Rotherham hoping to secure land for new stadium

The Millers are currently playing at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium after leaving their old ground, Millmoor, 18 months ago in a dispute over rent.

Stewart will meet with council officials this afternoon with a view to submitting an offer for a 12-acre site which is understood to be close to the River Don.

Under the terms of an agreement with the Football League, the Millers have to return to a site within the Rotherham boundaries by the start of the 2012 season.

If they fail to meet this deadline, the League would be entitled to keep a 750,000 bond which was provided by the council in order to keep the club alive.

Stewart, who led the club out of administration after taking it over in summer 2008, is cautiously optimistic that today's meeting will kickstart the whole process.

"We already have a verbal agreement," he confirmed. "There are three parties involved – Rotherham United Football Club, the council, and the private owners of the land – and all three parties have indicated they want to do this. Hopefully, today's meeting will enable us to come up with a package that is acceptable to the private owners."

Stewart says it will take take two years to build the new stadium, which will be owned by the football club and generate money for re-investment.

Manager Ronnie Moore has been set the target of Championship football by the time the new stadium opens which would help boost attendances.

The Millers currently occupy an automatic promotion spot, third in the League Two table, a point clear of the chasing pack, but have not played since December 12 due to five consecutive postponements brought on by the weather conditions

Saturday's game at Accrington Stanley is still on although the Lancashire club have issued an appeal for volunteers to help clear the pitch of snow.

The Millers' next scheduled game at the Don Valley is against Darlington in five days.