Rotherham, one of those place names guaranteed to make your eyes glaze over. Time spent thinking about Rotherham is time lost to the void. As I typed that, I thought, that’s unfair. So I went to look for interesting things about Rotherham. That was a mistake.
ROTHERHAM has been ranked the unhappiest place to live in England according to a survey. Rightmove asked 21,000 people to complete a study based on their overall happiness with their area and what makes a place feel like home. Out of 221 cities, towns and villages surveyed, Rotherham came bottom of the list.
Oh. So I looked for something, anything that would overturn my prejudices. Who is the most famous person from Rotherham?
Trevor Taylor, motor racing driver.
Say who? And what kind of monster calls their kid Trevor Taylor. Presumably someone whose soul has withered from a lifetime in Rotherham.
There's got to be something.
Jeremy Clarkson trained to become a journalist at the ‘Rotherham Advertiser’ in the early 1980s. Despite going on to become a TV presenter, Clarkson still uses his journalistic talents and writes regular articles in The Sun and The Sunday Times, so we can thank Rotherham for that!
Ok. Enough. I don’t think I can take any more.
Football. Our historical record against Rotherham is Won 21, drawn 9, lost 13. From 1966, we didn’t lose a match against them for 50 years. More recently, though, it's a different story. Our last 8 games read won 2, drawn 2, lost 4. They’ve become a bit of a bogey team.
Still, bottom of the table, having won just 1 of their last 14 games. Should be a walk over except, guess who that one win was against.
Correct.
Jokes aside, this is a real test for Carrick. He has to nurse his denuded troops and walking-wounded through a match that no one’s interested in before heading to the big smoke for a semi-final against Chelsea. Given that winning is the barest minimum of an acceptable result and Rotherham’s away record this season is played 13, won 0, drawn 3, lost 10, goals for 8, against 33 there is only one possible result.
Thanks deleriad for the interesting bits of history about unknown sons of the town.
Well the stats do not look good and of course "Typical Boro" could turn up.
Can MC pick a team to do the business. It is a must win, to keep us in touch with sixth place, especially as we do not now have game until February against Sunderland.
We do not want the gap to be larger by then.
That seems a little unkind Deleriad. The Welcome to Yorkshire site says of Rotherham, which name comes from “Rodanhyrst”, meaning “the hill where the oaks grow”.
A rare 12th century Chantry bridge, a 750 acre country park, a thriving arts scene and the largest science adventure centre in Europe all await the intrepid visitor.
Rotherham is a town that has evolved over centuries, from its roots as a market town to its prominence as a steel manufacturing hub during the Industrial Revolution. Today, it is a thriving destination with a rich cultural scene, a plethora of leisure activities, and a welcoming community spirit. Whether you’re a history buff, a nature lover, a foodie, or a shopaholic, Rotherham has something to offer you.
Explore the town’s historic sites, such as the magnificent Rotherham Minster and the Clifton Park Museum, or immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Rother Valley Country Park. Indulge in retail therapy at Parkgate Shopping Park, or savour local delicacies at the town’s many eateries. Rotherham is a place that invites you to discover, to experience, and to create unforgettable memories.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yorkshire.com/rotherham/
I can certainly vouch for the "largest science adventure centre in Europe", Magna, as being well worth a visit. Unlike some of the readers in here perhaps, I never had the experience of going into any of the vast halls that once housed our own proud iron and steel works. Magna certainly provides that awe inspiring experience.
I cannot dispute your footballing facts and figures though and I agree that this is has to be the fixture of all fixtures this season that you would hope (expect) Boro to win comfortably, and not least to lay that freakish cross-come-goal provided defeat we suffered on Boxing Day to rest.
powmillnaemore
Are you a secret Rotherham supporter? Or is there some secret background lurking in the past? Or were you just providing the flip side to Deleriad’s “welcome to Rotherham?”
All,I hope for is a resounding win !
OFB
Deleriad
A great opener, one written with your tongue firmly pressed into your cheek !
Weather and extreme cold permitting I shall be there on Saturday and hope the Boro don’t have both eyes on Tuesday evening whilst they are playing the game !
