Full circle
Thirteen years after rising together, The Gills and The Millers are reunited in League Two - with Tom Eaves adding another twist in the tale
Originally published in Gills Journal by David Tickner.
Gillingham and Rotherham United both secured automatic promotion from League Two together in 2013. Gillingham, then managed by Martin Allen, finished as champions with 83 points while Steve Evans’ Rotherham were runners-up on 79, just one point clear of Port Vale. Thirteen years later, the two clubs find themselves reunited in the fourth tier once again. How have they ended up back where they started?
Different paths
After 2013, The Gills remained in League One for nine uninterrupted seasons. Rotherham, meanwhile, immediately won a second successive promotion by winning the League One play-offs still under Evans and then spent much of the following decade bouncing between the Championship and League One. They never successfully established themselves at the higher level from which they were relegated four times. Their highest finish came in 2022/23 when they placed 19th.
Meeting again
Ironically, Gills’ eventual relegation from League One was inflicted when the two sides last met on the final day of the 2022 season at Priestfield. Rotherham, under Paul Warne, arrived needing victory for automatic promotion. The survival equation for Neil Harris’ Gills was more complex depending on how Fleetwood and Morecambe were to fare that afternoon.
Rarmani Edmonds-Green opened the scoring for The Millers after 34 minutes. Ben Thompson struck the underside of the bar as Gills clung on hopefully before Georgie Kelly, making his Rotherham debut, struck in the 89th minute to make it 2-0. As events unfolded, a draw against Rotherham would have saved The Gills because Fleetwood lost 4-2 at Bolton. However, Rotherham went up; and Gillingham went down on goal difference.
Four and a half years later, the sides meet again at the New York Stadium on Saturday. 2022 was Rotherham’s fourth promotion to the Championship in nine seasons. But their inability to survive at that level persisted and after two seasons, they were once again relegated in 2024. And this time, they couldn’t halt the slide in League One as 13th in 2024/25 became 23rd and another relegation last season. It wasn’t a narrow one either. They were 11 points from safety and won only ten league matches all campaign.
Starting again
Their subsequent summer clear out was substantial. 11 senior players were released, five loanees returned to their parent clubs and extensive recruitment followed.
Former England manager Steve McClaren was appointed to the newly created position of Head of football in May, charged with providing strategic football leadership to chairman Tony Stewart and the board. McClaren then played a key role in recruiting Alex Bruce as head coach on a two-year contract at the end of June. Bruce had briefly managed Macclesfield and had most recently been an assistant at Salford City, but Rotherham represents his first full-time managerial role.
Rotherham’s new head coach brings a family connection to Saturday’s fixture. Alex is, of course, the son of Steve Bruce whose professional playing career began at Priestfield in 1979 before he moved on to Norwich City and eventually a hugely successful Manchester United career.
This season
After nine games, Rotherham are 17th in League Two with ten points from two wins and four draws. Gillingham are 10th with a three-point advantage from their three wins and four draws. The sides have scored the same number of goals: 11 - but Gillingham have conceded three fewer.
Although Rotherham have only secured one win – at Northampton – in their previous six games, they remain unbeaten at home in League Two this season where they have held York, Salford and Crewe to draws and defeated Chesterfield.
Bruce’s challenges have been compounded by injuries and he has acknowledged this has forced changes of shape to his side. Recent absentees include Fabio Tavares, Ewan Otoo, George Sebine with Jamie Jellis and Klaidi Lolosreportedly close to returning.
Rotherham used a back three in the opening weeks but last weekend lined up 4-2-3-1 when they were beaten 1-0 at Exeter and 4-4-2 against Bradford in the EFL Trophy in midweek. Bruce told BBC Radio Sheffield that after Exeter scored last Saturday, ‘our heads went down’ and suggested that individual errors, rather than tactical changes, had been the greater concern.
Tuesday’s 4-0 home defeat by Bradford - higher-level opposition from League One - requires context. The visitors raced into a 2-0 lead inside 11 minutes, but Bruce had made seven changes to the side that started at Exeter. The scoreline should not be overinterpreted. The situation was not dissimilar to Gillingham’s own EFL Trophy outing, when a much-changed side suffered a 4-1 home defeat against Cambridge.
Bruce has been frank about Rotherham's recent shortcomings, admitting that individual mistakes have proved costly. Injuries have limited his attacking options, although he hopes to welcome back reinforcements for Saturday. Despite successive defeats, the head coach insists he retains confidence in his players.
Rotherham’s leading scorer this season is Paul Mullin whose four goals have underlined his importance since arriving from Wrexham in the summer. After playing the full match in Saturday’s defeat at Exeter, he was rested against Bradford and is expected to return to the starting line-up this weekend.
Familiar faces
Gillingham’s most recent victory at the New York Stadium came under Steve Lovell in October 2017 when they won 3-1. Josh Parker scored twice and the other goal came from a Tom Eaves diving header.
Now back at Gillingham for a second time, Eaves has also had two spells at Rotherham - on loan from Bolton Wanderers in 2013 and permanently from 2022 to 2024. He was their leading scorer when they were relegated from the Championship in 2024 although that only amounted to six goals.
Speaking of former Rotherham strikers - in that last League Two meeting between the sides in the 2012/13 promotion season, Gillingham completed the double over Rotherham. Former Millers striker Deon Burton haunted his old club by scoring all three goals across the two victories netting twice in a 2-1 win at the New York Stadium before grabbing the winner in a 1-0 Easter Monday success at Priestfield as Gillingham closed in on automatic promotion.
Verdict
Despite an indifferent start to the season and, like Gillingham, being hampered by injuries, Rotherham are still a difficult opponent at the New York Stadium where they are still unbeaten in the League, albeit with three drawn games.
Gillingham have only lost once in their last six League games – away at York where they well beaten. Last weekend they kept another clean sheet at home to Newport but struggled to create clear-cut chances to win the game.
This all makes a close contest feel likely but given the symmetry and coincidences of recent fixture history, I wouldn’t bet against Tom Eaves scoring for Gillingham against his former club.
Prediction: Rotherham United 1-1 Gillingham
David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack
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