We Love You Leeds

Last updated : 16 January 2009 By Kevin Markey
Full nameLeeds United Association Football Club
Nickname(s)The Whites, United, The Peacocks
Founded1919
GroundElland Road
Leeds
Capacity39,460
ChairmanEnglish Ken Bates
ManagerEnglish Simon Grayson
LeagueLeague One
2007-08League One 5th (Play-Off Finalists)

Honours

  • Football League Division 1/Premier League

Champions 1969, 1974, 1992

  • Football League Division Two/Championship

Champions 1924, 1964, 1990

  • F.A. Cup

Winners 1972

  • League Cup

Winners 1968

  • F.A. Charity Shield

Winners 1969, 1992

  • F.A. Youth Challenge Cup

Winners 1993, 1997

  • Inter Cities Fairs Cup

Winners 1968, 1971

Records

  • Football League Record

1905 Elected to Div. Two (Leeds City)
1919 Leeds City Disbanded
1920 Elected to Div. Two (Leeds United)
1924-27 Div. One
1927-28 Div. Two
1928-31 Div. One
1931-32 Div. Two
1932-47 Div. One
1947-56 Div. Two
1956-60 Div. One
1960-64 Div. Two
1964-82 Div. One
1982-90 Div. Two
1990-92 Div. One
1992-04 F.A. Premier League
2004-07 Football League Championship
2007- Football League One

  • Record Attendance

57,892 v Sunderland FA Cup Rd 5 replay, 15 March 1967

  • Record Receipts

£1,006,000 Everton v Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup semi-final 9th April 1995

  • Record Victories

League: 8-0 v Leicester City, Div.One, April 1934
FA Cup: 8-1 v Crystal Palace, Rd.3, Jan 1930
League Cup: 5-1 v Mansfield Town, Rd.2, Sept 1963
Europe: 10-0 v Lyn Oslo, European Cup Rd.1, leg 1, Sept 1969

  • Record Defeats

League: 1-8 v Stoke City, Div.One, Aug 1934
FA Cup: 2-7 v Middlesbrough, Rd.3, leg 2, Jan 1946
League Cup: 0-7 v Arsenal, Rd.2, Sept 1979 &, 0-7 v West Ham Utd., Rd.3, Nov 1966
Europe: 0-4 v SK Lierse, UEFA Cup, Rd.1, leg 2, Sept. 1971

Sequence Records

  • Most League Goals

98 Div. Two 1927-28

  • Most League goals in a season

John Charles (42) Div. Two 1953-54

  • Best undefeated start to a season

(29) 25th Aug. 1973 - 23rd Feb. 1974

  • Most matches undefeated

(34) 19th Oct. 1968 - 30th Aug. 1969

  • Most home matches undefeated

(39) 4th May 1968 - 28th Mar. 1970

  • Most away matches undefeated

(17) 19th Oct. 1968 - 30th Aug. 1969

  • Longest run without a home win

(10) 16th Jan. 1982 - 15th May 1982

  • Longest run without an away win

(26) 18th Mar. 1939 - 30th Aug. 1947

  • Most League wins (dates inclusive)

(9) 26th Sept. 1931 - 21st Nov 1931

  • Most League defeats (dates inclusive)

(6) 26th Apr. 1947 - 26th May 1947

  • Most League matches without a win

(17) 18th Jan. 1947 - 23rd Aug. 1947

  • Most home wins

(13) 9th Nov. 1968 - 13th Aug. 1969

  • Most away wins

(8) 21st Sept. 1963 - 28th Dec. 1963

  • Most League goals in a career

Peter Lorimer 168 (1965-79 & 1983-86)

  • Most goals in a match

Gordon Hodgson: 5 v Leicester City, Division One October 1938

  • Record Appearances
  • 1. Jack Charlton 773
  • 2. Billy Bremner 772
  • 3. Paul Reaney 748
  • 4. Norman Hunter 726
  • 5. Paul Madeley 725
  • 6. Peter Lorimer 703
  • 7. Eddie Gray 577
  • 8. Gary Kelly 531
  • 9. John Giles 527
  • 10. Gary Sprake 507
  • Most Capped Players

Lucas Radebe (South Africa, 61)
Johnny Giles (Eire, 60)
Billy Bremner (Scotland, 54)

  • Record Transfer Fee Received

£33,100,000 from Manchester United for Rio Ferdinand, July 2002 - only £30m received due to a contract clause stating Manchester United must win the premiereship twice in four years

