Telegraph 29/11/11
Leeds United inspired by memory of Gary Speed to overcome Nottingham Forest
Leeds United won, Gary Speed 11. These were the salient facts as the City Ground, and Leeds fans in particular, paid a fitting tribute to the Wales manager whose death at the weekend has provoked such grief and mourning in the game.
By David McVay, at the City Ground
Despite playing for Newcastle, Bolton and Everton at the highest level, Leeds was Speed’s first club and spiritual home. Leeds supporters may have their detractors but they honoured one of their own in the East Midlands with passion and good grace as their side obliged by romping to a conclusive victory over a wretched Nottingham Forest.
Yet, if it was a night of high emotion for those on the terraces, there were similar feelings in the Leeds dressing room where manager Simon Grayson dedicated this win to his former team mate.
“I was proud of my players and the supporters,” said Grayson, who signed as a schoolboy for the west Yorkshire club on the same day as Speed.
“We chatted about Gary and what he meant to Leeds before the kick off and Glynn Snodin [Grayson’s assistant] talked to the players. I don’t know what he said because I couldn’t have held it together talking to the players. But they produced the sort of performance right out of the top locker that would have delighted Gary Speed. Gary was a fantastic person and a fantastic football player.”
A minute’s applause before kick-off, which was respected by the entire crowd, was a poignant prelude to events, the same 60 seconds of relentless clapping that resonated around the country as every club playing last night observed a similar ritual.
As promised, the travelling supporters, almost 4,000 of them, began to chant the name of Gary Speed in the 11th minute of the game, a reminder of the number shirt he sported at Elland Road in a Leeds team that was the last to win the old Division One title, in 1992.
Outside the ground, one of the Leeds fans counted himself as having briefly known a young Speed, echoing the thoughts of many that he was simply ‘a lovely lad’.
“We used to go to college one afternoon a week when he was a young trainee at Leeds,” said Martin Pattinson, a former Bradford City professional and Leeds fan who now lives in Rochdale. “He is and always will be a Leeds legend to me and all our fans.”
The initial chanting was intended to be an uninterrupted 11 minutes but football intervened when Robert Snodgrass deservedly opened the scoring with a left-foot belter in the 20th minute. The vocal tribute resumed seamlessly and ended with a rousing ‘There’s only Speedo’.
Jonathan Howson atoned for earlier profligacy with an explosive volley that doubled the Leeds cushion and the Speed chants returned sporadically after the interval as Luciano Becchio headed Leeds’ third. Adam Clayton pounced on a Lee Camp fumble for a routine fourth.
Forest were a spent force long before Andy Reid was sent off. Wearing the No 11 shirt, the irony would not have been lost on Speed, a consummate professional throughout his career imbued with impeccable manners and discipline on and off the pitch.
“Can we play you every week?” they taunted from the packed Bridgford End layered with tiers of white scarves, reflecting a hostility between these two teams inspired over the decades by diverse forces from Brian Clough to the miners’ strike.
Doubtless, the city of Leeds and its sporting fans will pay more tributes when another bitter old foe, Millwall, visit this Saturday lunchtime.
For now, Leeds and their fans were in fine form and on their best behaviour. Gary Speed would have been pleased.
Yorkshire Evening Post 29/11/11
Match report: Nottingham Forest v Leeds United
Leeds United kicked off what promises to be a long goodbye to Gary Speed with an emotional and impressive win at Nottingham Forest.
Whites legend Speed was found dead at his home on Sunday aged 42 and Leeds, with whom he won the old First Division title in 1992, were the first of his five former clubs to play since the tragic news broke.
Manager Simon Grayson, who forged a lifelong friendship with Speed after they signed schoolboy forms with Leeds on the same day when they were 14, asked his players to win the game in Speed’s memory.
And they duly produced their best performance of the season to do so, with first-half goals from Robert Snodgrass and Jonny Howson and second-half strikes from Luciano Becchio and Adam Clayton doing the damage.
Leeds’ dominant on-field display was almost a backdrop to a celebration of Speed’s life off it, though.
Prior to kick-off the two sets of fans shelved historic animosities dating back to the feuds of Brian Clough and Don Revie to join together in a minute’s applause, while the travelling support chanted Speed’s name for 11 minutes during the first half.
