RUFC - Chairman off to the KC

Rotherham United Chairman, Tony Stewart is going to Hull City's KC Stadium to look for ideas on our new ground.

With the site having been secured, Mr Stewart wants to look around other grounds and take the best elements from each to get what he wants for the Millers.

With stadium director, Terry Stewart having already started looking around other clubs' homes, the Chairman will do the same at Hull.

Speaking to The Advertiser, Mr Stewart said, 'We want a bowl design and Hull City is similar in build. We will get some ideas from there which our architects can work with.'

Mr Stewart says there was a shortlist of eight architects but that Glasgow-based Miller Partnership were head and shoulders above the rest. (And apt in name!)

'They are top dog in this field,' Mr Stewart said. 'Building a stadium is quite complex - there's a lot of detail you want to get right.'

After saying it will take about four months to acquire outline planning permission to develop the old Guest and Chrimes site, Mr Stewart said that all the engineering reports have come back as OK, although, because of the flood barrier the land will have to be raised by around a metre.

Mr Stewart says he wants the building of the stadium to run parallel with the building of the new training ground that is planned at Wingfield. But, because the Football League have given a date when the club have to move back to the town, Mr Stewart said, 'If there is a race between the two then the stadium has to come first.'

Talking about when the stadium is up and running, Mr Stewart said, 'We have to make sure that anything on the stadium that can bring in revenue is maximised to the full. In short we will be maximising our commercial opportunities both inside and outside the stadium.'

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