RUFC - RUSC Back Maccio Bid

Rotherham United Supporters Club have officially backed a bid by Dino Maccio and Alan Cartledge to take over the running of the club.

Maccio and Cartledge, who are both former directors of Rotherham United who resigned in December 2006, registered their interest with the Administrator this week and have accused Denis Coleman of stonewalling their attempts to save the club before it went into administration last week. Mr Maccio has now lost his thirty seven percent shareholding at Millmoor.

Speaking to The Advertiser, Mr Maccio said, 'The Administrator wouldn't see us unless we had proof that we had £500,000 in funding. We had proof of well over that.

'Some are saying I only emerged to save the club to try and save my shares, if that's so then why am I still here? I am hurt at some of the criticsm levelled at me.

'I only want what's the best for Rotherham United.'

Mr Cartledge said, 'We have a consortium of six local people interested in the club and we are getting phone calls of support all the time. We have one company who have offered us £100,000 a year. These are people who have backed the club before and are interested in coming back if we were back in there. It's not just one person coming in it's a group who would be working together and all of us getting involved for the same good reasons.

'As yet, we don't know what the club owes and we are keen to know the true financial position. We believe it is possible to stabalise the club and help it grow.'

While refusing to disclose the names of the people behind their bid Maccio and Cartledge scoffed at the idea that it was ex Sheffield Wednesday Chairman, Dave Allen.

Maccio, who retains connections with the sons of former chairman, Ken Booth, said they promise to pursue a more peaceable attitude towards the landlord of Millmoor and, along with Cartledge, has promised, if they are in charage, to thrash out a more acceptable rental deal at Millmoor while
rejecting the idea of moving to Don Valley Stadium while the proposed community stadium at Parkgate is built.

'Moving to Don Valley would mean losing lots of fans,' Maccio said, 'and who really wants to play anywhere else than Millmoor before the community stadium is built?

'We will sit down and talk to the Booths and we have to give them credit, for all the abuse they have taken they have never retaliated. Ken senior is at Millmoor for every single game.'

The Administrator has sent them a sales pack which they are going to study detailing the Millers finances and Cartledge said that the high rent is a liability and 'it's a case of trying to work something out, budgeting for the overheads and move the club forward while making it more professional. And, we have a good, strong team who are interested in doing that.'