Neil Warnock

Neil Warnock
Warnock during the pre-season training of Queens Park Rangers in 2011
Personal information
Full name Neil Warnock[1]
Date of birth (1948-12-01) 1 December 1948 (age 75)[1]
Place of birth Sheffield, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Torquay United (football advisor)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1967–1969 Chesterfield 24 (2)
1969–1971 Rotherham United 52 (5)
1971–1973 Hartlepool 60 (5)
1973–1975 Scunthorpe United 72 (7)
1975–1976 Aldershot 37 (6)
1976–1978 Barnsley 57 (10)
1978 York City 4 (0)
1978–1979 Crewe Alexandra 21 (1)
1979 Burton Albion 9 (6)
1980–1981 Gainsborough Trinity
1981–1982 Burton Albion 29 (3)
Total 327 (36)
Managerial career
1980–1981 Gainsborough Trinity
1981–1986 Burton Albion
1986–1989 Scarborough
1989–1993 Notts County
1993 Torquay United
1993–1995 Huddersfield Town
1995–1997 Plymouth Argyle
1997–1998 Oldham Athletic
1998–1999 Bury
1999–2007 Sheffield United
2007–2010 Crystal Palace
2010–2012 Queens Park Rangers
2012–2013 Leeds United
2014 Crystal Palace
2015 Queens Park Rangers (caretaker)
2016 Rotherham United
2016–2019 Cardiff City
2020–2021 Middlesbrough
2023 Huddersfield Town
2024 Aberdeen (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neil Warnock (born 1 December 1948) is an English football manager and former player who is currently football advisor at Torquay United. He is also a television and radio pundit. In a managerial career spanning five decades, Warnock has managed sixteen different clubs from the Premier League to non-league. Within English football, he holds the record for the most promotions, with eight, and the most games as a professional manager, with 1626, beating the previous record of 1601 set by Dario Gradi.[3]

Warnock played as a winger for Chesterfield, Rotherham United, Hartlepool, Scunthorpe United, Aldershot, Barnsley, York City and Crewe Alexandra, scoring 36 goals in 327 career league appearances. He retired from league football in 1979, aged 30. His playing career continued in the 1979–1980 season with non-league Burton Albion making nine appearances and scoring six goals until an injury cut his season short.[4] He finished his playing career when returning to Burton Albion as player manager in the 1981–1982 season, playing in 29 games and scoring three goals, before concentrating on management for the rest of his time at Burton.[5]

Warnock's first managerial job was with non-League Gainsborough Trinity (1980–1981), he would subsequently manage Burton Albion (1981–1986) and Scarborough (1986–1989), winning promotion to the Football League with the latter in 1987. He then managed Notts County (1989–1993), leading them from the Third Division to the First Division in successive seasons, though he was sacked after the club were relegated the season before the First Division became known as the Premiership. After a brief spell at Torquay United (1993), he moved to Huddersfield Town (1993–1995), with whom he won promotion to the new First Division. He then resigned and joined Plymouth Argyle (1995–1997), leading them to the Second Division. After being dismissed, he spent spells with Oldham Athletic (1997–1998) and Bury (1998–1999).

In 1999, Warnock joined boyhood club Sheffield United, leading them to the semi-finals of the League Cup and FA Cup in 2003 and promotion to the Premier League in 2006. However, he resigned in 2007 after the club were relegated. He then took over at Crystal Palace (2007–2010), saving the club from relegation to League One. When the club went into administration, he left to join Queens Park Rangers (2010–2012), winning promotion to the Premier League with the club in 2011. He was sacked with the club in a precarious position and joined Leeds United (2012–2013). After being dismissed by Leeds following a poor run of form, he was without a club for almost fifteen months until returning to Crystal Palace, then in the Premier League, in August 2014. In December 2014, he was sacked by Crystal Palace after a poor start to the season, which saw the club in the relegation zone.[6] After a month as caretaker at Queens Park Rangers,[7] Warnock returned to Rotherham United as manager in February 2016.[8] He was appointed manager of Cardiff City in October 2016, and led them to Premier League promotion during the 2017–18 season.[9][10] Warnock became manager of Middlesbrough in June 2020, a role he held until his departure in November 2021. Warnock announced his retirement from football management in April 2022 after 42 years as a manager.[11] He later came out of retirement in February 2023 to return to Huddersfield Town on a short-term contract, successfully guiding the club to Championship safety.

  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 641. ISBN 978-1-85291-665-7.
  2. ^ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 146. ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference record was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Why Warnock saw Burton Albion as his ideal start in management". Derby Telegraph. 31 May 2020.
  5. ^ Page, Rex (1990). Wellington Street to Wembley, Burton Albion, the Complete History, 1950-1990. pp. 48–51.
  6. ^ "Neil Warnock: Crystal Palace sack manager after Southampton defeat". BBC Sport. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: QPR appoint Burton manager as boss". BBC Sport. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Neil Warnock named Rotherham manager until end of season". BBC Sport. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  9. ^ "Cardiff City appoint Neil Warnock as new manager". The Guardian. 5 October 2016.
  10. ^ Stadium, Stuart James at Cardiff City (6 May 2018). "Cardiff City back in Premier League with Neil Warnock's eighth promotion". The Guardian.
  11. ^ "Neil Warnock announces retirement from football aged 73 after 42 years in management and 16 clubs". Sky Sports.