Issue 45:

The excitement builds for the new season

Leeds United will begin life in the npower Championship with an Elland Road clash against Derby County on Saturday August 7 – and manager Simon Grayson can’t wait.

The Rams roll into Elland Road to kick-off a season which the Leeds boss can’t wait to get underway.

“I think everyone wants to start at home”, said Grayson. “There will be a good crowd and it’s a nice start for us against a team who will be looking to do well. It’s obviously a nice one for Paul Connolly who joined us from Derby last week, but the fixture list always seems to throw something like that up.

“As a whole, the first month is interesting, and September looks particularly exciting with a run of three derby games.”

United’s first away trip comes the following weekend at Nottingham Forest on Saturday August 14 before games against Millwall at Elland Road (Saturday August 21) and Watford (Saturday August 28) conclude the first month.

The first derby trip of the season comes on Tuesday September 14 at Barnsley and Leeds are back in South Yorkshire four days later for the trip to Doncaster Rovers (Saturday September 18).

Sheffield United’s visit to Elland Road on Saturday September 25 completes a run of three straight all-Yorkshire games.

“Last year was predominantly a southern-based division and we were on the road a lot with no real derbies”, said Grayson.

“This year there are a lot of teams in the Yorkshire area, there’s Burnley and Preston, and there’s a few in the Midlands so there’s plenty to look forward to.

“Three within 11 days in September is something to look forward to. We’ll be playing teams from this area and it can only add spice, not only to the area, but also to the league.”

United’s next local clash is at Middlesbrough on Saturday October 16 and Cardiff City make their first visit to Elland Road for four years on Saturday October 23.

Hull City are the visitors on Tuesday November 9 and before Christmas Leeds also face a first league meeting with Bristol City for 30 years on Saturday November 13; a trip to Reading (Saturday November 27); and a trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Saturday December 11.

On Boxing Day, Leeds head for Leicester City, before facing successive home games against Portsmouth (Tuesday December 28) and Middlesbrough (New Years Day). The club’s first away trip of 2011 is at Cardiff City on Monday January 3 and we head to Portsmouth on Saturday January 22.

The trip to Hull City is scheduled for Tuesday February 1 while other Yorkshire dates see Barnsley at Elland Road on Tuesday February 22, Doncaster come to Leeds on Saturday March 5, and United head for Sheffield United on Saturday March 19.

The final run-in sees three London away trips come together with Millwall (Saturday April 9), Crystal Palace (Monday April 25), and the last game of the season is at QPR on Sunday May 8. United’s final home game is against Burnley on Saturday April 30.

Issue 44:

“We Are Goin’ Up!”

Leeds United are back in the Championship after ending a three-year exile.

The club beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 at Elland Road on the final day of the season to secure a long-awaited return to football’s second tier.

The victory was greeted with wild celebrations at Elland Road as 1000s of fans celebrated with the players and management.

“This means so much to everybody connected with this club,” said delighted manager Simon Grayson.

“The staff, the players, and the people behind the scenes have all worked so hard to achieve this.

“Winning any promotion is a great achievement, but to do it as manager of the club I supported and the club where I started my career is something else.

“It really is a great achievement and everyone should be so proud.”
In keeping with the nature of United’s season, it was a far from straightforward afternoon.

Max Gradel was red carded in the first half and when Bristol Rovers went 1-0 up in the game, Charlton Athletic, who were winning at Oldham, were suddenly propelled into the promotion spot.

But substitute Jonny Howson levelled the scores before Jermaine Beckford secured the win - and promotion - with a second goal moments later.

“We don’t seem to do things the easy way here, but I always had a confidence and belief in the players,” said the boss.

“Okay, we left it to the last day, had 10 men, and came from a goal behind, but the players have showed the desire, not only on Saturday, but on other days as well.

“The crowd made up for the loss of Max and the atmosphere was incredible. I think we’ve all been through every emotion possible these past nine months.

“It was all about getting the team, the club, and the city promoted, and we’re back in a league we deserve to be in.”

