Guess who’s back, back again. Neil Warnock’s surprise appointment at Middlesbrough last week is his seventh job since 2007, where he was manager of Crystal Palace and stated that “this is my last job - there won’t be another job for me.” 13 years later, Warnock insists he still “loves the challenge” and with eight promotions to his name, who can doubt him?
Even with his controversial opinions and mannerisms, Warnock remains a strong piece of the English footballing furniture. Compilation videos of him berating officials and screaming at his players during the infamous ‘Warnock’ documentary from 2005 are still commonplace on social media. This has somewhat helped his reputation in terms of highlighting the charismatic aspect to Warnock’s boisterous managerial style. So, what better than a look through some of the most famous anecdotes and moments concerning football’s ultimate journeyman?
THE BOWLING TRIP
Perhaps one of the more prominent stories surrounding Warnock is the bowling trip with his Sheffield United players during his eight-year stint there. The former Blades striker Paul Peschisolido told the story of a team bonding session, which ended very badly for the whole squad.
“He [Warnock] convinced us all to put £10 in the pot, winner-take-all,” Peschisolido said.
“We agreed, but then he pulled out his own bowling shoes and custom ball, shot 250 and took all our money.”
Of course, Warnock didn’t want to mention that he was a bowling coach prior to his management days. The untold part of this story is that Warnock’s role as a bowling coach led to his first steps into football. He coached a Sheffield United player’s wife and subsequently earned a trial at Chesterfield as a result. Neil Warnock, a man of many talents.
Even with his controversial opinions and mannerisms, Warnock remains a strong piece of the English footballing furniture. Compilation videos of him berating officials and screaming at his players during the infamous ‘Warnock’ documentary from 2005 are still commonplace on social media. This has somewhat helped his reputation in terms of highlighting the charismatic aspect to Warnock’s boisterous managerial style. So, what better than a look through some of the most famous anecdotes and moments concerning football’s ultimate journeyman?
THE BOWLING TRIP
Perhaps one of the more prominent stories surrounding Warnock is the bowling trip with his Sheffield United players during his eight-year stint there. The former Blades striker Paul Peschisolido told the story of a team bonding session, which ended very badly for the whole squad.
“He [Warnock] convinced us all to put £10 in the pot, winner-take-all,” Peschisolido said.
“We agreed, but then he pulled out his own bowling shoes and custom ball, shot 250 and took all our money.”
Of course, Warnock didn’t want to mention that he was a bowling coach prior to his management days. The untold part of this story is that Warnock’s role as a bowling coach led to his first steps into football. He coached a Sheffield United player’s wife and subsequently earned a trial at Chesterfield as a result. Neil Warnock, a man of many talents.
Warnock celebrates with the trophy after winning the npower Championship match between Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United at Loftus Road in May 2011.
A SEWER RAT
Warnock is undoubtedly famous for his endless ranting and anger towards officials, but this one was a remarkable rant aimed at opposition player El-Hadji Diouf. In a Championship clash between QPR and Blackburn, Jamie Mackie was taken down by a challenge from a Rovers defender, resulting in a broken leg. The challenge was purely accidental and a freak incident, yet the reaction of Diouf was one that angered the QPR players and Warnock himself.
The infamous rant can be seen here on a YouTube clip where he lambasts the Senegalese striker. The full rant is as follows:
“We were all a little bit low tonight which is understandable. I think they were just a little bit annoyed at El-Hadji Diouf and his reaction when [Mackie] was lying on the floor with a broken leg, telling him to get up and calling him a disgrace.
“I thought after in the tunnel you could see what a nasty piece of fish he is. I called him a little sewer rat but that might be a little bit harsh on the sewer rats.”
The best part is yet to come, however. Diouf replied with “Who is Warnock? He's nothing to me. He's not Alex Ferguson, he's not Arsene Wenger, he's not Sam Allardyce or an important manager. I know he doesn't like me, but it's the same for me too - I don't like him.” Diouf signed for Leeds United a year later, under the stewardship of - you guessed it - Neil Warnock.
