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Despite attending in record numbers this season the Leeds United away support are never given an even chance - take the ludicrous actions of Bristol Rovers, Bournemouth and Yeovil Town this season. All three changed their Leeds United fixtures to discourage the attendance of Leeds fans - Bournemouth on the evidence of something that happened over fifteen years ago.

Despite the hurdles put in their way, the travelling Leeds support managed to create record attendances at Bristol Rovers and at Yeovil Town just last Friday. So how bad was it at Huish Park with a record crowd in attendance?

An Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman said,

“Home supporters became disgruntled due to the fact that a large number of Leeds United supporters gained entry into home areas of the stadium.

“There were no arrests or ejections for home supporters, but a Leeds United supporter was ejected for poor behaviour.”

So one ejection from a record crowd - if only all football matches were as easy to police?

The main criticism seems to be from Yeovil supporters about the number of Leeds fans in the home supporters section. What was the problem on the night? Did they start fights or were they just enjoying their team getting into the play-offs? Did no Yeovil fan share a word or two or a joke with a Leeds fan?

Or is it that the problem lies with the Yeovil fans who simply don’t like standing next to strangers in THEIR ground? Personally, as a Rugby League supporter, I have always enjoyed game far more when there are a few away supporters with whom to share banter about the game.

But that is a facet of football that is all but dead now and probably explains the malevolent atmosphere at many Premier League matches - when two sides of an argument don’t (or can’t) talk violence is often the only result. Talking to an opponent puts a human face on them and does away with seeing them as the “enemy”, as a distant homogenous mass, uniformly dressed in red or blue, taunting and, apparently, ready for a fight.

On Sky, when you see the hate-filled faces of supporters screaming, swearing and gesticulating over the hoarding at players about to take a throw-in you can only presume that they would not dare to be so threatening if they were stood in a mixed crowd of supporters from both sides. But it is a sad reflection on the modern game and British society when the desire of Leeds fans to watch their team, which provides an all-time record crowd - at a League One match to boot - at which there is no trouble, merely provokes the home club CEO, Martyn Starnes, to announce and inquiry into how the Leeds the fans got their tickets for the away end. 

I can save the Yeovil CEO the bother; you see Martyn, all Leeds fans don’t talk with a broad Yorkshire accent, wear a flat cap and always have a whippet at their side - maybe that was your mistake using that as the criteria for spotting infiltrating Leeds fans! Leeds United have been a “big club” for nearly five decades and during that time we have garnered supporters all over the country - including Somerset! Many of the Leeds fans in the home end were there because they bought them in their home town - of Yeovil! And Martyn how about a thank you, on the record, for the extra £85,000 in your bank account from all the Leeds United fans that made it a record-breaking night, despite the best efforts of the Yeovil Town board and the Avon & Somerset Police?

The article in the Somerset County Gazette by Steve Sowden about this is situation perhaps the fairest I have ever read about Leeds fans and their motivations in attending away games. It may help a few Chief Constables and football Chief Executives if they were to read it. 

  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.