Mid table

[CAMiller]

Finishing mid table doesn't really bother me, it worries me how we've ended up there. The stubborness of SE/PR not to change things when it was so poor. You could see with who SE signed in the summer that there was no long term plan to get out of the division and think of the Championship.

SE said yesterday that at half time he changed the formation and we played better. Why didn't we change it about September then?
TS will see a big change in the summer with Season ticket renewals, how will he react to it is anyones guess............

He'll probably cut the wage bill in equal proportion so 50% reduction in sales = 50% reduction in wages. With about 6 players on larger/longer term contracts that will mean the squad fillers will have to be cheap.

[mellowmiller]

There is no such thing as mid table mediocrity in so far as Rotherham United is concerned.

Anyone remember season 1972/73?

I still have nightmares about it.

Wasn't that the season when we appeared to be safe although Halifax had a few games in hand (4 or 5?) and would need to win them all to go above us?
Then we inexplicably loaned or transferred Trevor Womble to them and he scored a couple of key goals as they went on a winning run and sent us down.
I remember the scenario but apologise if I haven't got the facts quite right.
Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot!

[Nardendee]

Wasn't that the season when we appeared to be safe although Halifax had a few games in hand (4 or 5?) and would need to win them all to go above us?
Then we inexplicably loaned or transferred Trevor Womble to them and he scored a couple of key goals as they went on a winning run and sent us down.
I remember the scenario but apologise if I haven't got the facts quite right.
Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot!

Absolutely right.

It was still in the days of two points for a win. We only needed one point from our last 3 games having actually won our three previous three games including ahome win against Bolton (the eventual Champions) which seemingly made us safe.
Going into the last three games we were on 41 points and Halifax Town were 8 points behind with 4 games to go. We had to lose all ours, and Halifax win all theirs.

I went to all three. We lost 2-1 at Blackburn on Good Friday (I think their Manager was Ken Furphy).
We then played Oldham at home and were 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-2. We were well into injury time and I was heading away from the Railway end towards the Tivoli when Oldham wee awarded a free kick about 35 yards out towards the Tivoli end to the left of centre.
A long high ball was punted in. Up went Roy Tunks for a straight forward catch?..or so I thought. The ball slipped through his fingers and into the back of the net

Lost 3-2.

Final game was another home game in what seemed at the time, a winner takes all game. York were two points behind us but, crucially a better goal average.

York reached into a two goal league, and despite pulling a goal back, York held on to win 2-1, so they were effectively safe.

We were now only two points above Halifax who had one more game, the following Tuesday at a worry free Walsall team at Fellows Park. Crucially Halifax had a better goal average.

They won 1-0 to consign us to Division 4 for the first time in our history. It was the first time we had appeared in the bottom four all season.

I had a feeling we were going to go down much earlier in the season, again another game I went to at Burnden Park Bolton, the previous November.

We took the lead in the second half but they equalised.

Four minutes from time, Jim McDonagh, our goalkeeper inexplicably put the ball down for a goal kick?..but the ball, according to the ref. hadn?t gone out. Their player rushed in as did McDonagh, but the ball fell kindly for them who slid the ball into an empty net and we lost 2-1.

I happened to meet up with John Breckin & Jim McDonagh years later, to be precise the home game against Colchester in November 2013, to mark my Dads 90th birthday & they came over. I reminded Jom about this & of course, he remembered it well & he thought the ball had gone out. It was funny reminiscing with them about it but it bloody wasn?t at the time.

The following August we went to Northampton for the first game in the 4th Division and they scored, and it suddenly hit me. We were in the pits of the league. We went on to lose 3-1.

Since that season I have never ever taken anything for granted. We are not safe until 4 teams mathematically cannot catch us.

It always was like us to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So it wasn?t a surprise at all when Reading got the winner in injury time. It?s not over until it?s over.

[mellowmiller]

Absolutely right.

It was still in the days of two points for a win. We only needed one point from our last 3 games having actually won our three previous three games including ahome win against Bolton (the eventual Champions) which seemingly made us safe.
Going into the last three games we were on 41 points and Halifax Town were 8 points behind with 4 games to go. We had to lose all ours, and Halifax win all theirs.

I went to all three. We lost 2-1 at Blackburn on Good Friday (I think their Manager was Ken Furphy).
We then played Oldham at home and were 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-2. We were well into injury time and I was heading away from the Railway end towards the Tivoli when Oldham wee awarded a free kick about 35 yards out towards the Tivoli end to the left of centre.
A long high ball was punted in. Up went Roy Tunks for a straight forward catch?..or so I thought. The ball slipped through his fingers and into the back of the net

Lost 3-2.

