A hostile derby away end won't worry Rotherham United's Cameron Dawson tomorrow
STANDING in front of a baying away end with South Yorkshire bragging rights and vital League One points at stake might be the loneliest position on the pitch.
But Rotherham United's Cameron Dawson wouldn't have it any other way.
The goalkeeper loves the heat of a derby duel and 2,000-plus Doncaster Rovers fans packed into their section of AESSEAL New York Stadium this weekend hold no fears for him.
“I prefer that to an empty stand,” he said. “We're professional footballers, we're competitive animals. If someone is giving me a bit in my ear, it's definitely not a negative for me.
“Us goalies are a bit mad, aren't we? I'd prefer that to just hearing nothing. Football needs rivalries and high-pressure games. I'd rather play in a hostile atmosphere than in a flat game.”
The 30-year-old's nerve will be tested on Saturday as the Millers do battle with another side desperate to climb away from relegation danger. Tension will abound in a clash that could have a huge bearing on both teams' fortunes this season.
If Dawson is the target of any abuse, he won't be scared to respond in kind if he decides it will fire him up even more and improve his performance.
Speaking earlier this season, he said: “I don't mind giving a little bit back at certain times. It's part of it. If that's what you feel like you need at the time to get yourself going, then you can play on it a little bit.”
The shot-stopper has made the number-one spot his own, seeing off the challenge of Ted Cann and becoming a league ever-present this season.
Not every Millers supporter appreciates his efforts, yet manager Matt Hamshaw has no qualms about selecting the former Sheffield Wednesday man.
“I know there's been a bit going on with ‘Daws’ and our fan base,” the boss said. “But he's been exceptional.”
The local clashes are coming thick and fast for Rotherham in the 2025/26 campaign. Rovers and Barnsley are their closest neighbours and, moving in West Yorkshire, Bradford City and Huddersfield Town also offer nearby opposition.
The most partisan followers Dawson has ever experienced also hail from that neck of the woods.
“I've always loved playing at Elland Road,” he said. “There's just something about that ground that is special. Leeds United were flying (in the Championship in January 2020) and I was fortunate enough to go there and win, which was special.”
New York might not be quite that much of a hothouse on Saturday, but the stakes and the emotion will still be overwhelmingly high.
“You prepare the same, you try to keep everything normal during the build-up,” Dawson said. “But the noise and the intensity of the crowd when that first whistle goes, it's just different.”