I know you'll find this hard to believe but, according to some players, Colin used to 'coach' the ballboys in returning the balls either quickly or slowly, depending on the circumstances of the game. To quote from THE SUN :-ASTON VILLA star Matt Lowton has told how he was taught the dark arts of being a ballboy... by Neil Warnock. Lowton, speaking in the wake of Eden Hazard’s kick shame, claimed he was schooled by the former Sheffield United boss while an apprentice there. He said: “We were schooled in how to use a little gamesmanship to help the team. It was part of our apprenticeship under Warnock. “He wanted us to study the first team and get a feel for how things were done at that level. “He even taught tactics for ballboys. He reckoned we had an important role to play when big clubs came to Bramall Lane. “He taught us when to get the ball back quickly – and when not to!” Lowton, 23, who visits Millwall in the FA Cup tonight, said Warnock told his kids to get the ball back at breakneck speed when United were chasing a goal – and slow to a snail’s pace when ahead. To be fair I'm sure he's not alone in that but only his name has come out in the press today.
Yep and Bramall Lane was that type of ground, you knew/know what to expect. No problem with it as long as ref is aware and adds time back on and then some, to punish cheating club. The Swansea case was another dimension, with overage ballboy, spoilt rich kid son of SCAFC director, openly tweeted his intention to do it, feigning injury and generally dragging his own club through the dirt. Massive own goal for the ****, hopefully. We must have the doziest and most clueless ballboys in the country at City. Is Warnock available as a ballboy coach?
Did I dream this but does anyone remember the away game (I think it was Sheff Utd) when the multi ball system was in play. Everytime we tried to take a quick throw in, the ball boys threw another ball on the pitch so the ref had to stop the game. Eventually the ref had had enough and reverted back to playing with one ball. I think he may have sent the ball boys off as well!
Can't say I'm surprised. This is the same guy who made sure that there were only cold showers in the away dressing room and soaked the oppositions warm-up balls in water to make them heavier.
It wasn't just about changing speed of returning the ball to suit his team, it was deliberately throwing two balls on at once when the other team wanted to be quick. I remember going mad about this when we played there in 2008.
The stupid thing there is if they didn't want it they could have just said no in the first place as you need both teams to agree to use it. I don't understand why Warnock needed to coach them though. If they know anything about football they shouldn't need telling that if the team is winning they should slow down play, and if they're losing they should rush it.
He is a really odious man - but he is not alone in the odiousiness stakes. At least the statement yesterday from the FA regarding ballboys might make some difference. There will always be some managers who take the line between fair play and cheating and step over it in a way they get away with. No matter what anyone on here might think of Brown/Barmby/Bruce none of them have used ballboys as a way of gaining an advantage, unlike Warnock/Pulis - so no matter what else other fans might call us they can't call us cheats, especially as we don't have brattish, spoilt sons of rich directors as one of our ballboys (if I was a Swansea fan - I would want that thug banned from the ground for life)
It would be nigh on impossible to get our little ****ers to move!! They must do the same induction as the idle ****s in the ticket office. Total apathy. So what if Colin did do this with the ball boys, at least he's ingraining in them they're important and part of the club. Again look at our lazy little ****ers. The youth team sit in the West stand near me and show little interest in the game, with quite a few of them wandering off at 85 minutes, great attitude.
Who cares what the fans of other clubs think? I want them to feel only envy. If you think that kid is a thug, you must have led a sheltered life.... At least he's exposed what silly ****s we have running our game, as this waster has shown them up to utterly out of touch and devoid of common sense. The media and the FA - they just don't get it, do they?