Final game was another home game in what seemed at the time, a winner takes all game. York were two points behind us but, crucially a better goal average.

York reached into a two goal league, and despite pulling a goal back, York held on to win 2-1, so they were effectively safe.

We were now only two points above Halifax who had one more game, the following Tuesday at a worry free Walsall team at Fellows Park. Crucially Halifax had a better goal average.

They won 1-0 to consign us to Division 4 for the first time in our history. It was the first time we had appeared in the bottom four all season.

I had a feeling we were going to go down much earlier in the season, again another game I went to at Burnden Park Bolton, the previous November.

We took the lead in the second half but they equalised.

Four minutes from time, Jim McDonagh, our goalkeeper inexplicably put the ball down for a goal kick?..but the ball, according to the ref. hadn?t gone out. Their player rushed in as did McDonagh, but the ball fell kindly for them who slid the ball into an empty net and we lost 2-1.

I happened to meet up with John Breckin & Jim McDonagh years later, to be precise the home game against Colchester in November 2013, to mark my Dads 90th birthday & they came over. I reminded Jom about this & of course, he remembered it well & he thought the ball had gone out. It was funny reminiscing with them about it but it bloody wasn?t at the time.

The following August we went to Northampton for the first game in the 4th Division and they scored, and it suddenly hit me. We were in the pits of the league. We went on to lose 3-1.

Since that season I have never ever taken anything for granted. We are not safe until 4 teams mathematically cannot catch us.

It always was like us to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So it wasn?t a surprise at all when Reading got the winner in injury time. It?s not over until it?s over.

Thanks for that Nardendee.
Great summary of what happened in that awful season........and of Rotherham United in a nutshell too 🙂.
Hope things don't pan out in a similar way this season........

[Brin]

Absolutely right.

It was still in the days of two points for a win. We only needed one point from our last 3 games having actually won our three previous three games including ahome win against Bolton (the eventual Champions) which seemingly made us safe.
Going into the last three games we were on 41 points and Halifax Town were 8 points behind with 4 games to go. We had to lose all ours, and Halifax win all theirs.

I went to all three. We lost 2-1 at Blackburn on Good Friday (I think their Manager was Ken Furphy).
We then played Oldham at home and were 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-2. We were well into injury time and I was heading away from the Railway end towards the Tivoli when Oldham wee awarded a free kick about 35 yards out towards the Tivoli end to the left of centre.
A long high ball was punted in. Up went Roy Tunks for a straight forward catch?..or so I thought. The ball slipped through his fingers and into the back of the net

Lost 3-2.

Final game was another home game in what seemed at the time, a winner takes all game. York were two points behind us but, crucially a better goal average.

York reached into a two goal league, and despite pulling a goal back, York held on to win 2-1, so they were effectively safe.

We were now only two points above Halifax who had one more game, the following Tuesday at a worry free Walsall team at Fellows Park. Crucially Halifax had a better goal average.

They won 1-0 to consign us to Division 4 for the first time in our history. It was the first time we had appeared in the bottom four all season.

I had a feeling we were going to go down much earlier in the season, again another game I went to at Burnden Park Bolton, the previous November.

We took the lead in the second half but they equalised.

Four minutes from time, Jim McDonagh, our goalkeeper inexplicably put the ball down for a goal kick?..but the ball, according to the ref. hadn?t gone out. Their player rushed in as did McDonagh, but the ball fell kindly for them who slid the ball into an empty net and we lost 2-1.

I happened to meet up with John Breckin & Jim McDonagh years later, to be precise the home game against Colchester in November 2013, to mark my Dads 90th birthday & they came over. I reminded Jom about this & of course, he remembered it well & he thought the ball had gone out. It was funny reminiscing with them about it but it bloody wasn?t at the time.

The following August we went to Northampton for the first game in the 4th Division and they scored, and it suddenly hit me. We were in the pits of the league. We went on to lose 3-1.

Since that season I have never ever taken anything for granted. We are not safe until 4 teams mathematically cannot catch us.

It always was like us to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So it wasn?t a surprise at all when Reading got the winner in injury time. It?s not over until it?s over.

What a brilliant memory, bravo.