Speed predominantly wore that shirt number throughout his 312 appearances for Leeds and it was during that vocal tribute that they opened the scoring.
They had started the better of the sides with Snodgrass twice going close, before Becchio’s flick played in Howson and he drew a save from Lee Camp. Michael Brown, making a first start since September 10, then worked the keeper somewhat harder from 30 yards.
The pressure soon told and in the 20th minute, Leeds took the lead. Snodgrass picked up possession midway through the Forest half and, after a handful of paces, he beat Camp with a crisp left-footed drive from 20 yards. The goal was celebrated no more vehemently than by Grayson who was close to breaking down on the sidelines.
Forest had no answer to Leeds’ pressure and Becchio soon broke through looking to make it two but Joel Lynch made a last-ditch saving tackle, before Lynch’s defensive partner Wes Morgan made an even more impressive block.
Seven minutes before the break Snodgrass got clear and, although Camp left his goal to meet him, Snodgrass won the tackle between the two. He then tried to find the vacant goal but Morgan managed to get back and deflect his 25-yard effort over.
A jinking run from Snodgrass then laid on a simple chance that Howson should have finished, although it mattered little as the two combined to greater effect just seconds later.
Becchio’s touch found Snodgrass, whose cushioned pass set Howson free down the right. He was still 25 yards from goal but hit a first-time half-volley that gave Camp no chance and found the top corner for his first goal since his effort during a 4-1 win over Forest in April.
Forest introduced the powerful Ishmael Miller at half-time in a bid to start a rescue mission, but their task got all the harder in the 49th minute when Becchio rose to head in a Brown cross for his second of the season.
Miller’s arrival did give his side a new outlet, though, and his header, although comfortably held by Alex McCarthy just before the hour, marked his side’s first real chance.
However it was only a momentary spark for Forest and with 24 minutes left Leeds made it four. Howson robbed Greg Cunningham of possession just outside the area and, although his shot was parried by Camp, Clayton was on hand to despatch the rebound.
Forest midfielder Andy Reid saw red for a second yellow card with 11 minutes to go to cap an awful night for his side.
Leeds United inspired by memory of Gary Speed to overcome Nottingham Forest
Leeds United won, Gary Speed 11. These were the salient facts as the City Ground, and Leeds fans in particular, paid a fitting tribute to the Wales manager whose death at the weekend has provoked such grief and mourning in the game.
By David McVay, at the City Ground
Despite playing for Newcastle, Bolton and Everton at the highest level, Leeds was Speed’s first club and spiritual home. Leeds supporters may have their detractors but they honoured one of their own in the East Midlands with passion and good grace as their side obliged by romping to a conclusive victory over a wretched Nottingham Forest.
Yet, if it was a night of high emotion for those on the terraces, there were similar feelings in the Leeds dressing room where manager Simon Grayson dedicated this win to his former team mate.
“I was proud of my players and the supporters,” said Grayson, who signed as a schoolboy for the west Yorkshire club on the same day as Speed.
“We chatted about Gary and what he meant to Leeds before the kick off and Glynn Snodin [Grayson’s assistant] talked to the players. I don’t know what he said because I couldn’t have held it together talking to the players. But they produced the sort of performance right out of the top locker that would have delighted Gary Speed. Gary was a fantastic person and a fantastic football player.”
A minute’s applause before kick-off, which was respected by the entire crowd, was a poignant prelude to events, the same 60 seconds of relentless clapping that resonated around the country as every club playing last night observed a similar ritual.
As promised, the travelling supporters, almost 4,000 of them, began to chant the name of Gary Speed in the 11th minute of the game, a reminder of the number shirt he sported at Elland Road in a Leeds team that was the last to win the old Division One title, in 1992.
Outside the ground, one of the Leeds fans counted himself as having briefly known a young Speed, echoing the thoughts of many that he was simply ‘a lovely lad’.
“We used to go to college one afternoon a week when he was a young trainee at Leeds,” said Martin Pattinson, a former Bradford City professional and Leeds fan who now lives in Rochdale. “He is and always will be a Leeds legend to me and all our fans.”
