Neil Warnock causes talkSPORT to hit panic button with Gary Megson slur ahead of West Brom vs Sheffield United
West Brom’s 3-0 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in March 2002 remains to this day the only match in professional English football to be abandoned due to a shortage of players.
Simon Tracey, Georges Santos and Patrick Suffo were all sent off for the Blades, who ran out of substitutions and then saw Keith Curle and Michael Brown also avoid red cards for incidents that should have probably seen them given their marching orders by referee Eddie Wolstenholme.
After Scott Dobie scored West Brom’s third goal in the 77th minute, Brown and Robert Ullathorne both went off with apparent injuries, leaving just six Sheffield United players on the pitch against a Gary Megson side that went on to win promotion to the Premier League.
As a result of the Blades going down to six men, Wolstenholme had to abandon the game, with Megson later accusing rival manager Neil Warnock of cheating out of fear that the game would be replayed. Warnock vehemently denied that, and Albion’s 3-0 win stood.
Warnock has continued to receive abuse from West Brom fans for the infamous second-tier game, but it seems that Megson might have been too quick to accuse Colin of wrongdoing afterwards.
Neil Warnock: This is what George Santos told me before crippling Andy Johnson
Warnock has looked back at the Battle of Bramall Lane ahead of West Brom facing Sheffield United at The Hawthorns in the Championship on Friday night.
“We had three sent off, but George Santos, the game before against West Brom, Andy Johnson smashed his eye socket – it was horrific. Obviously, he’s on the bench and we get a player sent off so I go ‘George, we’re going to have to get you on, but be careful, won’t you?’.”
Warnock said that Santos told him he’d keep a cool head, “but as sod’s law, nothing better could have happened. There was a tackle and the ball broke loose, and Johnson and Santos are 10 yards away like a bull and a matador. Santos just went in, over the top. Oh my god, it was horrendous.
“But then Suffo went on and head-butted somebody straight away. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
talkSPORT producers hit dump button as Neil Warnock describes Gary Megson
talkSPORT host Sam Matterface then played footage of Megson telling the media that “certain people” at Sheffield United were telling players to go down, feigning injuries to try and get the game abandoned and force a potential replay.
“We went out and said the result should stand because there was no reason why it shouldn’t stand,” Warnock added.
“We’ve never been the closest of friends. I won’t say what I usually say about Gary Megson but when you look at that, he accused Robert Ullathorne of coming off not injured and he had an operation the next week. It’s amazing what you can do to confirm that you’re injured, we had to give him an operation when there was nothing wrong with him.“
“But we were never close, me and Gary. What’s that word about, if he was on fire… No, I’d better not say that.”
Producers at talkSPORT then seemed to panic and hit the dump button out of fear of Warnock swearing.
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