
Part 2 - Results
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After the initial rush of expectancy and excitement following
the appointment of a new man at the helm in 1908, the
season that followed for Leeds City ended disappointingly.
Incoming manager Frank
Scott-Walford had brought great hope to Elland Road, along
with a clutch of recruits from the Southern League. They promised
much in the early weeks, even flirting with the top of the table
after four games, but by the end of the campaign City had taken
several steps backwards.
They matched 1908's 12th place finish
but much of the football the team played was a pale reflection
of the players' potential and there was dissatisfaction all round.
The board of directors glared balefully at the record £1,200 loss
that the club posted and put Scott-Walford on notice that improvement
was essential rather than an optional extra.
Determined to address the team's deficiencies, the manager set
about ringing the changes and there were a great number of comings
and goings during the summer of 1909. With funds so tight, Scott-Walford
took the low budget approach after splashing the cash a year earlier
and he spent the summer checking out the talent in Ireland. He
returned to Yorkshire with two 21-year-old forwards, Tom
'Steve' Mulholland and Billy
Halligan, and was to be a regular visitor to the Emerald Isle
over the next few seasons as he mined a cheap seam of talent.
The manager signed a number of other promising players, such
as half-back Haydn Price
from Wrexham, the holder of five Welsh caps who had previously
been at Aston Villa. He was joined by his countryman, winger
Hugh Roberts from Southport Central, veteran
Stoke outside-left Harold Bridgett, Chester's amateur winger
Colin Stockton, Newark
centre-half Jimmy Horsley
and three young Scots, Hugh Beren,
George Affleck and Ted Hamilton.
The signature of goalkeeper Tony Hogg from Walker-on-Tyne Church
Lads Brigade in April prompted this endorsement in the Leeds Mercury
from the Reverend A G Wardroper, the vicar in the player's home
town: "Hogg has had a trial at Elland Road, and gave great satisfaction.
He is only just over 18 years of age, but his height and activity
should help him as a clever custodian. The Walker Church Lads
Brigade has won every league or cup it entered for and this last
season Hogg only let 17 shots past him in 28 league games. The
team had 142 goals to its credit, and won every match but one.
We congratulate the directors and Mr Scott-Walford on getting
Hogg."
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On the way out were Scott-Walford's signings of twelve months
earlier, Jock Hamilton,
Dickie Guy (neither of whom had
really made the grade in their season at Elland Road) and Tom
Rodger (who had promised much in his early months but faded
badly after Christmas). He also released three seasoned campaigners,
full-back David Murray
and wing-halves Charlie
Morgan and Jimmy Kennedy.
As City and the rest of the country's clubs made their preparations
for the 1909/10 campaign, events were overshadowed by the dispute
that exploded between the football authorities and increasingly
restive players.
Tim Hill writing in A Photographic History of English Football:
"Burgeoning interest inevitably meant that football was no longer
simply sport and entertainment but also big business. Some of
the top clubs started to show extremely healthy balance sheets,
and it wasn't long before players began to demand a bigger slice
of the cake. In April 1901 a new maximum wage of £4 a week was
introduced. This compared favourably with other skilled tradesmen
of the day (Four pounds a week was twice what a works foreman
took home and nearly four times the average wage of a farm labourer),
but players began to recognise their worth and started to express
dissatisfaction. Matters came to a head in 1907 with the formation
of a Players' Union. The League and FA were worried about players
becoming organised, possibly even affiliating to the Trades Union
movement. They threatened to impose a ban on players who took
up union membership. Manchester United star Billy Meredith was
one of a vociferous group unwilling to be browbeaten. While many
players lost their nerve and fell into line, Meredith led a group
of players who threatened to withdraw all their labour. Prior
to the 1909/10 season they began training independently under
the banner of The Outcasts."
The main drivers of the revolt were the Lancashire clubs' players
- as late as Monday 30 August, a week prior to the season's opening
games, the local papers were full of news from across the Pennines.
A meeting in Manchester the previous evening drew about two hundred
players to it, with representatives from all of the county's League
clubs, except Blackburn Rovers, Preston
North End and Blackpool. As the Yorkshire Post noted, "A resolution
espousing loyalty to the Union was carried without the slightest
opposition. Only two men did not vote in favour of it, and they
explained that they had promised not to pledge themselves until
a full meeting of the clubs they represented had been held. An
official statement was made that the Tottenham, Chelsea and Fulham
players had agreed to support the Union and a paper was produced
on which the majority of the Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion
men had signed a pledge of support."
