Championship Play off Final 2006


It has been said many times already this week but this really is the single richest football game in world football, it could be worth upwards of 30m to the winners.


Winning this game is probably more important to us than them bearing in mind we lose our 6m parachute payment next year but that fact could affect the players either way, it could spur them on or prevent them playing, I think it will be the former.
KB has for me made the right decision in not exposing the players to all the carry on surrounding the match right until the last minute, there lot have been camped in Wales all week.


Despite all the talk about our having more fans at the game than Watford, I expect the split in fans to be fairly equal which will make for a great atmosphere which I believe the Whites players will handle better.

Teamwise I am well pissed off with Cress, I think he could have started with Hulse if he had not been so stupidly sent off against PNE, as it is I think that KB will go with the same formation that beat Preston but with a few surprises, I predict the following team:

I do not care about their team; we should not worry about what they are going to do, just concentrate on our game.


I think we will do it though my prediction earlier this season was that we would be contesting this final against Palace, I predicted than that we would win 3-0, I will stick with the Three for Leeds but they might sneak a consolation.


Prediction: Leeds 3 v Watford 1


Come on you Whites!!!!!!

Championship Play Off Semi-Final 7.45pm Friday 5th May - Elland Road


This is it!! The first of hopefully three games and then promotion back to the premiership.


We will have to be at our absolute best to break down their defence tomorrow night, something we have not been for some time now and we have to come out and play with more passion than we have been of late. I just hope the players are not as nervous as I am.

We have to beat these lot, they are so confident that they are going to do us and the stats would back them up, they are probably the favourites over the 2 legs.


Kelly and Crainey are likely to return in defence with Gregan and Killa but the midfield is more difficult to call, Stone and Derry definitely, probably Lewis and I think Bakke will get the nod over Miller if Bakke is fit. Up front it will be Hulse and probably Blake but this is the game that we need Hulse and Cress up front.


Preston look to be getting all their players back at the right time but I think the likes of Nugent and Stewart are unlikely to start as they are not quite ready for a game like this.


I think we have to finish the tie here but do not think we will, I am shitting myself but cannot wait.
I think we can sneak a 1-0 at home and keep them out at theirs but what we need more than anything is the crowd to stay behind the team throughout.


Prediction: 1-0 to the Whites.



Marching on together!!!!

Not a great performance but 3 points for the first time since Palace away 9 games ago and that should give all the players a boost before the play offs.


The Whites started the game with Danny Graham replacing Rob Hulse up front and he together with Stephen Crainey and David Healy had chances early on but once again we got to half time without scoring.


HT 0-0


The second half saw Steve Stone make his long awaited debut and he received a great reception but is clearly not fit and we should not be hoping for too much from him over the coming weeks, though he should be fit enough if we reach the final.

Ten minutes after his introduction Stone was involved in the build up to Healy’s winner, he played the ball the Gary Kelly (the only member of the Leeds team to make the PFA Championship team of the year) whose pin point cross found Healy who made no mistake putting the Whites in front and himself back in front in the race for this seasons top scorer at the club.


We had little problem after that and the three points moved us back in to 4th place above Preston but more importantly we won, got no yellow cards and to my knowledge no serious injuries, though Eirik Bakke has a slight hamstring pull.


FT 1-0




Next up Preston before the season starts getting interesting, it will be interesting to see what sort of team we send out.

If we are to have any realistic chance of getting that second automatic promotion spot, then we have to beat Luton on Saturday, it is as simple as that. The Blunts have a relatively easy game at home to QPR so we will probably need to win just to avoid falling any further behind.
Watford have a tricky home game with Cardiff and from our point of view it would probably be better if Watford won that one, bearing in mind that Cardiff are currently in 7th spot and are one of only 3 teams who can now get amongst the current top 6 for a play off place. Wolves are another one but I think they will get nothing more than a draw at Hull, we can take care of the other one by beating Luton who are currently in 9th.

The other big games which may affect where we are likely to finish are Reading at home to Preston, a home win would do us here for 2 reasons
a) we do not want The Blunts getting extra incentives to kick and and try to catch them and

b) Preston need bringing down before we may have to play them in the play offs.
The other game sees Palace at home to Norwich, this has to be a draw which would suit us.

We win and keep the pressure on everybody else including Bunts, lose and it’s a play off place at best.


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