They call me Mellow Yellow – classic 60’s Donovan.

I wish!

You younger readers will have to look Donovan up. Mellow Yellow wasn’t his best work. Catch The Wind is my personal favourite. But back in the day it was just a song about being – well – mellow. Cool and chilled.

As is the won’t of the newer generations, people want to know what the song “actually” meant. Was it that smoking banana skins made him high? Like most songs penned in the 60s, it could have been about anything. It was a good tune. We should just leave it at that. He was a singer in the 60s, he probably was mellow. Unlike most of us right now. We are certainly not mellow and neither are we yellow.

Yellow

None of us are yellow, even if we wanted to be. Definitely not a fortnight last Sunday at Carrow Road. It would have been an interesting conundrum if we did have a yellow away strip, wouldn’t it? We would have been clashing with all those flags in their end behind the goal. Flags that looked great, but all were gathered in at half time. Not like the scarves we were all given at ER the other night. Master stroke? At least the freebies weren’t a few hundred short, like the Stuey dallas T shirts at Highbury.

But we don’t have a yellow strip. Why? Borussia Dortmund wear yellow. They have a very famous yellow wall, don’t they? What’s wrong with yellow? Leeds is actually twinned with Dortmund too.

I, like many others want, and have been wanting us, to go back to the “blue, yellow and white, football in a Yorkshire Rose” for ages. It’s iconic. The YEP and Top Man shirts take us back to happier times, when football was for the fans and SkyTVisf**kings**t did not exist.

It was the days when football was played at 3pm on a Saturday, before big money meant you could buy the league and before you needed to spend money on a smartphone / technology to just get a ticket. Simpler times, happier times.

But, our Club stopped doing a yellow kit in the late 2000s after our brief foray into Europe, and then briefly revived it in 2015/16, when were weren’t happy nor iconic.

This probably wasn’t the most memorable season of football ever, though.

Back to the now. Are we mellow yellow?

This weekend at Wembley we are the “home” team, so we are playing in white and can’t be  mellow yellow. Even if we wanted to be, which we aren’t.

Mellow.

I am that.

I’ve decided if we win and get promoted that’s fine. But even if we lose and stay in the 2nd tier, it is still ok. It’s a bit like the character Ivan from the Mary Whitehouse Experience. Yes! It’s okay! See below

https://youtu.be/02i5GfKiVrQ

The Mary Whitehouse Experience –  the days when David Baddiel and Rob Newman were funny. Any of you under the age of 50 will have absolutely NO idea what I am on about, but just watch the clip. It’s the bit at the end, it’s immature, adolescent and juvenile, but funny.

In a nutshell

Given our situation at the end of last season where we had the three amigos (twice over) trying to keep us up, nothing could compare to THAT. The 1st trio of Michael Skubala, Paco Gallardo and Chris Armas were followed by the 2nd unholy triumvate of Big Sam, Robbie Keane and Karl Robinson, all vying to undo the wrongs of SkinnyJeans. Too little , too late my friends.

So low was the bar to our April / Mays of late, only managing 2 victories out of the last 8 games of this season proper, still wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of the loyal. This is technically relegation form in any other book. We were flying high at the top of the league. Leicester were a laughing stock in Leeds after their “it’s just another game to us” quip. We had the title in our hands, no one can deny it.

All we needed to do was win or at least get better results than Leicester and we would have won the league. Sadly not to be. Blackburn, Coventry and QPR! We only beat Boro because their two best players, Ayling and Greenwood weren’t able to play, thank God. Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.

Yet STILL, all we could think about was the miserable start to the season where the legacy of SkinnyJeans and his wayward player purchases inflicted more damage than anyone could have ever imagined. And, anyone who still thinks that the dismissal of Bielsa and subsequent appointment of SkinnyJeans was a good idea, might as well just ….. go forth and multiply ….. to Canada!

Bielsa will never come back, but like the song goes, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. He was wronged. WRONG WRONG WRONG. But he has gone, and that is that. At some point, the truth might out. But like the conundrum of “who owns the ground?” in the B*tes and Weasel Shaun Harvey era, we may NEVER find out what went on.

Was it Radrizzani who couldn’t stand being constantly in the shadow of Bielsa? Was it Orta who wanted to be the main man? Orta was certainly the Fall Guy for it all. Or, was it the players who thought they didn’t need Marcelo making them train all the time to be PL superstars? Was it because the board wanted more control which Bielsa did not want to relinquish? Was Jean Paul Augustin the catalyst to our demise? No one knows, and probably no one will ever know.

