Matchday Magazine v/ Brighton & Hove Albion Saturday February 20, 2010.
Whites Fan Man
"Well, after all the drama of all the early months it`s turning into an interesting old season now. I suppose as Leeds fans we should have expected nothing less.
At one stage it looked like we would be staging our promotion party some time soon, but I think most of us were realistic enough to know things don`t work out like that. When you look back in history, there`s been the old exception to the rule - ourselves in 1973/74, Forest in the late 1970`s, Liverpool 10 years later, and the great Arsenal side of the Millenium season - but otherwise every team goes through a period when things don`t go their way.
Looking back at this so-called blip, had we had the same fortune we had during those early weeks we would have won at both Hartlepool and Leyton Orient, and Walsall`s winner the other night would have been disallowed. By my reckoning, that`s five more points we would have had and we would be on top the pile, eight clear of Colchester.
I also think it`s fair to say that we have only seen two properly below-par performances all season. Yes, we`ve had one or two where we`re looked out of sorts, but only the games against Swindon and Walsall have fallen into the real below-par category. And when you`re 30 games into a season that`s not bad going.
It`s ironic, really, that we`re celebrating the 20th anniversary of our last promotion season because for all the ups during that time, there were a few downs aswell, but we came through it and we got over the line, just as we will come this season.
In 1989/90, as you may remember, after losing on the opening day we went on a hell of an unbeaten run through to November when we suffered a couple of disappointing results, at Leicester and West Brom. But we bounced back and entered the New Year in top spot and looking sure-fire bets for the title.
But the early months of 1990 took us by surprise. I remember losing at Swindon when Mick Whitlow was lying injured for their winner (bad fortune). We drew (undeservedly) at Ipswich after being in front and drew at home to a West Brom side who were battling against relegation and scored two dubious goals. We then lost at Watford with a miserable performance and drew 0-0 at home to another struggling side, Port Vale.
All this came in February and March. It`s almost like a reality check - when winning and picking up points becomes more important as the weeks go by. It doesn`t matter how you do it, you just go from game to game.
We recovered from that, of course. We beat Oxford after being 2-0 down at half-time - when things were looking really bleak - and we won at Sunderland on a Tuesday night in front of 500 Leeds fans. We won a couple of home games, but when Easter came we rocked again.
We lost to Wolves, drew at Plymouth, and got beat at Oldham on that bloody awful plastic pitch on a day when the frustrations of some were taken out on the scoreboard overlooking the away end. But again we came back because that`s what good sides do. And that`s what we have here now.
The Easter Monday 1990 thrashing of Sheffield United - a game many believe was the key - only provided the platform for a fortunate draw at Brighton and a home defeat at the hands of Barnsley, who secured their Second Division status by winning here. That was one of the lowest feelings I have ever had as a Leeds fan.
But, again we came back. We won our last two games and won the title on the last day. It was no easy ride and those final few miles were the hardest - they always are. But we stuck together and we did it.
And, we`ll do it again. Now, it`s time to hold your nerve and stick together because we are Leeds, and we are on the way back. It`s just that it`s never easy."
