Yorkshire Evening Post 27/2/12 Warnock bags first point By Phil Hay Evolution not revolution, and change in small steps. Ken Bates predicted as much after installing Neil Warnock as Leeds United’s manager and it is what the club can expect from him after Saturday’s draw at Fratton Park. There was a glimmer – just a glimmer – of anticipation about the overnight effect on a gridlocked club of Warnock’s popular appointment, but the loss of two points against Portsmouth supported his view that anyone demanding promotion of Leeds should look for it next season, not this. Insolvent Portsmouth are hardly the battered punchbag they seem from afar but on the day of Warnock’s first game as manager they were a team who Leeds were required to beat; partly because of their fractured state and partly because of what comes next. Southampton, Hull City, Middlesbrough and West Ham United – four hard, exacting Championship matches in a 15-day period that should give Warnock a clear impression of strengt...
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Independent 26/2/12 Warnock calm as Pompey make a point Portsmouth 0 Leeds United 0: New Leeds manager praises his side's effort but troubled south coast club show plenty of spirit Nick Szczepanik Fratton Park Neil Warnock's second match as manager of Leeds United lacked the drama or the points return of the first, when his new club overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Doncaster 3-2, but a gritty Portsmouth team with a statement of their own to make can take much of the credit for that. In administration, unpaid and unsure of their future, Michael Appleton's team fought hard and could have won. However, Warnock's new side stood up to what he called a "bombardment" and made good chances of their own, which suggests that they could still make a late run for the play-offs. "I think there are stronger teams outside the top six than us," he said. "But it would be great to finish my career with another promotion. "It's massive, this club,...
Yorkshire Evening Post 25/2/12 McCormack ‘goal’ should have stood - Warnock Leeds United manager Neil Warnock claimed Ross McCormack was denied a obvious goal in the Whites goalless Championship draw at Portsmouth. McCormack came closest to breaking the deadlock at Fratton Park when his exquisite chip from the left corner of the area after 54 minutes struck the underside of the bar. The ball appeared to bounce over the line and Robert Snodgrass followed up to head the ball home, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Having watched the incident back after the final whistle, Warnock was convinced McCormack’s effort crossed the line. He said: “McCormack’s shot was a metre over the line. It’s embarrassing really when you see it. It’s not even close. “Apparently the television pictures here are not so good, but if they want to borrow ours, they’ll see it’s not even close. “I’ve asked the official and he said he was in line about 12 yards away. He obviously didn’t see it. “But in fairnes...
Guardian 25/2/12 Neil Warnock's Leeds held by Portsmouth in his first game in charge Ian Winrow at Fratton Park In an encounter between two managers with very different targets, it was Portsmouth's Michael Appleton who had more reason to be satisfied with a draw than Neil Warnock, who failed to mark his first official game in charge of Leeds with a win. Yet while the point may prove invaluable to Portsmouth as they battle the combined threat of relegation and financial meltdown, results elsewhere meant they still capped another desperately painful week by sinking to second-bottom in the Championship. Warnock's eyes are trained upwards and after accepting Ken Bates's invitation to succeed Simon Grayson he will have hoped for much more than a solitary point that maintains Leeds's position in 10th, four points off the top six. The manager's impact in his new job had been immediate, with his unplanned half-time visit to the dressing room at Doncaster last weekend co...
Mail 25/2/12 Portsmouth 0 Leeds 0: Warnock suffers Fratton Park frustration Neil Warnock's first game in charge of Leeds ended in frustration as Portsmouth turned in a battling display in a bid to stave off relegation from the npower Championship. Warnock saw his latest side snatch a last-gasp win from the stands at Elland Road last week, but will be disappointed Leeds failed to convert one of several chances. Leeds striker Ross McCormack came closest to breaking the deadlock when his shot hit the bar and bounced down on to the goalline early in the second half. Robert Snodgrass headed home the rebound, but his follow-up effort was ruled out for offside. The point gained is of little use to either side. Leeds remain four points adrift of the play-offs and Portsmouth, who dropped into the bottom three after being docked 10 points for going into administration, slipped another place courtesy of Coventry's win over Barnsley. Pompey manager Michael Appleton, forced to sell top goal...
