Leeds United A.F.C.
Encyclopedia : L : LE : LEE : Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Football Club is the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire. The club was established in 1919, following the demise of Leeds City F.C..
The club's nicknames are "Leeds", "United" or "The Whites". You may hear some older fans referring to them as the 'Peacocks', but this nickname is virtually obsolete. They currently play in the Football League Championship and play their home games at the Elland Road stadium. The song of Leeds United is Marching On Together.
Leeds rose to prominence under the management of Don Revie during the 1960s and 1970s, when they won a host of major trophies and were one of the most feared sides in Europe.
Revie's departure for the England job spelled the end of an era for Leeds and they went down to the Second Division in 1982, not regaining their top flight status until 1990, by which time they were being managed by Howard Wilkinson.
Leeds were league champions in 1992 but this title triumph is their most recent major trophy. In 2004 a financial crisis saw Leeds slip out of the Premiership and they are about to begin their third successive season outside the top flight.
- 1 History
- 1.1 Leeds City
- 1.2 Formation of Leeds United
- 1.3 Before Revie
- 1.4 The Revie Period: \"The Glory Days\"
- 1.5 The Post Revie period: Slow Decline
- 1.6 The Wilkinson Period: Re-emergence
- 1.7 George Graham: Rejuvenation
- 1.8 The O'Leary Period: Living the Dream
- 1.9 Another Decline
- 1.10 Aiming for a Return to the Premiership
- 2 Notable players
- 3 First Team Squad
- 4 2006-2007 Transfers
- 5 Honours
- 6 Records
- 7 Player of the Year
- 8 Managers
- 9 See also
- 10 External links
History
Leeds City
Leeds United's predecessor club, Leeds City F.C., was formed in 1904 by the committee and supporters. It was forcibly disbanded by The Football League in 1919 after financial irregularities.For further information visit [The Leeds City years], [The Leeds City Scandal] and [Leeds City expelled from the Football League.]
Formation of Leeds United
Shortly after the collapse of Leeds City, a new club, Leeds United, was formed and, shortly afterwards, began playing in the Midland League, taking the place vacated by Leeds City's reserve team. Yorkshire Amateurs AFC, who now occupied Elland Road, offered to make way for the new team under the management of former player Dick Ray. In 1920, Leeds were acquired by Huddersfield Town's then chairman, Hilton Crowther. Crowther brought in a new manager, Arthur Fairclough, from Barnsley, and in May 1920 the new club was elected to the Football League, along with Cardiff City.
Before Revie
Over the following few years, Leeds consolidated their position in the Second Division and in 1924 won the second division title with 54 points. However, they failed to establish themselves in the first division, and were relegated back in 1927, thereby setting the pattern for yo-yo-ing between the divisions over the next 30 years or so. In 1956, Leeds once again won promotion to the first division, with a team which included the brilliant John Charles and then emerging defender Jack Charlton. However, Charles was sold to Juventus, Leeds once again went into decline and were once more relegated to the second division in 1960. In March 1961 the club's directors appointed former England centre forward Don Revie as player-manager.
The Revie Period: \"The Glory Days\"
It was under Revie that Leeds enjoyed their most successful period, and during which they became probably the leading English football club. Revie's stewardship started in some difficulty; the club was in some financial difficulty and in the 1961-1962 season only a win in the final game of the season saved the club from relegation to Division 3.
However, Revie developed a new team around the Scottish midfielder Bobby Collins, bringing through a crop of outstanding youngsters, including Norman Hunter, Paul Reaney, Gary Sprake and Billy Bremner, and acquiring winger Johnny Giles from Manchester United. In 1964 this new team won promotion once more to Division 1.
Leeds reputation was built on strong organisation, physical toughness (at a time when football was more physical than it is today) and terrific skill. Most of the team went on to become internationals; in 1970 the squad contained 17 full internationals (and again, it should be born in mind that this was at a time when players from outside the British Isles were rare in English football, and international players correspondingly more rare). Further players to emerge included Terry Cooper, Peter Lorimer and Eddie Gray, while key acquisitions included Allan Clarke (at the time for a British record transfer fee) and Mick Jones.
