Words fail me!

After what could have been the greatest come back of the new millenium, TC thought it fit to sit back with 10 men playing against 11 thugs. After that rousing team talk at half time, we must have been playing so well, that he must have thought we still had 11 men on the pitch! Pre game everyone was whining about Lassogga and Roofe being rubbish, and even after the game people were still whining, despite three goals between them and, as I said, being down to 10 men.

The long and short of it was that TC made the wrong decisions. When Cooper got sent off, we should have instantly replaced him with another defender, we may only have gone in one goal down. But leaving Pontus, Beradi and the new guy on their own ( given the new guy, De Bock hadn’t played properly in the first team yet) was like going to a gun fight with a water pistol. Only ever going to end in tears. Apparently Millwall had said they were going to kick us out of the game. No change there then for the EFL Family Club of The Year. So just what TC was expecting was anyone’s guess.

After losing Cooper, who if I say it once, I will say it a million times, is just NOT Captain material ( bring back Bartley) for that rash challenge, it looked like game over. He was having an absolute nightmare before he went off anyway, and frankly we actually played better without him. The Secretary informs me that this will be a four match ban as this is his second red of the season, unless Leeds United try to overturn the decision, of course. It has been pointed out that if we appeal and it still stands, the ban may increase to 5 games, lucky us!

For Lassogga and Roofe to do what they did, was pretty darned good! They answered their critics, and I may be wrong, but had the crowd not been on their backs from the off, Lassogga may have had a couple more. When we hit back at Millwall they were rubbish. All we had to do was keep running at them, their defence wasn’t up to much. All our midfield had to do was hold the ball up to give time for Lassogga, Roofe and a.n other to get into space. As it transpired, all they succeeded in doing was hacking the ball out or giving it away whilst trying to pass it back to Felix. Credit where credit is due, Felix had a good game too. He pulled off some brilliant saves and he couldn’t be blamed for Millwall’s last deflected goal.

So 10th it is, bring on the cod heads!

According to the internet, seeing as the team don’t have an FA Cup game next week ( hmmmm), they are going for some warm weather training. Great preparation for coming back to a league game on Tuesday night in Hull in January! Who thinks these things up? They would be better off going to Greenland to gear themselves up for a trip to the East Coast. Since when was it ever warm in Hull? This City of Culture gubbings is clearly completely misleading some people. Off to sunny Spain, fantastic to get rewarded for losing to lower league opposition and three red cards in a month. I wonder where they would have gone if we had won? Oh wait, if we had won, it would have been a money spinning tie at home to Spurs instead and FA Cup glory. Easy choice then.

Branch Meeting

Meeting was held on Sunday January 14th. There was a minutes silence in honour of our friend and the most loyalest Leeds United fan I have ever met in my entire life, Mr Eric Carlile.

Away Games

We are currently taking bookings for Hull on Tuesday Jan 30th 7.45pm kick off and T’Blades on Saturday 10th February 12.30pm kick off.

Memberships

The Membership Secretary was last seen in The Blues Bar with ex Secretary Rowson and Mr Reaveley.

A.O.B

The raffle draw was (finally) done for the Eddie Gray signed memorabilia. The branch have also been given a framed Leeds United shield autographed by Eddie Gray.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!

Apologies for the absence for the last few months. Ill health and all of that. Let’s hope 2018 is a better year for us all, on and off the pitch.

Monthly branch meeting

The first branch meeting of the year will be held on Sunday 14th January 2018. This is due to the fact that we are (properly) playing Newport away in the FA Cup, as opposed to just pretending to play them in away in the League Cup last year at Elland Road. What are the chances of getting the same team drawn in both cups in one season? So, only for the second time in quite a few years, the meeting has been moved. The branch meeting in December was unfortunately cancelled due to ill health of both The Secretary and The MPO. The much delayed draw for the Eddie Gray memorabilia will be done on Sunday 14th January.

