Well, what can I say. On Monday 13th April 2015 the world slipped off its axis for all Rotherham United fans. I had phoned Vicky while at work for a minor matter when she dropped the bombshell. 'Have you heard, we have fielded an ineligible playe?". My stomach hit my boots. We had fielded an ineligible player? Who? Why? How was it possible? And then came the realisation, it would almost certainly lead to a points deduction that we could not really afford. Everyone knows that if you are a big club the football league will slap you with a paltry fine, slap your hands and tell you not to do it again. Unfortunately we are not, and we have the hated Steve Evans as manager, so a points deduction would be almost nailed on. Not only that, but Millwall, the team who's fans had behaved like animals at the New York stadium only a few weeks ago, would be the team to benefit from it. Travesty is the word that springs to mind. When I got home I found that the player was young Farrend Rawson, our Loanee from Derby. It seems that Both us and Derby had completed the required paperwork and faxed it off to the Football League (FL). Yes, in this computer age the FL still rely on faxes. However, it being Easter there was no-one at the FL to see and verify it. We just assumed that it was Ok and carried on regardless, naming Young Farrend in the team to play Brighton. As we all know we won that game, leading us all to feel safety was assured. Consensus of opinion was that the FL would hurridly convene and make a decision before the Norwich game on Vickys birthday, and that that decision would be to take away the points we won in that game.
Young Farrend in action against Brighton
Because of this a victory at Fulham was very important. Of course we could not go due to work commitments and Craven cottage being far, far away. Vicky and I started the night out at Coal in Meadowhall for tea with Rachael. As we stood to leave just past 8pm I glanced at my phone to see 'derbyshire 5'. Woohoo, we were winning.
He shoots....
He scores.....
He falls over
We arrived home and sat down to the painful rolling results service. We all held our breath whenever we went 'down to Craven Cottage', but halftime came with the score still 1-0. Just after the second half the inevitable happened. We went 'down to Craven Cottage' and Fulham had scored. They showed it almost immediately and there was clearly a Fulham handball in the build up.
My hands were by my side, honest ref!
We clung on to hope until the final score came it at 1-1. At least it was another point towards safety. But with the FL hearing coming up it looked like one step forward and three back. Next up almost table toppers Norwich. But before that, the football league hearing......
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