Webb: A Sad Loss to the Pride of Devon – Yet Not as Bent as Michas or Kitabdjian
Just to put into a proper context Graham Sainsbury’s dreadful performance as match referee for Leeds v Brentford, I thought I’d highlight some famous instances where Leeds have signally failed to get the rub of the green over the years.
Despite the fact that, currently, it’s the elderly and bewildered dotards of the Football League itself girding their withered loins to deal our club a death blow (with the current batch of refs, Clueless Sainsbury among them, seemingly happy to help) the focus here is on the men in the middle rather than those clueless suits at the top. I’ve had no compunction at all about naming and shaming – these gentlemen should really be in the stocks, getting mercilessly pelted with the finest and rankest of rotten fruit and veg.
So here we go; in reverse order of spectacular bentness and/or incompetent buffoonery, these are the Top Five candidates for “Injustice of the 20th Century”:
No. 5: Wolves 2, Leeds 1 – 8th May 1972 (Ref: Bill Gow)
I’ve placed this as least serious from a refereeing point of view because – in the crucial penalty incident – Mr Gow was unsighted and badly let down by his linesman J C Collins of Macclesfield, an inexperienced official who apparently “froze”. It does seem to have been a blatant handball and a definite penalty though – in a match where Leeds would win the Title and therefore the “Double” if they could avoid defeat. Tellingly, Mr Gow got home that night to be greeted by his wife saying “It looked a penalty on the telly.” My main culprits for this game are the callous officials of the FA and Football League, who insisted a tired team should play a title decider a mere two days after a gruelling FA Cup Final against Arsenal. Leeds did not even get to celebrate their Cup triumph, heading straight off to Wolverhampton with their battered and wounded bodies and their missing heroes. It was a shoddy affair that you could not envisage these days. Respected “Guardian” writer Eric Todd described the uncaring treatment of a gallant Leeds side as “scandalous”.
No. 4: Leeds United 1, West Brom 2 – 17 April 1971 (Ref: Ray Tinkler)
No doubts about the culprit here. Ray “Bastard” Tinkler’s face as he walked off the Elland Road pitch after this display wore a tellingly apprehensive expression; that of a man who knew he was heading out of a storm and into a typhoon. The game turned on an offside call – or more accurately, two of them. Already one down against opponents they’d been expected to beat easily, Leeds were pressing hard. A victory was vital in the race for the Title, anything less would pass the advantage to Arsenal. Then, Norman Hunter gave the ball away on halfway with most of the Leeds side committed forward. The ball bounced off Tony Brown into the Leeds half where a clearly-offside Colin Suggett was loitering as the linesman flags for the free-kick.Tony Brown continued his run when Tinkler failed to blow in response to the flag, passed the ball to Astle – also in an offside position – who scored. A season’s work, in the words of Don Revie, was undone in a few mad moments. Barry Davies, commentating for the BBC, memorably remarked “…and Leeds will go mad. And they’ve every right to go mad..” Strong stuff from a sober professional. In the wake of the crowd disturbances that ensued, Leeds were forced to play their first home games of the following season away from Elland Road, a sanction that led to points being dropped, and probably contributing to their narrow failure to win the 1972 title as well. So Mr. Tinkler may well have done us for two Championship crowns. Cheers, Ray – you utter, utter git.
No. 3: Chelsea 1, Leeds United 0 – FA Cup Semi-final at Villa Park 29 April 1967 (Ref: Ken Burns)
The classic FA Cup Semi: two fine teams, not at all fond of each other – the fashionable Kings Road fancy dans of Chelsea against Don Revie’s battle-hardened stormtroopers. Or so the Press would have it. Chelsea were ahead late on, a fine goal from Tony Hateley being the difference. Leeds thought they’d drawn level when Cooper scored, but the effort was chalked off for offside, despite vociferous complaints from the Leeds players who swore blind that Cooper had come from an onside position. Then, a free kick 25 yards out. The ref took some seconds organising Chelsea’s defensive wall, and then caught the eye of John Giles – a commonly-accepted signal for the free kick to be taken. Giles rolled the ball to Lorimer, who smashed it into Bonetti’s net. Leeds were joyful, Chelsea despaired – but referee Burns ruled the goal out, ordering a retake because Chelsea’s wall was not far enough back – a technical offence against Leeds. As the commentator declared, “They’ll have to look through the rule book backwards to find a reason.” The retaken free-kick came to nothing, and Leeds were out of the Cup in the cruellest circumstances.