Yorkshire Evening Post 21/2/12 Whites have finally landed Mr Right By Leon Wobschall It’s taken as read that pressure will always go with the territory at Elland Road, whether you be a manager, coach or player. It has been the making of some, while proving the sorry downfall of others, which has been the case for the last half-century since Don Revie picked up a footballing giant firmly by the bootstrings and stirred it into life, making the footballing world take note. To be manager of Leeds United, like the other great one-club city in England in Newcastle United, means you are pretty much under the microscope 24-7. Every decision and quote is pored over and dissected by its army of supporters whose insatiable appetite for news on their club is ravenous. Switching off isn’t much of an option either. Neil Warnock has the broadest of shoulders and has always been able to look after himself in a managerial sense and those qualities will stand him in good stead for arguably the biggest c...
Yorkshire Evening Post 20/2/12 Warnock calls for a united front By Phil Hay Neil Warnock today called for a united front at Elland Road after vowing to inspire a late run to the Championship play-offs. Leeds United’s new manager urged the club and their supporters to put aside recent differences and come together for the last 14 games of the campaign, admitting: “I don’t want to write this season off.” United’s search for a new boss ended over the weekend when Warnock was named as Simon Grayson’s replacement on a contract until the end of next season. The 63-year-old played an active role in Saturday’s injury-time win over Doncaster Rovers, and he took charge of his first training session at Thorp Arch yesterday morning. His appointment comes after weeks of unrest in Leeds, with the club’s disappointing league position leading to protests against their board, but United’s pulsating defeat of Doncaster kept alive their hopes of promotion to the Premier League. Warnock said: “It’s an opp...
Leedsunited.com 19/2/12 THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST - NEIL New Leeds United manager Neil Warnock firmly believes he has joined one of the biggest clubs in the country. Warnock was confirmed as the club's new manager on Saturday lunchtime after agreeing a contract until the end of the 2012/13 season. The former Sheffield United boss, who has won seven promotions during his career, was also being heavily linked with the vacant managerial positions at Wolves and Huddersfield. But after being confirmed as the new Leeds boss he arrived at Elland Road on Saturday and he immediately had an input into the 3-2 win against Doncaster Rovers which he watched from the stands. "It was a fantastic welcome on Saturday, from turning up at the ground and seeing all the supporters," said the new manager, who parted company with his previous club QPR just six weeks ago, less than 12 months after leading them to the Premier League. "Over the last few days that's been the big pull for ...
Independent 19/2/12 Warnock's pep talk inspires Leeds Leeds United 3 Doncaster Rovers 2: New manager delivers half-time verdict and then watches as his new squad complete comeback Simon Hart Elland Road The fanzine seller outside Elland Road was in no doubt that, for once, Ken Bates had got it right. His publication, The Square Ball, was carrying a piece titled: "Why it has to be Neil Warnock", a conclusion Bates had reached just a couple of hours before when confirmation of Warnock's appointment as Leeds United manager came through. Warnock, who had met Bates in Monaco on Friday and shaken hands on a contract until the end of the 2012-13 season, was greeted by the supporters here, though there was no high-profile presentation of a manager grudgingly admired for his achievements at three other Yorkshire clubs; just an introduction over the Tannoy as he took his seat. The contest that unfolded showed just why Warnock could not reject Bates's overtures; he saw Ellan...
Mail 18/2/12 Warnock takes charge at Leeds ahead of rival's £1m lure By Joe Bernstein Promotion specialist Neil Warnock rejected a £1million-a-year offer from ambitious League One club Huddersfield to manage Yorkshire rivals Leeds United. Warnock was pursued by both clubs, with Huddersfield owner Dean Hoyle attempting to gazump Championship side Leeds by also making large funds available to try to get his team all the way to the Premier League. Leeds owner Ken Bates met Warnock in Monaco on Friday and, while not able to match Huddersfield's basic salary, Warnock felt the chance to go to Elland Road was too good to turn down. The move is a huge blow to Huddersfield, who were counting on recruiting Warnock when they sacked Lee Clark last week. With the team fourth in League One, they hoped they would be more attractive than Leeds, whose fans are protesting against Bates for not investing in the team. Warnock, sacked by QPR last month, has won promotion from the lower leagues seve...
