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The arbitration tribunal has handed down its ruling today on the Leeds United appeal against the Football League 15 point deduction from the League One points tally for season 2007-08.

The arbitration tribunal has ruled against Ken Bates and Leeds United by reinstating NO points. Leeds United therefore remain on 73 points and in the final, sixth, play-off position. If they beat Gillingham on Saturday and Southend United lose they may be able to go up one place.

The automatic promotion place now depends on the final game of the season with Doncaster Rovers, Nottingham Forest and Carlisle United all able to take the coveted spot. Therefore, at the moment Leeds United have no idea who they will face in the play-off semi-final.

A disappointing result but not totally unexpected - so on to the play-offs and Wembley!

Well the day finally dawns when the arbitration panel will definitely announce their decision to return the 15 points to Leeds United - or not.

I expected a sense of anticipation, excitement, even fear but there is just one of exhaustion.

This nonsense has been so dragged out by the Board of the Football League and the odious Mawhinney, Peer of this realm (he’s not fit to be Wigan Pier), that everyone is sick of it - Leeds fans included.

The Football League clearly thought that by now the return of the points would have no bearing on the League. But how typical of the Football League to get that, as so much else, so badly wrong.

The return of the points in the middle of the season would have ruffled some feathers but with, say 15 games to go, the Football League could argue that all teams had plenty of opportunities to make up the points. By the end of the season it would have all been an unpleasant, but distant memory.

But by shirking the decision, trying to avoid a humiliating climbdown they noe have a situation where the return of points could effect the destination of the League One championship title (if Swansea lose their last game), the second automatic promotion place and/or order of the play-off semi-finals and the opponents each will face. It could even affect relegation as well as those mentioned.

If Leeds get the points returned necessary for automatic promotion then Saturday’s match against Gillingham becomes a celebration of a great season, a party for the players in front of a 39,000 sell-out crowd at Elland Road. And who would blame them if they took their foot of the pedal after the intense pressure the squad have been under all season, starting on minus 15 points, trying to avoid relegation - at least that was the belief at the beginning of the season. If Gillingham take advantage of a relaxation by Leeds and win, and Cheltenham and Bournemouth lose, the Gills stay up!

With so much at stake, a decision to return any points to Leeds United must result in the immediate resignation of Mawhinney and those on the board that voted to take the ultra vires action against Leeds United.

If Leeds get no points returned then nothing has changed for me as I never ever believed there was any route by which Ken Bates could get the 15 points back. We’ve had our day in court (or arbitration) before an impartial judge and if he rules against us then so be it - on to the play-offs and Wembley!

And so now we wait…

Full-time: Yeovil Town 0 v 1 Leeds United

Despite the second-half dismissal of left-back Alan Sheehan, Leeds United created history at Huish Park tonight in front of a record crowd.

Although the Football League colluded with the police and Yeovil Town to try and prevent Leeds United bringing its usual contingent of thousands of supporters, more than 9500 fans packed the ground to see the League One fixture and beat the previous record set in 2004 for an FA Cup tie against Liverpool.

The ten man victory was well deserved with Leeds missing a hat full of chances and Yeovil limited to a couple of good attempts on the night. The three points means that Brighton cannot catch Leeds and United are, therefore, in the League One play-offs. Leeds are the only team to escape relegation in a season where they have been deducted ten points - a fact that was not lost on the Football League or the fellow League clubs when they voted to impose a 15 point penalty on Leeds at the start of the season. Humble pie anyone?

Gary McAllister’s masterstroke, the signing of Dougie Freedman, paid an early dividend at Huish Park this evening when the Scottish striker gave Leeds an early goal. It took just four minutes for Leeds to go ahead of Yeovil.

The win guarantees Leeds United a play-off place, irrespective of the outcome of the arbitration hearing. It also means Swansea City cannot be certain of being League One Champions by winning tomorrow - in the unlikely event of Leeds getting all 15 points back Swansea would need to win all their final games to be Champions. Swansea have spent much of the week bleating about how unfair the 15 point arbitration hearing is and with their stuttering home form one begins to wonder whether their squad have bottled it and will have to rely on Leeds not getting the 15 points back to be crowned champions? No wonder the Football League chose not to present them with the League One trophy tomorrow - possibly the first thing Mawhinney has got right all season.

Now the Leeds players can deservedly look forward to a congratulatory final home game of the season against Gillingham in front of a sell-out 39,000 crowd at Elland Road. Gillingham have never played in front of a league crowd of over 35000 in their history - so they should enjoy their day with the Leeds fans in full hue and cry celebrating the achievements of their players on the pitch. I wonder if Mawhinney will be there to congratulate Leeds United on their remarkable season?