*Published by Paul Davis in Rotherham Advertiser, Thursday 30th April issue, as part of the Millers Favourites series*
SUPPORTER Danny Ogden-Glaves recalls a South Yorkshire derby from last season in the latest of our ‘Millers Favourites’ series. Send us (Rotherham Advertiser) your recollections of your favourite Rotherham United games, moments, players, managers, away trips etcetera. Email your stories to Paul.davis@rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk and then watch out for them appearing in the paper.
My favourite game isn’t the same as most. It’s not Wembley 2014, Wembley 2018, beating Sheffield Wednesday away, to name a few contenders.
No, my favourite game was Sheffield United away in March 2019. It was the first time myself and mum had been on a league away day. The game fell just before her birthday and I wanted to treat her.
My mum, Carolyn, has been a fan since the 1980’s. She went to her first game with then-husband, Paul.
“I remember it well. Rotherham were so poor I brought a book to read!” She says. “I was told off for taking a pink umbrella into Millmoor. It’s an offensive weapon, apparently.” She recalls how a police-woman had to escort her to the ladies just in case she decided to cause trouble. “Those were the days,” she laughs as I write this.
In comparison, I’ve been a fan since 2008 after I discovered what football really was. I didn’t get to my first Rotherham game until Blackburn at home in April 2016. Various reasons kept me from getting to New York Stadium, but I won’t bore you with the details.
Nearly 3 years later and we get to our first league away game. We loved it— the unflattering away end, tightly packed seats that no-one sat on, that one Blades fan who got both barrels from the Millers after she gave us some grief. It was an enjoyable game, even though we lost 2-0 and Will Vaulks got sent off.
There have been memorable matches since then. There was our first hospitality game and getting to shake Ben Wiles’ hand. Also, there was the trip to Solihull Moors, watching a 0-3 scoreline turn into a 4-3 win and the mayhem that followed on the terraces.
Both are special for individual reasons, but the Sheffield United game is my favourite as it was the first time Mum and I saw a Rotherham game in the general mosh pit of an away end.
The Wandering Yorkshireman 