History of Leeds United A.F.C.

::"For information on current events associated with the club see: Leeds United A.F.C."

Leeds United Association Football Club is the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds. The club was established in 1919, following the demise of Leeds City F.C.

Leeds City

Leeds United's predecessor club, Leeds City F.C., was formed in 1904, but was forcibly disbanded by The Football League in 1919 in response to allegations of financial irregularities regarding illegal payments to players during the First World War.

For further information visit [http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/history/leedscity.htm The Leeds City years] , [http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/history/scandal19.htm The Leeds City Scandal] and [http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/Articles/1919-20article.html Leeds City expelled from the Football League.]

Formation of Leeds United

] . Leeds were only able to draw the return leg at Elland Road and went out of the competition. A minute's silence [cite web | title=Silence for killed Leeds fans | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/706936.stm |accessdate=2006-09-17 |date=9 April 2000 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC] is held every year at the match closest to the anniversary of the incident to remember Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight.

The 2000-01 season saw Leeds enjoy a spectacular run in the Champions League, beating the likes of SS Lazio and AC Milan along the way. They eventually lost in the semi-finals to València. Leeds could only finish in 4th place in the league, narrowly missing on qualification for the Champions League.

The 2001-02 season saw a downturn in Leeds' fortunes, despite heavy investment in the team - the likes of Robbie Fowler and Seth Johnson signing for a combined £18million. O'Leary's team could only finish 5th in the league (due in part to a two-month winless streak at the start of the new year), missing out on qualification for the Champions League again. This was despite an excellent first half of the season, and as late as New Year's Day 2002 Leeds topped the league. Although the general public were unaware, chairman Peter Ridsdale had taken out large loans against the prospect of gate receipts from Champions League games. As Leeds had failed to qualify for the competition, there was simply not enough money coming in to repay the debt.

The first indication that the club was in financial trouble was the sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United. O'Leary and Ridsdale publicly fell out over the sale; O'Leary was sacked, and replaced by former England manager Terry Venables.

2002-04 Venables, Reid And Gray: Another Decline

In the January 2003 transfer window Robbie Keane, Robbie Fowler, Olivier Dacourt, Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate were sold to repay the debt, and to reduce an unsustainable wage bill. The sale of Woodgate particularly upset Venables, who had been promised by Ridsdale that the player would not be sold. Tensions mounted between the pair, eventually resulting in the sacking of Venables, who was replaced by Peter Reid. By now Leeds were in danger of relegation, but Reid saved Leeds from the drop with a 3-2 win away to Arsenal in the penultimate game of the season a result in which won the title for their hated rivals Manchester United. During this time the now reviled Peter Ridsdale resigned from the Leeds board and was replaced by Professor John McKenzie whom had to try and turn around a club with debt in excess of £100mcite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/3216919.stm |title=Leeds report record losses |accessdate=2008-05-18 |date=28 October 2003 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] . Leeds reported a British record loss of £49.5m in October 2003, which on-top of their already existing £78m debt set the clubs total debt at £127.5m [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/3220093.stm |title=Leeds losses: facts and figures |accessdate=2008-05-18 |date=28 October 2003 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/3220109.stm |title=Six months to save Leeds |accessdate=2008-05-18 |date=28 October 2003 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] .

During the summer of 2003 Harry Kewell - who was nearing the end of his contract - joined Liverpool for £5 million; controversially, Leeds received just £3 million for the player, while £2 million went to Kewell's manager Bernie Mandic.

An unsuccessful start to the 2003-04 season saw Leeds collect just 8 points from the club's first 12 Premiership fixtures, and after a 6-1 defeat at Portsmouth Reid was dismissed. Former manager Eddie Gray was appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season.

