Well, we had our ups and downs, but we made it! Who would have thought, after that home draw with Swansea, that we would end up ten points ahead of the Blades?
Goodbye to the Championship and good riddance. Here are some of the things I won't miss:
1) The referees. It feels like we got the worst referees ever, but this is a universal complaint in the Championship. They were cr@p. We were spoiled for choice when it comes to the worst, but the winner has to be Andrew Kitchen, who disallowed two perfectly good goals in our win against Boro away, ably assisted by his linesman, Darren Williams. Williams had form for this, having disallowed two Leeds goals in previous matches where he was officiating. So whose idea was it to charge these two chumps with officiating our game? Three letters, please, Carol. Vowel. E. Consonant. F. Consonant. L.
2) Champo defenders. Just how many times were Gnonto, James and Solomon scythed down by clunky defenders who simply couldn't deal with them? And how many referees simply let them get away with it? If that happened anywhere else, the defenders would have been charged with ABH, but on a football pitch, apparently, it was perfectly justified. The referees' failure to protect players was just another example of their incompetent officiating.
3) The Leeds Cup Final. Just about every team raised its game when Leeds came to visit. Hull, Portsmouth, Luton, Preston and Blackburn, as soon as we were in town, they were all transformed into Real Madrid. The crowds turned up the volume and the dark artists gave extended displays of their work. Did they show the same respect to anyone else? Not a bit of it. And of course, who can forget Milwall? We can, for the next twelve months at least.
4) The EFL and the shuffling schedules. As usual, the mandarins at the EFL did their utmost to hamstring our return to the Premier League and why wouldn't they? After all, we were their biggest cash cow, so if they could give our players the least amount of rest between fixtures, or schedule our fixtures at the worst possible times, or make changes with little notice given to travelling fans, they were onto it. All of this orchestrated by the detestable Shaun Harvey, our former CEO, who once swore in court that he didn't know who owned the club. Fortunately, it's not him.
5) The slog. Bill Shankly once said that you don't win your way out of this division, you claw your way out, and this season has felt like an endless cat-fight, chalking up one hard-fought win after another. Even the joy of seeing s©um lose every other week was somehow diminished by the necessity for us to do the opposite. Not for us the celebration of the beautiful game, or the joyful cameraderie of marching on together. At the end of a gruelling season, what was the overwhelming feeling? Relief.
6) JA606 and the Championship. It was the dreaded reminder. Every time you logged in. Championship. Leeds United. Every time you commented. Championship. Leeds United. Every time you wrote an article. Championship. Leeds United.
Finally, we can return to the promised land. It's 'so long, auf wiederseh'n, farewell' to the Championship. Leeds are Premier League, I said, Leeds are Premier League!
What I won't miss about the Championship
posted on 1/6/25
comment by Solihullwhite (U10497)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
I’ll tell you what I will miss…dominating the opposition in every game, wonderful attacking football, winning almost every game and no VAR, a goal is a goal, immediately.
For two seasons I have enjoyed almost every weekend and the midweek too because my team has been successful. In short I have been happy, very rarely sad.
I fear that is all about to change.
Watching will be stressful, lots of defeats, some heavy, very few happy moments.
However this time next year I expect to be again looking forward to the happiness that only the Championship can give me.
MOT.
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Polar opposite. Couldn't stand the poor quality of opposition whilst Villa were beating PSG, Bayern, Palace winning the FA cup and Bournemouth, Fulham and Forest making a mockery of the big prem sides. Not a flat track bully fan and our hyperbole of winning the second div with a 150 million super sqaud was kinda ridiculous.
Can't wait for us to play in the proper league
posted on 1/6/25
Can't wait for us to play in the proper league
^^^
Same.
posted on 1/6/25
Question is...how serious are you about staying up this time
^^^
We'll find out fairly soon.
posted on 1/6/25
comment by Solihullwhite (U10497)
posted 3 hours, 59 minutes ago
I’ll tell you what I will miss…dominating the opposition in every game, wonderful attacking football, winning almost every game and no VAR, a goal is a goal, immediately.
