Leeds United A.F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Leeds United AFC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Leeds United Association Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Whites, The Peacocks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1919 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Elland Road | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 40,296 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Ken Bates |
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| Manager | Dennis Wise |
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| League | The Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Championship, 5th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Leeds United Association Football Club are the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds. The club was established in 1919 following the demise of Leeds City. The club's nicknames are "Leeds", "United" or "The Whites". They currently play in the Football League Championship and play their home games at the Elland Road stadium.
Although the club name bears the "AFC" suffix,[1] the current badge displays "LUFC", however previous badges have included the official suffix[2].
Leeds rose to prominence under the management of Don Revie during the 1960s and 1970s, when they won a number of domestic and European trophies. After Revie's departure to manage the England team Leeds were relegated to the Second Division in 1982, not returning to the top flight until 1990, when they were managed by Howard Wilkinson. Leeds were league champions in 1992, (the last before the original Football League First Division became the FA Premier League), and this is their most recent major trophy. Currently, they are threatened with relegation to the third tier of the English football for the first time in their history.
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[edit] History
Leeds United's predecessor team Leeds City FC was formed in 1904, but was forcibly disbanded by The Football League in 1919 in response to allegations of illegal payments to players during the First World War. A new club, Leeds United, was formed and began playing in the Midland League, taking the place vacated by Leeds City's reserve team. Yorkshire Amateurs, who occupied Elland Road, offered to make way for the new team under the management of former player Dick Ray. In 1920 Leeds were elected to the Football League and acquired by Huddersfield Town's chairman, Hilton Crowther.
Over the following few years, Leeds consolidated their position in the Second Division and in 1924 won the title and with it promotion to the First Division. However, they failed to establish themselves and were relegated in 1926-27. In the years up until the start of World War II Leeds were twice relegated, both times being instantly re-promoted the following season. In the 1946-47 season after the war, Leeds were relegated again with the worst league record in their history.
They remained in the Second Division for a further nine seasons until 1955-56, when Leeds once again won promotion to the First Division, inspired by Welsh legend John Charles. However, Charles was hungry for success at the highest level, and manager Raich Carter was unable to convince him that Leeds could satisfy his ambitions. Charles was sold to Juventus for a then world record of £65,000; the loss of such a key player led to Leeds' decline, and the team was relegated to the Second Division in 1959-60.
In March 1961 the club appointed Don Revie as manager. His stewardship began in adverse circumstances; the club was in financial difficulty[3] and in 1961-62 only a win in the final game of the season saved the club from relegation to Division Three. Revie turned the team around, winning promotion to the First Division in 1963-64. Between 1965 and 1974, Revie's Leeds never finished outside of the top four, won two League Championships (1968-69 and 1973-74), the FA Cup (1971-72), the League Cup (1967-68) and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups (1967-68 and 1970-71). Set against the success was an unenvied record of second places; during the same period Leeds were runners up in the League five times, losing finalists in the FA Cup three times, runners up in the Fairs Cup once, and losing finalists in the European Cup Winners Cup. Revie's last season at Elland Road was in 1974, and he left Leeds to take up the role of managing the English national team.
Brian Clough was appointed as Revie's successor. This was a surprise appointment, as Clough had been an outspoken critic of Revie and the team's tactics.[4] The team performed poorly under Clough, and after only 44 days[5] he was dismissed and replaced by former England captain Jimmy Armfield. Armfield took Revie's ageing team to the final of the 1974-75 European Cup, where they were defeated by Bayern Munich.[6] Assisted by coach Don Howe, Armfield rebuilt Revie's team, and though it no longer dominated English football, it remained in the top ten for subsequent seasons. However, the board was impatient for success and dismissed Armfield, replacing him with Jock Stein, who also lasted just 44 days before leaving to manage Scotland. The board turned to Jimmy Adamson but he was unable to stop the decline. In 1980 Adamson resigned and was replaced by former Leeds and England star Allan Clarke. Despite spending freely on players, he was unable to stem the tide and the club was relegated at the end of 1981-82. Clarke was replaced by former team-mate Eddie Gray.