21 Everton professionals joined the Players' Union, and all of
Manchester City's players did the same after previously being
thought to be loyal to the FA. 27 Manchester United players were
suspended because of their allegiance to the Union and there were
fears that virtually the entire programme of opening day fixtures
would be called off.
There was less of an appetite for industrial action in Yorkshire,
with only Bradford City players throwing their weight behind the
Union, and it was reported that Leeds City's players "have decided
unanimously that their interests can best be served by having
nothing to do with the Players' Union."
In the end, a deal was struck between the warring parties and
the maximum wage was increased to £5 a week.
As the dust settled on the affair, the Peacocks entertained Lincoln
City at Elland Road in their opening game on Wednesday, September
1. Colin Stockton, Tom Mulholland and Billy Halligan all debuted
in the Leeds attack. Popular custodian Harry
Bromage was recalled at the expense of Tom
Naisby while Jock Watson
and Jack White continued
the full-back partnership that had operated so successfully throughout
1908/09. The half-back line of Tom
McAllister, Tom Morris
and Stan Cubberley that
had bonded formidably as a unit over the spring remained in situ,
while the reliable Jimmy Gemmell
and Fred Croot retained their places in attack.
The Citizens blended well from the off, despite slippery conditions
following a heavy storm in the half hour before the game commenced.
The visitors included only four players, full-back Wilson, half-backs
Nesbit and Fraser and left winger Grundy, who had been in the
team the previous season, and they struggled to gel as "they showed
little combination, much steadiness and practically no resolution"
according to Flaneur in the Leeds Mercury. He went on, "Leeds
City had three new men on view, Halligan, Mulholland and Stockton.
The Irishmen got well on to their game in the second half, and
the whole team improved very greatly as the game progressed. They
were much less troubled by the difficulties of the ground than
their opponents, and, getting a two-goal lead in the first half,
both successful shots being put in by Gemmell, they played through
the second period with plenty of confidence and much better combination.
back to top
"The visitors made a spurt or two at the close, but they were
kept out fairly easily by Watson and White, and by Bromage, who
was very sound in goal. The defence was, indeed, quite good, and
the attack was always more dangerous and finished than that of
the opposition. The half-backs, especially Cubberley, were rather
shaky at the outset, but they soon pulled themselves together,
and both in attack and defence they acquitted themselves well.
But Cubberley, Morris and McAllister are well known at Elland
Road and chief interest was centred in the play of the new forwards.
Stockton was rather disappointing, but the Irish couple came on
splendidly in the second half and Halligan's two goals were very
cleverly scored. The fifth goal was put through by Morris from
a free kick.
"Satisfactory as the new Irish forwards played, the star of the
line was Gemmell, who commenced well, and kept up his form throughout.
Croot was just the Croot of old at outside-left and, with an improvement
on the other wing
and match practice, Leeds City should be quite a useful Second
League side."
It was a wonderful start for the Citizens and Scott-Walford was
content to send out an unchanged eleven for a Yorkshire derby
three days later at Hull. Unfortunately, they were roundly trounced,
lucky to escape with a 3-1 defeat. Only the goalkeeper emerged
with credit, as recorded by Olympian in the Mercury: "That the
number of goals was kept so low as three was to the credit of
one man alone, Bromage. He put forth a wonderfully cool saving
exhibition, especially in the second half, when he was kept fully
employed."
It might have been a different story had young Stockton took
the open goal that was presented to him in the opening quarter,
but the winger was clearly struggling to come to terms with Second
Division football. Billy Halligan scored again, but his effort
was a mere consolation in the face of a hat trick by the Tigers'
Jack Smith. Defeat at Anlaby Road was nothing new: Leeds had yet
to win there, shipping four goals in each of the previous two
seasons. Managed by Ambrose Langley, the East Yorkshire team were
formidable opponents, fielding two other famous Smiths in their
forward line, Joe and Wallace, also boasting the talents of Alf
Toward and Eddie Neve. They had come close to promotion in the
spring and were to mount an even more serious challenge this season.
Their display as they swept the Elland Road men aside was impressive.
A return to their home turf brought a return to winning ways
as the Citizens defeated unbeaten Derby County 2-1, despite a
splendid performance by keeper Harry Maskrey, who had won an England
cap in 1908. Billy McLeod returned to the forward line in place
of Mulholland and Haydn Price made his debut at left-half. The
changes peppered up the team and both men played well as City
recaptured their form.
The first half hour was evenly fought - the Rams had the best
moments, but Leeds took the lead after 35 minutes, as reported
in the Yorkshire Post: "A fine goal by Croot delighted the spectators.
