Concealed behind a row of houses in Rotherham, veiled by time and gnarled ivy, is a concealed football giant: Millmoor Stadium. Once a proud home of Rotherham United, this venerable ground has lain in silence since 2008… or has it?
Recently, South Yorkshire Women’s Football laced up our boots and entered into the belly of the beast of this sleeping giant armed with cameras, curiosity, and a healthy dose of amazement. What did we find? The largest dedicated women’s football stadium in the UK. Yes, really!
Wickersley Youth Women’s team now plays at Millmoor, with league matches being played on a surface once thundered to the chants of thousands. Most public believe women’s football is still struggling for space, but this side is emerging onto a ground that has nearly 10,000 seats, making Millmoor technically the UK’s biggest dedicated women’s ground, at least until Everton Women move to Goodison Park.
And yet, barely anyone has heard.
As we walked the overgrown concourses and sat in the dilapidated stands, it was like a trip to a football time capsule. There were murmurs of bygone games, ghosts of end-of-season goals and now the thud of studs on grass once again. The dressing rooms might have peeling paint, but they are brimming with newfound determination. The scoreboard might be still, but the goals are real.
This ground is not just back from the brink, but it is buzzing with the energy of development. Wickersley Youth Women are restoring a lost stronghold as a modern-day base for the women’s game. It’s fantastic, it’s magnificent, and it’s grassroots football in all its splendor.
So, next time someone says women’s football doesn’t have the grounds, the history, or the scale- tell them about Millmoor. Or better yet, come see it for yourself. The secret’s out. And it’s only just getting started.
Check out our Millmoor gallery below…
