Mighty Leeds Weblog

Leeds United will be defending their top-flight status when the new season begins over the first weekend of August. By Lee Sobot Thirty years ago, the Whites were defending their top-flight title, and beginning with a victory as Lee Chapman’s double sealed a 2-1 triumph against Wimbledon at Elland Road on the opening day. Jesse Marsch's Whites will find out their opening weekend opponents next week when the fixtures are released at 9am on Thursday, June 16. Leeds are heading for a third consecutive season back in the Premier League following their final day ‘great escape’ from relegation via victory at Brentford coupled with Newcastle United’s triumph at Burnley. The Whites were also heading for a third consecutive campaign back in the top division back in 1992 but Howard Wilkinson’s side were approaching that campaign as newly-crowned champions of the land. Leeds had only been promoted back to the top tier as champions of the old Second Division in the Spring of 1990 a...

Chelsea are heading to Elland Road next week at a time when Leeds United are scrapping away for top-flight survival. By Lee Sobot But 30 years ago the Whites were battling it out for top-flight supremacy and beating the Blues in West Yorkshire as part of the club’s glorious title-winning campaign. Howard Wilkinson’s Whites were only in their second season back in the big time following promotion from the old Division Two as champions in the spring of 1990. But Leeds stormed to a fourth-placed finish upon their top-flight return and then further strengthened their ranks the following summer with the acquisitions of Rod Wallace and his twin brother Ray, in addition to Tony Dorigo, Steve Hodge, David Wetherall and John Newsome. The following January, the Whites then signed a 25-year-old Frenchman by the name of Eric Cantona from Nimes – and he netted a wonder goal to help to see off Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road on Saturday April 11, 1992. Wilkinson’s Whites approached the fixtur...

Leeds United were crowned English football's First Division champions on 26 April 1992 as the Whites defeated Sheffield United 3-2 at Bramall Lane By Joe Donnohue Much has changed since Leeds United last claimed a major honour in English football. On this day thirty years ago, the Whites were crowned First Division champions following a 3-2 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Leeds were one point ahead of arch-rivals Manchester United before kick-off, knowing victory would force Alex Ferguson's side to match Leeds' result against Liverpool later that afternoon, or hand the title to the Whites. It was the club's bright yellow change strip which Leeds adorned on the day but the game itself was anything but a sunny affair. Leeds were jittery and conceded the first goal as Blades striker Alan Cork reacted quickest inside the Whites' penalty area. Gordon Strachan's quick-thinking at a short free-kick allowed Leeds to draw level before the break as Ro...

Howard Wilkinson arrived at Leeds with a ten-year plan. Within four, they were champions Howard Wilkinson is not the man he seems to be. The only living English manager to have won the league title is often characterised as glum and pedantic. It is true that the hunger for learning that nourished his teaching career when he dropped down from playing with Brighton into the semi-professional game made him appear stilted, while his fondness for impenetrable pronouncements – for example “Zinedine Zidane could be a champion sumo wrestler, he can run like a crab or a gazelle” – left him vulnerable to ridicule. His thoughtfulness and tendency to weigh every word fed into his dour public image yet his players remember a tinder-dry sense of humour and his pragmatism. Wilkinson’s fitness regime and the sacrifices it entailed enforced changes to his teams’ diet while his rigorous drilling of set-pieces and his belief in the importance of the second ball, especially the knockdowns and flick-on...