Neil Warnock labels Newcastle United fans ‘brilliant nutters’ as former Leeds United and Middlesbrough retires from management

He has now seemingly turned his attention towards punditry and was a guest on Sky Sports Soccer Special this weekend, alongside host Jeff Stelling who has rowed back on his own retirement plans recently.

Warnock, managed 15 clubs during his time in the dugout which included spells at Middlesbrough, Leeds United and Scarborough Athletic.

The 73-year-old was often cast as the pantomime villain during his managerial career and this was no different when he made the trip to Tyneside.

Reflecting on Newcastle’s win over Wolves the previous evening, Warnock was very complimentary about the Newcastle fan base, even describing them as ‘nutters’ for their fanatical support:

“When that place (St James’s Park) is rocking…. I mean, the place was rocking 15 minutes after the match, let alone during the game!

“I was in the central league with Chesterfield as a 19 year old and I went up to Newcastle (in the late 1960’s), we were playing the reserves.

“Ten minutes before we got there, Dave Blakey (who was from Newburn) said ‘you won’t have seen anything like this, so don’t panic’.

“I said ‘what do you mean, it’s a central league game’, he just said ‘don’t worry, watch’.

“St James Park, 14,500 people were there for a reserve game against Chesterfield.

“Nutters, aren’t they! They (Newcastle fans) are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant, aren’t they?”

Warnock saw his sides win just one of their 14 games against Newcastle when a Danny Webber goal sealed a 1-0 win for Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in November 2006.