1981-2016 - End of the road

Posted by Tony Hutton


SATURDAY 12TH DECEMBER, 1981

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS

LEEDS UNITED 0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS 0

Lukic; Hird, Stevenson; Cherry, Hart, Firm;
Chandler, Parlane, Conner, Sabella, Graham; sub hamson.

Daines; Smith, Hughton; Taylor, Lacy, Perryman;
Ardiles, Archibald, Villa, Hoddle, Crooks;

Referee:- D.T. Richardson, Lincoln

SATURDAY 20TH FEBRUARY 1982                    Attendance 20,287

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS

LEEDS UNITED 0 IPSWICH TOWN 2 (Brazil, Mills)

Lukic; Hird, Gray (F); Stevenson, Hart, Aspin;
Butterworth, Graham, Parlane, Gray (E), Barnes; sub Flynn.

WEDNESDAY 12TH MAY 1982

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS

LEEDS UNITED 3 (Worthington 2, 1 pen., Connor)
BIRMINGHAM CITY 3 (Harford 2, Broadhurst)

Lukic; Hird, Gray (F); Flynn, Hart, Cherry;
Gray (E), Graham, Worthington, Connor, Barnes; sub Flynn.


SATURDAY 21ST AUGUST, 1982

FRIENDLY MATCH AT NETHERMOOR, GUISELEY

GUISELEY 1 ((Baker) LEEDS UNITED XI 0

                       Think he meant lethargic!

                       Match report by Peter Hutton

SATURDAY 15TH JANUARY 1983

NORTHERN COUNTIES (EAST) LEAGUE AT WELFARE GROUND, EMLEY

EMLEY 1 (Branch) HEANOR TOWN 1 (Ramsey)


SATURDAY 9TH APRIL, 1983

NORTHERN COUNTIES (EAST) LEAGUE AT THE DENNYFIELD, THACKLEY

THACKLEY 1 ILKESTON TOWN 1


MONDAY 23RD APRIL 1984

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE AT CAUSEWAY LANE, MATLOCK

MATLOCK TOWN 1 (Warburton) BURTON ALBION 1 (Froggatt)



SATURDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 1984

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE AT CAUSEWAY LANE, MATLOCK

MATLOCK TOWN 2 (Mountain 2) MOSSLEY 1 (Scarborough)



SUNDAY 28TH JULY 1985                                           Attendance 19,496

BRADFORD CITY FIRE TESTIMONIAL MATCH AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS

ENGLAND (1966) 6 (Hurst 3, Ball 2, Peters) WEST GERMANY (1966) 4 (Seeler 2, Overath,
                                                                                                                            Holzenbein)

Banks; Cohen, Wilson; Stiles, Charlton (J), Moore (capt);
Ball, Hunt, Charlton (R), Hurst, Peters;

Tilkowski; Lutz, Lorenz; Beckenbauer, Schultz, Fichiel;
Holzenbein, Held, Seeler (capt), Overath, Emerich;

Referee:- J. Taylor, England.

MONDAY 5TH AUGUST, 1985                                 Attendance 2,134

WEST RIDING CUP AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS

LEEDS UNITED 2 (Baird, Lorimer pen) HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 (Tempest)

Swinbourne; Irwin, Hamson; Snodin, Bentley, Aspin;
McCl;uskey, Sheridan, Baird, Lorimer, Sellars; subs Simmonds, Rose.

Mason; Wilson, Bray; Cowling, Webster, Jones;
Curran, Cork, Tempest, Dale, Winter, Cooper; sub Wadsworth.

Referee:- J. McAulay, Leeds.
Match report by Mark Ledgard.

Ian Baird, the strong-moving striker from Southampton, showed at Elland Road last night that he is capable of giving Leeds United an inspiring lead again this season.

Baird, who took Leeds so close to promotion in the final weeks of last season, shattered Town's hopes late in this West Riding Senior Cup engagement. As two defenders expected an offside decision after sixty eight minutes, Baird raced through to beat Mason with an angled shot from fifteen yards. 

