On Wednesday night, Rotherham will battle against former ‘Great Escape’ manager, Neil Warnock, as the Millers try to pull off an escape of their own this season.
Venue: AESSEAL New York Stadium
Let’s ‘ave a gander at our North Yorkshire neighbours.
Formed: 1876, 145 years ago.
Nicknames: The Boro
Home Kit: Red Shirt w/ white trim. White Shorts. White Socks
Away Kit: Black and Blue Striped Shirt. Black Shorts. Black Socks w/ blue trim
Form: LLDLL (11th in the Championship)
Rotherham Form: LDWLL (22nd in the Championship)
Honours:
Championship: Winners (1926-27, 1928-29, 1973-74, 1994-95) Runners-up (1997-98, 2015-16) Play off Winners (1988)
League One: Runners-up (1966-67, 1986-87)
Northern League: Winners (1893-94, 1894-95, 1896-97)
EFL Cup: Winners (2003-04)
FA Cup: Runners-up (1996-97)
FA Amateur Cup: Winners (1895, 1898)
Full Members Cup: Runners-up (1989-90)
UEFA Cup: Runners-up (2005-06)
Anglo-Scottish Cup: Winners (1976)
Kirin Cup: Winners (1980)
Like many Yorkshire towns, the beating heart of Middlesbrough was once Coal and Steel. During the peak of the industrial age, an Amateur club was formed and bounced in and out of professionalism before committing in 1899. The initial disagreement over professionalism wielded what can be seen as the first ‘break away’ club, Middlesbrough Ironopolis, a club in existence for only 5 years.
The now professional Middlesbrough moved to their Ayresome Park ground in 1903, adjacent to the Paradise Ground where Ironopolis lived a short life.
The Boro have been a main player in the First Division through the 20th century, but they have flirted at times with the lower reaches of the Third Division.
A founding member of the Premier League in 1992, Boro were at the right place at the right time after winning promotion the season before but became one of the first 3 clubs relegated from the new league. Teeside welcomed the first all-seater stadium following the Taylor Report and The Riverside has housed the Boro ever since. A single season spell in 2016-17 is their latest dabble in the top-flight.
Manager: Neil Warnock
The veteran manager has certainly seen a fair amount of action in the trenches. Warnock holds the record for most promotions as a manager with 8. His long management career started only a year after he hung up his boots.
Born in Sheffield in 1948, Warnock’s playing days as a Winger started just down the road at Chesterfield in 1967 before moving back to South Yorkshire and turning out for the Millers between 1969 and 1971, making 52 league appearances and scoring 5 goals. Never one to stick around longer than a couple of seasons, Warnock had spells at Hartlepool, Scunthorpe, Aldershot, Barnsley, and York City before ending his relatively short career at Crewe Alexandra.
Retiring at only 30, his focus shifted to the management side of the game. To spend time looking at every club on Neil’s long list of managed sides would fill the time between a butty in the morning and kick off in the evening, so let’s list them and highlight the odd couple, sound good?
Starting at Gainsborough Trinity in 1980, Warnock has managed; Burton Albion (1981-86), Scarborough (1986-89), Notts County (1989-1993), Torquay United (1993), Huddersfield Town (1993-95), Plymouth Argyle (1995-97), Oldham Athletic (1997-98), Bury (1998-99), Sheffield United (1999-2007), Crystal Palace (2007-10, 2014), Queens Park Rangers (2010-12, 2015), Leeds United (2012-13), Rotherham United (2016), Cardiff City (2016-19), and Middlesbrough (2020-).
Catch your breath.
Warnock’s time at the Blades put Sheffield United on the footballing map in the early 2000’s with EFL Cup and FA Cup semi finals in 2002-03 whilst still in the Championship. A 3-0 defeat to Wolves in the Play-off final prevented the Blades from going up that season. Warnock got them there in the end, finishing second in the 2005-06 season. This proved to be the Blades last promotion until Chris Wilder arrived in 2016. The boyhood Blade’s time at Bramall Lane came to an end after the controversial relegation in 2006-07.
One take away from the Warnock years at the Lane is the famous quote bellowed in the dressing room.
“You’ve got to f***ing die to get three points”.
Skipping ahead to the Warnock… half year at New York. Warnock told Leon Wobschall at the Yorkshire Post that “I would not be sat here now if it was not for Rotherham. It gave me an enjoyment I thought I’d finished with. It was an amazing time.” Indeed, it was.
After a Draw and double Lose after signing on in early February 2016, Warnock took Rotherham on the most remarkable turn around of form. Eleven games unbeaten, including the now famous 3-3 draw with Derby after being 3-0 down on 82 minutes. The final win in that remarkable run was a 4-0 destruction of MK Dons which virtually confirmed Rotherham’s survival.
It’s a shame Warnock didn’t stay for another season, who knows where the Millers would’ve finished under his guidance, but the man wants promotions!
Last Time Out
Warnock’s Boro and Warne’s Rotherham locked horns earlier this season in a game that caught a few Millers off guard.
Middlesbrough 0-3 Rotherham United (Crooks 43, Smith 79P, Giles 90+2)
Head-to-Head
Rotherham Wins: 11
Draws: 8
Middlesbrough Wins: 20
Record Win: Middlesbrough 3-5 Rotherham United (13 March 1965)
Record Defeat: Middlesbrough 5-1 Rotherham United (15 January 1955 & 30 August 1961)
Last Home Win: 1-0 (8March 2016) Frecklington 88
Rotherham United
- Viktor Johansson, 3. Joe Mattock, 8. Ben Wiles, 10. Freddie Ladapo, 17. Kieran Sadlier, 19. Wes Harding, 20. Michael Ihiekwe (C), 21. Angus MacDonald, 24. Michael Smith, 25. Matt Crooks, 26. Dan Barlaser
(Subs: 27. Jamal Blackman, 6. Richard Wood, 9. George Hirst, 11. Chiedozie Ogbene, 16. Jamie Lindsay, 18. Trevor Clarke, 28. Florian Jozefzoon, 30. Ryan Giles
News: Joe Mattock is in the squad for the first time in four months following a lengthy injury. Clark Robertson and Shaun MacDonald miss out through injury. Captain, Richard Wood, is on the bench following Sunday’s defeat to Birmingham City. Mattock will play in a slightly more advanced position this evening as starting Left Wing-Back. Kieran Sadlier takes up the Right Wing-Back mantle for tonight, a more defensive position than usual.
Middlesbrough
13. Jordan Archer, 3. Marvin Johnson, 4. Grant Hall, 10. Chuba Akpom, 14. Yannick Bolasie, 16. Jonny Howson (C), 17. Paddy McNair, 18. Duncan Watmore, 21. Nesskens Kebano, 22. George Saville, 27. Marc Bola
(Subs: 1. Marcus Bettinelli, 34. Hayden Hackney, 40. Williams Kokolo, 45. Josh Coburn, 46. Connor Malley, 47. Jack Robionson
News: Marvin Johnson and Chuba Akpom return to the starting 11 this evening. Boro main men Britt Assombalonga and Ashley Fletcher miss out. The bench seems very light with only five outfield players as subs and five subs allocated during the game. Every player, apart from Marcus Bettinelli, are from the Middlesbrough Academy set up.
The Wandering Yorkshireman 