The Season That Was 06/07 - August

After surviving by the skin of their teeth against MK Dons to sustain League One football for another year at least, and battling to stave off liquidation, new Chairmen Denis Coleman and Dino Maccio were looking forward to building the foundations for a decent campaign.

Of course, the ten point deduction had hampered the team's start and they were very much favourites for a second relegation in three years.

After pre-season run outs against the likes of Gretna, Sunderland, Grimsby and the usual jaunt to Stocky Park Steels. a sun drenched Millmoor saw a disappointing start to life back in the third tier as an Alex Revell first half goal gave visitors Brighton all the opening day spoils with a 1-0 win. New boys Eugen Bopp, Richie Partridge, Ian Sharps and Pablo Mills all started the game, with Martin Woods coming on as a substitute for the final 20 minutes.

A somewhat harsh 3-0 defeat at Hudddersfield followed in the first away trip of the season, all be it a short one. Gary Taylor-Fletcher became the man to score the 500,000th football league goal with a 30 yard screamer. The score was harsh on the Millers though, with the side, in particular loanee Dave Hibbert, wasting guilt edge chances.

With in demand midfielder Lee Williamson interesting no less than seven clubs, Alan Knill laid an offer of a new contract on the table ahead of the first three points and inroad into the ten point defecit. A single Will Hoskins goal 12 minutes from time was enough to give the Millers victory at the seaside against Blackpool, and rub Shaun Barker's greedy nose in it...''where's yer 60 quid?''

MillersMAD's very own messageboard postee TimeForAle was viewed first hand waving ten pound notes in Barker's direction, well he had to get his mention with the lack of caption competition results at the moment....

Anyway, after a weekend on the lash for many of us Alan Knill was hard at work overseeing an unbeaten three game run which took the lads into September - a 2-1 victory over Scunthorpe at Millmoor, a comfortable 3-1 Carling Cup win over Oldham and a share of the spoils in a fiery 1-1 draw at Valley Parade against Bradford which saw Hoskins find the net but also dismissed late on.

Bopp's cracking volley against the Iron was certainly a highlight of an up and down opening month, Colin Murdock was again nowhere to be seen as he signed off on the sick again with knee surgery whilst the month concluded with that all important scramble and activity in the transfer window, or lack of it as far as we were concerned.

Boppy did agree a deal to sign until the end of the season, bless him. Lee Williamson's agent was rebuffed and big Denis managed to stave off several bids for him, whilst the club drew a home tie with Championship outfit Norwich in the second round of the Carling Cup thingy - something tells me we wouldn't see the last of Norwich connections over the next nine months....

Stay tuned to MillersMAD as we hit September head on very soon with Northampton arriving in town....