Alan Tate ⭑ From A-Z since '92
Outside Swansea, I doubt Alan Tate ever made anyone happier than he made Neil Warnock when he joined Leeds United.
This is part of my (eight year long, it'll fly by) attempt to write about every Leeds United player since 1992. For more about why I'm doing this, go back to Aapo Halme, then check out all the players featured so far on this page. Or you can keep going below, to find out just how much there actually is to say about Alan Tate.
Outside Swansea, I doubt Alan Tate ever made anyone happier than he made Neil Warnock when he joined Leeds United on an emergency loan in November 2012. Then again, after seven games without a win and three straight defeats, Warnock was just happy to have anybody to help with a season he was pitching, and let me remind you this was the year of our Lord two thousand and twelve, as his last in management.
The bigger change at Elland Road at this time was about power, as GFH Capital were publicly formalising their takeover from Ken Bates and promising at best, untold riches, and at least, that they were more than a football-naive investment bank seeking to flip an asset. From the start the signs were not good, as alongside their takeover announcement was Bates' own statement that "nothing will change", as he'd be staying as chairman until the end of the season and then ascending to lifetime club president. Shaun Harvey was clinging on as chief executive, too, so although David Haigh and Salem Patel's presence in the executive boxes added several thousand to United's next attendance, there was still concern about how much control GFH Capital were actually getting for their money, let alone whether they were the right people to have any.
There were also questions about the extent to which they could control Warnock. There were initial rumours about whether the new owners would be backing or sacking United's winless manager, but that was quickly answered: takeover on Tuesday night, money in the club's account on Wednesday, Jerome Thomas and Alan Tate on loan on Thursday, just before the loan deadline. After months trying to squeeze transfer cash out of Bates, Warnock was being given the finances his contact book demanded.
And, most importantly, he was taking three points at home from top of the table Crystal Palace on Saturday. "Neil will be pleased," said their manager, Ian Holloway. "I am absolutely delighted for the new owners," said Warnock. "These people have given me a massive lift. We had to hang in there at times, but our two new lads made the difference."
And they kept on making it. On Tuesday night another of the form teams, Leicester City, were beaten. Next Saturday, Leeds won in Huddersfield for the first time since 1963, beating Simon Grayson's team 4-2, and Warnock — who had looked on the verge of quitting after losing to Millwall a fortnight earlier — was ebullient.