Millmoor, Rotherham - old football grounds remembered (iv)

[jdrobbo]

The latest trip down memory lane takes us to Rotherham and their old ground, Millmoor, which is still standing today, despite the club having relocated down the hill at their shiny, new, less ‘charming’ stadium.

I never saw Burnley play at the old ground, but have taken a few walks around the footprint. It’s a huge dump but I absolutely love that about football grounds. It’s literally surrounded by scrap yards and railway tracks.

I recall a 3-3 draw there in the FA Cup in the mid-to-late 90s and of course, our wonderful Division Four winning season of 1991-92, got underway there, not at ‘Sunny Donny’ as many fans of the ‘Burnley Are Back’ video might think.

Highlights here: https://youtu.be/3dbQdzkS1x4


Any memories you’d like to share?

UTC

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[ElectroClaret]

Literally a dump.
First place I ever had a Pukka Pie, fwiw.

[Big Vinny K]

Went there one miserable cold wet Tuesday night with my mate.
Ronnie Moore was their manager.
Got stuck on motorway so we were late
0-0 draw.
Awful awful ground and Rotherham not a nice place full stop.

[Bosscat]

Last time I went to a game at Millmoor (a night game) during the Stan Era ... Crowd went quiet and someone shouted "Oi Branchy Svens watching" to a great uproar of laughter (both on and off the pitch) and Branchy putting his thumbs up and waving to the massed clarets...

Had parked on a grass bank and my front wheel dropped into a hole where a post had been removed, and about 10 clarets helped us get the car out...

[Buxtonclaret]

Remember a mate & l travelling over at the last minute, and getting to the ground just before KO.
It was a night match, I'd left my glasses in the car, and we played in that green halved kit!
Couldn't see our players at all!

[bobinho]

Remember getting bricked as we walked down the side of their stand to get to the away end.

Can’t remember the year but I’m sure Alan Stevenson was in goal…. For them!

[Sheffield Claret]

The reception for Stevenson on that occasion as he ran towards the away end was truly amazing

[bfcjg]

Going down the narrow road down the side was always a bit of a lottery, either crushed,bricked or both, decent ish pub on the main road st the top always packed out with Clarets. Really crappy ground though.

[NL Claret]

Went there one miserable cold wet Tuesday night with my mate.
Ronnie Moore was their manager.
Got stuck on motorway so we were late
0-0 draw.
Awful awful ground and Rotherham not a nice place full stop.

Similar memories with the traffic although it could have been 1-1 Taylor pen under Stan. I do recall a 0-0 early Cotterill days, had a couple in the Tivoli before the game, dismal game.

Other Millmoor memories

A 3-3 draw under Waddle in the FAC

A 3-1 defeat in the 4th division, it was the week after Hillsborough, went on the supporters club coach and Claret Tony gave us a warning about the police before getting off the coach. They’ll be like a cat on hot tin roof he said. Remember a rendition of you’ll never walk alone before the game.

[Jimmymaccer]

Amazing how now in the main the hooliganism has gone, grounds like these seem so small and almost welcoming, as tho in a way it would be fab to play at them again………Darlington, Doncaster etc……..

Tho be careful what I wish for!!!!

[ClaretTony]

Horrible place to be honest.

NL Claret recalls the match played a week after Hillsborough. Where we were sat, there were medical staff in front of us for the minute's silence, staff who had been on duty at Hillsborough a week earlier.

Awful ground, really was.

[DCWat]

There was a Look North or Calendar (can’t remember which) feature on the old ground a few weeks ago.

The son of the former owner is putting a bit of money into it, though I don’t think the phrase restoring its former glory was used! Sounds like they want to keep the ground running in memory of their Dad.

It’s used the for junior football, amongst other things.

[jjclaret]

I have a memory of being in “The Millmoor”, pub right opposite the ground, very early before ko one Boxing Day, some time very early 2000s. Pub was bouncing when suddenly word started buzzing around the pub that game had been called off, following refs pitch inspection. Haven’t seen a pub empty so quickly in my life. As we left the pub we passed the ground where the gate to the entrance for ground equipment was open so we wandered in only to be met by Ronnie Moore, their then manger and father of Ian Moore Moore Moore, who was bemoaning the state of the pitch(didn’t look too bad to be honest) as we left, following a chat our team bus pulled up and rather irate Stan Ternent getting off the bus and not too happy, but neither were we!

