How the Mighty Have Fallen

April 2001 and Leeds United are in the last 4 of UEFA’s prestiguous Champions League. At stake are millions of pounds of TV and sponsorship money.

Leeds United have won the League Championship on 3 occasions, became runners up on 5 occasions. Leeds had been one of the few teams to win the League Championship in the 1990s winning in the 1991 -92 season. They had also reached the semi final of the UEFA cup the previous seaon.

Yet within a couple of years Leeds United had slipped into the third tier of English football and faced the indignity of bankruptcy and administration. From playing the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid, Leeds United faced the indignity of playing the likes of Colchester United, Milton Keynes Dons and Hartlepool. In the 2008-09 season there much less renowned local rivals Doncaster United leapfrogged over them gaining promotion to Division One.

It is a tale of financial mismanagement, greed, overconfidence. The bubble that spectacularly burst. Bad signings on credit and the loyal supporters of Leeds United let down by the top management.

How Leeds United could do with  a Brian Clough at the moment..

• Leeds United FC