Football team goes global after reviving old Rotherham stadium

by | Mar 8, 2024 | Community, Culture, Front Page Highlights, Sport, Top stories, Top Story - Home Page Lead, Top Story 2 - Home Page sub 1, Uncategorised

Wickersley Youth JFC have resurrected Millmoor Stadium, leading to receiving enquiries worldwide

The stadium, located just minutes from the New York Stadium which now hosts Championship outfit Rotherham United, hasn’t been used by a professional club since 2008. However, volunteers from Wickersley U16s did their part in tidying up what is known as the “spiritual home” of Rotherham United.

Robert Peace, Wickersley Girls’ Secretary and Development Officer said: “Our U16 team managers Stuart Bailey and Paul Reeder have a great relationship with the CF Booth family, the owners of the stadium.

“Stuart, Paul and the parents did a great job in tidying up a part of the Tivoli Stand.

“We jumped at the opportunity, especially with Millmoor sat there in good condition.

“It gave our kids and parents an experience they will never forget.”

Thanks to the work of volunteers, fans are not only able to return to their former home but also the U16s are able to take part in what is seen as a historical moment in the town.

Groundhopper @ryanw147 on ‘X’ sharing his experiences at Millmoor Stadium.

Peace said: “Not everyone gets to play in such an iconic stadium.

“The U16s were just about born when the Millers last played there.”

The boom in support for Wickersley

The club hasn’t just sparked the interests of the locals looking to return to the former home of the Millers, they’ve also received messages from across the globe. Their number of followers on ‘X’ have tripled over the week.

Wickersley Youth’s ‘X’ page celebrating their rise in followers.

Peace said: “We’ve had a guy from Holland utterly disappointed that he couldn’t come across to see a game!

“Other enquiries have come from Brazil, Belgium, Holland, Germany and then across the UK too.”

Access is only allowed to the Tivoli Stand, meaning that other areas of the stadium remain closed off.

Peace said: “Many areas are still out of bounds.

“We are wanting to ensure visitors still respect this for safety reasons.

“We as a club want to thank the Booth family for allowing this.

“It’s great to see the site being used by a local team and the next generation.”

Photo credits: PoultonOwl on ‘X’

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