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Posts tagged ‘Leeds United’

Feb 1

Leeds, Leeds, Leeds

The name repeated three times and justifiably so.  The Club, with recent events, offer a comedy three times the butt of humour of any other club possibly.  Just what is going on at this once famous Club?

A potential, new majority shareholder (circa 75%), Italian in origin,  may have had a role in suggesting one of their nationals sit alongside then Manager, Brian McDermott.  Constructive dismissal and certainly undermining authority in my book.  Then McDermott is announced as having left the Club 24 hours before kick-off against Huddersfield Town. I’m guessing the mid-week article in which he spoke about the need for the right investors didn’t do him any favours.  “Leeds must be owned ‘by right people’ says in-limbo McDermott” read the headline in the Yorkshire Post.

Far be it for me to suggest the Management should be censored.  The Harry Hill lookalike, despite recent results, appears to have the fans onside.  They chanted his name for the 90 minutes. Did he pick the Team – who knows? In the morning of the game, SKY Sports reported two different people picked two different teams.  One, McDermott’s assistant, Nigel Gibbs and one that same proposed bench-warming Italian.  The former took final control of the team orchestrating a 5-1 victory at ER.  The latter allegedly taking a seat in the Stand and recording player notes on pages with illustrations of each Leeds footballer.

Rumours suggest this Italian investor was the only suitor to come up with quick cash.  But there is more than a possibility that the new Investor(s) will be referred and have concerns to pass the ‘fit and proper’ person. I’m guessing “We are Leeds, Leeds, Leeds” will be whispered until the debacle ends!

Sep 21

Feminine touch
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A feminine touch

Turkey was in the news today for less than appeasing reasons.  Last night at Elland Road, a minority of Manchester United fans taunted the Leeds supporters with a rendition of “always look for the Turk carrying a knife”  (edited from original lyrics as fans often do!).  This verbal attack, also visual by an odd flag pronouncing ‘Galatasaray’ or ‘Istanbul’.  Naturally, both sides played a part, with a reminder of Munich in the Leeds’ repertoire.

Just up the road in Istanbul another footballing spectacle was catching worldwide attention.  You’ve no doubt read earlier about the problems in the Turkish game.  After the allegations facing Fenerbache and other instances of fans’ violence, it was expected that empty stadiums would be one form of punishment.  The Turks however, brought us a novel approach, courtesy of our friends at the TFF including Cem ülkeroglu (Turkish Football Federation).

They opened the gates to last night’s game against Manisaspor, but only to — women and children under the age of 12. That’s right no men, the traditional dominant punter were not allowed into the Ground.  It doesn’t stop there.  All tickets were free of charge.  A whopping 40,000 crowd attended the fixture!  The singing and hospitality was more ‘lady like’ in tone and activity also.

Now that’s a turn up for the books.  How can this impact on that Country’s sport which mirrors many of the problems that were former ‘evils’ of the British counterpart in former years?