The Millers bought the former OutoKumpu sports ground site on Bawtry back in 2011. The plan for it was to turn the site into its training base for all levels from youth to first team.
Obviously the building and subsequent move into the New York Stadium was always the priority for the club, but almost a year on, the Millers COO Paul Douglas tells the Advertiser that the stadium project is complete, plans for the Bawtry Rd site are still on the backburner.
The site is currently used by youth players and the Millers Commnity Sports Trust and it is hoped they could make more use of the site until the club are in a position to develop it into an acadamy status training camp.
Paul Douglas told the Advertiser: “We are still very much involved in various projects at the New York Stadium and it is more complicated than meets the eye. For example, we're trying to develop land near the stadium and the rest of the lettable space inside and we haven't the resources to throw ourselves into a new project at the moment."
“At the same time we have looked at the training ground as a place our Community Sports Trust can make better use of, so in the short to medium term we want to make as much out of the training ground site as we can. There is a move these days to combine football and the Community Sports Trust and we see the value of extending this and that is a chance for us to do that at that site."
“As a Community Sports Trust, we are working closely with Rotherham Borough Council to develop in partnership with them.”
Meawhile, Paul said that the Millers were happy with the current training ground at Roundwood; “We are very happy with the arrangement at Parkgate. We are not the easiest tenants, as not all professional football clubs are, and we have had our ups and downs, but we have very accommodating landlords at Parkgate and it is a good relationship. Our ground staff have done a first class job there and there is no need to rush away from that facility at all."
“Having said that, we are conscious we have a fantastic piece of land at Bawtry Road that we want to take advantage of.” Douglas added.