For two seasons I have enjoyed almost every weekend and the midweek too because my team has been successful. In short I have been happy, very rarely sad.
I fear that is all about to change.
Watching will be stressful, lots of defeats, some heavy, very few happy moments.
However this time next year I expect to be again looking forward to the happiness that only the Championship can give me.
MOT.
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The last paragraph before MOT. Surely not being serious?
posted on 1/6/25
comment by Solihullwhite (U10497)
posted 5 hours, 46 minutes ago
I’ll tell you what I will miss…dominating the opposition in every game, wonderful attacking football, winning almost every game and no VAR, a goal is a goal, immediately.
For two seasons I have enjoyed almost every weekend and the midweek too because my team has been successful. In short I have been happy, very rarely sad.
I fear that is all about to change.
Watching will be stressful, lots of defeats, some heavy, very few happy moments.
However this time next year I expect to be again looking forward to the happiness that only the Championship can give me.
MOT.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's all relative for me. If we can somehow get near the top half of the league that will be more satisfying than winning most games in the championship.
posted on 1/6/25
I get that Shaun Harvey had it in for us when he was at the EFL, but he's been away from that role for nigh-on six years now, so it's a bit of a stretch to cast him as one of the villains of last season!
I actually got to see Shaun Harvey a few times last season as the missus is a Wrexham supporter. He's done a decent job for them in all fairness, but I still have to mentally restrain myself from sucker-punching the guy when he's in range!
posted on 2/6/25
The lack of quality in the opposition was soul destroying, somehow we struggled far too often, great management.
posted on 2/6/25
comment by Solihullwhite (U10497)
posted 1 day, 1 hour ago
I’ll tell you what I will miss…dominating the opposition in every game, wonderful attacking football, winning almost every game and no VAR, a goal is a goal, immediately.
For two seasons I have enjoyed almost every weekend and the midweek too because my team has been successful. In short I have been happy, very rarely sad.
I fear that is all about to change.
Watching will be stressful, lots of defeats, some heavy, very few happy moments.
However this time next year I expect to be again looking forward to the happiness that only the Championship can give me.
MOT.
--------------
I actually hear this... wouldn't say I fully agree with it - but I hear it
people can attack you all they want for these thoughts.. but its never nice getting pinged around for 90 mins - being the best in the league does give that feeling going into games.
posted on 3/6/25
Indeed…who’d have thought several things this season?!!
Spare a thought for Walsall….in January, they were essentially 15 points ahead in 1st place….
However, Bradford City’s 96th minute winning goal on the last day, finally took Walsall out of the automatic promotion spots and into the Play-offs, and like ourselves last season, they then lost the final 1-0 and will spend next season still in League Two.
That is a calamitous snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!!
posted on 4/6/25
comment by The Spanish Italians - Its all coming home again (U21595)
posted 1 day, 18 hours ago
comment by Solihullwhite (U10497)
posted 1 day, 1 hour ago
I’ll tell you what I will miss…dominating the opposition in every game, wonderful attacking football, winning almost every game and no VAR, a goal is a goal, immediately.
For two seasons I have enjoyed almost every weekend and the midweek too because my team has been successful. In short I have been happy, very rarely sad.
I fear that is all about to change.
Watching will be stressful, lots of defeats, some heavy, very few happy moments.
However this time next year I expect to be again looking forward to the happiness that only the Championship can give me.
MOT.
--------------
I actually hear this... wouldn't say I fully agree with it - but I hear it
people can attack you all they want for these thoughts.. but its never nice getting pinged around for 90 mins- being the best in the league does give that feeling going into games.
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I can see your point too, Solihull, there is some merit in being the big fish in a small pond, but when I think back on the great games of the past few years, the ones that I remember most of all are Liverpool away, Summerville poking in the winner win the 90th minute, and Chelsea at home, when Aaronson looked like bargain of the season. Pablo at Swansea is next for me. The quality of the Premier League just makes for much better football, in my opinion.