The initial chanting was intended to be an uninterrupted 11 minutes but football intervened when Robert Snodgrass deservedly opened the scoring with a left-foot belter in the 20th minute. The vocal tribute resumed seamlessly and ended with a rousing ‘There’s only Speedo’.
Jonathan Howson atoned for earlier profligacy with an explosive volley that doubled the Leeds cushion and the Speed chants returned sporadically after the interval as Luciano Becchio headed Leeds’ third. Adam Clayton pounced on a Lee Camp fumble for a routine fourth.
Forest were a spent force long before Andy Reid was sent off. Wearing the No 11 shirt, the irony would not have been lost on Speed, a consummate professional throughout his career imbued with impeccable manners and discipline on and off the pitch.
“Can we play you every week?” they taunted from the packed Bridgford End layered with tiers of white scarves, reflecting a hostility between these two teams inspired over the decades by diverse forces from Brian Clough to the miners’ strike.
Doubtless, the city of Leeds and its sporting fans will pay more tributes when another bitter old foe, Millwall, visit this Saturday lunchtime.
For now, Leeds and their fans were in fine form and on their best behaviour. Gary Speed would have been pleased.
Yorkshire Evening Post 29/11/11
Match report: Nottingham Forest v Leeds United
Leeds United kicked off what promises to be a long goodbye to Gary Speed with an emotional and impressive win at Nottingham Forest.
Whites legend Speed was found dead at his home on Sunday aged 42 and Leeds, with whom he won the old First Division title in 1992, were the first of his five former clubs to play since the tragic news broke.
Manager Simon Grayson, who forged a lifelong friendship with Speed after they signed schoolboy forms with Leeds on the same day when they were 14, asked his players to win the game in Speed’s memory.
And they duly produced their best performance of the season to do so, with first-half goals from Robert Snodgrass and Jonny Howson and second-half strikes from Luciano Becchio and Adam Clayton doing the damage.
Leeds’ dominant on-field display was almost a backdrop to a celebration of Speed’s life off it, though.
Prior to kick-off the two sets of fans shelved historic animosities dating back to the feuds of Brian Clough and Don Revie to join together in a minute’s applause, while the travelling support chanted Speed’s name for 11 minutes during the first half.
Speed predominantly wore that shirt number throughout his 312 appearances for Leeds and it was during that vocal tribute that they opened the scoring.
They had started the better of the sides with Snodgrass twice going close, before Becchio’s flick played in Howson and he drew a save from Lee Camp. Michael Brown, making a first start since September 10, then worked the keeper somewhat harder from 30 yards.
The pressure soon told and in the 20th minute, Leeds took the lead. Snodgrass picked up possession midway through the Forest half and, after a handful of paces, he beat Camp with a crisp left-footed drive from 20 yards. The goal was celebrated no more vehemently than by Grayson who was close to breaking down on the sidelines.
Forest had no answer to Leeds’ pressure and Becchio soon broke through looking to make it two but Joel Lynch made a last-ditch saving tackle, before Lynch’s defensive partner Wes Morgan made an even more impressive block.
Seven minutes before the break Snodgrass got clear and, although Camp left his goal to meet him, Snodgrass won the tackle between the two. He then tried to find the vacant goal but Morgan managed to get back and deflect his 25-yard effort over.
A jinking run from Snodgrass then laid on a simple chance that Howson should have finished, although it mattered little as the two combined to greater effect just seconds later.
Becchio’s touch found Snodgrass, whose cushioned pass set Howson free down the right. He was still 25 yards from goal but hit a first-time half-volley that gave Camp no chance and found the top corner for his first goal since his effort during a 4-1 win over Forest in April.
Forest introduced the powerful Ishmael Miller at half-time in a bid to start a rescue mission, but their task got all the harder in the 49th minute when Becchio rose to head in a Brown cross for his second of the season.
Miller’s arrival did give his side a new outlet, though, and his header, although comfortably held by Alex McCarthy just before the hour, marked his side’s first real chance.
However it was only a momentary spark for Forest and with 24 minutes left Leeds made it four. Howson robbed Greg Cunningham of possession just outside the area and, although his shot was parried by Camp, Clayton was on hand to despatch the rebound.
Forest midfielder Andy Reid saw red for a second yellow card with 11 minutes to go to cap an awful night for his side.
