Mighty Leeds Weblog

NIGEL, GIVE US A GOAL Written by: Rob Conlon Leeds United is a club of what ifs. What if the West Stand didn’t burn down and we didn’t need to sell John Charles? What if Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer decided to have a night in? What if we didn’t always get shit refs? We’ll never know the answer to those, but we do have an answer to the question, what if we kept Nigel Martyn instead of giving him to Everton in 2003/04? Maybe the better question is, what if Terry Venables wasn’t such a monumental tit? When Martyn was returning from the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Venables was still filming ‘Wish You Were Here?’ while he was meant to be taking over from David O’Leary as Leeds manager. Martyn was still worn out from the previous season’s exertions when he asked Venables if he could stay in Leeds, training at Thorp Arch, rather than joining the squad on a pre-season tour of Asia, where he had just been with England twelve days earlier. Venables took umbrage, even if he...

April’s fixture between Leeds United and Liverpool was a first league clash between the two sides at Elland Road for over 17 years. By Lee Sobot There were, though, no supporters in the famous ground’s stands. But that will all change tomorrow when the Whites and Reds lock horns before a packed crowd in Yorkshire for the first time in a league game since February 2004, when Erik Bakke and Mark Viduka were both on target in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Back then, a familiar face came back to haunt Eddie Gray’s Whites for the opener as Harry Kewell fired home for Gerard Houllier’s visitors in the 21st minute. Jamie Carragher broke forward down the left flank and delivered a pass to Milan Baros who was afforded plenty of space running at United’s back four. Baros, though, opted to pass to Kewell on the right hand edge of the Whites penalty box and the Australian took two touches before sending an unstoppable curled effort into the top left corner. Leeds, though, were level just eig...

WHAT'S THIS? WHERE AM I? Written by Rob Conlon Simon Walton is reflecting on a photo of his sixteen-year-old self sitting on the Elland Road turf, surrounded by angry Valencia players after being sent off against the Spanish champions and UEFA Cup holders. “When you’ve got Lucas Radebe fighting your corner, you know you’re doing okay,” he says, spotting The Chief running into shot and to his rescue. Walton is used to being reminded of this moment, when the anniversary rolls around of the day he marked his first senior appearance at Elland Road with a goal and a red card in a pre-season friendly. Leeds were preparing for their first season following relegation from the Premier League in 2004, and Walton’s second half penalty kickstarted a comeback from two down to a creditable 2-2 draw with the side they had faced in a European Cup semi-final just three years earlier. Nobody ever asks him about the goal, though. “I just get the yearly bombardment of, ‘How do you get sent off i...

Guardian Unlimited Football | News | Fears of Leeds training ground house sell-off Fears of Leeds training ground house sell-off Matt Scott Tuesday December 14, 2004 There are fears that houses may be built on a portion of Leeds United's training ground within the next five years. The Guardian has seen a document relating to the property interests of the club which suggests that should planning permission be received in the next five years a developer could erect houses or offices on the valuable land close to Wetherby. Over the past six months the club has completed the sale and leaseback of its Thorp Arch premises, dividing the land into three separate tranches: the Grange, the Barn and the first-team training pitches. When the club was considering the last of these deals the proposed lease made specific provision for development. In the event of the development going ahead, Leeds's tenancy on the first-team training pitches at Thorp Arch would be terminated....

Sport Deane steps to the four-front for Leeds Leeds United 6 Queen's Park Rangers 1 By Dan Murphy 21 November 2004 The Championship's fourth-least potent attack put nearly half a season's worth of squandered chances behind them as Queens Park Rangers succumbed, rather pathetically at times, to a resounding defeat at Elland Road. It was Leeds' most emphatic victory since beating Charlton by the same score at The Valley in April 2003. For Brian Deane in particular, this was a day to remember. The 36-year-old had never previously scored a hat-trick for Leeds United in two spells at the club spanning 12 years. Yesterday he needed less than half the game to complete the feat and even added a fourth for good measure later on. As if that were not enough, Deane laid on the other two goals for David Healy and Jermaine Wright respectively. Not bad for a man who had hitherto managed one League goal all season. "Deano for England," bellowed the Leeds faithful, bef...

