As the only manager to have been in charge of both Leeds and Sheffield United for more than two years each, Kevin Blackwell is hoping for a Yorkshire promotion double this season.
However, the 66-year-old won’t be at Elland Road for Friday night’s much-anticipated Championship derby.
As technical director of Polish top-flight club Lechia Gdansk, he’s needed at their game against Legia Warsaw which takes place at the same time.
And while Leeds can boast Hollywood actor Will Ferrell among their celebrity investors, Blackwell can go one better – Gdansk’s most famous fan is regular match-goer Lech Walesa, one of the most important historical figures of the 20th Century after starting the campaign that ended communism behind the Iron Curtain.
‘Poland has been a great experience,’ says Blackwell, whose coaching career saw him link up with Neil Warnock at eight different clubs.
Kevin Blackwell now works as technical director of Polish top-flight club Lechia Gdansk
Blackwell has managed both Leeds United (left) and Sheffield United (right) in the past
‘We won promotion last season and the policy of the owners is to develop young players, a bit like Brighton. There’s even a beach here!
‘We’ve got lads from Sweden, Colombia, Romania, Ukraine, all of them in their early twenties.
‘Camilo Mena is a rapid winger, he reminds me of Leroy Sane. Ivan Zhelisko is a holding midfielder in the Nemanja Matic mould. We’ve already had an offer from the MLS for him.
‘The set-up is fantastic. The stadium was built for the 2012 Euros and holds 50,000. It’s stunning.
‘When I first came, I don’t know what I was expecting, something dank probably. It’s anything but, it’s a beautiful spot on the Baltic.
‘The club is owned by a group from Dubai. The infrastructure is good. I help out with coaching as well as the sports science and medical side. I’ve been to Italy and Brazil to study what clubs are doing over there and I try to impart any knowledge I’ve gained.’
Blackwell, affectionately known as “Blacky” to all those who’ve worked with him in England, is living proof you’re never too old to learn.
The remarkable partnership with Warnock started as a player. He was Warnock’s right-hand man when Sheffield United won promotion to the Premier League and reached the FA Cup semi-final around 20 years ago.
Blackwell has served as Neil Warnock’s (left) assistant at eight diferent clubs during his career
Blackwell first joined Sheffield United alongside Warnock as assitant in 1999 before becoming No1 nine years later
Blackwell later became a No1 himself – leading both Leeds and Blades in Championship play-off finals – before reuniting with Warnock at Crystal Palace, Rotherham, QPR, Middlesbrough and Cardiff. Since then, he’s gone globetrotting, first to Thailand where reached a cup final, and then Poland.
His interest in his former clubs remains strong. ‘My time at Bramall Lane working with Neil was particularly emotional,’ he recalls.
‘I lost my Mum around the time we won promotion and had our great cup runs. It was as if the club became my family and helped me get through. I’ll never forget that.
‘As manager, I had a young defender called Kyle Walker. His athleticism was incredible, if he made a mistake he had the pace to get out of it. I still remember taking a coaching session with him and Harry Maguire. I wonder what happened to them?!
‘When Kyle signed a new contract, I told him not to start coming to training in a new car, it would send the wrong message. He said “No, I want to help my mum pay off her house”. I thought you’ll do for me, son.
Unfortunately, Blackwell’s United side were beaten 1-0 by Burnley in the 2009 play-off final and a great sell-off followed, with Walker, Kyle Naughton and Matt Kilgallon all leaving.
It was the second time Blackwell suffered heartbreak in the Wembley dug-out, having also lost 3-0 to Watford with Leeds in 2006.
‘It was still an incredible experience to walk out, see 60,000 Leeds fans there and think “Don Revie has done this”, ‘ he admits.
Blackwell was manager when a young Kyle Walker (right) was coming through the ranks
Blackwell’s United side were beaten 1-0 by Burnley in the 2009 play-off final and Walker left
‘We had the best early chances but Shaun Derry’s shot was blocked by Ashley Young and 10 minutes later they scored. It was a time of huge change for Leeds after their relegation from the Premier League. All the Porsches left the car park and the new players drove Ford Mondeos.
‘I spent a lot of my time as a goalkeeper in Yorkshire with Huddersfield and Scarborough, and then as a coach. I love the people – they say how it is.’
The partnership with Warnock has gone down in folklore and they still keep in touch.
‘Neil is a great man-manager and he recognised I could coach. It was unbelievable what we achieved, the Brian Clough and Peter Taylor of our time!
‘When I rejoined him at Palace in 2014, he said it was his last job. We ended up at four more clubs together after that.
‘The way we first got together sums Neil up. I’d just had my first child and wanted to go back to London (Blackwell is a southerner) so I agreed to sign for Barnet.
‘Then Neil called out of the blue and persuaded me to go to Scarborough. How he did it, I don’t know. He convinced me to do something I didn’t want to do! It’s that innate ability he has to inspire.
‘I won promotion with him at Scarborough then followed him to Notts County, Torquay, Huddersfield and Plymouth before our coaching days.’
Warnock told Blackwell that Crystal Palace would be his last club before he managed four more
Once Gdansk’s game is over, Blackwell will search for highlights from Elland Road.
‘Leeds is a big club and the expectation from the fans is there. You carry the weight. The away end is sold out every week and the ferocity of their support is incredible
‘I’ve been at a lot of big clubs and they are as passionate as I have ever seen. If you are a Leeds fan, you’re a Leeds fan.
‘If you are doing well they are unbelievable. If you are not doing well, they certainly let you know!
‘There was no money when I was there. I had to rebuild the club. We didn’t have wages on time and somehow we got to the play-offs having lost every player out of the Premier League.
‘It’s great to see the club back and challenging to get into the Premier League. Then again, I could say the same about Sheffield United. Both clubs mean a lot to me.’
