Revell keen to ensure the Millers’ chairman is rewarded

The 29-year-old striker was part of the squad that fell short last season and he believes one of the reasons for that was because they were playing in the largely-empty bowl of the Don Valley Stadium.

The club’s average attendance has more than doubled from 3,500 to nearly 8,000 since Rotherham moved back to the town and into the infinitely more welcoming New York Stadium.

As they prepare to return home to face Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday with a six-game unbeaten run to protect, Revell feels home comforts will be the difference in the promotion race.

“I know some felt that Don Valley played a big part in the previous years for the club not getting promoted,” said Revell.

“For instance, if you were 1-0 down like we were against York recently, you need the crowd to push you. They do that here at the New York, whereas at Don Valley it was difficult to get that.

“Although the crowd were always on your side it was difficult for them to get that across. Here, it’s a lot easier.

“I still believe we should have got promoted last year. We had enough talent, but we didn’t do well enough in the final run-in, and only just missed out.

“We had nowhere near the squad we have now. For the people that have come in, they know what getting promoted for this town and this club means.

“The chairman has built this stadium and he’s desperate to get promoted.”

Dagenham defeated Rotherham 5-0 earlier in the season, a result that was a real aberration for the Millers. The return fixture comes with Steve Evans’s side buoyant after a 4-0 win at Oxford on Tuesday night.

That moved them to fourth, within a point of third-placed Cheltenham with two games in hand, and to within just two wins of the leadership of League Two.

Revell believes the mix of youth and experience will serve the Millers well in the run-in.

“We’ve got players who have done it before, experienced players, plus we’ve got some young players who are keen to get a promotion on their cv,” he said.

“I’ve never had a promotion and it’s something I’m keen to get, not only for the lads for how hard we’ve worked, but for the chairman, for what he has built here and what’s happened in the town.

“This stadium has revitalised everyone.”

Evans was elated at the manner of the 4-0 win at the Kassam Stadium, but was surprised at how the first half unfolded with the Millers scoring four goals in the closing 15 minutes.

Evans said: “There wasn’t much in the game, but we’ve identified their system and made changes by putting two players right out wide and taking advantage.”