Mighty Leeds Weblog

Lad of Leeds Written by: Rob Conlon Competing with icons like Billy Bremner, Eddie Gray, and Jack Charlton, there is no shame in not being the most recognisable face in Leeds United’s 1972/73 squad photo. Standing between Paul Reaney and David Harvey, Chris Galvin might not immediately come to mind when thinking about Don Revie’s side, but he has a claim to fame that belongs in the legend of Super Leeds. “The stepover, I think that was my trick,” Galvin says. He’s laughing, but he’s not necessarily joking. “I’m not bothered what anybody says. I should have claimed it. I lacked pace, I wasn’t the quickest player, but I was so keen on my game. I used to have a lovely body swerve, but full-backs got quicker, so it stopped working. I learned this stepover, and that really put players off balance. I don’t know why to this day. Lads would fall over; there were times when I stood there laughing at them. It gave me an extra yard to either get a cross or a pass or a shot in. “That’s my ...

Guts for glory Written by: Rob Conlon Newspapers around the country were convinced there was one certain winner on the FA Cup’s third round weekend: Joe Frazier. In his first bout after beating Muhammad Ali in the ‘Fight of the Century’, Frazier was defending his world heavyweight titles against a university student called Terry Daniels in what was being called ‘the worst mismatch in the near 100 year history of the championship’. Ranked 46th in the list of challengers, Daniels wanted to be a lawyer, not a boxer. ‘You can name your own odds if you want to back Daniels,’ noted one editorial, ‘and the bookmaker will probably be so happy to take your money he will give you a cigar to soften the blow.’ On paper, Leeds United’s tie against Bristol Rovers was a similar mismatch. Rovers were a Third Division side, drawn away at Elland Road, where Leeds were unbeaten in their last thirteen league games. But reports tipping Don Revie’s team for success were littered with the one-word cave...

Will Butcher Joe Gelhardt has completed his loan move from Leeds United to Hull City with the Championship club confirming a deal on Wednesday afternoon, and he has been speaking to Hull’s website. The 22-year-old striker was always expected to leave Elland Road this month after just three appearances under Daniel Farke during 2024-25. He is Leeds‘ fourth-choice striker, and way down the pecking order. With Joel Piroe having a hand in 15 goals and Mateo Joseph deemed one of the club’s best talents even if his form has not mirrored that in recent months. Patrick Bamford is third-choice even if he is injured. Gelhardt had no option but to leave. Clubs like QPR, Plymouth, Preston and even Scottish side Rangers have been linked but following Leeds’ 3-3 draw against Hull, Gelhardt has joined Ruben Selles’ Hull side. Even in Farke’s first season, Gelhardt struggled for minutes. That is despite Farke being of the opinion that Gelhardt can play out wide, as a 10 or as a striker with ...

Adam Williams We need to talk about Red Bull. At every other outpost in their multi-club empire, their motivations are pretty unambiguous. At Leeds United? Less so. When the energy drinks titans purchased an as-yet unspecified stake in Leeds last summer, they became the seventh club in their portfolio and the first that they have bought into on a minority equity basis. Paris FC have since joined the Red Bull stable too. The world’s fifth richest man, Bernard Arnault, brought them on board in his £75m takeover of the Ligue 2 club, with Red Bull securing a 15 per cent stake. Every other club is majority-owned and bears the ‘Red Bull’ or ‘RB’ prefix. Essentially, they are used as brand exposure vehicles to help flog more cans of their caffeine and taurine-laced drink. “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” was the mantra they adopted when they bought a Formula One franchise in 2005. Their data shows a direct correlation between sporting success and sales. Clubs in the Red Bull networ...

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United midfielder Charlie Crew has joined League Two side Doncaster Rovers on a loan deal until the end of the season. Wales international Crew, 18, will join up with Grant McCann’s squad at the Eco-Power Stadium after agreeing a loan move with the Yorkshire club. Doncaster currently occupy the final play-off spot in England’s fourth tier but are just three points from Crewe Alexandra in second place. Three teams are promoted automatically from League Two with McCann’s side eyeing promotion back to the third tier from which they were relegated in 2022. A Leeds United club statement confirmed the switch, which read: “The 18-year-old has been with the Whites since 2022 and during that time he has progressed through the Under-18s, Under-21s and more recently into the first team set-up, making his Championship debut against Plymouth Argyle in November. “Everyone at Leeds United wishes Charlie the best of luck during his time at the Eco-Power Stadium and we l...

Harri Burton Leeds United fans had every right to be frustrated by Leicester City’s promotion back to the Premier League at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. The Guardian reported in September that the EFL plans to charge the Foxes for the punishment they were able to avoid during the 2023/24 campaign, but only if they are relegated. That is due to Leicester reportedly breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules by £24.4million from their last spell in the top flight in English football. Of course, a punishment could have resulted in a very different ending to the 2023/24 Championship campaign, which saw Leeds miss out on promotion to the Foxes and Ipswich Town. Instead, Daniel Farke’s side were subjected to the horrendous play-offs, going on to lose 1-0 in the final against Southampton at Wembley Stadium, causing a domino effect of Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter and Archie Gray leaving. It has now emerged that all Premier League clubs have avoide...