Mighty Leeds Weblog

leedsunited.com 30/7/10 BRUCE SIGNS FOR UNITED Ipswich Town defender Alex Bruce has become Leeds United's seventh signing of the summer. The 25-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with a further one-year option after joining from Portman Road for an undisclosed fee. The central defender arrives having made almost 200 senior appearances in a career that has taken in Blackburn, Birmingham, Oldham, Sheffield Wednesday, Tranmere, Ipswich, and Leicester. Over a century of his appearances came at Ipswich, after joining the club from Birmingham in 2006, but he failed to figure during the latter period of last term and was loaned to Leicester. Alex, who started at Manchester United's Academy before joining Blackburn as a youngster, has also made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland. United manager Simon Grayson said: "Alex is going to be a good member of the squad. He can play at centre-back, right-back, and as a holding midfielder. "We felt we were short in those are...

New pages uploaded at mightyleeds.co.uk Seasons 1971/72 – Exiles/The Asa Hartford affair/Super Leeds The FA closes Elland Road for a month and United show some signs of fatigue One of the most extraordinary failed transfer stories of all time puts the future career of a promising midfielder at riskPossibly the most memorable period in United's history brings an astonishing spell of form, the Cup and more League heartbreak Read the full story at http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/seasons/197172part1.htm http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/seasons/197172part2.htm http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/seasons/197172part3.htm http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/pdf/season197172part4.pdf Matches – 19/2/72 – Leeds United 5 Manchester United 1 On a truly memorable day, Don Revie's men take old rivals Manchester United apart with Mick Jones returning from flu to seize his first hat trick in the League Read the full story at http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/matches/19720219.htm Matches – 9/2/72 – Leeds United 2 Liverpo...

Leedsunited.com 25/7/10 UNITED BOSS PLEASED WITH RESPONSE United manager Simon Grayson declared himself happy with the response from his players after Saturday's 5-0 success at Hartlepool United. The boss had demanded a "massive improvement" from his players after Tuesday's 4-0 hiding at Bury, and they responded by putting five without reply past hapless Hartlepool at Victoria Park. Luciano Becchio scored twice while Robert Snodgrass , Jonny Howson , pictured celebrating, and Bradley Johnson also netted for United against the League One side. "I asked for a response from the players and was pleased with what we got," said the boss. "There's still plenty to work on, but they showed everything they didn't show at Bury in midweek and there were a lot of positives to take from the game. "Defensively we were sound as a team, we passed it around well, created plenty of opportunities, and we scored some terrific goals. "Luciano will take c...

Yorkshire Evening Post 22/7/10 Keep the faith - Grayson Simon Grayson today insisted he had not lost faith in the ability of his players to compete in the Championship, despite admitting to "serious faults" in Leeds United's 4-0 friendly defeat at Bury. United's manager said his harsh criticism of Leeds after Tuesday night's debacle at Gigg Lane should not be seen as a crisis of confidence in a squad who will reach the start of the new season on August 7. Grayson was understandably alarmed to see Leeds beaten badly by a young Bury team which featured a handful of trialists, and he said that the performance of his players had reiterated the amount of work facing him before Derby County come to Elland Road on the first day of the Championship term. Leeds have retained the majority of the squad who won promotion from League One in May, and six signings during the summer months seemed to have given Grayson the necessary basis for a competitive side next term. Grayson ...

Leedsunited.com 20/7/10 MERVYN DAY RETURNS TO LEEDS Former Leeds United goalkeeper Mervyn Day has returned to the club as chief scout. Mervyn, who made 268 appearances between 1985 and 1992 and was a near-ever present in the promotion winning season of 1990, has re-joined the club as part of a re-structure of the scouting department that will see him working for technical director Gwyn Williams. The 55-year-old brings a wealth of experience, having previously been part of Alan Curbishley's management teams at both Charlton and West Ham. Mervyn also had a short stint as a manager at Carlisle United. United manager Simon Grayson said: "We're re-structuring the scouting department under Gwyn and Mervyn will be both producing match reports and watching our opposition, and working on the recruitment of players, . "Merv's knowledge and experience will prove important to the football club as we look to progress and develop what we are doing. "Like with myself and G...