"LINESMAN!"
This piece simply had to include a touchline rant from the already mentioned documentary ‘Warnock’. In a 2-0 loss to Ipswich Town at home, Warnock destroys a helpless linesman with an onslaught of expletive abuse. Ultimately, it becomes a mix of emotions for the viewer who naturally feels obliged to feel sorry for the victim of Warnock’s abuse, but the general comedic aspect of Warnock on the touchline is outstanding viewing. His touchline mannerisms throughout the documentary are like your everyday Sunday league manager, bringing to life the enigma that is the Yorkshireman.
The clip neatly ends with the increasingly wound up Warnock remarking, “What’s his surname? Hutchinson. I’ve never seen anyone like him.” Let’s be honest though, I don’t think this linesman was the last to receive a similar barrage of abuse.
MANAGERIAL FUEDS
As we have already found out, Warnock is not afraid to get into a confrontation. This most definitely applies to Gary Megson and Stan Ternent, who Warnock mentions in his autobiography. In reference to the aforementioned managers, Warnock infamously said that “The old saying that I wouldn't p**s on them if they were on fire applies.”
The feud ran even deeper with Ternent and a scuffle with Warnock’s assistant Kevin Blackwell was indicative of their long-term dispute. Warnock recalled a game between Sheffield United and Burnley where the coaching staff took centre stage:
"I had always known Stan Ternent was a d***head but when Sheffield United played Burnley in 2001 he behaved like a deranged lunatic. I’d told my assistant Kevin Blackwell to keep an eye on Ternent. I knew he’d be trying to put pressure on the ref. So, when Ternent came around the corner, frothing at the mouth, Blackie told him to leave it out. That was all the encouragement Ternent needed. He launched himself at Blackie and butted him. Blackwell swung a right hook and smacked him on the nose. He sploshed him good and proper. In Ternent’s autobiography he tells how he gave Blackwell a good hiding. But we saw the incident differently. Blackie had a little cut on his lip. Ternent was in bits."
Warnock is undoubtedly famous for his endless ranting and anger towards officials, but this one was a remarkable rant aimed at opposition player El-Hadji Diouf. In a Championship clash between QPR and Blackburn, Jamie Mackie was taken down by a challenge from a Rovers defender, resulting in a broken leg. The challenge was purely accidental and a freak incident, yet the reaction of Diouf was one that angered the QPR players and Warnock himself.
The infamous rant can be seen here on a YouTube clip where he lambasts the Senegalese striker. The full rant is as follows:
“We were all a little bit low tonight which is understandable. I think they were just a little bit annoyed at El-Hadji Diouf and his reaction when [Mackie] was lying on the floor with a broken leg, telling him to get up and calling him a disgrace.
“I thought after in the tunnel you could see what a nasty piece of fish he is. I called him a little sewer rat but that might be a little bit harsh on the sewer rats.”
The best part is yet to come, however. Diouf replied with “Who is Warnock? He's nothing to me. He's not Alex Ferguson, he's not Arsene Wenger, he's not Sam Allardyce or an important manager. I know he doesn't like me, but it's the same for me too - I don't like him.” Diouf signed for Leeds United a year later, under the stewardship of - you guessed it - Neil Warnock.
"LINESMAN!"
This piece simply had to include a touchline rant from the already mentioned documentary ‘Warnock’. In a 2-0 loss to Ipswich Town at home, Warnock destroys a helpless linesman with an onslaught of expletive abuse. Ultimately, it becomes a mix of emotions for the viewer who naturally feels obliged to feel sorry for the victim of Warnock’s abuse, but the general comedic aspect of Warnock on the touchline is outstanding viewing. His touchline mannerisms throughout the documentary are like your everyday Sunday league manager, bringing to life the enigma that is the Yorkshireman.