I saw the their home game against us and it wasn’t a pretty sight and don’t want a repeat. Complacency ruled that day and hopefully the Boro will blood Kavanagh and give him a first team debut because let’s face it if you can’t play him against the bottom team then who can you play him against?
Hopefully the resurgence of Boro3 !
OFB
Deleriad, Thank you for the opener, it made me chuckle quietly then the colour drained away from my cheeks.
Our poor recent record against them, their one win against a team that shall remain unnamed for fear of cast ing the runes. Are Rotheram a new Millwall for Boro? A team that always spoil things for us? Too many questions and imponderables, can we collectively focus on the dramatic return of OFB's Boro please and not Typical Boro.
I don't have any experience of Rotheram at all, apart from buying some used Leica binoculars there from eBay. We went to collect them on the way up to Teesside and the house was like a film set for The Knack, for those of us who remember that film. It was all white, even all of the carpets, curtains, everything white, only white roses and flowers in the front garden too and in the living room was one red armchair. When we were both finally in our car and back on the motorway we didn't speak for probably half an hour. I dread Boro playing Rotheram for some as yet unexplained or unresolved reasons unlike Millwall where you know where you stand, not in one place for too long.
Sorry about that but it's better to talk about it apparently. I've still got the binoculars.
Come on OFB's team.
UTB,
John
Thanks for that, @deleriad. Rotherham - the town that England forgot. I was feeling good after the full English Breakfast and reading your Opener, until I got to the bit about the recent form of Saturday's opposition against our Heroes. And, to make that worse, @powmillnaemore reminds us, in the last sentence of his post (above), about the freakish "cross-come-goal" which did for us at the Riverside on Boxing Day. I had already forgotten about that!
I agree with OFB - surely we could find a way of giving Kav a game?
A Boro win, for me. I'm not going to join Bob's "Boro 3 bandwagon" for the fear of putting a jinx on it, but I'd be very happy with a good performance and three points. Three goals added to the equation would be the cherry on top of the Bakewell.
It was it Rotherham, wasn’t it ?
Reading the opener reminded me of a previous home game a long time ago against Rotherham.
Boro had a Welsh international called Bill Harris who was brilliant at taking penalties. I’ve always maintained that he only missed one in his career- in a midweek game against Rotherham. The goalkeeper was called Ironside and Harris who always put the ball into the bottom corner attempted to put it into the top corner and Ironside tipped the ball over the bar.
Harris’s partner in midfield was an underrated player called Yeoman(s) whose job was to tackle and break up moves. When he did so, he’d set off running in a straight line , body very upright and his legs seemingly going a hundred miles an hour until he approached the opponents penalty area. The crowd urged him to shoot but he rarely ever did but instead passed the ball to the right winger. One of them was a very small winger who was fast and good at beating his full back and crossing the ball. I seem to remember he came from Blackpool.
Now , if Ken was here he could verify the above and remind me of the winger’s name.
And Saturdays game should be a comfortable win . I’d love it to be by 3 or 4 goals but I’ll settle for scoring 1 more than Rotherham - can’t have Chelsea thinking we’re on top form !!
Philip of Huddersfield
I think the winger you are referring to was Arthur Kaye who came from Blackpool. Both Sivera and Mcgree on bench tonight for the Socceroos.
Thanks Deleriad for both an amusing and scary read!
I have already crossed Rotherham off the list should we ever decide to return to the UK (not blo….y likely, can’t handle the cold amongst other things).
Surely we can’t play like we did at their place and not score again!
We are now getting to the part of the season where we need to start putting a run together and what a better way to do so than doing a Boro3 please. 😎
@john-richardson that sounds terrifying.
@powmill-naemore it was meant to be tongue in cheek but just in case, if any Rotherham residents are reading this, they have my condolences 😎.
Rotherham are an odd case because they seem to generate really good players. We have taken Crooks and Barlaser from them. Luton have Ogbene who seems to be doing well for them in the Premier league. Their keeper, Johansson, frequently turns up among the best keepers in the league.
