Neil Warnock

Warnock started his professional playing career with Chesterfield in 1967, before moving on to Rotherham United, Hartlepool, Scunthorpe United, Aldershot, Barnsley, York City and Crewe Alexandra, making a total of 327 league appearances in an 11-year playing career. At Hartlepool, he won the club's Player of the Season award in 1972. Whilst at Hartlepool, at the age of 24, Warnock was inspired to enter football management following his playing days, after a dressing down from manager Len Ashurst after an FA Cup defeat to Boston United. He finished his Football League career at Crewe Alexandra in 1979, aged only 30. His playing career continued at Burton Albion in 1979 which was cut short with an injury and continued when he re-joined Burton as player-manager in 1981–1982, before concentrating on management for the rest of his time at Burton.

Early spells

After being involved in Sunday League coaching, his first full managerial job was with Northern Premier League side Gainsborough Trinity in 1980. During his time at Gainsborough, Warnock also played for the club. Warnock's Gainsborough side went unbeaten for the first home 13 games of the 1980–81 Northern Premier League season, a streak that was not equalled by the club until 2022. Under Warnock's management, Gainsborough finished fifth in the Northern Premier League. Following this he managed Burton Albion and Scarborough. At Scarborough he and Paul Evans, his assistant, won the Football Conference title in 1987, making them the first team to win automatic promotion to the Football League following the abolition of the re-election system. Warnock had earlier spent time as a coach at Peterborough United, where he met Posh assistant boss Mick Jones. In late 1988, Warnock became manager of Notts County – then in the Third Division – with Jones as his assistant. Also joining the backroom staff were Warnock's assistant at Scarborough, Paul Evans, and ex-Scarborough physio Dave Wilson. The four helped County achieve successive promotions to reach the First Division for the 1991–92 season, with Warnock turning down lucrative offers to manage Chelsea and Sunderland during this time. Warnock, however, was dismissed in January 1993 after County's relegation had cost them a place in the new Premier League. On 1 February 1993, Warnock arrived at Torquay United as…

Warnock was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire (now South Yorkshire). He has been a lifelong supporter of Sheffield United. He is married to Sharon and has four children, James, Natalie, Amy and William. In 2010 he lived in Richmond, London, and as of April 2020 he had a home near Stoke Climsland, Cornwall, and another in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute. Warnock is a qualified chiropodist. Warnock was in favour of Britain leaving the European Union. In a press conference after a Cardiff City game in January 2019, he remarked that: "I can't wait to get out of it, if I'm honest. I think we'll be far better out of the bloody thing. In every aspect. Football-wise as well, absolutely. To hell with the rest of the world." Warnock is portrayed by Antony Byrne in the 2022 television film Floodlights, centred on Bury defender Andy Woodward.

As a player

Individual

Hartlepool Player of the Year: 1971–72

As a manager

Burton Albion

NPL Challenge Cup: 1984–85 Scarborough

Football Conference: 1986–87 Notts County

Football League Second Division play-offs: 1991 Football League Third Division play-offs: 1990 Huddersfield Town

Football League Second Division play-offs: 1995 Yorkshire Electricity Cup: 1994 Football League Trophy runner-up: 1993–94 Plymouth Argyle

Football League Third Division play-offs: 1996 Sheffield United

Football League Championship second-place promotion: 2005–06 Queens Park Rangers

Football League Championship: 2010–11 Cardiff City

EFL Championship second-place promotion: 2017–18 Individual

Football Conference Manager of the Month: November 1986, December 1986 Football Conference Manager of the Year: 1986–87 Football League / EFL Championship Manager of the Month: December 2004, August 2005, September 2005, December 2008, August 2010, September 2010, March 2016, August 2017, February 2018, March 2018, October 2020 BBC London Sports Personality of the Year: 2011 LMA Special Achievement Award: 2017–18