Leeds United V Swansea Saturday 29th March 2025 - Elland Road 2024/25 Season I don't know about anyone else but despite it having been the international break, I still felt as if I was meeting myself coming backwards. I was told to say hello to myself as we pass by each other which made me laugh. It was nice to be interviewed by the Only Leeds Bros from Ireland during the week and I was also interviewed for the Paris 75 documentary that will be in cinemas from 28th May 2025. 50 years since I was there for the European Cup Final when it is still as fresh in my mind now as it was back then. Keep watching for the launch of my new website next week too. I'm so glad I was let down by the previous person because although it has meant I haven't had my website for three years, I am so happy with this new one. It will be work in progress, but it's been well worth waiting for. It was going to be a poignant day at Elland Road today as it also marks the 25th anniversary next week of the brutal murders of Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight in Istanbul. A fantastic tribute on the 25th minute when everyone turned their backs to the pitch as a mark of respect plus the game was stopped too which was good to see. I had to be at the ground early today as I wasn't going to be in my usual seat in the Kop but in the Eddie Gray suite celebrating my friend Nikki's birthday. Thank you for letting me join in your birthday celebrations which I enjoyed very much, and we had a really good time. The only downside was going down the steps that led to the hospitality suites at half time, but we couldn't get back into the level three area. Having to go back up two flights of stairs then back down another two to get there wasn't good especially when I've had a dodgy ankle for a few days. I spoke to someone when we got back up to the level five only to be told it was only to level two. When I got back into the stand later, I double checked the sign and there was nothing there to suggest you couldn't get back into any other levels. This will be passed back to the club via the supporter’s advisory board. Team: Meslier, Ampadu (captain), Struijk, Rodon, James, Aaronson, Bogle, Byram, Rothwell, Piroe, Solomon. Subs: Tanaka for Ampadu (58), Joseph for Aaronson (72), Firpo for Byram (72), Ramazani for Solomon (72), Gnonto for James (85). Subs not used: Darlow, Schmidt, Guilavogui, Gruev. Leeds drew 2-2 with Aaronson (1) and Gnonto (86) scoring for Leeds. Swansea equalised for the second time in 90+6 minutes after doing the same in the 64th minute. Attendance: 35,575, 784 Swansea fans. Referee: Ben Toner. Booked: Ampadu, Tanaka, Gnonto (for taking his shirt off when he scored a minute after coming on as a sub). I'd gone to the front of the upper east stand to get photos as there was to be a minute's applause for Chris and Kev. As I was getting to my seat two lads asked for their photos, but I said to wait as we'd gone straight on the attack towards the south stand and before we knew it the ball had hit the back of the net. What a fantastic start to the game but in true Leeds United fashion, things went downhill when we conceded a penalty. I didn't think it was one for a minute until I saw a replay later. Rodon did catch him, but he was going out of the penalty area, so it wasn’t a goal scoring opportunity. Did that use to be a rule in the past where they’d wave away a penalty appeal on that basis? I’m not sure if I’ve made it up or whether for once my memory is correct but no doubt someone will enlighten me. As for the penalty, justice prevailed when Meslier dived the right way and saved it. Swansea came back at us very quickly and were very unlucky not to equalise shortly afterwards. They won a free kick in front of us and as they sent the ball into the middle, the ball was headed against the upright and the ball bounced straight back into Meslier’s hands. Phew that was a relief, but it also showed to me that Swansea wouldn’t be no pushover, but I do feel once they were awarded the penalty, that made a difference. As the game progressed some of our players were looking leggy as the effects of the international break once more came back to haunt us. The second half had kicked off by the time I got back to my seat (by the way those padded seats are a far cry from my usual one in the Kop but are very comfy). We were very unlucky not to get a second goal as James kept the ball in on the by line then Aaronson sent the ball into the middle of the box and Piroe saw the keeper make a good save from his shot. James also saw the keeper make a good save from him. We let Swansea back into the game unexpectedly from a corner. Meslier went up unopposed to catch the ball, dropped it but the first person to react was their player to put the ball into the net. Prior to that he’d made a great save to keep them out then this happened. Gnonto came on as sub and from a corner Struijk saw their keeper make another great save but then Gnonto hit a great shot from the edge of the box to take the lead once again. Swansea had been time wasting and I thought there may be six minutes of injury time but there was seven. After we had got that goal, instead of consolidating the lead and seeing the game out, we did everything to give Swansea the chance to equalise by losing the ball, then the man from our throw in before they equalised once again with six minutes added on. With lots blaming Meslier for this goal too which I don’t, you can see on replays we had six players there who were all ball watching who had already switched off in my opinion. Swansea never gave up and deserved their point to be honest. Being in hospitality didn’t stop me shouting, singing and being my usual self although a swear word did come out when I got nervous. I thought I may have gone over the top as usual but then got a compliment from a lady in front of me at the end of the game, saying she’d like to be like me in the future. Thanks for that. With social media in meltdown once again, I felt indifferent but had to be reminded we hadn’t lost but drawn the game. Noel Whelan had asked me before the game what I thought but I said I never predict scores as I always get them wrong plus we’ve been here too many times before. It’s not the end of the world as it is still in our hands now despite us going down to second but now on equal points with Burnley. Just forget we are trying the get promoted Leeds but with Luton being another early kick off next Saturday, we can only see what happens there. On my way home the conditions were awful with the wind taking my car a few times, which made me wonder if the wind had an impact in the ground. I know when we got into the stand the winds were strong, but it is a possibility however small, that it impacted on Meslier dropping the ball?  LUFC – Marching on Together!

QPR V Leeds United Saturday 15th March 2025 - Matrade Loftus Road 2024/25 Season After another early and cold start this morning, my message to Leeds was some reverse psychology. Forget about it being another early kick off as it was us fans who were travelling through the night so they should be fresh as daisies. Also, in 1974 our last game of the season saw us crowned Champions of the first division where we went onto the pitch at the end of the game. This shows that we can win at Loftus Road despite it not being a happy hunting ground, plus playing in London. My friend Carole opened the champagne she’d brought with her on that day, although I never liked the taste of it so I can’t remember whether I had a drink or not. After sleeping all the way to the services and then having to be woken up as everyone was getting off the coach at the pub, we arrived two hours before kick-off. I was going to stay on the coach then decided to head to the players’ entrance to see the team getting off the coach. As I stayed around that area, my beret caught the eye of a camera man, and I had to look up at the sky so he could get photos of the top of it. This was given to me by the Art of Football, and it has certainly caught the eye of fans and others as I wear it to every game. I love it and can’t thank them enough. It was great talking to and taking photos of lots of our fans outside the ground and it was a relaxed atmosphere. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, Aaronson, Piroe, James, Rothwell, Solomon, Tanaka. Subs: Gnonto for Aaronson (45), Ramazani for Aaronson (84). Subs not used: Darlow, Joseph, Debayo, Byram, Guilavogui, Schmidt, Gruev. Leeds drew the game 2-2 with goals from Firpo (40) and Bogle (51) after being two goals down. Attendance: 17,457, 1,759 Leeds fans. Referee: Tim Robinson. Booked: Struijk, Bogle. Sent off: Saito (QPR). We had a lot of possession in the early stages of the game although without any chances before QPR took the lead after a poor clearance from Aaronson, saw their player hit a cracking shot into the top corner of the goal in front of us. To make matters worse, within 30 minutes we were two goals down when their player was in so much space to the left of us, crossed the ball to be headed into the net by another one in acres of space. Well, that wasn’t what I wanted to happen so I told those around me that we would have to win 3-2 then. Leeds got their act together to pull a goal back five minutes before the break with some great passing football involving, Tanaka and Piroe who found Solomon on the wing. His pass into the middle saw Firpo get onto the end of it to hit the ball into the net. At least that would give us a fighting chance. The second half saw Leeds come out fighting as Farke made one of his earliest subs when he brought Gnonto on for Aaronson. That had the desired effect because we had been outnumbered in the middle of the pitch by QPR in the first half. It didn’t take Leeds long to get an equaliser as Gnonto sent James forward along the wing. His cross into the middle saw Solomon’s shot saved but Bogle followed up with the rebound to score the goal. I wondered if I would get my wish after all as we were on top at this part of the game. As it was, QPR resorted to “injuries” and time wasting to slow the game down more than once. It also looked as if someone had been having a word in the ref’s ear as he let some fouls go on us but blew up constantly against us. We had to be thankful to Meslier to make a great save to keep them from taking the lead after a long throw into the box. QPR had a player sent off with a straight red for a late challenge on James in the closing stages of the game. At first, I thought I’d been mistaken seeing a red card as their player didn’t want to go off the pitch. Farke then decided to make a sub and took off Solomon for Ramazani. To be honest a that moment, it was the first time I wouldn’t have even used another sub because we had been on top for most of the second half. Solomon was very upset at having been subbed though and I could sympathise because it did feel that we could still get a winner with him on the pitch. We did get in good positions but the final ball into the net was lacking so had to be content with the draw. I’m not sure if something happened with Joseph at the end of the game as he looked very angry, and Ampadu was trying to calm him down. Can’t say I noticed anything but someone else may have. At the end of the day, we got another precious point after coming back from two goals down. We have no control over other teams but there will certainly be plenty of ups and downs before the season ends. As we now have the international break again, the telling point for us and those around us will be whether we can keep the momentum going when the games restart. We still have a chance so keep fighting Leeds. Monday will see a poignant day for me as it would have been the birthday of my baby daughter Charlotte who died. She found fame in her little life as her birth was announced live on TV by Greavsie when Leeds played at Arsenal that day. It was the first game I’d missed home or away for seven years. Thanks to my late husband, Arsenal put the news across their scoreboard which is how it was picked up by Greavsie. He said I’d seen more action than they had at the game! Charlotte also attended her first game at six days old against Cristal Palace when she went into the creche in the South Stand which was the family stand back then. I’ll always be grateful to the Square Ball for keeping her memory alive when they wished her a happy 30th birthday, not knowing she had died suddenly at 17 days old from an undiagnosed heart defect. As my new website will shortly be going live after three years without one, I hope that the Square Ball can find that clip so I can share it on there. See you at the Swansea home game where I will not be in my usual seat in the Kop but in the Eddie Gray suite instead for a friend’s birthday. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United V Millwall Wednesday 12th March 2025 - Elland Road 2024/25 Season After seemingly meeting myself coming backwards, I had to revert to Shanks Pony (walking in other words) for most of the day and whilst I’ve enjoyed it, I’d slowed up by the end of the game. I decided to catch a train into Leeds as my daughter was coming straight from work and I’d come back home with her afterwards. With it being a rail replacement transport, it turned out to be our regular driver from our away coach who brought me to Leeds. A big thank you to Arne one of our Norwegian Whites who gave me a present of a Leeds cup with my name in it which was greatly appreciated. He’d bought some memorabilia for his museum, and it was lovely to see he had a silk scarf with the 1972 FA Cup Final on it which was my favourite ever game. Whilst meeting him at Billy’s statue, a few fans asked me what I thought the score would be, but I don’t predict scores as I always get them wrong. I did say we had to win though as it was important we picked up the points tonight as QPR is another ground that hasn’t been good for us. Getting something from that game too will keep the pressure on the other teams around us too. It was nice to finally meet up with Craig and sign my Follow Me and Leeds United book that he had bought. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Tanaka, Firpo, Rothwell, Piroe, James, Solomon, Aaronson. Subs: Gruev for Rothwell (86), Byram for Bogle (86), Gnonto for Solomon (86), Ramazani for James (90+1), Joseph for Piroe (90+1). Subs not used: Darlow, Guilavogui, Debayo, Chambers. Leeds won the game 2-0 with an own goal from Cooper (3) and Tanaka (85). Attendance: 34,401, 391 Millwall fans. Referee: Dean Whitestone. Booked: Unbelievably none from Millwall. Leeds started off at a blistering pace after being turned around by Millwall, so we were attacking the Kop in the first half. I hadn’t realised the goal was so early in the game as Solomon sent a low shot along the byline that ended up in the net at the near post courtesy of Millwall’s captain. That set the tone for Leeds to keep attacking which is the best form of defence and it showed tonight as we limited Millwall to very few attacks. Millwall were chopping our players down left, right and centre but the referee never gave a yellow card out. I was half expecting us to challenge them and get the first card but thankfully we didn’t. We were attacking in droves, and Aaronson had a shot saved by their keeper. Leeds scored a second goal that was disallowed for offside after good work in the penalty area from Aaronson gave Piroe the chance to put the ball into the net. I was convinced it wasn’t offside and according to half time reports; this was confirmed to be the case. It would have made a difference by taking any pressure off us. The sting was taken out of the game as their player went down injured. He went off the pitch at the slowest pace to be subbed, only to take forever and the referee to let them do it.  The second half saw Leeds come close a couple of times from Aaronson and Solomon as frustration started to creep into some of our support as we wanted to make changes. Millwall sent a long range shot that Meslier kept out of the net by pushing it around the corner of the post. Fears were that they were going to pile the pressure on us now but we needn’t have worried. As it was Farke stuck with the same players despite play dropping off but with five minutes of normal time left, he looked to the bench. At that moment, I thought the players on the pitch would now push to score in case they were going off which did happen. Another good move saw play switch from the right-hand side as Solomon passed to Firpo on the left wing. He looked up and sent a perfect pass across the box which Solomon left, and Tanaka hit a blistering shot into the top corner to seal the victory. Another clean sheet, win and a welcome three points took us back to the top of the table as we head to QPR on Saturday for another early start and kick off. See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Portsmouth v Leeds United Saturday 9th March 2025 - Fratton Park 2024/25 Season Having just arrived home after a 17 hour round trip, despite all the traffic issues that meant detours, we had a good run both there and back. Starting from home at 3.30am in freezing conditions to ending up in glorious sunshine at the ground it was a perfect day for a football game. Even though it was a long day for us northern based fans, it was short 15–20-minute journey for many of our southern based fans, especially the Hampshire Whites. They have the long journey to do for every home game at Elland Road so I don’t feel I can complain when the boot is on the other foot. I’d no idea Portsmouth were near the bottom of the table as I only concentrate on Leeds, but they wanted to win the game more than we did. Although we did have our share of chances, if our last-minute chance had gone in instead of their keeper making a great save, I would have taken the point, but it would have been a get out of jail card. It’s what it is, and we move on to a big week of football with our home game against Millwall on Wednesday then away at QPR on Saturday. I’ve no idea what will transpire but it all depends how we are set up in my opinion. Today it felt like we had got our tactics wrong and were looking defensive in the first half. Before they scored their goal, I wanted to see changes because I could see what was coming. For those blaming Meslier for their goal, I don’t agree. Our defenders were level with their player after we got caught out with their speed and could have stopped him before he got into our penalty area. Instead, we slackened off so that he got in front of our defence and scored. To be honest, it looked like half of the team had been up all night travelling not us! Team: Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, Aaronson, Piroe, James, Solomon, Gruev, Tanaka, Solomon. Subs: Joseph for Aaronson (68), Ramazani for Solomon (68), Rothwell for Tanaka (68), Byram for Bogle (79), Gnonto for Gruev (79). Subs not used: Darlow, Guilavogui, Schmidt, Debayo. Leeds lost the game 1-0. Attendance: 20,314, 2,171 Leeds fans. Referee: Rob Jones. Booked: None from Leeds. The first half felt very poor from our perspective although things may have been different if we’d have been awarded a penalty in the 10th minute when James was brought down in the penalty area. He had hit the ball only for the Portsmouth player to kick him halfway up the calf from behind. The referee had a clear view of it but decided to ignore the challenge. As he’s supposedly a premier league referee, maybe he needed VAR to make a decision for him. We had another chance when their keeper made a double save firstly from Solomon and then the rebound from Piroe. How their player ended up without a booking for a late challenge on Meslier I don’t know. Portsmouth got into the game more and were very quick on the break, but we looked to be containing them. We started to play more defensively, and it didn’t make for good watching from our point of view as it was very poor before the break. The second half saw Leeds start off with a great attack from the defence when Bogle sent a fantastic ball up the wing for James to run onto. He sent a great pass to Solomon on the opposite wing, but he couldn’t hit a first time shot. He took the ball past the keeper, passed to Piroe in front of goal who hit the ball over the bar. That was a good chance and should have been buried. That miss was going to come back to haunt us very quickly as it emboldened Portsmouth who made a sub. I shouted to Farke that he needed to change things as I could see what was going to happen only nothing was done about it. With that Portsmouth sent a great ball over our defence, and as Rodon and Struijk were level with their player, I expected them to close the player down and win the ball. As it was, we slowed down and their player ran forward with pace, hit the ball as Meslier came forward only to see it hitting the far post and rebounding back into the goal. They could have got a second goal not long afterwards as they hit a long range shot but Meslier made a fantastic save to keep them out. They also had another shot that hit the outside of the post then went wide. We should have got back into the game as Leeds attacked towards the Leeds fans behind the goal. Firpo did a one two with Ramazani and although the ball was short, Firpo kept running and took the ball with him. He got into the penalty area past their