Warnock wanted Kit to stay

October 16 2007

Neil Warnock revealed he offered Kit Symons a place on his Crystal Palace coaching team.

Symons ended his six-year association with the Eagles after Warnock's arrival as the club's manager this week.

But with assistant manager Mick Jones and first team coach Keith Curle installed in their new positions, Symons decided he wanted a fresh challenge elsewhere.

"I spoke to Kit on Friday and asked him if he'd stay with us," said Warnock. "With Keith and Mick coming in I felt we needed another body.

"I like Kit, he is a good person. He said he was happy, and that's how we left it. But he must have thought about it over the weekend. He spoke to the chairman and said that he felt it was the right time to leave.

"He enjoyed the training but thought it would be all change with me bringing two new people in."

Warnock added: "I did say to him that 'if you think about it and are not happy, you're welcome to leave'. But I let him know that I wanted him to work with us. So it was his decision and I can understand it.

"I rang him to say I was disappointed with the decision but that I respected it. I wished him all the best and he said that it was good for him that I came in because it will push him into doing something now. He's not an old man and this might have done him a world of good."