by Coppelloadofthat »
21 Jan 2007 22:16
http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,867194,00.html
Ternent prepares to avoid his arch enemy
Jeremy Butler
Wednesday January 1, 2003
The Guardian
Burnley's manager Stan Ternent says he has nothing against Sheffield United, his team's opponents at Bramall Lane this afternoon. But he still cannot stand the sight of their manager Neil Warnock.
In his recently published autobiography, Stan the Man: A Hard Life in Football, Ternent accused Warnock of dispatching a spy to listen in on his team talk, an incident that led to a punch-up in the referee's room.
"After most matches managers slurp bottles of beer together watching the classified results filter through," Ternent wrote. "Most enjoy these get-togethers and a chance to swap anecdotes. But I've never done that with Warnock. Our feud goes back years and I cannot abide the man."
Their antipathy came to a head during Burnley's 2-0 defeat at Bramall Lane in April 2001.
"At half-time we were one goal down and as I was asking how much my players wanted it, I thought I heard a noise on the other side of an emergency door," Ternent recalled. "I motioned for them to keep quiet and launched myself into a two-footed kung-fu kick against the door. It exploded outwards and I saw a figure scurry away.
"I then took one of my players to see the referee and show him a wound and heard a voice behind me say, 'Come off it Stan - you are always at it.'
"I turned to see Warnock's No2 Kevin Blackwell and I shouted, 'Let's have it now.' I ran up, smacked him in the face and nutted him for good measure. He hit me back and my nose ruptured. I jumped on him and we fell to the floor shoving the door to the referee's room wide open.
"Stewards and United staff pounced on my back and eventually dragged me away. I'd given him a few cracks and a couple of follow-ups.
"I've had a friendly beer with Blackwell since, but I won't look Warnock in the face."
Ternent played down the feud yesterday. "This match is not about the managers," he said. "I have no problem with the players or anyone else at the club."