defence and ready to shoot but then, shot against the keeper’s legs and the ball cleared. Firpo then saw his header hit the bar with James getting to the rebound, but the ball went wide. Our last chance saw Rothwell send a corner into the middle and Byram’s header brought a great save out of their keeper. He was definitely their man of the match. The last couple of days had already sent me into a downward spiral so I just accepted we had lost the game. For those who followed my husband’s cancer journey until he died, may remember my baby granddaughter being hospitalised four times during the last year with urinary sepsis. After further tests, it looks like they have found the cause of this, but we will know more when we see the consultant shortly. It is possible she faces surgery and although I was okay after we came away from the hospital, the next two days got the tears flowing again. It is coming up to the birthday of my baby daughter who died, and it brought things back to me. The anniversary of Charlotte’s death is the same day that we are remembering Chris and Kev who were murdered in Istanbul. I will be attending their remembrance evening but if the last two days are anything to go by, there will be a lot of tears shed. Whilst we have lost a game of football today for the first time since November, it is hard for some to deal with but, it isn’t over yet and we are not yet down and out. Hopefully that won’t come back to bite me! See you on Wednesday, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v West Bromwich Albion Saturday 1st March 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season As I’d to rely on my daughter to pick me up today, it meant a later set off than I intended so we went straight to the ground. It was nice to catch up with fans at the Peacock and in the Kop before kick-off. With the sun shining and despite it being cold, it felt a lovely day for a football game. Team: Struijk, Meslier, Rodon, Firpo, Bogle, James, Rothwell, Solomon, Piroe, Tanaka, Aaronson. Subs: Joseph for Aaronson (72), Gnonto for Solomon (79). Subs not used: Darlow, Guilavogui, Byram, Schmidt, Ramazani, Debayo, Gruev. Leeds drew the game 1-1 and took the lead with a goal by Firpo (9). Attendance: 36,705, 1,969 WBA fans. Referee: Farai Hallam. Booked: None from Leeds. WBA showed they were up for the game with an early attack that thankfully saw their final shot go wide of the post. That was a relief because I thought it was going into the net and to be honest after seeing replays later when I got home, it wasn’t that far away. Leeds did in fact take an early lead once again when a fantastic cross from James on the wing, saw Firpo head the ball into the net in front of the South Stand. Things didn’t quite go our way for long spells after this and WBA put up a good fight to try and get an equaliser. Their players beat the offside trap with one in space, who took the ball forward as Meslier came out to smother the shot. He did enough to take the sting out of the ball, but the ball continued to go towards the net where Struijk was there to kick the ball away. It was a bit of a warning for us that they were not giving up without a fight. We didn’t heed that warning as they equalised before half time. They floated a free kick to the right of our goal where their man got up the highest and looped the ball into the net. One criticism I have as we defended corners is that there were too many WBA players in acres of space, and we weren’t man marking them. That was different to when they defended corners from us as there seemed to be so many more of their players than ours in the penalty area. The second half saw Leeds come out fighting with an early attack although Solomon’s shot went over the bar. As he shot, he was taken out by their player from behind, so it should have been a penalty from my point of view. We continued an onslaught of attacks that saw shots blocked as WBA defended well. When they managed an attack, I just didn’t want them to take the lead as we had to keep them out at all costs. Not losing had to be a goal as this game wasn’t easy for us at all. Although they got a good cross in, their header went over the bar thankfully. Leeds were very unlucky not to take the lead as Joseph received the ball on the wing in front of the West Stand. He took the ball all the way into the penalty area only to see his shot scrape the top of the cross bar and go over. WBA then got a chance to win the game when they beat our last line of defence who were pressing high and in their half. Their player was way in front of our defence as Rodon charged back to take the ball off their attacker on the edge of our box. Rodon had the ball between his knees and managed to kick the ball away as their player bore down on him. Luckily for us their player came inwards with the ball giving Rodon the chance to get level with him. Our last chance came to James who hit a hard shot that went wide. With the score even at the end of the game, the main thing is we didn’t get beat and got a point. It was a hard game, which is why I will not get carried away and keep my judgements by what I see happening on the pitch. Our next game sees an early set off for a lot of us as we head to Portsmouth for our early kick-off on Sunday next week. There will still be lots of ups and downs to come as the season comes to the hardest part, but we still have that fighting chance of automatic promotion. See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Sheffield United v Leeds United Monday 24th February 2025 - Bramall Lane 2024/25 Season Before I set off for the game, I said in my reel that a point would be good, and a win would be a bonus. Well, we got the bonus with the win, another three points plus sending the Leeds fans wild with the comeback in the last twenty minutes. At least my ears aren’t ringing like they were for two days after the Sunderland game but great celebrations once again. Lovely to see me at the front of the Leeds fans with my flag singing Marching on Together on the official Leeds site after the game. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Firpo, Bogle, Aaronson, Gruev, Piroe, James, Solomon, Rodon, Tanaka. Subs: Rothwell for Gruev (58), Joseph for Aaronson (58), Gnonto for Solomon (83), Byram for Bogle (90). Subs not used: Darlow, Guilavogui, Schmidt, Ramazani, Debayo. Leeds won the game 3-1 with a fantastic comeback with goals from Firpo (72), Tanaka (89), Piroe (90). Attendance: 29,702, 2,688 Leeds fans. Referee: David Webb Booked: Tanaka Leeds started the game by playing deep which worked in Shefield United’s favour as they ran through our midfield and defence putting us under a lot of pressure. We were very lucky when Meslier came under pressure from a corner that Gruev was there to head the ball off the line. Great defending from Gruev. There had been a lot of jostling with a Sheffield player and Meslier had pushed him away prior to this so I feel he’d taken his eyes off the ball. We weren’t so lucky with another attack when they got the better of the defence and headed against the crossbar. Sadly, for us their player at the left-hand side headed it back across the goal off the post as Meslier tried to keep it out but it went in off him. In reality it wasn’t unexpected that they got the goal as we had been under a lot of pressure. Constant passing across the back meant we were inviting them to attack us. We weren’t strong enough in midfield with their constant runs through the middle, but I was hoping that the pressure would be off us know they’d scored. We also joked that hopefully they would now run out of steam. We did manage to attack but although Solomon saw his shot saved by the keeper, we didn’t bother them too much as their keeper looked comfortable in goal. At half time I knew there was no chance of going up the aisle beside me and that it would be bedlam below the stands. Luckily by going across the front of the stand to my right I was able to get downstairs and back before the second half kicked off. The second half kicked off and we knew that we needed to make a change, and I was hoping that Rothwell would come on sooner rather than later. Meslier had made an important save on the edge of the box and got down to save another shot shortly after. I’d forgotten that Farke was in the stand serving a one game touchline ban but was glad when we were looking to bring on Rothwell and Joseph earlier than usual. Whilst we were waiting for them to come on Aaronson had two instances where he tangled with the opposition and my initial thoughts were that he’d get sent off before we could sub him. Luckily, he didn’t get sent off but was subbed. Leeds were coming more into the game once our subs were made and started to get stronger. Joseph shot over the goal, Firpo’s header went over the bar, Piroe and Gnonto both saw their shots saved. Firpo didn’t make the same mistake next time as his header hit the back of the net to equalise as the team came to celebrate with the Leeds fans. If we thought that would be it, we would be very much mistaken. As we won a corner, Rothwell sent the ball into the middle where Struijk headed the ball on to Tanaka to the right of the goal. His header then hit the back of the net sending everyone into raptures and more celebrations. Before we could capture our breath, we attacked again and James to the left of us sent a great pass to Piroe in the centre and he lined the shot up sending a cracking shot into the net in front of us. Cue absolute pandemonium on the terraces as I tried hard to keep my feet with everyone going nuts. I certainly wasn’t expecting this ending again, but it was brilliant. No one moved for ages at the end of the game and to be honest I don’t think I saw anything of the five minutes of injury time added on. I didn’t even see Byram come on for Bogle. Everyone was celebrating, singing and having a ball and this time I allowed myself to join in songs about being champions despite there still being a long way to go. Enjoying the moments as they happen are a great experience and what being Leeds is all about. A shout out for some Leeds fans at the game who had come from Finland plus others from Norway. Social media after the game was awash with everyone enjoying the celebrations. It was an important win against our Yorkshire rivals with them being in second place. Another game closer to the end of the season but enjoy the moments and see you all for the early kick off against West Brom on Saturday. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Sunderland Monday 17th February 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season The roof came off Elland Road with a last-minute winner from Struijk. As Elland Road erupted the noise was unbelievable and even now, three hours after the end of the game my ears are still ringing. This was one of those moments you would want to be there to experience and there is no doubt in my mind that this was a vital win. Enjoy seeing Leeds back at the top of the league in these challenging times because, it was by no means an easy win. Earlier it had felt surreal that we were heading to a football game. Having a day with family first, then saying goodbye to a friend, picking my granddaughter and then my daughter up meant we went straight into the ground. Luckily our turnstile was working this week, but I’ve heard of many of our fans having issues with the turnstiles. It is worth nothing the number of any that do not work, in my instance I went straight through it recently, so I wasn’t sure if it had registered my ticket. All notifications can be sent to the club via the SAB (Supporters’ Advisory Board). Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, James, Solomon, Aaronson, Gruev, Piroe, Tanaka. Subs: Rothwell for Gruev (71), Struijk for Tanaka (71), Joseph for Aaronson (78), Ramazani for Solomon (78), Byram for Firpo (90+2). Subs not used: Darlow, Guilavogui, Gnonto, Schmidt. Leeds won the game 2-1 with a brace from Struijk (78, 90+5) after coming on as substitute. Attendance: 36,804, 2,898 Sunderland fans. Referee: Stuart Attwell. Booked: Bogle, Tanaka, Firpo. Sunderland showed they wouldn’t be a pushover when they kept the ball in play in front of the West Stand. With Gruev slipping in the penalty area as the shot came in, Meslier made the initial save, then got to the rebound to save that shot too. That was a warning, but they won a free kick on the right-hand side. Before we knew it, the ball was sent quickly to the left wing then another quick pass to their player on the wing. He cut inside, got the better of Ampadu to hit a low shot against the post that bounced across the goal and into the net to take the lead. Although Leeds kept trying, a header from James was blocked on the line, but in reality, there was no chance it was going in as they had three players there. I felt it wasn’t really working for us and could tell we weren’t going to get a goal as we went into the break still losing by the one goal. Solomon saw his shot across goal from the by line saved by their keeper. Piroe had a shot saved too before our first subs were made. Firpo was out of position a few times today and it looked like he was playing up front at one point. It did look intentional, but I wasn’t sure how effective it had been. Firpo was fouled in front of the West Stand as Rothwell stepped up to take the free kick. A fantastic pinpoint cross reached Struijk who headed the ball into the net to equalise. The celebrations carried on all the way to our half as the team wanted to get on with the game. Leeds stepped up the pace now as all the time wasting from Sunderland was punished, I’m pleased to say. It’s a shame it took until the 83rd minute for their keeper to be booked for it. It was a game littered with fouls from both teams resulting in nine altogether, although some of those given to Sunderland were very soft challenges. With five minutes of injury time on the clock, Leeds kept coming forward and won a corner. Rothwell took the corner, and the ball came to Ramazani at the far side of the box. His shot/pass came back to Rothwell again only this time his shot was headed into the net by Struijk again to put Leeds into the lead. The scenes then from all around the ground were absolutely fantastic with everyone going nuts, jumping about and celebrating until the final whistle went a few minutes later. Everyone stayed where they were for a long time afterwards as I predict a riot and Marching on Together belted out around the ground. Happy? You bet I am as I was jumping for joy too. Just before Struijk scored his second, I’d told him to get a brace, the lad next to me said he’d get a winner and there had been other predictions of Rothwell being the provider and Struijk scoring. As we head to Bramall Lane for the key game against Sheffield United next Monday, let’s hope we can get something out of the game there too. See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Watford Tuesday 11th February 2025 - Vicarage Road 2024/25 Season It took me a while to get going this morning then decided I would go to see Don Revie’s statue when I got to Elland Road. Whilst driving there, Top of the World by the Carpenters came on the radio which took me back to Hibernian in the 70s. As I was singing along to it, I remembered singing this at the top of my voice at half time at that game. Great memories which are what keep me going. I had no idea what to expect tonight and certainly didn’t expect a 4-0 win away from home to keep us at the top of the league with a great goal difference of +47. I don’t look at any other team apart from Leeds so had no idea where Watford were in the league or how they were playing which is a good way of coping for me. It means I go with an open mind and make by decisions by what I see happening on the pitch. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Firpo, Bogle, Aaronson, Piroe, James, Solomon, Tanaka, Gruev. Subs: Ramazani for Solomon (76), Gnonto for James (77), Joseph for Piroe (81), Rothwell for Tanaka (81), Struijk for Ampadu (86). Subs not used: Darlow, Byram, Schmidt, Guilavogui. Leeds won the game 4-0 with a brace from James (20, 28), Solomon (35), Piroe (62). Attendance: 19,582, 2,084 Leeds fans. Referee: Oliver Langford. Booked: None. Both teams came out of the starting blocks quickly with Watford winning a corner and Leeds having a shot which deflected wide. There was plenty of attacking with end-to-end football and Leeds came the closest to taking the lead after a fast move involving Solomon and Aaronson which saw a Piroe shot saved by the keeper. Shortly afterwards we took the lead after James picked up a bad back pass and ran forward, composed himself and smashed the ball into the net. James increased our lead eight minutes later after a great counterattack. Aaronson sent a great pass to Piroe on the wing whose precision pass to James in the middle saw his speed once again cause issues for their defence and smashed a second goal into the net to put us two up. Well, I never saw that coming!! Meslier then made an important save when the Watford player got through our defence with only him to beat. We took an even bigger lead when Solomon kept hold of the ball under pressure from a Watford player and shot from outside the area, only to see the ball deflected into the net for a third with their keeper rooted to the spot. Wow but I’ll take that, we hadn’t even got to half time and were three goals to the good already. James was so unlucky not to get a hattrick as Leeds came out from defence once again. He was well behind as the defender chested the ball down, but James’s speed took him past, and he hit a first time, long range shot with their keeper grasping fresh air, but the ball went wide. What a shame as he is my favourite player, is so lovely and it would have been so deserved. Leeds attacked towards the Leeds fans in the second half and some fantastic play from Tanaka where he ran rings around Ince leaving him behind, got the ball to Solomon. He then found Piroe in the middle who beat the defender to get a clear shot of the goal to put the ball into the net to put us four up on the night. I was so happy at this minute celebrating with the rest of our fans only to look up at the sky, feel the tears coming and started sobbing for a good few minutes. These things will continue to happen for a long while no doubt and I will have to deal with these moments when they come out of the blue as they did then. The Leeds fans had been on form all evening and I enjoyed the singing with lots of old school songs.  