WOTMT
The land that time forgot
Blimey - it's 1974 once more for those unlovely Leeds lads

There was a time when I did the Green 'Un column (before Steve Warmsley took over and hit on the sensible idea of actually writing about football) where I had a finely developed loathing of all things Leeds (or L**ds to give them their proper title). This included L**dshire TV, Look L**ds, Ooh they've got a Harvey Nix and anything else that came within range.

In my current job though I now spend a fair chunk of my time in the City, meeting and working with people from there and the shock news is that they don't have three heads, they're actually okay, broadly politically sound and in some cases even interesting.

Did any of that take the edge off my fevered anticipation of last night's fixture? Ooh no. All week I sang our favourite anti-Leeds songs every time I drove past the fixtures board, and during a very long pig of a week at work I focused my sights very firmly on 7.45 on Friday night.

And in fairness the first half didn't let me down - massive excitement, big noisy crowd and a goal for long-forgotten zero to full-on hero Jay Bothroyd. I can't remember when I have shouted so much for 45 minutes. When I stopped for a chat with Lord Mike on my way for a half-time pee he said "I can't tell what you're saying because no sound is coming out of your mouth". And of course we had so many pet villains to comedy-boo - Brown, Tonge, Kenny (who inevitably couldn't resist dialogue with the Kop in the second half) and late on even Reg Varney. 

The second half too didn't initially give any massive cause for panic. However in the background was a feeling that things were ratcheting up off the pitch. We had been wondering if there might be any Saville-related chantage and been expecting that a bit might come from a few Wednesdayites. What we hadn't expected was the Saville-supporting (and massively offensive) garbage that came from the Leeds end (and after the game I was told there had also been some Dave Jones-related stuff too). At the same time some of the Leeds types in the front of the West Stand were kicking off; from where we were sat I have to say that for a long time it looked like the Police felt that it was okay for the Stewards to deal with it even thought they were clearly struggling.

So against this background comes their equaliser. We were all too busy morosely watching Tonge sprinting off with his hands cupped around his ears to see the actual felling of Chris Kirkland but like everyone we fairly quickly sussed what had happened. Even with the reputation Leeds come with we all sat fairly open-mouthed. A sizeable chunk of the Leeds support roared their support for the miscreant, and within ten minutes they were chanting "We're Leeds and we're proud of it". Proud of what? Singing songs supporting someone at the centre of a child sex scandal and roaring on some pillock who floors an opposition goalkeeper?

It felt like the last 40 years haven't happened; we could have been watching Billy Bremner brawling with Chopper Harris whilst lads with parkas and mullets kicked lumps out of each other with over-shiny DMs.

At the time and some more today I have been thinking and certainly hoping that there must have been some people in the West Yorkshire 5000 who were sat with their heads in their hands. I now know people who follow Leeds home and away; people with jobs where they are trying to do the best for disadvantaged people and trying to keep services going in the face of Council cuts. What the flip must they have been thinking as 23,000 people chanted "Scum" in total unison?

And we can't let last night's events go by without some passing mention of Neil Warnock. Prior to kick-off, and through the early stages that creeping tide of Warnock-revisionism was continuing. "You just can't totally dislike him". "See his comments in The Star about it not being as good as a Sheffield derby?" "See him saying how he enjoys the ribbing he always gets at Hillsborough". In today's match report Paul Thompson reported that he didn't give his customary wave when the usual reference to his supposed onanism started, but seasoned Warnock-watchers noticed him pointedly check his watch when the first chants went up.

But almost as if he knew we were staring to soften he goes and gives us another reason start sticking pins in the Colin-doll. Why on earth would a manager send his players to applaud supporters who went off like they did last night? No-one can argue it was about the many rather than the few; most of that crowd crowed about how proud they were while Chris Kirkland was shaking off suspected concussion. Complete rubbish call Warnock and surely even you should have the grace to say so.

So, just like when I used to watch Match of the Day in my pyjamas for a Saturday night treat in 1974, no doubt the pundits were saying "Great game ruined by the actions of the supporters". Before the game we all noted that had Sky not been involved the Police would no doubt have had last night's match kicking off at 11.0 a.m. on a Sunday. We added that this felt like a great way to spend a Friday night after a rock-hard week at work. But it would take a brave soul to stand up today and argue against the view that sadly it looks the world hasn't quite grown up enough - at least where Leeds are concerned - to let them out on their own after dark at weekends.

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28.03.2024
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