Leeds United Football Club is the largest football team in Leeds, and the only team from the city that plays in the Football Association professional leagues.
The history of Leeds United FC can be traced as far back as 1904, and the formation of the old Leeds City Football Club. This team managed 15 years of football before the Football Association stepped in to forcibly shut down the team for illegal payments to players; these payments were made during the First World War and caused quite a stir within the game at the time.
Out of the demise of Leeds City FC a new team was formed: Leeds United FC. After invitation, the newly formed Leeds United joined the Midland League in 1919 although had no home ground to play on, and were elected on May 31st 1920 to join the Football League Division Two.
A team by the name of Yorkshire Amateurs was playing at Elland Road and decided to give up the ground to Leeds United, so now the team had a ground but still suffered from a lack of funds. The chairman of Huddersfield Town found out about Leeds United’s money problems and loaned LUFC £35,000 , with a clause that stipulated that the loan would have to be repaid once United gained promotion to the First Division, the chairman also brought professional football manager Arthur Fairclough from Barnsley to succeed Dick Ray, who had led them from the Midland League.
By 1924, Leeds finally managed to gain promotion to the First Division and repaid its debt. Unfortunately however, Leeds United never fully consolidated its position in League One, and LUFC found themselves moving yo-yoing between Divisions One and Two until 1965.
From 1965 to 1974, Leeds United Football Club entered a golden era, when they never finished below fourth place in the First Division and won the league twice, with numerous cup competition wins also.
But between 1975 and 1988 United’s fortunes declined, and Leeds found themselves back in the second tier of English football.
Another golden time arrived in 1988 and the revival of Leeds as a force in modern football occurred under the management of Howard Wilkinson, who held charge until 1995. During this period, Leeds United FC were promoted in 1990 as Second Division champions, and managed to win the First Division Championship in 1992, consolidating a long stay in top flight football. Wilkinson left United in 1996 but his work paved the way for a period of continued success for LUFC between the years of 1996 and 2001. This time saw Leeds manage semi-final positions in both European cup competitions and third in the English Premiership.
After 2001, Leeds United’s fortunes faded as financial issues dogged the club: these financial problems saw Leeds sell most if not all of their highest quality players. Even after such wholesale selling, the LUFC’s financial problems were still apparent.
In 2004 Leeds United FC was finally sold on to stabilize the financial situation, but unfortunately lasting damage had already been done and the club slowly drifted into the lower leagues.
Elland Road
Elland Road has been the home ground for Leeds United FC since their creation in 1919.
Leeds United Football Club owned the Elland Road football ground from the 1960s until 1983, and from 1997 to 2004 when the club sold the ground and entered into a 25 year lease back contract. Previously in the past when the club didn’t own Elland Road, it was in the ownership of Leeds Council.
Address:
Leeds United Football Club
Elland Road
Leeds
LS11 0ES
Tel: 0113 226 6000
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