How does Rotherham’s pre season compare to past Championship prep?

ROTHERHAM United are well under way into preparing for the 2020/21 Championship season. 5 games have been played so far, all private apart from an away trip to Mansfield Town.

This pre season is like no other due to the Coronavirus restrictions in place, keeping fans away and in the dark on the majority of prep fixtures. However, leaks from people close to the club, as well as other clubs reporting the events of the game on their own social media allows Millers’ fans a glimpse at how their club are performing.

Let’s look at the previous 5 Championship pre seasons to see how the class of 20/21 compare to previous Millers teams.

2014/15 (Games Played: 8)

• July 12th: (A) Greenock Morton 0-1 W
• July 18th: (A) Falkirk 2-2 D
• July 19th: (A) Queen of the South 5-1 L
• July 23rd: (H) Nottingham Forest 0-1 W
• July 26th: (A) Tamworth 2-1 L
• July 29th: (A) Alfreton Town 0-2 W
• August 2nd: (H) Doncaster Rovers 1-2 W
• August 5th: (H) Leicester City 1-3 L

Record: W4 D1 L3 GF11 GA13 GD-2. Goals per game: 1.4

2015/16 (Games played: 8)

• July 8th: (A) Parkgate 0-6 W
• July 11th: (A) Stocksbridge Park Steels 0-3 W
• July 14th: (A) Alfreton Town 3-2 L
• July 18th: (A) Greenock Morton 0-3 W
• July 21st: (A) Dundee 0-1 W
• July 25th: (A) Partick Thistle 1-1 D
• July 29th: (H) Leicester City 1-2 L
• August 1st: (H) 1.FSV Mainz 05 1-2 W

Record W5 D1 L2 GF19 GA6 GD13. Goals per game: 2.4

2016/17 (Games played: 5)

• July 9th: (A) Parkgate 0-7 W
• July 12th: (H) Miedź legnica 1-2 W
• July 15th: (H) Górnik Zabrze 0-0 D
• July 23rd: (H) Sunderland 2-1 L
• July 26th: (A) Scunthorpe United 2-1 L

Record: W2 D1 L2 GF11 GA5 GD6. Goals per game: 2.2

2018/19 (Games played: 7)

• July 7th: (A) Parkgate 1-3 W
• July 10th: (H) SKU Amstetten 0-0 D
• July 14th: (A) SC Wiener Neustadt 0-1 W
• July 17th: (A) Stocksbridge Park Steels 1-4 W
• July 17th: (A) Sheffield FC 0-3 W
• July 25th: (H) Cardiff City 1-2 W
• July 28th: (A) Mansfield Town 2-1 L

Record W5 D1 L1 GF13 GA6 GD7. Goals per game: 1.9

2020/21 (Games played: 8)

• August 15th(A) Bradford City 2-3 W
• August 18th(A) Gainsborough Trinity 0-6 W
• August 22nd (A) Mansfield Town 0-3 W
• August 25th (H) Leicester U23’s 2-3 W
• August 26th (H) Doncaster Rovers 0-5 W
• August 29th (A) Hull City A 1-2 W
• August 29th (A) Hull City B 3-2 L
• September 1st (H) Sheffield Wednesday U23’s 8-0 W

Record W6 D0 L1 GF20 GA4 GD16. Goals per game: 4

2020/21 pre season is still on going with more games likely to take place including a confirmed game against Burton Albion.

The current pre season is the highest scoring pre season in the last 5 and is currently holding the highest goals per game ratio at 3.4 gpg.

The current restrictions mean that fans won’t be able to see the high scoring Millers in person until October at the earliest. However, a deal with Sky has allowed games to be broadcast over iFollow Millers via a match pass for £10. Currently fixtures against Salford in the Carabao Cup and league fixtures against Wycombe (A), Millwall (H), and Birmingham City (A) will be behind closed doors and broadcast on iFollow.

Restrictions are holding steady so, without any sudden change by the government, fans should be allowed to attended Huddersfield Town (H) in small number.