RUFC - Fifty Years On

Rotherham United will be celebrating an event that happened fifty years ago on Saturday at Don Valley.

It is almost fifty years ago that Rotherham United were involved in the first ever League Cup Final with Aston Villa. Villa won the final, which took place over two legs, three-two on aggregate and, although they are credited with winning the 1960/1 Final, the game was held over until the following season with Villa lifting the cup on 5th September 1961.

The first game was held at Millmoor on Friday, August 22nd 1961, when Alan Kirkman and Barry Webster put the Millers two up in front of over 12,000 people. In the second leg at Villa Park, Harry Burrows and Peter McParland scored to take the second leg into extra time. Alan O'Neill scored the all important goal to give Villa the win.

To get to the final the Millers beat Leicester City, Bristol Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Portsmouth and Shrewsbury while Aston Villa beat Huddersfield, Preston North End, Plymouth Argyle, Wrexham and Burnley.

The club will be hosting the cup finalists in the VIP Lounge on Saturday at Don Valley and they will be paraded before the fans at half-time. Those who will be in attendance are Roy Ironside, Roy Lambert, Keith Bambridge, Barry Webster, Ken Houghton, Peter Madden, Lol Morgan, Brian Sawyer and Gordon Morritt. Brian Sawyer actually missed the final due to injury but played in five of the six games to get the Millers there.

Fans will be able to buy a special commemorative programme where the original programme from the leg at Millmoor will be re-printed inside the match day programme for Saturday. The price is £3.






Vital Rotherham on:

Vital Rotherham on:

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.