At the end of the day, we had a record breaking unbeaten run at home this season. Until the international break, we WERE Fortress Elland Road. Could the damage inflicted in the Wales penalty defeat really have hampered us so much? Have we been far too reliant on Ampadu (du, du), Rodon, Roberts and James? In no uncertain terms we have missed Dan James, and much to the chagrin of the Bamford haters, we have also missed Patrick. How much were Gnonto, Summerville and Piroe affected? Was Archie being played too much? Was Summerville’s head turned (like Kalv’s was) during the Internationals? ps look how well that turned out for Kalvin.

Or was it simply that we have been found out? It took two and a bit years for Bielsa to be found out. Have advances in pitchside surveillance technology made it easier to work out Farke’s game plan? It’s not really that hard though, is it? We play out from the back. All the time. Apart from Norwich at home, when Meslier played more long balls in the first 45 minutes than he had all season.

We play out from the back and try to get the ball to Summerville. Summerville will run down the wing and try to cut in and score (like his song). So, put two on Summerville and that cuts that avenue out straight away. The other option is to give it to Rutter, who will get the ball, run with it, then stop and turn clockwise (left like Zoolander) and fend off two before passing it to Summerville or Gnonto. Put two on him and that shuts another door. Too easy?

I am a bit sick of watching us pass the ball backwards, even from free kicks in the opposition’s half. I fret at how uneasy Meslier is on the ball before he tries to decide whether to give it to Rodon or Ampadu (du,du). If the opposition is clever, and run onto him, we risk giving the ball away. Suicide football. How much I miss the days of an old fashioned centre half foisting the ball into the East Stand! As much as people berate Cooper, and to some small extent, Struijk, how much pressure would have been taken off Meslier if we’d have just cleared it? Folk still moan about Meslier, the goalie who has kept the most clean sheets this season. Yes, Meslier.

Holding onto a one or two nil freaks me out too. Skinnyjeans did that. Remember Southampton in his honeymoon period? In fact his first game against Leicester when we should have won. Holding onto a draw, we were. It used to and still does put the hee bee gee bees up me. Whatever happened to going one nil up and going in for a second , then going for the kill with a third?

Norwich at home was a classic example. I genuinely didn’t stop worrying until we were four up. Although, Norwich in the semis was an uncertainty all in itself. After the first game at Carrow Road, where we had two shots on goal all game, I honestly thought the plan was to hold out for penalty shoot out at home with the crowd behind us. Even then, I couldn’t help thinking we would lose 5-4 on pens.

The mantra at the start of any season is, 1st, 2nd or 7th once relegation has been ruled out.

Play Offs

Once it looked like we weren’t going up as champions or second, play offs were a foregone conclusion with so few teams of any real PL worth apart from us and Southampton. All the talk about it being no shame that we didn’t get promoted on 90+ points, didn’t hold water for me. The other teams in the league are pants. Honestly, they are. Which is why it annoys me so much that we didn’t just get automatic promotion.

Coventry loss, Sunderland a mere draw which saw the ball not stray to our right side at all in the first 25 minutes. Blackburn FFS. Then a round thrashing by QPR. One win out of Coventry, Blackburn or QPR would have seen us go into the Southampton game either already up or just needing a draw.  Southampton who would have been saving their players for the play offs. But, we just couldn’t do it. And that is the disappointment and frustration of today. We needn’t have been doing this.

Needless

We needn’t have been spending money and time on tomorrow.

We could have been spared hours of trying to get on line to buy a ticket, only to be sat staring at a screen wondering why the page was taking us to another page saying error. Seriously, how many of you reading this were fit to burst for two hours trying to figure out what was going on? How many of you just wanted to sit with your mates but couldn’t get four seats together, even though they looked available when you added them all into your basket? Why was that so difficult? And, how many of the digitally excluded struggled to get a ticket?

We needn’t have been putting ourselves through £10 – £15 pints of crap beer and tenner on something outside the ground that looks like it has been reconstituted from insects and fungi, tomorrow. We could have been spared hours on trainline trying to get a good deal on train fares and travel. Oh the excitement of Wembley! Not really. We haven’t done well in play offs for decades. Yes, some of you won’t remember the epic fails of previous play offs and Cup finals. I do. If only we’d have beaten bloody Blackburn! I would be on holiday right now! I’d be looking forward to fixtures in June and maybe even preseason.

Plus, this is all before the gossip about season ticket holders selling their tickets on for profit. That really isn’t on. But, there’s nothing like a play off final for the skankers to all come crawling out of the woodwork. Should you ever skank a fellow Leeds fan? If you have any decency, no.

Still, I am mellow about tomorrow.

Win, we go up. This means fewer games and cheaper tickets. But many long Southern and London trips with smaller allocations – and Bournemouth.

