From: jlundon@xstacy.enet.dec.com (James A. Lundon)
Subject: Leeds-Chelsea report 11-4-1992. Very long but good.
Reply-To: jlundon@xstacy.enet.dec.com (James A. Lundon)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 15:43:42 GMT


          Match report from the Leeds-Chelsea League
                 game of the 11th April 1992
          ----------------------------------------------

          I made my way to Elland Road otherwise known
          as [Mecca] on Saturday 11th  April 1992 for an
          important league game that would decide
          whether Leeds  would stay in the league
          championship race or not. Leeds have had a
          very  good recent record over Chelsea so hopes
          were high that a positive result  would be
          achieved.

          My trip was part of a bi-yearly trip arranged
          by the Leeds supporters clubs  in Ireland to
          Leeds. The previous trip was for the Tottenham
          match last  December :-(. Leeds have four
          separate supporters clubs in the country
          Galway,  Sligo, Cork and Dublin. A total of
          about 80 people were arranged to go to the
          match. Some going by ship and some by plane. I
          decided to go by plane! Flew  into Manchester
          from Galway on Friday evening and then got a
          coach to Leeds.  Stayed in a fairly basic B&B
          near Headingley Cricket ground. If I ever goto
          to  see a cricket game in Leeds I will rent
          out that room as it had a view not  bettered
          by anyone seated in the ground itself. I just
          went to bed excited at  the prospect of
          walking on the holy ground tomorrow and seeing
          my heroes in  action the next day.

          Up early Saturday morning and had breakfast.
          This was going to be a day to  remember as the
          sun started to break through the clouds
          leaving it a somewhat  hazy morning. Got to
          the ground early approx 11:00. Got a mini tour
          of  the Club grounds and dressingrooms.
          Couldn't get into the trophy room as it  was
          to crammed with cups any trophies ;-0. Got a
          few pictures of the ground  while empty. Then,
          somebody said that the players had started to
          come via the  players car park. Chapman was
          one of the first in and was in the dressing
          rooms before 11:00. All the players have to be
          in before 13:00 for a Saturday  game.

          Went to watch a youths game in the training
          ground while waiting for the  players to come
          in. During this time Whyte, Batty, McAllister,
          Speed, Hodge  and Newsome came and went. I got
          my picture with all of the them. No point
          really getting their autographs as they were
          merely scribbles in the furore of  people
          trying to gain access to them. The players
          were all very approachable,  friendly and
          chatty as long as you didn't try and knock
          them down with  enthusiasm. The youth team
          included two Irish internationals Curtis and
          Kelly. Kelly has already played first team
          football this season and was star of the  game
          with some beautiful touches. They won the game
          2-0 to go 7 points ahead  in the Northern
          intermediate league. Barnsley can still
          overtake them but  will have to win their four
          games in hand to go above us. During the game
          I  spoke with the father of no. 6 Walters. He
          spoke of the problems of making it  through
          the youths system and into the pro ranks. He
          described the chances of  his son making it in
          pro football as 40-60 against, even though
          Leeds have  offered him another year in the
          youth stream. He also stressed the importance
          that the Leeds' people put on the need for
          their youth players continuing  their
          education. This is vital as what will a player
          do if he doesn't make it in football?

          Howard Wilkinson came out for a few minutes
          during the youth game. He seems to  wear a
          permanent frown. It must be a very stressful
          job being a manager [Look  at Sourpuss]. He
          too was very cordial as I got his picture. Oh,
          look at the  clock it was already 12:30 and I
          had forgotten that I was due to meet the
          other DECies at the imperial @ 12:00. Made my
          way upto the pub, a good mile  from the ground
          around 12:50. Didn't recognise "Ee bah gum
          th's trouble at  t'mill" [JB] as he was facing
          away from me. Eventually he came upto the bar
          and the rest is history. Paul "Essex Man"
          Cadd, Tim Sherlock [secret noter] Jon and I
          had an official DEC/LEEDS supporters club 
          meeting. Paul must qualify for some
          award for faithful  fans as he makes his way
          up from Essex every second Saturday to see
          Leeds,  Leeds, Leeds. In total he has only
          missed 3/4 games all season either HOME or
          AWAY in all competitions. Wow some supporter!
          He even loses sleep over Leeds  the sign of a
          real fan. Most women never understand how
          important socceer is  to real fans ;*).