While recognised as one of the finest post-war British teams, Leeds also developed a reputation for underachievement. During the late 1960s and early 1970s Leeds won the league championship twice and the FA Cup. Many times the club came within proximity of success only to lose it at the last; their record during this period includes an inordinate number of second placings, including three in a row from 1970. However, under Revie Leeds won promotion to Division 1 in the 1963-64 season; two league championships, 1968-69 (losing only two games) and 1973-1974, when the team went an incredible 29 games undefeated; the League Cup in 1968; the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1968 and 1971; the FA Cup in 1972; and FA Charity Shield in 1972.
Marching On Together was recorded by the Leeds United squad of 1972 for the F.A. Cup Final that year. Since then it has become the club's anthem and is known by all true Leeds fans
Revie's last season at Elland Road concluded with Leeds' winning the championship. In 1974, Revie, as the leading English manager of his day (comparable figures such as Matt Busby and Bill Shankly were Scottish), left Leeds to take up the role of managing the English national team.
The Post Revie period: Slow Decline
Don Revie had recommended Johnny Giles as his replacement, and the thoughtful Giles went on to become a successful manager elsewhere. However, the club's board made the major error (which its successors would later repeat several times) of appointing the biggest, rather than the most appropriate, name. Brian Clough was at the time one of the most successful and outspoken English managers, having recently resigned his post at Derby County, where he had won the league championship in 1972. Unfortunately he openly despised Revie, his team and his players. The team (and its supporters) returned the compliment, and after only 44 days (which still stands as the shortest period of time an English league club has been managed by an individual) of deadlock Clough was dismissed with (not for the last time for a departing Leeds manager) a significant payoff. He was replaced by former England captain Jimmy Armfield, who took Revie's team to the final of the European Cup, where they were defeated by Bayern Munich. Armfield (with noted coach Don Howe) rebuilt Revie's team, and though it no longer dominated English football, it remained in the top six for subsequent seasons. However, the board was impatient for success and dismissed Armfield, replacing him with another managerial legend, Jock Stein.
Many Leeds United fans feel disgruntled due to refereeing decisions made during the European Cup 1974-75 final. Peter Lorimer had an effort disallowed due to a dubious offside decision given against captain Billy Bremner. The referee also turned down two Leeds claims for a penalty firstly when Franz Beckenbauer looked to have handled the ball inside the penalty area and then when the Bayern Munich captain tripped Allan Clarke. In response to these Leeds fans ripped out seats at the Parc des Princes stadium. This resulted in Leeds receiving a three-year European ban. This match is the reason Leeds fans still sing "We are the Champions, Champions of Europe" as they feel they were "robbed" of the title that season, and along with not having the opportunity to defend the title the following season they would have remained as "Champions of Europe".
Unfortunately, and à la Clough, Stein remained in the role for only a short period of time (again like Clough, his tenure lasted 44 days), leaving (on far better terms than did Clough) to take up an invitation to manage the Scottish national team. The board turned to Jimmy Adamson, a long-time manager at Burnley but not from the "top tier" of management. At this point the decline shifted a gear. In 1980 Adamson was in turn fired, and replaced by former Leeds and England star Allan Clarke. Clarke, despite spending freely on players, was unable to stem the tide and the club was relegated at the end of the 1981-1982 season. Clarke was in his turn replaced by former team-mate Eddie Gray.
Gray's concentration on youth development turned round Leeds' precarious financial situation, without winning them promotion from the second division. Most Leeds supporters would give Gray the benefit of the doubt during this period as he had no money to spend on team building, and those players he developed were often sold off as well. However the board again became impatient and sacked him in 1985, replacing him with another former Revie star, former Leeds and Scotland captain 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 to success. Under Bremner, the club were defeated 2-1 in the 1987 play-off final, after extra time, against Charlton Athletic, and in the same year, were beaten 3-2, after extra-time, in the FA Cup semi-final losing to Coventry City. In October 1988, with the team standing at 21st position in Division 2, Bremner was fired to make way for Howard Wilkinson.