Leeds United Football Club - Matchreport Leeds United vs Queens Park Rangers Leeds 6 QPR 1 Leeds went goal crazy at Elland Road, completely blowing QPR away in spectacular style and hopefully getting the season back on track. Brian Deane was the man who handed out most of the punishment, scoring four - including a first half hat-trick - to defy his critics who had written him off at the tender age of 36! It was the first time United had won by the same scoreline since that famous away win over Charlton Athletic in April 2003, when another big Leeds striker scored a hat-trick, Mark Viduka. At Elland Road, it was the first six goal haul at Elland Road since the 6-1 thrashing of Bradford City in the penultimate game of the 2000/2001 season in which Robbie Keane also hit a hat-trick. Team News Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell named an unchanged side for the third game running, which means he continues to play with three men forward and three in midfield. The visitors ma...

Leeds United Football Club - Better News On Midfield Duo Better News On Midfield Duo United's injury problems look set to ease with the news that midfield duo Seth Johnson and Eirik Bakke are well on course to return to action early in the new year. The latest update on the pair is welcome news to boss Kevin Blackwell as he waits to hear if defender Stephen Crainey requires an operation that will effectively end his season. Former England under-21 international Johnson ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in April and also suffered cartilige damage which was set to put him out for the calendar year, and that prediction by United's medical staff appears to be spot on. Norwegian Bakke had only just returned from a bout of tendonitis when he too suffered cruciate ligament damage during United's pre-season tour of Sweden. It was at first feared Bakke would miss the entire season, but as United head physio Dave Hancock explained, both players are making great prog...

Yorkshire Post Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More Healy delay sees striker search widenRichard Sutcliffe KEVIN BLACKWELL does not intend increasing Leeds United's bid for David Healy but has stressed the offer remains on the table for the Preston North End striker. United have offered an initial £300,000 that could eventually double, depending on appearances, goals and Leeds achieving success. Preston turned down the bid but with Healy's contract due to run out next summer his value is dropping on a daily basis and North End will soon have to decide whether they can risk the Northern Ireland international leaving for nothing in the summer. Leeds have been caught in a similar situation to the one facing Preston, Lee Bowyer being offloaded for a paltry £100,000 in January 2003 just five months after Liverpool had bid £9m for the midfielder. Blackwell believes the offer represents a fair valuation for the 25-year-old and said: "At th...

Sport David Conn: Directors in Leeds' downfall expected to escape DTI action 25 September 2004 The administrators' report into the conduct of Leeds United's directors leading up to the club's £100m collapse earlier this year has been delivered to the Department of Trade and Industry. The DTI is expected to take between two and four months to decide whether the report identifies misconduct serious enough to warrant disqualification proceedings against any of Leeds' directors in the previous three years, including the former chairman Peter Ridsdale and non-executive director Allan Leighton, the Royal Mail Group chairman. Garry Wilson, one of the administrators, would not comment on the contents of the report and told me it was "too early" to speculate on the DTI's decision, but other sources suggested that although Leeds' meltdown was mighty it is unlikely to lead to DTI action against any of the directors. In their Premiership and Ch...

BLACKWELL AIMING FOR STEADY PROGRESS: Sporting Life - Football | Premiership, Championship, Scottish & European News, Scores, Results BLACKWELL AIMING FOR STEADY PROGRESS Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell insists he will go on rebuilding the club in a "slow and proper manner" as they seek an instant return to the Barclays Premiership. The Whites booked their place in the third round of the Carling Cup with a 1-0 win over Swindon as Blackwell tried to give some of his players a break, with Sunderland due to visit Elland Road in the Coca-Cola Championship on Friday. The boss believes his squad is not quite at the level he would like yet but he is acutely aware that money cannot be thrown around to repeat the rapid improvement of the club under former chairman Peter Ridsdale. "I know there's a level we need to compete at and we've still got to get to that level, but we can't rush it, we can't do that any more," Blackwell said. "It's my...

Yorkshire Post Blackwell looks for rain to wash away pretenders Ian Appleyard THE MONSOON summer is proving an asset in Leeds United manager Kevin Blackwell's search for foreign imports. Blackwell switched his sights to the continental market this week after buying British during pre-season. Feeling that his options at home were currently exhausted and with limited funds at his disposal, Blackwell broadened his horizons in the hope of landing further value-for-money signings. Cameroon international midfield player Serge Branco, 23, is currently training at Thorp Arch and players from Germany and Holland are also being lined-up. But Blackwell will not allow any repeat of last season's disastrous forays into the foreign market which resulted in Leeds signing a string of flops who were either uncommitted or unsuited to the job. "The lesson from last year is 'do not take foreign players in haste'," he said. "You do that and you will repent at...