Gray continued the trend of recent years in rebuilding with young players, including James Milner and Aaron Lennon. A period of serious financial difficulty resulted in takeover offers, including a £60 million bid by Ugandan property tycoon Michael Ezra [ [http://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0210/leeds.html RTÉ Sport: Uganda tycoon says Leeds bid delayed by board row ] ] , but the team was eventually sold in early 2004 to a consortium led by new chairman Gerald Krasner. The team continued to struggle on the field, and Leeds were relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2003-04 season. Following confirmation of the club's relegation, Gray's reign as caretaker manager was terminated. His former assistant, Kevin Blackwell, was appointed caretaker manager for the final match of the season, and afterwards as permanent manager.

At the end of the season, other members of the team - Paul Robinson, Dominic Matteo, Mark Viduka and Alan Smith - were transferred, and even Milner, who Leeds had been intent on keeping, had to be sold. In their place Leeds began signing players prepared to accept lower wages. The club were eventually forced to sell both their training ground, for £4.2m [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/3948841.stm |title=Leeds hopeful over new investors |accessdate=2006-10-31 |date=24 October 2004 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] , and their Elland Road stadium [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/3995041.stm |title=Leeds sell ground after bid fails |accessdate=2006-10-31 |date=12 November 2006 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] in the autumn of 2004.

2004-07 Blackwell And Wise: Leeds in the Football League

On 21 January 2005, Krasner announced the sale of a 50% stake to Ken Bates for £10m and Bates became the club's new Chairman, replacing Krasner [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/4191871.stm |title=Bates completes takeover of Leeds |accessdate=2006-10-31 |date=21 January 2005 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] . This investment effectively saved Leeds United from going into administration. Bates had previously headed three other league football clubs, most famously Chelsea.

Blackwell was forced to sell most of the remaining players, including Aaron Lennon; somehow he managed to build a team using loan players and experienced professionals nearing the end of their careers. Leeds ended the 2004-05 Coca-Cola Championship campaign in a midtable position.

With new players brought in over the summer, the club's goal during the 2005-06 season was promotion. Blackwell's shrewd tactics away from Elland Road and attacking style at home proved highly effective, and by the end of February he had guided Leeds to 3rd place in the Championship. However from that point onwards Leeds slumped, gaining just 4 points from a possible 18, and eventually had to settle for a play-off place. In the first round of the playoffs against Preston North End, Leeds drew 1-1 at Elland Road, but then won the return leg 2-0 to advance to the playoff final. The playoff final was played on 21 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Leeds lost the final 3-0 to Watford.

On 10 September 2006, Kevin Blackwell announced that within a year the club would be debt free. Just over 2 years before, Leeds United had been £121 million pounds in debt [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/5332286.stm |title=Leeds may be debt-free in a year |accessdate=2006-09-11 |date=10 September 2006 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] .

On 20 September 2006, after a poor start to the season, Kevin Blackwell's contract was terminated. John Carver was appointed Caretaker Manager but left the club after some bad results, with David Geddis taking over the responsibilities for the League Cup match against Southend United. Dennis Wise eventually took charge on 25 October 2006. It was announced on 20 November 2006 that Kevin Blackwell was suing the club for wrongful dismissal after it was confirmed he was sacked for gross misconduct, on the grounds of "negative comments made in the press about the club's finances" [cite web |url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?HLID=430010&CPID=10&title=Blackwell+to+sue+Whites&lid=&channel=Football_Home&f=rss&clid=2 |title=Blackwell to sue Whites |accessdate=2006-11-20 |date=20 November 2006 |work=James Pearson |publisher=Sky Sports] .

Wise started by improving the fitness of the side, and by bringing in a number of loan players, notably Alan Thompson. Unfortunately, he was unable to bring any consistency to the side (not helped by injuries to Thompson and fellow new signing Tore André Flo after playing just 3 and 2 games respectively; Flo did not play again that season), and by May 2007 Leeds were relegated from the Championship after entering voluntary administration.

