Warnock - No vendetta

Former Blades boss still bitter about relegation

Last updated: 17th March 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Warnock - No vendetta

Warnock: Bitter about relegation

Justice in England is the major thing and it would have been easy to brush Sheffield United aside. We have wanted the truth to come out all the way along the line. When wrongs have been done against you, you fight for your cause.

Neil Warnock
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Neil Warnock has admitted he is still bitter about Sheffield United's relegation from the Premier League as he considers legal action against West Ham.

The Blades dropped out of the top flight in 2007 as a Carlos Tevez-inspired West Ham stayed up at their expense on the final day of the season.

The Hammers were fined after breaking rules regarding third-party ownership but they were not deducted points and Sheffield United have been seeking compensation for almost two years.

A settlement between the clubs was finally reached on Monday but Warnock, manager of the Blades at the time, is still furious with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore and is thinking about launching a personal claim.

He told Sky Sports News: "I am pleased it's finalised because we knew all along we were in the right. There should have been action sooner but at least now it can be put to bed between the two clubs.

"If it had been a bigger club it would have been dealt with at the time and it wouldn't have been brushed under the carpet. I am very bitter about Richard Scudamore and the Premier League because it was my dream job as well.

"I wanted to get this out of the way first and then I would look at it. I will be taking legal advice myself.

"I just feel very bitter than I am not a Premier league manager still. If you only knew how much hard work it was in the seven years to get the team up to the Premier League, it was a bitter disappointment knowing Tevez shouldn't have been in the team the last few weeks."

Justice

Warnock has been criticised for pursuing the matter but he insists he has been motivated by a desire to see justice done rather than a private vendetta against the Hammers.

Asked if he had a vendetta, Warnock said: "Not really, no. I would love to manage them.

"You are going to get stick and we have been slaughtered in the London press, especially.

"But justice in England is the major thing and it would have been easy to brush Sheffield United aside.

"We have wanted the truth to come out all the way along the line. When wrongs have been done against you, you fight for your cause."

Established

Warnock believes Sheffield United would have improved if they had avoided relegation in 2007 and would still be in the Premier League.

He explained: "I don't think anything can compensate you for losing your Premier League status.

"I think we could have been an established Premier League side and we had high hopes of taking the club forward, spending money in our first summer to keep us up.

"Even West Ham fans know, if you ask them why they stayed up, there is only one word and that is Tevez."

Comments (39)

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Brian Hodza (Arsenal fan) says...

It makes no difference how SU were relegated, sooner or later there would've gone under anyway!! wont shed any tears for them...to be honest the Hammers have more pedigree?? How else do you explain the fact that you still in the 2nd tier.. why did your team not go strait up the following season??? anything else is a matter of conjecture... food for thought!!!!!!!!

Posted 05:48 19th March 2009

Michael Durkan (Sheffield United fan) says...

West Ham did not play Tevez with the Pl's blessing. They decieved the PL regarding the continied existence of the third party agreement that they had insisted had been torn up. It's not really about whether Sheffield United were good enough to stay up that season. West ham broke the rules and should have been deducted any points gained in any games that Tevez played in after receiving the initial punishment. The only reaosn they were not was because the people in charge at teh PL did not think that West ham could get out of trouble so they simply pocketed a handsome sum of money for themselves and thought that would be the end of it. If they had had any balls and a lot less greed the whole situation would never have occurred. And for any of those fans of smaller teams out there who beleive that it is only sour grapes on the part of Sheffiedl United that has led them to pursue the action that they have then i hope they remember this next time they are incovenienced by a larger club with the finances not to play by the rules. Think on!

Posted 18:18 18th March 2009

Andy Gill (West Ham United fan) says...

No comment from the Sheffield fans then! I think that even they must feel totally bemused by this farce. The Premier league should take the brunt of all this and give every penny back to West Ham who should not be accountable for their mistakes. Common you Blades, have your say!

Posted 14:19 18th March 2009

John Mathison (Sheffield United fan) says...

At last this saga is at an end. Sheff Utd were relegated. There is no doubt in my mind that the Premier League were very "gentle" in the way West ham got treated. Let it all end now. An agreement has been reached between the clubs. Tevez now continues to play in the Premier League as a bona- fide player, if on loan. Can we now have an end to the bleatings of the london press, and biased sky sports pundits. If this continues football become the laughing stock of the sports world, and it is OUR national sport.

Posted 11:29 18th March 2009

Nathan Boon (West Ham United fan) says...

Couldn't they have just had a match (Tevez V's Sheffield United), by their reckoning it should be an easy win for Tevez - oh wait, it probably would be.

Posted 08:44 18th March 2009

Steven Taylor (Liverpool fan) says...

I really wish Warnock would shut his mouth, the simple fact of the matter is his team LOST TOO MANY GAMES, therefore they didnt pick up as many points as West Ham, he cant simply blame the Tevez saga for his FORMER teams relegation, he got his tactics wrong more often than not, he should shoulder a large majority of the blame along with his players, whats to say west ham wouldnt have ended up winning without Tevez anyway. Warnock, shut your mouth and let it go, you always have someone else to blame.

