# 2001–02 Rotherham United F.C. season

During the 2001–02 English football season, Rotherham United F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

In Rotherham's first season in the second tier of English football since 1983, it was a huge struggle for manager Ronnie Moore as the team started the season poorly by failing to win any of their opening 10 league games which saw them bottom with only four points and seemed destined for a return to the Second Division but from the start of October went on a decent run by picking up 15 points from the next eight league games which saw them climb out of the relegation zone and kept themselves away from the drop for rest of the season despite failing to win any of their final 10 league matches.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 19 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 50 | 72 | −22 | 50 | |
| 20 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 71 | −22 | 50 | |
| 21 | Rotherham United | 46 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 52 | 66 | −14 | 49 | |
| 22 | Crewe Alexandra (R) | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 47 | 76 | −29 | 49 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 23 | Barnsley (R) | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 59 | 86 | −27 | 48 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

Rotherham United's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 11 August 2001 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–3 | 6,994 | Branston, Robins |
| 18 August 2001 | Watford | A | 2–3 | 13,839 | Robins (2) |
| 23 August 2001 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 7,515 | Scott |
| 27 August 2001 | Barnsley | A | 1–1 | 15,552 | Robins |
| 8 September 2001 | Burnley | A | 0–3 | 14,820 | |
| 15 September 2001 | Norwich City | H | 1–1 | 6,099 | Robins (pen) |
| 17 September 2001 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–2 | 15,632 | |
| 22 September 2001 | Gillingham | A | 1–2 | 7,688 | Robins |
| 25 September 2001 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–1 | 8,474 | McIntosh |
| 29 September 2001 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–3 | 8,298 | |
| 5 October 2001 | Grimsby Town | A | 2–0 | 6,662 | Robins (2) |
| 12 October 2001 | Portsmouth | H | 2–1 | 6,427 | Monkhouse, Beech |
| 17 October 2001 | Coventry City | H | 0–0 | 6,582 | |
| 20 October 2001 | Stockport County | A | 1–0 | 6,616 | Talbot |
| 23 October 2001 | Walsall | A | 2–3 | 6,162 | Scott, Monkhouse |
| 27 October 2001 | Wimbledon | H | 3–2 | 5,586 | Swailes, Robins (pen), McIntosh |
| 30 October 2001 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 2–2 | 5,971 | Robins, Swailes |
| 4 November 2001 | Birmingham City | A | 2–2 | 28,436 | Lee, Swailes |
| 9 November 2001 | Millwall | A | 0–1 | 12,173 | |
| 17 November 2001 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–1 | 8,509 | Swailes, Lee |
| 24 November 2001 | Manchester City | A | 1–2 | 34,223 | Swailes |
| 1 December 2001 | Walsall | H | 2–0 | 6,273 | Mullin, Lee |
| 8 December 2001 | Bradford City | A | 1–3 | 14,529 | Scott |
| 15 December 2001 | Preston North End | H | 1–0 | 6,558 | McIntosh |
| 22 December 2001 | Sheffield United | A | 2–2 | 22,749 | Watson, Swailes |
| 29 December 2001 | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | 9,737 | Barker |
| 12 January 2002 | Watford | H | 1–1 | 6,409 | Barker |
| 19 January 2002 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–2 | 17,311 | |
| 29 January 2002 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–1 | 6,098 | Lee |
| 2 February 2002 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–2 | 22,591 | Lee |
| 6 February 2002 | Coventry City | A | 0–2 | 12,893 | |
| 9 February 2002 | Stockport County | H | 3–2 | 6,413 | Sedgwick, Robins (2, 1 pen) |
| 12 February 2002 | Burnley | H | 1–1 | 9,021 | Robins (pen) |
| 16 February 2002 | Portsmouth | A | 0–0 | 13,313 | |
| 23 February 2002 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 2–1 | 28,179 | Lee, Barker |
| 26 February 2002 | Gillingham | H | 3–2 | 6,005 | Robins, Mullin, Daws |
| 2 March 2002 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–2 | 8,455 | Robins (pen) |
| 5 March 2002 | Norwich City | A | 0–0 | 18,485 | |
| 9 March 2002 | Preston North End | A | 1–2 | 14,579 | Lee |
| 16 March 2002 | Bradford City | H | 1–1 | 7,182 | Lee (pen) |
| 23 March 2002 | Manchester City | H | 1–1 | 11,426 | Lee (pen) |
| 30 March 2002 | Wimbledon | A | 0–1 | 4,751 | |
| 1 April 2002 | Millwall | H | 0–0 | 6,888 | |
| 7 April 2002 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–1 | 22,376 | Byfield |
| 13 April 2002 | Birmingham City | H | 2–2 | 10,536 | Byfield, McIntosh |
| 21 April 2002 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–2 | 7,904 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| Third round | 16 January 2002 | Southampton | H | 2–1 | 8,464 | Barker, Mullin |
| Fourth round | 26 January 2002 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 2–4 | 8,477 | Mullin, Warne |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| First round | 20 August 2001 | Scunthorpe United | A | 2–0 | 2,589 | Lee, Robins |
| Second round | 11 September 2001 | Bradford City | H | 0–4 | 3,539 | |

## Players
### First-team squad

    Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Mike Pollitt |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Chris Beech |
| 3 | DF | ENG | David Artell |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Rob Scott |
| 5 | MF | ENG | Darren Garner |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Marvin Bryan |
| 7 | FW | ENG | Mark Robins |
| 8 | DF | ENG | Chris Swailes |
| 9 | FW | IRL | Alan Lee |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Paul Warne |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Nick Daws |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Stewart Talbot |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Ian Gray |
| 14 | FW | ENG | Nathan Lowndes (on loan from Livingston) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 15 | DF | SCO | Martin McIntosh |
| 16 | DF | ENG | Paul Hurst |
| 17 | MF | ENG | John Mullin |
| 18 | FW | POR | Jose Miranda |
| 19 | DF | WAL | Rhodri Jones |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Andy Monkhouse |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Danny Hudson |
| 22 | MF | WAL | Chris Holloway |
| 23 | FW | JAM | Darren Byfield |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Chris Sedgwick |
| 28 | DF | ENG | Guy Branston |
| 29 | FW | ENG | Richie Barker |
| 30 | GK | SCO | Ryan Esson (on loan from Aberdeen) |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 14 | MF | ENG | Kevin Watson (to Reading) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Trevor Berry (to Waterford United) |