Mighty Leeds Weblog

While chief executive at Leeds United the club's radio station made 'unjust and unfair' broadcasts amounting to 'harassment' David Conn Shaun Harvey, chief executive of the Football League, is at the centre of a damning ruling by the regulator Ofcom over "unjust and unfair" broadcasts amounting to "harassment" made by Leeds United's in-house radio station, Yorkshire Radio, while he was the club's chief executive. It is the latest in a series of adverse rulings about the club's misconduct when Harvey was their chief executive and Ken Bates chairman, from 2005 until Bates sold the club last year. Harvey resigned from the club, under the ownership of Bahrain-based Gulf Finance House, in July, and in October was selected by the Football League to be its chief executive, to the astonishment of many Leeds supporters. Ofcom has found that in December 2010, Harvey "instructed" Yorkshire Radio to make at least six broadcasts clai...

by Phil Hay Former Leeds United chief executive Shaun Harvey will resign from the club’s board of directors on September 30, 24 hours before he takes charge of the Football League. The YEP understands that Harvey and Leeds have agreed to terminate his directorship on the final day of this month, officially ending his nine-year association with the Elland Road club. Harvey, 43, was removed from the post of chief executive on July 1 amid a raft of boardroom changes at Leeds but he remained as a director and a “senior advisor” to United’s Dubai-based owner, GFH Capital. His influence in the past two months had been minimal, however, and he is effectively on gardening leave from Elland Road. His departure from United’s board was hastened by the announcement on July 29 that he would replace Greg Clarke as the Football League’s new chief executive on October 1. Harvey was until recently a member of the Football League’s board in his capacity as a senior executive at Leeds but his new ...

By Thom Drake Neil Warnock has quit as manager of Leeds after admitting that it would appease the fans if he was not in charge for the remaining games in the season. Their 2-1 loss at home to Derby meant it was three defeats in a row and Leeds are now looking behind them to make sure they avoid relegation rather than chasing down a play-off place. A statement on the club website said: 'Leeds United have parted company with Neil Warnock with six games of the season to go. LEEDS' RECENT FORM Leeds 1-2 Derby Ipswich 3-0 Leeds Leeds 1-2 Huddersfield Leeds 1-1 Peterborough Crystal Palace 2-2 Leeds Leicester 1-1 Leeds Chief Executive Shaun Harvey, said: 'We would like to thank Neil for his efforts during his time as our manager and share his disappointment that we could not achieve promotion this season. Speculation over the future of Warnock had increased after the match as he made it clear that he was unlikely to stay much longer at the club. Speaking to Yorksh...

By Phil Hay Leeds United first put a firework up the backside of season-ticket prices in 2005. Later that summer the club got in touch to tell the YEP that income from sales had reached £4.5m with a further £1m guaranteed in credit payments. It prompted a very obvious question: how many season tickets had been sold? No comment. And with that you realised that a steep hike in prices had hacked away at the existing group of holders, as if there was any doubt that it would. Over time, 17,000 ran closer to 10,000 and the battle lines were drawn. Before the contentious rises, adult holders were charged a minimum of £330 and an average of between £400 and £450. Allowing for inflation, the reduced prices announced by Leeds on Thursday are almost in line with pre-Ken Bates attitudes. If you’re over 21 and yet to receive a bus pass, you’ll pay an average of £491. That’s £21 a game. This is sensible pricing in action and not before time; a genuine attempt to find the middle ground between re...

By Phil Hay Leeds United are hoping the draw of Elland Road will allow them to pull off the signing of Celtic striker Derek Riordan. The 25-year-old is on United's list of summer targets and manager Gary McAllister will use the prospect of promotion to the Championship next season to persuade Riordan to step into League One. Riordan is on the books of Scottish Premier League champions Celtic and has another year to run on his contract, but he is keen to leave the club after a frustrating spell in Glasgow. The former Hibernian trainee has not played in a competitive fixture since March and made his most recent league start in December. His appearances have totalled 32 since his transfer from Easter Road in 2006, and the opportunity of a switch to Leeds would be welcomed by Riordan if United decided to make a firm approach. Celtic held out for a £1m fee as a number of clubs circled over Riordan in January and they are likely to look for a similar sum from interested managers this sum...