Posted 01:14 18th March 2009

Peter M (Manchester United fan) says...

People don't seem to be aware of the situation. West Ham were given permission to carry on using Tevez, so they carried on using him. It was only later that the FA realised that they shouldn't have allowed him to be played. So I have (some) sympathy for Sheffield United. However, surely it is the FA that they should be suing? As for the fine/points debate, I have to agree that West Ham should have lost points and, coming from the Luton area, I am only too aware of how differently small clubs get treated, so I can have some sympathy on that matter too. But the key to the situation is that on the final day of the season, there were 4 teams fighting to avoid the final relegation spot. Fulham got the win they needed and stayed up. West Ham got the draw they needed and more, so they also stayed up. Sheffield United, being 3 points ahead of their final day opponents, WIgan, with better goal difference, needed only a draw to stay up, regardless of other results. They were, in fact, in 15th place going into the game. They then contrived to throw the game away, and with it their Premier League status. My sympathy is therefore muted.

Posted 23:35 17th March 2009

Ben Evans (sheffield united fan) says...

Well, I see both sides of the story yet as West Ham were only deducted a small amount of money, they could easily afford to pay it off. The stadium attendence went down by about 5 thousand because of relagation which means less tickets being sold which means less money for the club which means less amount of money to spend on whatever needs to be spent on. I have a season ticket and I love going to watch them, but the crowds don't have the same flare as what we did in the premiership. I hope WHU suffer greatly for their incompetance and I hope they go down as we go up. :)

Posted 19:09 17th March 2009

Chris Snell (Sheffield United fan) says...

West Ham deserve what they have got even though 80% of the football sports press being Hammers fans plus Brooking and Scudamore all strings...... justice has won. times by three .... £45 million is nearer the right amount. Up the Blades.

Posted 18:29 17th March 2009

Abigail Lee (Ipswich Town fan) says...

I am an Ipswich fan and so am fairly impartial. I think that if Warnock had been any kind of a decent manager his tema would have not been in the position that they needed other teams to lose to stay up. They should have won enough games themselves to stay up. This really seems that sour grapes and comes across as pathetic. In addition, the Sheffield United players thinking they may sue for loss of earning is ridiculous. They earn more in a week than most of us do in a year and if there were any good surely they would have been bought in the transfer window by a premiership side.

Posted 17:21 17th March 2009

Aj C (West Ham United fan) says...

I've never heard so much misinformation and sleazy hypocritical weazle bleating before in my life. Look we went to an FA Cup Final and came 9th without Tevez. He arrived and disrupted the entire squad for most of the year, sending us spiraling into a run of defeats (including v Sheffield Utd!) - if you fellow adherents of Colins foggy perspective want Tevez taken away for the last few games, take him away for the first lot as well and we'll have those results back (because without that crap we would have hammered SUTD so that would 3 points extra!). But the fact of the matter is he was registered correctly when he played those last few games and the offending CLAUSE in the contract was REMOVED. 'Gentlemens' agreements and hearsay evidence are not admissable so you can all FO with the crap about the 'oral cuddles'and how we 'didn't really tear it up'. Sheffield Utd cheated by fielding a weakened side and handed the game to Wigan as they thought we would get beaten by Man Utd. I feel sorry for you fans - thinking that a pair of sleazy money oriented, self seeking grade a's like Colin and McCabe act in your interests. How deluded is that.

Posted 17:20 17th March 2009

Trevor Hamshere (West Ham United fan) says...

I am a West Ham fan and like it or not, West Ham deceived the PL and the FA. That said, they pleaded guilty and were fined. The PL then allowed Tevez to play the final 3 games of the season. West Ham stayed up, Sheff Utd didn't and as a result of their relegation have now been compensated by West Ham. West Ham should pay no more. The compensation that Sheff Utd received should pay off greedy Warnock, the players and Leeds. Can we all move on now? It would appear that the price of incompetence is quite staggering these days.

Posted 17:20 17th March 2009

Herman Trollope (West Ham United fan) says...

Whilst I believe that West Ham 'bent' the rules with regards to Tevez, it seems to me that they did so with the full blessing of the Premier League. I think this is a case of the Premier League realising too late that they have messed up and have left West Ham to take the brunt of it all. I didn't hear Wigan, Sheff Utd, Fulham etc complaining about Tevez and Mascherano playing for West Ham at the beginning of the season, of half way through for that matter. Suddenly when it comes clear that they are in danger of being relegated they are like rats on a ship and standing on everyone else to keep afloat. Zamora contrbuted just as much in the run in as Tevez did and in the last game of the season at Old Trafford, Man Utd were much the better team and had many more attempts at goal and Rob Green had a blinder. I suppose his saves don't count ?. Dave Whelan of Wigan, plus Fulham and Middlesborough promised to support whoever got relegated in place of West Ham, funny how we haven't heard anything from them since the final day of that season. I'm alright Jack. Sheff Utd were 10 points clear of WHU with 10 games to go, is it WHU's fault that they weren't good enough to pick up the necesary amount of points. Like cry babies in the school playground its a case of "you cant have him in your team he's too good". I don't understand why, if the premier league have made their decision and fined WHU £5.5, why isn't that the end of it. They are the ruling body in all this. If Sheff Utd disagree with the Premier Leagues decision surely they should be taking them to court not West Ham.