With no money to spend on team building[7], Gray's concentrated on youth development, without winning them promotion from the Second Division. The board again became impatient and sacked him in 1985, replacing him with another former Revie star, Billy Bremner. Bremner carried on where Gray had left off, but found it just as difficult to achieve promotion, though he did bring the club close; Leeds got to the 1987 play-off final but were defeated after extra time.
In October 1988, with the team 21st in the Second Division, Bremner was fired to make way for Howard Wilkinson, who oversaw promotion back to the First Division in 1989-90. Under Wilkinson the club finished 4th in 1990-91 and then won the title in 1991-92. However, the 1992-93 season was a poor one, with Leeds exiting the Champions League in the early stages, and eventually finishing 17th in the League, narrowly avoiding relegation. Wilkinson's Leeds were unable to provide any consistent challenge for honours, and his position was not helped by a poor display in the 1996 League Cup final which Leeds lost to Aston Villa. Leeds could only finish 13th in 1995-96, and after a heavy home defeat to Manchester United early in 1996-97, Wilkinson had his contract terminated.
Leeds appointed George Graham as Wilkinson's replacement. The appointment was controversial[8] as Graham had previously received a one year ban from the The Football Association for receiving illegal payments from a Football Agent. Graham made some astute purchases, and by the end of the season Leeds had qualified for the following season's UEFA Cup. In October 1998 Graham moved on to become manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and Leeds opted to replace him with assistant manager David O'Leary. O'Leary introduced promising youngsters, and under the coaching of Eddie Gray Leeds secured 3rd place in the league, sending the club into the UEFA Champions League. Unfortunately, Leeds' image was further tarnished when players Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer were involved in an incident which left an Asian student in hospital with severe injuries. The resulting courtcase took nearly two years to resolve; Bowyer was cleared, and Woodgate convicted of affray and sentenced to community service.
In the UEFA Cup, Leeds reached their first European semi-final in 25 years and were paired against Turkish champions Galatasaray in Istanbul. Leeds lost the game, but the result was overshadowed by the death of two Leeds fans, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, who were stabbed to death before the game[9][10]. Leeds were only able to draw the return leg at Elland Road, thus going out of the competition. A minute's silence[11] is held every year at the match closest to the anniversary of the incident to remember Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight.
O'Leary's Leeds never finished outside of the top four, but following their appearance in the UEFA Champions League 2001 semi-final against Valencia their fortunes began to change. Under chairman Peter Ridsdale, Leeds had taken out large loans against the prospect of the share of the TV rights and sponsorship revenues that come with UEFA Champions League qualification and any subsequent progress in the competition.[12] However Leeds narrowly failed to qualify for the Champions League, and as a consequence did not receive enough income to repay the loans. The first indication that the club was in financial trouble was the sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for approximately £30m. Ridsdale and O'Leary publicly fell out over the sale, and O'Leary was sacked and replaced by former England manager Terry Venables. Leeds performed badly under Venables, and other players were sold to repay the loans, including Jonathan Woodgate whom Ridsdale had promised Venables would not be sold. Tensions mounted between the pair, eventually resulting in the sacking of Venables, who was replaced by Peter Reid. By this time Leeds were in danger of relegation, but Reid saved Leeds from the drop in the penultimate game of the season. During this time Ridsdale had resigned from the Leeds board, and was replaced by economics expert Professor John McKenzie. An unsuccessful start to the 2003-04 season saw Peter Reid dismissed, and head coach Eddie Gray took over as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
Gerald Krasner, an insolvency specialist, led a consortium of local businessmen which took over Leeds and under his chairmanship oversaw the sale of the clubs' assets, including senior and emerging youth players of any value. Caretaker manager Gray was largely blameless for the performance of the team during the 2003-04 season as the majority of the squad was sold out from underneath him and despite his best efforts, Leeds were relegated after 14 years in the top flight. Following relegation, Gray's reign as caretaker manager was terminated, and Kevin Blackwell was appointed manager. Most of the remaining players were sold or released on free transfers to further reduce the wage bill. Leeds were eventually forced to sell both their training ground, for £4.2m[13], and their Elland Road stadium[14] in the autumn of 2004.
