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Rotherham seek to shake off yo-yo image
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Rotherham seek to shake off yo-yo image

For those familiar with England's lower leagues, one club that are always fun to follow are Rotherham United who in each of the past five seasons have succeeded in either being promoted or relegated. None of this middle-of-the table nonsense for The Millers.

The Yorkshire club's regular excursions from League One to the Championship and back again to League One have earned them an unwanted reputation as a yo-yo club.

This season, it looks very much like that pattern will continue as they bounce back after being relegated from the Championship on the final day of last season.

Rotherham are clear at the top of League One and will remain so whatever the outcome of last night's top of the table clash at home to Wigan Athletic who hold the second automatic promotion spot.

Wigan also know a bit about the yo-yo factor having won promotion from League One twice in recent years.

The two teams are not there by chance either and have been showing impressive form, leaving bigger name clubs like Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday in their wake.

Rotherham thrashed Sunderland 5 -1 earlier in the season.

Last Sunday they defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at Hillsborough in another significant victory with goals from Freddie Ladapo and Michael Smith.

Rotherham were not at their best against Wednesday and manager Paul Warne was not getting carried away by the win over their South Yorkshire rivals.

"I'm pleased but I'm not getting a tattoo or anything,'' he said.

"The lads are a great group and I will have to keep pushing them on."

The "lads" include prolific striker Smith who has won the League One Player of the Month award twice this season, scoring 21 goals in the process.

Warne said Smith is the best centre-forward Rotherham have ever had.

Another influential player is midfielder Dan Barlaser now in his third season with the Millers after being signed from Newcastle United.

Known as "The Geordie Pirlo,'' Barlaser said modestly: "I just try to feed the players who will get the goals."

His boss Warne calls him a "quarterback".

Rotherham have been very consistent this season enjoying a magnificent 21-game unbeaten run in all competitions until Accrington Stanley beat them 1-0 on Boxing Day.

A little history is perhaps required to fully appreciate this unfashionable club that has never made it to the top flight.

It was formed in 1925 as a result of a merger between two existing Rotherham teams, Town and County.

The majority of the time has been spent in the third and fourth tiers with occasional forays into the second.

Rotherham have always been a low budget club with few major signings.

For years they played in the old Third Division North until finally winning promotion in 1952.

The nearest they got to the top flight was in 1955 when they came third in the old Division Two, missing out on promotion on goal average.

In 1961, Rotherham enjoyed a rare moment of fame when they reached the final of the inaugural League Cup, a two-legged showdown against Aston Villa.

Although they beat Villa 2-0 at home, they lost 3-0 in the return leg at Villa Park.

In recent years their longest stint in the Championship lasted three seasons, from 2014 to 2017.

Rotherham have been playing at the intriguingly-named New York Stadium since 2012 after 101 years at Millmoor and four seasons at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.

The name of the new stadium came about because it was built on the site of a foundry which made New York's famous fire hydrants.

That area of Rotherham became known as New York.

The club also hoped the name might attract investment from the American city although nothing substantial seems to have emerged.

It also explains why for the last decade the team has run out on the pitch to the strains of Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York.

Although it is still early days, unless there is a drastic change in fortunes Rotherham look to be heading for another return to the Championship.

If they do make it, let's hope they can stay there a little longer than usual.

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