Neil Warnock took charge of 19 different clubs throughout his incredible managerial career and one of those was a 14-month spell in charge of Leeds United, between 2012 and 2013.
Prior to Massimo Cellino’s arrival at Elland Road, Warnock took charge of Leeds for 63 games during an era that included players Luciano Becchio, Luke Varney, Rodolph Austin and Tom Leeds in defence.
The kind of era in the Championship that has fallen down the back of the sofa, for Leeds fans. Constant bottom mid-table finishes. Warnock took Leeds to 13th in the Championship before his exit in 2013.
During his era, Ross McCormack was also a part of Warnock’s side that reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup. A side that beat Everton in the League Cup and even Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round.
Prior to eventually losing 5-1 to Chelsea in the League Cup quarter-finals, Leeds beat Oxford United 3-0 early on in the season. A game in which Ross McCormack and Lee Peltier were left on the Leeds bench.
Ross McCormack shares hilarious Neil Warnock story at Leeds
McCormack tells a hilarious story on Open Goal of how during the final few minutes of the win over Oxford, Warnock turned to the Leeds bench, where McCormack and Peltier were in attendance.
The former Leeds striker shares how Warnock and Peltier agreed to split the latter’s appearance fee if he put him on for the final few minutes of the easy win, after goals from Austin, Lees and Sam Byram.
But because it was in the Cup, that appearance fee didn’t count: “We’re in the Cup. It’s like the 91st minute, he [Warnock] turns round – normally the assistant would say, get ready Ross you’re going on.
“Warnock turns around, tells us to budge in so we’re all close in the dugout. He goes ‘who gets appearance money?’. Nobody puts their hands up apart from Lee Peltier, Warnock says ‘how much?’. Peltier says ‘two grand boss’. He says ‘alright, it’s a grand after tax, £500 each I put you on.’
“Pelts walked on laughing for the final minute, that was it. That was Saturday, Monday morning the assistant says ‘Pelts, gaffer wants to see you’. He went through Pelts because he didn’t get any appearance money in the Cup. So he fined him £500,” McCormack continued.
Neil Warnock admitted regret over his Leeds United spell
Leeds were some way off challenging for promotion and Warnock left Leeds flirting with relegation in the Championship. Warnock said shortly after his exit from Leeds that he felt he could get Leeds promoted.
| Season | Games managed by Warnock | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 2011-12 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 2012-13 | 49 | 20 | 11 | 18 |
Warnock told The Independent in 2013: “The squad lacked depth and the owners decided against investing which might have helped us win promotion. Leeds are the biggest club I have managed, fantastic fan base.”
Not long after Warnock’s departure, the club was bought by Massimo Cellino and McCormack was told he was not allowed to train at Leeds by the Italian to avoid injury prior to his £11m move to Fulham.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