The club finally managed a financial turn around on 21 January 2005, when Krasner announced the sale of a 50% stake of the club to Ken Bates for £10m. [15] Blackwell stabilized the team by signing players on free transfers and low wages and Leeds finished the 2004-05 season mid-table in the Championship. In the 2005-06 season Leeds finished in the top 6 and made the promotion playoff final, which they lost to Watford. On 10 September 2006, Kevin Blackwell announced that within a year the club would be debt-free[16]. However, the 2006-07 season started badly and on 20 September 2006 Kevin Blackwell's contract as manager of Leeds United was terminated. Dennis Wise was eventually installed as his replacement after a month without a permanent manager. An awful 2007 season sees the team standing on the brink of relegation from the Championship to the third tier of English football for the first time in their 88-year history
[edit] Colours and Crest
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| Leeds' first home colours | |||||||||
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| Leeds' famous home kit before changing to all white. 1934-1950 | |||||||||
In Leeds' first fifteen years the club kit was modelled on Huddersfield Town's blue and white striped shirts, white shorts and dark blue socks with blue and white rings on the turnovers[17], because Huddersfield's chairman Hilton Crowther was attempting to merge the two clubs.[17]. He eventually left Huddersfield to take over at Leeds. In 1934 Leeds switched to blue and gold halved shirts incorporating the city crest badge, white shorts and blue socks with gold tops.[17] The kit was worn for the first time on 22 September 1934.[17] The club also adopted their first badge in 1934, using the city crest as Leeds City had.
In 1950 Leeds switched to gold shirts with blue sleeves and collars, white shorts and black, blue and gold hooped socks.
In 1955 Leeds changed again to royal blue shirts with gold collars, white shorts, and blue and gold hooped socks; this echoed the original Leeds City strip.[17]
In 1961 Don Revie introduced a plain white strip throughout, in the hope of emulating Spanish side Real Madrid.
In 1964, Leeds introduced a perching owl as their logo. The design was a surprise, given Revie's superstition about the symbolism of birds. The owl came from the city crest, which itself was based on the crest of Sir John Saville, the first alderman of Leeds. In 1973 came the embodiment of Seventies imagery with the iconic LU Smiley badge. Revie's predilection for gimmicks was years ahead of its time, and done with the explicit intention of gaining acceptance from a public outside West Yorkshire.[17] In 1984 a new club badge was introduced. It lasted until 1998, making it the longest lived of the modern era. The Rose and Ball badge was distinctive, in the traditional blue, gold and white and incorporating the white rose of Yorkshire together with the club name.
[edit] Stadium And Supporters
Elland Road has recently been sold by the club in a 25-year sale-lease back deal with a commercial buy-back provision for when the club’s finances improve. According to a recent Board of Directors statement, Leeds United should become debt free in the 2006/07 season. However, reduced attendances in the last couple of years may have a bearing on that[citation needed]. Initially the ground was the home of the Holbeck Rugby Club who played in the northern rugby union, the forerunner of the rugby football league.[18]. One of Leeds' first nicknames, "The Peacocks", comes from the original name of Elland Road - "The Old Peacock ground". It was named by the original owners of the ground, Bentley's Brewery, after their pub "The Old Peacock" which still faces the site[19]. When Leeds United were formed, the council allowed the new club to rent the stadium until they could afford to buy it themselves. With the exception of periods from the 1960s until 1983, and from 1997 to 2004, the council has owned the stadium[citation needed]. It is however owned by a leasing company at present. The stadium is currently the 10th largest football stadium in England.