2007: Administration

Leeds entered voluntary Administration on 4 May 2007, thus incurring a 10 point deduction which confirmed the clubs relegation to League One.cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6624731.stm |title=Leeds Utd calls in administrators |accessdate=2007-05-04 |date=4 May 2007 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] . Administration had been predicted for some time, due to crippling debts created during Peter Ridsdale's chairmanship. For his part, Ridsdale denied any of the current situation was his fault, [cite web |url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=464408&CPID=10&clid=2&lid=&title=Ridsdale:+Stop+blaming+me&channel=& |title=Ridsdale: Stop Blaming Me |accessdate=2007-05-04 |date=4 May 2007 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC] only days after having admitted it was a mistake to allow David O'Leary to spend so lavishly on players [cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=426556&cc=5901 |title=Ridsdale: I should have said no to O'Leary |accessdate=2007-05-04 |date=30 April 2007 |work=ESPN] . Ken Bates, however, blamed Leeds financial situation firmly on Ridsdale and his board [cite web |url=http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=465352&CPID=10&clid=2&lid=&title=Bates+issues+frank+assessment |title=Bates Issues Frank Assessment |accessdate=2007-05-07 |date=7 May 2007 |work=Sky Sports] . KPMG were appointed as administrators and within minutes of entering administration sold the club to "Leeds United Football Club Limited", owned by Ken Bates, Shaun Harvey and Mark Taylor cite web |url=http://www.kpmg.co.uk/news/detail.cfm?pr=2873 |title=Leeds United Football Club – KPMG Administrators appointed |accessdate=2007-05-04 |date=4 May 2007 |publisher=KPMG UK News] . On 1 June 2007 75.20% of the creditors voted in favour of Ken Bates' bid [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6718353.stm |title=Bates regains Leeds Utd control |accessdate=2007-06-04 |date=4 June 2007 |publisher=BBC News] . With just minutes remaining of the 28 day period during which creditors could challenge the buyback by Ken Bates, HM Revenue & Customs lodged a formal challenge, [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6266508.stm |title=HM Revenue to challenge Leeds Utd |accessdate=2007-07-03 |date=3 July 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] and the club was put up for sale again [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6279340.stm |title=Debt-ridden Leeds put up for sale |accessdate=2007-07-07 |date=6 July 2007 |publisher=BBC News] . After due deliberation, on 11 July 2007 KPMG revealed that once again they had chosen Ken Bates' bid [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6292746.stm |title=Leeds United resold to Ken Bates |accessdate=2007-07-11 |date=11 July 2007 |publisher=BBC News] .

During the weekend of 21 July 2007, Leeds United fans decorated the statue of Billy Bremner outside the Elland Road stadium with flowers, Leeds United shirts and scarves, and notes bearing messages of support for their team, as uncertainty over the future of the club grew amid legal disputes between owners, football authorities, administrators and HMRC.

The league eventually sanctioned the sale to Bates without the club going through a CVA under the "exceptional circumstances rule", but imposed a 15 point deduction due to Leeds not following football league rules on clubs exiting administration [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/6920103.stm |title=Leeds hit with 15-point penalty |accessdate=2007-07-04 |date=4 August 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] . On 31 August 2007 HMRC decided not to pursue their legal challenge any further, accepting Bates' final offer [cite web
url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leeds-united-news/Taxman-pulls-out-of-Leeds.3163456.jp |title=Taxman pulls out of Leeds United court challenge |accessdate=2007-08-31 |date=31 August 2007 |author=Paul Robinson |publisher=Yorkshire Evening Post] .