No. 2: Bayern Munich 2, Leeds United 0 – European Cup Final, Parc des Princes, Paris May 28 1975 (Ref: Michel Kitabdjian)
40 years on, this still sticks in the collective craw of Leeds United fans. 40 years on, we still sing “We are the Champions, Champions of Europe” in ritual protest. Two blatant penalty shouts in the first half, the guilty man on both occasions was Der Kaiser, Franz Beckenbauer. First he handled blatantly in the area, and then a “scissors” tackle on Allan Clarke – you wondered how anyone could fail to give either. Leeds were completely outplaying Bayern, drawing sympathy even from the English TV commentator who was bemoaning the lack of a more even contest. Then in the second half the ball falls perfectly for Peter Lorimer just outside the Bayern penalty area. Lorimer times his volley superbly, and it flies into the net, beating Sepp Maier all ends up. Then confusion as the goal seems to be given, until Beckenbauer urgently directs the ref to speak to his linesman. More confusion, then the goal is disallowed. Bayern score twice against a demoralised Leeds near the end, and the European Cup is snatched from the hands of Revie’s old guard; the triumph that was to crown their careers torn away in the most dubious fashion imaginable.
No. 1: Leeds United 0, AC Milan 1 – ECWC Final, Salonika, Greece 16 May 1973 (Ref: Christos Michas)
This is the Grand-daddy of bent matches, a game almost universally acknowledged to have been as straight as a corkscrew, allegations of bribery, the referee banned by UEFA afterwards – and still the 1973 Trophy is written into the extensive honours list of AC Milan. Justice, as they say, is a gag. Peter Lorimer on the match: “It was wholly, indisputably and wretchedly bent…” Johnny Giles was out with an injured hamstring, but he’d been working for the media and had heard that the ref was “in Milan’s pocket”. His gloomy view before the game was that it was one Leeds United wouldn’t be allowed to win. Three minutes gone, and Milan are awarded a free-kick, a decision that could charitably be described as dodgy. A weak shot takes a cruel deflection on its way into the Leeds net, and it’s 1-0 early on. From then onwards, it was a story of United pressure thwarted by thuggish challenges from the Milanese, decision after decision going against the increasingly frustrated and demoralised Leeds team, two, possibly three good penalty shouts waved away by Michas, and inevitably the game finished with Milan leading by that early goal, collecting the trophy to hoots of anger and derision from the outraged Greek crowd who cheered the defeated Leeds side as they limped round on a lap of honour “after this most dishonourable of matches.”
There has been a petition to UEFA with a view to overturning the result in this wretched blot on the history of the game, awarding the trophy and medals retrospectively to Leeds. UEFA did nothing. I even started a second petition myself as, since the original effort in 2009, Christos Michas has died and is therefore not in a position to have his tender feelings wounded by justice being done. So it seemed appropriate to try to revive the matter – after all, why should UEFA be permitted to sit complacently on such a scandalously unfair outcome? But it’s Leeds, so it’ll take a lot more than petitions to right this and other wrongs.
-o0o-
Leeds have frequently been the victims of poor decisions and examples of prejudice against them over the years. They are still, to the best of my knowledge, the only team to concede a goal to the background of the referee punching the air in celebration – supposedly of a good advantage decision, but really? Would it happen if the victims had been Man U? In 1987, an FA black-tie junket broke out into cheers of joy when news arrived of Leeds’ Play-off Final replay defeat against Charlton. We appear to be hated by dopey prats everywhere.
These are the five most blatant examples I could find of occasions when “The Damned United” have suffered at the hands of officialdom, referees in particular. I’m sure there are many less famous instances, and I’d be interested to hear the recollections of others. More recent examples could include retrospective action against Lee Bowyer which ruled what was our star man that season out of a Champions League semi-final against Valencia (check out a blatant handball for the first goal in the away leg, too) plus a dodgy re-examination of an incident involving Jermaine Beckford at home to Millwall in a vital League One game as we were going for promotion.
