Leeds cauldron awaits Man Utd
Leeds' 18-year wait to welcome Manchester United in front of an intimidating full house in the Premier League comes to an end on Sunday in the latest chapter of a rivalry that dates back 500 years.
The Wars of the Roses between 1455 and 1487 between the House of Lancaster and the House of York was fought for control of the English throne, but set in motion a battle for superiority that has existed ever since between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Initially inflamed by the Industrial Revolution and the formation of county cricket, the two Uniteds of Leeds and Manchester have become the truest outlet for that enmity on the football field since first clashing for honours in the 1960s.
Even one of English football's greatest families was divided as Bobby Charlton led Manchester United to win the European Cup in 1968, two years after winning the World Cup alongside his brother and Leeds great Jack.
Leeds' golden era came under Don Revie in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning two league titles, an FA Cup and reaching the European Cup final.
However, even then they did not have the riches of the Red Devils.
When Scottish internationals Joe Jordan and Gordon McQueen crossed the Pennines in 1978, a painful trend was set for Leeds of losing their best players to Old Trafford.
History repeated itself after Leeds' only other league title in 1991/92.
A charismatic young Frenchman Eric Cantona played a key role in the run-in to beat United to the title, but manager Howard Wilkinson quickly wrote him off as a disruptive influence in the dressing room.
United swooped with a fee of £1 million ($1.4 million) for a transfer that transformed English football history as Cantona became the catalyst for success under Alex Ferguson.
Just as Leeds rose again in the early 2000s, Ferguson picked off Rio Ferdinand and Alan Smith.
Yorkshire born and bred, Smith said he "would never play for Manchester United", but did so after a financial collapse that saw Leeds enter administration and relegated in 2004.
They did not make it back to the top-flight until 2020, but coronavirus restrictions meant last year's forgettable 0-0 draw at Elland Road was played behind closed doors.
"Because we were all away during Covid and out of the top division for so long, everyone will be straining at the leash on Sunday," said Dan Moylan of Leeds fanzine The Square Ball.
Both sides are under pressure to perform, but as is customary Leeds' struggles put United's problems into perspective.
Failure to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League would be deemed disastrous for a squad bolstered by the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane with the aim of challenging for the title this season.
However, Leeds are in a battle at the bottom just to make sure they do not undo all the good work of Marcelo Bielsa's reign by being relegated.
Bielsa described staying up as "an obligation" on Friday and is keen to reward a loyal fanbase for their unwavering support in the Argentine.
"It's difficult to imagine a support bigger than the one we've already received," added Bielsa.
"The presence of a classic opponent increases the enthusiasm and it will be precious to be able to witness it.
"Of course, we think more about what we need to give to the public rather than what we need to receive from them."
What Leeds fans crave is victory when the whites and reds of Yorkshire and Lancashire clash again on Sunday.
(责任编辑:新闻中心)
- Flying spaghetti monster and unworldly life filmed in deep sea footage
- US says North Korea behind malware attacks
- 关于雅安市第三届人民代表大会代表名额分配和选举时间的决定
- 'Game of Thrones' cast says you're not prepared for how fast Season 7 moves
- Footage of Kim Yo
- Google is bringing AI summaries to ‘Files’ so you can find your docs quicker
- NK presses S. Korea to shift inter
- Laura Dern's new 'Star Wars' character looks ready for the Hunger Games
- How a university campus is using facial recognition to keep its dorms safe
- 21 Lost and Lonely Cemeteries
- Investigation reveals driver in fatal Tesla crash playing phone game
- Experimental "blowhole" wave energy generator goes online down under
- 'Star Wars' was born with a nuclear explosion, and other weird news from May 25, 1977
-
The Atlas is home to all things peculiar and bizarre. While sometimes it seems like we’ve seen ...[详细]
-
NK on track for new missile test every 2.1 weeks: US expert
WASHINGTON -- North Korea could carry out a missile test every 2.1 weeks if the communist regime con ...[详细] -
'Star Wars' was born with a nuclear explosion, and other weird news from May 25, 1977
Exactly 40 years ago Thursday morning, there was a nuclear explosion in the United States.No, I don' ...[详细] -
任命:王唯为雅安市人民代表大会常务委员会副秘书长。决定免去:马军的雅安市民宗局局长职务;赵昌林的雅安市林业局局长职务;张毅的雅安市卫生局局长职务。王唯的雅安市审计局局长职务;李志强的雅安市旅游局局长职 ...[详细]
-
Supercritical geothermal power: Limitless promise or impossible dream?
Supercritical geothermal power holds the promise of meeting humanity's energy needs for millions of ...[详细] -
Armed police patrol outside the St. Regis hotel, where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is staying. A ...[详细]
-
Brazil drop Antony over assault claim
SAO PAULO:Manchester United winger Antony was dropped from Brazil's squad for upcoming World Cup ...[详细] -
Experimental "blowhole" wave energy generator goes online down under
A 200-kilowatt demonstration version of Wave Swell Energy's fascinating "blowhole" power generator h ...[详细] -
[LLG] When compassion meets law: Lawyer defends goats, dogs, other helpless animals
Lawyer Park Joo-yeon has an interview with The Korea Herald at law firm Apart in Seoul. (Lee Sang-su ...[详细] -
根据四川省第十一届人民代表大会常务委员会第23次会议作出的《四川省人民代表大会常务委员会关于县、乡两级人民代表大会代表选举时间的决定》,结合我市实际情况,雅安市第二届人民代表大会常务委员会第37次会议 ...[详细]