Rotherham United legend Rodney Fern, 69, passes away

Former Rotherham United striker Rodney Fern, a leading light in the feted Millers' line-up who won the Division Three championship in 1980-81, has passed away at the age of 69 after a battle with dementia.
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Rotherham United

The Burton-on-Trent born forward joined the Millers from near-neighbours Chesterfield in 1979 and soon became a fans’ favourite at Millmoor.

Fern famously scored the goal which secured the third division title for the Millers in the 1-0 home win over Plymouth Argyle in May 1981.

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The previous month, Fern netted the winner at Carlisle United which earned promotion back to the second tier for the club after an absence of 13 years.

The former Leicester City and Luton marksman spent four years at Rotherham, scoring 35 times in 105 appearances, including a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Chelsea at Millmoor in October 1981.

Fern made his name at Leicester, where he played in the 1969 FA Cup final against Manchester City, having scored the winner for the Foxes in their quarter-final triumph over Mansfield Town.