Millers are back in black

ROTHERHAM United have reported a return to pre-tax profit, supported by a £4m turnover rise, accounts for chairman Tony Stewart's ASD Lighting have revealed.

The Championship club, who appointed Neil Redfearn as their manager earlier this month, posted a pre-tax profit of £167,000 in the year to December 31 2014 after the £477,000 pre-tax loss in 2013.

Sales rose from £7.1m to £11m as the club's average league attendance climbed from 8,373 to 9,320 and the number of season tickets sold increased from 4,564 to 6,078.

Tony Stewart’s ASD Lighting Holdings, which supplies office, security, commercial and emergency lighting products, increased pre-tax profit from £2.8m to £3.3m, although turnover dipped from £20.3m to £19.5m.

At a group level, the business reported turnover of £29.4m, up from £25.3m, and a £1.2m rise in pre-tax profit to £3.5m.

Stewart saved Rotherham United in 2008 when he brought the club out of administration via a company voluntary arrangement. Since then, he has overseen the construction of the club's new £20m New York Stadium.

ASD Lighting was founded 30 years ago and is based on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate in Rotherham. It employs about 175 staff.