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Showing posts from June, 2005
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Stone ... we're a buying club now (well receiver of freebies anyway) 
BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Leeds United | Leeds complete signing of Stone Leeds United have completed the signing of ex-England international Steve Stone from Portsmouth on a free transfer. The club has beaten Championship rivals Southampton to seal a deal for Stone, 33, who has signed a two-year contract. The winger becomes the fifth summer signing for Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell after Rob Hulse, Ian Bennett, Dan Harding and Eddie Lewis. Stone was told at the end of last season that he would not be offered a new deal at Fratton Park. He told BBC Radio Leeds: "I'm delighted to be joining. The club has turned it's debts around and is going in the right direction. "The main thing for me is that we can push for promotion this season. It's a tough division and isn't going to be easy but hopefully we can get up this year. Leeds is a massive club, it's much bigger than Portsmouth. "I've got promoted from this division with Portsm
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Stuffing the Scum 
Leeds stuff the scum - new pages uploaded at mightyleeds.co.uk I've just uploaded my review of Leeds' 1-0 win at Old Trafford in December 1965, when the two teams were neck and neck for the title.You can find it at http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/matches/19641205.htm Leeds travel to the home of the League leaders and see off the famous Connelly-Charlton-Herd-Law-Best forward line and take both points with a second half goal from Bobby Collins
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The Captain ... says NOOOO!!! 
BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Leeds United | Leeds is not for sale says Bates Leeds chairman Ken Bates has slammed as "contemptible" rumours that he has put the club up for sale. Bates has only been at the club since January and is angry that the speculation could undermine his efforts at Elland Road. "These people do not know the damage they are causing," blasted Bates. "It is contemptible. I want to make it perfectly clear that Leeds United's owners have neither received an offer, nor would they encourage one." Bates added: "Quite simply the club is not for sale."
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Johnson � his ER career never really got started 
BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Darlington | Darlington agree deal for Johnson Darlington have completed the signing of striker Simon Johnson from Leeds on a two-year deal. The 22-year-old has become the club's first summer signing after talks with manager David Hodgson. Hodgson told the club's website: "Simon is a young talented striker and has good experience of League football and will be a key member of our squad. "We've been trailing him for some time and I'm delighted that he's decided to join Darlington." Hodgson added: "We are still in talks with our other targets and hope to have some more good news for the fans in the next few weeks."
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"The time has come to investigate the whole question of these ugly scenes and rows. They are bringing a bad image to football" 
The Battle of Goodison - new pages uploaded at mightyleeds.co.uk I've just uploaded my review of Leeds' infamous 1-0 win at Everton in November 1965, when there was a near riot at Goodison Park.You can find it at http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/matches/19641107.htm In one of the most infamous games in First Division history the players of Everton and Leeds forget about football and are sent to the dressing rooms as the Goodison crowd bays for blood
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Lewis ... A Yank in to replace the starlet 
Leeds United Football Club - Boss Welcomes Steady Eddie Boss Welcomes Steady Eddie United manager Kevin Blackwell says new signing Eddie Lewis will prove to be a key man for Leeds next season. The USA international has agreed to join the Whites on a free transfer from Preston and will complete his move when he receives a work permit. His addition will allow Blackwell to shuffle the rest of his team around, mainly, it will give him the confidence to put strikers David Healy and Rob Hulse upfront together. "Eddie will be the left winger that we have really been crying out for since I've been here," said Blackwell. "Even when we were in the Premier League we had James Milner playing there when he's really more a naturalised right sided player. "Now for the first time in a long time we have got a naturalised winger that will allow me to bring David Healy alongside Rob Hulse which I have been desperate to do since he arrived." Lewis&
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Thornton ... dodgy haircut, but then we said that about Shaun Mutton Chops Derry 
BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Sunderland | Agent says Thornton is wanted man Sunderland misfit Sean Thornton is wanted by Leeds and Crystal Palace according to his agent. Thornton, 22, has been told he has no future at Sunderland and his agent claims he is also attracting interest from Spanish side Malaga. His agent Lee Payne told Skysports.com: "There's interest from Leeds and Palace but nothing concrete as yet. "They're interested in Sean and would have to agree something with Sunderland first, but Malaga are a definite."
