By Ken Ebbens
The pantomime villain of football management came to Portsmouth to a pretty rapturous reception from a large crowd, a man who has always said that Portsmouth was one of three clubs he regrets never managing (Sunderland and Ipswich the others).
A journeyman player (a brainless winger making a success out of the failure in 200+ games he quipped), he managed 16 clubs and eight promotions over 1,627 games, a pretty amazing record for any football aficionado. An uncompromising but highly articulate northerner who’s most often expressed phrase “Are You With Me?” is the title of a two-hour trip through his career, with plenty of anecdotes appreciated by the football-loving audience. Now residing in Cornwall, what you see if what you most definitely get.
The evening was in two halves, hosted with skill by Paul Walker, going through Neil Warnock’s career stopping off at just about every club he managed with some very interesting and entertaining insights and stories, all delivered in measured tones. I liked the examples of principles he picked up from experience, there including tell bad news to a player’s face, if new players look at the floor and not at him, they are not going to be supportive, and 90% to 95% of any success is based on man management.
When coming on at the beginning the room was fill of cheers although Neil Warnock said he missed the “boos” so for the start of the second half the audience readily obliged.
The evening included a raffle with a percentage of the takings going to local football charity, Pompey in the Community, a lovely touch by NW, further enhanced when legendary Portsmouth backroom staff member Barry Harris came on stage to make the draw (with Paul Marsh of ExpressFM) and was royally greeted by NW, very generous in his praise showing a great local knowledge; the audience really appreciated that. Sheffield-born because his siblings supported Wednesday he chose United, an early example of his independent streak.
At one point he was just on stage in front of a mock-fire for a very impressive 5 minute poem he has written over the years about his career, very well done and a beautiful testimony of that career. What comes out of the rest of the evening is that he belies his reputation (confrontational especially with referees) and is a deeply thoughtful individual, a little potty-mouthed at times but nothing like as shown in some of the video clips that punctuated the evening of NW in action on the touchline and in the dressing room, my goodness, he can certainly put a point of view across forcibly…but as he said himself, he is always invited to all his previous club’s reunion evenings, that saying everything about him as a person and as a manager.
I have always liked NW from afar, his personality, humour and attitude, and the evening did nothing but confirm that; very enjoyable and worthwhile
KEN EBBENS – The Flash (on DAB and theflashonair.co.uk) radio presenter for the Portsmouth Guildhall