current Rotherham United side in 1925). League games: Home games: P 28, W 12, D 6, L 10, GF 56, GA 35 Away games: P 28, W 2, D 8, L 18, GF 25, GA 56 Season Home Date Away Date 1932-33 9-2 1932-12-27 0-3 1932-12-26 Division 3 (N) 1933-34 3-0 1933-12-23 2-1 1934-05-05 Division 3 (N) 1934-35 2-1 1934-09-01 0-3 1935-01-05 Division 3 (N) 1935-36 8-2 1936-05-02 1-2 1935-09-16 Division 3 (N) 1936-37 4-1 1937-01-16 1-4 1937-04-03 Division 3 (N) 1947-48 2-1 1947-10-04 1-2 1948-04-12 Division 3 (N) 1948-49 1-2 1948-09-04 0-1 1949-01-15 Division 3 (N) 1949-50 0-2 1949-12-31 2-2 1949-09-03 Division 3 (N) 1950-51 1-1 1951-01-13 0-3 1950-09-09 Division 3 (N) 1968-69 0-1 1968-09-21 0-3 1969-04-12 Division 3 (old) 1969-70 2-0 1970-04-04 2-2 1969-08-26 Division 3 (old) 1970-71 1-1 1970-11-09 1-2 1971-02-20 Division 3 (old) 1971-72 0-1 1971-09-25 1-3 1972-04-03 Division 3 (old) 1973-74 3-0 1973-12-01 1-2 1974-04-27 Division 4 (old) 1974-75 1-1 1974-12-21 1-2 1975-03-29 Division 4 (old) 1975-76 1-1 1976-03-29 1-2 1975-12-20 Division 3 (old) 1976-77 3-1 1977-02-05 0-3 1976-08-28 Division 3 (old) 1978-79 0-1 1979-05-19 0-2 1978-09-23 Division 3 (old) 1979-80 5-1 1979-10-08 1-2 1979-08-21 Division 3 (old) 1986-87 0-0 1987-03-03 2-2 1986-11-01 Division 3 (old) 1987-88 0-1 1987-12-26 1-2 1987-09-26 Division 3 (old) 1989-90 3-1 1989-12-26 0-0 1990-04-16 Division 3 (old) 1990-91 1-2 1991-04-23 1-1 1990-11-24 Division 3 (old) 1991-92 1-0 1992-03-03 1-1 1992-01-18 Division 4 (old) 1992-93 1-3 1993-05-08 0-2 1992-10-31 Division 2 1997-98 3-3 1997-11-04 2-2 1998-03-14 Division 3 1998-99 0-3 1999-01-22 0-0 1998-08-31 Division 3 1999-2000 1-2 1999-11-23 3-2 2000-03-17 Division 3 Cup games: 1968-69 2-2 1968-12-07 FA Cup 2nd round at Millmoor 1968-69 1-0 1968-12-09 FA Cup 2nd round replay at Field Mill 1984-85 2-1 1984-11-17 FA Cup 1st round at Field Mill Details mainly courtesy of the centenary book and the history CD Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right) |
Latest | November 2005