James came close again but couldn’t add to his tally and although Watford had their best chance of the game, Meslier spread himself across the goal as they hit the crossbar. A very satisfying win, three points and another clean sheet. Next Monday sees the visit of Sunderland to Elland Road. Many fans have complained about giving them nearly 3,000 tickets when they wouldn’t let us have more than 2,000 tickets at their ground. As it’s a key game, putting Leeds fans in the bottom with stewards in between would have been better! See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Millwall Saturday 8th February 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds FA Cup - Round 4 I’ve been sat staring at my screen for ages not knowing where to start with my blog today. Reading about those fans who are glad we are out of the FA Cup and can concentrate on the league, whilst they are entitled to their opinions, it doesn’t automatically mean that we will be promoted. I’ve seen too many times over the years how throwing the towel in has meant we capitulated rather than went from strength not strength. Winning breeds winning as far as I’m concerned. The defeat today isn’t so much about the final score but the way that we lost the game. Whilst we made so many changes, all it did was make the team look as if they hadn’t played together at all and were very unbalanced. I do feel when we had a reserve league team, that gave fringe team members chance of a game so that they were ready to slot into the first team when needed. The lack of game time tells from my point of view plus playing out of position didn’t help some of the players today. Also, fans paid good money and many travelled hundreds of miles to come to the game today and we should have put up more of a fight. Losing happens yes, but I’d still expect players to give their all on the pitch. All in all, that was a disappointing performance, but I’ll get over it as I always do. Team: Darlow, Ampadu, Guilavogui, Gnonto, Ramazani, Rothwell, Byram, Schmidt, Struijk, Joseph, Sam Chambers age 17 getting his first start. Subs: Firpo for Guilavogui (69), Tanaka for Byram (69), Solomon for Chambers (69), Piroe for Gnonto (80), Debayo for Ampadu (83). Subs not used: Meslier, Gruev, Bogle, Aaronson. Leeds lost the game 2-0. Attendance: 34,923, 1,838 Millwall fans.. Referee: Gavin Ward. Booked: Guilavogui. We did have some good chances in the first half, but their keeper made good saves from Gnonto and Ramazani. Once Millwall went on the attack against the run of play they scored when their shot took a deflection and ended up in the bottom corner of the net. There again just before it, they had put two of our players on the floor on the wing, the most blatant push on Schmidt that didn’t get punished. Given a free kick would have meant no first goal for them. They nearly got a second when we started passing the ball across the back and were caught out, but luckily the ball hit the crossbar and came back out again. We did look for an equaliser and their keeper made a save from Chambers to see them go into the break in the lead. I changed seats with my daughter at half time to go back to my normal place in the Kop. Although Leeds came out at the start in search of an equaliser when Gnonto saw his shot saved by their keeper, Millwall counter attacked and went straight to the other end and got a second goal. Although at the time we thought it was game over, we got a penalty a few minutes later when Gnonto was brought down in the box. As I wondered out loud who our penalty taker would be, the lad in front of me said Struijk who I’d forgotten about. If only as he ran up to take the penalty, he’d carried on instead of stopping and starting again, as I feel the momentum would have taken the ball past their keeper instead of him saving it onto the bottom of the post and away. Rothwell saw their keeper make more saves from him, but it got to the stage when I knew we were never going to score which proved to be the case. Looking back at the chances we had, yes, their keeper had an outstanding game, was their man of the match for sure and the stats will show we probably did a lot better than it looked. The football being poor for long times in between contributed to it looking a very poor game on the pitch overall. I’d felt on top of the world after the last two games as they had given me hope for the first time in a long while. Admittedly having had the death of my husband to contend with has impacted on things greatly too. At the moment I’m feeling demoralised, but I know that once I’ve slept on things, they never seem as bad, and I can move on. I know we are heading to Watford on Tuesday and that game along with the next few, will tell me whether we can carry on our good run in the league or not. As always, I will make my judgement by what I see on the pitch so let’s hope we have a positive outcome, and my fears will be unjustified. See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Coventry City Wednesday 5th February 2025 - The Coventry Building Society Arena 2024/25 Season As we headed to our rearranged game at Coventry due to playing Millwall in the next round of the FA Cup on Saturday, I reflected on our 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff last week. It also took me back to being at Elland Road the last time we won 7-0 against Southampton in 1972 where I had the privilege to see the best Leeds United team ever under Don Revie and my hero Billy Bremner. That was also the first game my friend Sue and I changed from standing at the front of the Kop behind the goal, to go and stand at the back where all the singing took place. We also had to be in there by 1.00pm otherwise it was too packed to be able to get up there. Those were the days especially when I realise how many years have passed by since there. The one thing the Cardiff game gave me was hope, and regardless of there being lots of games to go until the end of the season, that’s not something I have had for a long time. Long may it continue. After continuing our run with another win tonight, I was buzzing when I got home. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, James, Aaronson, Solomon, Piroe, Tanaka, Gruev. Subs: Ramazani for Solomon (78), Gnonto for James (86), Joseph for Piroe (86), Struijk for Aaronson (90), Guilavogui for Tanaka (90). Subs not used: Darlow, Byram, Wöber, Rothwell. Leeds won the game 2-0 with Piroe (17) and Bogle (26) scoring our goals. Attendance: 28,008, 3,000 Leeds fans. Referee: Dean Whitestone. Booked: Ampadu. The game started off at a fast pace and 15 minutes had already passed when I looked at the clock. Leeds were using their pace along the wings as they attacked towards the Leeds fans. We got our breakthrough a couple of minutes later when Solomon sent a great through ball to Piroe who was able to send a great strike into the bottom corner of the net. As the Leeds fans celebrated, I saw first aiders going up to the left of us, then about five minutes later to the right of us. Suddenly the steward went along the row in front of us unfastening all the flags on show. As I wondered what was going on, lots of Leeds fans came down the stairs to the left of us and across the front to go up the stairs to the right of us. I was then told there was a medical emergency in our stand and someone had had a heart attack. I’ve no idea what the final outcome was but I am hoping that everything is okay for our fan and wish them a speedy recovery. I also heard someone had fallen when we scored. In the meantime, the game had carried on and Leeds were coming towards us with great speed, taking the game to Coventry. Bogle picked the ball up in front of us and ran towards the goal, beating Coventry players before hitting the back of the net to put us two goals up. That was a brilliant start, we kept attacking and although we came close we went in to the break two goals up. As someone said, if our finishing had been better, we could have had more! The second half saw Coventry make a change to the team and then started attacking us putting us under pressure. As Coventry looked to try and pull a goal back, it looked like they were going to until Meslier pulled out a fantastic save to push the ball away. That was a vital save because the fear from me was that if they got one goal, they’d get another. Solomon then saw his shot saved by their keeper. Leeds got back into the game with both Solomon and Piroe seeing shots saved by their keeper. Ramazani replaced Solomon and he had a shot saved by their keeper, before Meslier once again made an important save to stop them pulling a goal back. We thought we’d put the game to bed when between Firpo and Gnonto we put the ball into the net. As the team and fans were celebrating, suddenly the linesman put his flag up to deny us the third goal. That didn’t stop us winning the game thankfully so another three points and a clean sheet to keep us top of the league and send the fans home happy. Lampard got plenty of stick and to be honest until someone mentioned it, I hadn’t realised he was Coventry’s manager. I’m glad we got one over him but regardless of him beating us in the play off second leg, Bielsa will still be a million times a better person than he’ll ever be!!! Stop crying Frank Lampard! See you on Saturday, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Cardiff City Saturday 1st February 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season Well, the best laid plans didn’t work out today as my aim was to get to Leeds early enough to first go to the Holbeck Club and then to the Peacock. Despite all that, mum’s taxi rolled up at Elland Road at 2.15pm so everything went out of the window. Sorry I didn’t get to see some of our Irish Whites who I was hoping to see at the Peacock. I did see some others though outside the club shop although they weren’t planned. A big thank you to Nikki for passing on my complaint once again about the ladies’ toilets in the Kop via the Supporters Advisory Board. After 2½ years we have finally got a light changed in there! On the 19th minute there was a minute’s applause for young Daniel Grace who was sadly killed in a car crash last week. His family were here today as they are season ticket holders, and I hope they felt some comfort from the tribute he received. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, James, Aaronson, Piroe, Solomon, Tanaka, Rothwell. Subs: Byram for Bogle (66), Gnonto for James (66), Joseph for Aaronson (71), Ramazani for Solomon (71), Struijk for Tanaka (78). Subs not used: Darlow, Guilavogui, Gruev, Wöber. Leeds won the game 7-0 with goals from Aaronson (6), Solomon (13), James (50), a brace for Piroe (65 penalty) (90+5), Joseph (88). Attendance: 35,810, 1,214 Cardiff fans. Referee: Michael Salisbury. Booked: None from Leeds. It was another game where we started off on the upper foot with an early goal. Piroe sent a great pass to James and his speed meant he got to the ball before the keeper, rounded him and sent a short pass in to Aaronson to score in front of the south stand. What a great start again. It didn’t take long for us to get a second goal and James was involved in this move once again although from the opposite wing. His pace once again told once he received the ball from Piroe, and as he crossed the ball to the far post, Solomon was there to put the ball into the net to increase our lead. That was a great start, and the first half continued in the same vein with lots of Leeds possession and we were unlucky not get any more goals in this half when James saw his shot saved by the keeper. After both Firpo and Piroe saw their shots go narrowly wide, it was James once again that saw the keeper save his shot. The closer we got to half time, the harder it was becoming for me to keep enjoying the football as the fatigue I’d been feeling in the morning came back with a vengeance. I was wishing for the half time whistle to go and luckily there was only a minute of injury time so was relieved to see us go in 2-0 to the good. When I was asked if I was okay, I was told I looked shattered. As I didn’t have any energy to swing a cat as the saying goes, it was a true reflection of how I was feeling. After being given some chocolate at half time, I started to come round and luckily for me this half brought a great performance from the team. Within five minutes of the restart James got his just reward for being involved in the first two goals by getting the third himself. Once again, his speed to getting to the far post after a great pass across the box from Firpo saw him in a perfect position to put the ball into the net. That was well deserved. I’ve always maintained the best form of defence is attack, something I learned well watching the great Don Revie side. Today we were on fire and our attacking down the wings kept creating problems for Cardiff and when James was brought down in the area, Piroe stepped up to take the penalty making it 4-0. Any thoughts of not feeling well had disappeared by now as the chocolate and the goals had made a great impact luckily. James was replaced by Gnonto and immediately he picked the ball up on the left wing and ran towards goal before eventually hitting a low shot into the corner of the net to give us a 5th goal. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen so many goals in a game from us, but it was good to see. We hadn’t stopped by then though as things got even better! As my granddaughter wanted to go to her mum, we made our way down the stairs and someone on our row said, “You aren’t going are you as you’ll miss two more goals?” Well, I’d no intention of leaving but when Joseph put the ball into the net for our sixth, I couldn’t see a thing as I wasn’t on the stairs so had to be content watching the replay. When the fans started chanting for seven, I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to see a 7-0 score again at Elland Road. This time I was in the perfect position to see Piroe score his second goal of the game to give us that scoreline. I was going to say no one could have predicted that score but my daughter and friend had predicted this exact scoreline before the game kicked off. On the whole it was total dominant performance from Leeds United for most of the game and although Meslier made a great save to keep them out, Cardiff were rarely in the game. Another win, three points and a clean sheet to keep us top of the league including a great boost to our goal difference. I was privileged to have been here the last time we scored 7-0 at home to Southampton in 1972 when I saw a magnificent performance by my hero Billy Bremner and the rest of the greatest Leeds United team ever. They made me the loyal Leeds fan I am today. With our rearranged game to Coventry mid-week before being back in FA Cup action next Saturday I am looking for favourable scores for both. See you then, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Hull City v Leeds United Saturday 4th January 2025 - MKM Stadium 2024/25 Season I’m back at home safely and hope all other Leeds fans do the same before the stormy/snowy weather arrives. Thankfully it was only a short journey for us, and we stopped at Selby on the way there. Being there brought a lot of memories from my younger days back of going to senior school there having been born in Carlton. I also ran the Selby branch of the Leeds United supporters club from 1985-1992 organising our travel to away games. We had some great times and I’m only sad that I never wrote anything about them as going by memory means I’ve forgotten lots of things sadly. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Bogle, Wöber, Aaronson, James, Tanaka, Piroe, Solomon, Rothwell. Subs: Byram for Wöber (66), Joseph for Piroe (90), Guilavogui for Rothwell (90). Subs not used: Darlow, Gelhardt, Schmidt, Gnonto, Debayo, Ramazani. Leeds drew the game 3-3 with Tanaka (47), James (62), Piroe (72) scoring our goals. Hull goals were 5, 81, 89. Attendance: 24,473, 2,270 Leeds fans. Referee: Anthony Backhouse. Booked: Rodon. Leeds got off to the worst possible start when they were a goal down after five minutes. Hull were very quick and got the better of our defence. Meslier came out to meet him and as he neared their player, he lobbed the ball over his head and into the net. That wasn’t good to see from our perspective, but I said we’d see what we are made of now. We were unlucky not to get an immediate equaliser when Solomon’s shot was blocked on the line and the follow up deflected for a corner. Aaronson had a shot saved before we were very lucky that Hull didn’t get a second goal as their cross went all across the box before a shot hit the upright and us getting the ball away. Hull looked the faster and stronger of the sides as we looked lethargic and slow with our build ups. At half time someone said that he wondered what odds he'd get for a 5-1 to Leeds. I laughed and said no chance but then said I would love to eat my words! The second half set off in spectacular fashion when Leeds came out with renewed vigour and energy as Tanaka hit a fantastic equaliser after receiving the ball from Solomon. Both teams had shots before Leeds took the lead with great teamwork between Wöber, Solomon and Bogle before James hit the ball into the net. Things started kicking off between both sets of fans to the left of me and it turned out that despite the Hull chairman stating he stood by Leeds and Chris and Kev after their murders in Istanbul, one of their fans ignored his plea of no Turkey flags. It’s all on camera so he should be identifiable. Leeds were on fire now and before long made it three after Piroe picked up the ball from their keeper then ensuring he got in the best possible place to score. That should have been it, game over, but as Leeds fans sang, we were going up and Hull were going down, it came back to haunt us. The ball was crossed into the middle of our box and Meslier pushed the ball over the top for a corner, or so I thought. The ball was actually over the top, but he pulled it forward and sadly, it came back down again, and Hull put it into the net to pull one back. We were very late with our subs today and in my opinion, we should have made the changes before they equalised. That saying James got through the middle only didn’t lob the ball high enough to beat the keeper and Hull cleared the ball. It felt rather like a defeat at the end as we really did throw two points away today. We were still waiting to bring our subs on as Hull raced to the other end, getting a corner then scoring from it. We certainly know how to panic at set pieces, especially corners and yes, I’m disappointed at the result, but I’ll leave others to do the ranting. It’s never being easy being a Leeds fan that’s for sure as we ended up with a draw rather than a win. Next week sees the FA Cup 3rd round home game against Harrogate so my extended family are getting the chance to see a game. For those who want us to be out of the FA Cup to concentrate on promotion, it doesn’t mean we’ll go up as last season showed. Winning breeds winning for me and it’s about time we took every game seriously. 2025 also sees the 50th anniversary of the European Cup Final in Paris. The night was perfect when Lorimer smashed the ball into the net in front of us. I immediately looked to both the referee and linesman and they had both signalled a goal. As we were celebrating Beckenbauer went up to the referee and the next minute he’s talking to the linesman and disallowing the goal. After losing the European Cup Winners Cup Final in Salonika two year’s previously to a bribed referee, it was too much to take. Things kicked off when a Leeds fan got manhandled by many security men when he got onto the pitch. Clarke being brought down with a cast iron penalty denied means I will never forgive or forget being cheated out of our rightful trophy. That’s why WACCOE was created - We are the Champions, Champions of Europe and always will be. See you next week, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Burnley v Leeds United Monday 27th January 2025 - Turf Moor 2024/25 Season We’d had a good journey across the Pennines, a pub stop in Bury and got to the ground in plenty of time before kick-off. Well, that was until there was no common sense applied to the coach parking at the ground. Despite our coach being one of the designated disabled coaches, oh no, we couldn’t go through the cones to stop behind the other coaches. We went round and round the mulberry bush ending up in the same place three times, only to then let us drop everyone off just round the corner from there. The next thing was not being able to take flags into the ground but it’s okay you can leave them all on the first coach. As it was by the time I tried to find the driver, I decided to go back to my coach so at least I’d know where it was at the end of the game. The woman steward apologised to me when I got back into the queue again saying it was the rules. I realised then that Burnley had only just come down from the Premier League, so it was back to sanitised football again. I honestly fail to see what harm flags from fans being displayed at grounds causes, as I love seeing all the different places our fans travel from. I also cannot remember seeing anything official about them not being allowed into the ground but please let me know if this was not the case. It also made me realise what I don’t miss about being amongst the “elite”. Thankfully the kick off wasn’t until 8 so we made it in before it still. Team: Ramazani for Solomon (71), Joseph for Piroe (71), Guilavogui for Gruev (90+2). Subs: Gruev for Tanaka (55), Firpo for Byram (55), Ramazani for Solomon (74), Gnonto for James (74), Guilavogui for Rothwell (89). Subs not used: Darlow, Gnonto, Schmidt, Rothwell, Firpo, Wöber. The game ended in a no score draw. Attendance: 21,329, 2,283 Leeds fans. Referee: Josh Smith. Booked: Solomon, James, Bogle. It became obvious quite early in the game that both teams would settle for a point each. There were times when we slowed the ball down, but we also had to defend when we gave the ball away easily in the opening minutes. The Leeds fans were in fine voice throughout the game with one of our better atmospheres. I’ll give Ashley Barnes his due as he took the going bald chant in good spirit. Byram was knocked off the ball at the last minute in the penalty area, but the referee played on. That said, we settled down, but no one would take a chance at shooting from outside the area, possibly because they were quickly closed down by the Burnley defence. It looked like both teams were looking to break quickly which did happen, but overall, the defences held strong as we went into the break on level terms. The second half saw Leeds still have lots of possession as in the first half but the closer it got to the 90 minutes; I just didn’t want Burnley to suddenly get a goal out of the blue. As the rain got worse, Leeds did try to get a winner when they broke near the end only for James’s great shot tipped over the bar by the keeper. What was infuriating today was the fact that three of our players ended up in the book, but no Burnley players were, even when they were guilty of consistent and bad fouls. At the end of the day, I just wanted us to get something from this game as it was always going to be a tough one. Not getting beaten was the main thing especially as I will be on BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast at 6.20am today. It felt at times that we were too cautious and if we’d have put more pressure on them, we could have won the game. The main thing is, we got a point and another clean sheet. I also did an interview for Anders Palm and LUSCOS on Friday for their magazine, talking about Paris in 1975 at the European Cup Final. I’ll never forgive or forget being robbed of our rightful trophy and we will always be, Champions of Europe! Finally, a friend of mine and his family are facing one of the toughest days of their lives this week. I know exactly what they are going through with the recent loss of my husband, so I just want to send them lots of love and hope things go as well as they can. See you next week for the Cardiff game with a traditional 3pm kick off.