Skipper Leads the way for Leeds

Skipper Richard Naylor was quick to speak of his pride after Leeds United secured promotion back to the Championship.

The Leeds-born defender has led the club since returning to his home city in January 2009 from Ipswich, and the promotion success was the culmination of an important mission for Naylor.

“I’m very proud at what we’ve done,”

he said.

“We’ve done it the hard way - I said after the Charlton game, that we never seem to make things easy at this club - and it’s been a long hard season, but we got there, and that’s the most important thing.

“Things didn’t go our way again on Saturday in the first half, but Jonny scored a great goal which changed the game and we went on from there.

“The scenes at the end were great. It’s what we’ve worked for all season and I was very proud and pleased for everyone.
“We enjoyed Saturday night and we’ll start looking ahead to the Championship.

“Leicester have shown what’s possible when you come up from League One, and if we can keep pushing on who knows what we can achieve.

“We also have a good nucleus of Leeds lads in the team which can be important at times.”

It’s all ‘White’ for Leeds

Leeds United are proud to unveil the new all white home kit for the 2010/2011 season.

The new kit sees the club return to the classic all-white strip that has been synonymous with some of the greatest periods within the Clubs history. The all-white strip was worn for the first time when the club clinched promotion against Bristol Rovers in May.

The new kit is exclusively available from the Leeds United Superstore and on-line at www.leedsunited.com.

To celebrate the launch, fans that purchase the new kit are being given the opportunity to enter a fantastic competition, whereby they will be given the chance to pull on the white shirt and play on the famous Elland Road pitch at the end of next season. Look out for the competition entry page on www.leedsunited.com.

Don’t forget there’s a 10 per cent discount for Leeds United Season Ticket Holders and Members on production of valid Membership card and details at the Elland Road Superstore and the Online Superstore.

Please note that Babies, Infant Kits and Ladies shirts will be available from May 18th.

Photography by: Andrew Varley

Issue 41:

GRAYSON’S MEN IN POLE POSITION

LEEDS UNITED head towards the festive period with a tight grip on the League One promotion race.

After 18 games, Simon Grayson’s side were six points clear at the top of the division and were a whopping 10 points clear in the promotion places.

The 1-0 defeat of Leyton Orient at Elland Road at the end of November saw the unbeaten home record stretch to 20 matches and, as the New Year beckons, Grayson’s men are established as the firm favourites to book a Championship return.

But the manager is determined to keep his feet and the feet of his players firmly on the ground.

“We’ve had a great start to the season and we’re in a great position,” he said. “There’s a lot of other clubs who would love to be in the position we’re in – but there’s still a long way to go. Promotions aren’t won in November and December, they are won in May and it’s where we are then that counts.

“What we’ve done is given ourselves a platform with the start we’ve had. We’ve shown a good level of consistency and we keep raising the standards higher and higher. I thought we were terrific when we won 4-0 at Bristol Rovers, but then we went to Brighton and turned in what I felt was our best performance of the season.

“It’s all about keeping it going. We have the players here who have a real belief in what they are doing. There’s no complacency among them and if they see other players slacking they tell them. That’s how it should be.”

MAX IS MAD FOR IT AT LEEDS

Leeds United loan man Max Gradel was delighted to secure his short-term future with the club, following an extension to his loan move.

The 22 year old, who joined from Leicester City for an initial month, had his stay extended until January 2 after impressing both the manager and the Elland Road fans.

Gradel struck the winning goal against Orient in November and walked away from Elland Road with his second Man of the Match award of the month.

“I’m very happy to be back here,” said Max, “Leeds asked Leicester, and Leicester didn’t say no, so I’m really happy. Leicester thought it was best for me, and best for me to keep playing first team football.

“I haven’t spoken with the Leicester manager, but I hope to speak to him in January to see what options are available to me. I don’t know what will happen, but I want to play first team football and we’ll talk about it in January, and see what the best thing is.

“It’s Leicester’s decision and we’ll see, but I need to do what’s best for me at the moment.”

The player has settled in quickly with United.

“The manager, the staff, and the players have helped me settle down quickly and I’m enjoying it here,” he added. “I need to get more confidence and get my fitness levels high, and I’m looking to keep on going now.

