Mighty Leeds Weblog

It was on this day (21 January) in 2005 that Ken Bates took over at Elland Road ELLIOTT BRETLAND Perhaps we should have expected madness all the way when, 16 years ago today, Ken Bates brought the brash personality and big promises for which he had become known at Chelsea, and bought another of English football’s historic clubs, Leeds United. Considering what has followed since under both Bates and his successor Massimo Cellino, it’s little wonder it took The Whites so long to return to the Premier League. Having bought the Yorkshire giants six months after their 2004 relegation, Bates promised “a lorra, lorra laughs”, but supporters weren’t smiling when they dropped down to the third tier under his stewardship, and it took some time for them to compete again. Here we look at the maddest things that happened at Elland Road whilst Bates was in the building... Admin error After a vast array of incomings and outgoings - Leeds loaned 70 players during Bates’ eight-year spell with...

LEEDS United were able to peruse a second set of top-flight fixtures in succession this week. By Lee Sobot Following their ninth-placed finish last season, the Whites are very much back in and amongst the country’s elite. Yet 11 years ago Leeds were relieved to be sizing up Championship opposition having finally ended three years in League One with a thrilling 2-1 success against Bristol Rovers at Elland Road United had been demoted to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history via relegation from the Championship in May 2007, and two doses of League One play-offs heartache followed. Doncaster Rovers ended United’s bid to immediately bounce back in the 2008 play-off final at Wembley under Gary McAllister, and Leeds were then KO’d in the semi-finals by Millwall the following season, five months into Simon Grayson’s spell in charge. But United finally got it right at the third time of asking in 2010 – and without the need of the play-offs thanks to...