We lose. More shorter trips, larger allocations (apart from Luton), more expensive tickets but some cracking pub stops.

So, yeah. Mellow yellow.

As the song goes, whatever will be, will be. And as a final flourish, just because I know this annoys some, win, lose or draw Always Leeds Always Loyal

Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma Chameleon, you come and go, you come and go.

I always thought the song Karma Chameleon was about the proverbial, “what comes around, goes around”. As in, someone screws you over and eventually all that s**t will come back and smack them in the face. Karma.

Not so, according to Boy George in some interview he did decades ago. It’s about the feeling of alienation. About being fearful of standing up for what you believe in. The changing colours signifying the desperation for some to fit with the vox populi.

So it’s nearly two years since the Deed was done. And, yes, I’m still fuming. My last years blog spells most of it out. My blog remains my own unpopular opinion and my feelings have not changed. But there’s been some revelations since Orta, the fall guy, got ditched and a bit more since Leeds United’s equivalent of Silas Greenback – “Si, Barone”, has departed.

Am I actually bothered about any of these revelations? Not really. Nothing any of them can ever say will make any difference in my mind. I won’t sit through any interviews or podcasts or whatever youtube things come up. SkinnyJeans was on SkyTVisf**kings**t the other day. Purporting / pretending to be doing a bit of punditry apparently. Not bothered.

If they ever want to piss Leeds fans off even more, they WILL resort to sticking him into the hasbeen pundit line up that does the commentary. Although which one of the acceptable categories of punditry personnel classification he will fit into is anyone’s guess. He’s never played football in the English leagues. I wouldn’t call his Leeds United tenure as a situation where he acquired any knowledge of the English leagues. On account of the fact I don’t think he knew what he was doing through any of it. He certainly isn’t female or non white. I suppose the only criteria he fulfils is that his is middle aged and wears ill fitting trousers?

However, back to Karma Chameleon.

Many moons ago, I wrote in the blog about how much the World in general, not just Leeds United, likes to put us into little boxes. To Leeds United, we are customers or rather “consumers”. They like to know what we consume. So luckily, AI and the Gen Z / 21st Century propensity for “wanting to do everything on your phone” means that tracking cookies and buying history gives them all that info. Armed with that info, they aim to give us our “best experience” in order for us to consume more product. Their own product and the products of their associated partners.

The more info they have, the more of a little box they can steer us to. Eventually they want all Leeds fans to fit into one box. One box which will subject us to everything they want us to see, hear, read about and ultimately, copy and buy. If we all think the same because we are Leeds fans, we will all behave the same, and more importantly buy the same. Consumerism – what’s wrong with that?

What is wrong, is that humans are all individuals and all think differently. Leeds United fans are NOT all the same. We aren’t all lucky enough to be born in Leeds. We don’t all live in Leeds, and we are not all from Yorkshire. This has peeved a few people lately with the whole distance travelled to away games “facts”.

Some clever Richard has added up his little trip computer and put the results on social media to brag about what he has completed. Not realising that some people at Cardiff, Bristol, Plymouth x 2 and Swansea travelled from elsewhere. Some (like us) travelled further, some less. Lots of Leeds fans live elsewhere, that is what is so good about supporting Leeds. You don’t have to be from Leeds, to be Leeds. In fact, we pride ourselves that we can go almost anywhere in the world, and we can find a fellow Leeds fan.

Yes, many people on those long distance games travelled from Leeds, but not all. Leeds fans are NOT all the same. Looking at the photos of the crowds, one could think that we are all either 50+ something, follically challenged males or 20 something Stone Island wearing alcoholics. Luckily, we are not all like that. But sadly, pictures don’t lie. There weren’t many young ones at Plymouth on that rainy Tuesday night, I can tell you.

Leeds supporters are all Leeds. ALAW, or so the saying goes. But we all have different origins and addresses and different lives outside of football. So ultimately, we all see things differently and have different opinions. And, as I have said so many times before, each opinion is valid, and no one has a right to shout it down.

Karma Chameleon and Alienation

The clever skill of a chameleon is that it changes to fit in with its background. In the main, to hide from predators, but also to sneak up on prey before going in for the kill. So, not just one reason why it wants to fit in.

Leeds United want all fans to be the same. They want us all to fit it. Not just because of the reasons above, but also because it can give people with little direction in their lives, a purpose. Some good can come of being in a group of similar people. Friendship, company and all of that sort of stuff. Football gives us freedom from our normal lives, a bit of an escape if your job is particularly taxing or boring. Football is a chance to be with like minded people, enjoying the 90 minutes on the pitch and all the pre / post match stuff. But it can go the other way.

