Sunday Times 9/9/07
Beckford stars as Leeds march on
Leeds 2 Hartlepool 0
Pete Oliver at Elland Road
LEEDS UNITED’S match programme boldly carries their version of the “real’ League One table, which sees their team sitting firmly at the top with a 100% record. To the rest of the football world yesterday’s fifth successive win merely kept them anchored at the bottom.
But what isn’t open to debate is that Leeds are on the move, and this time in an upward
direction with the 15-point penalty imposed by the Football League on the eve of the new season already wiped out.
Their best start to a season since winning the original League Championship in 1973-74 must be considered against the fact that they have never previously played at as low a level as this, but so far they have done all they can to try and make amends. Accordingly a season’s best crowd of 26,877 saw Leeds continue their winning run against a Hartlepool team that is also unrecognisable from some of its predecessors. When Leeds were launching a run of three consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League eight years ago, Hartlepool avoided relegation to the Conference by a single place.
Now under the guidance of Danny Wilson and revitalised by Norwegian oil money, they are looking to build on last season’s promotion and in all but one area were a match for Leeds in their first ever league meeting. Yet while Richie Barker and James Brown were thwarted by the woodwork and countless other chances went astray, Leeds were razor-sharp from far fewer attacks with goals from Tresor Kandol and, with a brilliant finish, Jermaine Beckford.
The fact that Leeds were even playing on a day of international fixtures reflected their continued fall from grace as only one of their senior players was required by his country. But the absence of Jonathan Douglas, and his injured midfield partner Alan Thompson, did not appear to inhibit the home side too greatly as they took an 18th-minute lead through Kandol. The striker once endured an unhappy loan spell with Hartlepool’s neighbours Darlington, was again very much in the right place at the right time to head his fourth goal of the season from Frazer Richardson’s deep cross.
The pace of Leeds’s front line at times threatened to swamp Hartlepool but to their credit they clung on and hit back strongly before half-time, Richie Barker heading a Robbie Elliott free-kick against the underside of the bar. The benefit of the doubt was given to goalkeeper Casper Ankergren, who moments later beat away a fierce drive from Godwin Antwi.
However, any hopes Hartlepool had of extending their own winning run to four league games were seemingly ended just four minutes into the second half when Leeds doubled their lead thanks to a stunning goal from Beckford, controling Seb Carole’s long pass and beating towering goalkeeper Jan Budtz with a measured, angled chip.
Star man: Jermaine Beckford (Leeds)
Player ratings. Leeds: Ankergren 6, Richardson 6, Marques 5, Heath 5, Clapham 5, Prutton 5, Hughes 7, Howson 5 (Huntington 90min), Carole 7 (Westlake 83min), Beckford 8, Kandol 7 Hartlepool: Budtz 6, McCunnie 6, Nelson 6, Antwi 6, Elliott 6 (Gibb 67min), Monkhouse 6, Liddle 6, Humphreys 7, Brown 8, Barker 7, Moore 5 (Porter 74min)
Beckford stars as Leeds march on
Leeds 2 Hartlepool 0
Pete Oliver at Elland Road
LEEDS UNITED’S match programme boldly carries their version of the “real’ League One table, which sees their team sitting firmly at the top with a 100% record. To the rest of the football world yesterday’s fifth successive win merely kept them anchored at the bottom.
But what isn’t open to debate is that Leeds are on the move, and this time in an upward
direction with the 15-point penalty imposed by the Football League on the eve of the new season already wiped out.Their best start to a season since winning the original League Championship in 1973-74 must be considered against the fact that they have never previously played at as low a level as this, but so far they have done all they can to try and make amends. Accordingly a season’s best crowd of 26,877 saw Leeds continue their winning run against a Hartlepool team that is also unrecognisable from some of its predecessors. When Leeds were launching a run of three consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League eight years ago, Hartlepool avoided relegation to the Conference by a single place.
Now under the guidance of Danny Wilson and revitalised by Norwegian oil money, they are looking to build on last season’s promotion and in all but one area were a match for Leeds in their first ever league meeting. Yet while Richie Barker and James Brown were thwarted by the woodwork and countless other chances went astray, Leeds were razor-sharp from far fewer attacks with goals from Tresor Kandol and, with a brilliant finish, Jermaine Beckford.
The fact that Leeds were even playing on a day of international fixtures reflected their continued fall from grace as only one of their senior players was required by his country. But the absence of Jonathan Douglas, and his injured midfield partner Alan Thompson, did not appear to inhibit the home side too greatly as they took an 18th-minute lead through Kandol. The striker once endured an unhappy loan spell with Hartlepool’s neighbours Darlington, was again very much in the right place at the right time to head his fourth goal of the season from Frazer Richardson’s deep cross.
The pace of Leeds’s front line at times threatened to swamp Hartlepool but to their credit they clung on and hit back strongly before half-time, Richie Barker heading a Robbie Elliott free-kick against the underside of the bar. The benefit of the doubt was given to goalkeeper Casper Ankergren, who moments later beat away a fierce drive from Godwin Antwi.