“We have a lot of games coming up that we have to be ready for, and I’m looking forward to things.”

SPEND CHRISTMAS AT ELLAND ROAD

Elland Road will be the only place to be this Christmas as Simon Grayson’s men look to end 2009 on a high on home soil.

United entertain Southampton on Saturday December 19 and the manager celebrates his first anniversary as Leeds United boss seven days later when the club entertain Hartlepool United on Boxing Day.

As a special festive offer, if fans buy a ticket for Southampton and Hartlepool in the same transaction they can purchase a Hartlepool ticket at a Category B price.

Tickets are on sale now to members and go on general sale on Wednesday December 2.
Call 0871 334 1992 to book or visit leedsunited.com

Please note: This offer is only available until 5pm Friday December 18

Issue 40:

Leeds United made a surprise appearance at Adel Primary School.

Leeds United manager Simon Grayson, his first team squad, and World Cup winner Norman Hunter made a surprise appearance at Adel Primary School in last month to spread the word about the City Region’s bid to be a host city at the 2018 World Cup, should England be successful.

They were there to celebrate the launch of a DVD produced by Leeds United, in association with Leeds City Council, aimed at promoting the Back The Bid Leeds campaign in schools.

The DVD is being distributed to over 300 schools in the area and Adel was the launch venue. The players and management even arrived on a specially branded Back The Bid bus.

After watching the DVD with the pupils, the players signed autographs and chatted the children, and the manager said it was an enjoyable afternoon.

“It’s been good,” said Grayson. “It’s something worthwhile and backing the bid is important to the city and the club. Coming to a school is good because the players realise the children contribute to their wages and support them, and it’s good for the kids to meet their heroes.

“It’s important to get involved with the community like this.”

Former Leeds school pupil Jonny Howson proved a popular attraction for the kids and he said the players enjoyed the experience.

“It’s good to come back to the schools and it’s nice for the kids,” he said. “I know what it’s like being a young lad getting autographs and I always make time for that. All the lads did and it was enjoyable meeting the kids.

“The most important thing is getting the votes for the bid. It would give the city a massive lift if we could bring the World Cup here. It’s a big sporting city and for the World Cup to come would top it off.”

Adel headteacher Stephen Boothroyd said the visit had created a real buzz around school during the week.

“There was a buzz all week from the pupils and the staff,” he said. “They’ve been talking about it all week, and the players went and sat with them on the floor during assembly which was great.

“We feel privileged that they visited us - and Norman Hunter as well who has been a great ambassador - and we were honoured to be a part of it.

“We would like Leeds as a host city to host World Cup games Being from the city myself I think it would be great for the city and would give us a buzz.”

To register your support visit
www.backthebidleeds.com

UNITED LEAD THE WAY

Leeds United ended the month of October by blazing a trail at the top of League One.

A 12-game unbeaten league start came to an end when United were felled by old rivals Millwall on October 24 - but Simon Grayson’s men responded by thrashing Bristol Rovers 4-0 on their own patch just three days later.

The 4-0 success was United’s most comprehensive away league win for over six years, and the club’s promotion campaign is gathering in strength as each week passes by.

“It’s been a great start,” said manager Simon Grayson. “I’m sure most other teams in the league would have taken the start we’ve had, but now we have to build on that.

“We came back from our first defeat with a terrific performance at Bristol Rovers and we raised the bar even higher with the standards we showed.

“Promotions aren’t won in October, they are won in May and it’s where you are then that counts. We’ve given ourselves the start, now we have to continue.”

Jermaine Beckford, who became the first Leeds
player to bag 30 goals in a season for almost 40 years last term, has again started in fine form and after scoring a last-minute winner against Norwich at Elland Road he scored his ninth and 10th goals of the season at Bristol Rovers.

“Jermaine is a quality striker,” added Grayson. “You only have to look at his goal against Norwich in the last-minute. Other players had turned their backs, but he was there, waiting, and he was rewarded for keeping going right to the last.”

