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Archive for April, 2008


  The club are pushing tickets hard for the final home League One game of the season, stating that over 31000 have already been sold. The opposition is lowly Gillingham, currently residing in a relegation place however the attendance will be boosted by many Leeds fans who remember the fateful 4th round FA cup tie of 25 January 2003 and will, therefore, be pleased to witness the Gills take a final plunge into the bottom tier.

On that day then Premiership Leeds United were denied a win by a late Gills goal following the dismissal of Viduka after Gillingham player-manager, Hessentaler blatantly feigned injury - a deception caught on TV cameras. Under pressure Leeds United manager Terry Venables went on record saying he faked it. It was another nail in the coffin of El Tel’s short, ill-starred career at Elland Road.

So get down to Elland Road, see some cold revenge being exacted and take part in what will undoubtedly be the biggest Football League crowd of the season - in any division! Leeds United fans can be proud of the fact that they hold the current biggest crowd figure of 32501 (v Huddersfield Town) and hold another five positions in the top ten list of Football League attendances this season. A statistic made more remarkable when you consider that few of the opposition teams in League One naturally generate large crowds themselves, with the honorable exception of that other exiled giant of football, Nottingham Forest; thus the attendances achievement is largely one down to the enthusiastic support of Leeds United fans themselves.

Against Gillingham on 3 May, the upper tier of the East Stand will be open for the first time at a Leeds United match in two years and so a near 40,000 crowd is possible. In all likelihood the reason for the opening of the upper tier is not the Gills game but the near-certainty that the club will have one (and hopefully two) sell-out home legs of the play-off matches on the road to the Wembley Play-Off final in May. Those two games alone could be worth £1,600,000 even without the contribution from the Wembley final. The would be a huge deposit in McAllister’s war-chest for next season - in whatever division in which we end up.

If we do achieve promotion this season it would be nice to set a League One attendance record against Gillingham by which the rest of the division can remember us.

Ankergren’s fate in the balance

Apr-21-2008 By Chris Hudson

Leeds United will discover on Wednesday 23rd April whether Casper Ankergren faces a fine or ban after pleading guilty to throwing a missile into the Swindon crowd at the end of the League One match at the County ground on 1st March.

The missile was an empty plastic bottle and Casper had faced appalling behaviour from the home fans hence the reason for his request for a personal hearing. I trust common sense will prevail and a fine be imposed rather than punishing Leeds fans again by banning their keeper at this crucial stage of the season.

What are the odds that the Football Association will find a way for a ban to begin during the play-offs? (Mawhinney sits on the board of the FA through his position at the Football League). Or am I being too cynical?

Leeds tame the Lions

Apr-19-2008 By Chris Hudson

Millwall 0 v Leeds United 2

Leeds faced a determined Millwall side but still did what all The best teams do - come away with all three points despite being second best on the day.

Prutton and Hughes scored similar well-crafted goals against the run of play in the second half.

The result was more important than the game itself, and if it hadn’t been for a late Brighton goal we would have secured our play-off place today.

Irrespective of the outcome of the arbitration over the 15 points deduction the current League One table still makes good viewing. Leeds are in a relatively secure 6th and final play-off place.

Da Costa Quits

Apr-14-2008 By Chris Hudson

I was really sorry to see the departure of da Costa today. We saw some great things on YouTube when his signing was announced and it did seem too good to be true. He was certainly talented but had feet, not in golden boots, but made of clay. We did highlight his temperament as an area of weakness even before he signed and, sure enough, he was red-carded in his first game against Bury. He went on loan to SPL side Falkirk and he was red-carded there too.

Gary McAllister had shown no interest in playing him. Despite several injuries to Da Costa, the rumour is that Macca was unhappy with da Costa’s attitude to training - so often the chink in the armor of the naturally gifted professional footballer.

So we wish him well and a berth at a club which is in a league where his undoubtedly, exciting natural abilities will be able to flourish and entertain the crowds. This game of ours needs all the entertainers it can muster.

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