Leeds United v Norwich City Wednesday 22nd January 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season I was very thankful that we’ve had a run of games which have meant there hasn’t been much travelling for me. I know there are plenty of fans who have travelled from afar to the games but as it took me such a long time to get the strength to set off to the game tonight, I was grateful for only having a 20-minute drive to Leeds. Having Leeds in my life at least made me make an effort and as always, once I met up with other fans, chatted or took their photos, my mood and energy levels did improve. It was nice to talk to some fans from Berlin at Billy’s statue as that is where my mum was born. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, James, Byram, Bogle, Rothwell, Aaronson, Piroe, Solomon, Tanaka.. Subs: Gruev for Tanaka (55), Firpo for Byram (55), Ramazani for Solomon (74), Gnonto for James (74), Guilavogui for Rothwell (89). Subs not used: Darlow, Schmidt, Wöber, Joseph. Leeds won the game 2-0 with goals from Solomon (1), James (65) Attendance: 35,157, 954 Norwich fans. Referee: Matthew Donohue. Booked: Tanaka, Byram, Rothwell, Piroe. Leeds got off to an even better start than they did against Sheffield Wednesday when Solomon scored again but within a minute after a great cross from James. I’d only just got into my seat and saw the ball hit the back of the net in front of the South Stand. Sadly, the anticipated continuation of Leeds challenging didn’t happen as the game felt very lethargic without too much movement going forward. I was thankful for the half time whistle even though we’d had a chance just before the break when the keeper saved from Bogle. The second half started off in the same way and when Tanaka brought their player down and the referee spoke to him, I hadn’t realised he’d been booked early in the first half. I’d seen Byram booked but missed this one. When Farke had our first subs ready to come in was unanimous around me that Tanaka would come off as a tactical sub which proved to be the case. It took for the subs to come on for the game to spring into life and although Leeds had come close to scoring, it didn’t take long to get a second goal on the day. This time Solomon was the provider as he put a cross to the left of the goal for James to score in front of us. Ramazani saw the keeper make a great save from his shot from the edge of the box too. Norwich tried getting into the game in the last 10 minutes when they started to get in plenty of spaces down the wing, but Leeds held firm getting a second home win, three points and another clean sheet this week. We head to Burnley on Monday who won 5-0 away at Plymouth today, keeping their promotion hopes alive too. It will be a challenging game I’m sure but as long as we turn up and compete, anything can happen See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday Sunday 19th January 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season Thank you to all those who have taken the time to speak to me, offer their sympathies, follow my blogs and are generally just there for me because as always, it is greatly appreciated. There are so many others going through their own traumas with losing their loved ones or going through personal health battles that mean more to me than worrying about mistakes made by our players. Maybe I am looking at things differently since the death of my husband but what happens, happens, we have to deal with it and move on. I’ll admit, I don’t cope well when things happen in the background at the moment and have taken a back seat on social media. I learnt a long time ago that everyone will have their own opinions on things which they are entitled to, but I honestly feel that as long as we unite as a team, we’ll come back stronger. Seeing little Jayden Bamford’s face on the screen today and the applause around the ground in tribute to him, puts things in perspective for me. My opinion may be controversial, but I still think Meslier is our number one keeper, but I would love to see him working with Nigel Martyn in the background though. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, James, Bogle, Byram, Rothwell, Solomon, Piroe, Aaronson, Tanaka. Subs: Gruev for Rothwell (70), Joseph for Piroe (70), Gnonto for James (83), Ramazani for Solomon (83), Guilavogui for Aaronson (90). Subs not used: Darlow, Firpo, Schmidt, Wöber. Leeds won the game 3-0 with goals by Solomon (3), Ramazani (88), Tanaka (90+6). Attendance: 36,685, 2,847 Sheffield Wednesday fans. Referee: David Webb. Booked: Bogle. Leeds got off to a fantastic start when Aaronson got near enough to the keeper to make him spill the ball. Solomon was there to pick it up and place his shot in between two Wednesday players to score an early goal. That was just the start we needed but Wednesday were soon on the attack which showed it wasn’t going to be easy. A few times they had players spare on the wings plus the referee was giving them free kick after free kick even when they were just being challenged for the ball. When has football become a non-contact sport? To make things worse, he didn’t even blow for two blatant hand balls during the game, after a foul on one of our players, then immediately blew for one of their players going down. When decisions go against you it always gives the opposition the impetus who go from strength to strength, so it is to our credit that we were able to overcome this today. We nearly put ourselves in trouble when the ball should have gone out for a goal kick but to be safe Bogle put the ball over the line. It was a bit of an anxious moment but thankfully we eventually cleared the ball away. Despite them losing, their player took a while whilst taking a corner to the left of us and was told to move the ball onto the line. Despite pretending to move the ball, I’m not actually sure he ever did do it. The game had been fast paced and James brought two saves out of their keeper as we went in one goal in front at the break. The second half saw their keeper make another save from James, but all the time Wednesday looked dangerous, and my nerves started to kick in. Their speed put us on the backfoot but thankfully Meslier pushed the ball wide for a corner. We needed a second goal that’s for sure. As we were getting ready to make two subs, one of the Wednesday players was down getting treatment. My first thoughts were, are we going to bring them on now or wait? As it was, we brought them on, and Joseph was immediately into the action being brought down. From the resulting free kick, Gruev saw his shot go narrowly over the top. Despite the referee putting a line across where the Wednesday players had to stand, they still stood in front of it even when this was pointed out to the referee. When we made our next two subs replacing both wingers in James and Solomon, my stomach churning got worse as I didn’t want things to backfire for us. I needn’t have worried because our second goal came very quickly when Ramazani picked up the ball at the edge of the box. He looked to have missed an opportunity to shoot before turning and sending a lovely ball into the corner of the net. I caught part of his somersault celebrating his goal, but phew, that was just the break we needed. With seven minutes of injury time, I was still very nervous, but it was us who got the third goal to put the game beyond Wednesday when Tanaka backheeled the ball into the opposite corner away from their keeper.  The final score makes the game look a lot easier than it was, but I will take the welcome win, three points and another clean sheet. See you on Wednesday when we are back at Elland Road for the Norwich game. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Harrogate Town Saturday 11th January 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 FA Cup 3rd Round Although we had an unusual kick off time of 5.45.pm , I was glad of the later set off from home. After -4+ temperatures overnight and still lots of snow by us, it gave the conditions a chance to improve before leaving for the ground. We had to allow for the roadworks at Elland Road but still got there in good time. We met up at the Peacock and I was surprised that it was a lot milder than I’d expected, before heading into the ground. It was good to chat with some of our fans today. I’m one of the lucky ones to have been at Wembley in 1972 to see Leeds United win the FA Cup for the only time in our history. It breaks my heart to see how devalued the cup has become but for me my favourite ever game was seeing Billy lift the FA Cup from her Majesty the Queen. The day had been perfect apart from Mick Jones getting injured, having the community singing led by Tommy Steele wearing white in support of Leeds. Abide with me and the National Anthem sung by the whole stadium were spine tingling and as fresh in my memories today as they were back then. Team: Darlow, Struijk, Ampadu, Ramazani, Solomon, Gnonto, Joseph, Rothwell, Byram, Schmidt, Guilavogui. Subs: Rodon for Struijk (65), Tanaka for Rothwell (65), Firpo for Byram (77), James for Solomon (78), Gruev for Gnonto (90). Subs not used: Meslier, Wöber, Bogle, Aaronson. Leeds won the gamer 1-0 with a goal from Ramazani (59). Attendance: 35,584, 3,951 Harrogate fans. Referee: James Bell. Booked: Guilavogui, Ramazani. It was nice to be playing another Yorkshire team although we had already played them in a pre-season game at Harrogate. My best memories were travelling with Murgatroyd’s coaches from Harrogate to Anderlecht in 1975. The first half saw both sides cancel each other out even though Leeds had a lot of possession but didn’t create many opportunities on goal as their keeper made easy saves. We were lucky when Guilavogui tangled with their man in the penalty area, but the referee said play on and didn’t give a penalty. Joseph did unleash a great shot that cannoned back off the post, but the score remained level as we went in at the break. The second half saw Leeds come out with a bit more purpose, but Harrogate weren’t going to be a pushover as they put Leeds under pressure early on. We gave the ball away on the edge of the box and Darlow saved the ball getting hold of it at the second attempt. Leeds came close to taking the lead when Solomon’s shot clipped the top of the cross bar. Leeds got the ball into the net twice but after the whistle had blown which was typical but then did take the lead with half an hour left to play. Some good footwork from Solomon to the right of us saw him cross a perfect ball into the far post where Ramazani unmarked, was on hand to head the ball into the net. The score stayed that way until the final whistle, but Harrogate didn’t give up without a fight. As we headed back to the car, the temperature had dropped, and the paths were a lot more treacherous than they had been earlier. A young girl took a shine to my beret from The Art of Football. I really hope they are going to bring a lot more things out with patches for the 50th anniversary of Paris. Our away game at Coventry will be put on hold as we are through to the next round of the FA Cup, and we will know soon enough who our next opponents will be. Back at Elland Road next Sunday for another Yorkshire Derby and an early dinnertime kick off against Sheffield Wednesday so see you then. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Blackburn Rovers Wednesday 1st January 2025 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season I hope everyone managed to bring the New Year in the best was possible. Personally, as I’ve been ill, I came back round home at quarter to eleven last night, went to bed and just read. I suppose after the year we’ve had in 2024 I was glad to see the back of it, but I didn’t feel like welcoming a New Year in. After the croaky voice I woke up with on the day of the Derby game, I’d gone to the doctor for something unrelated but was checked over as I wasn’t looking well. It was a surprise to hear I’d got a temperature of 38.4 and some sort of flu bug, so have done nothing but rest. It also meant that we didn’t leave home until 1pm today to give me chance to come around. Well, I wasn’t going to miss the game, was I? That said, within 15 minutes of the game I nearly went to the front of the stand to sit down but luckily drank lots of water so managed to stay upright. It was nice to catch up with friends at the Holbeck Club and thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts and messages which were greatly appreciated. Team: Meslier, Struijk (Captain), Rodon, Bogle, Byram, James, Piroe, Tanaka, Aaronson, Rothwell, Solomon. Subs: Wöber for Byram (45), Ampadu for Bogle (51), Gnonto for Rothwell (69), Joseph for Piroe (69), Bamford for Solomon (69). Subs not used: Darlow, Schmidt, Guilavogui, Ramazani. Leeds drew the game 1-1 with Struijk scoring from a penalty (88). Attendance: 36,646, 1,972 Blackburn fans. Referee: Oliver Langford. Booked: Tanaka, Aaronson. I was under no illusions that it was going to be a tough game today as they had beaten us not too long ago at Ewood Park. They would defend in numbers which always proves a challenge for us. Also it was New Year’s Day….. (happy birthday to my sister Erica by the way). The first half didn’t disappoint as it proved to be very hard going plus you could hear a pin drop in Elland Road it was that quiet. How I long for the days when the crowd got behind the team from start to finish with singing and chanting, as it makes the match going experience so much better plus it buoys the team on. After the horrendous rain over the last 24 hours, it started again during the game, so the conditions weren’t great but when their keeper slipped when trying to kick a ball back, I was only sorry that Solomon had stopped running forward as he thought he’d got the ball. If only he had kept going, he may have been able to get there when he slipped and capitalised on the mistake. Piroe had already nearly caught him out when he was clearing the ball. With chances for either side few and far between it was 0-0 going into the break. At half time we stayed in the stand as Liam Cooper was back after his recent transfer to come and say hello on the pitch with his two children. He was in the Peacock earlier, but he had already gone by the time we got there. Byram who had a knock on the head didn’t come out for the second half and was replaced by Wöber, it also saw the fans start to get loudly behind the team. Bogle went down injured six minutes after the restart and was also replaced, this time with Ampadu coming off the bench. James and Solomon were seeing plenty of the ball, but we couldn’t find a way through their defence. The referee then made a few decisions that were unbelievable. Their player was “injured or time wasting” but was off the pitch in front of the Kop but he stopped play when we were attacking to come back to see him. For crying out loud it wasn’t a head injury plus he was off the pitch. He had already shown bizarre decisions when one of ours went down at this end as we were attacking towards the South Stand and again, he stopped play instead of playing advantage. The third thing was Leeds were awarded a free kick when Gnonto was fouled. As the defensive wall lined up, Aaronson was told to go and stand next to the wall by a teammate. The referee went up to him and it looked as if he said, “you can’t stand there!” Aaronson then moved to the right and left a gap! Now if it was anything different then fair enough but that was the interpretation of a lot of us as we shrugged our shoulders at the decision. There were a lot of bad fouls committed by Blackburn who were very physical and when Joseph was brought down in the area, the referee pointed to the spot with two minutes of normal time remaining. As we all wondered who would take the penalty, Bamford had hold of the ball. I knew he was kidding them and told someone there was no need to panic as he wouldn’t be taking the penalty. I was right, it was Struijk who stepped up to take it and put the ball into the net to give us the lead. I thought it was lovely seeing both Rodon and Tanaka racing to the far end of the ground to celebrate the goal with Meslier. Straight away some of our fans started singing about us being top of the league but I felt it was too early to sing it as there was still a long way to go. It turned out we had 10 minutes of extra time added on but in fact it only took Blackburn two minutes to equalise from a corner. At this moment I haven’t seen a replay, but I was always worried about a sucker punch, mainly about being caught out too high up the pitch. I’ve seen others say our defending was poor but once we had made our last subs, it was obvious that our shape had gone. When Ampadu came on as sub, it looked like Farke had changed his habits and was bringing on an early sub alongside him. Gnonto was coming on to the pitch for Rothwell and it was even announced, but then he went to sit back in the dugout. Whether it would have livened the game up earlier I’m not sure but the last 15 minutes had probably more entertainment than the rest of the game with Wöber unlucky not to get a winner in extra time. A draw was probably a fair result though. When the final whistle went, I was more than grateful that we hadn’t lost the game as it was important for me. At least we got a point and as it turned out stayed at top of the table which I wasn’t expecting to hear. All in all, getting 10 out of 12 points over the Christmas period is excellent and whilst some may think it is two points dropped, realistically, we are never going to win every game. As we came out of the Kop, it was kicking off between our own fans this time. Apparently, someone nicked a hat off someone who reacted badly to it. Despite it being handed back relatively quickly, things carried on as someone in a white jacket lashed out at others. Then a woman in yellow joined in lashing out too. Well, it’s all been happening at games over the Christmas period as this is the third instance in the last three games. The stewards handled it well though as they “forced” them out towards Lowfields tunnel, and they then headed to the buses. Maybe it was an overreaction especially as lashing out can cause serious damage to people but if the hat wasn’t taken in the first place it wouldn’t have happened at all! See you at Hull – LUFC - Marching on Together!

Derby v Leeds United Sunday 29th December 2024 - Pride Park 2024/25 Season After waking up to a croaky voice it doesn’t look like a good end to the year for me. Reflecting on 2024 as a family, it has been bittersweet for us. My daughter Danielle got her wish for her dad to walk her down the aisle then four days later our baby granddaughter was born. That in itself has been challenging when she ended up in hospital four times. Leeds then lost the play off final, but it wasn’t a surprise to a lot of us. Having supported Leeds United since the glory days of the great Don Revie side, we have seen many ups and downs along the way. Things went downhill for us in August when I had a birthday to remember when finding my husband collapsed in the shower. From then on until October when he died, things were very stressful for us all. Thankfully the Leeds United family have been a tower of strength to us all and we are very grateful for the support. As we headed to Derby for the last game of 2024, after our win at Stoke we were top of the league but that changed during the day with other results. We were back on top again after beating Derby 1-0 so will just take the good times whilst they are there. We have done really well with games over the Christmas period which is good to see. We all know it’s where we are at the end of the season that counts, so I will never take anything for granted. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Byram, Aaronson, Joseph, Gnonto, Tanaka, Ramazani. Subs: Piroe for Joseph (71), Solomon for Ramazani (71), James for Gnonto (71), Bamford for Aaronson (89), Guilavogui for Tanaka (90+2). Subs not used: Darlow, Schmidt, Debayo, Rothwell. Leeds won the game with Aaronson scoring the only goal (79). Attendance: 32,240, 3,111 Leeds fans. Referee: Andy Davies. Booked: Ampadu. The game itself was at a very fast pace starting with Gnonto seeing his cross come shot pushed away by their keeper. Although we didn’t score, the first 20 minutes saw Leeds keeping possession of the ball with constant attacking and Derby being alert to put the ball behind for a corner. Joseph saw his shot saved but Derby would be thankful that the whistle blew for half time as Derby saw their clearance go outside the post. I did feel that they could cause us trouble and we would need to be alert, but it was equal terms at half time. Once again it was noted how tall some of Derby’s defenders were. Meslier made a great save to deny Derby taking the lead, plus he stood tall to grasp the ball. Derby saw their keeper make saves from Aaronson and Ramazani and when it looked like we were making a triple sub, we waited until the ball was at the far end which we were attacking before bringing them on. James was denied a goal by their keeper, but it was good seeing us utilise our squad today and it was only 8 minutes later that we got our just rewards. Some great passing between our players saw Aaronson in the box after Piroe put him through and as the ball hit the back of the net the away end erupted. As the final whistle blew, we had another clean sheet, another win and headed the table going into 2025. Long may this continue. After getting hit with a bottle outside Stoke’s ground last week, I couldn’t believe my eyes when a Derby fan climbed over the wall from behind the goal and ran towards the Leeds fans in the corner at half time as I headed to the tunnel. He didn’t stand a chance as the stewards and police forcibly threw him back into the stand before escorting him away. I’ve no idea what he was trying to achieve but realistically, let’s not go back to the days where trouble was a regular occurrence on the terraces. Having suffered as a Leeds fan trying to support her team, that’s the last thing I want to see. It was nice to have a Derby steward say how much he liked my beret from ‘the art of football’ too. Thank you for the lovely comments I received at half time too. For those who are facing their own battles during 2025, I wish you all the luck in the world but in the meantime, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Stoke City v Leeds United Thursday 26th December 2024 - The bet365 Stadium 2024/25 Season I’m hoping you have all had a lovely Christmas and given your loved ones a special hug as you never know what is around the corner. If you are struggling, then please reach out to others in the Leeds United family who are there to support you, as they have to my family and I since my husband’s death in October. I know I struggled yesterday and was glad when my family took over the Christmas dinner cooking when things got too much. I hadn’t felt brilliant this morning and when my granddaughter came round to set off to Leeds at least it gave me the push I needed. After spending the last month listening to Christmas songs and then since my return from Berlin a week ago listening to German Christmas songs, I decided to go back to listening to love songs on the way to Stoke. Well maybe that wasn’t the best of ideas because as soon as we got on the coach and I started listening to the music, the tears fell all the way to the pub stop. That was the best thing that could have happened, as having the break and something to eat meant I overcame the sadness with the help of our fans. As we walked into the pub in Burton, we were met by comments of “Leeds” by West Brom fans who were in there. They left after 10 minutes as they had an earlier kick off than us. When we reached Stoke, we parked in a different area than usual as the away fans had been moved to the corner to the right of the goal so could no longer use the coach park. We then headed to the Power League, because as usual we were meeting up with my friends Ian (a Leeds fan) and Leslie his brother (a Stoke fan) and some others. We go back a long way but it’s unbelievable when I realise how many years have passed by since we first met. Travelling with Wallace Arnold coaches in the seventies brought long time friendships. At least these Stoke fans were nice and not like the woman going nuts after the game as we came out onto the road. I’ve no idea what had happened, but she was very aggressive trying to attack a young lad then walked away. Suddenly she came charging back at him and the next thing a bottle came flying through the air hitting another lad from my coach, then me firmly on the jaw! Whether it was her or someone with her who threw it I couldn’t say, but luckily it was plastic and half full so didn’t cause any damage. I’d certainly recommend some anger management for her that’s for sure. Having endured being ambushed at the graveyard when going back to the station for the football special when Stoke played at their old Victoria ground, this was nothing in comparison thankfully. Thank you to the Stoke Supervisor for his help in getting us into the same area rather than different areas of the ground. Team: Meslier, Ampadu (Captain), Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Byram, James, Aaronson, Piroe, Solomon, Rothwell. Subs: Gnonto for James (76), Ramazani for Solomon (76), Joseph for Piroe (79), Tanaka for Rothwell (79), Schmidt for Byram (90). Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Guilavogui, Debayo. Leeds won the game 2-0 with a brace from Piroe (43, 63) Attendance: 24,738, 3,383 Leeds fans. Referee: Stephen Martin. Booked: None from Leeds. The Stoke fans had told us that if things didn’t go well today that things could turn very toxic. They also said that they hadn’t been playing well but with it being Boxing Day too, no doubt they would raise their game because it was against Leeds. With bad visibility due to fog that had affected travel to the ground, we couldn’t see the opposite goal very well but Stoke attacked the goal in front of us. As it was Stoke came out of the starting blocks very quickly and Meslier made a good save with his feet then getting the ball, when their speed got them through our defence. Aaronson hit a long strike that the keeper saved then with another attack, James made a good run down the wing, crossed into the middle only for Solomon to mishit it altogether. That was a good chance as it was an open goal and the shot should have at least been on target. The man next to me said that he was getting nervous the nearer to half time it was getting without us scoring. As it was, he needn’t have worried as Rothwell picked out Aaronson who put a perfect ball through for Piroe to run onto to. Their keeper got the ball at Piroe’s feet, but he got to the rebound first then smashed the ball into the net from a narrow angle off the underside of the crossbar to give us the lead. We had to watch the replay of the goal on a phone next to us to see who had scored as we couldn’t see through the fog. That was a good, timed goal for us just before the break. I said in the second half that I wanted all the action to be down at our end so at least we’d be able to see. Although Stoke had a couple of corners and one attack where they got in front of our defence, but their header went wide, most of the play came from Leeds as we put some excellent runs together. Solomon was running them ragged in front of us, but we came close to making it two when a header from Struijk from a Rothwell corner caused confusion in the box. Bogle sent James down the wing, he beat their defender then crossed a perfect ball for Piroe to head in our second goal of the game. It was disappointing to see Piroe run to the opposite corner to celebrate instead of coming to the Leeds fans, but then the team did come over to us thankfully. Solomon and Aaronson came close to scoring with the latter’s shot being tipped over the top of the goal by their keeper. I had hoped for win so we could sing jungle bells, so it was good to hear it get an airing as we got another win and three points to put us at the top of the league going into the last game of 2024 away at Derby. As someone said, 23 games to go but as always, I will never take anything for granted where Leeds United are concerned as we have seen things go wrong and been there too many times already. Despite looking way better than other teams recently, there is still a long way to go. See you on Sunday, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Oxford Saturday 21st December 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season It’s been a very busy week for me as I’ve just returned from a short break to Berlin with my brother to go to the Christmas markets and meet up with cousins, I haven’t seen for many a year. It is also where my mum was born so it was also nostalgic going back to places that I’d been with her. I haven’t been back to Berlin at Christmas since I was 12 and this is something I have wanted to do for a long while. After my husband Phillip’s death in October, I decided that I have to make the most of things whilst I am able to do so as you never know what is around the corner. After seeing the horrendous attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg on our return, it makes you realise how fragile life can be. Sadly, due to returning from Berlin, I was unable to make the funeral on Thursday of a long-time friend Gary Noble who I met when travelling on Wallace Arnold coaches to games in the 70s. I’m sure he was given a great send off by his family and friends. I was aiming to set off early to the game today but with the horrendous weather conditions and lack of sleep, I changed my plans. Even then I had to change things as I’d brought a flask of hot chocolate with for my granddaughter only to hear a bang after I’d put the bag in the car. I’d left the door open, and I can only conclude that the wind pressure caused it to explode in the bag so I’d a right mess to clear up. Thank goodness it was inside a bag as I dread to think what a mess the inside of my car would have been. Because of this we just went to the Peacock, but it was good to catch up with friends I haven’t seen for a while. It was a hold on to my beret as we headed into the ground (my other blue one took off with the wind in Berlin but luckily got retrieved) but the conditions would make playing football that bit harder. I did say that we needed to keep the ball on the ground today and someone else gave me a 3-0 prediction win to us. What I still cannot understand though is why on earth do we water pitches when the conditions are like they were today? I cannot get my head around it but maybe someone can enlighten me! Team: Meslier, Ampadu (back in as captain as Struijk on the bench due to injury), Bogle, Byram, James, Rothwell, Piroe, Aaronson, Solomon, Rodon, Tanaka. Subs: Joseph for Piroe (74), Ramazani for Aaronson (74), Gnonto for Solomon (74), Schmidt for Byram (77), Guilavogui for Rothwell (83). Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Struijk, Chambers. Leeds won the game 4-0 with goals from James (9), Bogle (57), Aaronson (67), Solomon (73). Attendance: 36,646, 1,962 Oxford fans. Referee: James Bell. Booked: None from Leeds. The game got off to a dramatic start as I reached my seat when Leeds attacked the south stand. It looked like we’d scored but the ball hit the side netting from Tanaka. We didn’t have long to wait for a goal though when Solomon on the left sent a great ball into James at the back post to put the ball into the net. It was good to see the team had “listened” to my advice by keeping the ball down. Oxford immediately tried to get back into the game when they counterattacked at speed although their player looked offside and was only thwarted by Meslier standing tall as the ball sailed over the crossbar. Leeds came close after a short corner when James tried curling the ball into the net, but the keeper pushed the ball away, with a resulting shot going over the bar. With 15minutes of the half left the lack of sleep caught up with me as I could hardly keep my eyes open but was glad when the whistle went for the break. The second half saw Leeds increase their lead after some great footwork between Bogle and Aaronson which saw Bogle put the ball into the net. Solomon picked up a thrown in from Oxford and put a pinpoint pass for Aaronson to score to put us three nil up. As Farke was looking to bring three subs on, Leeds attacked again, and we said Solomon would be going off. Before he did though he scored our fourth goal of the day after a great through ball from Piroe. The finish from Solomon meant there was no chance of their keeper getting hold of that ball. I can’t remember the last time we scored four goals in a game, but it was good to see. The weather deteriorated with rain and heavy winds playing havoc and causing many fans decide to leave the stands early. We were fine where we were but certainly felt the cold today.  Apologies that it has taken me a while to post my blog tonight as I kept falling asleep! I want to wish all my followers and Leeds fans everywhere, a very Merry Christmas and if you are going through challenging times, hope you can make the best of things. We will be having our traditional Christmas Eve gathering (the German way), following in my mum’s footsteps with our extended family, then I will be hosting Christmas dinner for the first time in our new home for nine of us. There will be tinges of sadness, but we are going to cling to the happy memories of our lost loved ones. See you at Stoke but just to let you know, the away fans are now situated in the right-hand corner and not behind the goal as we have been in the past. It also means we are not parked in the same car park but a short walk away according to a Stoke fan I know. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Preston v Leeds United Saturday 14th December 2024 - Deepdale 2024/25 Season After a week of paperwork coming out of my ears, hopefully I am getting on top of things at home. As I said on my reel this morning before heading to Preston for our last away game before Christmas, we’ve had more than our fair share of traumas over the last 6 years culminating with the death of my husband in October. I know there are plenty of others going through their own traumas, treatments or other battles, so I wish them all the luck in the world and am sending big hugs their way. I know how much the support of the Leeds United family has meant to me and my family. I also want to say a big thank you to Joe Rodon for making a little girl very happy today when he gave her his shirt after the game. My granddaughter has struggled so much since her Opa has died and the happiness you gave her today was very much needed. Hopefully we can arrange to get the shirt signed for her soon. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Bogle, Byram, James, Rothwell, Gnonto, Piroe, Aaronson, Tanaka, Rodon. Subs: Bamford for Gnonto (65), Ramazani for Aaronson (65), Solomon for Rothwell (77), Ampadu for Byram (82), Joseph for Bogle (82). Subs not used: Darlow, Guilavogui, Schmidt, Wöber. Leeds drew the game 1-1 with an own goal by Whatmough under challenge from Joseph giving us an equaliser (90+3). Attendance: 19,508, 5,676 Leeds fans. Referee: John Busby. Booked: James. The first twenty minutes of the game were very scrappy and underwhelming because although we had a lot of possession, we didn’t really do much with it. After another attack towards over 5,000 Leeds fans broke down, we were made to pay the price for our defence being so far forward as Preston raced to the other end to take the lead. It wasn’t a surprise though as we could see it coming as they’d already had a counterattack. The game started being littered with plenty of fouls, but the bad ones were committed by Preston, and they were lucky that their man stayed on the field after a foul on Bogle. Even if it wasn’t a straight red, he had already been booked so should have been sent off. Sadly, it was Farke who ended up with a yellow card. Preston obviously knew he should have been sent off and that he was lucky to stay on the pitch as he was subbed at half time. The referee lost it in my opinion with some of the decisions he made before half time too. Games at Preston in recent years have always been quite feisty from them for some reason. Leeds did get in a good position to score only to see Aaronson’s shot go way over the goal. The second half saw us not make any changes, but I thought we should have done. I wanted Farke to prove me wrong, but it felt like we wouldn’t score in a month of Sundays when we shot straight at the keeper or blasted the ball over the goal. Although we had most of the ball, there was always a danger of another breakaway from Preston but mostly they were kept quiet. Realistically, it was when we had all five subs on the pitch that we started to look better as a team. Ramazani saw his deflected shot tipped behind from the keeper. Bamford had a great chance to equalise, but his backheel went wide. James had been putting some great low crosses into the box which were causing problems for Preston. He was then unlucky not to score when his shot bounced back off the crossbar. When four minutes of injury time was added on, there was still time to get something out of the game and I was happy if we got a draw at this point. I just didn’t want to lose the game. Joseph had a shot saved by the keeper but then we certainly got our wish when we equalised with a minute of injury time left to the delight of the team and the fans. Thankfully we got a welcome point and not a defeat. Overall, it wasn’t a good game, but the game didn’t flow for us as I said until the five subs were on the pitch. Maybe we were more balanced or up for it by then, but who knows. On to our last home game before Christmas against Oxford next week so see you then. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Middlesbrough Tuesday 10th December 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season I’m glad I managed to have a bit of shut eye before setting off for Leeds because of feeling drained and emotional, but it did me the world of good. As always though, getting to Elland Road lifts the mood and it was good to meet some fans from Dallas in the Peacock showing once again how far our fan base extends around the world. I’d already met a Leeds fan earlier in the day in Huddersfield where of course, I was wearing my Leeds United colours. Team: Meslier, Struijk, James, Rodon, Joseph, Gnonto, Rothwell, Wöber, Aaronson, Tanaka, Byram. Subs: Solomon for Joseph (69), Piroe for Gnonto (69), Ampadu for Byram (85), Guilavogui for Rothwell (90+4), Schmidt for James (90+4). Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Ramazani, Crew. Leeds won the game 3-1 with Gnonto (14), James (74), Aaronson (90+2) scoring the goals. Attendance: 36,422, 2,888 Boro fans. Referee: Ben Toner. Booked: Wöber. With Leeds starting on the front foot and very much in charge we took an early lead. Byram sent James down the wing towards the South Stand, who sent a great cross into the middle. The keeper saved from Joseph before trying to clear the ball only to see it bounce off Gnonto into the net. It was Boro who tried to get back into the game as down the left-hand side towards us, there were three players bearing down towards the Kop. We cleared that attack before they had another go and just as Rodon went to kick the ball their player appeared in front of him and went down. Luckily the referee played on. We had another good chance but the final shot from Aaronson was way over the top of the goal. Gnonto saw his great shot parried by their keeper. It was quite frustrating for a while as we slowed the game down, playing out from the back but inviting Boro to attack us. There was no urgency and eventually as we were getting too close for comfort, Meslier started taking goal kicks instead to get the ball away from the goal. We had James to be thankful for using his speed to run across the goalmouth to stop an attack after our free kick at the other end was blocked. Half time arrived with us still leading by the only goal of the game. The second half saw Boro come out fighting and Meslier made a great save to keep them out. Sadly, from the resulting corner, Wöber trying to clear the ball saw his header fly past Meslier into the net to equalise. Boro did their job to obstruct Meslier with Gnonto fighting two players but only succeeded in blocking him in. At this point Boro were the stronger of the two sides as I feared they would get a second goal to take the lead as their man only had Meslier to beat, but he pulled off a last gasp save to get the ball. As it was, we were the team to regain our composure once Farke made our first two subs on 69 minutes. Within five minutes, James had seen one shot saved by the keeper who caught the ball at the second attempt as Leeds upped the tempo. After some great play by Byram who won the ball back, Piroe passed the ball for James to once again come forward as his speed took him past the Boro defenders. He let fly with a fantastic shot that hit the top corner of the goal to send us back into the lead as Elland Road erupted. What a goal and I’m so pleased James got it. He got his wish for a song tonight which started in the Kop then spread around the ground, “he’s here, he’s there, he’s every f**king where Dan James, Dan James”. I was right when there was seven minutes of injury time to play as I said let’s get a goal a minute to seal the win. Well, we didn’t get that, but we had players queuing up to put the ball into the net as James played Tanaka into the box and with the keeper advancing, he sent the ball across the box where Aaronson bundled it into the net to put the game beyond any doubt. I had thought getting a draw would be a good result tonight so to get all three points with another win was brilliant. It was also the best atmosphere of the season tonight which was great to be part of as Boro fans played their part to make it that way too. Back to the top of the table once again as we head to Preston on Saturday for another early kick off. It was good to see that Farke had utilised the squad for today’s game just like I asked for. With three games in a week, it is what is needed but it was also great to see Ampadu back on the pitch after being out injured for a while. See you at Deepdale, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Derby Saturday 7th December 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season With the stormy weather on its way, I knew it would be challenging for many of our fans getting to the game today. Seeing flights and trains cancelled, I hope most of you managed to get to the game. We were lucky as it was still relatively calm as we headed to Leeds and got to the Holbeck Club in record time before heading to the ground. It was good to see my husband’s wreath from the Halifax Whites was still intact as my family met up for photos. Thoughts with the family of my hero Billy Bremner on the 27th anniversary of his death today. The days are passing so quickly that I’m just going through the motions with no thoughts on the forthcoming game, just seeing what happens on the pitch. After my gut instincts last weekend with a churning stomach, it is definitely better than worrying about how we will play and scores etc. Just a shout out for Jacob the Pilot, GMB Pride of Britain winner who raised over £160,000 in memory of his mum. His wish was to be a mascot at Leeds United and today he got his wish to come out with the team. I hope he had a great day AND he got his predicted score right. He’s definitely better at predicting scores than I am and he won a bet with a Derby fan too. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, James, Piroe, Aaronson, Firpo, Rothwell, Tanaka, Solomon. Subs: Wöber for Firpo (injured 21), Gnonto for Solomon (68), Joseph for Aaronson (68), Ramazani for James (85), Guilavogui for Rothwell (85). Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Ampadu, Schmidt. Leeds won the game 2-0 with Rodon (39), Wober (44), both scoring their first Leeds goal. Attendance: 36,468, 2,838 Derby fans. Referee: Matthew Donohue Booked: No Leeds players. The first thing that happened was that we were turned around to attack the Kop in the first half. It was a quiet start to the game with challenging conditions, but we had to make changes when Firpo went down injured. As he went straight down the tunnel to the Derby fans singing, he’d had enough, it didn’t look good. Leeds had most of the game, but the crowd started jeering their keeper when the time wasting started very early on. Despite the referee watching him and telling him to hurry up, he deliberately took his time to take the goal kick. I was hoping that this would come back to bite him later in the game. To be fair to the ref, he let a few things go on Derby where I thought he’d blow for a free kick but didn’t and did keep the game flowing despite some fouls on us. Rodon came very near to opening the scoring with a header from a corner, but it went wide of the goal. With one attack Bogle was running forwards with the ball and James was in acres of space to the right of him. Instead of passing to him, he ignored him despite the Kop screaming at him to pass the ball, with the attack eventually breaking down. Aaronson saw his shot saved by the keeper after Tanaka gave him the ball and he did a 90 degree turn before shooting. Leeds then scored from the corner with Rodon this time making no mistake as he headed the ball into the net. Just as half time approached, we increased our lead after some good work by James on the left of us and his forward pass to Aaronson was crossed into the middle where the deflected ball was put it into the net by Wöber right in front of the keeper. That was a good, timed goal to give us some breathing space. The second half saw Leeds carry on attacking and Solomon saw his shot go past the upright. It just needed to curl into the other side of the post. Their keeper made saves from James, Tanaka and Piroe before Derby got their first chance on goal on 63 minutes. I’ll admit I couldn’t rest then as they made changes and kept getting stronger. It only took them to get one goal back and we would have been under pressure. There wasn’t too much danger to be honest, but I couldn’t relax too early. Looking at my photos, it looks like we should have had a penalty too with Piroe getting his shirt pulled and dragged down in the area. In the end Derby got their comeuppance with the early time wasting as we got the win, another three points, a clean sheet and returned to the top of the table for a short while at least. The storm had arrived when we left Elland Road after the game as the winds had picked up so for once I was glad, we had had an early kick off and were on our way home. I did delay leaving Billy’s statue as I spoke with the Malta Whites, but the rest of my family went back to the car without me as they were freezing! Will definitely bring my gloves for the Boro game on Tuesday as the wind chill certainly got its grip today. Safe travels home everyone and see you then, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Blackburn v Leeds United Saturday 30th November 2024 - Ewood Park 2024/25 Season As the coach was picking me up at Ainley Top today instead of me travelling to Leeds, I initially decided I was going to walk there and back despite it being an approximate 45 minute walk each way. When I opened the curtains this morning it was pitch black, no cars on the road making it feel very eerie which immediately made me feel very vulnerable, so I changed my plans and drove there. Despite that, by the time I got to the pickup point, my stomach was churning badly and didn’t stop. It was either everything I’ve been going through of late making me anxious, or it was what was going to happen on the pitch. With over 7,000 Leeds fans going to the game, it was a case of would we turn up? As things eased once Blackburn had scored, I assume it was the latter. Thank you once again to everyone who took the time to speak to me, have photos taken or gave hugs because regardless of what does or does not happen on the pitch, this is what being Leeds is all about. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, James, Gnonto, Piroe, Rothwell, Tanaka, Aaronson. Subs: Triple subs (69) Bamford for Piroe, Solomon for Aaronson, Ramazani for Gnonto, Joseph for Rothwell (82). Subs not used: Darlow, Crew, Debayo, Guilavogui. Leeds lost the game 1-0. Attendance: 21,942, 7,501 Leeds fans. Referee: Lewis Smith. Booked: Bogle, Ramazani. I couldn’t help but think when I saw Firpo back after suspension, that we had won every game without him so hoped it wouldn’t be a bad omen. It looked like Blackburn would take the lead when their player saw his powerful header canon back off the crossbar, but the rebound missed the target. It was a warning for us, but it was our turn next to attack when Gnonto dispossessed a Blackburn defender, but his shot couldn’t beat their keeper. Gnonto then saw another shot saved by the keeper. As Blackburn attacked, we struggled with their pace and a nudge in the back saw the referee point to the spot for a penalty. It felt it was a soft penalty to be given but they duly scored from it and although Meslier went the right way, it was a perfectly placed penalty. The second half saw Leeds up the pressure as Struijk’s header was pushed away by their keeper before Blackburn themselves did the same. Their shot when it looked odds on that they would score a second, deflected over the crossbar for a corner. We thought we had equalised from a corner as Bamford picked up Struijk’s header. Firpo then saw his shot come back off the bottom of the post, but Ramazani put the ball into the net only for the linesman to flag for offside. I’ve looked at the replays a few times to try and work out who was offside, but apparently it was in the build up to the goal. As Leeds piled the pressure on, I felt if we got one goal, we could get another. As it was Struijk and Bamford had a clash of heads in the penalty area and by the time Bamford finished receiving treatment, it had taken the sting out of the game. Despite nine minutes of injury time, I couldn’t see us scoring again. Gamesmanship of going down at the drop of a hat and feigning injury, meant we had no answers to getting around it as we went down to our first defeat since Millwall at the start of November. As it’s the 1st of December tomorrow with seven games between now and 4th January, we’ll see what happens by then. There will always be ups and downs, swings and roundabouts but realistically at the moment, there are no guarantees about promotion. We haven’t got the euphoria created under Bielsa and it’s a case of Farke getting as many points as he can. It does feel that we would be battered every game if we did go up so hopefully things will improve a lot before we get near the end of the season. There’s still a long way to go though! See you next week for the early kick off against Derby. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Luton Town Tuesday 27th November 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season The best laid plans to get to the ground early didn’t materialise due to an ill granddaughter and another one playing football and not getting back till later than expected. Getting stuck in traffic meant we got to Billy’s statue 30 minutes before kick-off, along with the wreath from the Halifax Whites honouring my late husband Phillip/Captain. After receiving this from Shuy in Australia at the celebration and having had the pleasure of this tribute, we decided it would be fitting to leave this near my stone. Leeds United got us both together in the first place and I’ll always be grateful for that. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Byram, Aaronson, Solomon, Piroe, Rothwell, Tanaka, Gnonto. Subs: Wöber for Byram (injured 59), James for Gnonto (69), Joseph for Piroe (69), Guilavogui for Rothwell (84), Ramazani for Aaronson (84). Subs not used: Darlow, Debayo, Bamford, Crew. Leeds won the game 3-0 with goals from Byram (10), Piroe (45+1), James (81). Attendance: 35,340, 1,087 Luton fans. Referee: Sam Allison. Booked: Ramazani. Leeds got off to a great start with an early goal. A one two between Tanaka and Byram saw Solomon receive the ball, pass back to Byram whose first shot bounced back but his second thought it had gone out of play so had put the camera down, oops. I thought Luton had equalised shortly afterwards when their player beat Meslier to the ball but thankfully Struijk was there on the line to kick the ball away. It was mainly one way traffic after that though with a good move from Leeds seeing Gnonto hit a low shot which their keeper saved. We got a second on the stroke of half time when from a corner, Struijk’s header was saved by the keeper, but the loose ball picked up by Piroe who slammed it into the net. That was a good time to get a second goal. The second half carried on in the same way as Leeds looked very comfortable, but there was always the fear that Luton would pull one back and put us under pressure. More to the point, it was a fear from us fans as that has happened too many times in the past. We had a chance for a third when Bogle put Aaronson through into the penalty area, but the ball didn’t run for us as the ball went behind Piroe and Luton were able to clear it away. Leeds then put the game to bed as we got a third after Bogle sent the ball down the wing for James to run on to. His speed took him past their player and James then lobbed the ball over the keeper with a great finish. That win took us back into first place in the table again on the anniversary of the death of Gary Speed where fans remembered him on the 11th minute by chanting his name. It felt a very easy win in reality although I never take anything for granted but it’s another three welcome points. After a trip back to Billy’s statue for photos with the Halifax Whites wreath, with my family, I felt it was the right place to be. See you at Blackburn on Saturday, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Swansea City v Leeds United Sunday 24th November 2024 - swansea.com Stadium, Swansea 2024/25 Season It was a very emotional day yesterday as the celebration of my husband’s life took place at Rastrick Cricket Club. Waking up to a white out with snow giving him a Leeds United send off, this impacted on some getting there with ice, flooding and jack-knifed lorries causing severe travel issues. We are so grateful for everyone who did make it to share our memories of Phillip/Captain. Thank you to Malta Whites for the mention of him in their remembrance service, LUFC South Kirkby for raising a glass to him on the way to the game and Shuy in Australia arranging for a wreath to be delivered from the Halifax Whites. If we thought the storms were over, they impacted on fans travelling to the game with flooded roads in Wales. I’m glad I was travelling by coach and luckily slept most of the way there and back. By the time we did stop though I needed the break as I was in a lot of pain which at least eased with painkillers and something to eat. Thank you to everyone at the game for their hugs, good wishes and love sent our way which were greatly appreciated. It shows how much I know about previous results here as I didn’t realise our win today was the third in a row! It’s a good job I don’t rely on my memory because despite being at the games I had no recollection of scores. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, James, Byram, Soloman, Rothwell, Aaronson, Tanaka, Piroe Subs: Joseph for Piroe (74), Solomon for Gnonto (75), Wober for Byram (84), Guilavogui for Rothwell (84), Debayo for James (90) Subs not used: Darlow, Crew, Bamford, Ramazani Leeds won the game 4-3 with our goals scored by a brace for Solomon (20, 73), an own goal from Cabango (55) and the winner from Gnonto in injury time (90+1) Attendance 17,125 with 1,976 Leeds fans Referee: Dean Whitestone Booked: James, Byram Although the game ended with seven goals scored it felt a very surreal scoreline. Leeds had the first attack and from the corner the ball reached James at the far post who saw his shot go over the bar. Swansea were lucky they weren’t penalised for a pull on Rodon’s shirt. We were frustrated with the referee blowing for any little touch on Swansea players. They were given a free kick for an innocuous challenge, which we were made to pay for when they scored from the set play when their player got past our defence in acres of space. Luckily for us we got back into the game relatively quickly and a fantastic pass through to James saw him run forward and unselfishly pass the ball across the box for Solomon to get his first goal for the club. Three minutes of injury time were given for the first half which felt more than was needed, but they got a second goal when we lost the ball in midfield, then a wicked deflection from Bogle, took the ball into the bottom corner of the goal, just of our Meslier’s full stretch reach. Without the deflection he would have saved the shot. That was a disappointing one to concede as we went into the break. Ten minutes into the second half we were back on level terms after Tanaka broke up a Swansea attack. Rodon got the ball, passed forward to Bogle and his first time pass saw the speed of James on the wing run forward. He passed the ball into the box and their player trying to stop the ball getting to Piroe, put it into the net for an own goal. It was nice to have a bit of luck for once. We took the lead when a fantastic ball from Struijk through to Byram who was onside and in acres of space, ran forward and passed into the middle for Solomon to get his second goal of the game and for Leeds to take the lead for the first time. It shows how much I know as Farke got it right. We’d taken a quick thrown in with our first subs waiting to come onto the pitch and I felt we should have made the subs rather than carry on playing. As Solomon went off shortly afterwards, he obviously wouldn’t have scored the goal! With fans singing top of the league, I couldn’t do that in case it came back to bite us on the bum. As the game drew to a close, we started to defend deep and the only thing you could see was Swansea scoring which turned out to be the case. Meslier had made a great save from a shot but on full time they equalised, after a cross into the middle of the box saw their player get in between ours to score. That was a big disappointment as we thought we’d thrown it away only for Gnonto to come on as sub and get a dramatic winner in injury time when James put him through in the penalty area. The Leeds fans erupted then as the goal sent Leeds to the top of the table. This time I’d no problem singing it and it was a great feeling to get the win and three points. Thank you Phillip for looking down on us today. Luckily our journey home was relatively smooth, and it was only as we neared Leeds that the reality of going back home hit me as listening to music finally saw the tears come. I’d done better than I dared hope and as usual, being with our Leeds United family, is the best tonic and I’m under no illusions that things will take time to ease. See you against Luton on Wednesday. LUFC – Marching on Together! 

Leeds United v QPR Saturday 9th November 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season After parking up, my daughter Danielle went to the Peacock whilst my granddaughter Alexis and I walked to the Holbeck Club. It takes me back in time going there, as it reminds me of our earlier days of going into the Fullerton Park Supporters Club before games. I’m glad there’s no Mr Pigeon on the doors here though as he accused us of being hooligans because we wore our scarves around our wrists. An impeccable silence was held before the game whilst the last post was being played in remembrance of those who gave their lives for us. As soon as it started, Alexis broke down in tears which started the tears falling for me. We stood there at the front of the stand hugging as our own recent loss of my husband and her Opa hit home. There was also an applause in the 12th minute for young Jack Johnson who had been a recent mascot who died of cancer. RIP. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Byram, Rodon, Bogle, Joseph, Rothwell, Aaronson, Tanaka, Solomon, Gnonto Subs: Piroe for Joseph (72), James for Solomon (72), Guilavogui for Rothwell (84), Schmidt for Gnonto (90) Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Crew, Chambers, Wöber Leeds won the game 2-0 with Bogle (19) and Piroe (90+5) scoring the goals Attendance: 36,011 with approximately 1,500 QPR fans Referee: Matthew Donohue Booked: Byram Early in the game QPR started strongly and it felt like it was going to be a difficult game. The referee was pulling us up left, right and centre and gave Byram an early booking although it was for a very tame challenge. QPR were dropping like flies which didn’t help. Suddenly we took the game to them and got on top with Aaronson hitting a great shot from outside the box that clipped the crossbar and came back into play, when I was expecting the ball to hit the back of the net. When we did get the first goal, it was like playing ping pong as we had a great build up with Bogle running up the centre of the pitch before passing to Rothwell on the wing. He took the ball into the penalty area, passed it into the middle where first Solomon hit it into the air, then Gnonto got a toe to it, then Joseph had a go that was kicked off the line only as far as Bogle who lifted the ball high into the net. That was a welcome relief to take the lead. We thought we had a second goal when Byram received the ball on the wing from Aaronson and passed into the middle for Solomon to score, only to see it disallowed for offside. I thought the second half passed very quickly as Leeds looked threatening with a great run through the middle towards the Kop. Gnonto released the ball to Solomon on his left slightly too far forward giving the keeper the chance to block the ball going into the net. We had another chance where Aaronson took the ball into the box and Bogle saw his shot saved by the keeper. As the game neared the end, we were all on tenterhooks thinking that QPR were going to get an equaliser and deny us a win. Thankfully, for once it worked in our favour as we attacked again with Schmidt taking the ball forward and passed to Piroe who ran to the left of the box hitting the ball into the net to ensure we got the win on the day. There were a few anxious moments today but in reality, Meslier didn’t have too much to do. I hadn’t seen the table before the game so until it was mentioned, didn’t know they were near the bottom of it. As always in football though, we know that it doesn’t matter where a team is, anyone can win on the day. Another three points and a clean sheet keeps us up at the top as we head into the international break. The day before Swansea, we say goodbye to my husband Phillip/Captain as we celebrate his life. He will get a great send off from family, friends, workmates and Leeds fans and we are very grateful for the support given to us. Next week though will be very tough too as we take a trip with the youngest grandchildren that we were going to do with him. No doubt we will have plenty of tears throughout these next two weeks but I’m a great believer in talking about things and crying if you have to. Good luck to anyone else in this situation as I know how tough it is. See you after the break, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Millwall v Leeds United Wednesday 6th November 2024 - The Den 2024/25 Season Before starting my blog, a story has emerged that the Mick Jones I was introduced to on Saturday was not our Mick Jones. The last time I saw the real one was at a Leeds United Legends do run by Tony Dunn, so it wasn’t surprising that I thought he had deteriorated so badly. As to the person I was introduced to, he told me he had terminal lung cancer, and I do think he had some sort of dementia. Either his name really was Mick Jones, as he printed the name out on a shirt which I have a photo of him doing, or he really does think he is him. When I asked him where he was living, he had to ask someone else, and they said Wolverhampton. I knew our Mick came from Sheffield so thought he must have moved but he could not recall me being part of his backing group when he sang at a Supporters Club event at Fullerton Park in the 70s. It’s very sad for him whatever happened but I’m so glad that our Mick is not terminally ill. Having just got back home at 4.30am, we had the usual M1 closures on the way home plus we ground to a halt after an accident so have had an approximate 20 hour round trip. I did go in early for the coach to drop my granddaughter off at college though. By getting there early I took the time to look in the club shop and could have spent a fortune. Sadly, it’s a choice of going to the football games in person or not so I came away empty handed. After a good run down to London, we had a leisurely stop in Greenwich before being the first coach to get to the ground. I wasn’t allowed to bring my bag in with me only the one with my flag in which was an even bigger bag but clear. After having a look at it to see that it was a good flag, the steward told me it could be hung up at the back of the stand and couldn’t be hung up at the front and I was allowed to take my water in. I’d not felt too bad today until I stood up in the pub and went dizzy. I don’t drink alcohol, had eaten and been drinking so put it down to still being on antibiotics. I did go into the seats early and was glad that I was on the front row as I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand up all the game. As there was nowhere to hang my flag up, I kept it with me. Shropshire Whites saw their flag being taken down when they’d hung it up at the front. None of the flags were provocative so I cannot understand why clubs are so against them being hung up. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, Gnonto, James, Rothwell, Tanaka, Piroe, Aaronson. Subs: Solomon for Rothwell (72), Joseph for Gnonto (80), Bamford for Bogle (80). Subs not used: Darlow, Schmidt, Crew, Byram, Guilavogui, Wöber Leeds lost the game 1-0 Attendance: 16,693, 2,035 Leeds fans Referee: Leigh Doughty Booked: Firpo Millwall started the stronger of the sides with the referee blowing his whistle for every little tackle in their favour, even when Leeds won the ball. It was a very fast paced game, and we had so much possession, although our three shots on target in the first half were quite soft with no power in them which their keeper saved easily. I’d said we needed to change that possession into goals but then got that feeling that they would score with their first real attack, which turned out to be the case just before half time. That was disappointing but I still felt we could get something out of the game at that point. The second half saw us attacking the goal in front of the Leeds fans as we started off strongly. Gnonto came in with the ball from the right, went past two defenders on the edge of the box but instead of then shooting on sight, he carried on to the other side of the box where he lost the ball. I found that frustrating as a gap had appeared and he should have had a go at goal. James had a couple of shots saved by the keeper, but we didn’t really trouble him apart from having a goal chalked off for offside. I got a great photo of us looking onside but apparently replays showed Piroe offside sadly. That would have put a different perspective on the game in my opinion. It wasn’t to be as the whistle blew for full time with us being defeated by the first half goal. What their keeper did next was baffling, as he goaded the Leeds fans with excessive celebrations. I hadn’t heard him getting any stick either, but it was very unprofessional, and he should be pulled up for it. I also saw the game differently to so many people today too. I thought we deserved a draw especially as we had a goal chalked off. Whether it is because losing a game isn’t the be all and end all after everything my family and I are going through, I’m not sure. Thank you to everyone for the hugs and support after the death of my husband which are greatly appreciated. I know I’m not the only one going through challenges and traumas and I send all my love to those that I know of. Losing in London, happens more times than not and it was never going to be an easy place to go to, so I think I just accepted the defeat. We are back at Elland Road on Saturday for the visit of QPR where our respects will be made for Armistice Day. There will also be a collection for guide dogs at the Peacock. See you then LUFC – Marching on Together! 

