Minute's tribute to wrong man

The tribute to the former Millers manager came during the build up to Saturday’s game at Millmoor against Notts County to mark the club’s 100th anniversary.

But a planned minute’s applause became an embarrassment when the announcer mixed Porterfield’s name up with former Leeds manager and soccer pundit Jimmy Armfield.

Realising his mistake the announcer corrected himself immediately – but by then some fans in the stand had started booing.

One Millers fan said: “There was no excuse for this. It was disgusting. There wasn’t even a mention of Ian Porterfield in the match programme either.”

A message posted today on Millers Mad, an alternative fans’ website, said: “An article in one of the papers said Jimmy was at Blackpool’s game to make the half time draw - quite an achievement for a dead man. Ridiculous. How can they get it so wrong?”

Porterfield, who died two weeks ago, was responsible for building the club’s best-ever team in the early ’80s after landing the job as manager.

He turned a team of no-hopers into Third Division champions and became a firm fans’ favourite.

Despite the announcement mix-up fans gave a rousing welcome to a number of their heroes from years gone by to mark the centenary of the club’s first game in September 1907 when the old Rotherham County played Leeds City Reserves in a Midland League fixture.