It’s a well-known saying in the game that bad decisions, like bad luck, tends to even out over time so that all teams are more or less equal in the long run. I think any Leeds fan who has even a passing acquaintance with the club’s history would have a wry grin at that one. This weekend’s travesty of a refereeing performance can only strengthen the feeling that the whistle-happy pillocks really do have it in for us; yet, on reflection, it does seem fair to say that Graham Sainsbury, or even Man U fanatic Howard Webb, pictured at the top there, is very small fry indeed, when compared to the Rogues Gallery detailed above. However bad things are now, let’s comfort ourselves with the thought – they’ve been worse in the past!
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Too much nostalgia swirling around the Leeds United sites at the moment, particularly from the direction of gfh. Are they hoping it will be a distraction if they wheel out a few legends at home games ? Four days to go until the Birmingham game and nothing has happened regarding loan deals. What a shambles.
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This is hardly nostalgia, Mick – more in the nature of unhealed wounds, I reckon.
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You’re right rob, the Milan game was the grand daddy of all fixes , the fact the ref never reffed again said it all , not sure l’d want Leeds to be awarded the game now though, not really sure why other than it was the 70’s and everything seemed bent back then ,
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The thing is though, as long as that 1973 CWC remains on Milan’s honours board, with Michas acknowledged as a corrupt charlatan, then the fact that cheats DO prosper will remain a given – it’s a permanent stain on the names of both UEFA and Milan. Furthermore, the Leeds lads of the time should have the winners medals they deserve on the basis that cheats are disqualified. I believe that the reversing of this result would reflect well on all concerned in an era where such blatant bribery and corruption is reserved for the higher echelons of FIFA when it’s time to decide where World Cups are held.
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The problem is that the ref was never charged with anything concerning this game and will always maintain he wasn’t bribed on this occassion and therefore the result stands , I really don’t know much about this ref and how many top tier games he was in charge of , but if its a lot do we change the result of every game? Just playing devils advocate here rob , but good luck and I will add my name …
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I doubt he’ll be maintaining anything as he died in ’09. That should give UEFA the chance to right this wrong.
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Too right that the CWC result should be changed, or at the very least the title should be taken away from Milan. If it’s good enough for Lance Armstrong and Ben Johnson, it should be good enough for AC Milan. But then again, the governing bodies of cycling and athletics are probably not as corrupt as FIFA and UEFA. Blatter, Platini and Co are dodgy blokes at the head of corrupt organizations, far too busy taking bungs from prospective World Cup and Euro host nations, to worry about righting old wrongs.
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It’s ridiculous and the worst thing is people just put it down to bad losers or need to move on stop living in the past etc. They don’t accept that the ref was bribed or that it was a shocking decision to rob us they just assume we’re being sore losers
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Also Wes Brown own goal ruled out for offside against Mark Viduka, which cost us champions league place.
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Yep, remember that one clearly! Wes Brown, King of the own goal!!
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Funny thing is, the 1966 World Cup finals the German team have allegations against them that they were using performance enhancing drugs. This, apparently carried on until 1975 or maybe even longer. So not only did the Germans bribe the ref, they cheated with drugs.
I wish it could be proved.
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I was at the 1975 Final in Paris when we “lost” to Bayern Munich and it still hurts now. However, a few years after the game I remember picking up that the referee was actually banned from refereeing games in France for taking bribes – but he was still able to referee the Final. Does anyone know if this was true ?
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I’m sure I’ve heard something like that too. I don’t have it to hand right now, but I’m sure Gary Edwards tracked Kitabdijan down and asked him some pretty uncomfortable questions for his most recent book. I’ll see if I can track it down on my shelves.
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The one that really sticks in my mind is Harry Kewell getting sent off against Galatasaray at Elland Road. The YEP even put a joker playing card on the match review page the next day with the refs face superimposed brandishing a red card. Or when F. Bartez tried to dribble the ball outside of the box at old trafford and Viduka fairly dispossessed him and was through on an empty goal and the ref blew for a foul!
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Oh and the Bowyer Champions League banning I only heard about in the stands when the team came out on the pitch in Valencia! Word among the fans round us was UEFA were not prepared to have the possibility of the Golden Boot Winner being up on assault charges. Allegedly!
