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Bray Wanderers 2 v Leeds United 3

Leeds United made it two wins on the bounce on their Republic of Ireland tour with a dramatic second-half comeback after trailing 2-0 at half-time.

Eirecom side Bray Wanderers took the lead in the 9th minute through Daryl Robson and Ger Rowe doubled in the lead in the 32nd minute.

However, Angolan international Rui Marques gave Leeds hope in the 55th minute and thirteen minutes later Canadian trialist Marcus Haber did himself a lot of good with his first goal for United.

With just seven minutes to go home-grown hero Jonny Howson produced a winner in front of a crowd of almost 4,000 fans at the Carlisle Grounds.

After the game Gary McAllister reflected on the see-saw match.

“The first half was disappointing,” he told the official Leeds website.

“I know we’re very rusty, we’re only two games in and have done a lot of physical work, but it wasn’t acceptable.

“They deserved to be in front, their first goal was a great strike, but we had words and got good reaction.

“The second half was like night and day. We moved it better, showed more quality and got three good goals.”

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.

Gary McAllister
Image via Wikipedia

Following their working lunch a week last Tuesday, Ken Bates indicated that he and Gary McAllister had discussed all the Gary’s transfer targets and that there would be no further comment until signings were made.

This has been the sensible stance taken by Ken since he took over Leeds and we have generally managed to avoid the media circus surrounding equally famous clubs.

However, with the pleasing exception of Jonny Howson signing a new contract there has been nothing concrete to report for eight days and Gary McAllister has come out to speak to the official Leeds United website to reassure Leeds fans that he and the club are indeed working hard to land the players they want but their approach is that of a poker player rather than a nutter on a shopping spree with someone else’s credit card.

“We’ve had thousands of names thrown at us from hundreds of agents and it’s a case of going through every proposition and looking at the players I think can make us better,” said Gary.

“Some of the players you have seen us linked with I have spoken to, and we’re looking at that calibre of player. It takes special players to come here who can play in front of a big crowd.

“We are looking at the other end of the scale as well for young players who can excite the crowd. We want to play an attacking style, and we’ll continue to look.

“Ideally you would like the players here knowing they are doing their pre-season here, but at the same time we’re not rushing in.

“It is quiet at the moment and it’s a case of being patient, but I am happy that we are moving along quite nicely with certain things.”

McAllister referred obliquely to the rumour that he is using his Anfield connections to bring two of their exciting, rising reserve players to Elland Road,

“We are looking at youngsters at Premiership clubs and making loads of enquiries.”

“The facilities here are that of a Premiership club and hopefully the players will realise they will play the proper way here.”

Finally Gary turned his attention to the on-off departure of Anthony Elding to Crewe Alexandra which only ended when Elding decided to stay and fight for his place at Leeds United; though he didn’t give Elding much room for hope,

“I’ve spoken with Anthony and like the majority I can’t guarantee him regular first team football. He wants to play, of course, and it may be that he finds that somewhere else, but while he’s here he is a Leeds player.”

So Gary’s message is be patient, we are looking to build for the medium term future as well as next season and we’ll let you know when we strike paydirt!

All of which is eminently reasonable if a little disappointing in terms of hard facts - but better than absolute silence!

Young Leeds United midfielder Jonny Howson has agreed a new contract that ties him to Leeds United until 2011.

The deal provides an unusual clause that automatically extends Howson’s contract by a year if Leeds United are promoted to the Championship.

Leeds manager Gary McAllister told the official club website,

“We’re all delighted. He’s a player who has come through the academy and is a local lad.

“He’s got an eye for goal and has a nice mix to his game.

“He has a lot of potential and a lot of ammunition to develop his game and I’m pleased I’ve got the opportunity to help his development.”

The 20-year old made his Leeds United debut versus Barnet in the Carling Cup in September 2006 and has since gone on to be captain of his home-town club twice, score 5 goals and make 46 appearances. He memorably scored both goals in Leeds United League One, play-off semi-final, second-leg, victory at Carlisle United last season and played at the new Wembley in the final against Doncaster Rovers where he came within a whisker of giving United the lead in the first half.