TICKETS are now on sale to Members for the home game against Huddersfield Town on December 5 (12.15pm).

The East Stand Upper will be opened priced at Adults £26, Senior Citizens £16 and Juniors £12 (equivalent to North Stand prices for the Category A game).

Tickets are currently only available to Members online, but tickets are available from Monday via all usual sales channels until Saturday November 14.

Tickets will go on general sale from Monday November 16.

Fans are advised to book early for the game. Full details are available on www.leedsunited.com.

To vote for Leeds to be one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup visit www.backthebidleeds.com

Issue 39:

Leeds United manager Simon Grayson hailed his record-breaking players after a terrific start to the new season.

The 2-0 win against Stockport County at the start of September saw the class of 2009 etch their name into the Leeds United history books.

The 2-0 success was United’s 14th straight league win home soil - bettering the 13 set by Don Revie’s side in 1969 - and it was the eighth straight victory to the start the season in all competitions, bettering the seven straight wins at the start of the 1973 season.

“The players can be proud of themselves,” he said. “To break the records they have is terrific, and they deserve full credit for what they have done. There’s been some great players and managers at this club and to put their names in the record books is something they should all be very proud of. This club is steeped in history and tradition and they have created a record which we hope we expand upon.

“In terms of our season, we haven’t achieved anything and no one here thinks we have, but to win eight straight games to start the season - six of them in the league - and to win 14 on the bounce at home in the league is a fantastic achievement for everyone concerned.”

First half goals from Mike Grella, his first for the club, and Lubo Michalik with his first in over two years, proved enough to see off a spirited Stockport side in front of almost 23,000 at Elland Road.

“I wouldn’t say it was a great performance, but it was a victory and that’s what counts,” said the manager. “Sometimes you don’t play as well as you can, but you have to win games, and that’s what we did.

“We were comfortable enough without really imposing ourselves, but it was another win. You have to give Stockport credit and our players have had a heavy schedule, but we’ve set high standards and we know we can do better.”

SIMON GRAYSON allowed his players “a couple of minutes of excitement” after being paired with Liverpool in the Carling Cup before bringing them back down to earth.

United will entertain the Premier League side in the third round of the Carling Cup during the week commencing September 21.
It is the biggest cup draw the club has had since suffering relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2003/04 season.

The United management and players learnt of the draw as they were preparing for the weekend clash at Colchester United.

“We found out the draw at the hotel and we let them have a couple of minutes of excitement,” said the manager. “It is a fantastic draw for the club. There’ll be a full house and it should be a great evening for everyone.

“But we stressed to the players it’s the last I want to hear of it for a few weeks now. We have too many big games before Liverpool and ultimately that’s why we are here.”

THE City of Leeds region welcomed a delegation from the FA’s England World Cup 2018 committee in early September, as the city continues its bid to become a host for the competition.

Leeds United and Scotland legends Peter Lorimer and Eddie Gray were on hand to welcome the delegation, along with representatives from the City Council and partners.
Representatives from England 2018 visited Leeds to see for themselves why it should be a host city for the games. After a presentation at Leeds City Museum about Leeds as a potential host city, they split into three groups to visit venues specific training sites, FIFA fan fest (festival) sites and City Centre hotels, accompanied by relevant council officers and representatives of Leeds.

Shaun Harvey, chief executive of Leeds United said: “We’ve been working hard over the past few months and we are looking forward to welcoming the England 2018 delegation. There will be plenty going on around the city on Monday and we hope as many people as possible will show their support for our bid.”

Councillor Richard Brett, leader of Leeds City Council said: “The Leeds City Region is doing everything possible to ensure Leeds becomes a host city for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The prospect of hosting World Cup matches is an exciting one. It will bring huge benefits to the city and surrounding area and ensure that all that is great about Leeds and Yorkshire is shown to audiences around the world.

“I am confident that the England 2018 delegation will be impressed during their visit and will return to London convinced that Leeds would make a great host city.”

To vote for Leeds to be one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup visit www.backthebidleeds.com

Issue 38:

BACK THE BID LEEDS
The Leeds City Region has officially launched its bid to become a World Cup host city.

