"Fighting," "Unacceptable" - Sheffield United, Derby County managers have say on Bramall Lane touchline melee
Chris Wilder and Paul Warne have their say on touchline spat during Sheffield United v Derby County
Chris Wilder and Paul Warne both played down their first-half touchline spat during Sheffield United’s home victory over Derby County this afternoon. The flashpoint occured when Blades chief Wilder tried to get the game moving at a throw-in as Derby’s Jerry Yates looked to slow it down, with Warne accusing his opposite number of putting hands on his player.
The two are good friends but that didn’t stop them having to be separated by the fourth official Scott Simpson as tempers flared on the touchline, with both shown yellow cards by referee Andrew Madley. Derby tried to frustrate United with time-wasting tactics but United’s patience prevailed with Gus Hamer’s stunning free-kick proving the difference between the two sides.
"It was a difference of opinion,” said Wilder. “There's no obligation for them to play at a really quick tempo but 27,000 punters jumped on it as well as the manager and I think the referee has an obligation to speed the game up a little bit. I wasn't intentionally trying to touch his player, the ball was there and I wanted to speed the game up.
“There was a reaction from the player, I get a yellow card and I disagreed with Paul. I've got an incredible amount of respect for him but It doesn't mean I have to be the best mate on a Saturday afternoon. I'm fighting for my football club and doing what is right for us., which was getting the ball in play.
“If they'd scored the first goal we'd possibly still be playing now, at five past six. But I get it, no doubt he's in my office now drinking my beer. And we'll be okay, I have an enormous amount of respect for him but I'm not going to agree with him on everything. He's a fabulous guy as well as a manager.”
Warne said that he respected Wilder’s insistence that he hadn’t touched Yates but would be looking at the incident again. “I can tell you straight, what happened,” he said. “I think I've been booked once in 400 games before today, and that was at MK Dons for throwing a bottle of water down when there was 50 people in the ground. So I don't know who I was threatening.
“Today, the ball went out of play and I thought Chris touched my player and I wasn't having it, I lost it and told him straight. He said he didn't, so I have to respect that and I look forward to watching it back. And if he did, I'll go back and tell him again. You can't touch a player, it's unacceptable.
“I get on brilliantly with Chris but as the leader of men, I'd want to play for someone who looks after the lads and I didn't like it. There's loads of things that go on the side of the pitch, you argue about decisions but I don't like seeing hands on my players and if that isn't the case I wholly apologise because I stirred it up. I don't know where the fourth official was in all that, but I didn't like it. I know I'm little but I fight for my team. I don't think it's right, that's all.”