Posted 17:17 17th March 2009

Josh Merchant (Manchester United fan) says...

Sheffield United would still be in a state of misery as they would have probably been relegated the next season and would be losing all their matches anyway. Warnock should stop moaning and be thankful they are not being drubbed by Liverpool & United week in week out.

Posted 17:09 17th March 2009

Robert T (West Ham United fan) says...

Perhaps Warnock will also sue Liverpool for playing an understrength side againts Fulham. Also illegal under Premier League Rules. Warnock is in dream land. He is a average manager of teams known for effort rather than finess. That aside Tevez is one player. West Ham beat Man U 1-nil. Was Teves in goal, defense and midfield. To place West Hams fortunes on one man is denegrating football as a team game. Teves scored the goal but at nil nil, there was a chance that anyone could have scored a goal to win that game! Look at Tevez goals to game ratio and then say he was he on his own kept West Ham in the top flight. Examine the stats after he signed as oppposed to the season before.The Tevez deal cost West Ham deaarly. Remember this was a team that finished top half and FA Cup runners up the season before. So that takes care of the kick-on factor warnock gives as a reason Sheffiled would have got better. That is his opinion and one that is not shared by those who witnessed some of their laboured performances. Warnock is a manager of unfashionable teams and continues in that mould with C.Palace. Hard work over skill and talent has been the hallmark of his teams. Warnock also resigned his position and it is pure conjecture that Sheffield may or may not be in the Premier League still. Finally had West Ham been told by the Premier League Tevez could not play he would not have played. Had the Premier League acted quicker and punished West Ham at the time and deducted the points that proberbly should have been deducted then Hammers fans would have had to accept it. Sheffield are not a big club thats why they have spent so long in the lower leagues and their history is littered with brief flirtations with the big boys, where they have always come up short! Talk about Bank managers and reward for failure, had Warnock managed to get 1 more point over 38 games he would not have been relegated. Everyone loves a scapegoat!

Posted 17:03 17th March 2009

Ross Patterson (Newcastle United fan) says...

I can understand that people are saying that it's Sheffield United's own fault that they got relegated (ie: they weren't good enough and didn't get enough points etc...) but surely that is irrelevant if one of your main opponents in the relegation battle breaks the rules? I seem to remember that certain lower league clubs have been thrown out of the cup competitions in recent seasons for fielding ineligible players rather than being fined; surely a similar punishment should have been meted out to West Ham for fielding an ineligible player for a whole season?

Posted 16:55 17th March 2009

Brad Chermside (West Ham United fan) says...

The main reason Sheffield United are not in the Premier is because over the course of the whole season, 06/07, Sheffield United did not win enough games and were not good enough. Simple as that. To lay 38 games worth of inadequacy at the feet of one player in another team and not look at your own weaknesses and areas where you should improve is the root cause of why they are not a permanent fixture in the Premier League. Green played out of his skin, Noble and Zamora were superhuman throughout the run-in as well as Tevez finally finding his shooting boots after 2 thirds of the season firing blanks... for Sheffield United to blame Tevez is weak and a poor poor excuse for simply not being good enough. Focus on improving your club and your team and you might be able to maintain more than one season in the top-flight.

Posted 16:54 17th March 2009

Daniel Hourihan (West Ham United fan) says...

Neil Warnock is the biggest joke in football. For a change why doesn't he blame himself for HIS team getting relgated! First it was Fulham's fault. Then Manchester United's fault. Then it was West Ham's fault. Then it was the FA's Fault. Not at anytime did he blame his squad or himself for the relegation. Is it any wonder Sheffield United let him go without a fight. By the way the last five loses of Crystal Palace's have all been the referee's fault in post match interviews and i bet you if they lose this weekend someone else will be to blame again. goodluck with your courtcase, no doubt the judge will be to blame if the decision does not go in his favour.

Posted 16:53 17th March 2009

Mark Pengelly says...

I can't believe Sheff Utd.They were something like 10 points in front of WHU with 10 games to play.Who's fault was it really Mr Warnock?

Posted 16:50 17th March 2009

Paul Wiffen (West Ham United fan) says...

West Ham were punished, all the teams accepted it, then West Ham put a run together (West Ham - Not Carlos Tevez) and stayed up. How can it be proved that 1 single player kept West Ham up at the expense of a poor Sheff Utd side. It can't ! West Ham have settled, in my opinion they should have taken it to court and cleared their name - they'd been punished once and then commited the crime of staying up ! It's a shambles.

Posted 16:42 17th March 2009
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