Rotherham United start the coming season in the Championship having got there via a Wembley win in the League One Play-Off Final.
The New York Stadium, which cost around £18m to construct, saw the Millers take up residence in 2012 and has a twelve thousand all-seater capacity.
Now, when Rotherham were in the Championship last time it was rumoured that the ground would be extended although that never happened and I’ve seen the rumours surfacing again on social media as we prepare for another season in the second tier of English football.
Thoughts are that one of the stands running down the pitch should be extended by building upwards while others think we should extend the away end of the ground.
The South Stand which holds the visiting supporters holds two thousand fans and with us hosting both Sheffield clubs next season, plus other Yorkshire sides such as Hull City, Leeds United and Middlesbrough with the likes of nearby clubs Derby County and Nottingham Forest who could well sell more than the two thousand tickets they will be offered would this be the right thing to do?
On the plus side it will fetch in more revenue not just ticket sales but programme sales (which Rotherham United have confirmed they will continue selling) and sales from the food and drink bars in the concourse which might add up to the amount spent on an extension within a couple of seasons. It could also fetch in more revenue for the town itself.
But, there is always a negative side. It will cost more to Police and we’ve already seen that the South Yorkshire Police want more funds to keep doing just that.
Also, as a Rotherham fan do we want more away fans to attend? Is it better if we have the upper hand in the singing and chanting? Is it better if the ‘stadium roar’ comes from the three home stands?
Well I’ve not seen anything official about an increase in seats and don’t think it will happen this season although, of course, it could in the future. But if the club start talking about extending which stand do you think it would be better to add too?
