Why Leeds??

by side_before_self - BRING BACK THE GOODTIMES (U6888)

12 July 2014

"When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history, you support it because you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong."
- Dennis Bergkamp

Stand in the Kop (Don Revie stand) and say otherwise

comment by NJS Vaguely Noble (U8272)

posted on 13/7/14

My school in Lower Wortley, Leeds was given 3 free passes by the club for each home game, mid 50s.
The school football team naturally had first choice, as it happened it was the same 3 lads who always got the tickets, no one else was interested.
We always went to what is now the Kop, then mid 50s an open ended, cold and rain soaked god forsaken place, I had many a snotty nose usually stood under the massive floodlight pylon...but I didn't care when I could watch Wilbur Cush, Jackie Overfield, Eric Kerfoot, Gerald Francis, Chris Crowe, Dunne, Hair, Peyton, Tommy Younger in goal, then Wood.

In a couple more years, a few more players, not much good...an overweight guy, very slow, with a basin cut haircut, bit old, playing out his last days in a playing career, useless for Leeds, called Don Revie.

Then we had some kid with ginger hair, wasn't PC in those days, playing right wing, slow as buck, the Lowfields side booed him a couple of times, small and slow, didn't seem to contribute much. Called him Billy Bremner as I recall, we should have got rid of that guy.

One Saturday match, can't recall which, I was standing in my usual place on the kop, shivering probably, got to about 3 30, Leeds not playing very well and a group of guys started shouting "Leeds, Leeds, Leeds" in unison, sounded pretty hollow to me, felt a bit embarrassed on their behalf. This could be 1961 or 62?. The shouting didn't last too long and faded. Second half it started again, same group of young blokes, few more joined in, began to sound better!
The next match a lot more started chanting "Leeds, Leeds, Leeds!"...it was spreading and beginning to sound like significant support, the team seemed to respond to it..."Leeds, Leeds, Leeds, Leeds" it sounded threatening to the opposition team and fans.
Eventually the chant was mainly transferred to the other end, the Scratching Shed where the most vocal support congregated. One night match, early 60s, the shed was packed out, like sardines in a tin, this very attractive blonde girl was stood in front of me, I chatted her up, she responded, got an erection, game, proof I was a man, just thought I would mention it!! The game ended, the crowd dispersed and I lost sight of her, the story of my life...I'm always on the other side of the road to an attractive woman.