Victor Orta phone-call and comical pitch invader among Leeds United off-camera moments missed by TV - YEP 29/1/23
The YEP has curated a selection of off-camera moments from Leeds United’s 3-1 FA Cup Fourth Round victory over Accrington Stanley on Saturday afternoon
Joe Donnohue
Victor’s phone-call
Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta is no shrinking
violet and not one to hide his emotions, however it was still somewhat
surprising when long after full-time, the Spaniard burst out of the Chairman’s
Lounge at Accrington Stanley, in the midst of a heated discussion with somebody
down the phone.
The identity of the individual on the receiving end of the
call was unknown, as was the content of his conversation but the tone suggested
four weeks of the January transfer window had quite understandably taken its
toll on the 44-year-old’s patience.
Turning to his left and spotting a group of 15-or-so
journalists and broadcasters, Orta swiftly made his return to the Lounge he had
emerged from, in order to continue his conversation in private. The look on the
director’s face as he realised who his audience were, was enough to raise a
smile or two among those filing last-minute copy in the stand at the Wham
Stadium.
Pitch invader
Leeds fans made up around 50 per cent of the attendance on
Saturday afternoon, occupying in its entirety the Eric Whalley Stand and
Coppice Terrace. During the second half, a goal to the good, a chant which has
been heard on occasion this season began to be sung once more. United
supporters were suggesting, tongue-in-cheek of course, that if left-back Junior
Firpo were to score, they would make their way onto the pitch to celebrate.
As luck would have it, Firpo did find the net with his first
Whites goal during the second half, but there was to be no mass pitch invasion.
One supporter, however, did take it upon themselves to spy an opening in the
Wham Stadium security’s defensive line, celebrating on the pitch by performing
‘The Worm’.
Wriggling around on his stomach, the Leeds fan was quickly
apprehended but not before a supporter from the back of the Eric Whalley Stand
had caught the incident on camera. Leeds midfielder Sam Greenwood shared the
clip on his social media channels on Saturday evening, accompanied by a number
of laughing emojis.
Foul-mouthed defender
During the first half of Saturday’s game, Patrick Bamford
was the recipient of a finger-wagging telling-off by Accrington defender Doug
Tharme. The defender reprimanded Leeds’ No. 9 for what he perceived to be a
flying elbow during a coming together between Bamford and a Stanley teammate.
Complete with an expletive, which will not make it into print, Tharme pointed
in Bamford’s face, telling him to ‘watch your elbows’. Bamford’s retort was
equally unpleasant, but was picked up by BBC One’s cameras and shared by Leeds
fans on social media.