The analogy of the Leeds United shirt “weighing heavy” on the shoulders of the players goes back to the Revie era. The success of Revie’s teams meant that expectations were very high, with that Leeds team from 1965 through to 1975 being rated as the greatest ever English club side (except, of course, by the bitter Scum loving media who never forgave Leeds for destroying the Busby team, ending their legacy at the European Cup win). I saw an interview with Alan Clarke where he spoke about the “heavy Leeds shirt”, and how all the Leeds teams since Revie were suffering with this weight of expectation. Why is this an issue? Leeds United, like it or not, is a global brand thanks to the Revie-era, and regardless of the division Leeds finds itself in, it is still considered one of the big clubs in the game. Please note, I am not saying TOP club, but BIG club. Remember this, when Leeds were flying under David O’Leary, they were the FOURTH BIGGEST club in terms of turnover. That says it all. A healthy, top division Leeds United is a totally different beast to the Leeds we currently see, and everyone knows this. Here’s the thing. The pressure to succeed in the White shirt is not only brought to bear by the fanatical Leeds support, but also by everyone else in the game who each season expects to see Leeds United winning promotion to the Premiership. World football still sees Leeds as a major club within the English game, up there with Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs. They also know that Man City and Chelsea are not traditional powerhouses of the game, but rather manufactured by billionaire owners. The respect for Leeds is very different. When players come to Leeds, and I’m now looking predominantly at our period since being outside the Prem, many have struggled to live with the pressure of wearing the, dare I say it, HEAVY WHITE SHIRT. It doesn’t matter what we think, the truth is that there is a very different pressure to playing for Leeds compared to most other clubs, even clubs like Everton or West Ham. Leeds has a very unique history, and the Revie era of being at the top in England for a decade goes way beyond most clubs’ achievements. Very few have a run like that, and this history is what causes expectation, because everyone connected with the club wants to repeat that. It’s a tough legacy to live up to. Let me give you a great sporting example, and I’ll use baseball again. The New York Yankees, arguably the most recognised sports team in the world behind Real Madrid, were a struggling club, regularly sucking hind tit to Boston. There’s more. New York as a city was way behind Boston in the early 1900’s. Then something happened. Boston arrogantly decided to sell a certain Babe Ruth (yep, him) to the Yankees, and suddenly the Yankees took off and dominated, led by Ruth. They became the most successful club in baseball history. Added to this was the fact that the stock exchange moved from Boston to New York as well, establishing New York as the leading city in the USA. Today, the Yankees are expected to win every game, reach the playoffs every season, and win the whole damn thing. They are the biggest club, and have the biggest payroll. Still, the Yankees struggle to win the whole thing year after year. Why? Although they sign the best talent, the players struggle under the sheer weight of expectation. It’s a killer, and it destroys good players. At Leeds United the weight of expectation is even greater today than it was when we were in the Prem. Why? Because Leeds are not seen as a Championship club, and therefore anyone who pulls on the White shirt should be playing at the level of a Bremner, Giles, Clarke, Charlton or Gray. Unfair? You bet. Reality? Unfortunately. I was lucky enough to get a private, personal tour of the Bernabeu, sitting in the astonishingly plush dressing rooms, walking up the unreal marble tunnel and onto the pitch, standing in the incredible trophy room, and walking along the wall of fame where EVERY SINGLE player who ever wore the Real Madrid shirt has his picture displayed. I was told that the intimate tour I had just been given is exactly the tour every potential new signing is given to make them understand how important the club is, and how they are expected to bring success to Real, no questions asked. Since the Puskas and Di Stefano era, when Madrid ruled Europe, they have always been expected to win La Liga and the European Cup/Champions League EVERY SEASON. Gareth Bale and Ronaldo both talk about the heavy shirt at Real Madrid, and how they are driven to succeed by the fabric of the club. Success is expected, not wished for. At Leeds United it is no different. We expect our players to succeed. Just look at the posts on this board, slamming players and the manager after a WIN. We want better, and expect better, because we know the history of this great club. We know that when we’re back in the Prem we’ll see 40k at Elland Road each week, and we’ll be back scaring the hell out of Europe. I guarantee you that when we get to the Prem we won't accept finishing 14th like those at Palace, Stoke or WBA will readily do. We will expect at the very least to qualify for Europe, and after a couple of seasons back we'll be demanding Champions League football. This is the reality at Leeds United. However, right now, we have Championship quality players who have come from clubs much smaller than Leeds, and they quickly have to come to terms with the global spotlight they suddenly find themselves in. They are learning that there is huge expectation playing for Leeds, huge pressure, and it’s coming from across the football world. To say that the Leeds shirt does not weigh heavily on the shoulders of our players is at best naïve, at worst just plain dumb. Listen to the managers we’ve had, who also feel the pressure of walking in the shoes of Revie and Wilkinson, because they have all said that their players need to come to terms with playing for Leeds United. Even visiting managers reference the Leeds shirt pressure, because they know it exists, and they use it to motivate their players, telling them that if you can’t get up for a game at Elland Road against the great Leeds United then you should quit. This is a tough club to play for right now, because if you have a shirt with a number and your name on the back, then the world is watching you and expecting you to take Leeds back to the Prem. You are expected to be great, even if you aren’t. We need to support our players and manager through thick and thin, as per the words in Marching On Together, not constantly looking for reasons to bash them. United we stand, and United is in our name. Time for us to wear the heavy replica shirt and stand up and be counted … the club needs us, and as Monk quite rightly says … WE ARE THE DIFFERENCE.