The clip neatly ends with the increasingly wound up Warnock remarking, “What’s his surname? Hutchinson. I’ve never seen anyone like him.” Let’s be honest though, I don’t think this linesman was the last to receive a similar barrage of abuse.
MANAGERIAL FUEDS
As we have already found out, Warnock is not afraid to get into a confrontation. This most definitely applies to Gary Megson and Stan Ternent, who Warnock mentions in his autobiography. In reference to the aforementioned managers, Warnock infamously said that “The old saying that I wouldn't p**s on them if they were on fire applies.”
The feud ran even deeper with Ternent and a scuffle with Warnock’s assistant Kevin Blackwell was indicative of their long-term dispute. Warnock recalled a game between Sheffield United and Burnley where the coaching staff took centre stage:
"I had always known Stan Ternent was a d***head but when Sheffield United played Burnley in 2001 he behaved like a deranged lunatic. I’d told my assistant Kevin Blackwell to keep an eye on Ternent. I knew he’d be trying to put pressure on the ref. So, when Ternent came around the corner, frothing at the mouth, Blackie told him to leave it out. That was all the encouragement Ternent needed. He launched himself at Blackie and butted him. Blackwell swung a right hook and smacked him on the nose. He sploshed him good and proper. In Ternent’s autobiography he tells how he gave Blackwell a good hiding. But we saw the incident differently. Blackie had a little cut on his lip. Ternent was in bits."
Another famous Warnock run-in with match officials. Here his pictured staring at referee Craig Pawson after a 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea.
OUT OF HIS LEAGUE
Nobody can doubt Warnock’s prowess, experience and tactical nous when it comes to Championship management. Four promotions to the top-flight are no mean feat and he is undoubtedly the go-to man in the second tier. However, his shortcomings have been evident when Warnock has made the step up to the Premier League, which Warnock has openly admitted. A win percentage of just over 20% and multiple relegations are not good reading, yet in typical Warnock style he is ready to joke about the depth in class between his sides and other Premier League sides.
The best example of this was Warnock’s debut appearance on Gillette Soccer Saturday, where he recalled a devastating eight-minute spell against the 2018/19 champions Manchester City.
Warnock recalls the afternoon in hilarious terms: “33 minutes against Cardiff I’m enjoying it, then eight minutes later I’m 3-0 down and I’m going, what a goal that is.”
There are so many stories surrounding Warnock during his managerial career that has now reached its 40th year. His energetic touchline persona will mean he is never forgotten, and he is perhaps one of the last truly British managers in old fashioned terms. As he enters his 19th job at Middlesbrough who lurk just above the relegation zone, who would bet against him to perform more magic at the level he has always thrived at. Warnock is undoubtedly a colourful type and whether you like him or not, football is the richer for his involvement.
Nobody can doubt Warnock’s prowess, experience and tactical nous when it comes to Championship management. Four promotions to the top-flight are no mean feat and he is undoubtedly the go-to man in the second tier. However, his shortcomings have been evident when Warnock has made the step up to the Premier League, which Warnock has openly admitted. A win percentage of just over 20% and multiple relegations are not good reading, yet in typical Warnock style he is ready to joke about the depth in class between his sides and other Premier League sides.
The best example of this was Warnock’s debut appearance on Gillette Soccer Saturday, where he recalled a devastating eight-minute spell against the 2018/19 champions Manchester City.
Warnock recalls the afternoon in hilarious terms: “33 minutes against Cardiff I’m enjoying it, then eight minutes later I’m 3-0 down and I’m going, what a goal that is.”
There are so many stories surrounding Warnock during his managerial career that has now reached its 40th year. His energetic touchline persona will mean he is never forgotten, and he is perhaps one of the last truly British managers in old fashioned terms. As he enters his 19th job at Middlesbrough who lurk just above the relegation zone, who would bet against him to perform more magic at the level he has always thrived at. Warnock is undoubtedly a colourful type and whether you like him or not, football is the richer for his involvement.
Written by - Will Murray
Edited by - 3-At-The-Back
Edited by - 3-At-The-Back