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Anyone remember the Wes Brown own goal at ER In 2001 that was ruled out for offside, eventually we missed out on the CL
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A brilliant article. I was at all those games (62 years a supporter), and still get annoyed. There are plenty of other instances, but those five stand out for costing us “big time”.Personally, theWolves game and the two Europeans hit me hardest; missing out on a domestic double is bad, then blatantly robbed of two cups which would have given us the honour of winning all the Europeans available. A separate issue. When people discuss the greatest-ever players, why is John Charles rarely mentioned?
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That John Charles thing bothers me too, I’m afraid it’s all part of the time-honoured tradition of refusing to acknowledge the greats of the Damned United. The press never let facts get in the way of a dodgy attitude, and in these commercially oriented days when markets mean most, they know which side their bread is buttered. Which is why we have a drunken bum like George Best, who wasted his genius along with a large chunk of his life, acclaimed as the greatest ever when in fact he was a disgrace to his profession and to all those with a fraction of his talent who were immeasurably greater footballers because they had the dedication and focus he lacked. I feel another blog coming on.
King John was the greatest for many reasons, and it’s scandalous that he rarely gets a mention simply because of his association with Leeds United.
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That’s it , get the blood up and write about our famous son john
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Whenever I mentioned Charles to my father-in-law, tears of fabulous memory would well. As you probably know, il Gigante Buono is still recognised as the best ever foreign player (think of some of the other names), scoring 108 goals for Juve in just 157 games.
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Sorry, that wasn’t very clear: Italian father in law – goal reference to time at Juve
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Pingback: Keys & Gray Just the Tip of the Iceberg of Institutional Hatred for Leeds United – by Rob Atkinson | Life, Leeds United, The Universe & Everything
Way too much corruption back then, especially in Europe, but Don Readies was probably the worst of the lot if you are to believe his own players and various rival managers and players!!
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Depends which tabloid snotrag you read, mate. Revie has been an easy target for snide twats ever since he died.
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I watched the QPR Wigan game last night and like everyone else thought Clint Hill should have had a Red card. Forearm smash to the head. The ref didn’t see it apparently, surely he should be given the Red card retrospectively
Jermaine Beckford was booked when he tangled with opposition goalkeeper. The game was shown on BBC and of course the unbiased pundits said Beckford should have had a red card.
The FA looked at the video and decided to give Beckford a Red card and three match ban.
Not allowed you may say because Beckford had already been booked for the incident.
The ref changed his story and said he had booked Beckford for something else therefore the Red could stand. when you looked back at the video he must have booked Beckford for being stamped on by the goalkeeper because that is what had happened.
Will Clint Hill receive a red card from the FA and be banned for 3 games? NO
He doesn’t play for Leeds
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Great point mate, vividly illustrated by an example from Leeds recent history that I remember all too well.
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Both those 70’s European finals still remain fresh in my mind – no justice but then most of Europe has always viewed us brits with a certain distain – yeah you guessed it im voting UKIP in a few weeks lol
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A great piece !
It’s this that in a sadistic way summarises what it means to be a Leeds fan, we have taken more than our fair share but we still stand proud
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That clown Michas was seen by Paul Reaney getting off the same plane as the AC Milan team .
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You manage to do it on so many occasions Rob, yet again another thought provoking article, but more than that my blood is boiling, when I read and subsequently remember all the too many times when Leeds have been shafted by one-eyed cretins, but the one that really gets me is us having to play the game after the two boys where killed in that God-forsaken place,( I cannot write the name of the so called country) also the lack of respect shown by UEFA and Turkish officials leading up to and at the home leg will stay with me forever, and the subsequent way the Turks have dealt with the culprits turns my stomach. Consider the way Arsenal dealt with the issue the game after first leg, I am not ashamed to say I wept. If that one occasion does not epitomise the shabby way we are viewed I dont know what does.
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I agree with every word. Frankly, I have so little respect for the people you rightly refer to as cretins, that I wouldn’t want them fawning over us or crawling around us, as they do with that lot from just outside Manchester. The way they treat us says far more about them than it does about Leeds United or its fans and I’d far rather be in opposition to people and institutions like that. I remember Arsenal’s conduct at the Elland Road game just afterwards. That summed them up nicely, too – a class club from top to bottom.
