Millers make merry to thrill Chuckle Brothers

1:40pm Friday 26th September 2008

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He turned to me, a spider-web tattoo covering half of his fifty-something face, and growled menacingly.

“Where ya from?” he demanded to know in flat South Yorkshire vowels that didn’t suggest he was looking for a new pen pal.

“Hampshire,” I blurted out.

It was not an answer he could fathom and thankfully that was the end of our dialogue for the rest of the game.

That was my initiation to Millmoor.

City’s League Cup tie there on the night of the Twin Tower disaster was my first Rotherham visit. The press ‘box’, which was literally that, was in a state of disrepair so we were all lumped in the main stand.

Hence my proximity to Mr Creepy-Crawly.

Seven years on and I wonder if he is still a regular at the Don Valley Stadium, the soulless Sheffield base that will be Rotherham’s home for the foreseeable future.

City have endured some pretty rotten times in recent years – but what about the not-so-merry Millers?

However squeaky it got here, at least the club were able to keep playing at Valley Parade. Home comforts is not such a luxury for Mark Robins’ nomads.

Losing the security of Millmoor on top of that 17-point league punishment could have been the death knell for a club who built a proud reputation for bloodying the noses of far grander opponents.

But as we unfortunately witnessed with Bournemouth last week, strength can be discovered through adversity.

Rather than rolling over and accepting the kicking they were given by the authorities, Rotherham have staggered back up, dusted themselves down and are now in the mood to deliver plenty of knock-out blows of their own.

Leeds set down the blueprint last year for scaling the considerable obstacles plonked in their way. Rotherham are proving quick learners.

In the words of the Chuckle Brothers, their ‘celebrity’ fans, there has been: No slacking.

Robins rightly pipped Stuart McCall as the manager of the month for August after Rotherham’s powerful start – and there has been no hint of losing steam since.

The pre-season deficit has been trimmed by 14 points already, which at any other time would be good enough to put them right behind City. Another win at Dagenham tomorrow afternoon will reach the magic zero.

By the time the Bantams head for the Don Valley at the end of November – and that will be draughty – Rotherham could be well clear of drop-zone danger.

Their revival has not been limited to league form. The Millers also went into today’s draw for the last 16 of the Carling Cup having dumped three teams from the Championship, Southampton following Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday during the week.

Robins has generated a resilience into his squad, which includes former City winger Alex Rhodes. Bombed out by the Bantams in May, he has found a new lease of life and has already popped up with a couple of goals.

While the national agenda is once again dominated by the tiresome Tevez affair and the on-going fall-out from West Ham’s breach of the rules, it’s good to see that a club whose punishment far exceeded their crime are refusing to go under.

Rotherham are my nomination for team of the season so far. Even Spiderman must be smiling.