Leeds United v Plymouth Saturday 2nd November 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season Having spent the last five days in Scotland with my eldest daughter and three granddaughters being introduced to Cullen by my friend Arnie, we arrived home to find a card from Leeds United. This had been sent to me after the recent loss of my husband Phillip which meant I cried all evening. It was a lovely gesture alongside all the other cards I have received as well as lots of flowers which are greatly appreciated. There was another card today from the Holbeck Club which included Maltese Supporters Club, Shropshire Whites, Norwegians and Irish showing the depth of support from the Leeds United family. It was lovely to meet Mick Jones our greatest number 9 who played in the best team I have ever seen under Don Revie at the Holbeck. His first words were that it’s been ages since he’d seen me. The rapport we had with the players of that era is still evidenced today and I was thrilled to hear him say these words. He had been brought to the game by some Leeds fans and was going in the director’s box. I was aiming to leave home early this morning so I could walk from the Holbeck to the Moot Hall Arms to see Paul Wilson perform but I felt so ill, realising that I hadn’t overcome a recent infection. Because of this I didn’t leave home until later and decided to drive into town after going to the Holbeck only to find the Trinity car park full, so I went straight to the ground from there. Once again, I thank everyone for their comments, words of support and hugs handed out to me. I can’t thank everyone enough for the support given to my family and me. It was also poignant seeing our photo on the Supporters Club page in the programme announcing my husband’s death. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Firpo, Aaronson, Piroe, Gnonto, Rothwell, Tanaka, James, Byram. Subs: Joseph for Aaronson (66), Solomon for James (66), Chambers for Gnonto (75), Guilavogui for Rothwell (75), Crew for Piroe (86). Subs not used: Darlow, Schmidt, Debayo, Wöber Leeds won the game 3-0 with goals from James (30), Piroe (33), Aaronson (38) Attendance: 36,066, approximately 1,500 Plymouth fans Referee: David Webb Bookings: None I know lots of people were expecting a big scoreline today but as I’d been pre-occupied again, I hadn’t thought too much about what could happen. Instead, as always, I would rely on watching the game and making my decisions that way. As it was, it was more or less one way traffic during the first half despite being turned round to attack the Kop in the first half. That said, we needed to turn that pressure into goals. We came close when Piroe’s shot rebounded off the post but got our reward with three goals in a space of eight minutes. James hit a long range shot from outside the box that hit the top corner of the net to start the goal glut, then Piroe scored from close range with quick reactions before Piroe back heeled the ball which fell kindly for Aaronson to hit the ball into the net. That was a good first half which saw us get our just rewards. The second half was a lot quieter affair which showed as I was ready to fall asleep. Farke gave home debuts to Chambers, Guilavogui and Crew and the latter was very unlucky not to score with a long-range shot put over the bar by the keeper. At least we avoided a banana skin today with the predictions of a good win as so many times it hasn’t worked that way for us. Another three points with the win takes our tally to 26 and into second place. Burnley still have to play tomorrow so things can change obviously, and it is still early days. Despite that it is nice to see. We head to Millwall on Wednesday and I’m hoping to be fighting fit for then as I went to an out of hours doctors tonight and have now got more antibiotics that were needed. See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Bristol City v Leeds United Saturday 26th October 2024 - Ashton Gate, Bristol 2024/25 Season After getting only a couple of hours sleep before having to get up to go to Bristol, I was very glad that once I got to Leeds, I would be travelling by coach with Fullerton Park Supporters Club. The journey wasn’t a bad one as I managed to catch up with sleep both going to the game and coming home. The physical and mental toll that has been taken out of me since my husband’s death can’t be underestimated but the Leeds family are worth their weight in gold, for the support they are giving me and my family. As well as my own family and friends, we all support each other and knowing there are others facing their own battles that support is invaluable. As we pulled up outside the ground my emotions took over as I bawled my eyes out but the therapy of the hugs, comments, support, taking photos and talking did me the world of good as usual. That said, before the game kicked off there was a remembrance tribute and one for the baby son of their manager who died recently that contributed to the sense of sorrow. Having lost my own baby daughter at 17 days old from an undiagnosed heart defect, my heart goes out to them. The silence was immaculately observed and once this had finished everyone got behind the teams. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Bogle, Byram, Tanaka, Rothwell, Piroe, Gnonto, James, Aaronson Subs: Joseph for Piroe (70), Solomon for James (70), Bamford for Gnonto (87). Subs not used: Darlow, Gelhardt, Crew, Debayo, Schmidt, Guilavogui Leeds drew the game 0-0 Attendance: 25,283, 3,000 Leeds fans Referee: James Linington Booked: Gnonto, Tanaka, Bogle Bristol started off on the attack and saw plenty of the ball but in reality, didn’t put Meslier under too much pressure. They did have one attack where we struggled to clear the ball but luckily their overhead kick went wide. Another attack saw their shot deflected wide. The nearest Leeds came to scoring saw their keeper made a good save from a Gnonto shot from the edge of the box. Prior to that Bogle got on the end of a cross from Gnonto and headed into the side netting, and later a Rodon header went straight to the keeper. Gnonto put James through, but he couldn’t beat their keeper. I thought the half had passed quickly as we went in still goalless at half time. I thought Leeds were going to take the lead when a great run by James on the left-hand side towards us, crossed the ball into the penalty area. I was convinced Gnonto was going to put the ball into the net, but it was kicked off the line. Aaronson’s shot hit the side netting and when Byram put in a cross, Joseph saw his header clear the crossbar. To be honest it wasn’t the best of games as it felt we were happy to play for the draw. We passed back a lot without too much urgency but again the positives are, that we did not get beaten and had another clean sheet. One point is better than none which we will always take. At least with the early kick off we got home at a reasonable time and have a respite now until next week’s home game against Plymouth. See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Watford Tuesday 22nd October 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season Due to traffic issues, we were late getting parked up, so it meant we didn’t get to visit the usual places before the game. I’ll blame it on not realising it was a 7.45pm kick off too, but by the time we got in the stand the teams were all ready to start the game so had missed the mascots coming out. With my head still being all over the place I’d not given any thought to the game facing us. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Firpo, Bogle, Tanaka, Aaronson, Piroe, Gnonto, Ramazani, Rothwell Subs: Solomon for Ramazani (injured 14), James for Gnonto (72), Joseph for Piroe (72), Byram for Solomon (90+6) Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Crew, Debayo, Schmidt Leeds won the game 2-1 with Ramazani (4) and Aaronson (7) scoring the early goals Attendance: 34,968, approx. 900 Watford fans Referee: Anthony Backhouse Booked: Firpo, Tanaka No sooner had I got to my seat before Leeds scored our first goal. The ball looked to have been caught by their keeper as he scooped it back out, but the ball was deemed to have been over the line. Gnonto saw his shot go past the wrong side of the post but before we knew it, we were two goals up with our second goal scored three minutes later. A run by Gnonto on the wing saw a great cross pushed out from their keeper which Aaronson followed up and put into the net. Their keeper made another save from Gnonto but then we took our feet off the pedal when maybe we should have gone for the jugular. Watford saw Meslier make a great save with one of their first attacks not long before the break to deny them a goal. It was great to see Paul Reaney on the pitch at half time getting a great reception from the fans. He was 80 years old today and part of the legends from the greatest team I have ever seen under Don Revie. It made me realise how many years have passed since then when it doesn’t seem that long ago. The second half saw Watford get straight back into the game when they scored more or less straight from the kick off. Their man got the better of Struijk and Firpo but there were still plenty of our players in the area as he got the ball into the net to pull one back. Even on watching the replays I still couldn’t make out how the ball hit the back of the net. We really need to change the ball from white as it’s so much harder to follow the ball for me. My granddaughter’s team played with a fluorescent orange ball at the weekend which was so much better. Watford then went on the attack as we seemed at sixes and sevens with our heads still in the dressing room as their shot went narrowly over the bar. It took quite a while I feel to get back onto the attack, but I still wasn’t too worried. We started getting back into the game and Bogle saw his shot canon back off the post and Piroe hit the rebound, but the keeper caught the ball at the second attempt. James put a great cross into the box which saw Joseph in space head the ball only to see it go straight to their keeper. James then saw his shot saved by the keeper. We had decided there would be nine minutes of injury time due to Watford players throwing themselves to the floor and time wasting so many times. Although eight minutes was put up on the board, we played nearly 10 minutes more but at least we got the win and another welcome three points despite making it harder for ourselves than it needed to be. We head to Bristol on Saturday which will be an early start for us as we leave at 5.30am from Leeds. It’s a good job people are just telling me what time to be there etc as I didn’t even realise it’s an early kick off either. It’s not surprising really as sorting everything out in the background takes over. We are still overwhelmed as a family by all the support with cards and flowers received as well as all the hugs and condolences coming our way. These are all gratefully received so when I saw someone before the game who lost his dad just before we lost Phillip, I made sure he got a hug too. Leeds fans will always look after each other and that is why they are special. We are having a celebration of Phillip’s life the day before we head to Swansea and we know with the amount of people who have already said they will be coming, that he will get a great send off. See you on Saturday, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Sheffield United Friday 18th October 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season First of all, before I start my blog, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has taken the time to send love and support to my family and I after my husband Phillip’s death from cancer last Sunday. We have been overwhelmed but knowing our Leeds United family as we do, this is them at their best. It’s been an emotionally tough and challenging time for us all over the last few months, but Phillip got his wish to die at home with us by his side. He is at peace now and no longer in pain. We will be having a celebration of his life with his ashes as he didn’t want a funeral, and I will share those details with those who want to attend shortly. We’ve also just received the great news that my baby granddaughter Pippa has just got out of hospital too, after being admitted again a couple of days ago due to RSV. We are in dire need of some respite as a family especially as my legs could hardly carry me this morning. The greatest therapy was being at Elland Road tonight amongst out fans, to see a great win. Team: Meslier, Struijk, Rodon, Firpo, Bogle, Tanaka, Piroe, Gnonto, Aaronson, Rothwell, Ramazani Subs: Solomon for Gnonto (68), James for Aaronson (68), Joseph for Ramazani (79), Byram for Firpo (90), Bamford for Piroe (90) Subs not used: Darlow, Schmidt, Debayo, Crew Leeds won the game 2-0 with goals from Struijk (69), Joseph (90) Attendance: 36,695, approx. 2,900 Sheffield United fans Referee: Lewis Smith Booked: Firpo My mothering instincts kicked in when the turnstile next to me malfunctioned with a man still outside the ground but his small son in tears already in the ground. I got through on my side and stayed with the boy until they let his dad into the ground through the gates after common sense took over. Lewis although distraught was very brave once he knew he wasn’t on his own and was reunited with his dad a few minutes later thankfully. After not seeing or hearing anything regarding the team after the international break I could only go to the game with an open mind and judge things on what I saw. There was a minute’s applause for a Sheffield United player, George Baldock who died recently. I took the opportunity to take on board my own poignant memories during this time before heading to my seat. Sheffield started the game the stronger of the two sides, but it didn’t take long before Leeds got into their stride. We started to put together some good moves and Tanaka put his body on the line when he came under pressure. He started to build up a good relationship with Rothwell in midfield which was good to see. Ramazani had a shot saved by their keeper which was our best chance of the half. We stayed in the stand at half time to see Lucas Radebe come out onto the pitch. It was disappointing to see the sprinklers put on before he left the pitch so we couldn’t see him properly. At least I managed to get a selfie with him yesterday at the Leeds United Supporters Trust meeting. The second half saw Sheffield start on the attack again, but Leeds took charge very quickly as they continued to attack towards the Kop. We won a corner and Farke made a double substitution with instant results. Rothwell took the corner as Struijk met the ball in the middle of the box hitting a sweet strike into the top of the goal to take the lead. A great through ball from Piroe saw Joseph get in front of the defender and sheer persistence saw him put the ball into the net in injury time to give us a second goal. That put the game beyond Sheffield as Leeds took the three points and the win. I thought we played very well tonight with some good football and didn’t really look under too much pressure. Thank you, Leeds, and that win was for you Phillip. See you on Tuesday for the Watford game. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Sunderland v Leeds United Friday 4th October 2024 - Stadium of Light, Sunderland 2024/25 Season I can never underestimate the impact of me getting to Norwich on Tuesday and Sunderland today have had on my wellbeing. Without the support of my family especially my daughter Michelle, enabling me to have that respite by sleeping all the way there and back on the coach, we are now getting used to a different way of life. The good news is that my husband Phillip has returned home from hospital and got his wish to be cared for at home under the palliative care team. Once again, the support from our fans tonight has been immense and to those who were not aware of my situation at home, I took no offence at anything said. I’m quite aware that not everyone will know what has been going on but am grateful for all the kindness shown. As my thoughts turned to the game, as long as we didn’t get beaten that was the main thing and a win would be a bonus. We very nearly did get that win however unexpected and I know Meslier is getting pelters on social media. To me, maybe he should have been subbed after getting kicked in the head but also, although I am disappointed with the goal conceded I am not angry. When all his teammates came up to him at the final whistle to show him support, I thought it was a great gesture. Up until then, I had thought he was catching high balls in the area and looking more confident. Life is too short to get worked up about it as what is happening in my family shows. The good thing is we got a point and didn’t get beaten as I wanted as we head into another international break. Team: Meslier, Firpo, Rodon, Struijk, Bogle, Tanaka, Aaronson, Gnonto, Piroe, Rothwell, Ramazani Subs: Joseph for Piroe (77), Byram for Gnonto (90), Schmidt for Ramazani (90) Subs not used: Darlow, Gelhardt, Crew, Debayo, Bamford, Chambers Leeds drew the game 2-2 with Piroe (22) and Firpo (55) scoring the goals Attendance: 41,769, 2,102 Leeds fans Referee: Tim Robinson Booked: Rodon, Firpo, Bogle With Sunderland being at the top of the table there was no surprise to see us under pressure from the start. They scored their first goal within nine minutes which was a blow. They kept the ball in from the bye line and although Meslier stopped the ball on the line, Sunderland followed up on the rebound to put them into the lead. That seemed to settle Leeds down as they gradually started to get into the game as Gnonto sent a perfect pass into the middle for Piroe in space to head the ball into the net to equalise. Leeds then showed that the best form of defence is attack as they kept the pressure up and took control of the half. It was only shortly before the break that Sunderland put us under pressure again, but we went in on level terms. The second half started with Leeds awarded a free kick and their player booked. We then took the lead after a well worked goal with Ramazani jinking his way through the middle of the park before passing to Firpo to continue the run down the wing. He passed to Gnonto in the box who immediately returned it to Firpo who scored with a first time shot to send the away end wild. There had been a great atmosphere amongst our fans, and I loved it. Plenty of older songs were sang too and it’s a great therapy joining in with the singing. With six minutes added on and Sunderland fans had been leaving in droves, the thought did cross my mind that the game wasn’t over yet. Leeds had been in control for most of it, playing very well with crisp passing between our players but conceded a free kick in more added on time. With every player from both sides in a long line across our half of the pitch, Meslier was on the edge of the box, and I said he needed to get back on his line as we were defending very deep. With that a comedy of errors saw Sunderland snatch an equaliser in the dying minutes of the game which for those of us who have been following Leeds United for a long time (over 50 years in my case), we know, that until the final whistle blows, anything can happen. Whether it was the bounce or not, Meslier started to move back not under pressure and went to catch it but missed the ball completely as it hit the back of the net. That was such a shame as I thought we had played really well tonight. It's happened, we move on and don’t have a game until Friday 18th October where we welcome Sheffield United to Elland Road. See you there, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Norwich City v Leeds United Saturday 1st October 2024 - Carrow Road, Norwich 2024/25 Season The one thing I can say about Leeds United fans is that we have a fantastic camaraderie that has been built up over many years and we all look after each other. They are what keeps our club going through thick and thin and they are second to none. You all know who you are, but the love and support for my family and I can never be underestimated, and I thank you all. For anyone who missed by reel, my husband has been in hospital and is due home Wednesday and will be under the palliative care team going forward. On arrival at Norwich, we were dropped off at the ground but had to wait outside whilst we waited for Nikki’s carer. We build up quite a rapport with the Norwich stewards especially one who supported Arsenal whilst we were waiting. It’s nice for football fans to be treated as human beings because as we all know, that doesn’t happen at every ground. Team: Meslier, Struijk (captain as Ampadu out injured until Christmas), Bogle, Firpo, Rodon, Gnonto, Tanaka (making his first start), Gruev, Joseph, Aaronson, Ramazani Subs: Rothwell for Gruev (injured 20), Piroe for Ramazani (70), Bamford for Joseph (70), Byram for Firpo (82), Gelhardt for Gnonto (82) Subs not used: Darlow, Crew, Debayo, Chambers Leeds drew the game 1-1 with Ramazani equalising for Leeds (60) Attendance: 26,261, 2,022 Leeds fans. Referee: Stephen Martin. Booked: Struijk, Rothwell, Bogle, Gnonto I’ve moved my tickets for the away games nearer the front of the stand, so it feels a different game watching it close up. Leeds looked lively at the start as we attacked the goal to the right of us. We won a corner but all I could see was Gnonto in the centre surrounded by giants. We nearly got caught out then as Norwich counter attacked us, but they were awarded a penalty not long afterwards. I had to watch replays to see why it was awarded as I wasn’t sure why it was given. I can’t wear my glasses and take photos at the same time so have to rely on the zoom to see the far side of the pitch. They duly scored from it, but Leeds nearly came back with an instant reply. Gnonto kept the ball in on the bye line and worked his way back into the middle of the box before unleashing a shot that came back off the foot of the post. Leeds won a free kick when Ramazani was brought down on the edge of the box. Rothwell’s free kick rebounded off the Norwich wall and Gnonto then saw his deflected shot on target saved by the keeper. The second half saw Leeds still a goal down but trying to get back into the game. Rothwell’s shot was on target but easily saved by their keeper. The linesman in front of us was terrible, he was never up with play missing at least three offsides by Norwich plus he never flagged for any fouls in front of him that would have benefitted us. To be honest, he may well have stayed in the dressing room! I had to laugh when I saw a young Norwich fan to the left of us with his scarf tied around his head. It just took me back to my youth as it is something I used to do myself. It was also nice to spot some of our fans in that direction too. Leeds got an equaliser after Struijk picked out Gnonto and he put a perfect pass in for Ramazani to hit a sweet first time shot into the net. Gnonto then got booked for protesting when he was brought down in the area but realistically it should have been a penalty to us. Norwich were definitely quick off the break and at times looked like they would overwhelm us. At other times if felt like a bit of a practise game. Leeds were happy to settle for the draw in the end as we have another game on Friday at Sunderland, so I think we were all happy with a point as not getting defeated was the main thing. I know I didn’t want Aaronson back at Leeds, but I’ll give him his due, he is now letting his talking happen on the pitch as he never stops trying. We had a decent journey back and I did manage to get some sleep on the coach having listened to music both ways. I am still hoping to make it to Sunderland on Friday as today has shown that I was totally exhausted and being able to get away has done me the world of good. See you soon, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Coventry City Saturday 28th September 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season After another challenging week with an 8-hour a&e visit on Monday and my husband being admitted to hospital for tests on Wednesday, once again I thank everyone for their kindness and concern which is appreciated. With it also being the anniversary of my mum’s death today, it’s no wonder the tears flowed at times and my legs went to jelly. Thankfully Leeds got a win with three goals and another clean sheet which went a long way to taking my mind off things. As a family we have to take each day at a time. I know we are not the only family going through traumatic times as others, including some close to us, are dealing with their own traumas. As always, the Leeds United family all come together to support each other through times of need. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Struijk, Aaronson, Bogle, Firpo, Jospeh, Gnonto, Gruev, Ramazani. Subs: Tanaka for Ampadu (41), Piroe for Ramazani (70), Byram for Firpo (82), Rothwell for Joseph (82), Schmidt for Gnonto (82) Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Gelhardt, Debayo Leeds won the game 3-0 with goals from Gnonto (16), Bogle (49), Piroe (79) Attendance: 36,625 with approx. 2,900 Coventry fans Referee: Gavin Ward Booked: Rodon Within minutes of the start Bogle went flying into the air near the box as Leeds were awarded a free kick. It didn’t take long to take the lead though as a move involving both Aaronson then Firpo with a great pass, saw Gnonto hit a first time shot into the roof of the net. That steadied the nerves especially when we had a chance to double the lead shortly afterwards as the keeper saved Gruev’s shot. Ramazani was the next one to see the keeper tip his shot over the bar and shortly afterwards Joseph saw a shot saved. Just before half time Ampadu went down injured, and the trainers came on. He didn’t last long after that as he went down injured again so was replaced by Tenaka. The score stayed at 1-0 to Leeds as we went into the break but it was good to see Leeds shooting, catching the opposition out, instead of trying to walk the ball into the net. The second half was only a few minutes old when Leeds did double their lead. Leeds attacked the Kop, with Ramazani receiving the ball from Bogle before passing it back to him to score. A great ball from Tanaka to Gnonto on the wing saw him take the ball forward before passing to Piroe who scored a third goal on the day. Coventry had their first shot of the game in injury time with Meslier making a good save to keep the clean sheet. With two away games at Norwich and Sunderland next week, it was good to get another win to keep the pressure on other teams around us in the top six. See you soon, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Cardiff City v Leeds United Saturday 21st September 2024 - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff 2024/25 Season I was looking forward to wearing my new jumper and beret given to me by the Art of Football after my interview during the week, but sadly had to cancel my trip after my husband Phillip or Captain as he is known to other Leeds fans, suffered another mini stroke yesterday. After posting my reel on social media this morning, I cannot thank the Leeds United family enough for all their love and support sent to my family. Although we do not know how much time Phillip has left, it could be sudden or happen over time, but it is essential we keep him safe. The photos were sent to me by my daughter Danielle who was at the game but aren't in any specific order. