Interview - Tony Stewart: Lighting up the Millers with focus on community spirit

ROTHERHAM United chairman Tony Stewart is definitely not in this game for the money.

Although victory in Sunday's League Two play-off final against Dagenham and Redbridge is worth 500,000 to the Millers, Stewart has already spent a cool 2m in his first two years at the club.

He neither wants or expects to get that money back but, at 64, is wealthy enough to take the loss on the chin as part of his personal mission to bring glory to his adopted home town.

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Stewart, the owner of Rotherham-based ASD Lighting, rode to the rescue of the Millers in the summer of 2008.

Having entered administration for the third time in 10 years, the club was about to become homeless and be docked 15 points by the Football League. In the wrong hands, it could quite easily have gone to the wall.

Today, thanks to Stewart's vision and financial support, the Millers are preparing for a trip to Wembley and are just 90 minutes away from promotion. While lodging at Sheffield's Don Valley athletics stadium, Stewart has also secured the funding and authorisation to bring a return to Rotherham and a new 12,000-capacity stadium in 2012.

If that is not impressive enough, consider this, too. He was not even a Rotherham United supporter.

Born and raised in High Green, Sheffield, Stewart's family were 'Wednesday-ites' and his company sponsored the Hillsborough Kop.

All of which makes the current Rotherham revival even more remarkable.

"What I am doing is called giving back to the community," he says. "I have written off my investment and I am not in this for a 10-year apprenticeship.

"I married a Rotherham girl when I was in my 20s and I moved to Rotherham. My company employs 180 people in this town," he said.

"People can look back at the periods the club spent in administration but I am looking to the future. Rotherham deserved something better than it was getting and it is fair to say that I wanted a challenge. I am even enjoying it," he said.

"The club has no overdraft, no debts, and it is being run like a business. If we can take it to another level, it will give me a great deal of satisfaction."

After taking office, Stewart set a target of Championship football in four years but his plans appeared to suffer a major setback when his young manager, Mark Robins, walked out last September.

As the former Manchester United striker moved up two divisions to join Barnsley, Stewart turned to Ronnie Moore, arguably the greatest manager in the club's history, to pick up the baton.

Moore failed to secure automatic promotion but the Millers held on to a play-off place and beat Aldershot 3-0 over two legs in the semi-finals.

Just a few weeks before, there had been signs of dissent from some supporters. The team crashed to four consecutive defeats but Stewart held his nerve and gave Moore a genuine vote of confidence.

"I backed Ronnie because a lot of people do not take into account the extent of what went on," Stewart reflected. "We lost a good manager in Mark Robins and that sent the club into a bit of a dizzy situation.

"When a new manager comes along, a club is nearly always down the near bottom end of the scales but we were about fourth in the table and there was mental shock in the dressing room.

"Given the disruption, and the fact we lost five weeks due to the bad weather in winter, I still knew that Ronnie was turning things around. It's not just because I like the man but, professionally, the guy has a lot of knowledge. I like the way he talks it through and, regardless of whether we go up this season, we have good future under Ronnie Moore."

Over 20,000 supporters are set to back the Millers at Wembley – over four times the club's average attendance this season.

According to Stewart, that will serve to highlight the potential of a club that has spent the majority if its 140-year history living in the shadows of its Sheffield neighbours.

Asked how he might feel on surveying a sea of red and white flags from the directors' box at the national stadium, Stewart said: "I really don't know. It will be something I have never witnessed before because I have never had the sort of impact on people before."

Should promotion materialise, it could be argued that the Millers – given their temporary residence at Don Valley – are the most successful club in Sheffield this season.

Stewart under the spotlight

Name: Tony Stewart

Age: 64

From: Originally High Green, Sheffield.

Married: To Joan with a son Richard, 33.

Background: Made his money as owner of ASD Lighting. Rotherham-based company was formed 30 years ago and employs 180 people, with a second office in Halifax, and is one of the top five lighting companies in the UK. Having previously invested in Rotherham Titans rugby union club and sponsored the Sheffield Wednesday Kop, he took over as Rotherham United chairman and owner two summers ago.