FEATURE: From daft old Dusty to cosa nostra

Media officer Matt Young asked if I would like to see the original head of ill-fated Millers mascot Phoenix the Rother Bird...and that got me thinking.

But Phoenix’s reign at Millmoor entertaining the little ones and geeing up the crowd was short-lived.

JOE WEARING PHOENIX'S HEAD RECENTLY

The oversized bird took the reins when former mascot Dusty Miller was consigned to the dustbin of history in 2005 and, let’s just say, he wasn’t the most popular figure with the Millmoor crowd.

A club spokesman said at the time: “The demands on modern day mascots is increasing and Dusty isn't getting any younger!

“Perhaps he thought it was time to hand over the reins to a young and exciting new mascot. Dusty has been a loyal servant of the club and we wish him well in his retirement in Spain.”

There’s a myth among Millers supporters that Phoenix was designed to represent a bright new era that was about to unfold at Millmoor, with many believing the flamed bird to represent a rising from the ashes.

That didn’t quite work out how planned, with the Millers being plunged into financial difficulties and administration during the period.

Phoenix departed as Millers mascot, hardly in a blaze of glory, when his replacement, Bugsy Miller (remember him?) was selected after we had a text message competition so fans could have their say.

Then Millers director Dino Maccio said of the vote: “We want Advertiser readers to play their part and vote for the winner.”

Mafia-style gangster Bugsy was up against children’s creations such as Milly the Monkey, Rother Rabbit and Mighty Miller, among others in the vote.

SHORT-LIVED MASCOT BUGSY MILLER

However, Bugsy was seen as controversial – being based on a criminal stereotype – and only hung around for a short time before being replaced by current incumbent Miller Bear, who has proved popular with the younger portion of the Millers fanbase.

If you know what happened to Dusty Miller –possibly the most famous of the Millers mascots – then we would love to hear from you.

We reported in 2005 that while the new main stand was under construction at Millmoor, some builders thought it would be a good idea to prop up Dusty to watch the matches.

However, when the supporters club approached the board about finding a more permanent home for Dusty, he had disappeared.

MUCH LOVED MILLERS MASCOT DUSTY MILLER AT MILLMOOR

It turns out that a fan had offered the club £100 for it, which was happily accepted, so if you have him, or you know the person who does, feel free to email [email protected].

Equally, if you know who manufactured the infamous Phoenix the Rother Bird head, then we would love to hear from you too. He truly was a work of art...

CURRENT MASCOT MILLER BEAR

If you have any pieces of Rotherham United’s history that you would like to donate to the club you can contact Matt Young on [email protected].