On the flip side, we could easily end up playing against a strange, parallel Boro with a defence of Pelletier, Hall & Ayala and Hugill up front.
Another Yorkshire derby and one we can surely win. Thanks for another superb starter @deleriad.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to Rotherham, although most of my paternal ancestors came from nearby Barnsley - I’m sure there must be rivalry between the two towns.
We’ve finally got a light covering of snow here in Sherburn but, more importantly, I’ve just booked the CalMac ferry to Lewis from Ullapool, for our trip in April/May.
thanks.the more you try to remember something , you can’t, must be an age thing !
@martin-bellamy - Hopefully NOT on one of those (a) over-due (b) well-outside-budgetted costs (c) not guaranteed to work properly when they ARE eventually delivered ferries ordered by the Scottish Government some time ago in another age. Meanwhile the existing ferries continue to work, patched up with elastoplast (maybe a slight exaggeration) and long past their intended lifespan. I understand the frontage in Ullapool has been redeveloped last year to extend the space looking out over the harbour. I hope to be checking that out next week.
I really enjoyed your opener, deleriad. It was very different and very funny. Thanks, too, to powmill for giving a slightly more balanced picture. Personally, I rather wonder what the writer of the Untypical Millers blog opener would have to say about Middlesbrough’s many charms?!
I was at two of those away defeats - firstly, the game when Warnock’s bottom-scraping team sent Karanka into a meltdown that saw him walk out, and then last season when the Millers’ win started our end of season, pre-playoffs rot. And I watched the away game this season live online. Aaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh.
So I’d best be careful with my prediction. I don’t want to tempt fate. However, I really can’t see anything other than a Boro win on Saturday, hopefully one that will do our goal difference some good. We will surely create chances, and surely we can’t miss as many as we did at their place. Surely?? 🫣🤞🫣🤞🫣🤞
Deleriad, thank you for an excellent lighthearted opener that a throughly enjoyed. MFC accounts for season 22/23 reveal showed we have improved whilst still making a loss of £6.7m, which included sales of Spence, Tavernier etc and a legal settlement of £2.7m (Mel Morris 🤔). Our revenue increased to £28.6m but our wage bill (alone) was £29.6m. Boro along with Luton, PNE are the only 3, so far, to release their financial accounts and a leading football financial expert has stated that although the 3 are of the better run clubs, they still were operating at £167,000 per day loss. Thank god for Steve Gibson.
Come on BORO.
@exmil - £167,000 per DAY? That's £1,169,000 per week or £60,788,000 per year. Steve Gibson, devoted to MFC and generous to a fault though he may be, couldn't be expected to shoulder an annual loss that size. Do you think a decimal point has been misplaced? Mind you, even having to stump up £6,078,800 per YEAR would make the eyes water.
@deleriad I got the tongue in cheekness of it, but just felt that in case any Millers had lost their way on the web and ended up at Diasboro, I wanted them to be reassured we really do appreciate there is more to Rotherham than social issues and discontent.... besides I have a nephew lives there so felt duty bound to stand up for the place a little bit 😉
@martin-bellamy - Hopefully NOT on one of those (a) over-due (b) well-outside-budgetted costs (c) not guaranteed to work properly when they ARE eventually delivered ferries ordered by the Scottish Government some time ago in another age. Meanwhile the existing ferries continue to work, patched up with elastoplast (maybe a slight exaggeration) and long past their intended lifespan. I understand the frontage in Ullapool has been redeveloped last year to extend the space looking out over the harbour. I hope to be checking that out next week.
If only the Scottish Government were as efficient at large infra structure projects as the UK one. HS2 anyone? 😉
MFC injury update, not looking too cheerful. Coburn, possibly on the bench for Saturday.
However, LL especially, does not appear to be near a return, and then all the rest seem to be longish term or all season.
🤔
Mcgree and Silvera played half an hour each. Mcgree very positive. Comment was he adds a lot to team but probably not fit enough to start yet. Socceroos have qualified for next phase. Also saw that Emilio Nsue scored a hat trick for Equitorial Guinea at AFCON. Remember him.
