After six steps back, will Leeds take one step forward?
Ten years ago, Leeds United were top of the Premier League. Today they again find themselves top – but of League 1 – or the third Division in old money. When I was young. Leeds were one of the big teams. Had the concept of a ‘Big 4′ existed then, Leeds would have been one of the four. Glory hunters looked in their thousands towards Elland Road and the Uniteds derby was the biggest in the north. Liverpool weren’t even on the radar. Many of my generation are Leeds fans, despite having no connection with West Yorkshire.
Leeds’ rise to win the last First Division title in 1992, after a spell in the old Second Division, should have seen them restore themselves to the big time. But Howard Wilkinson’s sale of Eric Cantona to their trans-Pennine rivals was inexplicable and heralded the start of the great Manchester United dynasties. But worse was to come. Leeds’ total fall from grace and the big time in the early part of the noughties inspired fear and schadenfreude in equal quantities. The speed at which the club descended from Champions League semi-final to scraping around for their very survival may have delighted some of us on the surface, but it was a sign of what could happen to any club that tried too hard. Under former Arsenal stalwarts George Graham and David O’Leary, the club had become one of the best in Europe, but chairman Peter Ridsdale had gambled on continuing success. The failure to make the Champions League in 2001 left the club mortgaged to the hilt and with a huge wage bill. The sale of Rio Ferdinand to their big rivals Manchester United was sickening for Leeds fans, but no-one could have realised just how bad it was going to get. The forced sale of both the training ground and Elland Road itself could not stave off two points-sapping bouts of financial administration and the resultant tumble down football’s pyramid.
Leeds downward spiral to their first ever stint in the third tier is well-documented and there are many men who come out of it badly, demonstrating that they did not put the club’s interests first. But now, apart from a sugar daddy, Leeds have the resources needed to succeed: strong support, a decent hinterland, with little competition and a brand name that, whilst a little tarnished, is still known across the footballing world. Leeds record of struggle, despite these advantages, should serve as a dire lesson for other over-extended clubs such as Portsmouth.
Just one year ago, Leeds United were knocked out of the FA Cup by non-League Histon. Today in their FA Cup match at Old Trafford they have a chance to put themselves back on the footballing map – and I am one of the many football fans who would love to see them back in the top tier where they belong. Whilst few neutrals expect them to beat the Champions, Leeds should have the confidence to put up a decent fight on the pitch and the passion to show their quality off it. Let’s hope neither footballers not fans disgrace their club today. No club has the right to be in the top tier, no matter what their history, but I can’t help feeling that those white shirts should be running out at Old Trafford more often than at Milton Keynes.
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Comments
03 January 2010, 1:42 pm
I don’t know how old you are but some of your memory is vague.
I grew up with Leeds in their prime under Don Revie, which as a Huddersfield supporter was difficult. I’ve learned a few things about them as a matter of course.
Leeds were a big team – difficult to argue otherwise – but always seen as upstarts by the big boys like Man United Manchester City, Tottenham, & Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton – who in the 70′s were thought of as the Big 6 – and exactly that term was used.
Leeds were very much seen as the bad boys – and disliked intensely by the sporting press – perhaps because of Don Revie’s strange personality as much as anything. They were also a very dirty team.
Liverpool, far from not being on the radar won the Championship in the year Leeds were promoted from Division 2 (1963/64) (prior to which they’d always been a small team) – and won the Championship again in 1965/6 when Leeds were runners up for the second time – a place behind them in 5th in 67, a place ahead in 3rd in 68 before Leeds won their first championship in 69 – Liverpool runners up.
Leeds stayed in contention until their championship in 73/4 – but then more or less faded as Liverpool truly took over, and were relegated in 81/82 – then spending 9 years in the next league down (why do they change the names of them) before getting promoted and snatching the old Division 1 in 91/92. they then finished no higher than 3rd (in 2000) (but with two 4ths & a 5th) in a 14 year stretch before being relegated.in 03/04.
The idea that the Leeds / Manchester derby is or ever has been the biggest in the North is laughable, For one thing it’s not a derby. For another it’s just propaganda put out by Leeds supporters – Man U do not and never have seen it as anything other than another game.
Leeds have always pretended that their “arch rivals” were whoever was fashionable at the time – hence in the late 60′s early 70′s it was Chelsea & Liverpool, then Liverpool and Man City, and then when Man U became the big hard men (after being relegated) it was Man U, then when Leeds were relegated it was Chelsea again (cos they were down to and had a big hooligan reputation) and then it was Man U.
Actually it’s been Huddersfield all the time – but they don’t like to admit that. At Huddersfield our rivals are Leeds, and for some reason Pompey – not sure why. There are other smaller rivalries – Bradford, Millwall, Chelsea, Birmingham, Port Vale, Cardiff – but they stay the same through the years.
As I type I see that Leeds are a goal up. I hope it doesn’t last.
Thought you were an Arsenal supporter. Shame on you for having these negative thoughts. Try harder !
03 January 2010, 1:49 pm
I’m old enough to remember Leeds winning the 1972 FA Cup 1-0 against my beloved Gunners.
03 January 2010, 4:06 pm
I really should have been kinder to Leeds’ chances – but I expect their fans will forgive me now