Days Gone By | Rotherham United vs. Cardiff City
Thursday's meeting between Rotherham United and Cardiff City will be the 52nd match between both sides.
Our first matches against many of our opponents came in the early 1920s. Our history with the Millers is slightly different. The first match between Cardiff City and Rotherham United came in 1951, however, there were two matches between the Bluebirds and Rotherham County in 1921 in Division Two.
County won the first meeting 2-0, but City would get their revenge by winning the return fixture 1-0, Fred Pagnam with the deciding goal. The Bluebirds would go on to win promotion that year and enjoy some fruitful years in Division One, Rotherham County would reform in 1925 to become Rotherham United.
As mentioned previously, the first meeting between the newly formed Rotherham United and the Bluebirds came in 1951. United would come out on top in the first match, winning 4-2. In fact, as the 50s went on, Rotherham would have City’s number on many occasions, as they went on a five-game unbeaten run against the capital side. But the boys in blue would finally notch up a victory against the Millers in 1959, Brayley Reynolds with the only goal in a 1-0 win.
Throughout the late-50s and much of the 60s, both City and Rotherham were mainstays in Division Two. They met 18 times during this period, and it was the Yorkshire side who came out on top the most, as the Bluebirds only won on four occasions, but it did include a thumping 4-1 win in 1965. Braces for Peter Hooper and Alan Durban (pictured above) doing the damage.
After the 1967-68 season, the Millers headed back down the leagues and the fixture became a rare event, until the sides would start facing off against each other on a regular basis in the early 90s. By the time 1990 rolled around, Rotherham were on a 13-game unbeaten run against the Bluebirds, the longest in the history of the rivalry. However, City finally recorded a 2-0 win, with goals from Chris Pike and Leigh Barnard.
A unique aspect about this fixture is that both sides have met in the fourth tier of the English football pyramid in the 1991-92 season, with the Bluebirds winning both fixtures. Thankfully for City, they only spent two seasons in the fourth tier, before rising up the leagues.
After a smattering of league meeting in the early 2000s, since 2015, the game has been a fairly regular sight on the fixture list. For the Bluebirds, it’s also the most successful spell they’ve had, and they are currently on a six-game unbeaten run against the Millers. This run includes their biggest ever win against Rotherham, a 5-0 triumph in 2017.
A double for Kenneth Zohore along with a goal each for Kadeem Harris, Junior Hoilett and Craig Noone sealing the win for Neil Warnock’s side.
Away from the results, City legend and current First Team Coach Sol Bamba made his final appearance for the Bluebirds against the Millers in 2021. Sol came off the bench late on, making a triumphant return following a battle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bamba would play for one more season, with Middlesbrough, before turning his focus towards coaching.
In the first game this season at the Cardiff City Stadium, City came out with a 1-0 win, thanks to Jaden Philogene’s 65th minute winner. Sabri Lamouchi will be hoping for more of the same at the New York Stadium tonight.
