adopting Arsenal-style white sleeved shirts, United finished as runners-up three time in succession between 1947 and 1949 and then were champions of Division Three (North) in 1951. Rotherham reached their highest ever league position of third in the Football League Second Division in 1955, when only goal average denied them a place in the top flight after they finished level on points with champions Birmingham City and runners-up Luton Town. During Rotherham’s 19-year stay in the Second Division, they frequently competed with the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Leeds United, Manchester City and Newcastle United. The club held on to its place in the Second Division until 1968, under the management of Tommy Docherty, and dropped into the Fourth Division for the first time in 1973. In 1975 they were promoted back to the Third Division after finishing third, achieving their first promotion for 24 years. 1981–1989 The Millers won the division three title in 1981. Not only did the Millers pip one of their neighbours, Barnsley, to the championship but the double they recorded over Sheffield United helped send them tumbling into the fourth division. Rotherham had a dismal first half of the 1981–82 season but a surge after the turn of 1982 saw them emerge as surprise promotion contenders for the first time in nearly 30 years. This was the first season of 3 points for a win rather than 2 in the league, and in the end they missed out on promotion by a mere 4 points by finishing seventh. They have not finished this high ever since. The highlights of this campaign were their two meetings with Chelsea. Firstly the Millers thrashed the Londoners 6–0 at Millmoor before triumphing 4–1 at Stamford Bridge in the return in front of 11,900 fans. This team, which included the attacking talents of John Seasman, Tony Towner, Rodney Fern and Ronnie Moore could not maintain this level of performance, however, although it was something of a surprise to see them relegated again the very next year. By 1988, United were relegated to the Fourth Division but were promoted a year later as champions. 1990–2004 During the 1990s Rotherham were promoted and relegated between the Football League's lowest two divisions with some regularity. They slipped into the Fourth Division in 1991, just two years being promoted, but reclaimed their status in the third tier (renamed Division Two for the 1992–93