Yorkshire Evening Post 15/2/12 Coventry City v Leeds United: McSheffrey breaks Whites hearts By Phil Hay The purpose of sacking Simon Grayson, or so Leeds United said, was to breathe life into their pursuit of promotion. Two weeks on and wounded by a shocking defeat to Coventry City, that target looks more remote than ever. Leeds took the view that dispensing with their former manager was an essential factor in making play-off qualification possible but so too were victories over teams as embattled as last night’s opponents. United’s chance seemed slender before kick-off at the Ricoh Arena and worse by full-time. Saturday’s loss to Brighton, one of the Championship’s credible play-off contenders, muddied the club’s plan to install caretaker Neil Redfearn, Grayson’s temporary replacement, as manager until the end of the season but defeat to a Coventry team lodged at the foot of the league was more damning by half. It was a match which United’s chairman, Ken Bates, termed “winnable” and ...
Yorkshire Evening Post 13/2/12 Leeds United v Brighton and Hove Albion: Redfearn’s bid suffers knock By Phil Hay The problem for Neil Redfearn is that this was always a game of results. Other candidates for the manager’s job at Leeds United can seduce the club with CVs and track records but Redfearn will live or die as caretaker on the strength of scorelines like Saturday’s, harsh though it was. No matter that Brighton’s victory relied on an injury-time goal or that Leeds felt the rougher end of the stick wielded by an erratic referee. No matter, either, that the effort of Redfearn’s players justified their many votes of confidence in him. Two goals to one in black and white and a defeat which weakened the prospects created for Redfearn by a win over Bristol City and a three-match trial from chairman Ken Bates. Ruthless as it sounds, another loss in Coventry tomorrow could draw a line under this experiment and return Leeds to the drawing board in search of the appointment they might ha...
Mail 12/2/12 Leeds United 1 Brighton 2: Bates under fire from gun of Navarro Alan Navarro struck an injury-time winner for Brighton than keeps them unbeaten in 2012, denting Neil Redfearn's hopes of becoming the next Leeds manager in the process. The 46-year-old has been granted what amounts to a four-game interview to impress after the sacking of Simon Grayson 10 days ago and, after winning at Bristol City last weekend, looked to have remained unbeaten when Luciano Becchio cancelled out Craig Mackail-Smith's opener. But, just as four minutes of injury time were displayed, Liam Bridcutt won the ball in midfield and played in Navarro and his low drive from the edge of the box went in via a deflection off Adam Smith to silence Elland Road. It was unfortunate for Redfearn and his players who had done enough to at least warrant a point but, once the final whistle was blown, the anger from the terraces - which had prompted a pre-match protest march against chairman Ken Bates - retur...
Yorkshire Evening Post 12/2/12 Leeds United fans stage rally and protest march By Bruce Smith FREEZING temperatures failed to weaken the determination of disenchanted fans to make their calls heard across the city centre for changes in Leeds United’s team and club management policy. Several hundred joined a demonstration followed by a protest march to the ground to make their grievances heard once again. The protesters co-ordinated by the Leeds United Supporters Trust, gathered in City Square Prior to the home match against Brighton and Hove Albion. Flanked by police on foot, horse and motorcycle back, they waived their banners proudly proclaiming “Premier League Not Premier Inn” and “Morons” while chanting calling for club owner Ken Bates to go. They were there to highlight the continuing concerns of many fans about United’s failure to achieve promotion to the Premiership, the lack of top player purchases despite extensive investment in ground facilities, the loss of proven team membe...
New pages uploaded at mightyleeds.co.uk Season Review 1972/73 Part 1 - Rebuilding from the back Don Revie moves into the transfer market to solve the knotty problem of having to replace two England international defenders Part 2 - Defending the Cup United begin their campaign ro retain the FA Cup they won for the first time in May 1972 with a marathon encounter with Norwich City Part 3 - The Revie-Clough wrangle The early months of 1973 were dominated by irritable bickering between the managers of Leeds United and Derby County Part 4 - The Revie for Everton affair Don Revie was in bits after the Sunderland debacle and was tempted by a new start at Everton as United prepared for the Cup Winners Cup final Part 5 - Results, Table and Transfers All the results, line ups, scorers, attendances, final table and transfers from the 1972/73 season
Yorkshire Evening Post 8/2/12 Whites ponder next move in hunt for new manager By Phil Hay Leeds United are poised to step up discussions about their next manager after narrowing down the list of candidates for the vacant job at Elland Road. United are understood to have reviewed applications for the post on Monday, and further consideration of their preferred options is set to begin with chairman Ken Bates arriving in Leeds ahead of Saturday’s match with Brighton. The club’s senior squad are expected to remain in the hands of caretaker manager Neil Redfearn this weekend, his second match in temporary charge, but Leeds look ready to move forward with their search after taking time to consider the flood of interest in the vacancy at Elland Road. The list of options includes ex-Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock, while sources close to Dave Jones have confirmed that the former Cardiff City boss is keen on replacing Simon Grayson. Jones has been out of work since leaving Cardiff at t...
