Ghosts of the Past: 1972/73

[leedsmiller]

We should now be assured of Championship football in 2016/17 but until relegation is a mathematical impossibility I'll continue to be haunted by the 1972/73 season. With 43 of the 46 games played we stood 14th of 24 teams, 14th!!! Relegation wasn't even a consideration, the likelihood being even more remote given we were in the days of only 2 points for a win and we'd just won 3 successive games, one against top of the league and ultimate Champions, Bolton Wanderers.

Need I say more. Remarkably, results, Halifax Town and our own ineptitude contrived to see us drop into the basement. We lost the last 3 games. Needing only a draw at home to York City on the last day of the season we lost 2-1 and, as a consequence, York saved their season overtaking us on goal average (as it was in those days). Even then, with 46 games played, we were out of the relegation zone, 2 points clear of Halifax Town who had one game to play. They won and also overtook us on goal average. Town's story was alm

[mikemiller]

Should never have gone down with the team that started that season. Poor management decisions regarding team selection and tactics, Loaned Trevor Womble to a relegation rival! Signings made to "strengthen" the team - O'Grady, Wilkinson, Buckley - were never really up to the task. Team seemed to lose motivation as the season progressed. Strange atmosphere at the final home game v York City, with a very lethargic performance by the Millers against a poor York team,as Millers fans ( including me) watched in disbelief at what was happening. Painful memories...

With Jim McAnearney in charge it was an early case of what has now become a bit of a football cliche - "good coach, but poor manager". After being sacked fby RUFC, he subsequently only managed Frickley, Scarboro' and Hallam, although he worked a a coach for several league clubs.

[leedsmiller]

As a supplementary, I think this was the first time we'd been relegated to the 4th tier of English football and just to demonstrate my anxiety levels, rather than wait for Halifax Town's results I actually went to watch them and supported the opposition. That didn't work either!

[jolly_roger]

One thing is for sure, the club has never made it easy for the fans.

Worrying is part of being a Miller

So expect it to go down to the wire.

(personally I reckon we are safe already)

[Philips]

And wasn't it a goal from Trevor Womble on loan at Halifax that sent us down.

[Nardendee]

I was only talking about this at work today. I went to 41 out of 46 games this particular season.
Bear in mind before this we had NEVER been in the 4th Division.
One fixture that stands out for me - a warning shot across the bows.

If it wasn't serious it would be funny looking back, but as a 15 year old it was gut wrenching. We were leading 1-0 at Bolton who were involved in a 3 way battle for two promotion spots with Blackburn and Notts County.
Any way Bolton equalised but we were still on the way to a valuable point when, with 4 minutes to go Jim McDonagh put the ball down for a goal kick.....only problem was that it wasn't out. Garry Jones (I think)took his chances and it paid off. Jim slipped and Garry rolled it into an empty net. We lost 2-1. I shared this story with Jim a couple of seasons ago at home to Colchester and he remembered it well.

So - the last 3 games. I only remember the last 2, both at home. Monday night v Oldham. We were 2-0 down but a late rally saw us b

[Nardendee]

How many bouts of runs can you get in 10 days? Good job I wasn't counting. The standing joke afterwards was Roy going into hospital to have the margarine removed from his hands.

Such despair. Such abject depression. Only football fans know how it feels. As Bill Shankley said "it's not life or death - it's much more important than that". The sad truth was that, to a 15 year old it was. I mean a WHOLE SUMMER to go before it started again ....IN THE FLAMING 4TH DIVISION.

[leedsmiller]

Should mention that our goal average that season wasn't helped by one of the craziest games you'll ever see, Rotherham 2 Bournemouth 7, a game in which one Bournemouth player scored against three different Rotherham goalkeepers and a Rotherham goalkeeper scored against Bournemouth...

[Nardendee]

Not forgetting the 7-0 win at home to Port Vale a short while before.

[leedsmiller]

Just another Rotherham United roller-coaster season ;D

[mikemiller]

The team was a mixture of "youth and experience", which may sound great, but actually wasn't....the young players were generally good, but made some naive mistakes at cruicial times, and most of the experienced players were getting past their sell by date.The RUFC directors recruitied poor quality new signings on the cheap that season , and so must share the blame for our relegation, If we had spent a bit of cash on a decent midfield player we would have easily stayed up . If only we had signed Jimmy Goodfellow a couple of seasons earlier than we actually did...

[avondalemiller]

Leeds, i think the player in that 2-7 match was Brian Clark( sure Zip will know), he scored against Mcdonagh, who got carried off, Carl Gilbert, who came back out and scored, and Mick Leng......what a game.

[leedsmiller]

Leeds, i think the player in that 2-7 match was Brian Clark( sure Zip will know), he scored against Mcdonagh, who got carried off, Carl Gilbert, who came back out and scored, and Mick Leng......what a game.

I'm sure that's right, avon.