  • Record Transfer Fee Paid

£18,000,000 to West Ham United for Rio Ferdinand, November 2000

  • Oldest Player

Eddie Burbanks (41 years, 23 days v Hull City, April 1954)

  • Youngest Player

Peter Lorimer (15 years, 289 days v Southampton, September 1962)

Managers

  • Dick Ray (1919-1920) - Managed the side for a season in the Northern League, after which he became Fairclough's assistant
  • Arthur Fairclough (1920-1927) - Won the Second Division championship, but never established the club in the First and left after relegation
  • Dick Ray (1927-1935) - Took the club back up and achieved their highest-ever league finish (5th) before leaving
  • Billy Hampson (1935-1947) - Some good performances before World War II were followed by the club's worst-ever league performance and relegation
  • Willis Edwards (1947-1948) - Barely even managed to keep the club in Division Two, and was reduced to trainer at the end of the season
  • Major Frank Buckley (1948-1953) - Didn't achieve promotion, but rebuilt much of the club and cultured some very promising players
  • Raich Carter (1953-1958) - Got the club promoted and did well in the First Division before being sacked for no apparent reason
  • Bill Lambton (1958-1959) - Managed a coup by signing Don Revie, but awful performances cost him his job
  • Willis Edwards (caretaker, 1959) - The returning former manager put together a good run of form to stave off relegation, but wasn't interested in returning full-time
  • Jack Taylor (1959-1961) - Leeds crashed straight out of the First Division, through the Second and looked to be about to go down to the Third by the time he was sacked
  • Don Revie (1961-1974) - Built a great Leeds United side which regularly won top trophies and was one of the most feared teams in Europe
  • Brian Clough (1974) - Lasted only six weeks, after which he was sacked due to poor results and bad relations with the players
  • Jimmy Armfield (1974-1978) - Took Leeds to their only European Cup final, where they lost to Bayern Munich
  • Jock Stein (1978) - Another six week reign, with decent results, but the Scotland manager's job lured him away
  • Jimmy Adamson (1978-1980) - Had a promising first season, but sold most of Armfield's team and left the club on the verge of relegation
  • David Merrington (caretaker, 1980) - Caretaker for two matches between Adamson and Clarke
  • Allan Clarke (1980-1982) - Former striker returned to the fallen giants as manager but was unable to restore top flight status
  • Eddie Gray (1982-1985) - Lasted three years before failure to win promotion cost him his job
  • Peter Gumby (caretaker, 1985) - Had a single match in charge while Bremner's appointment was sorted out
  • Billy Bremner (1985-1988) - Narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight and an F.A Cup final, and these failings eventually cost him his job
  • Norman Hunter (caretaker, 1988) - Three weeks in charge after Bremner's sacking, but never given serious consideration after the failures of his three predecessors
  • Howard Wilkinson (1988-1996) - Took Leeds back into the top flight and helped them end their 18-year title wait, although the run of success was not continued
  • George Graham (1996-1998) - Inherited a team in a precarious position but managed to keep Leeds in the top division. Led the team into the UEFA Cup after two seasons of struggle
  • David O'Leary (1998-2002) - Spent £100m on players in less than four years but was sacked after failing to win a trophy
  • Terry Venables (2002-2003) - Disasterous nine-month spell as manager ended after the club's financial crisis and need to sell key players pushed them down the Premiership
  • Peter Reid (2003) - Eight-month spell as manager began promisingly but was eventually ended by dismal form resulting from the club's financial plight and need to sell key players
  • Eddie Gray (caretaker, 2003-2004) - The Leeds legend was unable to save financially-troubled Leeds from inevitable relegation
  • Kevin Blackwell (2004-2006) - Gave Leeds stability after their relegation from the Premiership and quickly built a new team which almost won promotion in his second season as manager
  • John Carver (caretaker, 2006) - Took over for a brief spell but was completely out of his depth as boss, winning only one game
    Dennis Wise (2006-2008) - Controversial choice as successor to Blackwell and relegated 7 months after his appointment. But started the League One campaign in style despite a -15 point deduction. Left with 18 league games to go to join Newcastle's coaching staff after the two clubs agreed compensation
  • Gary McAllister (2008-2009) Former Leeds midfielder McAllister became the club's third manager in 16 months, a day after Wise's departure. Took the club to the League One Play-Off Final against Doncaster but after a poor start to the 2008/09 season was given the sack.
    Simon Grayson (2008-) Another former Leeds player took over the reigns in December 2008 after Ken Bates offered the position to Grayson who had a comfortable position as manager of Championship team Blackpool from where he resigned in controversial circumstances.