A ROUGH GUIDE TO... ROTHERHAM
With Notts now at nineteen not out on the road, Keith Curle's side look to take their run into double figures this weekend with an FA Cup road trip to League Two side Rotherham United. NCM takes a look at Rotherham, so you don't have to.
HOW MUCH DOES THIS ONE COST?
Adults - £18
Over 60 - £10
Student - £10
Junior - £6
Under 8 - Free
Fans intending to pay on the day are advised to get there early, with queues expected at the ticket office and around 600 of Notts' 2,200 allocation remaining.
SHOW ME THE WAY TO ROTHERHAM
A nice easy trip, this one, head directly North on the M1 until Junction 33, for Rotherham. Continue along Rotherway and West Bawtry Road before reaching Centenary Way. Take this towards the town centre, taking the third exit at the roundabout for Main Street. With regards to parking, Rotherham council are running a free parking scheme across the Christmas period, although spaces may be difficult to come by. One option for fans would be to park at nearby Meadowhall, before taking a short train journey to Rotherham.
The train is also an option, with just one change required in Sheffield - Rotherham being around ten minutes from the Steel City by train. Services from Nottingham to Sheffield run every half an hour, at quarter past and quarter to, whilst services from Sheffield to Rotherham are incredibly frequent. An adult day return will set you back around £13, whilst the New York Stadium is a short walk from Rotherham station and the town centre.
WHAT HAS ROTHERHAM GOING FOR IT?
We'll resist the easy temptation to say 'not a lot'. Rotherham is six miles from it's bigger brother, Sheffield, but has plenty of history of its own. A key town during the industrial revolution, Rotherham saw steel works, iron works and glass works all set up in the town as it developed a reputation for being at the heart of Britain's industrial world. The first commercially successful iron plough was even made in Rotherham, apparently. Things are less bright for the town now though, with the economic downturn leading to cutbacks at the area's largest employer, the Corus steelworks, whilst the town's Burberry factory has also closed, leaving the town's street corner dwelling locals with nothing to wear and nowhere to work.
As for local residents, the man who was charged with stopping Spain and Holland decapitating each other in the World Cup final, Howard Webb, hails from Rotherham, as does former England goalkeeper David Seaman and Olympic gold medallist sailor Paul Goodison. Outside of sport, one of the town's greatest contributions to the world and one of the club's biggest supporters are the Chuckle Brothers, mustachioed children's television buffoons. The town is twinned with Buffalo in New York State.
WHAT'S THE NEW YORK STADIUM LIKE?
It's hard not to start with the name, the New York Stadium, which represents the most tenuous link for a stadium name in the league. Chairman Tony Stewart tried to explain that the ground on which the stadium now lies was once occupied by the Guest and Chimes Foundry, who made the iconic red fire hydrants that are dotted around New York City. It's tantamount to Notts renaming Meadow Lane as the Philadelphia Arena due to Ben Burgess' liking for cream cheese.
The stadium itself, however, is an extremely plush and modern venture. Slightly more architecturally unique than many of the other modern stadia, it is most similar to a smaller, red version of Brighton's AMEX Stadium. Notts fans will be situated behind a goal, in the 2,200 seater South Stand.
WHERE CAN I GET SOMETHING TO DRINK?
With Rotherham town centre being just a short walk from the stadium, there are plenty of options for the thirsty visitor. This includes three Wetherspoons pubs, with the closest to the train station being the Rhinocerus. For real ale types, the Bridge Inn is located just around the corner from the station, whilst there is also a Liquid Nightclub located adjacent to the away end, which opens between 1-3pm on the day of the game and is allocated to away fans, with drinks being priced cheaply.