Mosh pits and a day out in York: the Paul Warne Column

Their drummer is a big Millers fan and goes to a lot of games so they're my favourite band. I really like them anyway but the Rotherham connection helps.

The First Direct Arena is some venue, by the way. It's brilliant. I was in the 'standy' bit with my missus. You can't sit down at a concert, can you? It's not right. Your life is over if you sit down at a concert. You might as well sit at home and listen to the music on a CD.

We didn't take the kids because the band are a bit ‘sweary’, although I did think it might be a good way of making them more ‘street tough’. The drummer, Matt Nicholls, had kindly sorted me tickets and a VIP sticker to go and see him after the gig.

I stuck the sticker on, which turned out to not be the best idea. It's fair to say there were many people there who'd had a lot more to drink than I had and the sticker was getting me too much attention. In the end, I took it off.

I texted Matt to ask what time he'd be on stage because all that rock ’n’ roll stuff does my head in. Doors open at 6.30 ... yeah, but what time are the band on? I can't stand up forever. He said 9.20. At 9.21 I texted him, saying: 'Where are you?'

I didn't go and see him afterwards. He'll have had all his family in there and wouldn't have wanted me there, so I didn't want to turn up and embarrass him or anything like that.

The gig was excellent. We left during the second song of the encore and legged it across to the multi-storey car-park where my car was. You're in deep trouble after a concert if you're at the back of the queue in a multi-storey car-park. You don't get home until the following day.

Me and my missus were singing 'Yorkshire, Yorkshire' with the rest of the crowd because it was the first time the band had been back for a while. I thought to myself: 'What's a Norfolk boy doing chanting this?' I must have been up here for a while now!'

I didn't throw my missus into the mosh pit which is the area where the crowd just go crazy.

The last time we went to a concert, she was quite interested in it. I tried to push her in on that occasion but she kept fighting it.

Matt didn't have his Rotherham top on. He went ‘street cool’. I was very disappointed in that. I've invited him to the training ground so when he comes down I'm going to hammer him.

It's not about looking cool, it's about keeping your biggest fan happy — a bit like I have to do at a game when someone in the stand behind me shouts: ‘Play 4-4-2.’

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THAT was a fair old clearance off the line by Will Vaulks against the Blades, wasn't it?

It was a great bit of play and you could see afterwards by his reaction what it meant to him. If he had given up on that ball, it would have been 2-0 to them and we'd have faced a much harder task.

It was as important as us scoring a goal. In the same way, Jamie Proctor was able to score an equaliser in added time only because Richie Towell chased back 60 yards to win the ball back off their winger who was trying to run the ball into the corner.

Luckily, for us, Smudge (Michael Smith) puts in the worst cross in history and we get a point.

I don't get offended by this but because we drew with Sheffield United and played quite well, people are suddenly saying: ‘Hey, Rotherham are quite good.’

We've always said that here, though.

I wasn't surprised Jon Taylor caused the Blades problems or Smudge or Willo (Ryan Williams) or Richie caused problems because they've been doing that to teams every week. Will played very well last Saturday. But so did ten others.

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IT was good to catch up with Blades manager Chris Wilder who is a man I have a great deal of respect for.

I wouldn't say we're bosom buddies; we're footballing buddies. I've come up against him as a member of the Rotherham staff a few times. I remember when we went to Oxford and he was boss there. I sat in his office and had a chat with him.

I'm pretty close with his number two, Knilly (Alan Knill), who has big Rothers links as a past player and manager. I say ‘pretty close’. As with all men who are pretty close with their mates, we speak about once every six years!

Actually, I've seen Knilly at a couple of games this year and had a good chat with him.

When I sorted out the Caolan Lavery loan thing last year and was looking to sign another one of Sheffield United's players, Chris was really helpful.

Some managers you phone up and they don't return your calls. But he's not one of those. Maybe his roots aren't dissimilar to mine. It's not like he's been at Juventus for six years.

He's got his team playing with a real passion and a real energy. I think maybe I have a closer affinity to him than most.

Equalising so late felt a little bit like Doncaster Rovers last year when we beat Donny at home in something like the 115th minute.

The lads got what they deserved and they'll take confidence from it. When the goal went in it was a pretty amazing feeling.

Procs had a hard year last year. He wasn't as much a part of it as he could have been, should have been, because of his cruciate injury. It was great for him to score like that.

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A 2-2 draw with QPR was a fair result but I was disappointed because we came so close to winning.

I definitely think QPR deserved a point because Marek (Rodak) pulled off some quality saves in the second half.

It's a pity we didn't get the win but to take QPR to the 91st minute before they scored their equaliser was a good effort.?

The lads never give up in any game and they gave me everything, but they were just not as good on the ball as I would have liked.

Everyone was a bit low afterwards because three points are difficult to come by. However, a 2-2 result when we have not played very well could be a good point at the end of the season.

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THE last international break came round too soon. I’d have rather just kept ticking along.

I gave the players  a long weekend off and went to York with my missus on the Friday afternoon to see the Christmas Market thing, then went out for a meal on Friday night. 

Me and my missus in York. I treat her very well

We came back on Saturday and I went and watched Donny v AFC Wimbledon. Our left-back, Ben Purrington, is on loan at Wimbledon so it was a good chance for me to catch up on him.

Was I watching any other players? That'd be telling, wouldn't it!