RUFC - On This Day - 9th May

A few facts from the 9th of May's of the past

9th May 2008

Rotherham United Manager, Mark Robins, told six players they could leave. Those released are stalwart Paul Hurst and Ian Ross who joined on a short term deal, and youngsters, Liam King, Natt Kerr, Simon Harrison and Sam Duncum.

Paul Hurst, who holds the record for the number of appearances for the Millers, had been working on the sports desk for the local newspaper, The Advertiser, said that he still believed he could play in the football league but also said that he understood that Mark Robins wanted to go down the 'younger route`. Robins himself said, ''Paul can still do a job but we have Stephen Brogan on the left with young Jamie Green coming through too. Paul is a good lad and we wish him all the best.`

Meanwhile, skipper Graham Coughlan, said that the last three or four months had been the 'worst of my career. I would have liked to have helped keep more clean sheets and get a few more goals and I wasn't happy with one or two of my performances. I think I got sucked into the situation and I should have been bigger and better than that. Saying that, if anyone went to work on a Monday morning and got told they aren't getting paid I don't think anyone in their right mind wouldn't be affected. Irrespective of how big and broad your shoulders are it`s a worrying time.`


Speculation about would we still play at Millmoor next season or would we have to find somewhere else and where would that be was still upmost in the minds of anyone who had anything to do with Rotherham United. A meeting between the Booth Family and new Chairman, Tony Stewart, had stalled with Chief Operating Officer, Paul Douglas, saying, 'There are three main sticking points - the rent, the length of the lease and the dilapidation of the ground. If we can't find a solution with these then the club will move away from Millmoor.`

9th May 2007

On this day three years ago, Ian Henderson, who had earlier been on loan to the Millers from Norwich City, wasn`t expected to return to Millmoor. Millers Manager, Mark Robins said, that Henderson, who had made eighteen first team appearances for Rotherham, enjoyed playing at Millmoor but thought he should keep his options open.
'I respect that,` said Robins.

Former Millers player and assistant manager, John Breckin, fuelled the rumours that he could be on his way back to Millmoor to become Mark Robins` number two, by leaving Tranmere Rovers today.

9th May 2006

It was on this day that an announcement came out of Millmoor that the proposed Company Voluntary Agreement by the club had been agreed. A meeting lasting only five minutes saw the CVA being agreed by seventy-nine per cent of the clubs creditors which was four per cent more than was needed for it to pass.

Then Chairman, Dennis Coleman said, 'We were confident we would be able to secure today's decision, it's the only way Rotherham United have a future, the alternative was liquidation. We have traded recently on the good will of people and hopefully we might get some of that business back. We now look forward to the continued future of Rotherham United.`

9th May 2004

Six years ago today, the Millers last game of the season was at the Bescot Stadium against Walsall. After a stalemate in the first half, in front of more than eleven thousand fans, the game came alive in the final forty-five minutes. Simon Osborn put the home side in front four minutes after the re-start with the Millers getting a penalty six minutes later and Michael Proctor equalised from the spot. On sixty-nine minutes Mark Wright, who had just come off the subs bench put Walsall back in front. But the Millers wouldn`t lie down and when referee Curson adjudged Saddlers defender Ian Roper to have brought down Millers substitute Richie Barker in the box in the ninetieth minute, he awarded the visitors another penalty which Paul Warne put away. The Saddlers had to win this game in the hope of staying up and straight from the re-start they got a corner which Paul Richie duly put in the back of the net to give the home side the win. Unfortunately, it didn`t stop Walsall being relegated.

Millers Team that day

Pollit
Minto
Gilchrist
Swailes
Stockdale
Mullin
Morris
S Barker (Monkhouse)
Sedgwick
Proctor (Warne)
Butler (R Barker)

Subs not used
Montgomery
Hurst

9th May 1999

It was on this day eleven years ago that the Millers were getting ready to face Leyton Orient in the play-offs after drawing against Chester at the Saunders Honda Stadium the day before.

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