Leeds United returned to the Championship with a bang in 2010 as ill-tempered clash ended in FA charge

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Leeds United returned to the Championship in the 2010/11 season after Simon Grayson’s side won promotion in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.

Having finally broken the shackles of League One, Leeds United were planning an assault on the Championship 15 years ago this month without Jermaine Beckford, whose goals had been instrumental in their promotion campaign.

After starting the season with a 2-1 defeat against Derby County at Elland Road, it was hard to judge how high Leeds were aiming after their return to the second tier under Simon Grayson.

However, an ill-tempered draw, featuring returning Leeds hero Jonny Howson, at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest, proved that Leeds were ready for the fight. It also landed the Whites in hot water with the FA.

Leeds United and Nottingham Forest play out an ill-tempered draw

Leeds arrived in Nottingham on the 15th August 2010, looking for their first points of the season after Luciano Becchio scored the only goal in their defeat against Derby.

It looked like the Whites may be in for a long night when Dexter Blackstock gave Forest the lead in the ninth minute, before a goal from Lloyd Sam pulled Leeds level before the break.

Although there were no further goals in the second half, the match lives long in the memory as a mass brawl threatened to break out as Leeds searched for a winner.

With Leeds preparing to take a 77th-minute corner, Chris Gunter stamped on Sanchez Watt’s foot, which prompted a furious reaction from the Leeds man. A melee ensued as players from both teams rushed in, with the pushing and shoving spilling into the goalmouth.

The referee missed Gunter’s stamp and promptly booked both players for their involvement in the incident. However, the controversy did not end there, as the FA hit both teams with a charge of failing to control their players and banned Gunter for the stamp retrospectively.

Leeds’ charge prompted a typically verbose response from unpopular chairman Ken Bates, who told Yorkshire Radio that Leeds would “defend our position stoutly”. Ultimately, Leeds were fined £7,500, but the incident sparked their season into life as they made an unexpected playoff charge.

Leeds fall short in surprise Championship charge

Although Leeds ended the ill-tempered clash with one point from their opening two games, Grayson’s side soon embarked on a winning run that would launch them into promotion contention.

Leeds won three games on the spin after their draw against Forest, before losing just one game between the 30th October and the 22nd February as they sat sixth in the table, just five points behind Swansea in second.

However, three defeats in four games in March and April meant Leeds had ground to make up, and a defeat against Crystal Palace on the 25th April 2011 effectively ended their playoff hopes.

Ultimately, it was another season of what-ifs for Leeds and also represented a high watermark for the club until Garry Monk took over in 2016.