Read the Millers Matchday tribute to Jim Storrie who passed away recently...
Read the Millers Matchday tribute to Jim Storrie who passed away recently...
Jim Storrie had the distinction of scoring two of Rotherham United's most famous FA Cup goals whilst also playing his part in the success of a young striker who was just starting out.
Jim, who died on November 13th, aged 74, was one of the very first signings when Tommy Docherty breezed into the manager's job at Millmoor in late 1967.
Not too many Millers players have been signed from Aberdeen but Storrie, then 27, is one of those rarities and Docherty wanted an experienced player up front as the club waged a battle against relegation from the old Second Division (now The Championship).
But Storrie's early impact was to be in the FA Cup.
In the third round in January 1968, he scored his first goal for the club, the only goal of the game as Rotherham beat top flight Wolves 1-0 at Millmoor.
In the next round, the Millers - stranded in the bottom two - travelled to fellow Second Division side Aston Villa who had already completed a league double over them. Again Storrie got the only goal, doing so five minutes from time and at the Holte End.
It put Rotherham into the fifth round for only the second time in their history and it's the last time the club have got to that stage.
Storrie's arrival coincided with a run of only two defeats in 14 games but relegation couldn't be avoided.
However, Millers fans had seen Storrie's arrival followed shortly afterwards by the emergence of young striker Steven Downes who certainly benefited from a player of Storrie's skills and guile.
The following season, in the Third Division, Storrie was near enough an ever-present and top scored with 15 goals but it wasn't just his goals because, all the time, Downes - still a teenager - continued to blossom.
The season after that, 1969/70, Storrie left in early October (joining Portsmouth) and a couple of months later Downes, having attracted quite a bit of attention, joined Sheffield Wednesday for £40,000.
Storrie made 84 appearances in all scoring 23 goals.
He was no stranger to a Yorkshire though, having been signed (from Airdrie) by Don Revie for Leeds United in the early 1960s, helping them into the top flight and also to the FA Cup Final in 1965.
After his spell at Pompey, he returned to his native Scotland for a brief stint with St.Mirren and later had two years as manager of St.Johnstone.