Barnet and Rotherham have met on 16 separate occasions, all in the football league. Barnet have won 7 times, Rotherham 6 and 3 matches have been drawn. The first time they met was after Barnet had won promotion from the Conference in 1991. Rotherham came to Underhill and thumped the Bees 5-2. They completed the double later on in the season, winning 3-0 at Millmoor.
Rotherham went up that season, but the two sides met again in 1993/94 following Barnet’s own promotion the following season. This was Barnet’s only season in the 3rd tier of English football but they managed to win 2-1 in the game at Underhill and drew 1-1 at Millmoor in the last game of the season. Despite all the problems of the club nearly going bust and going straight down, the Barnet fans, many in fancy dress, gave fervent backing to the Barnet team, watched on by bemused Rotherham fans, who gathered on the pitch after the match to applaud the Barnet fans.
The two clubs then met three seasons in a row between 1997 and 2000, when Rotherham gained promotion. In 1997/98, Barnet won 3-2 at Millmoor, their only victory there, and drew 0-0 at Underhill. The following season saw one of the best games between the two clubs as Barnet won 4-2 at Underhill with goals from Scott McGleish, Sean Devine, Ken Charlery and John Doolan. (There is a more detailed story of this game in the article “A Classic Encounter: Barnet v Rotherham”)
The return at Millmoor was drawn 1-1 and the following season, 1999-00, both sides won their respective home games; Rotherham 2-0 and Barnet 1-0. Rotherham went up at the end of that season and the two sides didn’t meet again until last season when the last set of scores was repeated. Barnet won 2-0 in September, at Underhill with goals from Adam Birchall and Jason Puncheon. A fine through ball from Neal Bishop put Birchall through for the first, Birchall slotting the ball home past the keeper. Jason Puncheon added the second from the penalty spot. The Barnet side that day was; Harrison; Devera, Burton, Yakubu, Nicolau; Porter (Carew), Bishop, Wright, Puncheon; Birchall (Thomas), Norville (Hatch).
In the return match, young Rotherham player, Jamie Green scored the only game of the match and the last goal to be played at Millmoor as Rotherham have now moved to the Don Valley Stadium, in Sheffield. The game also saw the last performance for the Bees from Giuliano Grazioli and Anthony Thomas and from loan players, Josh Wright and Jordan Parkes.
In 2008/09, the two sides met at the Don Valley Stadium and Barnet won 4-3 in an eventful and exciting match. Two goals from Cliff Akurang and a goal each from Luke Medley and Albert Adomah gave the Bees the three points after having been reduced to 10 men when Max Porter was sent off when the score was 1-1 for a professional foul, stopping a near certain goal and giving away a penalty. Lee Harrison saved the penalty and Barnet were, at one point, 4-1 up until the Millers pegged the score back to 4-3. However, some superb saves by Harrison made sure that the Bees held on for a valuable three points.
In the return at Underhill, Barnet won their second match in a row, beating Rotherham 2-0 with two goals by Paul Furlong to complete the double for the season over the Millers. John O’Flynn was injured and had to miss the rest of the season as the Bees moved closer to safety, a target they were to achieve in their next match.
Last season, Rotherham beat Barnet 3-0 for a comfortable win at the Don Valley Stadium. The Millers completed the double over the Bees late in the season with Barnet in freefall, winning 1-0 at Underhill.