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An excellent blog, Rob. I remember all of these games too and a small part of me remains as heartbroken as the small boy I was in 1967. Time has taken the edge off of the pain but I cannot forget these injustices and neither should any Leeds United fan. I know it is fashionable to disrespect the great Don Revie but those same ignorant people who claim that they love football can’t blame him for the equally scandalous disregard for John Charles. Truly we remain damned.
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Probably we shall always remain so. I suspect that’s a big part of the appeal for some of the maverick types that choose to support the Whites.
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Another bad decision was Eddie McCready’s karate kick on Billy Bremner in the 1970 F.A.Cup final how that was’nt a penalty i’ll never know.
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I firmly believe Rob that the Wes Brown own goal being ” legally challenged!” to say the least was the start of our decline as I seem to recall us looking quite formidable before that result wherever we played. Wasn’t it after that that we wobbled our way through the rest of the season, eventually missing out on CL qualification by a whisker?
I rate that day as one of the worst days in our history, along with the day Mr O’Leary stated that Frank Lampard wasn’t worth £8m and backing out of the deal before we paid £11m for what was left of Robbie Fowler!!!!!!
How different would the last 12 years have been with FL in our side?
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I’d have him now, as I wrote a few weeks back. As for the bizarre “offside own goal”, I can only agree that it was a turning point; we just couldn’t know it at the time. But I also think O’Leary lost it when he started to get a good press – he began to believe his own publicity. If he could have retained a little humility and insecurity to curb those unwise excesses – we might have had one of the greats in that generation of coaches.
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We were also denied a penalty against Manchester United , when viduka was fed the ball into the man u penalty area. He chested it down and was about to turn,when Gary Neville did a fantastic two footed drop kick Into Vidukas, chest ,the whistle was blown thought great we got a penalty.no it was a free kick to man u.we never played as good when Eddie Gray was moved sideways and Brian kidd moved in.As always Rob a very good post. I’m in awe I struggle to write my little ditty never mind the blogs that you put together and so regularly.Thank you.
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Thanks Gordon – for the informative comment AND the kind words! MOT
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Same match, Beckham 2 footed “challenge” from behind on the chief. bit of a tangle, then Beckham flicked Lucas the vs right in front of the referee. not even a free kick.
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Paris 75 was bad enough but do you remember some of the reffing in the 75 semis? A free kick awarded against Paul Reaney at ER for one of the best text book tackles on Cryff you are ever likely to see.- they scored off it. Picture that haunts me is taken from the back of the goal in Paris after Lorimers goal, german players sloping back to half way line, no one appealing, only bent ref running towards his linesman – chilling picture that summed up bent seventies european football.
Well remembered lufcok808-the Wes Brown own goal, dissalowed for reasons never explained and cost us dearly at the end of that season.
Christ what a start to Monday morning!
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There’s a long week ahead – it could get worse yet!!
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Very good but depressing. I was at Villa Park and Paris. The Paris loss was the final nail in the coffin. It was all downhill from there. If we had won the European Cup would the future have been any better or was it all too late? Maybe our luck will turn – we still have the future and it might balance out all that bad luck. In Cellino we trust!
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A Portuguese friend of mine asked me to assess his internet site of ‘Football Greats’ It was the usual list of the well promoted historical footballers who the established press love.
I pointed him in the direction of JC. Of course we went through the usual, who’s he. Bale, Hughes Rush were all familiar to him, yet he’d never heard of JC.
Just a couple of hours later, he was back in touch. He just couldn’t believe it. His question was, how come this man is not known outside Leeds, Turin and Swansea?
He was well chuffed with my suggestion. He knew he’d found a nugget of gold that people had been walking past for years.
I try my best to open peoples eyes.
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I was at four of the aforementioned games and I have always been totally disgusted at how Leeds were treated by UEFA and THE FA and FL. I put it down to a certain FL chairman who hated Don Revie and used his influence and contacts to ensure Leeds would never win a trophy during that era.
Now the FL under that slug Sean Harvey are doing their damn best to stop Leeds recovering yet allow convicted rapists and money launderers to own clubs. I am now 71 years old and I want to see Forza Leeds back in the PL before I finally depart.
