Leeds United Football Club is officially 106 years old, having been founded on this day in 1919. So happy birthday, Leeds United!
As Daniel Farke and his Leeds side prepare for a crucial Premier League clash against Burnley, the club stands on the verge of moving into a new era, particularly off the field.
Walking around Elland Road can feel like stepping into a time capsule, with restricted views, wooden seats and parts of the stadium which have been largely untouched since the 1950s.
The proposed redevelopment of Elland Road will change the ground forever, dragging Leeds into the 21st century in the early years of its second century in existence.
Leeds’ famous old ground has seen plenty of drama over the years. However, it took a single goal from hometown boy Kalvin Phillips to settle a dour game in 2019, as Leeds celebrated its centenary year.
Kalvin Phillips was the hero as Leeds United celebrated its centenary
Elland Road was flooded with nostalgia as Leeds met Birmingham to celebrate 100 years of the club, as Marcelo Bielsa did his best to keep the focus on Leeds’ nascent promotion bid.
Ahead of the game, Leeds legends from over the years paraded on the pitch, and the players were greeted by fireworks from the East Stand and a mosaic display of placards.
In a nod to the famous Don Revie era, the Leeds players all sported white tracksuit tops with their names on the back and waved to the crowd, who waited expectantly for Bielsa’s men to put on a show.
However, former Leeds assistant Pep Clotet and his Birmingham City team were determined to spoil the party, and a nervy occasion played out, as Leeds missed the influence of playmaker Pablo Hernandez.
Having wasted a string of chances in the first half, Leeds eventually broke the deadlock just after the hour mark. Jack Harrison won the ball in midfield before feeding Kalvin Phillips, who made no mistake from just inside the penalty area.
Birmingham nearly pinched a point when Jude Bellingham (whatever happened to him) forced a smart save from Kiko Casilla, and Leeds were able to celebrate their landmark day with a victory.
Kalvin Phillips was proud to score historic Leeds United goal
Speaking to Leeds club media, Phillips was almost lost for words after scoring a goal that would go down in the history of the club.
The win moved Leeds up to second in the table, after a sluggish start to their promotion campaign, and Phillips believed that the narrow win could provide a stepping stone to bigger things.
“I can’t put it into words, to be fair. I never thought I’d be scoring today of all days. But the team played well, and we dug it out until the end and got three points.
Before adding: “This club deserves it, with the birthday. We’ve been through a tough time the last few weeks, and I think if we keep on playing like that, there’s no reason why we can’t keep winning.”
This proved to be true, as the Whites achieved their aim and won promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking under Bielsa to mark their centenary season in style.
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