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What a difference a year makes.

It was the news that the annual Elland Road open day (dubbed the “Sunday Funday”) will take place on August 3rd this year and that the club are hoping beat the 3,000 attendance figure for last season, that set me thinking about the changes over the last year. Beating that attendance shouldn’t be difficult considering the different circumstances that prevail at Leeds United compared to just a year ago…

Twelve months ago an unpopular Dennis Wise, seen more as an ex-Chelsea player than Leeds Utd manager, was suffering fans’ protests at pre-season friendlies. He had to put a team together in just eight days following a relegation season and weeks of legal wrangling over administration and there was a real doubt that the team would even start the season.

Finally, the club faced what many felt would be certain relegation into the fourth tier of English football following the imposition of an unprecedented 15 point penalty, by the vindictive Football League, before the club to get its “golden share” back.

Pass the valium!

Fast forward twelve months and the club achieved 91 points on the pitch and missed the championship of League One by one point. Because of the 15 point penalty the Leeds fans got to see Leeds United play at the new Wembley rather than next season in the Championship.

But off the pitch Leeds Utd fans set over twenty new League One attendance records and had the highest single attendance, average attendance and aggregate attendance in the whole Football League, including the Championship clubs - despite the police moving over 50% of kick-off times at away grounds to try and reduce the numbers of Leeds fans attending. In fact half-a-dozen Premier League chairmen would have swopped their clubs’ dismal attendances for that of the United faithful.

On the pitch a new local hero emerged, Jonny Howson and Paul Huntington rose from the reserves to shake off the Carlisle United boo-boys and keep his place through the play-offs and on to Wembley. The previous season had seen Jermaine Beckford star in a promoted Scunthorpe United side as Leeds were being relegated; this year he won the League One Player of the Season Award in the white shirt of Leeds United.

In February Dennis Wise was replaced with the surprise choice of Gary McAllister who introduced a new passing game at Elland Road and made one low-key signing - Dougie Freedman - a striker in a squad that boasted Beckford and Kandol - but it was a masterstroke and the Leeds fans got one more, unlikely, hero in one of the most incredible season’s in its history.

The reviving stature of Leeds United was demonstrated at the end of May when Andy Robinson left new League One Champions Swansea City and Championship football next season to join Leeds United back in League One. Anthony Elding rejected a summer move to Crewe Alexandra, prefering to stay and fight for his place.

Although there will be departures of Dennis Wise’s signings - Matt Heath has already joined relegated Colchester United - Gary McAllister knows that he does not have to sell our best players, as has occurred in recent seasons, and he has a reasonable transfer budget that has come from the pockets of the Leeds faithful turning up in droves at Elland Road rather than borrowed from the banks.

To paraphrase a famous saying, twelve months is certainly a long time in the history of Leeds United and I think the club can look forward to a record attendance at the 2008 “Sunday Funday” at Elland Road, and deservedly so this time.

Paul Scally, “mouthy” Chairman of relegated Gillingham has hit out at Ken Bates following the severe barracking he received at Elland Road yesterday.

Scally whined to the BBC,

“I was one of 63 chairmen who voted to support the action against Leeds for misdemeanours carried out by the people running Leeds at the time. They broke the regulations, got punished by the Football League board of directors and we were asked whether we supported the board.

It was an anonymous vote and I was happy to come out and say I was one of the ones who supported the board. Because of that - and Ken has whipped it up - there were 36,000 out there who think I’m the reason they lost 15 points and that clearly wasn’t the case. Ken Bates has disappointed me enormously. I’m stunned by the way he’s behaved.”

If Scally was stunned by the way Ken Bates behaved then he was the only one in the country! 

Paul Scally’s weekend got worse today when the former manager of Gillingham, Tony Pulis took Stoke City to the Premier League in the second automatic promotion spot. Scally and Pulis had a major fall-out which resulted in Pulis taking Gillingham to the High Court. Scally really does have “people skills” doesn’t he? Instead of being in League Two next season he could have been on the Premier League!
 
 

“It is better to keep your mouth shut and be assumed an idiot than to open your mouth and prove it beyond all doubt”. Advice that, sadly, Lord Mawhinney, peer of the realm and Chairman of the unfortunate Football League, unwisely choose not to take this evening.

Commenting on the tribunal decision not to reinstate the 15 points to Leeds United, Mawhinney oozed to the YEP:

“On behalf of the board and the League [surely by now the League clubs are sick of this imbecile talking on their behalf - can he do nothing on his own?], I welcome the panel’s findings in their entirety [I haven't read it all but we won so it must be very good about me - must remember to order extra copies as Xmas presents for the family]

“It has found that the actions we took were reasonable and appropriate in these unprecedented circumstances [ten clubs have gone into adminstration in recent years - three this season alone - note to Mawhinney, look up the word "unprecedented"] and that we had the power to act as we did.

“Now I believe we should draw a line under the whole process. [In case someone proposes a formal Football League inquiry into my mis-handling of this whole affair and realises I got away with murder by the skin of my teeth. Where the hell is a good spin-doctor when you need one?]

“Leeds United are a valued member of the Football League family. [You lying, hypocritical... politician, yes, politican, says it all really - would you really believe a word coming out of this man's mouth?]

We should all now get back to the business of football and enjoy the climax to what has already been an exciting season.” [Which has been ruined for all by your inadequate leadership and procrastination]

I now formerly tender my resignation as Chairman of the Football League and intend to retire to my library with a revolver and finally do the decent thing - despite being a politician. [Did he just say that or is it wishful thinking...]

Ken Bates speaking on Yorkshire Radio, gave an impromptu and biting commentary on the findings of the arbitration panel, finishing with the memorable Ian Hislop quote, “If this is justice I’m a banana!”

Bates rejected the criticism of the panel over the delay in bringing the appeal, pointing out that Leeds United had been trying to be heard since August. He said the delay was with the FA who eventually said, “sue the Football League”, which Leeds dutifully did. only to be told at the High Court that the dispute had to be settled by arbitration - who says so? The FA, under their rule K! The FA failed to mention this when Leeds first asked them to hear an appeal!

Bates pointed out that the tribunal criticised the Football League procedures, saying it is wrong that a dispute with a football club should be decided by fellow clubs because of self-interest and also that banning an appeal to an independent tribunal is wrong. This would not have happened in the Premier League as their rules allow for an appeal to an independent panel immediately. The FA board have already said that they have to have a review of their procedures.

Bates threw down a challenge, “Mawhinney and the board of the Football League should consider their positions and resign because their handling of this matter has been disgraceful.”