Like we saw with the removal of Bielsa, there was massive fan base polarisation. Similarly SkinnyJeans’s bizarre narrowness of play and (lack of ) tactics was steadfastly defended just because we stayed up that season. The season after, he still had his supporters clinging onto his ankles in an effort to keep him here. It took mass defections and departures on loan to acknowledge that Aaronson, Adams, Roca and Kristensen probably weren’t that good. Some still think that SkinnyJeans did a good job. Oh dear. Oh well. How sad. Never mind.

Much of this though, I’m afraid, was down to social media and shouting down from the shouty people.

Leeds fans have been known to be fickle. Fickle, fickle, fickle. For decades. I remember Paul Hart saying that even Billy was scared to come out at ER some times because he was worried about fans turning on him.

Forums, podcasts, whatever people use nowadays to influence opinions have taken centre stage these last two years. The indecisive have been flip flopping like a fish on the deck, not able to make their own minds up. Some have been going from one extreme to another within the space of weeks. Some because they can’t make their minds up, but some out of fear for being alienated. Those just go along with the shouty vox populi, like a chameleon, so they fit in.

For example, take that barren spell we had Christmas / New Year. There were people calling for Farke’s head and already putting polls up on who our next manager would be. A loss at Preston away, which should have been an easy win, sparked off massive debate. Losing to West Brom saw every jobless manager was seemingly touted as a replacement. Even Warnock was mentioned at one point, God help us.

Good job we didn’t sack him eh? Or we wouldn’t be 2nd in the league right now.

From feast to famine. The inconsistencies of opinion have now reached the dizzy heights of drawing a comparison to Don Revie. Seriously you say? Nope. Truth. He’s barely done a full season and already he’s being compared to The Don. People need to put some perspectables on. As sure as eggs are eggs, this is down to Karma Chameleon. Because the loudest people are saying it, the indecisive feel the need to fit in.

Honestly, the fickleness of fans is impulsively temperamental at times. Mercurial and Quixotic fantastical at others. Don Quixote thinks the windmills are dragons, Leeds fans think the guy who made us have a cup replay at Plymouth because he didn’t sub quicker is the New Messiah.

The team is playing brilliantly, don’t get me wrong. But I think it is due to Georgi’s childish exuberance and infectious confident camaraderie to his fellow youngsters that is making the difference. Especially when we are winning. I think Rodon has been exceptional of late, and the move to a defensive back four to secure the points late in the game helps Meslier hold his nerve. Bamford intermittently coming back from injury helps because there is now a fight for the number 9 and 10 positions up front.  Four at the back and two up front. Fancy that in the modern game?

The healthy competition for places in the starting line up is something we haven’t seen for a while. We have been lucky with injuries and this season other teams haven’t kicked us to death as much at all. Things are going our way up to press.

Because we are doing well, there aren’t as many shouty people telling us how to think. Most are happy clapping along with everyone else and it is all good. So good that when the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army came blasting out at pre match at Plymouth on that rainy Tuesday night, guess what we all sang?

I am not saying it is right or wrong to sing Bielsa’s name. He was Farke’s adversary not long since. What I’m saying is, there wasn’t the usual shouty people whingeing that we were singing it. Refreshing to say the least, considering how much bickering consternation there was last time.

Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon. You come and go, you come and go.

Monthly update January 2024 including minutes from monthly branch meeting held Sunday January 14th 2024.

Apologies for being incognito since last year, it’s been a bit hectic.

January 2024 update.

It’s freezing!

Ray Fell

Very sad news that former LUSC Chairman Ray Fell sadly passed away in December after a long illness. Ray was a great friend and until he stepped down as Chair in 2016, was a very active, hard working and loyal servant to Leeds United Supporters Club. Even after he stepped down, Ray was still keen to attend exec meetings (health permitting) and always happy to have a quick pint and chat in The Peacock afterwards. Ray was given Honorary Vice President after stepping down from his 31 year tenure. But hestill attended the AGM and the odd exec even after lockdown. He probably saw more Leeds United Chairmen and owners than anyone I know. He met them dignity and humility. But always representing the LUSC with honour and pride. He always fought for our voice to be heard as representatives of season ticket holders, members and travelling fans both home and away.

Ray led us through our darkest hours when B*tes did his very best to destroy the Supporters Club and replace it with his very own “Regional Members Clubs” . RMCs who took the B*tes shilling. K*n’s masterplan of taking the LUSC down failed. We said at the time, “we were here before you, we are still here now and we will be here long after you are gone”. B*tes has gone from our Club at least. Thankfully Cellino did what needed to be done – cheers Massimo – I always liked you! (However, given K*n has made a pact with Old Nick and sold his soul, gone may be a long time coming.)