However, any hopes Hartlepool had of extending their own winning run to four league games were seemingly ended just four minutes into the second half when Leeds doubled their lead thanks to a stunning goal from Beckford, controling Seb Carole’s long pass and beating towering goalkeeper Jan Budtz with a measured, angled chip.
Star man: Jermaine Beckford (Leeds)
Player ratings. Leeds: Ankergren 6, Richardson 6, Marques 5, Heath 5, Clapham 5, Prutton 5, Hughes 7, Howson 5 (Huntington 90min), Carole 7 (Westlake 83min), Beckford 8, Kandol 7 Hartlepool: Budtz 6, McCunnie 6, Nelson 6, Antwi 6, Elliott 6 (Gibb 67min), Monkhouse 6, Liddle 6, Humphreys 7, Brown 8, Barker 7, Moore 5 (Porter 74min)
Daily Mail 8/9/07
Former Newcastle chairman in talks over Leeds takeover
EXCLUSIVE By BOB CASS and DANIEL KING
Freddy Shepherd, the ousted chairman of Newcastle United, is about to make a sensational swoop to buy Leeds United from Ken Bates.
He has already had discussions with Bates, the owner of the ill-fated Yorkshire club, and takeover negotiations are believed to be at an advanced stage.
Shepherd and Bates were spotted dining together on Tyneside last week and independent sources have confirmed that Bates could be willing to sell — and that Shepherd is ready to buy.
Although Shepherd is still a regular visitor to St James' Park where he has a box, close associates have revealed that he has been missing the excitement of being involved in the game and recognises the potential of reinvigorating one of the biggest clubs in the country.
Only three months ago, Shepherd made more than £37.6million by selling his family's 28 per cent stake in Newcastle to billionaire Mike Ashley and he is thought to regard Leeds as the perfect opportunity to make a quick return to football.
Despite their relegation to League One and the 15-point penalty imposed for financial rule breaches, Leeds remain an attractive investment because of their pedigree, strong fan base and development potential around Elland Road and the training ground at Thorpe Arch.
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs last month dropped court action over the controversial sale of Leeds back to a company run by Bates after the former Chelsea chairman had put the club into administration with debts of £35m at the end of last season.
While tax chiefs may still seek to recoup a sizeable portion of the £8m they are owed, Bates is now effectively in control of a club which is virtually debt-free.
The sale process, to Shepherd or any other party, will nonetheless take some time.
First, the old football club company, Leeds United Association Football Club Ltd, will be taken from administration into liquidation, either by administrators KPMG or another firm.
The money received from Bates for the club will then be used to pay off non-football creditors at a reported rate of about 11p in the pound. Once that hurdle is overcome, the club, now under the banner of Leeds United 2007 Ltd, a company in which Bates and allies Shaun Harvey and Mark Taylor are directors, will be able to re-apply for full FA membership.
Former Newcastle chairman in talks over Leeds takeover
EXCLUSIVE By BOB CASS and DANIEL KING
Freddy Shepherd, the ousted chairman of Newcastle United, is about to make a sensational swoop to buy Leeds United from Ken Bates.
He has already had discussions with Bates, the owner of the ill-fated Yorkshire club, and takeover negotiations are believed to be at an advanced stage.
Shepherd and Bates were spotted dining together on Tyneside last week and independent sources have confirmed that Bates could be willing to sell — and that Shepherd is ready to buy.
Although Shepherd is still a regular visitor to St James' Park where he has a box, close associates have revealed that he has been missing the excitement of being involved in the game and recognises the potential of reinvigorating one of the biggest clubs in the country.
Only three months ago, Shepherd made more than £37.6million by selling his family's 28 per cent stake in Newcastle to billionaire Mike Ashley and he is thought to regard Leeds as the perfect opportunity to make a quick return to football.
Despite their relegation to League One and the 15-point penalty imposed for financial rule breaches, Leeds remain an attractive investment because of their pedigree, strong fan base and development potential around Elland Road and the training ground at Thorpe Arch.
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs last month dropped court action over the controversial sale of Leeds back to a company run by Bates after the former Chelsea chairman had put the club into administration with debts of £35m at the end of last season.
While tax chiefs may still seek to recoup a sizeable portion of the £8m they are owed, Bates is now effectively in control of a club which is virtually debt-free.
The sale process, to Shepherd or any other party, will nonetheless take some time.
First, the old football club company, Leeds United Association Football Club Ltd, will be taken from administration into liquidation, either by administrators KPMG or another firm.
The money received from Bates for the club will then be used to pay off non-football creditors at a reported rate of about 11p in the pound. Once that hurdle is overcome, the club, now under the banner of Leeds United 2007 Ltd, a company in which Bates and allies Shaun Harvey and Mark Taylor are directors, will be able to re-apply for full FA membership.