Yorkshire Evening Post 17/7/10 Whites on an upward curve By Phil Hay MK Kosice 0 Leeds United 1 One defeat, one win and one goal scored; statistics that Simon Grayson would like to outdo at the start of Leeds United's domestic season but an outcome which sent him home from Slovakia with a warm glow. This summer's exodus from Thorp Arch to Ruzomberok and Kosice will not go down as the tour when Leeds United tore through Slovakia's finest but for Grayson it comfortably served its purpose: a two-match sequence in which United's second performance bettered their first and the wheels rusted by seven weeks of inactivity began to turn once more. United's time on the continent ended last night with a merited victory over MFK Kosice, 72 hours after an equally deserved loss to MFK Ruzomberok 200 kilometres north. If pre-season's raison d'etre is to pull a club's squad along an upward trajectory of fitness, form and purpose, Grayson will take comfort from the fact ...

Yorkshire Evening Post 16/7/10 Somma's loving Whites challenge By Phil Hay Simon Grayson is tired of discussing it but the topic of how to replace Jermaine Beckford at Leeds United is this summer's keenest debate. It did not occur to the wider public that the answer might already be on the club's books. To predict that Davide Somma will easily bridge the gap would ask much of someone whose prior experience with United's senior side begins and ends with the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, but some around the squad at Leeds are starting to wonder. Grayson himself encouraged the idea that Leeds could unleash Somma in the Championship next season by stating on Tuesday that a third loan deal for the striker was out of the question, regardless of whether another new striker follows Billy Paynter into the club. Reports from the Slovakian city of Poprad, where Grayson and his squad have lain low and trained hard for the past week, speak of Somma as a player who is oozing confiden...

Leedsunited.com 13/7/10 UNITED MISS OUT IN SLOVAK OPENER MFK RUZOMBEROK 1 (Chovanec 16), LEEDS UNITED 0 Ruzomberok: Hrdlicka, Gallo, Maslo, Kostelny, Radic, Sloboda, Bielak, Dubek, Chovanec, Bojo, Kroupa. Subs: Maslo, Sivcevic, Kotora, Kovac, Shaqiri, Hoferica, Pekar. Leeds (1st half): Schmeichel (Martin), Crowe, Trialist, Collins, Bessone, Sam, Howson, Trialist, White, Grella, Becchio. Leeds (2nd half); Martin (Higgs), Connolly, Lees, Bromby, Snodgrass, Kilkenny, Johnson, Gradel, Hughes, Somma, Paynter. Leeds United kicked-off pre-season as a Championship club against Slovakian Premier League outfit MFK Ruzomberok. United manager Simon Grayson handed new signings Kasper Schmeichel, Neill Collins, Fede Bessone, and Lloyd Sam the opportunity to play in the opening 45 minutes and Slovakian trialist duo Tomas Brusko and Marian Jarabica also started the game. The hosts are poised to kick-off their campaign proper next week and there were signs of rustiness from Leeds during the opening ex...

Leedsunited.com 13/7/10 UNITED BOSS AGREES NEW DEAL Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has agreed a new three-year contract. The promotion winning boss has agreed a new deal after lifting the club out of League One last season. United chairman Ken Bates said: "I'm very pleased. Simon has committed his future to the club despite enticing offers from elsewhere. "We have every confidence in him. He has won two promotions in his managerial career - one here and one at Blackpool - and we're hoping he can make that a hat-trick at the club where he first started out." The United boss, who was appointed in December 2008 when he became the club's third manager in just 11 months, also spoke his delight. "I'm delighted the club have offered me a longer contract," he said. "My intentions have always been to take the club forward and after achieving promotion last season, I hope we can go on to fulfil everyone's dream of winning promotion back to t...

leedsunited.com 9/7/10 LLOYD THE YORKSHIREMAN COMES HOME! New signing Lloyd Sam is well and truly coming home after signing for Leeds United. The 25-year-old, who put pen to paper on a two-year contract, with a further year's option, may have spent his career in the south east London with Charlton, but he is a born and bred Loiner. Lloyd spent the first few weeks of his life in Leeds and admits he is looking forward to becoming an "accepted" Yorkshireman. "It's interesting," said Lloyd. "I always had a soft spot for Leeds because when my dad was at Leeds University he supported Leeds. "At Charlton they always used to tell me I wasn't a Londoner, despite my accent, so it'll be nice to be accepted here, coming from Leeds!" Lloyd made 134 appearances for the London side and was a virtual ever present last season, but with his contract up, he was keen to secure a new challenge in the Championship. Media speculation had seen him linked with...

Leedsunited.com 9/7/10 MIDFIELDER IS SIGNING NUMBER SIX Leeds United have signed former Charlton Athletic midfielder Lloyd Sam. The 25-year-old was out of contract at the end of last season and had attracted interest from a number of Championship clubs. Lloyd, who was actually born in Leeds but only lived in the city for a matter of weeks, started his career at Charlton where he has made 134 appearances. Lloyd has also had loan spells with Leyton Orient, Sheffield Wednesday, and Southend United. Last season, he was a virtual ever present as Charlton reached the League One Play-Off semi-finals before tasting defeat to Swindon. United manager Simon Grayson said: "Lloyd is another good addition to our squad. "He has plenty of experience, he has played at Championship level, and he is hungry and keen to do well. "We're delighted to get things finalised and welcome him aboard before we go out to Slovakia." Lloyd is the club's sixth signing of the summer and join...

