Potter, punk and VAR ... Q&A with Rotherham United Women's manager Rob Hilton

​

WHERE ARE YOU AND WHAT CAN YOU SEE RIGHT NOW

I’m sat in my front room. My dog is mooching around. He’s a 12-year-old Boxer called Tyson.

BEST THING ABOUT FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT

Working with so many people and different characters and the family feel that comes with that. No matter how good you think you are, you’re always learning something new.

MOST FRUSTRRATING THING ABOUT FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT

When you prepare so hard for a game Tuesdays and Thursdays and it doesn’t get applied on the day. In junior football terms, shoe laces. If I had a quid for every shoe lace I tied then I’d be a rich man.

WHAT TEAM DO YOU SUPPORT

I played from seven-years-old but never really supported a team. I was more into ice hockey. When I met my partner, all her family were Sheffield Wednesday fans so I sort of fell into supporting them.

FAVOURITE FOOTBALL GROUND

Wembley. I went to watch the Lioness play USA there last year and just the atmosphere around the place, Wembley Way and the actual stadium itself, it was absolutely bouncing.

FUNNIEST THING YOU’VE WITNESSED AT A MATCH

When I was at Hemsworth Town we had an away match up at the north side of Leeds. It took us an hour to get there and it was hammering it down with rain all the way. When we got there the pitch it was covered in water. It was so wet there were ducks on it. There was no way it was playable but the referee said “it’s fine. You’ve come all this way and we’re going to play.” The match kicked off and in the first five minutes the ref cut across the pitch to keep up with play and ended up sliding ten yards on his backside. He was wet through, mud all up his back. We still finished the game, by the way.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE RULE IN FOOTBALL, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

The new offside rule. It’s too open to errors and interpretation.

FAVOURITE OTHER SPORT

Ice hockey. I’m a massive Sheffield Steelers fan. I’ve been going about 27 years now.

FIRST SPORTING MEMORY

My first ever training session as a junior when I was seven. I was wearing old hand-me-down boots and some shin pads that were about six sizes too big. They looked like cricket pads on me.

GUILTY PLEASURE

It’s my daughter’s fault, but I am a fan of musicals. I also like Harry Potter. We’ve been to the studios and everything.

FAVOURITE TV PROGRAMME

I’ve just watched Kin, also Tulsa King. Anything with a bit of action in it.

FAVOURITE MUSIC

90s punk rock. Good Charlatans, Sum 41 etc. It’s the music I grew up with.

ALL-TIME WOMEN’S FOOTBALL HERO

Emma Hayes, the former Chelsea and now USA manager, for the way she’s goes about her coaching and what she’s done for the women’s game.

ALL-TIME GENERAL FEMALE SPORTING HERO

Jess Ennis. To be good at everything is quite an achievement.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE PLACES WITH ONE PERSON IN SPORT, WHO WOULD IT BE?

Sarina Wiegman, England Women’s football manager. Just to have control of the best generational talent this country has got to offer.

VAR. KEEP IT OR SCRAP IT

Scrap it. It takes too long and, like the offside rule, it’s too open to interpretation. Let’s get back to decisions being made purely by referees and the people running the lines.

FOUR DINNER PARTY GUESTS (DEAD OR ALIVE)

All from football — Brian Clough, Paul Gascoigne, Jimmy Bullard and Gary Lineker. Those four would be class.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ROTHERHAM UNITED WOMEN IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME

Playing in the National League. In fact I’d like to see that happen in the next couple of years, with plenty of juniors pushing us forward.