CHRISTER WARREN played in three defeats for bottom-of-the-league Brighton against a backdrop of turmoil behind the scenes.

With a winless run stretching back six games, reluctant boss Jimmy Case had returned to his old club, Southampton, to take the youngster on loan in October 1996.

Warren joined a squad comprising several familiar faces because in the Spring of that year Paul McDonald, Craig Maskell and Derek Allan had all moved along the coast from The Dell.

Instead of his arrival meriting mention in the matchday programme, its pages were devoted to Case urging fans not to invade the pitch in protest at what the owners were doing to the club and hated chairman Bill Archer claiming their beefs should be with the local authorities for thwarting plans for a new stadium.

On the pitch, the introduction of Warren failed to bring about a change in fortunes: in his three matches the sorry Seagulls lost 2-1 at home to Cambridge United, 1-0 at home to fellow strugglers Hereford United and 3-0 at Doncaster Rovers.

He returned to the Saints and made one more sub appearance for the first team before making a £50,000 move to AFC Bournemouth. After scoring on his debut, he went on to net 14 goals in 127 appearances for the Cherries.

He is one of a number of players who’ve played for Southampton, Bournemouth and Brighton; others include Case, goalkeeper Alan Blayney and more recently Adam Lallana.

Born in Poole, Dorset, on 10 October 1974, Warren was playing for Dorset Schools against Gloucestershire when he caught the eye of former Bristol Rovers full-back Lindsay Parsons, scouting as Cheltenham Town’s youth development officer.

Warren subsequently joined the Whaddon Road outfit and rose through the YTS ranks to become a first team regular in a side that was often close to the top of the Southern League and on 5 December 1992 he scored Cheltenham’s goal in a 1–1 second round FA Cup game against future employer Bournemouth.

His performances playing wide on the left side of the midfield attracted the attention of League clubs and just as he was about to attend a trial at second-tier Derby County, Premier League Southampton’s boss Alan Ball stepped in to sign him for £40,000 (plus appearance-related add-ons) – a record fee for Cheltenham at the time.

He made his Saints debut as a substitute away to Arsenal on 23 September 1995, going on for Neil Shipperley in the 78^th minute in a 4-2 defeat. Dave Beasant was in goal for Saints and Jason Dodd at right-back. 

Warren started a 2-1 League Cup defeat to Reading on 28 November 1995 but his only league start under Dave Merrington was in a 3-0 defeat at QPR on 30 March 1996. He also made six sub appearances for Saints that season.

The temporary Albion move was one of two loan spells away from The Dell; he also spent time at Fulham in the final months of the 1996-97 season, helping them gain promotion from Division 3 under Micky Adams.

Saints recouped £50,000 of Ball’s outlay when Warren dropped two divisions and made the switch to the Cherries in October 1997. He was in the Bournemouth side that lost 2-1 to Grimsby Town in the 1998 Auto Windscreens Shield final – the club’s only Wembley appearance.

His versatility meant Bournemouth boss Mel Machin used him as a midfielder or striker, but he later settled into a left wing-back role.

A free transfer to QPR in June 2000 saw him move up a division and he was full of optimism about the move, telling the Rangers website: “It came totally out of the blue and I just can’t wait to get started now.
“Obviously, Rangers are a division above Bournemouth, so it is a great move and hopefully I can adapt to Division One football.

“I started my career as a centre-forward. Then I went to left midfield before moving back to left-back. I think my game is mostly about my speed.

“I’m quite fast and I like to get at people. I played at left back all last season, so obviously I didn’t get the chance to get forward and get at people as much as I’d like. But at QPR you play wing-backs, so it is a better position for me to play.”

Warren said he was relishing the chance to work under former QPR and England captain Gerry Francis. “You only have to look at the players that he’s brought through, so obviously he must be a good coach. Hopefully, he can make me a better player as well.

“Everyone’s main ambition is to get as high as you can and get into the Premiership. Last time I was in the top flight, I was at Southampton but I think I was too young then.

“Hopefully, I can get a chance to play for Rangers in the Premier League and hopefully this time around I’ll be better equipped for it.”

Sadly it all went pear-shaped for Rangers who won only seven games all season. Francis was sacked in February 2001 (and replaced by Ian Holloway) and the side was relegated to the third tier for the first time since 1967.

After occasional appearances for them at left-back in 2001-02, Warren was released at the end of his two-year contract and was offered the chance to train with Bristol Rovers by former Southampton youth coach Ray Graydon.

He spent a month with the Gas, making two substitute appearances, but preferred to drop into non-league to play football closer to his Bournemouth home.

He played in Hampshire with Eastleigh and Winchester City and Dorset with Lymington & New Milton and Wimborne Town, while working for Snows, an industrial stationery company in Southampton.

Warren briefly ventured into management at Wimborne but reverted to playing – in lower-division football, in western France for FC Boutonnais and US Melle – before returning to the UK and playing for Sydenhams Wessex One club Christchurch and then Verwood, where he coached.

Christchurch manager Adie Arnold told Andy Mitchell of the Bournemouth Daily Echo in 2015: “He has been playing in France at a reasonable level but recently decided to come back to England.

“I go back a long way with Christer and he wants to continue playing. He is as fit as a flea and can play a number of positions so his experience, football knowledge and, most importantly, ability will be a massive asset to us.”

Arnold pointed out: “He has played at the highest level and everyone can learn from him, particularly the youngsters at the club. He is a role model and the sort of player you should look up to, watch and see how he handles himself.”