FEATURE: Looking back on five New York classics

It felt like home from the off after the long-awaited return to Rotherham after so long in exile at Sheffield’s Don Valley Stadium.

The move back home, just down the road from the club’s spiritual home of Millmoor,  coincided with an upturn in fortunes on the pitch.

Two promotions and two-and-a-half years (and hopefully many more) in the second tier of English football hasn't been a bad way to start life at the £20 million ground.

Today's game against Preston will mark 100 league games at the NYS and here, JOE CAWTHORN looks at some of the ones that stick in the mind...

August 18, 2012

Rotherham United 3-0 Burton Albion

The first league game at the New York Stadium pulled in 11,441 punters to see the Millers quickly get their feet under the table with a comfortable win. Goals from Kayode Odejayi, Daniel Nardiello and Ben Pringle set Steve Evans’ men on their way to eventual promotion from League Two.

CAPTAIN IAN SHARPS LEADS THE MILLERS OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME AT NYS

April 27, 2013

Rotherham United 2-0 Aldershot

Who can forget the scenes on the final day of the first season at the NYS when Lee Frecklington popped up to notch Rotherham’s second against Aldershot right at the death and make absolutey sure of promotion to the second tier — and was then swarmed by hundreds of delirious fans in front of the kop? Iconic, euphoric and now part of Millers’ history.

LEE FRECKLINGTON'S GOAL AND PROMOTION CELEBRATIONS

March 25, 2014

Rotherham United 3-0 Brentford

A Tuesday night under the New York lights, is there a finer way to spend an evening? There certainly wasn’t in this case as the Millers, on a 13-game unbeaten run and scenting a second straight promotion, locked horns with eventual L1 promotion winners Brentford. A Kieran Agard double and one from Haris Vuckic did the trick — and made fans believe the Championship really was calling.

PURE JOY AS KIERAN AGARD CELEBRATES HIS SECOND GOAL WITH LEE FRECKLINGTON

April 28, 2015

Rotherham United 2-1 Reading 

More scenes of pure jubilation when Lee Frecklington hit the net, but this time it was the roar of relief as his goal ensured Championship safety in the first season up. Cue more scenes of fans on the pitch and chairman Tony Stewart celebrating on the directors’ balcony...and Steve Evans twirling his tie.

March 8, 2016

Rotherham United 1-0 Middlesborough

What would you know, another Frecklington winner — and one of the high points of the Neil Warnock-masterminded 11-game run that pulled the Millers back from the Championshipo brink against all the odds. This game against eventual promotion winners Boro was the first time many Millers fans believed their season could be saved – and was the third win on the bounce.

LEE FRECKLINGTON NETS THE WINNER ON A RAINY NIGHT AT THE NYS

The club will mark the 100 game mark by asking young fans from both sets of supporters to release balloons on the NYS pitch prior to kick off.

VIDEO: Watch Tony Stewart and Howard Webb announce the name of the new stadium from December 2011.