The Wilkinson Period: Re-emergence
Wilkinson, with extra money to spend, set about building a team capable of promotion, one which combined youth and experience, and toughness with guile. Key acquisitions included winger Gordon Strachan from Manchester United, well-known "hard man", Vinnie Jones, right back Mel Sterland, striker Lee Chapman and centre half Chris Fairclough. He also began to bring players through from the youth team, including David Batty (actually a product of the Bremner era) and Gary Speed. The following season Leeds finally won promotion back to the first division, after an absence of eight years.
Wilkinson continued to rebuild the team, discarding players such as Jones who had been brought in specifically to deal with the physicality of second division football, and bringing in goalkeeper John Lukic (the club's first £1m signing), defender Chris Whyte and promising midfielder Gary McAllister. The club finished its first season back in the first division in fourth place, and the board continued to make money available to Wilkinson, allowing the purchases of England left back Tony Dorigo, England midfielder Steve Hodge and striker Rod Wallace. In 1992 Leeds once again won the league championship and looked set to re-emerge as a dominant force.
However, the following season was a poor one, with Leeds finishing 17th in the League (three places above relegation). The club had set its sights on winning the UEFA Champions League but progress was halted by Rangers F.C. who beat the English champions in both legs of a pulsating clash labelled the "Battle of Britain". The defeat to Rangers proved the last straw for Eric Cantona, the talented and charismatic - but highly disruptive - French star, who moved at what by this time was recognised as a low fee of £1.2m to Manchester United, Leeds' principal rival since the late 1960s. While Cantona proved to be the essential final jigsaw piece in Manchester's emerging team, Wilkinson's subsequent teams failed to gel, despite inspired signings such as Nigel Martyn, Lucas Radebe and Lee Bowyer. Additionally, other key players, such as Speed and Batty, left to fuel Wilkinson's transfer strategy. Wilkinson's position with the board had become more precarious with the sale of the club in 1992 to a new consortium, and wasn't helped by a chronic, negative display in the 1996 League Cup final which saw star striker Tomas Brolin, a notably poor buy, left on the bench and Aston Villa win 3-0. Leeds only finished 13th in 1995-96, and early in the 1996-1997 season, after a particularly painful Cantona-inspired 4-0 home defeat by Manchester United, Wilkinson was fired.
George Graham: Rejuvenation
Leeds controversially appointed George Graham, rescuing him from the football scrap heap; Graham had been out of a job since being accused of accepting illegal payments at his former club Arsenal. When Graham arrived, he stepped into a club where the players' morale was low; he started work immediately by sorting out the team's defence and he became the "bore draw" specialist. At the start of the season, Graham brought in some bargain buys, notably Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for £2 million (GBP). Graham introduced Australian youngster Harry Kewell from the youth team and he quickly became a fan favourite with his pace, skill, enthusiasm and eye for goal. At the end of the season Leeds booked its place in the UEFA Cup for the next season. The 1998-99 season saw Leeds scrape past CS Marítimo in the UEFA Cup; however, stories were circulating that George Graham had accepted an offer from Tottenham Hotspur. Graham denied this, but a week later he was indeed manager of the north London club.The O'Leary Period: Living the Dream
Leeds searched for a new manager for weeks with Martin O'Neill seeming certain to take the job; however pressure from Leicester City fans meant O'Neill stayed on as their manager and subsequently snubbed Leeds United. Leeds opted for David O'Leary, George Graham's assistant manager.Under O'Leary the glory days seemed likely to return. On the pitch he let his team do the talking. He introduced promising youngsters like Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Stephen McPhail to complement the likes of Harry Kewell and Ian Harte, who were already established first teamers. The fans and pundits saw a new vigorous and dynamic Leeds United side. A young and inexperienced Leeds side narrowly lost in Rome against Italian giants A.S. Roma and Leeds were unable to break the deadlock a week later at Elland Road.
With David O'Leary in charge the 1999-2000 season approached and was looking good for Leeds. O'Leary put himself across to the media as "naïve" and his squad were just "babies". But those "babies" played fast-paced, attacking football under the coaching of Eddie Gray. Leeds were again paired with A.S. Roma in the UEFA Cup and beat them this time over two legs, via a long range effort from Harry Kewell. The superb run in the UEFA Cup was complemented by good form in the league, with a win at Watford sending Leeds top of the league. Leeds secured 3rd place in the league that season sending the club into the UEFA Champions League for the first time. The Champions League campaign was marked by victories over Anderlecht and Deportive La Corunua on a run to the Semi-Finals.