The LUSC is still growing, despite football changing “progressing” into what it is now. It is nothing like what it used to be when I started going, but time and tide stop for no man.

The fact that the LUSC is still going is testimony to Ray and Eric Carlisle before him. These two laid the groundwork. Building on the foundations of those before them, who founded Leeds United itself in 1919. It is something that we should never forget. Rest In Peace my friend.

Monthly Branch Meeting

The meeting was a week late due to us playing away (no surprise there then!) in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup the week before. Good job too, as we won at Peterborough. Woo hoo! And we are now proudly through to the 4th Round – yes – 4th round of the FA Cup. At home – yes – at HOME – to Plymouth.

Minutes from the four execs were read through and discussed.

1)There were lengthy discussions re the thieving charlatans at Sunderland who forced unsuspecting Leeds fans to part with their coinage, lighters, phone chargers etc. in order to gain entry into the Stadium of Light. Our branch feel that this is an outrage, and things need to be taken further. The buckets outside taking the coinage were allegedly going to be given to charity. Given that any legal charity collecting should be done in sealed buckets and clear signage of said charity should be clearly displayed, we don’t think that this is the actual case. We will await further discussions.  2)Turnstile problems were also discussed. There have been ongoing issues at the Captains Corner since the start of the season with many fans not being able to get in because the turnstile has jammed. These fans who have not been able to get in, have been forced to walk round to the ticket office to get a replacement. Some have had to go through Fullerton Car Park as an alternative to doing a 3/4 lap and back round the ground. Some fans have managed to fight through the away fans in the West Stand car park. Either way, it is not satisfactory at all, that in this day and age of electronic ticketing, the ageing turnstiles and infrastructure simply cannot cope. Luckily the ticket office staff were there to help out at the Ipswich game and then a man from the turnstile company was there at the Birmingham game. Some fans still did not get in, and were forced to go to the ticket office. If there are any other parts of the ground where people struggle to gain access, this may need to be noted and Leeds United informed of the issues. If they don’t know, they cannot improve. It was noted that when we had season ticket cards this was never an issue.

Memberships

The Membership Secretary is still very active. We are continuing to get more enquiries via the website, all forms with self addressed stamped envelopes will be returned with the 2023/4 season membership cards. No envelopes will mean you take your chances with getting to an away game or seeing us in the pub if we remember to bring the cards along.

Away travel

We have said we will try to run buses to every away again (tickets permitting). We have so far, and will be hoping to run to Plymouth, tickets permitting. All members are reminded and encouraged to buy their own away tickets if at all possible to save work for the rest of us. Bookings currently being taken for Bristol. Members are also reminded to keep an eye on the Leeds website for sale dates.

Treasurers Report

Despite running buses to every game this season we are still breaking even thanks to more new members joining and travelling. Long may this continue.

Fund Raising and Events

Andy Yates would like to thank everyone who participates in the football cards. Draw tonight for the Big Card was won by Mick Pratt. We will aim to do a raffle at the Spring event, anyone who wishes to donate a prize, please get in touch with Andy

Rowsey and Andy have spoken to The Londesborough. The plan is for the Spring event to be held there on Saturday March 23rd from 1pm to 7pm approx. Paul Wilson will be providing the music later on in the day. We are hoping to have special guest(s) to do a Q and A session and hopefully help to draw the raffle prizes out. No decision made yet re tickets etc. but we will expect either pay on the door or some donation, if no formal tickets organised. Once costs paid out, there will be a donation as usual to St Michaels Hospice, Harrogate.

A. O. B

The Annual LUSC quiz night will be held in April. Format will be the same, 4 people per team and pie and peas supper (bring your own mint sauce). We had 6 teams last year. We still didn’t win. Come on people – let’s at least try to give Fullerton and Griffin a run for their money this year. Please try to revise. 1st goal scorer is good bet and some random question about soaps (not the stuff you use to wash with).

We have put a request in for Millwall to be the chosen game for our Hospitality tickets as part of the sponsorship package. Still awaiting confirmation.

Anyone who has any experience on wordpress is welcome to help with the website. It is hard work to keep everything going. Anyone who thinks they can help out with any aspect of running the branch is very welcome to get in touch.

 

Apologies for the absence, here is the October 2023 update.

Hopefully we are back on track with doing monthly updates and a blog once in a while. Life has been getting in the way as usual, but we just keep plodding on. Cheers to everyone who reads the website, sorry there hasn’t been too much of late.