The City Region is bidding to become a host city for either the 2018 World Cup or the 2022 World Cup should England be awarded host nation status.

And a number of official Leeds World Cup Ambassadors joined Council leaders, city dignitaries, and representatives of Leeds United at the launch in Millennium Square.

The Ambassadors are former Leeds United players who have represented their respective countries in World Cups dating back to 1966.

Norman Hunter (1966 - England), Peter Lorimer (1974 - Scotland), Gordon McQueen (1978 - Scotland), Nigel Martyn (2002 - England), and Rui Marques (2006 - Angola) all attended the launch and spoke passionately about why they would like to see the World Cup come to this part of Yorkshire.

Allan Clarke (1970 - England), Jack Charlton (1966/1990 - England/Rep of Ireland) and Eddie Lewis (2006 - USA) have also agreed to act as a official Ambassadors and have thrown their weight behind the campaign. Elland Road boss Simon Grayson was also at the launch, along with council leader Richard Brett, deputy council leader Andrew Carter, and Leeds United CEO Shaun Harvey.

Shaun Harvey said: “We’re delighted to be associated with the bid and we’re all working closely together in the hope that we can bring the World Cup to the City Region.

“I’d like to say a special thanks to the Ambassadors who have pledged their support. The club has a great history with the World Cup and we have an association going back to 1966 which is a big part of our history.

“The West Riding County FA are also supporting the bid. While the World Cup is seen as the pinnacle, it is vital that we have the support of the masses, and we would encourage everyone to support the bid.” The United manager said: “It would be terrific if the World Cup came to Leeds. Everyone knows it’s a great sporting city and wherever you travel people associate Leeds with Leeds United.
“Attracting the World Cup to the region would obviously be a big boost to the city in terms of showing people what we have to offer here.

“2018 may seem a long way off, but a lot of people are working very hard on this, and hopefully if England is successful in its bid, we will see the World Cup coming to Yorkshire in all its glory.”

You can register your support for the World Cup bid by visiting www.backthebidleeds.com



READY TO GO AGAIN…

LEEDS UNITED’S new League One campaign gets underway on Saturday 8th August with a visit from Exeter City.

United manager Simon Grayson had made three new signings before the end of July with Australian international Patrick Kisnorbo, Jason Crowe, and Shane Higgs all joining the club in readiness for the new campaign.

United visited Ireland once again during pre-season before games against Blackburn, Newcastle, and Burnley.

“Pre-season is all about getting ready for that opening game,” said United manager Simon Grayson. “Results don’t matter. It’s about fitness, working hard, developing partnerships
and building team shape.”

The boss said he was pleased with a number of his squad’s early performances, and was delighted to see his strike pairing of Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio hit the back of the net during the pre-season games.

“You always want to see your strikers scoring goals and they’ve done well,” he said. “Our performances have been good, we’ve passed it well and created chances for periods in games, and we’ve prepared well.”



NEW SEASON, NEW KIT…

Leeds United will kick off the new campaign with a new home kit and a new away kit. The home kit was launched at the final league game of last season, against Northampton, and the yellow away shirt was worn for the first time in the pre-season friendly against Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road.

The new shirts are available to purchase at the Elland Road Superstore and the club’s Online Superstore.

Everybody who purchases the shirt will have a chance to enter a competition, looking for fans wearing their new shirt in any location, anywhere in the world.

The amazing prizes include a holiday of a lifetime for two to South Africa, courtesy of the club’s shirt sponsor netflights.com. To enter you must submit a photo of yourself wearing your new shirt(s) in different countries around the world.

Visit www.weareverandever.com for the latest entries and for details of how you can enter.

No sooner had the final whistle sounded the end of Leeds United’s unsuccessful League One campaign, than Elland Road chairman Ken Bates ushered in the 2009/2010 season.

Leeds United suffered Play-Off semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Millwall, losing 2-1 on aggregate to the London club, but Bates and manager Simon Grayson were quick to turn their attentions to the forthcoming campaign.