New pages uploaded at mightyleeds.co.uk Matches – 29/9/71 – Leeds United 0 Lierse SK 4 After defeating the unknowns from Belgium 2-0 on their own soil, the second leg at Elland Road was considered a formality - the match was a nightmare debut for goalkeeper John Shaw Read the full story at http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/matches/19710929.htm History – The Seventies 1969-79 Treble heartache - Colchester - Tinkler - Super Leeds - Sunderland - AC Milan - Second championship - Bayern Munich - Revie, Clough, Armfield, Stein and Adamson - and the dismantling of the club Read the full story at http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/history/70to79.htm Plus biographies of Leeds City players Joe Enright (inside-left) 1910-13 http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/players/enright.htm Jock Ferguson (left-back) 1912-13 http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/players/fergusonj.htm Jimmy Fortune (left winger) 1911-12 http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/players/fortune.htm Jimmy Freeborough (right-back/half-back) 1906-08 http://www.mightylee...

Yorkshire Evening Post 1/7/10 Grayson quashes Leicester City hotseat speculation By Phil hay Simon Grayson has reaffirmed his commitment to Leeds United amid speculation linking him to the vacant manager's job at Leicester City. Grayson appears to have ruled himself out of the running for the post at the Walkers Stadium following claims that he was one of City's preferred candidates to replace Nigel Pearson. Pearson stepped down as Leicester boss early this week to take charge of Hull City, and Grayson was named as a potential target of last season's losing Championship play-off semi-finalists, a team he represented as a player for five seasons. United are not thought to have received any contact from Leicester, whose chairman Milan Mandaric has been in Africa on holiday, and the Elland Road club would be highly unlikely to consider any attempt to court Grayson. Swansea City's Paulo Sousa is understood to be a leading contender for the Leicester job. Forty-year-old Gray...

Yorkshire Evening Post 1/7/10 Promotion must not distract Whites - Howson By Phil Hay Jonathan Howson admitted today that the time for dwelling on Leeds United's promotion was at an end as he turned his mind to resuming his career in the Championship. The club's vice-captain is heading for a return to the level of English football where he made his full senior debut in 2006 and described how the euphoria of their escape from League One had given way to realistic appreciation of the demanding division they are about to join. Howson was instrumental in United's automatic promotion, appearing in 45 league fixtures on the way to an achievement which is as yet unrivalled in his short career and he was beginning the fight for re-selection this morning on the first day of pre-season training. The 22-year-old anticipated a vibrant atmosphere at Thorp Arch, seven short weeks after United's promotion was sealed by their victory over Bristol Rovers at Elland Road, but he warned th...

BBC 30/6/10 Jonny Howson - Leeds can aim for Championship play-offs Leeds United midfielder Jonny Howson believes the club can realistically target a play-off position this season. Howson reckons manager Simon Grayson has built a squad that can be competitive in the Championship after winning promotion last season. Howson told BBC Radio Leeds: "If we perform to the best of our abilities then I don't see why not." Grayson has already brought in four new players as the Whites look for back-to-back promotions. "I've had a look at the teams and if we get a good run of form then anything can happen," said Howson. "But on the other hand if we have get a bad run of form we could be at the other end of the table." Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, defenders Paul Connolly and Federico Bessone and striker Billy Paynter have all arrived at Elland Road over the summer, and Howson is backing them to deal with the high expectations at the club. "They might have...

Yorkshire Evening Post 29/6/10 Grayson won't rush Kisnorbo Leeds United manager Simon Grayson says player of the year Patrick Kisnorbo will be under no pressure to step up his recovery from Achilles surgery when the countdown to the Championship season begins on Thursday. United's players are 48 hours away from the start of pre-season training after a seven-week summer break but Kisnorbo will remain in the treatment room at Thorp Arch while Grayson's squad launch their preparation for the 2010-11 term. The Australian international ruptured an Achilles tendon in March, ruling him out of the end of United's League One campaign and the World Cup, but he initially set himself the tentative target of resuming light training next month. Leeds hope Kisnorbo could make his first-team return around the start of November but Grayson is unwilling to apply definite timescales to the defender's comeback, insisting he was fully prepared to plan without Kisnorbo until the closing ...