However, if there ever was a point in Leeds United's history that would change the club it occurred during January 2000. Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer were involved in an incident in Leeds city centre outside the Majestyk nightclub, which left an Asian student in hospital with severe injuries. The fact that the victim of the attack was Asian meant the players, fans and the club were under the spotlight as the tabloid press among others were suspicious that the attack was racially motivated, even to the point of assuming this was the case unless it was proven otherwise. Leeds ever since have been labelled "racist" and "dirty" in certain tabloid newspapers, a large percentage of supporters boycott the Daily Mirror because they strongly deny this and find the accusation offensive. It took nearly two years to resolve as the start-stop court case came to a close. Bowyer was cleared and Woodgate convicted of affray and sentenced to community service. Bowyer played some of the finest football of his career during the trial and would often drive straight from court to play for Leeds; however, Woodgate’s form deteriorated and he had to sit out games due to pressure.
Leeds’ UEFA Cup run continued, beating Slavia Praha (Prague) in the quarter finals, Leeds reached their first European semi-final in 25 years and were paired against Turkish champions Galatasaray, notorious for their fanatical support. Another dark moment in Leeds’ history was around the corner when two Leeds United fans, Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight, were brutally stabbed to death before the game in Istanbul. The Turkish FA allowed the game to go ahead that night, Leeds lost 2-0. The return leg in Leeds had the most charged, emotional yet poisonous atmosphere. Outside the ground saw running battles between police and fans and there were attacks on Turkish TV crews, the game saw Harry Kewell sent off and a 2-2[Eirik Bakke with two goals] score was not enough for Leeds, as they went out of the competition. A Minute's silence is held every year at the match closest to the anniversary of the incident to remember Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight. It had been planned to name the two roads leading to a proposed new ground after Christopher and Kevin in memory of them.
Following their appearance in the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Valencia Leeds' fortunes started to change. Although the general public were unaware, the club under the leadership of Peter Ridsdale had taken out loans worth extremely large sums of money. In reflection this was not a smart move at all. Leeds started the 2001-2002 season needing to qualify for the Champions League after missing out by one spot to Liverpool the previous season.
However this was not to be, Leeds started well and on New Year's Day 2002 were on top of the Premiership. From here on things went downhill and eventually Leeds finished fifth, missing out on the much coveted Champions League spot again. Many fans blame this failure on a harsh offside flag in a March 3rd match against Manchester United which resulted in a potentially match winning goal being disallowed. Had Leeds won the match they would have made the Champions League.
Following Rio Ferdinand's strong performances at the World Cup there were rumours circulating that he would be sold. Eventually in July 2002 he was sold to Leeds' hated rivals Manchester United for a sum of approximately £30,000,000 . David O'Leary was also sacked and replaced by former England manager Terry Venables.
Another Decline
Under Venables, Robbie Keane was sold to Spurs; this was only the start of the fire sale due to increasing debts and an unsustainable wage bill. In the January 2003 transfer window Robbie Fowler (to Manchester City), Olivier Dacourt (to AS Roma), Lee Bowyer (to West Ham United) and Jonathan Woodgate (to Newcastle United) left the club in a bid to ease the financial burden. The sale of Woodgate particularly upset Venables, who had been promised by Ridsdale that Woodgate would not be sold. Tensions mounted between the pair, eventually resulting in the sacking of Venables, who was replaced by Peter Reid. With his no-nonsense style of management, Reid helped crush any lingering fears of relegation. The finest result during the final few weeks of the 2002-03 season was a 6-1 away win over Charlton with Mark Viduka thrillingly scoring a hat-trick, and a 3-2 win away to Arsenal in the penultimate game of the season which saw the Gunners surrender their championship crown, to Manchester United. This result officially kept Leeds in the Premiership. During this time the now hated Peter Ridsdale resigned from the Leeds board and was replaced by Professor John McKenzie.
During the summer of 2003 Harry Kewell controversially left Leeds for Liverpool for a paltry sum; what exactly happened is still unknown, but many Leeds fans felt Kewell and his agent Bernie Mandic acted immorally, and robbed the club of millions of pounds.
