RUFC - Ten years of Boxing Days re-lived

Rotherham United have had their Boxing Day clash called off for the second time in two years. This year there should have been a post-Christmas visit to Stockport, which has been postponed due to a frozen pitch while last season the Don Valley pitch failed at 9.30am inspection which stopped Darlington travelling.

So, the last Boxing Day game the Millers played in was at Don Valley in 2008 when Port Vale were the visitors. Drewe Broughton got the only goal of the game on sixty-seven minutes. But the game will probably be better remembered for the sending off of Marc Joseph when he brought down Kyle Perry for what appeared to be no reason at all on twenty-five minutes. This was Rotherham's first win at Don Valley since the beginning of October and, after this game they were twentieth in League Two.

The season before the Millers made the journey to Darlington and came back with a point from a one-all draw. Chris O'Grady put the Millers in front in the first half while Micky Cummins salvaged a point for the home side twenty-two minutes from time.

Boxing Day 2006 was the League One Rotherham v Oldham game at Millmoor. Chris Porter and William Haining put the visitors two up before half-time. Eugen Bopp gave the Millers a glimmer of hope ten minutes into the second half but Porter got his second on sixty-seven minutes to give Oldham a two goal cushion again. A Will Hoskins penalty on eighty-one minutes made the last ten minutes exciting but not fruitful for the home side.

2007 saw a Yorkshire derby at Millmoor when Huddersfield were in town. The Millers went into the game in twentieth place in the Championship with Huddersfield in third place. On eight minutes, the home side got a free kick twenty yards out which Michael Keane touched to Paul McLaren who in turn stopped the ball and Deon Burton smashed a superb shot into the top corner of the net. Although the Millers tried their hardest to hang on an agonising goal from Gary Taylor-Fletcher in the second minute of time added on gave the Terriers a point.

The Millers did get a surprising three points in the 2004 Boxing Day game at The Walkers Stadium when a goal from Shaun Barker on thirty-seven minutes gave the Millers the win. The Millers could have been one up in the opening minutes when Martin Butler's shot went a bit awry. Paul McLaren, Barker and Junior had shots at goal before Barker's goal. Referee Hall was busy with his yellow cards, booking James Scrowcroft of Leicester and Shaun Barker, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Junior and Andy Monkhouse from Rotherham in front of just over 27,000 spectators.
Teams that day were
Rotherham
Pollitt
Stockdale (Scott)
Swailes
McIntosh
Hurst
Monkhouse
McLaren
Barker
Campbell-Ryce
Junior
Butler
Subs not used - Hoskins, Vernazza, Minto

Leicester
Taylor
Makin
Dublin
Keown
Stewart
Gillespie
Nalis (Gemmill)
Gudjonsson
Morris (Benjamin)
Scowcroft
Connolly
Subs not used - Dabizas, Blake, Williams

Boxing Day 2003 was at the JJB Stadium and ended in another win for the Millers. Will Hoskins got two goals for the away side in two minutes (eighty-one and eighty-three minutes) with Nathan Ellington getting a consolation in the final minute of the game for Wigan.

The Millers travelled to Preston for the Boxing Day clash in 2002. Nearly fifteen thousand spectators saw the visitors win the game two-nil. Twelve minutes after half-time Andy Monkhouse sent in a low cross which was met by Mark Robins who turned the ball into the net. Five minutes before the end, Richie Barker doubled the score giving the Millers a well earned three points.

The Millers didn't have a game on Boxing Day 2001 and the League One game on 26th December 2000 ended in a nil-nil draw at Millmoor against Notts County.

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