Rotherham chairman planning for next season after Championship status secured

Rotherham chairman Tony Stewart admits he began planning for next season within hours of the 2-1 victory over Reading which secured their Championship status on Tuesday evening.

Stewart believes the club are well placed to emulate the feat of Watford and Bournemouth next season after the pair booked their place in the top flight of English football.

"This season has been a learning curve, we can take all that on board and it’ll be managed so we can progress,” Stewart told Sky Sports News HQ.

“The ambition is always to get into the Premier League and we, like 24 other clubs, will be trying to get to the top – automatic and into the play-offs and that’s what will happen next season.

“This season we’ve got all of May, June and July to prepare and it’s going to be exciting.”

Despite two smoke bomb being set off at the match - which condemned Wigan and Millwall to relegation - Stewart refused to allow theincidents to dampen his mood.

“What a night, the people of Rotherham are doing backwards summersaults this morning," he said. “The incidents will be taken care of and no one was hurt. It was something that we regret but we’ll do something about it."

Prior to the Reading game game Rotherham manager Steve Evans said he would wear a sombrero and flip-flops in their final game against Leeds this Saturday if they managed to avoid relegation.

“Steve would do that, he’s a showman and a character," said Stewart. "I think it’s tongue in cheek but who knows, you might see him walking around Leeds in flip flops.

“Steve is very infectious, very passionate and is a skilled guy - that’s why we got him three years ago from Crawley and look what he’s achieved.”

And there is no decision yet whether the club will appeal against the three-point deduction that meant their Championship future was only decided on Tuesday.

Stewart will meet with QC Jim Sturman on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the possibility of an appeal, with the deadline to lodge it looming on Friday.

He said: "I have got a meeting this afternoon with the QC and we will have that discussion and we will announce it on Thursday with the decision we make."