Who's our biggest rival?

[Copps is Magic]

Generational thing. Rovers gained a new generation of supporters after 2002. Rotherham gained a new generation of supporters after 2011. In the broad period from 1998 til today we have only played Rotherham 5 times competitively. You have to go back to the 80s to find when we last played them regularly. If we set an arbitrary cut-off point of being 7 years old to really comprehend what a 'rivalry' is then you need to be at least 27 (probably 4/5 years older in reality) to appreciate any of it. Because there's not been enough competitive games between the two.

Whereas since 1998, we've played Barnsley 19 times and Scunthorpe 22 times. For me these two are our rivals. Barnsley more so because I've personally had a few bad experiences with their fans and generally they are thick as shite, and miserable.

[RedJ]

Our biggest rival has got to be the team we play next, so Rotherscum next Saturday and then Bury the week after.


COYR

What a load of shite this is. We don't have a rivalry with every team we play. By that logic, Arsenal were at one point our biggest rivals.
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You can only play one team at a time, therefore the game you are playing next has to be the biggest rivalry, next week its Rotherscum followed by Bury. What the other local team are doing or who the other local teams are playing doesn't matter one jot if the Rovers are not playing them, therefore my logic is that the team you play next is your biggest rivalry because there is nothing the Rovers can do to influence those game

Our biggest rival has got to be the team we play next, so Rotherscum next Saturday and then Bury the week after.


COYR

What a load of shite this is. We don't have a rivalry with every team we play. By that logic, Arsenal were at one point our biggest rivals.

Not shite at all, if the thread title was who was our biggest local rival then it would be the likes of Rotherham or Barnsley but its not so our biggest rivals has to be the next team we play.


COYR

So for the record were Arsenal our biggest rivals back in September?

[glosterred]

You’ve read my replies Redj, what do you think I’m going to say?


COYR

[Campsall rover]

Generational thing. Rovers gained a new generation of supporters after 2002. Rotherham gained a new generation of supporters after 2011. In the broad period from 1998 til today we have only played Rotherham 5 times competitively. You have to go back to the 80s to find when we last played them regularly. If we set an arbitrary cut-off point of being 7 years old to really comprehend what a 'rivalry' is then you need to be at least 27 (probably 4/5 years older in reality) to appreciate any of it. Because there's not been enough competitive games between the two.

Whereas since 1998, we've played Barnsley 19 times and Scunthorpe 22 times. For me these two are our rivals. Barnsley more so because I've personally had a few bad experiences with their fans and generally they are thick as shite, and miserable.

I think we have a very healthy and respectful rivalry with Barnsley. Real good banter with their supporters. Non of the trash that’s going about with the Rotherham fans.
This hate there is, is not healthy. I don’t like Rotherham and want to win so very much on Saturday but dislike and unequivocal hate are two different things. We are not Celtic and Rangers are we.

[Friendly Miller]

Well said Campsall!

I can't understand the hatred between two sets of fans when all we're really doing is supporting our local clubs.

I just hope, well obviously that we win and that it goe  off without any violence.

[Campsall rover]

Well said Campsall!

I can't understand the hatred between two sets of fans when all we're really doing is supporting our local clubs.

I just hope, well obviously that we win and that it goe off without any violence.

Well said. May the best team win as long as it’s us. To be honest I will take a dodgy 95th min winner.
But seriously, oh I was being serious. You are red hot favourites with your current form, so all the pressure is on Rotherham. Hope it’s a great game as you said and no trouble before during or after the game.

[Lesonthewest]

1. Rotherham.
2. Barnsley.
3. Scunny.

[Friendly Miller]

I don't see us as red hot favorites. It's a local derby where form and league positions ho out the window and it doesn't help with some of our moronic fans giving it large on twitter and radio Sheffield.

A few years ago we played Sheffield united away 4 days before they played Hull in the FACup semis and as a result they field pretty much a team made up of reserves and juniors.

Our so called fans were all over the media saying how easy it was going to be and how many we'd get and......we lost 1-0 to the Blades chants of 'we beat you with kids'

I can see that happening again. But on the upside we did eventually get promoted via the playoffs that season

[swintonrover]

Despite us not playing Rotherham for a while, I always consider them our biggest rivals, though that is partly because I have had to misfortune to grow up surrounded by the fans in Swinton.  Age and location are important though, I have no problem with Lincoln unlike some of our older supporters.

It does show a different mindset between our fans and theirs though, as they view the Sheffield clubs as rivals, and we honestly don't care.

[Mustapha-Dump]

26 years old
Despise Rotherham the most, followed by Wednesday, Wednesday is mainly due to the fans and their ego rather than my distaste for Rotherham which is towards the team, club, badge, ground and whole horrid town. Scunny solid third.
Lincoln not even on my radar if I’m being totally truthful, don’t mind Barnsley my grandad was a Barnsley fan, sheff u and Leeds I can take or leave unless we’re playing them. I do have a strong dislike for Grimsby but without sounding arrogant they’re a little bit irrelevant. If someone offered me win Saturday and stay up but don’t win another game all season, I’d take it.

[DonnyOsmond]

Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds are probably due to Donny Owls and Donny Whites, nothing else. Sheff Utd was only really due to them thinking were jumped up when we started beating them, Other wise its a good relationship.

[andysly]

Agree with it being a generational thing, my first derby days were against Barnsley.
I’ve no particular dislike of any of the other South Yorkshire teams, and the deluded Sheffield fans do give us a laugh on Praise or Grumble.
I do reserve some animosity for Mansfield and those wan***s from Nottingham, not County mind.

[Bentley Bullet]

Little Johnny: "Mum I want to be a Rotherham fan when I grow up."

Mum: "Make your mind up Johnny - you can't do both."

[les@donr]

dingles for me, nearly got into an altercation with one of their nut cases at their ground, it would be a miracle if they shared one brain among the lot of them.

[mjg]

Leeds . Simply because I hate them

[The Red Baron]

I voted for Rotherham because Rovers v Rotherham on Boxing Day 1969 was the first local derby I saw. We lost 2-1 to a last minute goal scored by a substitute called Lee Brogden. If anything is going to make you hate another club, that's a good way to do it.

Although in the mid-70s we rarely played Rotherham but had some tasty games with Barnsley.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Barnsley because when we played them at home, I had to walk an extra 5 mins from the middle of Scawsby to get a safe bus on York Road 

[tommy toes]

I was counting up  the times I've been on away grounds over the years and Scunthorpe was way ahead. Must be at least 15 times so them for me.