Monthly Branch Meeting

Monthly branch meeting was held on Sunday 1st October at the Londesborough Club. Thanks to all who attended. The minutes of the last meeting were proposed and seconded and agreed as a true representation of the last meeting. No matters arising.

The Secretary read out minutes from the previous LUSC exec meetings. Stadium improvements / repairs are continuing at ER. Nothing major will be done until we get back to the PL as there will be more money to do so. Police feedback from away games is essential whether it is good or bad to ensure our safety is maintained. There is a new branch in Mallow (Ireland). The Sponsors event at the U21 game against Nice to be attended by branches who requested to go into the draw. Griffin, South Kirkby, Us and Darlington. Max Littlefair got drawn out as our branch member. Still waiting to hear back from Leeds re meeting (been a long time) and plan is still to hold another event like last year at Skybet, but with more attendees. We will look to attend Annual Quiz and we need to let exec know how much interest there will be for an Annual (?end of season) dinner.  Everyone who attended the Thorp Arch event had a good time. The manager and players very excellent. Thorp Arch event (see AOB). LUSC Hospitality raffle game will be the last game of the season (Southampton). On account that the day is fixed and cannot be moved, so it will be easier for International branches to plan. Minutes from the last SAB glanced over.

Membership Report

We are still taking memberships and actively encouraging anyone who travels on the coach to join up. We have been the beneficiary of Mick Grinch’s policy of ruining rail travel for the 21st century. The feared losses on the long away trips have been placated so far, meaning finances are ok at present. The first tranche of cards have been sent to all those who enclosed stamped self addressed envelopes and The Membership Secretary has asked for more cards as he has nearly run out. Those who have not supplied return envelopes will just have to wait for The Secretary to remember to bring them for away games or pre match drinking.

Treasurer Report

Sponsorship of Charlie Cresswell cost £1800, which has been paid in full and a receipt obtained, so we are legit now. Financially, thanks to Mick Grinch, despite Ipswich, Millwall and Southampton games, we are still in the black. Only Norwich this side of Christmas, but then January / February is going to hit us hard with Cardiff, Bristol City, Swansea and Plymouth in quick succession. We will need a lottery win.

Away Games

We have run a bus to every game so far (apart from Salford). Bookings being taken for Norwich and Stoke. A reminder that if people can get on and order their own tickets, they need to do so. Leicester now has been moved to the Friday night for the True Gods of Football.

A.O.B

Chris Bowes has very kindly offered us a holiday stay. Info will be sent out via closed group on noseybook and via the email list. Great gift. Thanks Chris Bowes. It is very much appreciated. Our sponsorship hospitality tickets will be requested for Millwall in the first instance, Rotherham as second choice. As always, only paid up members can participate in the raffles. All members need to fill in a form every season.

Thorp Arch event organised by LUSC was attended by Ken and Grace Anderson. Both had really good time. Grace got load of photos with players on the day. As always, these events are excellent and all members will be given a chance to apply. Hopefully LUSC can organise more in the coming season.

Sponsorship is now secured. We have the certificate signed by Ain’t Nobody, like Mckennie, plays with Adams, for the U S A – Weston McKennie. The shirt is proudly on Frankie’s wall at the Hunslet Club. No Thorp Arch event like there was pre Bat flu at present, but there might be a chance once the manager has had the chance to settle in a bit. The Nice game was attended by Max as part of the LUSC Sponsorship of Archie Gray. We will email Leeds requesting Millwall as our preferred choice.

Rowsey has agreed to coordinate an event. We will try to plan ahead in hope that we get someone attending from Leeds United. Dave will try for Bilton Club again or maybe Manhattans. Both previous events were well organised, well attended and excellent. So fingers crossed, Dave and Andy Yates will get something sorted which will be a good night and hopefully some prizes to raffle off to help pay for facilities.

The giant football card winner was Makaela Rolph. Well done. Definitely not a fix. Decision not to film it was an easy one, seeing as we made such a hash up of it last time.

Website

Even though it is difficult to keep this site updated we are still getting new members through it which keeps the branch going with new blood. If anyone is able to help out, PLEASE get in touch. It is an on going cost, which will no doubt increase, but the branch is continuing to expand. We are all getting older, some people have obviously passed on, but if the branch is to continue we need new members who will travel, contribute, attend functions etc. to help keep us going. If anyone is able to share the load of posting new articles / posts etc. please get in touch, there is only so much one person can do.

Merchandise

There are still drawstring bags, shopping bags, wristbands, car stickers and pint glasses here if anyone wants anything I will try to remember what the prices are.

Christmas cards

There will be an LUSC Christmas card again this year. Please can you get in touch if you want any. When the first print is available, hopefully in early November, we will get the photo of it to you so you can place your orders. They are always good quality.

