Rotherham United v Port Vale preview – can Valiants make a good start to League One campaign?

New faces in Vale line-up?

A number of summer signings are set to play in this game. Firstly, goalkeeper Marko Marosi (pictured) is a near certainty. Defender Cameron Humphreys could well start as well. The likes of Ben Waine, Liam Gordon and Jordan Shipley may need to settle for a place on the bench though.

Who will win a central midfield berth?

One of the more contested areas of the team is the central midfield. Last season’s regular starting pair of Rhys Walters and Ryan Croasdale are both under pressure for their place. George Byers is fit and is a strong favourite to start while Funso Ojo, sent on loan last season, has returned and played in several friendly games. Summer signing Jordan Shipley is another option too.

Two or three upfront?

One of the turning points of last season was the pairing of Lorent Tolaj and Jayden Stockley upfront. However, over the summer, Darren Moore has regularly opted for a front three instead. Will Moore revert back to last season’s potent pairing or will he tinker with the front-line?

Injuries

Last season’s first-choice keeper Ben Amos is ruled out for an unspecified amount of time while skipper Ben Garrity has struggled through most of the summer. Summer signing Jordan Gabriel is also set to miss out.

Possible Vale line-up (3-5-2)

Marosi – Debrah, Humphreys, Hall – Clark, Byers, Walters, Croasdale, Headley – Tolaj, Stockley

A timeline of Port Vale’s summer activity

Summer business

It’s been a busy summer for the Millers with defender Denzel Hall their eighth signing so far. Among the new arrivals is former Vale loanee Dan Gore who has joined for a second loan spell with Rotherham. The Millers have taken a youth-oriented approach to their summer business so far with a number of players in their early 20’s being signed. One notable player exiting the club was striker Jonson Clarke-Harris who has moved to the Turkish Leagues.

Meet the manager

Matt Hamshaw was originally appointed interim manager after the departure of Steve Evans. In April, Rotherham announced that Hamshaw had agreed to become permanent manager on a three-year contract. His record is four wins from eight games in charge.

Last match

Rotherham slipped to a disappointing 4-1 friendly loss to Accrington Stanley in their final warm-up game. It follows a heavy 5-0 loss to Sheffield United.

Team news

Midfielder Kian Spence will miss his game. He is out for the first month of Rotherham United’s season after picking up a hamstring injury in pre-season training.

Image: New York Stadium by Rotherham United FC

Brief History

Rotherham United were founded in 1925 which means this season is their centenary. The club were formed after a merger between Rotherham County and Rotherham Town. Town were the original entrants to the Football League in 1919. The newly formed Rotherham United took over from 1925 with their highest League position being third in the Second Division back in 1955.

Stadia

They have played most of their games at Millmoor, apart from a brief spell at the Don Valley stadium before moving to the New York stadium in 2012.

Trivia

Rotherham are League Cup runners-up in highly unusual circumstances. After defeating Aston Villa 2-0 in the first leg played during the 1960-61 season. However, due to Villa’s fixture congestion the second-leg wasn’t played until the next season. Rotherham lost it 3-0 to lose 3-2 on aggregate.

Last season

Rotherham finished in thirteenth place in League One. They departed company with manager Steve Evans in March after a 4-0 loss to Crawley. Their top-scorer was Sam Nombe with fourteen League goals.

Press clippings of Port Vale’s first-ever game against Rotherham

Fixture history

The two sides first met in 1920 (read our archive feature on this game through the link) when the opposition were still Rotherham Town. It ended in a 2-2 draw. Since, then there have been 63 meetings between the two sides in League and Cup competitions. The last encounter was in the League Cup in 2022 when Vale lost 2-1 at home.

Classic clash

It’s an obvious choice but we’ll travel back to 2012 when striker Tom Pope hit top form against his former club. Pope, signed by Vale from Rotherham hit the net four times as the Valiants recorded a 6-2 home win. It was a sign of things to come with Micky Adams’ side securing promotion to League One that season.

Recent player connections

This match means an immediate return to his former club for Vale summer signing Cameron Humphreys. Vale will potentially face former loanee Dan Gore who has joined Rotherham for a second spell. Finally, Vale will need to look out for former striker Jordan Hugill and former loanee Zak Jules who are both in the United squad. Other players to appear for both sides in recent years include winger David Worrall, striker Jamie Proctor and midfielder Will Atkinson.

Vintage connection

Strapping defender Bob Delgano had spells with both clubs. He was signed from Carlisle by Rotherham in 1973 and spent two years at Millmoor before moving on to Chester. In 1978, Vale splashed out £30,000 on Delgano but it proved to be a poor move. His contract was eventually cancelled by mutual consent in 1980.

Discuss the game

Want to discuss things before, during and after the game? Our forum’s dedicated match thread is the place to be. Share your views with fellow fans –

Match thread for the game

Quiz

Have you been paying attention? Here’s our traditional preview quiz

• Who is the current Rotherham United manager?
• What was the score when the sides last met?
• Who is Rotherham’s record goalscorer?
• Which Vale defender will face his former club during the game?

(answers below – no cheating)

Quiz answers

• Matt Hamshaw
• Port Vale 1-2 Rotherham Utd (League Cup)
• Gladstone Guest
• Cameron Humphreys

Quiz ratings

Today’s theme is left-backs. How did you fare?

0/4 – Lawrie Pearson
1/4 – Wayne Ebanks
2/4 – Mal Benning
3/4 – Allen Tankard
4/4 – Darren Hughes