The most recent stand at Elland Road is the East or Family Stand, a huge cantilever structure which was completed during the 1992-93 season and which can hold 17,000 seated spectators. It is two tiered stand which continues around the corners, and is the largest part of the stadium. The Don Revie Stand was opened at the start of the 1994-95 season, holding just under 7,000 seated spectators. The roof of the West Stand holds a television commentary gantry and walkway for TV personnel.
Previous manager Kevin Blackwell said that the club had over 250,000 ticket applications for the 2005/06 Championship Play Off Final, but the club currently struggles to fill Elland Road for home matches, with attendances averaging around 20,000 in the 2005/06 season - down from 30,000 the previous season. Alex Ferguson has said that Elland Road has one of the most intimidating atmospheres in European Football.[20] Leeds are 10th in the all time average attendance figures for the Football League & Premier League[21], and have the third most rivalries in the English League[22].
In April 1972 the Leeds squad released a single, "Leeds United" with the b-side being "Leeds! Leeds! Leeds!" (commonly known as "Marching On Together"). It was issued was to coincide with the team reaching the 1972 FA Cup Final; the vocals on the original recording were by the Leeds team. The record reached number 10 in the UK singles chart.[23] Whilst it is not officially the club anthem, "Marching On Together" is played before every home game, at half time and at the end of the game. Unlike many football songs that are just new words set to existing music, "Leeds Leeds Leeds" is an original composition by Les Reed and Barry Mason, purposely written for Leeds United. The song Strings for Yasmin by Tin Tin Out is played before kick off at Elland Road, whilst Nightmare by Brainbug is played before the second half.
The 2006 movie The Penalty King is about a blind Leeds United fan[24].
Leeds United fan groups usually take the moniker "Whites", e.g. Wetherby Whites, Seacroft Whites, Tadcaster Whites, Knottingley Whites etc.
[edit] Current squad
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[edit] Out on loan
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[edit] Personnel
[edit] Club officials
- Club President: The Right Honourable The Earl of Harewood KBE LLD
- Chairman/Owner: Ken Bates
- Deputy Chairman: Jayne McGuinness
- Directors: Peter Lorimer, Mark Taylor, Yvonne Todd
[edit] Management
- Club Manager/Fitness Coach: Dennis Wise
- Assistant Manager: Gus Poyet
- Technical Director: Gwyn Williams
- Football Administration: Alison Royston
- Academy Manager: Neil Thompson
- Under 18s Coach: Paul Beesley
- Goalkeeping Coach: Andrew Beasley
- Head Physio: Harvey Sharman
- Groundsman: Dr Adam Cowell
[edit] Honours
[edit] Domestic honours
- FA Charity Shield
- Winners (2) 1969, 1992
- Runners-up (1) 1974
- FA Youth Cup
- Winners (2) 1993, 1997
[edit] European honours
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup/UEFA Cup
- Winners (2) 1968, 1971
- Runners-up (1) 1967
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Trophy Play-Off (1971) - Runners-Up
- (Decided who kept the trophy when the competition was replaced by the UEFA Cup)
- European Cup/UEFA Champions League
- Runners-up (1) 1975
- European Cup Winners' Cup
- Runners-up (1) 1973
[edit] Records
- For a season by season, decade by decade record of all competitions see Leeds United A.F.C. Competitions Record
- For the league record against an individual club, see: League Record Club by Club
[edit] Chairmen
- For information on Leeds United chairmen, see:Leeds United A.F.C. Chairmen
[edit] English Football Hall of Fame
The following have either played for or managed Leeds and have been inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
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[edit] Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
| Year | Kit Manufacturer
(as above unless stated) |
Shirt Sponsor
(as above unless stated) |
|---|---|---|
| 1972-73 | Umbro | none |
| 1973-81 | Admiral | Clunge Co |
| 1981-83 | Umbro | RFW |
| 1983-84 | - | Systime |
| 1984-85 | - | WKG |
| 1985-86 | - | Lion Cabinets |
| 1986-89 | - | Burton |
| 1989-91 | - | Top Man |