In the immortal words of The King in Blue Hawaii “wise men say, only fools rush in”.

These words however, we conceived by another goliath of art, Alexander Pope. The saying was coined in 1711 and is also the origin of the term “Where Angels Fear To Tread”.

thanks to Grammarist for the pic: https://grammarist.com/proverb/fools-rush-in-where-angels-fear-to-tread/

Elvis however, is The King and he did it better! He knew that “wise men say, only fools rush in, but I can’t help falling in love with you” is the mantra of most , if not all, Leeds  United fans.

Edict, belief, faith, religion.

Call it what you will. Whichever word you use to describe it, it is the same. It is the thing that drives us to do what we do, and ultimately drives us mad. The phenomenon that is Leeds United.

Not only are the fans affected, the madness also afflicts our owners and managers alike. Like Sergeant Wilko, we start off as sane as the next man, often achieving greatness at times. Then it all goes downhill. Nay, plummets. Like a sack of spuds. The affliction subsequently transfers from our leaders to the team on the pitch. Resulting, ultimately, like in 2004, to a dramatic descent down the leagues.

Reliably, the affliction got to our most recent owner, Mr Radrizzani. No one is spared. No Quarter, as the phrase goes! To be fair to the guy before him, he was already as mad as a box of frogs anyway. Cellino was an entity in himself. The ones before Massimo? I won’t even go there.

In Star Trek terms, Cellino was the epitome of that cloud of mysterious, mischievous dust that flummoxed James T Kirk. He’d be voiced of course, by Roddy McDowell, should Massimo have been there in the 60s and Marcello Mastroianni not been available. The perfect misunderstood bad guy, Roddy McDowell. They don’t make actors like him anymore. There will never be another Cornelius. Truly, the Golden Age of acting. (Planet of The Apes, in case you don’t know what I am on about).

I digress, Radrizzani, like Ridsdale started off ok. Both experienced good times at Leeds United, although, only Peter “My Leeds United” Ridsdale got us into Europe. I cannot fault him for what he did in that very challenging time in Istanbul. Radrizzani never had anything like that Turkey moment, but, as sure as eggs are eggs, there is the potential for a goldfish tank moment. Who knows what the 49ers might find when the finally get into the offices are ER? There might even be a racing car garaged under the East Stand.

The Madness of Leeds United

Like many before him, Radrizzani just went a bit cuckoo. He got caught on the crest of a wave of success and got carried away, along with the rest of us.

Well, some of us.

Not me. Too long in the tooth for all of that nonsense now. To be frank, I expected more of us to be just as cynical as myself. Don’t get me wrong, I was enjoying being enthralled by Bielsa. That period in our history, was some of THE best football I have ever had the displeasure of not seeing live. We were lucky to see what we did until the world went mad and our global elite locked us away. That 1st season back, when we were deprived of our liberty and humanity, was one of the few things to look forward to. Albeit sometimes via dodgy firesticks and bein sports!

The Brolin

The 7 deadly sins; pride, avarice (greed in 20th centuryspeak), gluttony, lust, envy, wrath, sloth (not Casper). That list sounds like the pre requisite skills for any job in the Premier League and FA, doesn’t it? Pride and greed are the ones which are most to blame for terrible decisions at Leeds United. Pride comes before a fall, is how the saying goes. The pattern is that the Club start doing well on the pitch, and then someone takes their eye off the ball. Football for 90 minutes once or twice a week, becomes less important and fame or publicity takes priority.

Random signings once the Club start doing well, also known as the Brolin Phenomenon. Wilko (and Silver) had the inaugural Brolin moment. After Euro 1992 success and a storming World Cup in 1994, Tomas Brolin came to Leeds to join Yeboah up front. Those of you too young to remember, or those who have conveniently forgot, 1996 Coca Cola Cup Final. That is all I need to say. Coca Cola Cup Final. Oh, and Ian Rush. Tomas is now the leading vacuum cleaner salesman in Scandinavia.

Ridsdale and O Leary had their “Brolin” phase with Seth Johnson. Seriously, we could have bought John Arne Riise. But we didn’t. Because, Seth Johnson was the better choice. Seth Johnson. £7 million quid for Seth Johnson to Derby and we paid him upwards of £35 grand a week. After all, what could Riise do? Did he ever amount to anything at , er, Liverpool? Enough said. Oops, nearly forgot, Robbie Fowler.

Radrizzani? Well, under Bielsa – we had such a small squad, history would have us believe we never bought anyone. Of course, he got rid of Bielsa and all of a sudden, Leeds were free to buy all the players that they wanted. Because Bielsa held the purse strings and refused to buy anyone remember? Just think, without Bielsa, we could have got Aaronson, Roca, and McKennie so much sooner. Oh sorry, that’s not correct is it? It was Orta who stopped us buying “quality players” sooner.

