MillersMad Match Thread...Millers v Blackpool

[Heliosphan78]

Hello everyone and welcome to another home game and match thread. This time we welcome the Seasiders to the NYS.

Let's meet our visitors.

The Boss
Most Millers fans will be familiar with Ian Evatt after his exploits at Bolton. He achieved promotion from L2 with the Trotters in his first season in charge but couldn't take them any further, despite making the L1 play offs twice. He won the EFL Trophy with Bolton in 2023.

He was appointed Blackpool boss on 21st October this year, a club he made over 200 appearances for as a player. Blackpool won their first 3 games with Evatt at the helm but then hit a run of 5 without a win, a run which ended last Sunday after they beat Carlisle in the FA Cup.

Player(s) to watch
Michael Ihiekwe
We may or may not see the former Rotherham player on Wednesday evening. He has been a regular in the Blackpool defence this season but hasn't featured in the match day squad in either of their last two games.

Ashley Fletcher
Blackpool's top scorer with 10 goals in all competitions. He came through the Man Utd youth academy and went on to play for the likes of West Ham and Middlesbrough, as well as having a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday. He joined Blackpool after being released by Watford in June 2024.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell
The 29 year old goalkeeper made 47 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday and has been capped 52 times for Northern Ireland. He is currently on loan from Birmingham.

Last 6
Blackpool 4 v 1 Carlisle (FA Cup)
Harrogate 4 v 2 Blackpool (Vertu)
Blackpool 0 v 3 Reading (L1)
Leyton Orient 1 v 1 Blackpool (L1)
Burton 1 v 0 Blackpool (L1)
Tranmere 2 v 1 Blackpool (Vertu)

Latest Odds
Millers 11/8 Draw 11/5 Blackpool 21/10

Recent Meetings
(5/4/2025)
Rotherham 2 v 1 Blackpool (L1)
Odoffin, Rafferty

(11/2/2025)
Blackpool 0 v 0 Rotherham (L1)

Overall record v Blackpool
W20 D9 L15

Summary
Blackpool have the unenviable record of being statistically the worst team in L1 away from home. Out of their 9 league games, they've lost 7, drawn 1 and won 1, scoring 4 goals and conceding 13. They'll be keen to turn this around as soon as possible. However if history is anything to go by, it is unlikely to start on Wednesday because Blackpool haven't beaten us in 14 attempts, a run stretching back to 31 March 1997.

Blackpool aren't playing particularly well at the moment, although it's worth noting that they won 4-1 against Carlisle Utd in the FA Cup last Sunday, ending a run of 5 games without a win. They played quite a strong team on Sunday, so there may be an element of fatigue or squad rotation on Wednesday evening. Either way, they've had a lot less time to prepare for this one than we have. So with that in mind and our current home record, I fully expect us to extend our unbeaten run in the league to 10 games. I doubt they'll be a pushover because they have some good players but this is a game we should be winning.

Enjoy it everyone, UTM.

[CAMiller]

Would it be tempting fate to say if we win by 3 goals we'll be 8th? Damn it I just did!

[Heliosphan78]

And only 4 points outside the play offs 😮

[RU66]

James at left wing back. Benson behind lone forward Hugill.

[caytonmiller]

Evatt on ihiekwe.

Discussing the ex-Rotherham United man?s recent absence, Evatt said: ?There?s a slight issue with him - it?s not anything that has happened recently; it?s something that he?s managing for a long time.

?We felt like we could let it settle down a little bit and freshen him back up so then he?s ready for the big games coming up.?

[ScjR]

Tonight's match will be the 45th meeting between Rotherham Utd and Blackpool. The first meeting between the two clubs came in the 1967/68 season, the season that ended Rotherham United's 17 year spell in the old Second Division. Freddie Green, who was then caretaker manager picked a team that featured Harold Wilcockson, Alan Hill, John Haselden, John Galley, Les Chappell and Brian Tiler. Stan Mortensen who was manager of Blackpool at the time had former England Internationals Jimmy Armfield and Gordon Milne in the team. Blackpool won 2-1 at Millmoor with all the goals coming in the first half. Gerry Ingram scoring in the 3rd and 16th minute. John Galley scoring in the 32nd minute.
Rotherham have a fairly good record at home to Blackpool. To date they have won 59% (13), drawn 9% (2) and lost 32% (7).
The highest attendance against Blackpool at home, 9,512, came in the 2017/18 season, Will Vaulks scoring the only goal of the game at the New York Stadium. The lowest attendance at home to Blackpool came in the 1996/97 season when 1,143 saw Rotherham loose 0-1 (Preece) in the Football League Trophy at Millmoor. Rotherham have an average attendance at home of 5,483.
Rotherham score an average of 1.59 goal per game at home to Blackpool. Blackpool’s average goal per game at Rotherham is 0.95.