2007-Present, Wise & McAllister: To The Third Tier

After waiting most of the summer for the league imposed transfer embargo to be lifted, Leeds were eventually allowed to sign players on 7 August 2007. They immediately set about re-signing players whose loan or permanent contracts had expired during the summer including the experienced Alan Thompson, Tore André Flocite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/6938514.stm |title=Leeds snap up midfielder Thompson |accessdate=2007-07-10 |date=9 August 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] and Casper Ankergren [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/6934534.stm |title=Leeds boosted by keeper signing |accessdate=2007-07-10 |date=7 August 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] . Some new faces were also brought in such as the previous England under-21 star David Prutton [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/6935642.stm |title=Prutton and Marques pen new deals |accessdate=2007-07-10 |date=7 August 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] . Thompson was awarded the captain's arm-band due to his previous high-level experience. Leeds won their first match in the third tier 2-1 away at Tranmere Rovers with a goal from Tresor Kandol sealing the victory in the 89th minute [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/6931104.stm |title=Tranmere 1-2 Leeds |accessdate=2007-07-12 |date=11 August 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] , and won their next six league games to equal the club's best ever start to a season, last achieved 34 years ago in the 1973-74 season) [cite web |url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leeds-united-news/Den-is-standing-by-safety.3190305.jp |title=Den is standing by safety first policy |accessdate=2007-09-11 |date=11 September 2007 |publisher=YorkshireEveningPost.co.uk] . In recognition of the outstanding start to the season, Wise was named as League One's Manager of the Month for August [cite web |url=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/6970526.stm |title=Leeds boss wins prize for August |accessdate=2007-09-01 |date=30 August 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] and September 2007 [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/7028103.stm |title=Manager Wise wins monthly prize |accessdate=2007-10-09 |date=4 October 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport] . However, after guiding Leeds to the play-off places despite the 15-point deduction, Wise controversially quit the club to take up a position in Kevin Keegan's new set-up at fc|Newcastle United [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7213096.stm |title=Wise quits Leeds for Magpies role |accessdate=2008-01-28 |date=28 January 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport] .

The following day former club captain Gary McAllister, who had been captain the last time Leeds won the League Championship, was appointed as the club's new manager [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/7215732.stm |title=McAllister named new Leeds boss |accessdate=2008-01-29 |date=29 January 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport] with Steve Staunton his assistant. Under his management, Leeds reached the playoffs for the year 2007-08, with one game to spare, despite the well-publicised 15-point deduction. The deduction was heavily appealed, but this ultimately failed on 1 May 2008 when an independent arbitration panel ruled that the Football League were right to give Leeds this deduction.

Victory over Gillingham on the final day of the season saw Leeds finish fifth in the final table and book themselves a play-off semi-final tie with Carlisle United [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7377686.stm |title=Leeds 2-1 Gillingham |accessdate=2008-05-17 |date=3 May 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport] . After losing 2-1 with a poor performance in the first leg at Elland Road [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7381786.stm |title=Leeds 1-2 Carlisle |accessdate=2008-05-17 |date=12 May 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport] , Leeds beat Carlisle 2-0 at Brunton Park [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7393761.stm |title=Carlisle 0-2 Leeds (agg 2-3) |accessdate=2008-05-17 |date=15 May 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport] to book their first appearance at Wembley in 12 years, and their first ever appearance at the new Wembley Stadium. Leeds lost the Play-off Final to fc|Doncaster Rovers [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7393765.stm |title= Doncaster 5-1 Southend (Agg 5-1) |accessdate=2008-05-17 |date=16 May 2008 |publisher=BBC Sport] .

Leeds started the 2008/09 season well, defeating fellow challengers Scunthorpe 2-1 away from home. Leeds then, however, went on a mini-slum losing to Oldham at Elland Road before drawing against Yoevil and Bristol Rovers. After the mixed start, the team managed a four game winning streak before defeat to newly promoted Peterborough. Meanwhile in the cups, United crashed out of the Johnston's Paint Trophy to Rotherham after beating Yorkshire rivals Bradford. In the Carling Cup, however, Leeds thrashed Chester 5-2 before an even more emphatic 4-0 drubbing of Championship side Crystal Palace. A win over league rivals Hartlepool earned a quater-final draw against either Derby or Brighton.

References

* [http://www.leedsunited.com Official website]
* [http://www.leedsfans.org.uk/leeds/history/index.html Leeds History] at leedsfans.org.uk
* [http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/history.htm History of the Club] at mightyleeds.co.uk
* [http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/foreword.php Leeds United F.C. History] at ozwhitelufc.net.au
* [http://www.wafll.com/leeds-history/leeds-united-history/ A concise Leeds United history] at wafll.com
* [http://www.fchd.info/LEEDSU.HTM Leeds United] at Football Club History Database