RUFC - Rams coming to the Valley

Rotherham United yesterday drew Nigel Clough's Derby County in the first round of the Carling Cup.

As we remember, the Millers got to the fourth round last season, beating, what we were told were bigger and better clubs on the way, the clubs being old rivals, Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsbrough, then Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton at Don Valley, before going to the Britannia Stadium in our droves and losing 2-0 to Stoke City.

Nigel Clough took over his father's old team, Derby, in January this year after managing at non-league Burton Albion for eleven years. Derby reached the semi-finals of the Carling Cup last season before losing, over two legs, to Manchester United.

Derby's Chairman of football, Adam Pearson, told the Derby Telegraph, 'I think our tremendous run in this cup last year kept us all from jumping off the edge of a cliff! So, it is really important to us that we have a good cup run again this time around.

'This is a good draw for us against Rotherham and I have a good relationship with their Chairman, Tony Stewart who is doing an excellent job there. Rotherham are a good side with one of the best Managers outside the Championship. Don Valley, which isn't the easiest place to go to, isn't far away and we want to take a lot of supporters there and get through to the next round.'

The game will be played the week commencing the 10th August.

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