Yorkshire Evening Post 6/2/12 Redfearn among bookmakers’ favourites for job By Lee Sobot Neil Redfearn is now among the bookmakers’ favourites to become the next permanent Leeds United boss with the 46-year-old expected to be in charge for this weekend’s home clash with Brighton. Caretaker-boss Redfearn became market leader for the first time since Simon Grayson’s departure yesterday – replacing former front-runners Neil Warnock, Lee Clark, Bryan Robson and latterly Dave Jones. Former Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies then became the sixth manager to lead the betting market yesterday and he has refused to rule himself out of the running. Asked if he would be tempted by a move to Elland Road, Davies said: “I’m prepared to listen to anybody. I’ve got no preference – Scotland, England or abroad. “I’m very happy and very much looking forward to discussing with any interested party. “That will be at any level. I don’t care what division it is in. I will always give them the courtesy.” Bu...
Mail 4/2/12 Bristol City 0 Leeds 3: Whites bounce back to savage nine-man Robins Robert Snodgrass, Ross McCormack and Luciano Becchio were all on target at nine-man Bristol City as caretaker-manager Neil Redfearn steered Leeds to their first npower Championship win on the road in five matches. Redfearn, who has refused to rule himself out of the running for the job on a permanent basis after Simon Grayson was sacked on Wednesday, made a winning start to life as temporary boss thanks to Snodgrass' 12th of the season at the end of the first half, McCormack's 15th in the 79th minute and a late Becchio strike. But Redfearn and Leeds were given a big helping hand by City pair James Wilson and Yannick Bolasie, who were both sent off by referee James Linington. Defender Wilson was shown a straight red card for a professional foul after bringing down McCormack in the 44th minute and the home side were reduced to nine men when winger Bolasie was booked twice in three minutes early in th...
Yorkshire Post 3/2/12 Redfearn now has opportunity to turn talisman in Leeds cause By Richard Sutcliffe DURING a career that has taken in not only tragedy and joy but also stints at a host of Yorkshire clubs, Neil Redfearn has become a familiar figure to the region’s football fraternity. Revered in Barnsley as the talismanic midfielder that dragged Barnsley into the Premier League for the first time, the 46-year-old is also fondly remembered in Bradford, Doncaster, Halifax and Scarborough for the commitment and desire that characterised his every deed. Now, Leeds United are hoping Redfearn can provide a safe pair of hands in the wake of Simon Grayson’s departure after being asked to step into the breach by chairman Ken Bates. Barring a dramatic turn of events, he will be in the dugout at Bristol City after taking charge of training for the last couple of days and determined to make his mark. “What happened to Simon did come a bit out of the blue (on Wednesday),” said United’s caretaker...
Yorkshire Post 2/2/12 Fairytale comes to an abrupt end for man with Leeds in his heart By Richard Sutcliffe EVEN when the pressure was on with speculation raging over his future as Leeds United manager, Simon Grayson was rarely someone to be fazed. Nor did he lose his sense of humour. Typical was Monday’s exchange with this reporter when, after answering questions about all manner of subjects from the January transfer window through to his own job security, there was a slight pause. “So, are you going to ask me about Alan Smith?” The one-time Leeds United hero, a major transfer target of Grayson’s the previous summer, had joined Milton Keynes Dons on loan just a couple of days earlier so was on the list of topics to be covered. “Okay, Simon, Alan Smith. Was he on your list of targets during this window?” The reply was succinct and to the point. “No comment.” Then, as if affronted by the question, a stern-faced Grayson stood up as if setting off towards the door before turning back at t...