A bumper boost for charity and a Rotherham United fan's chat with royalty

A game between Millers old boys was played at AESSEAL New York Stadium earlier this month to mark the club's 100th year since the 1925 merger between Rotherham County and Rotherham Town.

The driving force behind the event was Rotherham supporter Kev Johnson who was blown away when he was informed that a bumper 5,000-plus crowd had helped to raise £58,500 to be shared between Rotherham Hospice and Rotherham United Community Trust.

“Wow,” he said. “Unreal.”

The match was Kev's latest venture as he is the man behind the Millers 'Legends Nights' that have seen the hospice benefit to the tune of nearly £100,000 in the last few years.

His charity work was rewarded with an invite to a garden party that was hosted by King Charles last week.

“What a surreal moment when we walked through the front gates of Buckingham Palace!” said Kev who was accompanied by wife Nicola. “It was an absolute honour to experience it.

“When I started fund-raising three years ago I had three goals in mind: making the charity money, giving people memories to cherish and making my family proud. I hope I've ticked all three boxes massively.”

The New York match, which finished 7-7, saw appearance from players like Lee Frecklington, Richard Wood and Adam Le Fondre while Ronnie Moore and John Breckin got together as a management duo to take on Neil Warnock in the opposing dugout.

It was a wonderfully positive occasion at the close of a Rotherham campaign that had sadly brought the drop into League Two.

“I managed to get an ‘Hello, how are you?’ from King Charles on his walkaround,” Kev said. “The highlight of the day was a chat with the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Edward) and his wife, Sophie,

“I can tell you that he loves tennis but has no interest in football. He said that at school he supported five teams and they all got relegated. Maybe he is a Miller!”