Millers tale has happy ending as doors open for return

The Millers are back home after four years as tenants over the border at an athletics stadium in Sheffield and Saturday was truly a day to savour for the 6,000 lucky punters who descended on the £20m New York Stadium for the hottest ticket in town.

A real occasion to be seen, with gentlemen in smart suits interspersed with ladies dressed to the nines in the West Stand.

Making up the majority of the mix were the supporters who last watched their team play in its home town in May, 2008, with the swell of pride among rank-and-file supporters – young and old dressed in replica tops and assorted club gear – there for all to see when they entered the swish NYS.

It was their day more than anyone else’s.

Just as their rivals up the road at Doncaster Rovers had their own cathartic moment when they moved into the Keepmoat Stadium in January, 2007, after years of running jokes about dilapidated Belle Vue, the Millers now have theirs. No more jibes about playing at a running track in a different town...

Yes, the NYS may not yet be quite fully operational – the lack of electricity in the press box being a case in point with a few handymen still milling around in the build-up to kick-off – but you put up with it. The extra trappings are on the way.

While the crumbling shell of Millmoor may be just 600 yards away from the town’s new sporting cathedral – just across the dual carriageway in fact, with its huge floodlights still prominent on the vista – it seemed like a million miles.

Somewhat fittingly, Barnsley provided Saturday’s opposition, just as they did 15 years ago to mark the return to Rotherham of their prodigal footballing son, Ronnie Moore, in a previous renaissance moment for the club.

Then, hundreds of fans packed out the Zone nightclub to hear ‘King Ronnie’ speak a few days prior to his first Millmoor outing as manager, the day Ronnie officially came ‘home.’

On Saturday, it was another charismatic figure in chairman Tony Stewart who held court, with supporters hanging on his every word.

Stewart did not need his tenor voice to make music with a captivated audience who lapped up his lyrics when he addressed them ahead of the game.

With almost evangelical zeal, he stated: “What a comeback... We have got a new stadium and new belief and the passion we have got will go on and on.”

The words could not have been sweeter if they had been delivered by Sinatra, with a chorus of “There’s only one Tony Stewart” promptly ringing out from the KCM Recycling Stand, the new Tivoli End in all but name.

While the surroundings were new, so was the Millers team with eight new signings making their bows, including Ian Sharps, handed his second debut after rejoining the club.

Barnsley started with newcomers Ben Alnwick and Jacob Mellis, with the latter claiming the honour of being the first goalscorer at the New York Stadium when he fired home a crisp low shot past Scott Shearer in front of the home fans on 37 minutes.

Within a minute, United had restored parity and on such an auspicious occasion, it was quite fitting that a man called Noble, David that is, saw his name in lights.

The Millers midfielder latched onto an adept flick from the impressive Daniel Nardiello – playing against his old club – to effortlessly steer the ball home low past Alnwick.

On the stroke of half-time, the hosts went into the lead when a sublime defence-splitting pass from Kari Arnason, excellent throughout, sent former Oakwell striker Kayode Odejayi clear and he rounded the onrushing Alnwick before tucking the ball into the empty net.

A raft of substitutions arrived after the break with Mido coming on for the visitors alongside former Middlesbrough midfielder Malaury Martin.

It was another Reds substitute, youngster Jordan Clark, who went closest to an equaliser but his shot was diverted onto the post by Shearer before Nardiello’s strike hit the woodwork at the other end.

Start spreading the news... The Millers are back in town.

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Rotherham United: Shearer; Hunt, Sharps, Mullins, Wilson; Pringle, Arnason, Noble, Rose; Nardiello, Odejayi. Substitutes: Warrington, Taylor, Revell, Ainsworth, Bradley, Denton, Evans, Johnson.

Barnsley: Alnwick; Stones, Collins, McNulty, Golbourne; Rigby, Mellis; Done, Dagnall, O’Brien; Davies. Substitutes: Etuhu, Dawson, Lidakevicius, Mido, Perkins, Clark, Rose, Wiseman, Foster, Edwards, Martin.

Referee: J Waugh (South Yorks).