Leeds United’s long road back to glory
Leeds United may currently be a point closer to the relegation zone than the automatic promotion places, but nobody should rule out a return to the big time for Neil Warnock’s men.
From Champions League in 2001 to Championship in 2004, Leeds’ well-documented fall from grace culminated in them being relegated to the third division in 2007. This was the lowest point in the club’s history, as they had never previously played in lower than the second tier of English football.
Despite promising seasons, the Whites appeared to be stuck in League One and were unable to find a way out. They reached the play-off final in 2008, where they lost to underdogs Doncaster Rovers, whilst they also made the play-offs the following year but failed to overcome Millwall over two legs. It was third time lucky for Leeds, as they ultimately by-passed the play-off route and finished second in 2010, securing automatic promotion back to the Championship.
Since returning to the second division in 2010, the club have proceeded comfortably without making too many headlines. They narrowly missed out on the play-offs in their first season back, whilst last season saw them fade a little with a mid-table finish. Around a third of the way through the current campaign, Leeds find again find themselves around mid-table. Neil Warnock will be hoping his side can start to produce similar displays in the league to those they have showed in the Capital One Cup, where they have already dispatched Premier League teams Everton and Southampton.
Ken Bates, who has been Leeds chairman since 2005, has claimed a deal with a Middle East-based GFH Capital is close to completion. The club already has a huge fanbase, who the private equity group have assured that a return to top flight football is their priority. Many people will no doubt look to the recent success enjoyed by Manchester City after they were taken over, but most Leeds supporters would agree that a starting point has to be promotion back to the Premier League.
With the takeover of the club reported to be imminent, are Leeds United’s recent fortunes about to take a dramatic change? And, if so, for better or worse?
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