[philthefluter]

Thanks for that Nardendee.
Great summary of what happened in that awful season........and of Rotherham United in a nutshell too 🙂.
Hope things don't pan out in a similar way this season........

The incident with Seamus has given me nightmares as well.
He had shepherded the ball out and placed it to take the goal kick.We were in time wasting mode at 1-1 so his walk away to run up and kick it was taking forever.Their player asked the ref if it had gone out.The linesman hadn`t kept up with play and the ref said to play on.He ran from a good 20 yds away and hesitated when he got to the ball.Imagine the surprise of our keeper when he turned to find their lad standing over the ball before rolling it into the empty net.
p.s. got told by one of their fans after the game that these things even themselves out over a season!
I still say that if I`d been behind the goal I`d have warned Seamus.

[mellowmiller]

Absolutely right.

It was still in the days of two points for a win. We only needed one point from our last 3 games having actually won our three previous three games including ahome win against Bolton (the eventual Champions) which seemingly made us safe.
Going into the last three games we were on 41 points and Halifax Town were 8 points behind with 4 games to go. We had to lose all ours, and Halifax win all theirs.

I went to all three. We lost 2-1 at Blackburn on Good Friday (I think their Manager was Ken Furphy).
We then played Oldham at home and were 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-2. We were well into injury time and I was heading away from the Railway end towards the Tivoli when Oldham wee awarded a free kick about 35 yards out towards the Tivoli end to the left of centre.
A long high ball was punted in. Up went Roy Tunks for a straight forward catch?..or so I thought. The ball slipped through his fingers and into the back of the net

Lost 3-2.

Final game was another home game in what seemed at the time, a winner takes all game. York were two points behind us but, crucially a better goal average.

York reached into a two goal league, and despite pulling a goal back, York held on to win 2-1, so they were effectively safe.

We were now only two points above Halifax who had one more game, the following Tuesday at a worry free Walsall team at Fellows Park. Crucially Halifax had a better goal average.

They won 1-0 to consign us to Division 4 for the first time in our history. It was the first time we had appeared in the bottom four all season.

I had a feeling we were going to go down much earlier in the season, again another game I went to at Burnden Park Bolton, the previous November.

We took the lead in the second half but they equalised.

Four minutes from time, Jim McDonagh, our goalkeeper inexplicably put the ball down for a goal kick?..but the ball, according to the ref. hadn?t gone out. Their player rushed in as did McDonagh, but the ball fell kindly for them who slid the ball into an empty net and we lost 2-1.

I happened to meet up with John Breckin & Jim McDonagh years later, to be precise the home game against Colchester in November 2013, to mark my Dads 90th birthday & they came over. I reminded Jom about this & of course, he remembered it well & he thought the ball had gone out. It was funny reminiscing with them about it but it bloody wasn?t at the time.

The following August we went to Northampton for the first game in the 4th Division and they scored, and it suddenly hit me. We were in the pits of the league. We went on to lose 3-1.

Since that season I have never ever taken anything for granted. We are not safe until 4 teams mathematically cannot catch us.

It always was like us to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. So it wasn?t a surprise at all when Reading got the winner in injury time. It?s not over until it?s over.

Just one more question about this Nardendee.
I seem to recall that Trevor Womble played a part in our demise after we let him go to Halifax but can't remember how and according to Wikipedia he only scored 2 goals for them so, if that's right, they must have been key ones like match winners.
Do you remember anything more about the circumstances please?

[Nardendee]

Just one more question about this Nardendee.
I seem to recall that Trevor Womble played a part in our demise after we let him go to Halifax but can't remember how and according to Wikipedia he only scored 2 goals for them so, if that's right, they must have been key ones like match winners.
Do you remember anything more about the circumstances please?

Indeed I can.
Please see link:

https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/spo...herham-2891469

[CAMiller]

Indeed I can.
Please see link:

https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/spo...herham-2891469

That's a great read Nardendee.

The Millmoor pitch looks a bit rough

I know many things happened in between but essentially the 5 goal deficit in that bizarre 7-2 defeat at home to Bournemouth in October was the difference between staying up on goal average and relegation. However, I suppose the counter to that was that we were greatly helped by the 7-0 win over Port Vale. I was at both those games.

[mellowmiller]

Indeed I can.
Please see link:

https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/spo...herham-2891469

That's great, thank you very much.
Uncomfortable memories though.....and I'd completely forgotten about Johnny Quinn's involvement 😊.