Celebrating 100 years of Rotherham United

It was on Wednesday, May 27th, 1925, when Rotherham United officially became the newest name in football.

Rotherham County and Rotherham Town agreed to amalgamate to become one club with the historic meeting confirming the new name of Rotherham United taking place exactly 100 years ago today.

Originally Thornhill United, County’s history went back into the 1870s whilst Rotherham Town, based at Clifton Lane, were the second club of that name, the first one folding in 1896 upon dropping out of the Football League.

The name change from Thornhill United to Rotherham County was in 1905.  They moved to Millmoor in 1907 from their previous home, the Red House Ground at Masbrough.

The name of Rotherham Town appeared again in 1905 after officials decided to rename Rotherham Club, formed in 1899.

County and Town had been fierce rivals in the Midland League (one level below the Football League) for over 20 years when, in late 1924, County directors asked fellow director Edgar Jenkins to approach cash-strapped Town for a chat about a possible amalgamation.

There was a favourable response when Mr.Jenkins met the Town chairman W G Parkin on Friday, December 19th, for what were unofficial talks.

Subsequent official talks progressed successfully and by March 1925, legal documents were drawn up and the name Rotherham United agreed upon.

There was much excitement in Rotherham - including at a big public meeting in the Town Hall Assembly Rooms - at the potential merger. It was hailed as a new start and described as “momentous days for Rotherham football.”

On April 3rd, Rotherham Town held a shareholders meeting at which they agreed to a ‘fusion’ with County and a voluntary winding up of the Town club.

The Football League gave its consent and among the arrangements was the County club taking over all the assets and liabilities of Rotherham Town and bearing all its liquidation costs.

After the season’s end, all that remained was for two historic meetings to take place. The first, on Tuesday, May 12th, was a special meeting of Rotherham County shareholders and one of the resolutions passed was to change the name to The Rotherham United Football Club Ltd.

Then, on May 27th, 1925, at a specially convened meeting at Millmoor, there was the historic gathering of Rotherham County chairman William Wordsworth, directors William Watt, James Watt, Edgar Jenkins, J Thorpe, EM Drummond and DB Jenkinson along with six shareholders.

The amalgamation of County and Town was officially confirmed and then the proposal to have the name of the club as Rotherham United was voted upon. It was carried unanimously.

Town. County. United.