“Simon (Grayson) came in to see me afterwards and we went through every player on the books and what we want to do,” the Leeds chairman said. “I had a staff meeting first thing on Friday morning and I told them: ‘Last night has gone. We’re now planning for promotion next season, and that planning starts now. This is the first day of our title-winning season.’

“We had a traumatic season because for the second one in succession we had a change of manager which is always unsettling. But next season we start properly. We have a good manager, a good playing staff which will be strengthened and great fans. We’re very lucky here. We have a passionate fan base, we have big plans for the club, and we’ve had a set-back. We are a year behind schedule, but we’ll put that right next season.”

The manager was also looking ahead in positive and insists that his players should use their near-miss as inspiration next term.
“In the end, we came up short against Millwall over two games but it wasn’t through lack of effort,” said Grayson. “It was a very quiet dressing room afterwards, but we have to use it as motivation. Some of them have been through it, but they’ll all stick together.

“We don’t deserve to be in this league, but we are. Look at our fans. They were outstanding, and the reception at the end of the Millwall game meant so much.

“We’ve fallen short, but we’ll be back. We’d love to be in the Championship, but we’re not and we’ll properly and we set our sights higher for next season.” The manager has already drawn up his plans for the 2009/2010 season and his message to the players immediately after the final whistle was that automatic promotion will be the aim next term.

“We have to start positively and make sure we get promoted,” he said. “It was difficult to take immediately afterwards, but we’ll use it as an inspiration to straight up. We’ll use the Millwall experience to be better and stronger and come back and win automatic promotion, never mind the Play-Offs. I’m extremely proud of the players and the staff, and what they’ve done over the past few months. When we came in December anything could have happened. We could have dwindled away, but we galvanised them and we’ve lost two in 17. If you have a run like that at this stage and you don’t get promoted you are probably very unlucky, but credit to them.”

Both manager and chairman were also quick to praise the support of the Leeds. Over 37,000 turned out for the Play-Off semi-final – the highest Football League crowd of the season – and Leeds were afforded a standing ovation in defeat against Millwall.

“The support was unbelievable yet again and I can’t thank them enough,” Grayson said. “The reception at the end meant a lot. Since the day I walked through the door in December the fans have been with us every step of the way. I think the fans appreciate what we’ve done as a group, and that’s how we will do it next year by all sticking together as a group.

The fans knew we’d had a go at it. The fans have been outstanding both at Elland Road and away, and I’m more disappointed that we couldn’t reward them, but we’ll all come back stronger.”

The United chairman was also quick to praise what he described as “the best fans I’ve ever seen. “I have nothing but praise for the fans,” he added. “The players were given a standing ovation and to hear them chanting ‘There’s only one Simon Grayson’ was very encouraging as well. I have to say these fans are the best I’ve ever seen in football. They’ve had nothing to celebrate, but they’ve been fantastic.”

NEW SEASON – NEW KIT

Leeds United launched the new 2009/2010 home kit ahead of the final league game of the season. The team wore the new shirt for the games against Northampton and Millwall, and will be worn next season. The new shirt incorporates a striking blue side panel on the shirt and shorts with Royal and Yellow trim adjacent to the club crest, a new netflights.com logo, and a Macron logo which is now Royal Blue to complement the new strip design.

The new strip is available in Mens, Junior, Infant and Baby kits and with the addition of a Ladies shirt for the 2009/10 season.

Mens and Ladies Shirts £40, Junior Shirts £33, Infant Kits are £30, and Baby Kits £26. There is a 10 per cent discount for Leeds United Season Ticket holders and Members on production of valid Membership card number at the Elland Road Superstore or via the Online Superstore. Everybody who purchases the shirt will have a chance to enter our new competition, looking for fans wearing their new shirt in any location, anywhere in the world.

The amazing prizes include a holiday of a lifetime for two to South Africa, courtesy of our shirt sponsor netflights.com. To enter you must submit a photo of yourself wearing your 2009/2010 shirt in different countries around the world. There are many prizes to be won, go to the competition website for more details: www.weareverandever.com.

Congratulations to Jermaine Beckford for winning player of the year award