95 BATTLE OF BRAMALL LANE
EDDIE WOLSTENHOLME HAD TO ABANDON THE MATCH WITH EIGHT MINUTES LEFT
When future generations try to understand the managerial ideology of Pep Guardiola, they will pore over the tape of Barcelona vs Manchester United, May 2011. When they try to decode the mystique of Neil Warnock, maybe they will head straight to Sheffield United vs West Brom, March 2002.
Warnock’s outfits had gained a reputation for being a bit feisty, and the Battle of Bramall Lane was his feistiest encounter of all. Hosting First Division promotion chasers West Brom, things went awry after only nine minutes when goalkeeper Simon Tracey was shown a straight red card for handball outside the penalty area.
West Brom were 2- 0 up by the time Warnock brought on Georges Santos and Patrick Suffo just after the hour mark – but within a minute, the former had been dismissed for a shin- high tackle on Andy Johnson; the duo were meeting for the first time since Johnson had fractured Santos’ cheekbone a year earlier. During the ensuing melee, Suffo was also sent for an early bath after nutting Derek Mcinnes.
West Brom then added a third goal against the eight- man Blades, before Michael Brown and Rob Ullathorne limped off injured.
With fewer than seven Sheffield United men remaining on the field, the rules gave referee Eddie Wolstenholme no choice but to abandon the game after 82 minutes – the only time an English league match has been halted due to a lack of players.
“I’ve been in professional football since 16 – I’m 42 and I’ve never ever witnessed anything as disgraceful as that,” Baggies manager Gary Megson huffed afterwards, although Warnock denied his accusation that the Blades’ bench had encouraged Ullathorne to go down injured and get the game abandoned.
The 3- 0 scoreline was eventually allowed to stand as the result, and Warnock was fined the princely sum of £ 300 for improper conduct towards the fourth official.
It’s probably safe to suggest he and Megson haven’t exchanged Christmas cards in the 18 years that have passed.