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Lennon ... poor little rich kid 
Leeds Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More Aaron's taken a wage cut! By PAUL DEWS LEEDS UNITED boss Kevin Blackwell today admitted it was "impossible" for the Elland Road club to keep teenage star Aaron Lennon. And Blackwell also revealed that the youngster even took a wage cut to join Tottenham Hotspur in order for the move to go through. Leeds agreed a deal with Spurs last week for the homegrown youngster, believed to be worth in the region of £1m, sparking fury among a section of supporters. But Blackwell today laid the blame at the feet of previous regimes at United and branded the youngster's contract "unsustainable" for Leeds in the current climate. The terms of Lennon's United deal are a closely guarded secret, but it is believed that the teenager's salary was based on how many games he played and was due to rise substantially at regular intervals over the course of next season. "If Aaron&
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Blackwell ... keeping schtum 
Leeds Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More United boss all set to swoop by Paul Dews LEEDS UNITED boss Kevin Blackwell is set to strengthen his squad again this week as the countdown to the new season continues. Blackwell has already snapped up striker Rob Hulse, England under-21 international defender Dan Harding and Birmingham City's experienced goalkeeper Ian Bennett. But the United boss still has two key areas he is looking to strengthen – wide right and wide left – and is lining up another imminent deal before pre-season training commences. Blackwell is keeping his cards close to his chest about his latest target but is optimistic that he will fill one of his "problem" roles. Blackwell said: "I'm speaking to people all the time and I'm hopeful that we can do something else before next week. "I don't want to give any names away and I don't want to alert other clubs, but I'm on with a few things
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Bennett ... long term target 
Leeds United Football Club - Leeds Net Keeper Leeds Net Keeper Leeds United can confirm the capture of ex-Birmingham City keeper Ian Bennett on a free transfer. The 33-year-old was out of contract with Birmingham and has been brought in by Kevin Blackwell to challenge Neil Sullivan for the number one jersey. Bennett will have an excellent chance to stake a regular starting spot this summer as Sullivan is set to go under the knife to cure a shoulder complaint. Bennett will become Leeds' third signing this close-season behind the permanent capture of Rob Hulse and Dan Harding, who is due to arrive from Brighton subject to a tribunal. And boss Blackwell was quick to defend his transfer policy which now seems to be paying dividends with quality players arriving. "To be fair, I did sign people such as Shaun Derry in the second half of last season and we are still looking at three or four players that we might bring in," said Blackwell. "I'
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Blackwell: "A move became inevitable" 
Leeds United Football Club - Aaron Move Was Inevitable Says Kevin Aaron Move Was Inevitable Says Kevin Kevin Blackwell has revealed that he expected to lose the services of Aaron Lennon before the end of last season. The 18-year old midfielder will complete his move to Spurs on July 1st, pending a medical and his agreeing on personal terms, but the manager says that both he and the player knew that a switch to White Hart Lane was on the cards towards the end of the recent Championship campaign. Lennon's performances in midfield earned him glowing reviews, and it was perhaps inevitable that a Premiership club might come calling, but Blackwell admits that despite this he is still disappointed to have lost the talented teenager. "We are disappointed to lose any player of quality," Blackwell told the Yorkshire Post, "but such was the money offered and the contract he was on that a move became inevitable. He only had a year left on his current deal and I
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How the bloody hell did he manage that one???? 
Telegraph | Sport | Leeds enjoy a profit as Bates ties up loose ends Leeds enjoy a profit as Bates ties up loose ends By Mihir Bose (Filed: 16/06/2005) Five months after Ken Bates flew in from Monte Carlo to rescue Leeds United, the takeover of the Yorkshire club has finally been completed, and the Championship side are on course to make a £5 million profit for the season just ended. That profit, however, is almost entirely due to transfer activity. And although there will be more sales over the next 12 months - they have just sold Aaron Lennon for £1 million to Tottenham - Leeds are expected to make a loss of around £6 million for next season. Bates said: "When I first arrived at Leeds it was on life support machine but it is now in intensive care.'' One of the most delicate jobs has been to upgrade the electricity wiring at Elland Road, which was 40 years old and, according to Bates, was "an accident waiting to happen like the Bradford City f
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Come the summer and a young man's fancy turns to quitting Elland Road ... Lennon - off on a long and winding road 

Tottenham clinch Lennon signing

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham clinch Lennon signing Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign Leeds midfielder Aaron Lennon, subject to a medical and agreeing terms. Locally-born Lennon made 27 appearances for Leeds in the Championship last season, starting 19 games, and was named Leeds' young player of the year. Lennon, 18, already has a link with White Hart Lane, having made his first Leeds appearance there in August 2003. Aged just 16 years and 129 days, he became the youngest Premiership player ever when he came on as a substitute.
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Harding ... Albion want �2m, and Spurs want Lennon for half of that 
BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Leeds United | Leeds complete swoop for Harding Leeds United have completed the signing of Brighton defender Dan Harding. The 21-year-old England Under-21 international has signed a three year-contract at Elland Road. Harding's contract at the Withdean Stadium expires on 1 July and it is expected a Football League tribunal will set a fee of around £250,000. Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell said: "There has been major interest from other clubs and we are delighted to have Dan on board." He added: "We had been talking with him and the signs were good, but you are never sure until the deal has been done. "Dan is a young player with plenty of potential. He wants to develop his career with us and I'm looking forward to working with him."