Neil Warnock holds talks and is ‘likely to take on a role’ at National League South side Torquay United following the club’s takeover.
James Vickery of BBC Devon tweeted that Michael Westcott, one of the new owners of Torquay, confirms live on air that Neil Warnock will be joining the club as a ‘football advisor to the board.’
This comes on the same day local businessmen who formed the Bryn Consortium have successfully acquired the club, pending approval from creditors.
Warnock, 75, previously managed the Gulls back in 1993 and has been providing guidance to the consortium throughout their acquisition process of the club, which was under administration.
Warnock had a brief tenure at Aberdeen recently, lasting just 8 games, but throughout his career, he has managed a total of 15 clubs in the EFL and Scotland, achieving promotions to the Premier League with teams such as Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, and Cardiff City.
In addition, Warnock successfully avoided relegation to League One with Rotherham and Huddersfield in previous seasons.
How Torquay United restored Neil Warnock’s ‘faith’ in football https://t.co/5cvxHO0fct
— TheTorbayWeekly (@TheTorbayWeekly) March 31, 2024
“Neil’s knowledge of football is second to none,” Torquay’s new co-chairman Michael Westcott told BBC Sport.
“He knows our club very well, he knows our region very well.
“He and I have spent an awful lot of time together over the last six weeks or so and I think that relationship will continue.”
“I think that Neil’s reputation precedes him,” Westcott added.
“I think he’s a very reassuring presence both to young players and experienced players, and also to a football team manager.
“He’s been around the football world for more than 40 years and the fact that Torquay United can benefit from his experience, his contacts, his presence, his personality, I think will be of tremendous support for the club as we start thinking about how we can be as competitive on the pitch as we possibly can.”
Westcott adds that his consortium will be “responsible owners”, that they won’t be putting the future of the club at risk, and the consortium hope for it to be a sustainable club that can stand on its own, without the need for owner support in the long term.
Those who are still owed money by the club can expect to be repaid in full, not just football creditors.
“It’s really important to the club, and to us as members of the consortium, that the creditors get looked after,” he said.
“Key and fundamental to our proposal is that we believe that Torquay United should pay all of its bills.
“We’re required to do so by the football authorities, which we think is the right thing and the good thing and a good rule, and we will honour those commitments.
“100% of all the money owed by the club to them will be settled over the next six months.”
Neil Warnock’s Honours
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Burton Albion
NPL Challenge Cup: 1984–85
Scarborough
Football Conference: 1986–87
Notts County
Football League Second Division play-offs: 1991
Football League Third Division play-offs: 1990
Huddersfield Town
Autoglass Trophy runners-up: 1994
Yorkshire Electricity Cup winners: 1994
Football League Second Division play-offs: 1995
Plymouth Argyle
Football League Third Division play-offs: 1996
Sheffield United
Football League Championship runner-up: 2005–06
Queens Park Rangers
Football League Championship: 2010–11
Cardiff City
EFL Championship runner-up: 2017–18
Individual
Hartlepool Player of the Year: 1971–72 season
Football Conference Manager of the Month: November 1986, December 1986
Football Conference Manager of the Year: 1986–87
EFL Championship Manager of the Month: December 2004, August 2005, September 2005, December 2008, August 2010, September 2010, March 2016, August 2017, February 2018, March 2018, October 2020
BBC London Sports Personality of the Year: 2011
LMA Special Achievement Award: 2017-18
Managerial statistics
Team | From | To | Record | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
Burton Albion | 18 February 1981 | 7 March 1986 | 303 | 140 | 70 | 93 | 46.20 |
Scarborough | 1 August 1986 | 1 January 1989 | 121 | 57 | 35 | 29 | 47.11 |
Notts County | 5 January 1989 | 14 January 1993 | 221 | 94 | 54 | 73 | 42.53 |
Torquay United | 24 March 1993 | 13 May 1993 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 33.33 |
Huddersfield Town | 15 July 1993 | 5 June 1995 | 120 | 51 | 37 | 32 | 42.50 |
Plymouth Argyle | 22 June 1995 | 3 February 1997 | 92 | 37 | 24 | 31 | 40.22 |
Oldham Athletic | 21 February 1997 | 7 May 1998 | 69 | 22 | 20 | 27 | 31.88 |
Bury | 2 June 1998 | 2 December 1999 | 77 | 19 | 29 | 29 | 24.68 |
Sheffield United | 2 December 1999 | 16 May 2007 | 385 | 165 | 98 | 122 | 42.86 |
Crystal Palace | 11 October 2007 | 2 March 2010 | 129 | 47 | 39 | 43 | 36.43 |
Queens Park Rangers | 2 March 2010 | 8 January 2012 | 84 | 33 | 27 | 24 | 39.29 |
Leeds United | 20 February 2012 | 1 April 2013 | 63 | 23 | 15 | 25 | 36.51 |
Crystal Palace | 27 August 2014 | 27 December 2014 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 17.65 |
Queens Park Rangers | 4 November 2015 | 4 December 2015 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00 |
Rotherham United | 11 February 2016 | 1 June 2016 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 37.50 |
Cardiff City | 5 October 2016 | 11 November 2019 | 144 | 59 | 29 | 56 | 40.97 |
Middlesbrough | 23 June 2020 | 7 November 2021 | 75 | 29 | 14 | 32 | 38.67 |
Huddersfield Town | 16 February 2023 | 20 September 2023 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 39.13 |
Aberdeen | 5 February 2024 | 9 March 2024 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 25.00 |
Total | 2,002 | 818 | 529 | 655 | 40.86 |
This is how fans reacted as Neil Warnock holds talks and is ‘likely to take on role’ at National League South side Torquay United…
@lewisosman01: Absolutely class if Neil Warnock takes over as gaffer
@MarkNealOx: Neil Warnock to Torquay in National League South. Crikey. What a man tho. 👏
@BennetStone: The old fucker strikes back. He’d rather burn out than fade away 💙🤣
@WillTaylorRadio: We’ve got our club back. Neil Warnock’s tricky yellows.
@George26011: He never left been here for 6 weeks
@Tristan24_K: Love Torquay and after trouble with Administration last season I’m hoping they can make it back to national league. They were so close in the playoff final few years back to make it back into the EFL. Hopefully Warnock can work his magic at Plainmoor
@Joeswans12: Makes sense. Lives locally.
@Love_non_league: The Legend coming to the Promised Land of Non-League? 👍
@SRPTQ: Clubs been saved from going under and now this? Am I dreaming?
@cjt00___: This cunts going to die on the fucking sidelines isn’t he
@GorgieMV33: Glad to see he’s taking a step up from Aberdeen.
@MorgannWXM: He must hate his wife
@ohjoewalker: He finally bagged a job near his home
@enhancedsain: Mr warnock is a proper football man that will help with our rise in the league. He is also a gentleman who has our club in his ❤️ I spoke to him in December and I was glaring the fondness he had for our club
“You’ve got to fuckin die to win the National League South” https://t.co/suAcjWh7uO pic.twitter.com/kyW13BHqp9
— Ex Glapwell Gladiators (@GlapwellGladia1) May 10, 2024

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