Thanks for the amusing preview Deleriad and highlighting some of the charms of Rotherham - it was the late eighties the last time I visited Rotherham and it was a cold wet miserable afternoon that I think ended in a 0-0 draw - so I can understand why many who live there are unhappy. Back then I lived in Sheffield and the short journey was basically a drive through a grim post-industrial wasteland of demolished buildings - hopefully it's a lot better now!
I'd agree that the minimum requirement for Saturday is three points against the bottom club so hopefully Boro can make a better fist of it than they did a few weeks ago at their place. And then as you say it's on to Chelsea...
I remember a game against Rotherham back in the sixties That taught me a valuable lesson. Losing 0-2 with about three minutes to go.,i left the game totally dejected and vowing not to go again., only to get home and find out ,final score 2-2 . Let's say I was both happy and fuming typical Boro.
@martin-bellamy - You might be right, Martin. Scotland has only ever had an SNP devolved Government yet I don't hear any rowdy acclamation from north of Carlisle about the successes in education, health and transport which are devolved to Edinburgh, nor its policing and criminal law. Wales has long had (maybe only had, but I won't waste time looking it up just now) a Labour administration, yet the complaints about the health and transport (20mph speed limits are not popular) and other areas of Welsh Government can be heard daily. Northern Ireland's own devolved Adminisistration hasn't even met for ages but exists only in suspended animation. Maybe, in light of that, and agreeing with you that HS2 is a prime example of how NOT to run a large infrastructure project and allowing for other areas in which one might say decisions emanating from Westminster have not always been, shall we say, "optimum" in recent years, perhaps this is a BRITISH thing rather than simply an English one?
One could get depressed about it all. But then we look at our American cousins facing either another 4 years of the Biden administration, or the return of Donald Trump and all that might entail. And we look at some of the countries in the EU - Orban's Hungary anyone? Greece, which defaulted on its 1.6Bn Euro debt to the IMF in 2015 (the first ever developed nation to fail to make a repayment to the IMF)? Look, this is a football Blog so I won't spend time going from country to country or continent to continent, but maybe it isn't even a European continent thing, but a world-wide thing. I mean, there is certainly strong government in Russia and China but few people seem to try to sneak across their borders so as to reap the social, political and economic benefits those countries have to offer. Or North Korea. Or Venezuela or Nigeria.
However with all this, and global trade issues with the possibility of a large proportion of world trade being forced to take a longer and slower route to its markets as a result of what is going on in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, with global energy issues, and the dreaded Climate Emergency, one could understand why people might feel a little downbeat as 2024 draws breath before taking its first faltering steps forward (or backward). So it's good to be able to banish those potential anxieties as the Mighty Boro faces a home game against Bottom of the Table Rotherham tomorrow.
There is something to feel cheerful about. On paper there is no game which LOOKS more like a home banker in Boro's league season than this one. I realise that is to tempt Fate and that Boro can never, ever, be entirely Untypical. But recent performances seem to give off a good vibe and there is an undoubted air of optimism about. Surely a home win and with some ease? Surely? Even the cold weather seems to have taken a holiday and may, as I type this, be moving towards the Baltic Sea. At 3pm tomorrow, kick-off time, it is forecast in MIddlesbrough to be light cloud, a 0% chance of precipitation, 6 degrees Celsius (43 Fahrenheit) and with a 19mph wind (a "fresh breeze"). So the serious chill we might have feared as we walk past the Transport Bridge and the old Docks, will hold no fears for us. Almost picnic weather. Everything seems to be falling into place for a pleasant afternoon out by the banks of the River Tees.
A win. I will take the risk of now saying 3-1 or 4-1 with no idea who will end up on the score sheet. So now you can all blame me if it goes pear-shaped. But I don't expect that to happen. We can set aside our political or economic woes, our prejudices and fears, wherever we may live. Tomorrow is going to be a good day. And it will forever have a "W" engraved beside it on the calendar or diary, to denote the 3 points earned on the pitch. Maybe this will be the day we started to believe.