Away games

The branch is not running a coach to the Newport game due to the lack of tickets acquired as the ground is tiny. Deputy Yates is running a minibus, please contact Mr Yates directly for info.

The branch is running a bus to Ipswich, there is currently a very limited number of seats left for members. If these seats are not taken up by branch members by the end of the week, these will be opened up to non members ( of which we have a wait list).

The next away game could be Hull or the 4th round of the FA Cup depending on what team is put out by TC on Sunday. I am seriously hoping that TC and Mr Radrizzani are sticking by their words that they will put out a team to win every game. They said this at the start of the season as part of the new era at Leeds United. At the time, I quoted the words of Billy, side before self, and reiterated how dedicated our great side were in the days where it wasn’t unheard of to play 4 games in 7 days. In the good old days of the replays, The Secretary says you could be playing a replay on the Tuesday and if you needed another replay, you could be playing on the Thursday. None of this penalty shoot out rubbish! You played until you properly won a game! Fixture congestion? My rear end! You played for the love of the  game and the pride of the shirt.

Memberships

The Membership Secretary has been out on manouvres since his misfortune. It doesn’t mean he will show up at the next branch meeting, but the branch is pleased to know he is functioning in some way, shape or form. There will be an update on memberships imminently.

A.O.B

We will ask Brian and Trish how much money was raised for the British Heart Foundation event before Christmas.

Mick Husband is somewhere in the Pacific on Dare to Lead in the Clipper Race For Life. Look out for his photo in the programme soon.

The MPO has some ideas for the LUSC Centenary and if anyone else has any ideas, please can they get in touch?

The latest edition of the blog will be coming soon.

The branch has bought a stone on the Bremner Square, albeit smaller than the one planned, but the larger sizes sold out pretty quickly.

Our monthly branch meetings have been held at the Londesborough Club for 20+ years now. We are happy to support this charity bash in aid of The British Heart Foundation.

The event is held in conjunction with Tempo FM, Harrogate Town and The Londesborough. The branch will lend it’s support by selling the raffle tickets for the items kindly donated by The Londesborough Club to branch members on the Brentford bus and anyone who cannot make the trip, as long as you get in touch! We will also donate a sum of money to the British Heart Foundation which will be agreed at the monthly branch meeting on Sunday 5th November.

Monthly Branch Meeting

There was a good attendance again, thank you for coming. The Secretary and The MPO arrived eventually after being stood outside for nearly 10 minutes while messaging everyone to let us in. There was a discussion around away tickets, ticket allocations and ordering tickets in general. We always said it will be difficult this season to try sort out away tickets. The branch will continue to work hard to ensure our members are able to get to as many away games as possible. The Chairman has expressed his difficulties in reading the electronic scoreboard at Elland Road from his seat in the North East Corner. After much discussion, the MPO has decided to send an e mail to Leeds United on his behalf asking for a different font and colour scheme for the half time results and substitution announcements.

Away Games

Bookings currently being taken for Cardiff and Burnley. Sheffield Weds bookings will also be taken. There has been no information from Leeds United as yet regarding ticketing arrangements for Cardiff, Burnley or Sheff Weds. We hope that the away games tracker based on last seasons games is used for these games.

Memberships

The Membership Secretary has suffered a non drinking related injury, therefore was MIA, but with a valid reason this month. Memberships continue to rise. Once we have had a chat with the Membership Secretary, we will decide what date to close memberships for the season.

A.O.B

The MPO hasn’t been able to get the preseason update on the website as yet. I will do so as soon as possible. The Secretary would like to thank Andy Yates and Dave Poole for coming to the LUSC exec meetings fortnightly on a Thursday. Thanks to James Garner and Ricky Greenwood as well this Thursday. It is good that branch members are taking more of an interest in the LUSC.

After a good win at Bolton last week, with two fantastic goals from Kalvin Phillips and hopefully Chris Wood’s first of many this season, we came down to earth with a bang on Saturday. Yes, a hat trick in the Cup on Tuesday night, by the new guy Saiz, but we need to remember that this was Port Vale after all. It’s not a bad start to August 2017 though, we have had worse starts to the season and there is a long, long way to go.