Two minutes later, he was threatening again when Jones brought him down and Lorimer clinched matters for Leeds from the penalty. Leeds created some surprise for the crowd of 2,134 by playing Snodin their £200,000 midfield signing from Doncaster at the heart of their defence in the absence of Linighan. But Snodin never put a foot wrong as he proved just what an out standing buy he could turn out to be.

Town had their chances in the first half when Curran, the new signing from Everton, stamped his authority on their attacking ways. They were not sharp enough though near goal to beat Swinburne, the new Leeds reserve goal-keeper from Brentford, and it was not until two minutes from the close that Tempest eventually broke through to score.

SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBER, 1987

LEAGUE DIVISION TWO AT LEEDS ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 (Cooper) LEICESTER CITY 0


SATURDAY 31ST DECEMBER, 1988

LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR AT SCARBOROUGH

SCARBOROUGH 2 (L. Thompson, Graham) CREWE ALEXANDRA 1 (Richards og)

MONDAY 2ND JANUARY 1989

LEAGUE DIVISION TWO AT VALLEY PARADE, BRADFORD

BRADFORD CITY 1 (Leonard) SUNDERLAND 0

Tomlinson; Mitchell, Abbott; Banks, Jackson, Evans;
Palin, Sinnott, Ormondroyd, Kennedy, Leonard; subs Jewell and Thomas.

Norman; Bennett, Gray (F); Ord, McPhail, Doyle;
Lemon, Armstrong, Gates, Gabbiadini, Owers; subs Agboola and Cornforth.

A large army of Sunderland supporters had travelled early for this twelve noon kick off, but they went home disappointed after a controversial goal gave City the points. Leonard scored after Sunderland claimed that goalkeeper Tony Norman had been fouled. Norman it was who had kept the visitors in the game with a series of fine saves.

Sunderland looked dangerous on the break with former Ipswich man, Eric Gates, and former York player Marco Gabbiadini prominent. However City's defence, with Peter Jackson outstanding, held firm. Sunderland's manager, Dennis Smith, was so incensed with the goal that he refused to speak to the Press after the game, but Terry Dolan was delighted with his team's performance.

SATURDAY 4TH MARCH 1995

LEAGUE DIVISION TWO AT THE McALPINE STADIUM, HUDDERSFIELD

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0 BRADFORD CITY 0

Francis; Billy, Scully, Sinnott, Cowan; Crosby, Bullock, Duxbury, Reid;
Jepson, Booth; sub Dunn.

Tomlinson; Huxford, Mitchell, Richards, Jacobs; Showler, Robson, Verveer, Youds, Hamilton;
Taylor;

Referee:- K. Lupton


After four seasons without seeing any football at all I was invited by the late Des Layton, to join him in the Hospital Radio commentary point at the new McAlpine Stadium, which I had not previously visited. The game originally planned was with York City in February 1995 and we were in position when the game was abandoned due to torrential rain before kick-off.

So here I was again for a game with no goals, but plenty of action and a record attendance.

Just a handful of games remain, all of them accompanied by my son, most of them un-memorable in the extreme, although I did enjoy seeing Brazil in Abu Dhabi.

21.4.2001 - Bradford City 2 Derby County 0
8.9.2001 - Leeds United 0 Bolton Wanderers 0
12,11.2005 - U.A.E. 0 Brazil 8
7.4.2012 - Derby County 0 Ipswich Town 0

30.4.2014 - Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 3 
24.10.2015 - Huddersfield Town 1 Derby County 2
and finally (I think!) 19.3.2016 - Derby County 1 Notts Forest 0 to celebrate my son's 50th birthday with excellent corporate hospitality at Pride Park, hosted by former Derby centre forward Roger Davies.


Not quite the end of my football blogging yet, as I have quite a lot on Huddersfield Town's farewell to their old Leeds Road ground, of which I have such happy memories as a young boy, as well as some sort of summary of what I enjoyed most over this very long period of time.