Rotherham United chairman Tony Stewart makes 'selling up' admission

With manager Matt Taylor having been sacked and head coach Leam Richardson’s arrival not sparking a revival, the chairman was at his lowest ebb since he saved the club from administration back in 2008 and was prepared to sell up.

“I fell out with football,” he told the Advertiser. “Honestly, if someone had come along and said ‘Here’s the money for Rotherham United’ and if I'd have thought they were right, I’d have taken it.

“It was just after Christmas. I was getting down and down.”

Stewart has said in the past he planned to remain in charge of the club for life, but the slide to the bottom of the Championship table hit him hard.

Taylor was relieved of his duties in November. Richardson was brought in in December and lasted only until April before the chairman, appalled by the paucity of effort from some of the team, felt he had to step in and wield the axe again.

Stewart said: “This was the second boss and I thought: ‘The fans must think we’re stupid, what’s happening here.’

“Both guys were intelligent, bright guys who would tell you what they wanted - this, that and the other. At the end of the day, they were saying the right things, but on the pitch …

“You could see the players weren’t interested. I’ve never seen that before in my life and genuinely, at one point, I thought: ‘I could do better than that!’ I didn’t see the discipline or anything moving forward as it should have been.

“I wasn't looking forward to next season. I did know we’d have to make changes.”

The Millers' relegation was confirmed in the closing stages of Richardson's short-lived reign but, despite the drop, Stewart has found all of his old enthusiasm returning.

That's because, two weeks ago, he brought back manager Steve Evans and number two Paul Raynor, the duo who led the club to promotions from League Two to the Championship a decade ago.

“We’ve gone for two guys who have been here before,” he said.

“We know them and have had experience with them and I feel a million dollars. I feel good for Rotherham, the fans and me.”

Stewart has watched Rotherham home and away throughout his tenure but has been an absentee at some fixtures this term.

That will change now that Evans is in the hot-seat again and pledging to have the Millers contending for promotion next season.

“I won’t miss a match and Steve knows that,” the chairman said. “He is here to impress.”