1. A new life begins
Leeds 1-0 Derby, 7 August 2004
Following 14 years in the top flight, Leeds United were now in the Championship and rather unknown territory. This was a club with an enormous fanbase, history to rival most of the first division, but it was also a club with debts of over £100m. They were not expected to make a push for an automatic return to the Premier League as preventing successive relegations was the main priority.
Kevin Blackwell’s side started this new journey at home to Derby on a sunny afternoon in August but it highlighted to the Leeds supporters that this season was not going to be easy or pretty. It took a scruffy goal by Frazer Richardson 18 minutes from time to give the home side the victory. Leeds would go on to finish 14th in their first season in the Championship but the sale of their training ground and Elland Road during the campaign spoke of the wider issues at the club.
2. Further misery
Luton Town 5-1 Leeds, 21 October 2006
Another two seasons were spent in the Championship after the club was sold to Ken Bates. But in their third campaign, things took a further turn for the worse. The season started badly with the side conceding late goals in several matches, Blackwell was sacked and John Carver was brought in before also being relieved of his duties with Dennis Wise being installed as his replacement.
It was the heavy defeat to Luton Town, their fourth successive loss, that signalled a serious problem for Leeds. “Thrashed” and “humiliated” were the words being banded around after the embarrassing defeat. From there, Leeds never recovered and failed to escape the relegation zone. A 10-point deduction for entering administration didn’t help matters and it was confirmed on 4 May 2007 that Leeds would go down to the third-tier of English football for the first time in the club’s history.
3. A glimmer of light
Tranmere 1-2 Leeds, 11 August 2007
“Leeds found their new level here” was the opening line of the Guardian’s match report of Leeds’ first game in League One. The fall had been sharp and the summer intense as boardroom issues and finances dominated the headlines, but on the Wirral against Tranmere, Leeds got their season underway with three points. Goals from Chris Greenacre and Tresor Kandol started a run of 13 matches unbeaten which took them into the play-off positions in which they stayed for much of the season.
In the summer prior, the squad was overhauled in order to adjust to the new financial model in which the club had to operate. It led to many a new name taking to the field at Elland Road in front of fans who supported their club ferociously despite the situation. By the end of the season, Leeds had reached the play-offs but failed at the final hurdle as Doncaster Rovers beat them to take the last place in the Championship. It was a tough blow. But at least there was a glimmer of light after days of darkness.
4. A step in the right direction
Leeds 2-1 Bristol Rovers, 8 May 2010
Simon Grayson became the first Leeds manager in four years to last a full season and celebrated it by winning the club’s first promotion in twenty years. Leeds had spent three season’s in League One and their final campaign went all the way to a nail-biting season finale against Bristol Rovers.
Leeds needed a win to guarantee promotion but when Max Gradel got sent off and Darryl Duffy scored for Rovers after half-time it appeared that the Yorkshire club would have to settle for another play-off place. However, Jonathan Howson and Jermaine Beckford, the club’s leading goalscorer for three seasons, scored within four minutes to give Leeds the victory and secure their promotion back to the Championship.
5. Struggles on and off the pitch
Leeds 0-0 Rotherham, 2 May 2015
For the next six seasons, Leeds were a mess. Ownership issues, mainly centering around Massimo Cellino whose company had bought the club, didn’t help in bringing stability to the club. Neither did a series of managers who came and went through the revolving door without really being given a chance.
There were too many mid-table finishes to count, but in the 2014/15 season Leeds lost 20 games out of 46 and drew 11. A decade after falling from the Premier League a return, in many ways, felt as distant as ever. Drawing at home to fellow Yorkshire side Rotherham United on the final day of the season spoke of how underwhelming the season had been. The game was goal-less and even involved manager Steve Evans arriving wearing a sombrero, shorts and flip-flops after promising to do so if he kept the side up. How desperate for such a great club.
