Football in Rotherham kicked off in 1868, when the rules for the town's team were formulated under the guidance of the Grammar school headmaster, the
Rev. J.J. Christie who became the first president and secretary Henry Hart. A committee was elected and the rules stipulated that the season would operate
between November and April, with the annual subscription of two shillings and sixpence being due on the first day of December each year.

But it wasn't until December 1870 that the first game took place, this being a practice match, which was played in the field opposite Eastwood House on
Doncaster Road. A second game took place the following day, so the new Rotherham Club was born.

It wasn't long before the team moved to the field adjoining the cricket ground on Clifton Lane where the pitch had quite a pronounced slope. The team gradually gained momentum and two teams were formed while, as the sport gained in popularity up and down the country, several teams were born in Rotherham.

By the mid 1870's other teams such as Kimberworth, Holmes, Rawmarsh, Wentworth and Greasbrough had come into existence and at the start of the 1875-76 season, another team carrying the Rotherham name was born. Rotherham West End promised they could become the best team in the area but that threat failed to materialise and they were overtaken by the birth of Thornhill who were subsequently to become the town's major club.

They played their first game on October 4, 1877, at a ground just off Greasbrough Road before they moved to Red House five years later, the site now being a roundabout adjacent to the Aldi supermarket on New Wortley Road at Masborough. A historic game for Rotherham Club came in 1884 when they entered the English Cup - now the FA Cup - and were given a home tie against Nottingham Forest. But the enticement to surrender home advantage in favour of the lucrative alternative of switching venues to their opponents' ground proved too tempting to resist.

They were beaten 5-0 but their finances increased by £17.10s by way of compensation and they followed a similar pattern the following season when they forfeited home advantage to Notts County for £30 - but suffered a 15-0 hammering. A fall out with the cricket club saw Rotherham briefly leave Clifton Lane but after unsuitable moves to Cocker's Field on Wellgate and the West End ground at Ickles, they settled their differences and moved back to the Lane. Ground improvements were made with the erection of a stand to accommodate 500 spectators and they adopted the name "Town".

Success slowly came their way and they reached the Wharncliffe Cup final in the 1887-88 season only to be beaten by The Wednesday and they became founder members of the Midland League the following season. Their first game in that competition resulted in a 3-1 win against Sheffield Club on September 14th, 1888 at Clifton Lane.

Rotherham Swifts came into being and disappeared within a short space of time
before Town won the Sheffield and Hallamshire Cup when they beat Sheffield United 1-0 at Clifton Lane, after a goalless draw at Bramall Lane. Rotherham's last game at Clifton Lane was against Burnley on April 18, 1891, after which they upped their stands and moved them a short distance to their new home at nearby Clifton Grove - now a housing estate on the opposite side of the road.

The first game at the new venue was played on September 5, 1891, when
Rotherham United took to the field. That was the name of the Town reserves' team. Two days prior to this, Town had made history when they became the first team to score with a penalty kick, in a game at Darlington St. Augustine's, Albert Rodgers claiming the honour. Another first was notched up when they were Liverpool's first opponents at Anfield in September 1892, but they were beaten 7-1.

Football League status came Rotherham Town's way for the first time in 1893 when Division Two was extended from 12 to 16 teams, Town getting the nod along with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Woolwich Arsenal. But they struggled to make an impact and their reign in the League lasted just three years before they went out of existence at the end of the 1895-96 season, with their last home game attracting a mere 300 spectators and it was estimated that 100 of those came from Lincoln City.

But Thornhill United continued to flourish and they won the Charity Cup in 1893-94 before the Rotherham Club was reborn in 1899, following the amalgamation of Rotherham Casuals and Rotherham Grammar School. They won the Sheffield
Association championship in 1903 with Thornhill as runners-up and they were both admitted to the Midland League to begin a period of intense rivalry. In April 1905, Rotherham called a special meeting at which they readopted the name "Town" much to the annoyance of Thornhill who considered themselves as the town's leading club. So they moved quickly to change their name to include Rotherham and they became known as Rotherham County, although this was the subject of much discussion. Many people thought it was an inappropriate name as Rotherham was not a shire and Borough would have been more suitable, as the town had now become a county borough, while United was a name which was strongly fancied along with the suggestion of North End. The rivalry between the two clubs intensified and County took a step to prove they were the senior side when they moved their ground from Red House to Millmoor in 1907.

Red House didn't meet the requirements to allow County to play cup ties but their
new home required a lot of work as it had an alarming slope. The first game at the new venue took place on September 2nd, 1907 when County beat Leeds City reserves 3-2 in a Midland League fixture with Algernon Pynegar claiming the honour of scoring the first goal at Millmoor.

In 1907-08 Town became the first Rotherham team to reach the competition proper of the English FA Cup but they were beaten 1-0 by West Ham United at their Boleyn Castle ground. But it was County who continued to prosper and they won the Midland League championship in four successive seasons between 1911-12 and 1914-15. In contrast Town hit financial problems and they ceased playing during the First World War.

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Information From : The Definitive Rotherham United Gerry Somerton (2003)