Editing Neil Warnock (section)

==Playing career==
Warnock started his professional playing career with [[Chesterfield F.C.|Chesterfield]] in 1967, before moving on to [[Rotherham United F.C.|Rotherham United]], [[Hartlepool United F.C.|Hartlepool]], [[Scunthorpe United F.C.|Scunthorpe United]], [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]], [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]], [[York City F.C.|York City]] and [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]], making a total of 327 league appearances in an 11-year playing career. At Hartlepool, he won the club's Player of the Season award in 1972.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 January 2009 |title=Neil Warnock: Never mind who we're playing, it's the ref who will make or break us |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/neil-warnock-never-mind-who-were-playing-its-the-ref-who-will-make-or-break-us-1514381.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/neil-warnock-never-mind-who-were-playing-its-the-ref-who-will-make-or-break-us-1514381.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=26 January 2009}}</ref> Whilst at Hartlepool, at the age of 24, Warnock was inspired to enter football management following his playing days, after a dressing down from manager [[Len Ashurst]] after an [[FA Cup]] defeat to [[Boston United F.C.|Boston United]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Neil Warnock would be as happy managing in a Sunday league as the Premier League | website=TNT Sports | date=29 November 2018 | url=https://www.tntsports.co.uk/football/neil-warnock-would-be-as-happy-managing-in-a-sunday-league-as-the-premier-league_sto7030164/story.shtml | access-date=30 October 2023}}</ref> He finished his Football League career at Crewe Alexandra in 1979, aged only 30. His playing career continued at Burton Albion in 1979 which was cut short with an injury and continued when he re-joined Burton as player-manager in 1981–1982, before concentrating on management for the rest of his time at Burton.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="Wellington Street to Wembley, Burton Albion, the Complete History, 1950-1990 by former Burton Mail sports editor, Rex Page"/>