| 1991-92 | - | Evening Post |
| 1992-93 | Admiral | Admiral |
| 1993-96 | Asics | Thistle Hotels |
| 1996-00 | Puma | Packard Bell |
| 2000-03 | Nike | Strongbow |
| 2003-04 | Nike | Whyte & MacKay |
| 2004-05 | Diadora | - |
| 2005-06 | Admiral | Rhodar (secondary sponsor) |
| 2006-present | Admiral | Bet 24 |
[edit] Notes
- ^ History of the Club - the birth of Leeds United. mightyleeds.co.uk. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
- ^ Leeds United Fan Club - Club Badges. Leeds United Fan Club. LeedsUnitedFanClub.com (2000). Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
- ^ 1961-62. Tony Hill. ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ The manager with the Midas touch. Tom Lappin. scotsman.com (21 September 2004). Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
- ^ When should you sack the manager? (Page 17). Chris Hope. www.jbs.cam.ac.uk (April 2002). Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
- ^ "Welcome To Elland Road", Les Rowley & James Brown (1999), IFG Publishing, ISBN 0953633802
- ^ 1983-84. Tony Hill. ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ 1996-97. Tony Hill. ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ Fans killed in Turkey violence. BBC News. BBC (6 April 2000). Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
- ^ Turk 'admits' stabbing Leeds fan. BBC News. BBC (7 April 2000). Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
- ^ Silence for killed Leeds fans. BBC News. BBC (9 April 2000). Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
- ^ McKenzie sees rosy future for troubled Leeds. Ian Parkes. Irish Examiner (29 October 2003). Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ Leeds hopeful over new investors. BBC Sport. BBC (24 October 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ^ Leeds sell ground after bid fails. BBC Sport. BBC (12 November 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ^ Bates completes takeover of Leeds. BBC Sport. BBC (21 January 2005). Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
- ^ Leeds may be debt-free in a year. BBC Sport. BBC (10 September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
- ^ a b c d e f Mighty Mighty Whites. Leeds United Fan Club. mightyleeds.co.uk (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
- ^ Mighty Mighty Whites. Leeds United Fan Club. mightyleeds.co.uk (2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
- ^
- ^ Shaw, Phil. "Football: Ferguson prepared for Elland Road examination", The Independent, findarticles.com, 1997-09-27. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
- ^ All Time League Attendance Records. Niall Mackenzie. Newcastle's Unofficial Fans Collaboration (4 September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
- ^ Rivalry Uncovered!. Football Fan Census. footballfanscensus.com (2004). Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
- ^ Guinness British Hit Singles 12th Edition. Guinness Publishing.
- ^ The Penalty King (2006). IMDB (2005). Retrieved on 2006-11-26.
- ^ Stats & Appearances. leedsunited.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
- ^ a b leeds fans Honours. leedsfans.org.uk (2003-07-20). Retrieved on 2007-01-21.
[edit] See also
- Sport in Leeds
- Leeds United L.F.C.
- Leeds United A.F.C. Players - Leeds United A.F.C players detailed list (captains etc)
- Category:Leeds United AFC players - List of current and former Leeds United A.F.C players
- Category:Leeds United AFC managers - Leeds United managers past and present
- Category:Chairmen of Leeds United AFC - Chairmen of Leeds United past and present
- Category:Wikipedian Leeds United AFC fans - Leeds Fans On Wikipedia
[edit] External links
- Leeds United A.F.C. on BBC Sport: Club News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Club stats
- Official website
- Leeds United Fan Club High quality forums
- Leedsfans.org.uk Encyclopedic stats site
- WACCOE Most used fan community
- LeedsUnitedMAD Website
- WAFLL Gallery A searchable Leeds United picture gallery
| Leeds United Association Football Club |
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| History | Club Records | Competitions Record |
| Players | Managers | Don Revie |
| Marching On Together | Elland Road |
| Leeds City | Leeds United Ladies |