A great article Rob as per usual and a great reminder for the younger ones amongst us to know just how many times we have been cheated by those that wear suits and have never kicked a ball since they were 10 years old. (that is if they ever did)
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The Champions League draw is an interesting one: do you remember recently how the quarter final ‘trial run’ came out exactly the same as the final draw? And how Pride of Devon get patsy groups every year (except this!) including terms you’ve never even heard of? Who did we get in group stage – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Milan. They were desperate we shouldn’t progress.
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Even if we had won the EC in ’75 I’m not sure the future would have looked too different. Villa won it later and they have since flattered to deceive as a not-quite-Big Club. Forest were an aberration, and well done them.
But it would have been the final vindication of the great Revie team, who had it stolen from them. The difference is that Leeds is the only club outside the PL cartel with the potential to get into it. Which is why we are hated and feared by the suits and sycophants
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A mini-riot started at Leeds Road after we had a goal disallowed (1986ish)
The ball hit a copper who was just standing inside the field of play behind the Huddersfield goal and the ball found its way to Lash who scored.
That was a weird one !
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Great read Rob, brings back many memories. I can close my eyes and still hear Barry Davies in the WBA match, and the Don leaving the dug-out in his sheepskin coat to accost Tinkler on the pitch. And even as a lad aged 13 I thought that there was something fishy about the FL making us play Wolves 48 hours after the 72 final, with several players having to have pain-killing jabs before the game. Bloody Alan Hardaker must have really hated us – so pleased we won what we did, to stick it to him and his chums, even though we should have wona lot more. MOT
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Trelford Mills- Now there is a bastard of the first order!!
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That’s a blast from the past isn’t it? How did he upset you mate?
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Replay v Brighton at home in the F.A cup- disallowed 2 goals in last 5 minutes. Absolutely lamentable performance by Mills- still widely acknowledged as THE biggest football injustice on tyneside. Brighton went on to reach the final. A name that can still only be spoken of in hushed tones in some of the less hospitable hostelries in Newcastle for fear of inducing hate fueled rantings and subsequent violent reaction. Still lovingly referred to as simply That Bastard, this allows the speaker to get his point across and remain physically intact without the need to utter his name.
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I do sympathise – but it’s also oddly reassuring that other clubs have their Tinklers, so to speak.
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What about the 1973 cup final debacle? I thought that would/should/could have been in the top five footballing injustices of all bloody time. Me favva used to tell me a joke pertaining to that injustice which went something like- who was the last Makem to touch the ball against Leeds in the cup final wor kid? I’ll give you a clue it was in the first half!!! Howay Rob- there’s no bigger injustice than this one- the ref must have taken a bung who ever the bastard was- he must have- One flukey Porterfied goal and that bastard Montgomery diving here there and everywher- granted it was his job- and that traitor Stokoe pranching about on the hallowed turf. I blame the Orange ball- if you’d played with a proper coloured ball the result would have been different. The most one sided cup final of ALL TIME. How did you let them bastards beat you? yes I fully realize they’ve fluked a couple of wins against us recently but I will never understand how they turned you lot over that day unless there was a serious case of foul play- just tell me the ref cheated and that’ll do me son!! NUFC.
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You had to make me read that and now my eyes are bleeding! Through gritted typing fingers, I have to admit that the Mackems earned any luck they had that horrible day. As we so often did, Leeds United conspired in our own downfall, enabling that spawny twat Montgomery to save a chance that should have taken the net with it and been somewhere out near Jupiter by now. What I will concede is that I hate every atom of that miserable old get the late and unlamented Bob Stokoe.
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Likewise, Rob. Stokoe shamefully decided to dish the dirt on The Don on a BBC footie series of the 1970s. This was around 20 years ago – after Don had passed away.
