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 As
the 1932-33 season dawned, Leeds United were getting something
of a reputation for being a yo-yo team. After being elected to
the Second Division in 1920, they were promoted
in 1924, relegated in 1927, promoted
1928, relegated again 1931, only
to win immediate promotion once again in
1932. As with many clubs over the years, they were proving
too strong for Division Two, yet not good enough to have more
than a temporary stay in the top flight.
They had reached the dizzy heights of fifth in 1930,
and still had some outstanding individuals such as their brilliant
Edwards-Hart-Copping
half back line and Geordie forwards Tom Cochrane and Billy Furness.
But would a collection of good individuals be good enough to keep
them up this time? Manager Dick
Ray certainly thought so, and there were few personnel changes
during the summer, although 36 year old Bobby Turnbull departed
for Rhyl in September, choosing to retire a year later.
The only voluntary change in positions 1-6 was George Milburn
coming in at right back with brother Jack switching to the left
flank. Jimmy Potts continued in goal and only injury to Willis
Edwards on the opening day led to any change at half back. Edwards
only played one more game before Christmas, and Alex Stacey took
his opportunity, coming in to support Ernie Hart and Wilf Copping.
Up front Arthur Hydes was the new spearhead, missing just 3 League
games, alongside Furness who was ever present. The other forward
positions were usually filled by any three from Johnny Mahon,
Cochrane, Charlie Keetley and Harry Duggan.
Apart from the loss of Edwards, the opening day saw a 2-0 home
defeat at the hands of Derby County. The second game, away to
Blackpool, also ended in defeat, but United then went on a 14
match unbeaten run. Charlie Keetley came in to partner Hydes,
replacing Joe Firth, after the two opening defeats, and they struck
up a promising partnership, although Keetley was in and out of
the side for most of the year.
The unbeaten run ended with a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle on December
3, but they didn't lose again until New Year's Eve, going down
5-1 at Derby. The run had optimists dreaming of the League championship
- all the more so when on Boxing Day, Leeds excelled themselves
by winning 2-1 against former Leeds City manager Herbert
Chapman's Arsenal side at Highbury.
The next day Leeds was seized by football fever. Every train,
every tram, every taxi was overflowing and seemingly every soul
from miles around descended on Elland Road as United and Arsenal
squared up for the return fixture. Spectators began arriving four
hours before kick off. Once, an influx of such a huge number of
supporters would have caused bedlam, but the ground was bigger
now and despite the intense crush as thousands were locked out,
a semblance of order was maintained.
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The game attracted 56,988, much the biggest crowd in Leeds' history,
but, the Yorkshire Post observed that the ground was not uncomfortably
full. "Had proper packing been possible, it could have held
many more especially behind the goal at the Gelderd Road end."
Elsewhere however, "the crowd overflowed onto the roof of
the newly covered part of the popular side ... scores were seen
watching from the roof of an inn ... so great was the crush that
gates had to be opened to relieve some of the pressure."
The match was a 0-0 draw but no damp squib: "a game worthy
of the occasion, fought at a tremendous pace." The Times
reported that Leeds "were only kept from success by the familiar
concentration under  pressure
of eight members of the Arsenal side within or near their penalty
area ... the tackling of Hart and the brothers Milburn was too
strong for the Arsenal men."
But both the team and the city of Leeds soon sobered up. On 31
December, Dick Ray's men lost 5-1 at Derby County and for United's
next home match against Blackburn Rovers on 7 January there was
no crushing stampede but an orderly trickle. The crowd was only
14,043: 42,000 football fans had vanished, many never to be seen
again.
Leeds' great potential was underlined when United returned to
FA Cup holders Newcastle in the Third Round of the competition
on January 14 and came away 3-0 winners thanks to a Hydes hat
trick.
They needed a replay before seeing off Tranmere 4-0 in the Fourth
Round, but went down 2-0 in the Fifth Round at Everton. While
their Cup run lasted, Leeds struggled in the League, failing to
win a match after the 3-1 defeat of Blackburn on January 7 until
they came back to form by hammering Liverpool 5-0 on March 18.
That run ruined any chance of a high finish and the rest of the
season was something of a non-event. They hammered Newcastle again,
by 6-1 on April 15, but suffered heavy defeats at the hands of
Chelsea (6-0) and Bolton (5-0) on the closing day, resulting in
an 8th place finish on 44 points. They were at the head of a host
of 11 clubs covered by just seven points. 5 points more would
have left them fourth, while dropping nine would have seen them
plummet to 20th. In the circumstances, it was a satisfactory season
and Leeds had achieved what they really needed, consolidation
in the top flight. Hydes was top scorer with 19 League and Cup
goals, but Keetley ran him a close second, with 14 in just 24
matches.
Wilf Copping won his first England cap, along with Billy Furness,
in the 1-1 draw with Italy. Copping kept his place for the 4-0
trouncing of Switzerland, but Furness never played again.
Other Football Highlights from 1932-33
- Walsall 2 Arsenal 0. The third round defeat of the champions-elect
by Third Division fodder was the greatest Cup upset of all time,
a result that caused the nation to rejoice. Arsenal were not
a popular side: their players were costly imports and their
style was seen as breakaway smash and grab. And they were a
privileged London side when much of the North and Midlands was
experiencing severe unemployment. The match had been built up
by the press as the Bank of England team versus the little team
that cost £69. The tiny Black Country outfit overturned
all the form books and ended the run of the previous season's
Cup finalists at the first stage
- Tottenham, like Arsenal, went out of the FA Cup to a Third
Division side, Luton. West Ham, who just avoided relegation
from the Second Division, were left to carry the standard for
London, beating two First Division sides on their way to the
semi finals
- Arsenal's Cup disaster didn't affect their League form and
the Gunners won their second title in three seasons, finishing
four points clear of second placed Aston Villa
- Numbered shirts were worn for the first time in the FA Cup
Final, winners Everton being numbered from 1 to 11 and Manchester
City from 12 to 22. Everton won 3-0 with goals from Stein, Dean
and Dunn, to complete a hat trick of successes - the Second
Division championship in 1931, the First Divisin crown in 1932
and now the Cup
- England won the long awaited showdown at Stamford Bridge on
December 7 with the much vaunted 'Wunderteam', but were given
a fright by the skillful Austrians before they emerged 4-3 victors.
Previously Austria had a number of outstanding wins: versus
Scotland 5-0, Germany 6-0, Switzerland 8-1 and Hungary 8-2
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