But although the outside-left scored cleverly, almost equal credit
is due to McLeod for the way he engineered the opening, which
gave Croot the opportunity. The centre-forward's pass to the left
was excellently judged, and the City forward's combat with Nicholas
on the goal line was worth watching. Ultimately Croot triumphed,
his shot being at an acute angle."
Seconds later, Derby equalised when inside-left Barnes beat both
McAllister and Watson before firing in a long-range shot.
City had to defend in depth after the break, but gradually got
back on top as Gemmell and Halligan pressed Maskrey. Leeds made
their possession count and McLeod's neat pass allowed Halligan
to dash between the backs and slam the ball home to loud cheers.
Harry Bromage withstood a number of hot attacks thereafter to
secure the points for his team, though County were unfortunate
not to force a draw on the run of play.
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Sportsman in the Mercury: "In the City goal, Bromage made a number
of clever saves … Watson gave a sound and reliable display at
right-back and more than once in the first half he came to the
relief of his partner. Before the interval White was rather shaky,
but afterwards he improved considerably, and finished well. The
Welsh international, Haydn Price, made his first appearance for
City, and was quite the best man in
the intermediate line. In the second half especially, his defensive
work was clever while he often sent Gemmell and Croot on their
way with smart passes. McAllister was only moderate, but the weak
spot of the line was at centre-half, where Morris was at times
extremely slow and hesitating. Forward, Croot gave a fine display
at outside-left, and, playing with dash and determination, was
a constant source of trouble to Barbour and Nicholas, who were
more than once beaten by his speed. Halligan was rather neglected
by both McLeod and Stockton, but he made the most of the few chances
put in his way, and his goal was a beauty. McLeod was lacking
in dash and energy, and as a distributing force he was not altogether
a success. He did, however, play an excellent part in the work
that led to Halligan's goal. Gemmell was very useful, but on the
right wing Stockton, who is slow in getting away with the ball,
was rather weak."
The ineffectual display, in fact, spelt the end for Colin Stockton.
He was dropped and never again featured in the first team. David
Dougal was drafted back in on the right wing for the time
being. With Billy McLeod giving way temporarily to Dickie
Joynes, City could only manage a spiritless 0-0 draw at Stockport
County. McLeod was back for the Elland Road tussle with Glossop
and managed a second half goal, but City were already two-down
and though they subsequently hinted that they might equalise,
it was once more Harry Bromage in goal who was the star performer
On the day the Derbyshire side were by far the superior side.
Two Billy Halligan goals gave City a half time advantage a week
later at Birmingham and they managed to withstand a second half
assault by the Midlanders to finish with an encouraging 2-1 victory,
but the team lost their way badly thereafter, struggling to cope
with the prolonged absence through injury of McLeod. Halligan
kept the goals flowing, and it was in defence that the Citizens
were most obviously lacking.
It took a second half West Bromwich penalty to deny City a draw
from a well-fought game at the Hawthorns - Bromage had once again
been in splendid form, but he could not hold Leeds together single-handed
and he badly needed some protection in front of him.
There was a second narrow defeat within seven days when a goal
in the last minute by Oldham's Len Newton proved decisive at Boundary
Park on 16 October following Halligan's 80th-minute equaliser.
City had been badly handicapped by the loss of right winger Edward
Hamilton at the start of the second half. It was Hamilton's first
team debut after a move from Petershill in August and he badly
bruised his ribs in an earlier tumble.
If City were unlucky on that occasion, the outcome was rather
more clear cut a week later when they sustained a record defeat
in the game against Barnsley at Elland Road.
A close contest had been expected, but Barnsley, playing with
the advantage of a strong breeze in the first half, quickly dispelled
that notion. After ten minutes inside-right Ernie Gadsby headed
home from a corner. Seventeen minutes later, outside-left Tom
Forman repeated the trick. Before the break, Gadsby notched his
second after good work by Forman and George Lillycrop and the
South Yorkshire outfit took their half-time refreshments leading
3-0.
Things went from bad to worse after the interval. A hard drive
by Barnsley left-back Harry Ness struck the luckless Hamilton
on his right arm, badly dislocating his elbow. He had little choice
but to go off and the odds were stacked heavily against the Citizens
from then on. Skipper Jock Watson, with a startling piece of ill
judgement, opted to take Hamilton's spot on the right wing and
left Jack White to face the five rampaging Barnsley forwards on
his own. Behind him, Harry Bromage performed miracles, but he
could not stem the tide as Lillycrop and Harry Tufnell snatched
a brace apiece to leave the final score an embarrassing 7-0.
Flaneur in the Leeds Mercury: "Barnsley … had a day out. They
were a confident, clever team in all departments and it is a long
time since I have seen a side show such a remarkable understanding.
