RUFC - Ex-Miller 'It's horribly sad'

Ex-Rotherham United player and local lad, David Artell says it is 'horribly sad' what is happening to the club at the moment. Artell was in the Morecambe team that thrashed the Millers 5-1 on Saturday and came through the youth ranks at Millmoor.

Speaking to The Advertiser he said, 'We all live in hope that a Roman Abramovich will come along but they are very few and far between and those sort of people don't want to invest in a club like Rotherham United. I wish I had the money to help Rotherham. The last thing anyone in football wants to see is what happened to Scarborough happening to Rotherham. But, that's football and you have to live to your means.

'We were doing so well during my time at Millmoor under Ronnie Moore and that would have been the time to invest but it never happened. If the club had got a new stadium six years ago they wouldn't be paying such high rents now to the Booth family. Though, you can't blame them, they are business men after all. I feel the council has to take a fair share of the blame - look at the set-up that Doncaster has and it's all council backed.

'At this level of football the stadium has become the biggest earner and you can't just rely on a game once a fortnight for income. I saw Denis Coleman had said much the same thing in the Advertiser recently. You need corporate events on matchdays and conferences during the week plus things like weddings and christenings. And I don't think there are that many places in Rotherham do that sort of thing.

'The town is football mad and if you have a bloke supporting Rotherham then he won't get married anywhere else if the centre-circle at Millmoor is available. Equally, if I was a business man and trying to sell my product and my client was football mad I'd hire a suite at the football ground rather than go to a hotel. It has to be a 24/7 set-up and I think Rotherham have missed the boat.

'It's a sad demise and I think the people who bought the club from Mr Booth (Millers 05) have a lot to answer for.'

Speaking about the 5-1 over his former club Artell said, 'It was a bitter-sweet win for me and although it was a fantastic win I just wish it hadn't been against Rotherham.'