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HE used to live on the next estate to me and my late dad and often took a walk up past our front garden in his later life- of course my Dad being from that generation used to speak to him and comment on how lovely the garden was looking etc etc- me I used to just stand there and shake my head at the hypocricy of it all as I knew me dad would be calling him later on in the evening. He played for us in the 55 final but once you go over to the dark side that’s it for me- the unwashed touch his foot for luck, when they pass the statue of him out side the stadium of empty pink seats. After what’s happened the last couple of seasons I’m hoping someone goes doon there with a still saw if you know what I mean Rob. Back on topic can you just tell me that someone/anyone cheated that day it’ll make me feel so much better. It was unquestionably the most one sided cup final since the makems played Libpool in 93- and yes i’m conveniently glossing over 1974 and removing it all together from the history books before you weigh in with your two penneth worth on our dubious contributions to one sided finals!! lol lol NUFC
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I’d never have such bad taste as to even mention Wembley ’74, never mind going into detail about the unwise predictions of wor Malcolm beforehand. Oops!! 😉
I can’t think of any cheating or nefarious bentness from ’73 – much to my regret. In that, it probably stands alone among our sorry little collection of Cup Finals – most of which had an element of “we wuz robbed” about them. A good few semi-finals too…
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Gobshite Macdonald didn’t do us any favours Rob- your right again- a Leeds fan with more knowledge of the Toon than most of the sheep that still turn up today. I’m beginning to wonder Rob, that’s all I’m saying..lol lol
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Student of the beautiful game mate, that’s all – and 73-74 is one of my specialist areas as we won the league and the scum got relegated 😉
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I was at that game in Paris Rob and i have often reflected on it when i reason with myself
about my lack of passion for the “beautiful game” . I went to Paris totally confident and sure of the result and left feeling like a mug punter. That result gave perspective to me about football and its top players, they being the men who never kick a ball. I was introduced to being a Leeds fan by my dad when took me to strange place called the scratching shed to see a player called John Charles. And that was how it started for a impressionable little lad only for it to end in a sense at the Parc des Princes with the realization that my beloved team had been (and still are) playing against much more than the eleven players before them. T
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Following the 3-0 Defeat to Watford in the Play Offs, didn’t the Football League write something to the effect of “We get to keep Leeds for another season”. I think the -15 points deduction was their biggest sanction at the time … until they got their hands on Luton with a -20 and a -10 added to that.
Oh and the text in the Owners and Directors regulation was updated in June 2014 following the Massimo Cellino appeal … although if the Football League are accredited to any Quality standards they have to review their documentation annually, but from recollection the bits that have been changed have changed quite a lot.
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People seem to recall (and rightly so) the unawarded Wes Brown own goal that cost us 4th place. But what about the cynical caught-on-camera stamp by Barthez on a prone Ian Harte just before half-time? A penalty eventually, yes; but Barthez stayed on the pitch to save it. The referee reported it as a ‘trip’ and Whisky-face complained to the press about Harte diving! Disgraceful.
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Great blog today…but the petition is closed apparently.
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LUFC, shafted all the way and it’s still going on. If just those few injustices you’ve mentioned hadn’t happened and a good few more besides, the honours roll at Elland Road would beggar belief. NOBODY liked/likes us and alot of it is down to jealousy for all kinds of reasons. AND I DON’T CARE. When I started following Leeds back in 70/71, even as kid I knew I was watching something very special. And when I made my first trip to ER in 74 it blew my mind, only Anfield back in the came anywhere near for atmosphere (in my experience). You’re either Leeds or you’re not, we are nobodys second favorite team. If you are Leeds, you’re probaby a passionate person who loves roller coasters. If your not Leeds, well. . . . Your probably a wanker!
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Remeber RObbie Kean scoring from a free kick at Old Trafford, but having to retake because the wall wasn’t far enough away
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What a wonderfully written article, I have a lasting memory of every biased, bent decisions taken against us over the years, all of them as bad as each other. UEFA have constantly refused to look at and put right the wrongs against us, but we as supporter will always know that we were robbed by the people who are supposed to be there to see fair play and Impartiality, but no they were the ones who allowed the decisions that were taken to be taken by sheer greed of the officials. Along with UEFA our own governing body has shown contempt for Leeds United in the decisions that they put upon us, and it is still apparent it continues to this day with the actions of the EFL, the only relevant reason that they haven’t found a way of totally destroying us is because we are without doubt their biggest Cash cow, our history and the wrongs against us should be rectified and the trophies, titles should be awarded to the true Victor’s, Leeds United.
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Cheers Brian, many thanks for the kind words. That one’s a blast from the past! MOT
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Re Michas from ’73… he was indeed suspended pending an investigation, then subsequently banned for life by UEFA. To me, that’s a full admission that UEFA’s verdict was: GUILTY. So why, oh why, was the result allowed to stand?? I can only imagine that Italian money bought one of the UEFA officials too.
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