Four generations of fans to mark club's centenary

A football club is planning to produce a special kit as it celebrates its centenary in 2025.

Rotherham United Football Club was formed on 27 May 1925 as a merger of Rotherham County and Rotherham Town, and immediately became part of the English Football League.

Otherwise known as the Millers, based on the town's industrial history of milling flour, the team was based at Millmoor until 2008, when it moved to the New York Stadium.

Among those celebrating will be four generations of a Maltby family whose ages range from nine to 96.

Dennis Bulleyment, 96, said he first started supporting the club because he knew the brother of one of the players, Frank or Frankie Carr.

A devoted supported all his life, his children and grandchildren have also gone on to become fans and season ticket holders and regularly attend games together.

He said his fondest memory of the club was when they were promoted to the Football League Second Division, but he said they had all "been good games".

In 1955, they would climb to third in this division, the highest position the club ever reached.

"I was hoping at one time they'd make it to the top division, but they couldn't," he said.

Rotherham were denied promotion that year on goal average, after finishing level on points with champions Birmingham City and second-place Luton Town.

He said football was always a large part of his life and he still held a season ticket.

Gillian McCormack, 67, and Glenys Wagstaff, 70, have followed in their dad's footsteps and proudly don a Millers' shirt each.

For Glenys, she was a supporter from being a child, and recalls being taken to games from the age of eight.

She said she got "hooked" after watching Rotherham play Manchester United in 1966.

"Georgie Best was there, Nobby Stiles, Bobby Charlton...and we drew, nil a piece - it was absolutely unbelievable.

"That was my first big away game, and I've been there ever since, still got a season ticket."

For sister Gillian, football became part of her life later when she started attending games with her ex-husband.

She said she then joined her family and became a "fully-fledged" Rotherham supporter.

Glenys's daughters Julie Hodgkinson, 43, and her sister, Nicola Watts, 45, followed tradition and became football fans as teenagers.

They recalled the time they both joined fans as they rushed on to the pitch after Alan Lee secured a winning goal for Rotherham against Brentford FC in 2001, securing them promotion to Division One.

"I've always told our children that being a Rotherham fan is a rollercoaster," said Julie.

"It's about being a true Rotherham person, " she said.

"Life's tough sometimes, but there are some wins up there.

"We never get it dished on a silver plate, but it's the rollercoaster of emotions and the grit that keeps us going - it'd be boring if we won every week."

The youngest generation of fans in the family are Julie's three children, Charlie, Amy and Nicole, along with Nicola's children Sam and Sophie.

The youngest, Sam, nine, has a pair of signed gloves from goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, who played between 2020 and 2024.

Their fondest memory is being spectators at Wembley for the 2018 League One play-off final against Shrewsbury Town.

They remember watching defender Richard Wood score against Shrewsbury Town with a header, taking Rotherham to 2-1 during extra time, winning both the game and promotion to the Championship.

Rotherham United Community Trust is kickstarting a fundraising project to mark the centenary year, called the 2025 Club, which aims to secure £100,000 in investment from businesses to support local projects.

Community programme manager Jonathon Allan emphasises that the benefits are "for everyone", not just supporters.

"We want to raise £100,000 in total, but to run a mental health coffee morning for a year, it's only £4,000."

He added: "Our mantra from a Trust standpoint is that it's not just our club, it's our town."

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