I can't be bothered to read all that. But the days of " the rest of football expecting to see us in the top division" ended in 2003.
I am weary of the constant flow of negativity on this board, the relentless bashing of our club, players and manager. I despise Cellino, and wish he was gone, but the reality is that nobody with billions in the bank has stepped forward to buy us. However, as much as I don't want El Presidente here, I cannot argue with what he's done for our club this summer. He's installed a quality, respected young manager, and he's improved our squad (with the help of his management team). He's kept his mouth shut (a first) and he's stayed out of the media, allowing Monk to get on with his job and let him move Leeds forward without any negativity from the directors' box. I don't get how, when things are finally looking settled and positive, we have Leeds fans arguing the toss and praying for failure so that the manager can get the sack and "his buddies" can all fcuk off back to wherever they came from. This negative mentality is what actually contributes to the doom and gloom at Elland Road, and it is destructive. I am taking a break from here, hopefully I can come back and post something when we celebrate winning a game, because if the views on this board are to be believed, we won't win another game under Monk, or while Cellino is here.
Chippy, if you have nothing positive to say, then say nothing ... and the fact that you "can't be bothered to read that" simply says you can't make a proper, balanced case against this post ... as for your "since 2003" nonsense, how is it that to this day TOP managers and players still say that they want to see Leeds back in the Prem?
Billy I like your post. But...in recent history did Delph, Howson, Beckford, Bechio, Gradel, Snodgrass, Byram, Cook etc etc etc find the shirt too heavy ? In my opinion they did not. All sold by owners who had no love for Leeds United.
I am about the third person you have told we can't have an opinion that differs from your absurdly positive one today. You don't get to dictate mate, so back up a bit! Like it or not in footballing terms we are not a giant of the game any more. Clubs want us in the prem for the same reason as the EFL want us in the championship. The money generated by our fantastic away support... That's it!
Not sure anyone is suggesting we won't win another game. Care to name names or provide the link? You have made a serious of assertions, how about backing them up with evidence.
I read up to the baseball bit then skimmed over the rest, I don't agree with any of it, just my entitled opinion. Even the comparison with the NYY is flawed... You say they are expected to win because they are the biggest club with largest payroll. Leeds Utd is not the largest and we certainly don't have the largest payroll even As for expecting to win every game, most fans would settle for an improvement this season and would see 8th as good, we certainly don't expect as much as some others. The same as the heavy white shirt excuse is bollocks in my opinion, I think you need to fast forward Billy to 2016 Believing the rest of the world see us up there with Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs is ludicrous, those sort of comments just attract abuse from other supporters. I half get where you are coming from with Man City and Chelsea but in today's present times, they buy their success just as Man U, Real Madrid and Barcelona do. Man City did win the title in 36/37 and 67/68 they won the FA Cup 4 times before we ever did and cup winners cup 69/70
"Every time Leeds concede a goal I feel like I've been stabbed in the heart Billy Bremner "When I finish with football, I will be able to say 'I played for Leeds'. No one will ask me which division I was in, they will just know it was the biggest club I have played for Radostin Kishishev "When Billy Bremner took us across the white line, whether it was at Elland Road or Anfield or Old Trafford,Stamford Bridge, those players, my team, we died for Leeds United we died for that club...Billy was the best player who ever played, they don't make players like him today".. Allan Clarke "Elland Road is the most intimidating venue in Europe." Alex Ferguson "You don't choose to play for Leeds United, Leeds United choose you Sean Derry "There are only three results in football & only two are good. At Leeds Utd, only one is acceptable." Neil Redfearn Jonathan Woodgate on whose results he looks for first: "Leeds, Leeds reserves, Leeds Youth teams, Leeds Permanent Building Society Pub Team, Leeds & Holbeck Pub Team, Leeds ice-hockey team, East Leeds chess under-19's, South Leeds Over-75's poker team, anyone else with Leeds in their name ........ and Middlesbrough." Jonathan Woodgate "Side before self every time" Billy Bremner "I’ve followed Leeds since I was a little kid. I used to come home from sport in the afternoon, me and my brother, and watch 'Match of the Day.' I love the club. I want nothing but success for the club Russell Crowe "If every manager were given the choice of one player to add to their squad some would toy with the idea of George Best. But realists would have Billy Bremner" John Arlott "The club is like an old Savile Row suit,frayed at the edges. Like a Rolls Royce in a breakers yard" Howard Wilkinson "Liverpool vs Manchester United is a great footballing fixture but Leeds vs Manchester United is pure Hatred" Gary McCallister Leeds against Manchester United is up there with Arsenal-Spurs, Liverpool-United and it’s one that the Premier League really misses.” Gordon McQueen
Love it Mick, proper perspective. We are where we are, not where we belong. No divine right to be top flight, but when we stop believing Leeds should be back playing at the highest level we've sold the jersies.
<takes a deep breath> Got to agree with Chippy on this one. We've been out of the top division since 2004. There's lads going to games today that can't remember Leeds being in the Premier League. Yeah, we love Leeds and we want them back at the top table....... WE think we should be there, but the reality is not many others do anymore. And I don't think young players these days think Leeds are a big club. They think we used to be. And they're right. Heavy shirt ? Not these days.