Blackpool's current manager Ian Evatt has yet to record a win as manager/coach when opposing Rotherham. Ian Evatt's record (W-D-L)
Bolton Wanderers 0-0-3

Blackpool players sent off at Millmoor/NYS
Gary Briggs 1991/92 (Millmoor), Jake Beesley 2024/25 (New York Stadium)

Hat-tricks against Blackpool at Millmoor/NYS
Ronnie Moore 1980/81, Deon Burton 2005/06

Players who made their Rotherham United debut at home to Blackpool:
Reece James, Andy Kiwomya, Tom Lawrence, Scott Wootton
Players who played their last match for Rotherham United at home to Blackpool:
Jake Hastie, Billy Russell

Players that have made the most appearances for Rotherham Utd against Blackpool:
12
Shaun Goodwin
10
Shaun Goater
8
Mick Gooding
John Green
Des Hazel
Kelham O'Hanlon

Players that have made the most appearances for Blackpool against Rotherham
11
Mike Davies
8
Phil Horner
Mark Bonner
7
Colin Methven

Top Goalscorers for Rotherham Utd against Blackpool
3
Shaun Goater
Ronnie Moore
Deon Burton
Des Hazel
Top Goalscorers for Blackpool against Rotherham Utd
4
Andy Preece
3
Tony Ellis

A-Z of players that have played for both
Retired players
Miles Addison, Shaun Barker, Phil Barnes, Marcus Bean, Marvin Bryan, Darren Byfield, Danny Coid, Tony Cunningham, Terry Donovan, Peter Duffield, Paul Evans, Gareth Farrelly, Harold Hargreaves, Bob Harris, Phil Horner, Mark Hudson, Emlyn Hughes, Brad Jones, Marc Joseph, Nicky Law, Tom McAlister, Billy McEwan, Harry Millership, Neil Moore, Carl Muggleton, Danny Nardiello, Gordon Owen, George Reid, Ian Richardson, Walter Rickett, Barry Shuttleworth, Gordon Simmonite, Steve Spooner, Scott Taylor, Wes Thomas, Julian Watts, Norman Whitehead, Neil Whitworth
Contracted Players
Matt Derbyshire (Matlock Town), Nouha Dicko (Paris), Grant Hall (Whitehawk), Adam Hammill (Litherland REMYCA), Michael Ihiekwe (Blackpool), Reece James (Rotherham Utd), Richard O'Donnell (Derby County), Clark Robertson (Dundee), Curtis Tilt (Bradford City), Jerry Yates (Luton Town)
Players without a club
Tyler Blackett, Kirk Broadfoot, Jamie Devitt, Kyle Vassell, Grant Ward

[MILLERSTALE]

James at left wing back. Benson behind lone forward Hugill.

Ashley Fletcher scored 10 goals this season, big lad plays up front with Bloxam another big lad ! Didn?t Fletcher once turn us down when we were favourites to sign him ? think he joined Wigan instead ? had a poor time there but now appears to have found some form !!

[RU66]

Ashley Fletcher scored 10 goals this season, big lad plays up front with Bloxam another big lad ! Didn?t Fletcher once turn us down when we were favourites to sign him ? think he joined Wigan instead ? had a poor time there but now appears to have found some form !!

We only have one option up front fit. Hughill. Ayres isn't ready. Hoping we have a centre back fit to play at the side of Douglas to move James to left wing back. He's the best we've got at the club playing in that position. Been said don't know if there was any truth in it that we wouldn't pay Whatmore the wages he wanted? But we've got to be careful with bringing Nombe back to soon. After his injury earlier this season he was only just about getting up to speed when he got injured again.

[Ericsladkilnhurst]

Kyle Vassell plays for a American club.
Colorado Springs Switchbacks.

Posted in Millers in the News thread

[Derbymiller]

A tough game for us, a win and we jump up the league a defeat and a difficult trip to Plymouth before Xmas. These have good players that now have a decent L1 coach determined to prove himself rather than Bruce one of the most overrated managers in football today. MH has to have instilled into our team that they could easily turn us over if we start slow like we did in the last game and we have to be really at it from the off. My head says we should have enough to get 3 points but my gut says we won't be in the right place mentally and we will lose. I hope my head is right.