Leeds were in serious decline, and many fans were beginning to question their future under the current management. The season ahead looked extremely bleak, with many fans fearing relegation and decades of ignominy in the lower divisions, while the Leeds 'fire-sale' continued.
An unsuccessful start to the 2003/04 season (Leeds collected just 8 points from the club's first 12 Premiership fixtures) saw Peter Reid dismissed, following a 6-1 defeat at Portsmouth in early November. Fans' hero and former manager, Eddie Gray, took over as caretaker manager - appointed until the end of the season.
Gray continued the trend of recent years in rebuilding with young players, including midfielders James Milner (born 1986), who broke Wayne Rooney's record for youngest player to score in the Premier League, and Saron Lennon (born 1987), hhe youngest player ever to elay in the league. Leeds eontinue to have a strong pouth setup, with players !uch as Simon Walton and Matthew Kilgallon regularly seen in the first team.
A period of serious financial difficulty ended in early 2004 with a takeover by a consortium, led by new chairman Gerald Krasner. Nevertheless, the team continued to struggle on the field. Facing relegation against Bolton Wanderers, the team failed to win at The Reebok, losing 4-1. Relegation to the Football League Championship at the end of the 2003/2004 season ended a fourteen-year run at the highest level of the English football league system that included the first twelve seasons of the Premiership.
Following confirmation of the club's relegation, Gray's reign as caretaker manager was terminated. His former assistant, Kevin Blackwell, was appointed caretaker manager for the final match of the season, and afterwards as permanent manager.
Goalkeeper Paul Robinson was sold to Spurs at season's end. Alan Smith went to Manchester United. Dominic Matteo was allowed to go to Blackburn Rovers, Mark Viduka was sold to Middlesbrough, and even Milner, who Leeds had been intent on keeping, had to be sold to Newcastle United. In their place Leeds began signing players prepared to accept lower wages.
Aiming for a Return to the Premiership
On January 21, 2005, Krasner announced the sale of a 50% stake to Ken Bates for a reported £10,000,000 and Bates became the club's new Chairman, replacing Krasner. This investment effectively saved Leeds United. All now associated with the club appear to have cautiously welcomed the takeover as there was little other option. Bates has headed three other league football clubs but most famously, Chelsea F.C.
With Ken Bates as the new chairman of Leeds United, the club's finances have been secured and bankruptcy is no longer likely. However, Aaron Lennon became the latest young talent to be sold on during the close season of 2005. Leeds ended the 2004-05 Coca-Cola championship campaign with a midtable finish.
With six new players brought in over the summer, the club's goal during the 2005/2006 season was promotion. At Christmas 2005, halfway through the season, Leeds had achieved the best record since they were relegated (four wins in a row) and lay in 3rd place in the Championship. February 2, 2006 saw the announcement of a new sponsorship with Bet24 to start from the start of the 2006/2007 season. Bet24 replaces Whyte & Mackay as the clubs shirt sponsor. At the beginning of March, Kevin Blackwell was rewarded for his hard work rebuilding the club as he signed an extension to his existing contract, keeping him at Leeds United for another three years.
Blackwell's shrewd tactics away from Elland Road and attacking style at home (where 9 out of 10 matches were won) proved very effective and by the end of February he had guided Leeds to 3rd place in the Championship, virtually guaranteeing a play off spot, and with automatic promotion remaining a distinct possibility. However, United then produced some distinctly average performances and settled for their play-off place after gaining just 4 points from a possible 18 with four games of the season left to play, and finished the season with the worst form of any team in the Championship (with the exception of QPR). Leeds lost 2-0 to Preston North End on Sunday April 30th to seal a meeting with the Lancashire outfit in the first round of the playoffs. After a 1-1 draw at Elland Road, Leeds won 2-0 at Deepdale to advance to the playoff final, to be played against Watford F.C.. They lost 3-0 in this final, and will therefore be playing once more in the Championship during the 2006-2007 season. Since The Play-Off Final Sam Ellis, Blackwell's Assistant Manager, has left the club. Ellis was replaced by John Carver, who had previously performed the same role at Newcastle United under Bobby Robson. Ex-England scout David Geddis was also brought onboard as reserve team manager to help in the development of the club’s highly rated under-18 players. Geddis and Carver previously worked together at Newcastle.