The difference between the ragged work and absence of combination
on the Leeds City side and the perfect rhythm of the Barnsley
play was very striking … The glory of the Barnsley team was the
forward line, every member of which played delightful football.
Bartrop was the only forward who failed to score, yet, if any
distinction be made among the five, the outside-right was the
best of all. His fast runs up the wings, the ease with which he
beat Cubberley and White, and his fine centres all stamped him
as a player who must have a great future.
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"The pivot on which the Barnsley forward work depended was centre-half,
where Boyle played a great game, and was well assisted by Glendinning
and Utley. These men were much more than defenders; they placed
the ball to their forwards with skill and judgement, and they
were always capable of holding the City inside men. Soundness
also marked the work of the backs, Ness and Downs, though I would
suggest to this pair the
inadvisability of shaking hands with each other to mark a successful
clearance. The hand shaking clowning at the scoring of each goal,
which is such a feature of Association football, is merely silly;
when it is done by two backs in front of their own goal it becomes
dangerous. Perhaps Barnsley could afford exhibition tricks on
Saturday, but some day it may prove fatal.
"Seven goals to none! The thing seems incredible. Yet that was
the score by which the gallant little band of footballers from
the South Yorkshire town defeated 'the best team' (I am quoting
from a contemporary) 'the Leeds City directors can put into the
field from the material at their command.' And this crushing defeat
- or shall we say slaughter? - occurred, mark you, on the Elland
Road ground at the instance of a team that had never previously
won on the enclosure."
The defeat came as a sore blow to City, at a time when they had
just made an appeal to shareholders for additional funds as they
struggled to balance the books. They stood fifteenth out of 20
teams, just two points above the bottom two. Things looked bleak,
indeed.
|
Bottom of Division Two - 30 October 1909 |
|
Pos
|
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
12th
|
Bradford
Park Ave |
10
|
4
|
1
|
5
|
13
|
15
|
9
|
|
13th
|
Stockport
County |
11
|
3
|
3
|
5
|
10
|
12
|
9
|
|
14th
|
Oldham
Athletic |
9
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
11
|
11
|
8
|
|
15th
|
Birmingham
|
10
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
17
|
19
|
8
|
|
16th
|
Clapton
Orient |
11
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
11
|
19
|
8
|
|
17th
|
Lincoln
City |
11
|
2
|
4
|
5
|
12
|
26
|
8
|
|
18th
|
Leeds
City |
10
|
3
|
1
|
6
|
13
|
22
|
7
|
|
19th
|
Gainsborough
T |
11
|
2
|
1
|
8
|
13
|
31
|
5
|
|
20th
|
Grimsby
Town |
10
|
1
|
1
|
8
|
7
|
21
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A 5-1 thrashing at Fulham on 30 October saw the Peacocks slip
further down the table and their performance was every bit as
insipid as the score suggested, as confirmed by Wanderer in the
Mercury: "The forwards did not seem to realise the necessity of
getting away with the ball when they received it. They dallied
far too much, and the consequence was that they were robbed as
often as not. And they did not infuse enough dash into their play.
As often as not when a half-back was about to make a pass, the
forward for whom it was intended would turn his back on the goal
and calmly wait for the ball, only to find that one of the Fulham
defenders was round him like a flash and off with the ball. Halligan
and Joynes were responsible for what little good work there was,
but they rarely gave one any hope of scoring. Perhaps the quintet
did not receive enough support from the halves, who were absolutely
swamped by the Fulham forwards; but still, that cannot be put
forward as an excuse for their mediocre display. The City middle
line was not very satisfactory, and gave the Fulham forwards far
too much latitude. Cubberley was quite off his defensive game,
which is usually his forte, and Beren and Morris were rarely reliable."
City recovered some ground a week later when a goal by Halligan
was enough to secure a home win against Burnley, and there was
much to enjoy in the first team debuts by full-back George Affleck
and centre-half James Horsley, while the return from injury of
Billy McLeod for only his third start of the campaign brought
fresh impetus to the attack. McLeod managed a brace a week later
at home to Bradford Park Avenue, but the visitors secured the
points with a 3-2 win. That game marked the start of a run of
six games that saw but a single point returned. In that time,
City crashed 5-0 at Wolverhampton and lost 6-2 at Leicester Fosse
on 18 December. The latter reverse left City deep in trouble,
with the division's worst defensive record, having conceded 42
goals in just 17 games.