[Vegas Claret]

One of the best away ends for acoustics. Not sure I saw us get much there over the years although we got to play 'dodge the bricks' as we came out after games a few times. A dump but it was always a good away day

[NottsClaret]

There was a Look North or Calendar (can’t remember which) feature on the old ground a few weeks ago.

The son of the former owner is putting a bit of money into it, though I don’t think the phrase restoring its former glory was used! Sounds like they want to keep the ground running in memory of their Dad.

It’s used the for junior football, amongst other things.

I was at Millmoor last week to watch a junior match. Couldn’t believe it was still there, presumed it had been demolished for a retail park or something.

Although what probably saved it was the land being the least attractive you’ll find, it’s still basically in a scrap yard. The pitch looked absolutely mint, whoever restored that did a cracking job.

Despite its fairly bleak and industrial surroundings it was quite interesting to see it again. It’s a bit of a time capsule now, a proper football ‘ground’ in a world of stadiums and arenas.

[bigdavethemaddog]

one of my favourite all-time grounds

[Inchy]

I remember going there once and the game got called off as we pulled into the car park. Was around Xmas if memory serves me right (although I was very young)

Also remember going another game. I went to the toilet which was just a wall to pee on out in the open

Don’t remember any of the match

[claretonthecoast1882]

An away end that generated an atmosphere you will never come close to in a modern soulless ground.

Yes it was a bit of a dump but we weren't moving there just there to watch the team you support. Give me an away terrace with a low roof any day of the week over todays offerings.

[Bazer1882]

HA HA
Last time I was there the celebrity Sponsors were.
Percy Sugden and The Chuckle Brothers

[NottsClaret]

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This was it last week during the cold snap. Quite well preserved really. I did think I'd love to watch Burnley here again.

Having said that, their new ground is perfect for them - size, location, facilities etc and at least they stayed in the town centre (if you can call it that).

[Inchy]

HA HA
Last time I was there the celebrity Sponsors were.
Percy Sugden and The Chuckle Brothers

I think the chuckles brothers did the half time draw once when I was there. Being a kid it was the most exciting non-football thing I’d seen at a ground since the Blackpool fan of the week incident

[Culmclaret]

The old station which closed in 1986 couldn’t have been much closer to the ground. A desolate place in the early to mid 80s with the scrapyard and that alley. But once you got into the ground it was great! We used to have a habit of taking the lead and not winning there

[ChrisG]

My abiding memory of Millmoor is the entire away end singing Harry Potts Claret and Blue Army, not long after he passed away.

Think we lost one nil due to a shocking back pass from Mark Winstanley.

There was also a game that was postponed late on around a similar time I seem to recall. We didn't find out until we got to the ground.

[gandhisflipflop]

I went once. A banking hot day towards the end of the season (Stan era) and lost 3-0

[jollyjack]

That 3-3 Cup fixture was a great game!

[HeatonMoorClaret]

The club for some strange reason ran a special train there in the late 80's ? From memory it left after 1ish....we met in the Prince Albert at 11. Arrived in Rotherham 2.30 straight in pub right outside the station next to the ground ....missed the KO hey ho that was the 80's for you!

[Raconteur]

I remember watching us back in the 90s at Millmoor. 96 I think.
We got beat 1 nil . I seem to remember Mark Monington playing for them that day.

I also seem to remember the Chuckle Brothers making an appearance at half time ( memory may be playing games)

[Hipper]

I went there in the early eighties (the post Bond season I guess) but all I remember was the miners strike and miners about trying to persuade people of the righteousness of their cause. I did buy a Socialist Worker!

[dougcollins]

Yeah, it was great squeezing up that tiny alley to get out of the place whilst South Yorkshire’s finest are riding horses down in the opposite direction. And that was after Hillsborough.

I can remember nothing but miserable performances from the Clarets at Millmoor.

Saying that, the pub round the corner down some stone steps, The Tivoli, was one of my favourite away drinking holes.

[beddie]

Those Gents Toilets at Rotherham, bloody hell.

[beeholeclaret]

I remember driving over there one dark Tuesday evening in c1992. We beat them 1-0 with an Adrian Heath penalty right in front of the away end. Decent night all round.

[Leisure]

Remember a mate & l travelling over at the last minute, and getting to the ground just before KO.
It was a night match, I'd left my glasses in the car, and we played in that green halved kit!
Couldn't see our players at all!

Probably a bonus!