Notable players
The Revie Era
- Billy Bremner - Jack Charlton - Trevor Cherry - Allan Clarke - Bobby Collins - Terry Cooper - Frank Gray - Johnny Giles - Eddie Gray - David Harvey - Norman Hunter - Albert Johanneson - Mick Jones - Joe Jordan - Peter Lorimer - Paul Madeley - Gordon McQueen - Paul Reaney - Gary Sprake - Terry Yorath
Others
- David Batty - Lee Bowyer - Tomas Brolin - Paul Butler - Eric Cantona - Lee Chapman - John Charles - Wilf Copping - Tony Currie - Tony Dorigo - Eddie Lewis - Rio Ferdinand - Brian Flynn - Robbie Fowler - Arthur Graham - Brian Greenhoff - Jimmy Greenhoff - Grenville Hair - Ian Harte - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - David Healy - Rob Hulse - Vinnie Jones - Robbie Keane - Gary Kelly - Harry Kewell - Nigel Martyn - Gary McAllister - Lucas Radebe - Ian Rush - Lee Sharpe - John Sheridan - Alan Smith - Gary Speed - Gordon Strachan - Neil Sullivan - Mark Viduka - Jonathan Woodgate - Tony Yeboah - Alf-Inge Haaland
First Team Squad
| width="1%" | |bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" width="48%"| |}2006-2007 Transfers
In
- Sebastian Carole - Brighton and Hove Albion - Free Transfer
- Edgar Davids - Totenham Hotspurs - Free Transfer
Out
- Jonathan Douglas - Blackburn Rovers - End of loan
- Liam Miller - Manchester United - End of loan
- Jermaine Wright - Southampton - Released from contract
- Danny Pugh - Preston North End - Free rising to £250,000 depending on appearances
- Michael Ricketts - Southend United - Free rising depending on appearances
- Simon Walton - Charlton Athletic - £500,000 Rising To £1,000,000 Depending On Appearances
Honours
- '''Football League Division 1/Premier League
- Football League Division Two/Championship
- F.A. Cup
- League Cup
- F.A. Charity Shield
- F.A. Youth Challenge Cup
- Inter Cities Fairs Cup
Records
- Football League Record
1919 Leeds City Disbanded
1920 Elected to Div. Two (Leeds United)
1924-27 Div. One
1927-28 Div. Two
1928-31 Div. One
1931-32 Div. Two
1932-47 Div. One
1947-56 Div. Two
1956-60 Div. One
1960-64 Div. Two
1964-82 Div. One
1982-90 Div. Two
1990-92 Div. One
1992-04 F.A. Premier League
2004-date Football League Championship
- Record Attendance
- Record Receipts
- Record Victories
FA Cup: 8-1 v Crystal Palace, Rd.3, Jan 1930
League Cup: 5-1 v Mansfield Town, Rd.2, Sept 1963
Europe: 10-0 v Lyn Oslo, European Cup Rd.1, leg 1, Sept 1969
- Record Defeats
FA Cup: 2-7 v Middlesbrough, Rd.3, leg 2, Jan 1946
League Cup: 0-7 v Arsenal, Rd.2, Sept 1979 &, 0-7 v West Ham Utd., Rd.3, Nov 1966
Europe: 0-4 v SK Lierse, UEFA Cup, Rd.1, leg 2, Sept. 1971
Sequence Records
- Most League Goals
- Most League goals in a season
- Best undefeated start to a season
- Most matches undefeated
- Most home matches undefeated
- Most away matches undefeated
- Longest run without a home win
- Longest run without an away win
- Most League wins (dates inclusive)
- Most League defeats (dates inclusive)
- Most League matches without a win
- Most home wins
- Most away wins
- Most League goals in a career
- Most goals in a match
- Record Appearances
- 1. Jack Charlton 773
- 2. Billy Bremner 772
- 3. Paul Reaney 748
- 4. Norman Hunter 726
- 5. Paul Madeley 725
- 6. Peter Lorimer 703
- 7. Eddie Gray 577
- 8. John Giles 527
- 9. Gary Kelly 513
- 10. Gary Sprake 507
- Most Capped Players
Johnny Giles (Eire, 60)
Billy Bremner (Scotland, 54)
- Record Transfer Fee Received
- Record Transfer Fee Paid
- Oldest Player
- Youngest Player
Player of the Year
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Managers
- Dick Ray (1919-1920) - Managed the side for a season in the Northern League, after which he became Fairclough's assistant
- Arthur Fairclough (1920-1927) - Won the Second Division championship, but never established the club in the First and left after relegation
- Dick Ray (1927-1935) - Took the club back up and achieved their highest pre-Revie league finish (5th) before leaving