On the credit side, McLeod (5 goals in 7 games) and Halligan
(11 in 17) were proving a productive combination up front, while
22-year-old Hugh Roberts seemed to have solved the difficulties
at outside-right and the sturdy Affleck had become a fixture at
left-back. The Scottish defender's introduction to the first team
had brought four defeats in his first five appearances, but his
presence brought solidity and a no nonsense approach to the rearguard.
Elland Road had been chosen to host the amateur international
between England and Ireland on 20 November, which ended in a thrilling
4-4 draw though the unfancied men from the Emerald Isle almost
pulled off a breathtaking victory. The occasion was a real feather
in the cap for the City board and both club and enclosure were
roundly praised for their hospitality.
back to top
Flaneur marked the occasion with an article in the Leeds Mercury
two days later, and used the opportunity to summarise the size
of the task facing a young club with
high aspirations: "The time seems to have arrived for a little
plain speaking about the Leeds City Club. Little more than a month
ago, Mr Joseph Henry, vice chairman of directors of the club,
told a meeting of shareholders that the club had a body of young
players, and that there was every prospect of success if these
men could be kept together. At the time these words were uttered,
Leeds City had won three matches, lost four and drawn one, with
a total of seven points out of a possible 16. They had scored
12 goals to 10, and occupied eleventh position in the League table.
"It may be said that a club with an overdraft of £9,000, a club
seeking a public to take up nearly 3,000 additional shares - and
seeking, I should imagine, without much success, though I have
no information on the point - have no money wherewith to purchase
players of repute. Thus are past follies coming home to roost.
Much money has been spent in the past on players with indifferent
qualifications; many good men have been allowed to leave Elland
Road, some of them a good deal better than a number of the players
on the books today; and a sum of £8,117 has been spent on the
ground.
|
Bottom of Division Two - 28 December 1909 |
|
Pos
|
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
|
12th
|
Bradford
Park Ave |
19
|
8
|
2
|
9
|
28
|
30
|
18
|
|
13th
|
Oldham
Athletic |
17
|
7
|
3
|
7
|
21
|
25
|
17
|
|
14th
|
Stockport
County |
20
|
5
|
6
|
9
|
19
|
24
|
16
|
|
15th
|
Clapton
Orient |
20
|
6
|
3
|
11
|
22
|
32
|
15
|
|
16th
|
Leeds
City |
20
|
6
|
3
|
11
|
25
|
45
|
15
|
|
17th
|
Lincoln
City |
18
|
3
|
7
|
8
|
20
|
34
|
13
|
|
18th
|
Gainsborough
T |
20
|
5
|
3
|
12
|
21
|
49
|
13
|
|
19th
|
Birmingham |
19
|
3
|
5
|
11
|
23
|
44
|
11
|
|
20th
|
Grimsby
Town |
19
|
3
|
2
|
14
|
16
|
43
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"The ground is a fine one; it is worthy of a replayed Cup semi
final or an international match of greater public interest than
the amateur event of last Saturday; but a great and well appointed
ground is something of a white elephant when the team that plays
upon it is of such poor class. The Leeds City directors have put
the cart before the horse. They might have taken a leaf out of
Bradford City's book. The Bradford City directors built up a team
first; they made a position in the world of football; and then
they proceeded to improve their ground.
"This, I admit, is not constructive criticism, for the solution
of the difficulty is obvious. The public are not likely to subscribe
further share capital until they see that efforts are being made
to remedy the weaknesses in the team; they are not likely to add
largely to the club's revenue at the gates until the team play
better football and win matches. The directors must themselves
find sufficient money, by hook or crook, to purchase a few players
of class; they must see that the present system of chopping and
changing is eliminated."
Thankfully, three goals from Hugh Roberts and two from Billy
McLeod secured two Elland Road victories in Christmas week and
brought some optimism, but a tame goalless draw at troubled Lincoln
City on December 28 showed that the Peacocks were building on
shallow foundations. They entered 1910 a mere four points clear
of the re-election places and facing a bleak New Year.
Part 2 - Results
and table - printer
friendly version
Other Football Highlights from 1909/10
- Aston Villa won their sixth League title, their first for
10 years, finishing with a record-equalling 53 points, five
ahead of runners up Liverpool
- Newcastle finally buried their Cup jinx, beating Second Division
Barnsley 2-0 in a replayed final at Goodison Park. But they
were roundly condemned for their win at all costs attitude
- Celtic won the Scottish League for the sixth time in a row
- Vivian Woodward became the first player to score double hat
tricks in two games, when he hit six goals for England in the
amateur international against Holland at Stamford Bridge on
December 11. The famous Tottenham Hotspur centre forward and
Olympic gold medallist had scored a phenomenal eight times against
France three years earlier, also in an amateur international
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