Warrington applauds the Millers' magnificent supporters

FOR a club whose most famous supporters are the Chuckle Brothers, smiles have been in short supply in recent times at Rotherham United.

Pain and grief have been the more common emotions etched onto the weathered faces of Miller Men after a torrid five years of administration and points deductions, relegation and relocation.

That pain resurfaced at 4.49pm yesterday when referee James Linington blew the final whistle to end Rotherham's hopes of closing the book on this arduous chapter in their history with a promotion they so desperately craved.

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Trips to Hillsborough to tackle their bitter rivals Wednesday, to the Galpharm Stadium and to

St Mary's will have to wait.

Journeys to Stevenage Borough, Torquay and Accrington Stanley are the grim reality.

But amid the anguish and the tears that greeted the men in red and white who trooped slowly in front of their adoring faithful in the late afternoon sun of Wembley, there was also pride.

Pride in their team's character to fight back twice which produced a lump in the throat that suggested their boys had given their all.

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"The fans were fantastic," observed Rotherham's disconsolate goalkeeper Andy Warrington.

"Most of the time with losing finalists their side of the stadium empties pretty quick but the Rotherham fans all stayed behind and clapped us round.

"They were absolutely magnificent, words cannot express what it means to the players to see that.

"They backed us all the way; we are really sorry it's a long journey home for all of us."

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What will hearten Millers fans is that men who represented them in the red and white yesterday greeted defeat with the same sense of devastation as they did.

As the Chuckle Brothers looked on forlornly from the stands, the Rotherham players collapsed to the much-maligned Wembley turf with tears in their eyes.

They were magnanimous in defeat, watching with gritted teeth as their counterparts from Dagenham & Redbridge hoisted the trophy.

Wembley is no place for losers, but the achievement in reaching the play-off final can also represent a yardstick for the steady progress the club is making. Despite this heartbreaking loss, there is much cause for optimism for the 15,000 fans who streamed down the M1 yesterday and up Wembley Way with their flags and scarves, and jester hats.

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A new 12,000 capacity stadium at the old Guest and Chrimes site in Rotherham town centre is in the design process, with an opening date scheduled for the start of the 2012-13 season.

The old financial problems which dogged the Millers for the last five years and resulted in three years of points penalties – Premier League clubs have been relegated on fewer points than the Millers have been penalised in recent years – now appear firmly behind them thanks to the astute guidance of chairman Tony Stewart.

Stewart has forked out 2m of his own money to help fund a promotion push, but if Rotherham can lure half the amount of fans who roared them on yesterday next season, then his personal contribution may not need to be as hefty.

Once they move back into their hometown and into a stadium that has the backing of the local council and will be operated along similar lines to that of Doncaster's neighbouring Keepmoat, then the club can at last begin to generate their own revenue.

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And with manager Ronnie Moore's history, who is to say they will not be opening that stadium as a Championship club?

He is the man, who, after all, guided Rotherham to successive promotions a decade ago and engineered their four-year stay in English football's second tier.

As they showed yesterday, they have the fanbase to sustain them whichever division they are in when the doors to the new stadium open in two years.

There is no doubt exile in Sheffield has hurt the club, stripping them of a clutch of once-loyal supporters who fled when their team no longer played in the town.

But this day out at Wembley has united the club.

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Rotherham people are proud to be United again – from the octogenarian who remembers the League Cup final appearance in the 1960s to the young boy walking up Wembley Way for the first time, his eyes wide open as the stadium filled his vision and quickened his step.

Families came together to descend on the national stadium.

Millers fans may be temporarily united in despair, but more so in hope.

They screamed themselves hoarse in support of their team yesterday. There will be a lot of soar throats in Rawmarsh and Ravenfield this morning.

And it is this resource of support and income that Stewart must tap into now as the club attempt to use the momentum generated this season.

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Keeping hold of Adam Le Fondre – whose 30 goals were pivotal in their qualification for the play-offs – will be of immediate concern, despite his anonymity yesterday.

As will re-energising an ageing central defence that creaked loudly in a Wembley that was a third-full yesterday.

With 12 players out of contract, Moore will have his work cut out this summer.

Defeat hurts, and the feeling in the pit of the stomach will take a long time to overcome.

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But the positive signs are there, if this day out at Wembley can be embraced as a force for good for the proud South Yorkshire club.

Because more than most, Rotherham United fans deserve something to smile about.