If only Radrizzani listened to the real fans on social media in the first place. Had Radrizzani bowed to the pressure from the proper football managers, tippy tappying on their keyboards sooner, we wouldn’t be in the EFL now. That’s for sure. If only Radrizzani had listened to the “real” fans he would have known that all our players ignore fans all the time, especially children. The “real” fans should never have been forced to go on social media and the press to tell the board that Leeds fans had lost faith in them. Because fans would be able to do the job better.

A bit like in the Bates era where the “real” fans engaged (allegedly – I think I have to say that) with potential buyers to get Bates Out. Well that worked out really well didn’t it? The most skint people of middle eastern background ever. I think that is how I have to say it now, in case I am accused of breaking some sort of protected characteristic law.

Football by keyboard

Ridsdale, thankfully didn’t have to deal with social media. In the early 2000s, football was mostly played out on the telly or on the pitch. Football discussion was done in the pub after the game or at the ground. Agreements (and disagreements) were dealt with by talking face to face with people, or phone ins on the radio. Fools did not rush in to any of those conversations in the pub, I can tell you. If you ever said anything really stupid, people would just point and laugh at you. If any one of these keyboard warriors who chuck out death threats to our players did that in a pub, they wouldn’t be saying it twice, I can tell you. They’d have had a bunch of fives in their face.

22 and a half hours

Nowadays football is played out on social media. Actually, football is played on the pitch, but the 90 minutes of getting a ball into the back of the net comes second fiddle to other 22 and a half hours in the day. What actually happens on the 76,000 square feet of green stuff, is at times, completely irrelevant to the volumes of discussion on social media. Where angels fear to tread? Nope. Social media is where no one but fools rush in. Quick to accuse. Quick to confuse. Those tippy tappy fingers are responsible for some of the most hateful, intolerant abuse that footballers, managers, Chairmen and football fans alike, are subject to nowadays.

Why are we waiting?

As it stands today (Monday 17th July) we still do not have any official owners. They are still yet to be ratified by the EFL, apparently. It is a bizarre set of circumstances, isn’t it? The 49ers, as I understand, were already part owners when we were in the Premier League. Now we are in the EFL and the 49ers want to buy out Radrizzani (seeing as he is in Sampdoria – allegedly), they aren’t fit and proper? Do the EFL have a higher standard than the PL? Do the 49ers know what they are letting themselves in for? Have they researched this through properly? Surely they did their due diligence? Wise men say, only fools rush in … yikes.

I think it is something to do with the number of new investors into the 49ers group. Don’t quote me on that though. I suppose it is there to stop anyone of any disrepute being able to use their ill gotten gains to influence football. After all, it’s not like Sepp Blatter and Platini did anything wrong with £2 million quid. It’s not like big tournaments have ever been handed to random countries without thought for fans, is it?

What is going on? If only the “real” fans could be contacted to see if they could broker a deal with the new foreign owners. Oh wait, that has already happened once upon a time, a long time ago, allegedly. Lightning surely cannot strike twice.

Nearly there.

Nevertheless, the season is starting, new owners or not. The fixtures are here, and if the news is correct, it may be good news for the travelling fans. With the PL cap set at £30 for away tickets now a distant memory, our travelling support were fearing the worse. Namely £49 quid for Hillsborough and the rest. But if the gossip is correct, the Club have agreed a reciprocal ticketing policy for away fans. They have listened to the fans. The Twentys Plenty thing was never realistic, but £50 for a ticket for 90 minutes is just absurd.

Having sat through the Wimbledon Men’s Single final at the weekend watching two blokes compete for the best part of 4 hours (apart from that toilet break), you can understand getting what you pay for. Don’t ask me about the ladies final. The classic 11 hour game between Isner and Mahut was epic.

But realistically, some games of football are utter dross of two teams going through the motions for 90 minutes. Some are 90+ minutes of cheating, diving, fouling aka game management in 21st Century speak. There are some games where most of the entertainment is found in the concourse, or, if you are that way inclined smoking in the bogs.

We cannot help that at ER the away fans are sat in the West Stand. That is the legacy of money grabbing Bates. He moved them from the South Stand because at the time the rules were that you couldn’t charge away fans more than the price that home fans pay in the equivalent stand. For me, they should stay there. Separated from the South Stand by the scoreboard, with little if any, interference from the corporate West Stand. No fools rushing in from the posh seats.

With bated breath, we await confirmation that we have new owners. Without a sign of fools rushing in