Leeds United- The Great Escape

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Leeds United are a perfect example of overlending causing a downfall. Well, we use the term downfall loosely, it was the most well-documented tragedy since the Titanic. In the space of just 6 years, they went from Champion's League semi-finallists in 2001, to bottom of League One (third tier of English football) in 2007. Founded in 1919, Leeds United's best period of history was the late 60s and early 70s, where under the late Don Revie, they won everything except the European Cup. This period of history was followed by another in the early 90s, when they won Division Two title, Division One title (now the Championship, then the top flight) and the FA Community Shield under Howard Wilkinson.

Although now down in League One (remember this is 2009-10 season), the club still attracts some of the biggest attendances English 3rd tier football has ever seen and have only once dropped below 5 digits. The fans therefore still remain as madly loyal to the club as they did in the Champions League and Premier League 8 years ago in 2001 and one of the more vocal in Europe. They maintain a hate for their main rivals Manchester United and other rivals Galatasary, Chelsea and Millwall.

If the club aren't promoted at the 3rd attempt, it could get ugly in Yorkshire, so the pressure is on the board to find a new man to get it right after 3 managers (Dennis Wise, Gary McCallister and Simon Grayson) failed to do so.

TOWNEND TAKES LEEDS HOT SEAT



Leeds have signed on 44-year-old ex-England international Josh Townend as their new manager. The ex-Leeds centre-back had a reputation hor his no-nonsense style of play, a tough tackler, making arch rivals on the pitch and friends for life off it until his tough tackling ended his own career in 2004 after mis-timing a tackle on Bolton midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos on the day Leeds were relegated, breaking his ankle in 6 places.

The new man is charged with the challenge of taking Leeds to the Championship if he wants to stay at the club after next summer. If not, he knows where the League Two rejects are, and from the time he spent with the club, he knows full well where the exit door is too.

#63089 joshleedsfan : TOWNEND TAKES LEEDS HOT SEAT



Leeds have signed on 44-year-old ex-England international Josh Townend as their new manager. The ex-Leeds centre-back had a reputation hor his no-nonsense style of , a tough tackler, making arch rivals on the pitch and friends for life off it until his tough tackling ended his own career in 2004 after mis-timing a tackle on Bolton Stelios Giannakopoulos on the day Leeds were relegated, breaking his ankle in 6 places.

The new man is charged with the challenge of taking Leeds to the Championship if he wants to stay at the club after next summer. If not, he knows where the Two rejects are, and from the time he spent with the club, he knows full well where the exit door is too.

You're 44?!

You've aged fantastically well mate! haha

TRANSFERS IN

Flavien Belson- Free Agent
Gary Frewen- Free Agent
Simon Dawkins- Free Agent (noticing a pattern here?)
Ian Harte- Carlisle United (£600,000)

AUGUST-DECEMBER 2009

So far, so good. Townend's men have lost just once in all competitions in a 3-2 defeat away at Bristol Rovers. Ask any Leeds fan what the highlight of the season has been so far and you will hear a similar reaction, either the 6-1 thumping of Carlisle where Beckford bagged a hat-trick accompanied by goals from Leigh Bromby, Luciano Becchio and Bradley Johnson, the convincing 3-0 home win over promotion rivals Charlton which saw goals from Jonny Howson, Jermaine Beckford and Neil Kilkenny, or the first midweek game of the season, where 2,500 Leeds fans packed into the tiny away end at Walsall where goals from Robert Snodgrass, Luciano Becchio, Simon Dawkins and Paddy Kisnorbo sealed a 4-0 away win on a Tuesday night. Leeds currently top the table with 50 points from 24 games.

TRANSFERS BY JANUARY 2010

TRANSFERS IN
Amr Zaki- Zamalek(£2.1m)

TRNSFERS OUT
Gary Frewen- Fleetwood Town(Loan)
Josh Falkingham- Free Agent
Jonathan Webb- Free Agent
Alan Sheehan- Shrewsbury Town (£45,000)
Enoch Showunmi- Tranmere Rovers (£30,000)
Adam Watson- Free Agent
Ryan Jones- Free Agent

JANUARY-MAY 2010


Leeds fans spill out onto the pitch in their thousands after the Bristol Rovers game, in which they won the title, a week after winning promotion.

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Soccer AM presenters Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain with the trophy during Leeds legend Dominic Matteo's guest appearance on the show before the away fixture at Charlton

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The One trophy on the podium before being presesnted to Leeds United at a packed Elland Road

Very few Leeds fans are likely to forget this , despite the team living up to expectations. No, there was something special about this season, something that those who were at the Johnstones Paint Trophy final and last day of will tell their grandchildren about, something that will give them great pride to say 'I was there'. Not only did Leeds achieve promotion, but they also their first silverware for 18 years by achieving a League One and JPT double. They won both trophies at the expense of their promotion rivals Charlton Athletic- 2-0 at Wembley in the JPT final with goals from Neil Kilkenny and Jermaine Beckford, before managing to keep the scoreline 0-0 at home to Bristol Rovers whilst Oldham snatched a last gasp equaliser at Boundary Park against Charlton, provoking an instant pitch invasion when the news came out over tannoy at Elland Road. Leeds also promotion at the expense of Charlton despite losing 2-0 at the valley, because 3rd placed Huddersfield had also lost against Colchester United at the Galpharm.

That 2-0 defeat against Charlton was their only other defeat after Bristol Rovers away, which meant they made Elland Road a fortress by not losing a single game at home all season- not even cup games as their cup exits came away from home. With star Jermaine Beckford having signed a new 2-year deal halfway through the season, the future in the Championship is looking good for this Yorkshire club.

As for Josh Townend, thats a different story. He's managing the club he has supported since was knee-height and played for throughout his entire career and has a promotion challenge in the Championship to look to.