Putting the smile on football’s face

YOU might have noticed that a pop star of yesteryear died the other day.

Here’s how one source reported the news: “Mike Smith, the lead singer and keyboardist of the Dave Clark Five sadly passed away on Thursday of pneumonia at the age of 64. ‘Glad All Over’, a number one for the Dave Clark Five from 1963, has become world famous as the theme tune of Crystal Palace Football Club and the fans sing along as the team take the field at all home games.”

No prizes for guessing that the source was Crystal Palace’s very own website — where else could keep a straight, not to say solemn, face while claiming that one of the best known hits of the 60’s only managed to become “world famous” when it became the anthem of a football club which, let’s put this as charitably as we can, has never quite threatened to eclipse Real Madrid, Manchester United or Santos in the global recognition stakes.

Ah, the lop-sided, tunnel-vision passion of football fans — when all that mad energy is channelled in the right direction, you’ve just got to love it.

Neil Warnock would understand. The current gaffer at Selhurst Park is widely regarded as one of the last of a dying breed in the upper echelons of English football, an old school maverick manager of solid Yorkshire stock who regularly courts controversy, speaks his mind regardless of the consequences and, whether being lampooned or lionised — and it’s invariably one or the other — somehow seems to keep it all in perspective and come up smiling in the end.

Earlier this week Warnock accompanied Palace striker Sean Scannell to Dublin — where the exciting young Irish international deservedly picked up his Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star Award — and your present correspondent was fortunate enough to spend a leisurely lunch hour in the company of the gaffer as he waxed eloquent and entertaining on life inside and outside football.

And, without breaching confidentiality, it’s safe to say that Warnock, even if he is as passionate about the game as they come, understands at a deep level that there’s far more to life than what goes on between the white lines. Which probably also explains why, in his newspaper columns, he is as happy to devote space to his daughter’s netball exploits as he is to Clinton Morrison’s form for Palace or the arrival of Capello.

Warnock has been hitting the headlines again in the last 24 hours with the news that the FA have charged him with “improper conduct” for comments he made about the match official after Bristol City grabbed a late draw in a recent game against Palace. As Warnock saw it, the goal came a minute after the four minutes of stoppage time indicated by the referee had elapsed, and the manager wasn’t slow in making his feelings known after the game.

“They go back to their jobs, referees, and give no thought about professionals like us having to work as hard as we’ve done tonight,” he blasted (gaffers always blast, of course).

“So what? It’s only a penalty, it’sonly an extra minute, I’m enjoying myself. Dear me, it’s disgraceful.”

Improper conduct? I think the man exercised amazing self-control. After all, do they really think Neil Warnock usually says ‘dear’ me when he’s angry? But then Warnock has plenty of form in this regard, just as he has often enjoyed a, shall we say, lively rapport with fans.

OPPOSITION supporters have for years liked to call him‘Colin’ after some enterprising individual, with far too much time on his hands, discovered that his name happens to be an anagram of ‘Colin Wranke’ (work the last bit out for yourselves). But over lunch in Dublin the other day, Warnock insisted that things aren’t always what they seem, pointing by way of example to a controversial day at Ipswich when he was manager at Sheffield United.

As Warnock told it, the crowd gave him the traditional greeting, with much howling of ‘Colin’ and similar in his general direction. Then Ipswich took the lead and the home crowd began chanting ‘Warnock, Warnock, what’s the score?’. Much to their amusement, Warnock made a ‘one’ and ‘zero’ sign in response.

That’s how things stood until, with just over 10 minutes to go, and in about their first meaningful attack of the game, Sheffield scored — and then managed to hang on to the final whistle for an unlikely draw. Delighted, Warnock ran on to congratulate his players and, before leaving the pitch, made sure to turn to the home supporters and make a one-one gesture. “They loved it,” he remembered, “but next thing I knew I was being tackled by a couple of stewards.”

An Ipswich player also took offence and so another game in the colourful career of Neil Warnock ended on what we in the media like to call “a note of controversy”. But for Warnock, it was all part of football’s rich tapestry. “I love a bit of banter,” I was told by a man who has even been known to phone up radio stations to get his spake in.

Somehow, it came as no surprise to learn that, when he was manager of Notts County in the late 80s and early 90s, Warnock spent some valuable private time in the company of the then manager of neighbouring Nottingham Forest. Brian Clough’s time-keeping wasn’t always the best, Warnock admitted, but the great man was worth waiting for.

Understandably, the guest of honour at Wednesday’s awards ceremony made all the headlines. But even Alex Ferguson admitted that he would struggle to do Warnock’s job. Managing United, he suggested, has to be a lot easier than trying to get Crystal Palace, who are currently 11th in the Championship, back up into the top flight.

Sitting as his table, listening to one of the world’s most successful managers impart his words of wisdom, Warnock couldn’t help but agree.

And while you know that he wouldn’t half-mind managing a club with the resources of Man U, it’s also clear that he will continue to give it his all at Selhurst Park, just as he did at Sheffield, Bury, Oldham, Plymouth, Huddersfield, Torquay and all the other less than exotic locations where he has laid his gaffer’s hat. And whenever he isn’t ranting, railing, blasting or fuming, you know that he’ll do it with a smile.

Football could do with a lot more like him.