6. A false dawn
Leeds 0-1 Wolves, 17 April 2017
Having spent much of the season in the play-off spots, many thought that this may be the year that Leeds may find their way back to the Premier League. Garry Monk had been a shrewd appointment and was a level above the previous managers that had taken the hot-seat in recent seasons. With four games to play, they were still in with a chance for automatic promotion having put a solid run of results together during the winter months.
However, a narrow defeat at the hands of Wolves pushed Leeds out of the play-off positions. A promising season was now on the line but a further defeat and two draws saw the season end in disappointing fashion. What appeared to be Leeds’ best chance of promotion for many seasons ended with more misery. A new owner was in town as Andrea Radrizzani bought out Cellino’s share of the club.
7. Bielsa’s first match
Leeds 3-1 Stoke 5 August 2018
Marcelo Bielsa arrived in June 2018 with a back catalogue of clubs and admirers, his appointment was seen as a coup for the club. In his first game in charge, Leeds blew Stoke City away. They had just been relegated from the Premier League but had no answer to Leeds’ relentless pressing and high-energy attacking.
This was the first time that many got to see Bielsa’s new team applying his tactical methods and playing such a style. It was clear that things were changing. Captain Liam Cooper scored that day and would go on to become one of Bielsa’s most trusted players. It signalled the start of something new and it was certainly promising.
8. Play-off heartbreak
Leeds 2-4 Derby, 15 May 2019
In Bielsa’s first season, Leeds looked good for automatic promotion. They were winning over neutrals with their entertaining play, ‘El Loco’ manager and the daftness of ’spygate’. But things started to stutter beginning with defeat away to Wigan and then three defeats and one draw in their final four games. Accusations of bottling their chance were aimed at the team but still they were in the play-offs and the favourites to win it.
Having won their first-leg away at Derby by a single goal, Leeds made it 2-0 on aggregate early in the second-leg. Derby were gifted a lifeline before half-time with Jack Marriott tapping into an empty net. Then Frank Lampard’s side turned the tide. Goals from Mason Mount and Harry Wilson made it 3-1 on the night, Stuart Dallas got Leeds back to 3-3 on aggregate before Gaetano Berardi was sent off for the hosts and Marriott won the tie for Derby with fives minutes to go. Elland Road was in shock. So close, yet so far.
9. Go again
Luton 1-2 Leeds, 23 November 2019
Bielsa stayed at the club despite talk of a possible departure after a single season and he brought in Ben White who would go on to lead Leeds’ back-line following the exit of popular centre-back Pontus Jansson. They made a good start to the season but once again the Championship table was congested. A few dropped points sent Leeds down to third and such was the competition that fans thought the strife for promotion would be the most intense yet.
A seven game winning run was a statement from Bielsa’s men and key among that sequence came the game against Luton. It was against Luton back in 2006 that Leeds’ slide down a division became evident and 13 years on, this match signalled a move in the opposite direction. With the match tied at 1-1 in the final minute, one final attack led to Matty Pearson putting the ball into his own goal. Leeds moved three points clear in second place and didn’t move below that position from that day.
10. All but confirmed
Leeds 3-0 Fulham, 27 June 2020
A three-month hiatus due to lockdown raised questions as to whether Leeds were again going to miss out on promotion due to exceptional circumstances, but resumption brought a renewed appetite for Leeds and this victory over fellow promotion hopefuls Fulham was a significant one.
Fulham played well for the first-half but Leeds’ relentlessness and desire that was apparent. Bielsa switched it up at half-time, bringing on Pablo Hernandez who brought more creativity and the win was theirs. There was no crowd to cheer them on but having dispatched Scott Parker’s side, Leeds now knew that their time was coming.
Less than a month later and Leeds’ quest ended on a Friday evening without even kicking a ball. West Brom, their promotion sparing partner, conceded a late winner against relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town which meant that Leeds could not be caught in the automatic promotion places. Brentford’s defeat the next day ensured Leeds would be promoted to the Premier League as champions after a 16-year journey of ups and downs.