(Oh, and by the way and with no relation to anything above, we had haggis, neeps and tatties for lunch, with a nice whisky sauce, washed down by a few drams of Auchentoshan. The world seems rather more mellow now). #UTB.
(Oh, and by the way and with no relation to anything above, we had haggis, neeps and tatties for lunch, with a nice whisky sauce, washed down by a few drams of Auchentoshan. The world seems rather more mellow now). #UTB.
Auchentoshan is my sipping whisky of choice. If you see it, check out Malt Riot. It's a Glasgow blend but don't hold that against it. Really smooth and has replaced the every harder to get hold of Shackleton for me.
Got some haggis, neeps and tatties cued up. Also some haggis brownie for pudding.
I expect Marcus Forss to start at Chelsea if Coburn is not fit. But I wouldn't be surpriced if he will play only 30 to 45 mins against Rotherham. Perhaps 45 min a piece for both Coburn and Forss today.
I was really surpriced about the Aston Villa interest in Morgan Rogers. He has been only six months at the Riverside. He is not ready by any means as player but has potential. I think it is best for both Boro and the player to spend the spring at Rockcliffe to develop.
But we have a couple of extra bodies in attacking midfield, though. But I would expect Hoppe and Gilbert to go on loan. Even Silvera rather than Rogers. Anyway, I hope to see the former Manchester City player still at Chelsea on Tuesday.
But first Rotherham. I think they will defend very deep. That will make it difficult for us. We have found it easier against the top teams that do not park the bus and have more space for Jones to run into, for example.
So an early goal is needed. If that happens, the Millers will need to start attack and open up.
I missed the Millwall match because of family commitments. So I am looking forward to seeing the Boro again. Up the Boro!
I see someone is claiming the team has leaked. I won't link to it or repeat it because it feels dubious to reward leakers with attention. It is a bit concerning because this will be the second time recently the team has leaked and that doesn't usually happen unless someone's a bit disgruntled.
Anyway, given that Carrick only has about 12 fit first teamers who can start, it's not exactly rocket science to guess the team.
Nothing to do with football, but we in Finland have been following this very closely:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-68022308
As you might know, we are passionate about sauna in Finland. Everybody has one and we built one for our Olympic team for the 1948 Olympics in London. It is nice it will be saved.
Just for info, we have about 1,3 saunas per family in Finland. Some old flats do not have one, but I have never seen a house or bungalow WITHOUT a built-in sauna. And a lot of people have a summer cottage over here - and another sauna there, too. So my three brothers have two saunas each as they have cottages. Hence the average of 1.3 sanas per a household.
Up the Boro!
@jarkko - I enjoyed reading that article about the sauna from 1948, Jarkko, and the article next to it on the BBC site about sauna diplomacy in Washington DC. I hadn't realised that people shower BEFORE entering the sauna. I can see you'd need a (cool) shower AFTER a sauna as you'd be hot and sweaty then! I guess in a family sauna everyone would go in together, or at least husbands & wives, rather than having a separate male and female "session".
I think in the UK many people would be too "buttoned-up", too reserved, to use a sauna. But I remember decades ago going to the Turkish Baths at Eston (no longer there now). They had steam rooms - it seemed like a warm room, hot room and an "effing hot" room - and you spent time in them in turn. There was also a freezing cold plunge bath to jump into (that got the heart pounding). I'm sure we showered at the end. I THINK we wore swimming trunks rather than being naked but we might have just had a towel around our waist. I think it might have possible to have a massage there, too. I'm not sure if it was men one night and women on another but there were only men present when I went.
All good clean fun. Well, we were clean afterwards.
We have cricket and pubs, the Finns have sauna. And two of my friends, with whom we go camping, are called Phinn (pronounced as if with an "F" at the start).
Here I am Back in Bahrain en route to the Red Sea up near Aqaba, and hope to watch the match from the departure lounge. The last time I was here it was Rotherham again in the departure lounge but it was not on the Boro website as it was showing on the TV - as if anyone really wanted to watch it.
Never mind if we play as we have been recently then it will be good to watch whatever happens. It has banana skin written all over it.