Wise hopes for winning streak to continue
Who would have thought that you would see Forest v Leeds playing each other in the third tier of English Football? This is a Premier League game in all but current status as two teams with huge support and proud history slug it out. Expect the best part of 30k to watch the game to give an early indication as to who is the Division’s best!
What the XXXX is going on?
"Marching on together, we’re gonna see you win!!"
Suddenly the world is talking about Leeds United as a Football team again! Three impressive wins have got the fans buzzing and 24,063 supporters at Elland Road loved to see Leeds put a team to the sword for the first time in ages to get the vultures eating their words. Make no mistake, Tranmere and Southend are useful sides so to hell with the comments that United has yet to meet any worthy opponents. Three games, three wins, seven goals scored, seven scorers is enough said!
Leeds top the ‘real’ League One and suddenly even 15 points seem an achievable bridge to gap. In fact, maybe the Football League should have made it 30 points if they wanted to stand in our way!These are early days and no-one is getting too cocky but what a start! Leeds will once again take a big following to Nottingham on Saturday so let’s hope those fans give Wisey’s boys a lift and keep the winning streak going! Suddenly we are LEEDS UNITED again – bring it on!
Who are ya?
Forest were the summer’s red hot favourites for League One but have made a cautious start with two 0-0 draws so far including last weekends efforts at Swansea. Most famous player in the Forest line-up will be Neil Lennon, the ex-Celtic favourite who joined in the summer. Two players linked with Leeds in the past include Kelvin Wilson who was close to joining the Whites a few months back, and Nathan Tyson. In Kris Commons Forest have one of the better players in this Division and he will be a handful. Another Leeds connection is John Pemberton who is reserve Manager at Forest and served Leeds for four seasons in the 1990’s.
Did you know?
John Sheridan is a Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday legend, yet many Forest fans will ask why their club ever signed him in the summer of 1990! True he was a precocious talent – a sublime passer of the ball and deadly from a dead ball situation - but he only ever played one game for the team managed by Brian Clough, a League Cup game against Huddersfield Town. There are many conspiracy theories surrounding this with the most obvious being Sheridan’s reported love of a good night out, which was one of the primary reasons why Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson was happy to let him go. Mind you, Cloughy liked a drink – maybe Shez nicked his whisky? Another theory was that Ronnie Fenton, Clough’s assistant, against the boss’s wishes, signed Sheridan? Who knows, but either way Forest fans missed out on a chance to see a great player.
Another strange Forest tale was that of Gary McAllister. Before he joined Leeds he was a star player at Leicester and attracted the eye of Clough who launched a bid to sign the talented Scotsman. Fee agreed and meeting called yet McAllister opted to stay at Filbert Street than join up with Forest. Rumour has it that Cloughy, who always preferred the family man Footballer, questioned McAllister about his single lifestyle suggesting McAllister may be gay! It is rumoured that Macca stormed out in disgust. Forest’s loss was very much Leeds gain as Macca joined United a year or so later and went on to win a league winners medal!
Leeds players Stephen McPhail, Nick Barmby and Damien Lynch all joined Notts Forest on loan from Leeds – but not one of them played a single game for the Nottingham team.
To me, to you!
There have been a large number of transfers between Forest and Leeds. One of Leeds’ most successful transfers ever would be when Howard Wilkinson persuaded veteran Lee Chapman to join him at Elland Road for a bargain £400,000. Wilko knew all about Chappy from their days at Hillsborough and Chapman soon repaid the Manager’s faith by scoring the goals that took United back into the top flight in 1990. Chapman also won a league medal in 1992 and is always fondly remembered by Leeds fans as a brave striker who put himself about.
Wilkinson returned to the City Ground in the summer of 1991 to sign England midfielder Steve Hodge for £900,000. Hodge had the task of dislodging (sorry for the pun!) one of the dream midfield quartet of Batty, McAllister, Strachan and Speed and was more of a squad player in his time at Elland Road. That said his 12 appearances and 11 as substitute in Leeds league winning season where he scored seven goals should not be under-estimated by Leeds fans.