Leeds United Football Club - Ricketts Signs! Leeds United manager Kevin Blackwell has completed his fifth signing of the summer by capturing Michael Ricketts from Middlesbrough. Ricketts has signed a three-year deal, subject to a medical and will form part of an exciting new frontline with fellow new striker Julian Joachim. Michael began his career at Walsall in 1996 and scored 14 goals in 31 games before his style of play attracted interest from bigger clubs. He then joined Bolton for a fee of £400,000 after Walsall had been relegated in 2000 and had a fantastic season during Bolton's promotion winning campaign, scoring 24 goals. The following season though saw him fall out with Sam Allardyce but he still managed to score 15 goals in his debut season in the Premiership before International honours beckoned. He made his England debut against Holland and is still looking to add to his International cap. He signed for Middlesbrough in the January transfer window of 2003 fo...

Sky Sports - The Best Sport Coverage From Around The World LEEDS GET SEVEN DAY EXTENSION Leeds United have confirmed to the Stock Exchange that they have agreed with the club's principal creditors to extend their standstill agreement by another week. The club, who are more than £80 million in the red, have been holding talks for the last few days and have been given another seven days to raise the £5 million to see them through until the end of the season. Leeds also confirmed that the agreement could be extended by a further two weeks, should they achieve certain financial goals in the next seven days. A club statement read: "The board of Leeds United PLC announces that the company's principal finance creditors have today agreed to extend the standstill period (announced on 4 December 2003) by a week, to midnight on 26 January 2004. "This agreement also provides for a further two week extension to 6 February 2004, conditional on achievement of certain fina...

Guardian Unlimited Football | News | Time running out for Leeds takeover Matt Scott Tuesday January 13, 2004 Leeds United do not expect to secure a takeover for the club before their January 19 deadline. A statement to the Stock Exchange yesterday indicated that negotiations are ongoing but that none of the current proposals amounts to a buy-out. "Further to its announcement on December 4 2003, the board of Leeds United confirms it is in continuing, constructive discussions with a number of parties regarding proposals to purchase the company's business and assets or to inject funds," said the statement. "However, none of the interested parties' proposals contemplates an offer for the company's shares." Leeds's best hope is to gain interim funding that will take them to the end of the season, by when the relegation-threatened club's footballing fate will be known. With a £20m discrepancy in revenues between the Premiership and the Firs...

ESPNSoccernet.com: England: Leeds' future in the balance Talks continue on Leeds takeover Leeds United this morning confirmed 'continuing, constructive discussions' are taking place over the future of the debt-ridden club. In a statement to the Stock Exchange Leeds United PLC claims a number of parties are discussing proposals to buy the company's business or inject funds into the Elland Road outfit. Leeds are thought to be around £80million in debt and are currently second bottom of the Premiership. The statement read: 'Further to its announcement on December 4, 2003, the board of Leeds United confirms that it is in continuing, constructive discussions with a number of parties regarding proposals to purchase the company's business and assets or to inject funds. 'However none of the interested parties' proposals contemplates an offer for the company's shares.' Leeds chief executive and acting chairman Trevor Birch has until Januar...

Times Online - Newspaper Edition  Jonathan Northcroft at Elland Road FORM is temporary; crisis, for Leeds, seems permanent. This was a fixture they had not lost for eight seasons, but there was an inevitability about the trend being bucked yesterday. Even in the throes of their own torments, Tottenham had just a little too much for Eddie Gray’s side who, with Portsmouth winning, are now stranded five points from safety inside the relegation zone. This was their last home game before January 19, the day the standstill agreement with their creditors expires, and they have to begin once again to repay their £82m debt. There seems more hope for the Beagle Two Explorer, lost down a crater on Mars. A further problem is that forward Mark Viduka will fly home to Australia this morning to be with his father, who is seriously ill. He will be away, according to Gray, “for as long as he needs to be”. Meanwhile, talk of director Allan Leighton putting together a rescue consortium, including ...

Sport  The Interview James Milner: Leeds United's young jewel can glitter just as much as Everton's, but has been seen rather less. Until now. Nick Townsend meets him 04 January 2004 Just one thought taunts you as you journey to Elland Road to meet a Leeds United player: will he still be an employee of the club by the time you arrive? The "knockers" are, by all account, parked outside, all ready for this particularly desirable property clearance. Friday's back pages are festooned with speculation. Alan Smith to abandon the stricken vessel for Old Trafford or St James' Park; Paul Robinson bound for the City of Manchester Stadium; Mark Viduka a target for any number of English and foreign clubs. Even James Milner, the subject of the journey, has, at the tender age of 17 when we meet - hecomes of age today - been mentioned in several dispatches as being coveted by Manchester United. When you arrive, your interviewee regards such reports with the insouciance of ...