          The imperial was by no means packed as the
          lads said it was during the season.  Maybe the
          faithful had given up hope of the league
          coming to Leeds this  season? Strolled down to
          the ground around 14:20. The crowd was
          streaming in  at that stage and the day was
          great for a game of football. Said good luck
          to  the lads and said that I would be back
          soon.

          Got to my seat at the top of the west stand
          near the Kop side and had a good  view of the
          proceedings. As for the game itself Leeds
          lined out as thus

                  Lukic

                  McAllister Fairclough Whyte Dorigo

                  Strachan Speed Batty Hodge(Newsome)

                  Chapman Wallace(Cantona)

          V. Jones got a great reception from the crowd
          and he returned it fully. That  was all we saw
          of him except for a few desperate clearances
          in the first half by him. The game started
          very shakily for both sides. Chelsea packed
          the  midfield with Cascarino on his own up
          front. He might as well have been  selling ice
          cream as he would have had more service ;-).
          Leeds played very  poorly with no penetration
          at all from corners, free-kicks or throw ins.
          Many  of these so called well practiced
          movements looked very amateurish with even
          basic throw ins going to Chelsea players
          instead of Leeds players. What was  apparent
          from very early on was the complete stupidity
          of Referee  Midgley who had to put it mildly a
          horrendous game. Fortunately his decisions
          went both ways, but Leeds were probably on the
          receiving end of the more  crucial ones.
          Firstly, when Wallace broke through midway
          through the first half  and seemed to have
          been felled in the penalty area. The Ref.
          played on. He had  a somewhat irritating habit
          or waving his hands around a lot in a manner
          not  dissimilar to an American football Umpire
          which caused as much confusion to  the players
          and the fans as anything else. There should be
          a code of standard  signals which would allow
          the Ref. communicate his decisions as
          effectively as  possible to the players and
          fans.

          Strachan got himself booked in the first half
          for talking back to the Referee.  He was a bit
          lucky in my book to stay on the field at all
          in the second half.  Wise for Chelsea was like
          Rambo marauding around the field taking out
          anybody  he liked as long as it was behind the
          Ref. back, which most times it was. The  best
          chant from the Kop was 

                 "what's it like to have no home", 
                      "Leeds Leeds  Leeds", 
                          "We are Leeds"

          and all the usual stuff. Come half time they
          were booed  off the pitch and rightly so. What
          a beautiful day and ruin it with this
          standard of football from a club hoping to
          regain top spot in the first  division. Trying
          to get something hot to eat at half-time was
          next to  impossible as the queues were very
          long. I didn't like the idea of standing in  a
          queue for all half-time and then not get
          served before the game would  restart.

          The talk at half time was about what we, the
          supporters, over from Ireland would celebrate
          that evening if Leeds didn't do the business
          today. We decided that it was justified if we 
          celebrated the youths winning their game that
          morning. We were desperate! The way Leeds 
          were playing expect the worst.  Chelsea
          could win and take our 18 game league home
          unbeaten record away. We would be a little
          depressed to say the least :-(.

          Wilko must have gave the Lads a good
          rollicking at half-time as I swore that I
          heard him shouting up in the stand at half
          time. They came out in the second  half with a
          more unbeat attitude to the game. Chelsea's 4
          million pound man  Townsend showed a few
          flashes but Chelsea offered little in the way
          of real  opposition. Leeds were playing more
          direct and it soon reaped rewards with
          Strachan breaking down the right wing cutting
          into the penalty area and then  rather than
          taking his own shot cut it in to Wallace who
          was in a better  position Wallace then put the
          ball to the left of Beasant and it was 1-0.
          The  relief was palpable in the crowd. After
          the goal Chelsea probably had their best
          opportunity, but Wise wasted it but hitting
          over the bar. We breathed again! I  felt that
          Leeds have been very soft once they went 1-0
          up, it has happened too  often going 1-0 up
          and then conceding an equaliser within 10
          minutes, this  season. Once that threat blew
          over I was certain that we were going to win.

