Rotherham United v Sutton United: Paul Warne’s happy Wembley memories serve as inspiration to Millers

Two lower-division clubs are guaranteed a rare place in the sun at Wembley. It is about the glory and the day out and not necessarily prize money or win bonuses.

Rotherham United manager Paul Warne can vouch for that from his first experience of playing at HA9 even further down the pyramid for Norfolk non-leaguers Diss Town in their victorious FA Vase final against Taunton in 1994.

Warne, whose side are favourites for tomorrow’s Papa John’s Trophy showpiece against Sutton, told The Yorkshire Post: “I understand that the lads have contracts and everyone has money and (other) issues and they are always craving the next contract, but when I look back at one of my best memories at Wembley, it had nothing to do with money.

“I think I got a 20 quid win bonus (with Diss). More often than not, the best moments in your life are the simplest.

“I know we are playing at Wembley, but it is a simple game. Just a game of football on there.

“If we do that, we should be okay in terms of being competitive. However, this (Sutton) team are better than Hartlepool and they caused us all sorts of problems.”

For those Millers players who step out at the home of football for the first time tomorrow, should their experience be half as eventful as Warne’s was back in the mid-90s, they will treasure the memories forever.

After equalising late on, Diss triumphed in extra time and Norfolk had a rare moment to savour at Wembley. It was only half of the story.

Warne continued: “It was legendary. That was the proper Wembley and it was my 21st birthday the next day.

“At my mum’s house, there’s still a video of the game and all the stuff on the local news, which is hilarious. The changing rooms were rubbish. Now if I walk down the tunnel, it’s like walking into a shopping centre.

“The crowd will be similar to this weekend. It was about 30,000, which was ridiculous for us. We were used to not playing in front of 10 men and a dog, but 20 men and two dogs.

“We scored in about the 98th minute to take it to extra time and then my mate Paul Gibbs scored a penalty and if I watch it back, I still think he is going to miss.

“I remember the pitch being massive and getting cramp everywhere in extra time. It also coincided with my university days where I was a stone heavier and enjoyed alcohol more than I do now. I was in a good place with ‘slippery hair’ and everything was right in my life.

“I was pleased to play, but really pleased that my mum and dad saw me play and I can see how excited they were.

“It was a big thing back home as on Look East (regional news programme), there were not many football teams apart from Norwich and King’s Lynn. We were then ‘someone’.”

On his coming-of-age weekend, Warne celebrated with particular gusto. Should the Millers prevail tomorrow, he will board the team bus home to quietly savour events.

His players will be allowed time to unwind in the capital, should they wish. Although they will hardly take the partying to the level Warne did in ‘94.

The Millers chief recalled: “All the single lads went out in London that night and all the married lads with their partners stayed in the hotel. As we left, all the married men were looking at us and really wanting to go out.

“I remember sitting in Trafalgar Square at six in the morning waiting for the trains to get us back to the hotel.

“The bus was waiting; we hadn’t packed our rooms, but a mate’s wife kindly did. We drank all the way back to Norfolk and there was an open-top bus parade in Diss.

“We went out again and I was that drunk I asked a barmen if he’d any spare rooms as I’d nowhere to stay and he let me crash there. I then woke up on the day after my 21st birthday thinking: ‘Where am I?’ I had an amazing time and I was blessed.

“It’s something I’ll never forget. Although I don’t want any of my players to turn up to training on Tuesday after 36 hours on the drink with no sleep.

“Some of the lads are staying in London with their partners and families after. I don’t want to get involved in anyone’s memory.

“As for me personally, I am coming straight back. But I will be happy for them to celebrate if we win.

“If they play really well and lose, would I let them have a beer? Yes, of course, I would because life is too short isn’t it.”