Plymouth Argyle 1-2 Leeds United: Olé olé — Square Ball 6/5/25

Champions Again

Written by: Rob Conlon

Manor Solomon scored a goal and two days later it reverberated around 150,000 people in Leeds city centre. But while Leeds United’ players and staff were celebrating becoming champions again in front of the away end at Plymouth, Daniel Farke needed a sit down and some time alone. Farke remained in the dugout on his own for a few minutes, looking like he was about to throw up. “If I’m honest, there is not one percent energy left in my tank anymore,” he told Bryn Law when he eventually felt able to stand up. “I’m so, so done.”

With the mission finally accomplished, two years of keeping a lid on what he often calls one of football’s most emotional clubs had finally taken its toll on Farke. Or maybe not. Perhaps that moment of solitude in Plymouth was something else entirely. After two years playing the part of Dr Jekyll, Farke could finally let out his Mr Hyde, and 48 hours later the city of Leeds was finally introduced to The Feierbiest.

For a long time Farke has struggled to resonate with a section of the fanbase, yet it turns out he’s just like the rest of us after all. Has a 48-year-old man ever looked like he belongs on a Bank Holiday booze-up around Leeds city centre so much? Meanwhile, the young man he’s put so much faith in to lead his team as the picture of a model professional, Ethan Ampadu, was on the mic sounding like Mike Skinner and dancing with a traffic cone on his head. Both Farke and Ampadu are clearly more accustomed to partying than they like to let on, but the procession was given an extra firework or three by the star of the celebrations Largie Ramazani, while Pascal Struijk — wearing shades to cover his bleary eyes and his 2020 Championship winner’s medal to celebrate two titles in one — was grinning as deliriously as a hippy at Woodstock:

“I don’t even know how to describe this in words so I’d rather say nothing and let the camera focus on everything that’s going on. It’s amazing… Look at it, it’s amazing!”

Fans have been waiting since 1992 for a trophy parade around Leeds, so Monday was always going to be special, a continuation of the outpouring of love we’ve been able to indulge in for the last fortnight. But in making sure they were parading the same trophy that Gordon Strachan and Howard Wilkinson lifted over three decades ago, United ramped things up to the fullest.

It’s easy to forget that before the carnival, Leeds had a game to play and a title to win first this weekend. For a long time it threatened to be very different. Gone were the giddy goal rushes of Stoke and Bristol City, replaced by the usual slog of an early kick-off away from home and, in Sam Byram’s own goal, a reminder that we can’t always have things our way. With Burnley benefiting from Millwall players missing open goals from a yard out, it was all starting to feel oh so familiar once again, and reinforced just how much we all wanted to finish first despite knowing the main job had been done. If you’re going to win promotion with 97 points, it would have been rude not to win the league with 100.

To do that, Leeds had to do something this team doesn’t get enough credit for: keep fighting. It’s a mantra that has underpinned every Leeds side that has achieved anything; Joe Rodon and the boys are no different. First Wilf Gnonto slammed in an equaliser after Manor Solomon had twisted and turned past the two defenders constantly marking him, and Leeds remained undeterred even when Joel Piroe had a second ruled out for yet another dubious offside decision. As Burnley fans started celebrating the title they thought they’d won, Solomon stepped up in stoppage time to steal it back to its rightful home and confirm that what we’ve heard all season is true: Leeds United are the best team in the league. And if you still think you’d have been fine finishing second, then watch this Burnley fan’s reaction to learning of Solomon’s late goal and tell me it wasn’t worth it:

Haha funny the Millwall fans celebrating Leeds scoring at Burnley shithousery 🤣 pic.twitter.com/uVr6HxOaCw

— Darren WGUAFC 🏆 🦚💛💙 (@UnitedLeeds13) May 6, 2025

Solomon’s winner was the perfect snapshot of what might have been a perfect promotion. Its timing reflected the bloody-mindedness of late victories over Swansea, Sunderland, and Sheffield United, and its focused impudence oozed enough class to put every other club in the division back in its place. Burnley might not have lost since December, but they were beaten by a Leeds team that for two years has simply had to win. The release of exertion left Joe Rodon lying down on the turf of Home Park next to the heap of players celebrating Solomon’s goal, once again looking like he was just glad it was all over.

And it really is all over. All it took to escape this godforsaken division was two years, 190 points, 176 goals, 56 wins, one play-off final defeat, and a 91st-minute winner at the end of all that. Easy. By Monday, Paraag Marathe had told Daniel Farke that he didn’t have to worry about finding a new job, Rodon and the rest of the team were looking refreshed from two days of toasting their success, and train stations around Yorkshire were rammed with supporters ready to celebrate with them — and this time we didn’t even need a banner saying, ‘Plymouth we’re sorry.’

It was a weekend to celebrate what’s just happened, but if you’re thinking that means we soon have to start worrying about the future, then my advice is simple: forget about the chumps who have made what comes next seem so difficult, remember the swagger of the city of Leeds at its finest, and listen to Paul Reaney’s wise words after collecting a lifetime achievement award at the club’s award ceremony on Sunday night. Alongside Eddie Gray, Reaney has had his own place in the celebrations during the constant recitals of ‘Play All The Way’, our homage to the originators of Keep Fighting and the spirit of Super Leeds, the team that gave this city its swagger in the first place. “Everything is possible,” Speedy Reaney told the players in front of him. “Do not be frightened of anybody. Seriously. Because there’s a load of rubbish out there.”