          What happened next defied the imagination.
          Strachan broke away galloping from his own
          half, Wallace was supporting him, with the
          Chelsea defenders  caught flat footed. Clarke
          took Strachan out from behind as Strachan was
          going to have a clear scoring opportunity. 
          A sending off offence! The Ref. did his bit 
          again by only flashing a yellow. It was 
          Strachan that was nearly sent off for arguing. 
          I cannot understand why professional footballers 
          push the Refs. to a point where they could be 
          forced to book players for arguing over decisions 
          they has already made. Luckily, Leeds were already 
          1-0 up or else there *could* have been some
          disquieting scenes if that scenario had taken
          place with minutes to go and Leeds not
          winning.

          Still 1-0 and jittery. No great performance
          but a win is a win. Had the clock  stopped
          since the 57th minute, when we scored, as time
          slowed perceptibly? Then  it happened, pure
          bedlam. Hodge had been substituted for Newsome
          and then  Wilko brought on Cantona for the
          last 6 minutes taking Wallace off. Cantona
          was involved in the second goal with Speed
          bringing the ball down the left  wing. Speed
          played it to Cantona in the panalty area. He
          playing it off a post and Chapman being on
          hand, sorry on torso  to force it in. It was a
          messy goal but they all count. At that point
          Chelsea  folded like a house of cards. The
          third, the goal we all had come to see,
          scored with a minute to go was a beaut.
          Cantona got the ball in from the right  wing
          and flicked the ball over two defenders heads
          and then crashed an  unstoppable ball past
          Beasants left hand. The place erupted. It was
          goal of  the season *in our eyes anyhow*. And
          it ensured that we would back on top with  a
          superior goal difference to the other team in
          the race. If the game had gone  on another 10
          minutes Leeds would have scored another few
          goals.

          It was the result that we had all come to see
          and it was great to leave the ground with Leeds
          leading the first division. That alone, was only 
          but a distant dream a few short years ago. So 
          even if we don't win the league this year the 
          lads have done us proud. It was difficult to be 
          a supporter in the 1980's when Leeds were playing 
          the likes of Carlisle and Shrewsbury and were
          struggling in the second division. It is so
          different now. Once I was lucky to hear a 
          mention of the team or its progress in any media 
          over here in Ireland, Now, it is so different. 
          The club has big plans but it is very dependent 
          on the club having some domestic success so a 
          league title would go down nicely, thank you 
          very much, with the directors.

          After the match the Irish supporters club made
          a presentation to Jim Beglin  for his upcoming
          testimonial of 208 pounds. I waited around
          after the match  hoping to get my picture with
          the players I missed before the game. I
          achieved that missing only Lukic who avoided
          everyone and Dorigo whom nobody  saw before or
          after the match. They seemed to have slipped
          out a back door.  All the other ran the
          gauntlet of the crowd. Needless to say Cantona
          got the  best reception. When Strachan came
          out he was also mobbed by youngsters and  one
          of the nippers uttered an expletive when
          Strachan wouldn't sign his  autograph quick
          enough. Strachan stared at him and asked him
          what he had  said. The young fellow had
          nowhere to turn and he knew it.

          Visited the supporters shop afterwards. It was
          well stocked but was I thought  a bit pricey.
          Everybody went home happy now waiting for MUFC
          to make the next  stumble and looking forward
          to playing Liverpool at Anfield next Saturday.
          The agony continues and I am beginning to
          believe that the league will be  probably
          decided on the final day of the season when
          Leeds play Norwich at  home with MUFC playing
          Tottenham. Who cares who they play as the
          League is  destined for Leeds this season with
          a bit of luck.

          After the match some of us in the supporters 
          club went out for a few drinks. It was amazing
          that whatever we started talking about anything 
          the conversaton always seemed to drift back to 
          talking about the one and only team that matters 
          very quickly, LEEDS. It made me feel a bit 
          normal that I support Leeds as whenever I say 
          I support Leeds people say Ooooh! Like I have 
          the plague or something equally as dreadful.


                         James.

--
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James A. Lundon,|    jlundon@xstacy.enet.dec.com     ___    _______    ___
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The views hereby expressed are completely my own and do not reflect official DEC
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