Monthly Branch Meeting

Thanks to all who attended last night’s meeting, including the taxi driver (Makaela). I know people are busy on a Sunday, but it is good if you can attend. Bonus that fixture lists were available as well. If anyone wants details of the Jurys Inn offer, please can you get in touch with us directly, usual channels. The Chairman stated that he found it very frustrating that the ticket office is not open after a home game to sell tickets for the following home games. As The Chairman has still not fully engaged with the internet era, he is struggling to buy his Cup tickets. The Chairman expressed his disapppointment vehemently at the time with the ticket office, but has requested that the branch should bring this up with Leeds United. The MPO has sent Leeds United an email to placate The Chairman, after all, there is no harm in asking. We will report back with any updates. The branch would like to put something forward for the Leeds United LUSC programme page about specific features of Harrogate & District. The Chairman has supplied us with some old photos and we would like to put something about the generations of families that have been travelling with us. Anyone who has photos of grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren who have been longstanding members, please get in touch. There was also a lively discussion regarding pre match refreshment stops. Whilst The Secretary and the MPO appreciate any help organising the away day trips, any suggestions must be workable realistically. We are open to any offers and the LUSC do have hostelries who contact us directly offering their hospitality. The branch as part of the LUSC must adhere to the instructions given to us by Bryn Stokes, the Football Liaison Officer. We will invite Bryn to a branch meeting, if that is what the branch members want.

Away Games

The bus to Sunderland is FULL. Departure details have been posted to facebook.

There has been no information regarding Forest tickets as yet, as soon as details are available, we will inform branch members. There will be a bus to this fixture unless we don’t get any tickets.

Newport in the Cup is to be played at Elland Road.

No information yet regarding Millwall and Cardiff. The branch will probably be running buses to these fixtures in the hope that we manage to get enough tickets.

Memberships

Thanks to everyone who has returned their membership forms. The Membership Secretary has been very busy and if you have included a stamped addressed envelope with your renewal form, you will be receiving your card soon. Please note, it takes a monumental effort to send the forms out in June. If you do not give us the correct email address or postal address, we cannot send you the forms. It is ESSENTIAL that a new form is filled out EVERY year, even if your details have not changed.

Website

As previously posted on facebook, the website has been much more successful than the MPO could have possibly thought. Given that there are numerous better Leeds United sites available, which are much more professional looking and have more content than ours, we still had nearly 10,000 visits according to GoogleAnalytics. That’s about 800 visits per month on average. The MPO would like to thank everyone who does periodically have a look at what’s going on. The preseason update is being written this week ( apart from Tuesday night) and that and the gallery will be updated by the end of the month. Again, if anyone wishes to volunteer to write something, the MPO will consider any content as long as it is libellous and inflammatory. I think there should be a not somewhere in that paragraph..

A.O.B

Branch members attended a session at very short notice at Elland Road last week regarding the Centenary. Thanks to Dave Rowson, Jamie Rowson, Dave Poole and Ellie Poole for getting across to ER early before the Port Vale game. Anyone with any ideas regarding how the branch can support the LUSC in organising the Centenary Celebrations, please get in touch.

In response to recent enquiries, I think I have managed to add a printable PDF version of a New Membership form on here.

Please note this is for NEW MEMBERS ONLY.

After much discussion with The Secretary, we have decided that the Renewals form cannot be attached. If anyone ever reads the commentary on the renewals form, you will know that the branch maybe be opening itself to any libel issues etc. especially from Garry with Two Rs or Evil Papa Smurf or anyone else lacking a sense of humour.

I am aware that there have been a few glitches with the electronic version on the website.

Please can any new applicants ensure they enclosed two passport sized photgraphs for their LUSC photo ID card and PLEASE sign the form. We accept cheques and postal orders, if anyone wishes to pay elctronically, please text or private message and I will give you the bank branch account details.

New Members Form