When Allan Clarke became Leeds Manager in 1981 he actively pursued a midfield general in the Billy Bremner mould to lead his charges. He opted for Kenny Burns, a scot with a heart like Billy, who has been integral to Clough’s title winning team. However Burns time at Leeds was not successful and he was skipper in the relegation season of 1981/2.
In 1974 new United Manager Brian Clough had the task of dismantling Don Revie’s all-conquering team and he chose a talented youngster from Forest to make the fans happy. Duncan McKenzie had immense talent and scored some great goals for Leeds but did get some inevitable stick from fans clinging onto the Revie dream. After Clough’s departure McKenzie played a key part for Jimmy Armfield’s team before moving on to Belgian giants Anderlecht in 1978.
Of the current set-up Leeds new boy David Prutton played for Forest last season returning to the club where he started after a spell at Southampton. His final game was the shock 5-2 home defeat by Yeovil in the play-off semis. In 1995 Leeds signed Norwegian Alf-Inge Haaland for £1.6 million from Forest and he was a very popular player. His bust-up’s with Roy Keane made him an instant hero as did his appearances as an emergency centre-back in the Euro campaigns under David O’Leary. He will remain infamous for that revenge tackle by Keane whilst a Man City player – a ferocious tackle that killed his career.
Other players who left the City Ground for the pastures of Elland Road include Ronnie Sinclair, a goalkeeper signed by Bremner in 1986 who played ahead of Mervyn Day for a while, and Marlon King, a goalscorer by trade signed on loan by Kevin Blackwell in United’s first season in the Championship. Blackie chose to play King wide right in his nine games for Leeds whereas Watford employed King in his favoured strikers role and he scored 21 goals in 41 games as they headed back to the Premier League.
Some players have chosen to play for Forest from Leeds. Paul Hart left Leeds for Forest in 1982 and served both club’s as more than a player. A centre-half whose steady and calming nature was blighted by crucial own goals. After his career ended he became youth Manager at Leeds and his pedigree cannot be questioned with more players than I care to remember coming through the academy during his days. He was linked with the Leeds Manager’s job when Terry Venables was sacked but did take the reigns at Forest in 2003.
Son of Frank and nephew of Eddie, Andrew Gray, had a promising start as a Leeds player until George Graham’s arrival when he was shipped out to Bury, Preston & Forest on loan before his move to Nottingham was made permanent. He still plays in the Championship for Burnley. Andrew’s dad Frank Gray went one better, leaving Leeds for Forest in 1979 before returning to Elland Road in 1981 as part of Clarke’s rejuvenated side – a side relegated on season later.
Remember, remember?
Nottingham Forest 1, Leeds United 1 (17th October 1998 – Premier League) – so what was so memorable about a 1-1 draw in the PL in 1998. Irony number 1, on 26th September Leeds travelled to Spurs with then Manager George Graham heavily linked with a move to White Hart Lane. The game finished 3-3. Surely the king of the Gooners wouldn’t join the hated North London rivals? On September 30th, the day after Leeds had negotiated a Uefa Cup tie at Maritimo this became reality and Graham was gone, replaced initially by understudy O’Leary as caretaker. Irony number 2, O’Leary’s first game in charge was at home to Leicester, managed by Peter Ridsdale’s chosen replacement for Graham Martin O’ Neill, Clough’s captain in the Forest golden team of the late ‘70’s. Leicester won 1-0 as Leeds publicly courted his capture. By the time Leeds had travelled to Nottingham on 17th October, after a two-week break due to international commitments O’Leary had all but given up hope for the job so gave Jon Woodgate his Leeds debut, a first start for Stephen McPhail and a debut for Danny Granville who had joined from Chelsea. There were recalls for Bowyer and Kewell as DOL went for youth. After an impressive performance in Rome O’Leary was offered the Leeds job and he continued investing in youth and in subsequent games Alan Smith, Matthew Jones, Tommy Knarvik, Paul Robinson and Willem Korsten were all given a chance to impress. Maybe if O’Leary was more confident he would land the Leeds he wouldn’t have almost recklessly chucked youngsters into the rame and we may have missed out on some golden memories from great young players?
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