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Firpo, Bogle, Gruev, Joseph, Gnonto, Ramazani, Struijk, Aaronson Subs: Byram for Bogle (84), Piroe for Ramazani (84), Tanaka for Joseph (90), Schmidt for Gnonto (90), Rothwell for Gruev (90) Subs not used: Darlow, Bamford, Crew, Debayo Leeds won the game 2-0 with Ramazani (30) and Piroe (87) scoring the goals Attendance: 23,207, 3,219 Leeds fans Referee: John Smith Booked: Bogle, Gruev. Sent off: Bagan (Cardiff) Before the game kicked off, there was a minute’s applause for Sol Bamba who had died recently and another on the 14th minute. Sol played for both Leeds and Cardiff and was given a fitting tribute by both sets of fans/clubs. It’s always different when watching highlights than being at a game in person as that’s how I make my judgements on the games. Cardiff ended up with 10 men after Gnonto was fouled at the edge of the box and it looked as if we had been given advantage. The same lad continued chasing Gnonto as he brought him down again. As play was brought back and a free kick awarded to Leeds, the young lad saw a red card. Ramazani was put through the middle with a great piece of skill from Joseph as his speed took him past the defender and scored his first goal for Leeds. His back flip celebration was impressive too. The second half saw Bogle brought down and Leeds awarded a penalty, but the keeper having a fine game saved Struijk’s shot from the spot with his feet. Near the end of normal time, Piroe was sent down the wing with a pass from Aaronson and when he carried on into the penalty area, hit a shot from the near post straight into the net. Although that gave Leeds some breathing space, Cardiff nearly pulled a goal back with a one-on-one ball with Meslier but thankfully he made a great stop to prevent it. Thanks for getting the win for me Leeds, however hard it seemed to watch the game from some of our fans’ points of view. Three points and a clean sheet count for a lot.  See you soon, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Burnley Saturday 14th September 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season After the international break last week, my granddaughter and I headed to Elland Road for the lunchtime kick off. It took me a while to get going this morning as once again all the recent stresses caught up with me. My baby granddaughter came out of hospital for the third time last Saturday, but the Paediatricians informed her mum at the start of the week that she may have to go back in for further IV antibiotics. After more worries we found out that her latest samples were clear, but she may get ill again so we remain vigilant. In the meantime, in the middle of my middle daughter moving house on Wednesday, I came back home for a meeting at dinnertime which ended with another hospital visit and then admittance for my husband. He came back out of hospital yesterday after IV antibiotics and we are hoping the oral ones will clear his infection. It never rains but it pours. We headed to Holbeck Working Men’s club before the game, and it was great to catch up with some friends from Wrexham who I haven’t seen for approx. 25 years. As usual you catch up where you left off and I will have to share the photos from our trip to Wrexham to see Wales v Scotland in 1977 later. Friends for life though and one of the most important things of being a Leeds United fan, is the fantastic camaraderie from our worldwide fan base who get you through the tough times. Once again, thanks for all the support, hugs and kind words today as they mean a lot to me. With talking so much it meant we had to get a lift to the ground with the Shropshire Whites otherwise we may have missed kick off. Thanks for making me an honorary member for the day! If anyone missed my appearance on the Clough Revie, The Damned Interview documentary by Chris Dawkes on ITV on Thursday, the link can be found here: https://www.itv.com/.../clough-vs-revie-50.../4x9f51x... Going through the turnstile, I suddenly realised that it kept turning. I managed to scan the tickets (well I think I did) as it had clicked into place before the same thing happened again. After the club saying that you need to attend 80% of the games this season, this was very concerning as I couldn’t be sure that our tickets had been activated. Something I will pass on to my contact to take back to the club for their response. After catching up with my sister and friends we headed over to the opposite side of the Kop in readiness for the players coming out onto the pitch. After a minute’s applause for Sol Bamba (there will also be tributes at Cardiff next week), this was followed on six minutes for our young fan Bob as both died recently. Bob was a mascot at the start of the season, and it certainly brought a lump to the throat with the whole stadium joining in as well as both the teams stopping play. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Struijk, Rodon, Gnonto, Joseph, Gruev, Solomon, Firpo, Bogle, Aaronson Subs: Rothwell for Ampadu (68), Piroe for Aaronson, (68), Byram for Firpo (78), Ramazani for Solomon (78), Tanaka for Rodon (87). Subs not used: Darlow, Gelhardt, Schmidt, Debayo Leeds lost the game 1-0 Attendance: 36,405, approx. 2,900 Burnley fans Referee: James Bell Booked: Firpo, Gnonto, Ampadu Sent off: Humphreys (Burnley) The game started with Leeds attacking the Kop in the first half having been turned around by Burnley. Leeds started off well with Joseph through on goal, but his shot went wide. Burnley took the lead against the run of play as Leeds lost the ball from an attacking position when Solomon slipped. The Burnley player ran the length of the pitch before putting the ball into the net as we had no answers. I always wondered why it is only our players that slip on wet pitches but also, why do we even wet them so much before the game starts? The atmosphere which had been good until then died a death for a while as the stuffing was knocked out of much of our support. We do need to get back to how we did it in the 80s, if the opposition scored, we were all there immediately chanting for Leeds. Honestly, it does make a difference. Gnonto had a shot saved by their keeper but with another chance not long before the break, Solomon was brought down in the penalty area. Not surprisingly, the linesman to our left had flagged continuously for us being offside yes neither him nor the referee saw the foul. With fans around us screaming for the penalty, it was proved by replays later that they were right. Sadly, for us, it was never given as we went in one down at the break. The second half saw Leeds come out on the attack with Joseph seeing his shot saved by the keeper. Ampadu saw his great shot put over the bar by their keeper. With Burnley using professional fouls and time wasting, they started getting more bookings from the referee although in the first half it was us who got the first booking. Rodon got lengthy treatment alongside the Burnley player Brownhill after a clash of heads which left them both with bandaged heads. Rodon was subbed not long afterwards. We never looked like scoring to be honest and it felt like we had no one on the bench who could come on and take the game by the scruff of the neck. I do feel a draw would have been a fair result as Burnley made it hard for us to get through their defence, but we ended up with our first defeat of the season. The international break curse strikes again. It wasn’t to be, but we need to regroup as we head to Cardiff next week. Somehow, although I thought one of their players got a second booking which was the case, I failed to see their player sent off!!! As the players applauded the crowd at the end, when Farke arrived there was a lot of loud booing on the Kop. It surprised me as I wasn’t sure if the booing was for him although, I know frustrations had already spilled over to some of the crowd during the second half. When Byram passed back to Meslier when we had been attacking, I had some sympathy for him as there was no one making room for him to pass to. My worries going forward after our sales was having a strong squad depth and whilst we have the personnel, that spark was missing once we went a goal behind. With decisions not going our way either, it was one of those days. See you at Cardiff, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Hull City Saturday 31st August 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Season Friendly I want to say a big thank you to everyone today for your support, love, hugs and comments after my husband’s recent stroke. As always, they are gratefully appreciated, and we are thankful that Phillip/Captain is one of the lucky ones as he seems to have only minimal issues. Although not without its challenges, it was nice to get back to Elland Road for some respite for me. I hadn’t felt 100% as I got to the ground but decided to walk to Holbeck Working Men’s Club. I didn’t think I did too badly with an approximate 15-20 minute walk each way, but it took me back in time. I remembered walking to and from Snaith to the train station from home and to and from Leeds station to the ground. As I was reminiscing, I saw someone walking towards me with his scarf tied around his wrist which was another throwback to then. If you can watch Calendar on 12th September which is 50 years to the date of the Don Revie v Clough interview, my response will be seen as I was filmed at home during the week. Next week also sees me heading to Stirling on Wednesday for the unveiling of the blue plaque where Billy Bremner lived in Raploch. It will also kickstart the fundraising in earnest for a statue for him there too. Watch out for further details. Sadly, I didn’t go past Chris and Kev’s plaque at Elland Road but have just seen online, about a great gesture from the Hull City vice chairmen who laid flowers underneath it. Thank you. As the last day for new signings and departures ended yesterday, luckily, I have taken a back seat just fleetingly looking to find out any news. The threads saw no end of posts, but I decided that I had no control over anything and what would be would be. With Rutter being the last one out although I was expecting more, we brought in Largie Ramazani from UD Almeria, Spain, Manor Solomon on loan from Spurs, AO Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf and finally Isaac Schmidt from Swiss side St. Gallen. As usual by just concentrating on Leeds United, I had not heard of any player and knew nothing about them which tends to work well for me. I judge them all by their performances on the pitch so go into the games with an open mind and no prejudgements. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Firpo, Bogle, Gnonto, Solomon (home debut), Aaronson, Struijk, Gruev, Joseph Subs: Piroe for Solomon (74), Ramazani for Gnonto (74), Byram for Bogle (83), Rothwell for Joseph (86), Tanaka for Gruev (86) Subs not used: Darlow, Gelhardt, Debayo, Wöber Leeds won the game 2-0 with Joseph (63), Piroe (82) scoring for Leeds Attendance: 36,517, approx. 2,900 Hull fans. Referee: Gavin Ward Booked: Rodon, Gruev The game started at a fast pace with Leeds on the attack with Gruev’s low shot saved comfortably by the keeper then Joseph’s shot pushed over the bar. Hull attacked in numbers and a wicked shot went just over Meslier’s crossbar. Leeds were unlucky not to take the lead when Gnonto put the ball into the net but was ruled offside. Hull came back with an immediate response and showed they could be dangerous on the break as they were in acres of space down the left-hand side of the Kop. Luckily for us we were able to keep the ball out although at times when bringing the ball out from the back, things got too close for comfort. To me the first half passed very quickly as we went into the break on equal terms. Saw Tony at half time and I love how he has changed the bulls to blue on the home shirt. The second half once again started at a fast pace with Leeds on the attack, but Aaronson’s shot was straight at the keeper. With Leeds on the attack once more down the right-hand side, I thought Solomon had no chance of passing the ball into the middle, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The pass was class and the finish by Joseph sublime as the ball hit the back of the net to put us one goal up. With Leeds overall being the better team, we had another attack and Firpo on the right of us sent a fantastic cross to the left-hand side which Ramazani left. The ball was picked up by Piroe as he rolled the ball into the net to increase our lead. The score ended up 2-0 as we kept another clean sheet and three points. I do feel if Hull would have scored first; it would have been a lot tougher for us. Again, we didn’t have it all our own way but ground out a win amongst some good attacking football. I thought our new players did well and the good thing for me is that it has given us some squad depth as that was a real concern for me. As we go into the international break with our first home win of the season, the game has given some hope back. I never predict scores as I don’t get them right and only make my observations by what I see on the pitch but all in all, there were a lot of positives. It was nice to see Tanaka passing the ball well too. I was definitely slow on the uptake as the crowd got going with A, O, Let’s go! Well, how was I to know they were Tanaka’s initials? See you after the international break with another home game against Burnley. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United Saturday 23rd August 2024 - Hillsborough, Sheffield 2024/25 Season  Having had a better week personally although challenging, things could have been a lot worse, so I realise that we are lucky in that respect. Lots of others are facing their own challenges in worse circumstances so good luck to them. It was still very breezy at Elland Road after the storms overnight as I did my reel at Chris and Kev’s plaque instead of at Billy’s statue, which had me wondering if it would impact on the game. I needn’t have worried because after a stop at Wombwell, all was relatively calm when we reached the ground. Having taken the positives of a point and clean sheet from last week’s game at West Bromwich, I had an open mind as to what to expect on the pitch. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Struijk, Rodon, Firpo, James, Gnonto, Bogle, Aaronson, Gruev, Joseph. Subs: Piroe for Joseph (84), Rothwell for Gnonto (88), Byram for James (90), Gelhardt for Aaronson (90). Subs not used: Darlow, Cairns, Debayo, Crew, Chambers Leeds won the game 2-0 with Aaronson (24) & James (48) scoring the goals Attendance: 28,800, 3,800 Leeds fans Referee: Simon Hooper Booked: Gnonto, James, Ampadu The game set off at a fast pace as we attacked the far end from where the Leeds fans were massed behind the goal on Leppings Lane. From a short corner, James put a great cross into the box and Struijk’s header went narrowly wide. Some of the tackles from both teams were let go by the referee as he kept the game flowing as Leeds found their feet with constant attacking. When Joseph was brought down in the penalty area, I lost sight of the ball and was waiting for a penalty to be awarded, only for the Leeds fans to begin cheering. I thought the penalty had been given only to find out that Aaronson had picked up the loose ball, took a step to the side and slammed the ball into the net for Leeds to take the lead. I always say we have to play to the whistle, and this worked in our favour. The second half set off again at a blistering pace and a fantastic through ball from Joseph to James on the wind saw his speed take him past the defender and beat the keeper to put us two goals up on the night. We took our foot off the pedal which gave Wednesday their best chance of the night with a header that flew past the wrong side of the post although their fans to the left of the stand thought they had scored. Leeds stepped up again and Joseph had a good chance as the ball went over the top of the goal before another chance saw the keeper parry the ball away. Another great move saw the keeper save from James then as play switched to the far end, Meslier saved a shot easily. I hadn’t wanted Farke to bring on any subs just to ensure Wednesday didn’t make a comeback in the last moments of the game. It was an overreaction really, but the subs were made later than normal as we picked up three points from a very welcome win along with another clean sheet. “There’s only one team in Yorkshire” sang the travelling fans as the final whistle blew. It had been a good day out, with a great atmosphere and plenty of singing. The feel-good factor from the win cannot be underestimated, with the impact raising my spirits after the hard last few weeks my family have had and long may it continue. Thanks to all the fans for their comments, concerns, photos taken, selfies taken with me but as always, showing how great they are. Thanks for the diet coke too which was appreciated. A shout out for the Donny Whites and Swindon massive too! As we have two home games now against Hull then Burnley hopefully, we can build on the win although we have the international break in-between them. That’s when I will be heading back to Stirling as the first part of getting Billy Bremner’s recognition in his hometown of Raploch takes place. More news to follow as the fundraising for his statue will begin in earnest, see you then, LUFC – Marching on Together!

WBA v Leeds United Saturday 17th August 2024 - The Hawthorns, West Bromwich 2024/25 Season Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Rodon, Bogle, Firpo, Struijk, James, Piroe, Gnonto, Gruev, Josep Subs: Rothwell for Piroe (64), Aaronson for James (64), Bamford for Joseph (79) Subs not used: Darlow, Crew, Debayo, Gelhardt, Byram, Wöber Leeds drew the game 0-0 Attendance: 25,329 - 2,535 Leeds fans Referee: Sam Allison Booked: Bogle, Firpo The game wasn’t a classic by any means but the positives we have to take from it are that we kept a clean sheet and gained a point. Not getting defeated was the main thing as I really thought we’d get hammered at first with everything going on in the background. Ampadu sent a long range shot from the halfway line when he saw their keeper off the line and Struijk came nearest with a couple of headers, one in each half. As half time was approaching, I found myself nearly falling asleep. To be honest there wasn’t much to shout about during most of the game but what was annoying, was getting a throw in in front of where the Leeds fans were in the second half only to see the ball thrown back and it ended up with Meslier. That was frustrating. WBA did look threatening at times but both teams seemed to settle for a draw. Thanks for all the support from our fans today, who as always are second to none when looking after each other. They are what gets me through games when things are tough as well as joining in the singing. With a trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, we will see whether we have any further outgoings or indeed incomings, but we are not starting the season in our strongest position as I thought we would. Not knowing who will be here or not makes it the same unsettled start as last season for me which in the end, cost us promotion as far as I’m concerned. There’s a long way to go to see whether we will be able to put a challenge in this season now and as always, only time will tell. See you next week, LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Middlesbrough Wednesday 14th August 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Carabao Cup Round 1 It was lovely to see a sea of yellow around Elland Road with the new away shirt worn by plenty including many children. Today’s last pre-season friendly was an opportunity for many fans to bring young children to their first game. Team: Darlow, Ampadu, Firpo, Gelhardt, Bamford, Rothwell, Piroe, Byram, Rodon, Aaronson, Wöber Subs: Rutter > Aaronson, Bogle > Firpo, Gnonto > Gelhardt, Gruev > Byram, Struijk > Wöber mass substitution (63) Subs not used: Meslier, James, Crew, Joseph Leeds lost the game 3-0 Attendance: 35,150 with around 4,000 Boro fans Referee: Anthony Backhouse Booked: Bryam, Firpo, Struijk After having a challenging week with visits to a&e with my husband, things took a turn for the worse on Sunday morning when I found him collapsed in the shower and had to dial 999. Later an MRI showed that he had suffered a stroke. Luckily, he hasn’t suffered many side effects and looking for better news when we see the oncologist tomorrow for his latest scan results. I was later setting off than intended having been to the hospital, leaving home after having an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live alongside a Middlesbrough fan. It was mentioned that he was a lot more optimistic than I was, but I was a bit down anyway. I said I had been sent on a downward spiral with Archie being sold then us fans being told we were not welcome in Germany before my family matters took over. I also felt that we may have more players going too. All I will do as usual is make my observations from what I see happening on the pitch. Having a great trip across to Leeds it took me twice as long to get off the M621 at Elland Road. What a farce it was with queues building up as the traffic lights let a couple of cars through before changing, plus traffic was at a standstill. Eventually police turned up, but they still didn’t make any difference with at least half a dozen of them as I pulled off the roundabout. Seriously though, it needs sorting. There isn’t too much I can say about tonight’s performance but there wasn’t a lot to be positive about. In the first half we suddenly had one touch passing which was great but then reverted to type. With it being 0-0 at half time, the second half became one way traffic from Boro once they had taken the lead. Their player cut in from the right towards the south stand and just ran through all our players before unleashing a shot into the goal. They got a second before we even contemplated any subs, but we could see we needed changes. With five subs brought on at once, we were astounded that one wasn’t kept back as Darlow received lengthy treatment before resuming. If he’d have gone off, we would have been down to 10 men but luckily, he stayed on the pitch. Boro showed they were head and shoulders above us on the night and deserved their victory. With fans leaving in droves after plenty of boos were heard, it could turn toxic very easily. As for us, it feels like there is a lot going on in the background, which turned out to be the case when news came through that Rutter could be the next one out of the door. Instead of building our team to ensure we go up automatically, we have desecrated it, and I honestly have no idea of how bad things are going to get now. The hope is diminishing rapidly which will only improve if we start to do well in league games. Now, only time will tell sadly. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Leeds United v Valencia Saturday 3rd August 2024 - Elland Road, Leeds 2024/25 Pre-Season Friendly It was lovely to see a sea of yellow around Elland Road with the new away shirt worn by plenty including many children. Today’s last pre-season friendly was an opportunity for many fans to bring young children to their first game. Team: Meslier, Ampadu, Jayden Bogle (making his home debut), Firpo, Struijk, Rodon, Rutter, James, Gnonto, Joseph, Gruev Subs: Byram for Bogle (60), Wöber for Struijk (64), Piroe for James (64), Aaronson for Gnonto (64), Rothwell for Gruev, (64), Bamford for Joseph (76), Gelhardt for Rutter (76), Crew for Ampadu (81), Debayo for Firpo (81), Chambers for Rodon (88) Subs not used: Darlow Leeds won the game 2-1 with goals from Joseph (14), Rutter (41) Attendance: 32,973 Referee: James Bell Booked: Ampadu Sent off: Mir (Valencia)  To say this was a preseason friendly, it was anything but on the pitch. There were a lot of hard tackles and fouls put in, mainly from Valencia, but it wasn’t a surprise when they ended the game with 10 men. With Bogle going off after being injured in a tackle, I’m hoping that was just as a precaution. All I could think of was that we may end up with injuries before we even start the season. As we have already lost young Harry Gray until 2025 according to a now deleted post on Instagram, I want us to start the season strongly. The game saw some flashes of brilliance and a never say die attitude showing resilience which was good to see. Both Joseph and Rutter took their goals well and I’m looking forward to seeing them build on today’s performance. I didn’t want to see Aaronson or Wöber back at Elland Road, but I was still surprised by the number of boos as they came onto the pitch. They will have to do their talking on the pitch as far as I’m concerned and as always, being at games in person is how I will always judge how Leeds as a team will perform. With Summerville completing his move to West Ham today, that’s another one out of the door so having depth in our squad going forward is essential. As the transfer window doesn’t shut until the end of the month and the season starts in earnest next week with our home game against Portsmouth, I won’t rule out any more incomings or outgoings until then. See you next week, LUFC – Marching on Together!