‘Pigs would have seen it and run away’: Neil Warnock seethes at Stoke City for ‘absolutely disgraceful’ changing facilities as Middlesbrough boss claims toilets were blocked and floor was flooded… and says he hopes Boro do the same to the Potters in 2021
- Neil Warnock was furious at the conditions in the makeshift away dressing room
- The 72-year-old says his Middlesbrough side were not able to socially distance
- Stoke City beat Boro 1-0 as Nathan Collins’ header moved the hosts up to fifth
Neil Warnock is known for speaking his mind and the Middlesbrough manager gave Stoke City both barrels after his side lost 1-0 in the Sky Bet Championship at the Bet365 Stadium.
The hosts have closed their away dressing rooms in an attempt as a precautionary Covid-19 measure, meaning visiting sides have to make do with changing in a portacabin.
Speaking to Middlesbrough’s in-house TV channel after the game, Warnock fumed: ‘The facilities we got changed in were an absolute disgrace today. I wouldn’t have put animals in it.
Neil Warnock was angry about the changing facilities laid on for his side at the Bet365 Stadium
‘The toilets were blocked up, you’ve got fumes coming in from a bloody engine outside the dressing room, water everywhere on the floor. It’s a disgrace for the Championship, absolute disgrace.
‘I hope we do the same when we play them up at our place. We weren’t even social distancing where we were, in these cabins that they put in We might as well have been in the dressing room. We’re too nice us up here.’
He continued his tirade in his post-match press conference.
‘It’s nice to get in here [the press room] where it’s quite warm. Those changing rooms were a pigsty. In fact, pigs would have seen it and run away.
‘They stuck us in a little portacabin. Now you can’t tell me with social distancing we wouldn’t have been better off in the dressing room.
‘We give them everything at Middlesbrough – heat, lovely room, and we’re in a pigsty around the corner here.
Warnock claimed that Middlesbrough had to contend with leaking showers and blocked toilets
‘The toilets don’t work, they’re blocked. We had fumes coming in before the game and we had to get the maintenance guy in. Why didn’t they look at that before we arrived?
‘The showers were leaking, water everywhere on the floor. It’s an absolute disgrace. I didn’t say anything to the players before the game because you don’t want to make excuses, but it was an absolute disgrace today that.
‘There’s no way we’re giving them a dressing room when they come up our place. If our chairman won’t, I’ll pay for a portacabin!
The 72-year-old also remonstrated with the referee at full-time over Stoke City’s time-wasting
‘I haven’t said anything to the players because I’m not about making excuses for the result.
‘You just shouldn’t be made to change in a place like that. My dressing room was another portacabin 20 yards further down the road, water all over the floor and bloody freezing.
‘We’ve taken pictures. It’s out of order. I know there’s a pandemic, but when you look at the facilities we give teams at Middlesbrough, I’m sure Stoke City from the Premier League can be better than that.’
Nathan Collins (No 37) after his 19th-minute header won Stoke the game and took them to fifth
Warnock also aimed another dig at his Championship rivals, accusing his opponents of conning the referee while admitting to his side’s own shortcomings, as Stoke moved up to fifth while Middlesbrough remained 10th.
‘We haven’t got enough quality in the final third really, I think that was the difference today. We couldn’t create enough chances.
‘The goal was sloppy, two or three lads relaxed, it was mistake after mistake and then you’re up against it. Stoke are renowned for time-wasting. There should have been about fifteen minutes added time today.’