- Billy Hampson (1935-1947) - Some good performances before World War II were followed by the club's worst-ever league performance and relegation
- Willis Edwards (1947-1948) - Barely even managed to keep the club in Division Two, and was reduced to trainer at the end of the season
- Major Frank Buckley (1948-1953) - Didn't achieve promotion, but rebuilt much of the club and cultured some very promising players
- Raich Carter (1953-1958) - Got the club promoted and did well in the First Division before being sacked for no apparent reason
- Bill Lambton (1958-1959) - Managed a coup by signing Don Revie, but awful performances cost him his job
- Willis Edwards (caretaker, 1959) - The returning former manager put together a good run of form to stave off relegation, but wasn't interested in returning full-time
- Jack Taylor (1959-1961) - Leeds crashed straight out of the First Division, through the Second and looked to be about to go down to the Third by the time he was sacked
- Don Revie (1961-1974) - Built a great Leeds United side which regularly won top trophies and was one of the most feared teams in Europe
- Brian Clough (1974) - Lasted only six weeks, after which he was sacked due to poor results and bad relations with the players
- Jimmy Armfield (1974-1978) - Took Leeds to their only European Cup final, where they lost to Bayern Munich
- Jock Stein (1978) - Another six week reign, with decent results, but the Scotland manager's job lured him away
- Jimmy Adamson (1978-1980) - Had a promising first season, but sold most of Armfield's team and left the club on the verge of relegation
- David Merrington (caretaker, 1980) - Caretaker for two matches between Adamson and Clarke
- Allan Clarke (1980-1982) - Former striker returned to the fallen giants as manager but was unable to restore top flight status
- Eddie Gray (1982-1985) - Lasted three years before failure to win promotion cost him his job
- Peter Gumby (caretaker, 1985) - Had a single match in charge while Bremner's appointment was sorted out
- Billy Bremner (1985-1988) - Narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight and an F.A Cup final, and these failings eventually cost him his job
- Norman Hunter (caretaker, 1988) - Three weeks in charge after Bremner's sacking, but never given serious consideration after the failures of his three predecessors
- Howard Wilkinson (1988-1996) - Took Leeds back into the top flight and helped them end their 18-year title wait, although the run of success was not continued
- George Graham (1996-1998) - Inherited a team in a precarious position but managed to keep Leeds in the top division. Led the team into the UEFA Cup after two seasons of struggle.
- David O'Leary (1998-2002) - Spent £100million on players in less than four years but was sacked after failing to win a trophy
- Terry Venables (2002-2003) - Nine-month spell as manager ended after the club's financial crisis and need to sell key players pushed them down the Premiership
- Peter Reid (2003) - Eight-month spell as manager began promisingly but was eventually ended by dismal form resulting from the club's financial plight and need to sell key players
- Eddie Gray (caretaker, 2003-2004) - Was unable to save financially-troubled Leeds from relegation
- Kevin Blackwell (2004-present) - Gave Leeds stability after their relegation from the Premiership and quickly built a new team which almost won promotion in his second season as manager
See also
- - Players who have played for Leeds United F.C.
External links
- [Official Website]
- [Leeds United Forum]
- [Leeds Fans]
- [Leeds United World]
- [Leeds United MAD Fansite]
- [Unofficial Leeds United Website]
- [Leeds United Supporters Club Scandinavia]
- [Square Ball fanzine]
- [Leeds United Fans in Canada]
- [NewsNow Leeds United]
- [Leeds United World Wide Fan Site]
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