The Leeds Thread

[Glasgow Loon]

Davie Stewart is the one on the right and i thought John Lukic would have been the hard one to get.

[Glasgow Loon]

Beer and domino's

[JakeSAFC]

What every club strives for;

[Glasgow Loon]

The FA have issued the findings of the independent tribunal into the Jerome/Bellusci slur:-

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds-united-consistent-evidence-saw-bellusci-cleared-of-racism-1-7113139

Mr Jerome doesnt come out of it to well.

[7-2]

So he was only threatening physical violence and demeaning another player. That's alright then.

[sergie's no1 fan]

What a result for Leeds today. Keeper had a blinder.

[JakeSAFC]

Big Sol Bamba was class as well

[Glasgow Loon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js4npO7WD0M

[Glasgow Loon]

From the OS a statement from the EX President:-

I have considered in the best interests of the club to postpone any release of my true thoughts and conclusion in relation to the 79 days disqualification verdict of the Football League and it was for not unsettling the harmony of the team in a period of key league tournament matches that I have measured to reveal my decision only today, because the qualification for the 2016 Championship is by now achieved.

For the reason above said, at first I suggested that my intention was to resume in April the office of President of Leeds United Football Club after expiration of the disqualification term.

I will not do so and I had actually decided not to do so in January already, soon after the confirmation by the Football League of its verdict.

I wish to point out that I have immediately complied with all the requests of the Football League and, for such purposes, I instructed my consultants to arrange for all required actions in order to ensure my prompt exit from any management responsibility in the club. After a due process, I have also sold – with a clear harm to my interests – a minority stake in the club, so that in no way I could be prevented from freely acting as an independent citizen and individual before any authority.

My decision has developed because I have realised that about one year ago I had been admitted as President of the club when the latter was very close to insolvency. Only after my restructuring activities and the material funding by the new corporate member I found myself expelled from the club on the basis of interpretation and immediate application of an Italian measure that, although in Italy is ineffective and subject to reasonable cancellation, the Football League has elected to enforce under its own rules.

Moreover, while I am already ousted, the Football League is now pursuing a new claim against me based on circumstances that do not belong to me and have already been clarified and heavily stigmatized by my lawyers.

All of the above leads me to reconfirm the decision already reached in January so that I may be free of defending myself as any normal citizen, and I will not hesitate to do so before any authority because of my honesty, my commitment and due care to the club for which I have already invested one year of hard work. This is what I am called for also honouring a team that I have loved and for all the support and attachment I have received from fans, players, employees, contractors and professionals who have been close to me and I wish to thank once again.

Massimo Cellino

- See more at: http://www.leedsunited.com/news/article/qfdj28ctisuj1sxoxwpqvev6f/title/message-from-massimo-cellino#sthash.3zHp31co.dpuf

[Moo]

Going to the game on Saturday v Watford. Never been to Elland Road before so hopefully it's a decent game.

[JakeSAFC]

Russell Crowe over Cellino any day of the week

[Glasgow Loon]

For 38 minutes we were in control and then one mistake cost us a goal and you could see the heads go down.

If Sharp had let the ball go out for a throw in then they wouldnt have scored.

We still came out at the start of the 2nd half and had chances to go 3-1 up but we didnt and the midfield ending up chasing shadows.

The defence played to high up the park and the warnings signs were there in the 1st goal.

They should have dropped deeper so that when watford came forward at pace we had a chance to stop them but unfortunately they didnt learn.

Bamba had a nightnmare right from the off when he mistimed his 1st clearence and that set the tone for him all game.

[repeat_offender]

Anybody got links to any scottish fan clubs?

There's a regional members club in Aberdeen and it looks like they're also trying to start one in Falkirk. http://www.leedsunited.com/regional-members-club

ABERDEEN

Contact: Doug Smith

scottishleeds@yahoo.com

Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/117557271640778/

I had a look on the independant supports club website and couldn't find one in Scotland http://www.leedsunitedsupportersclub.org.uk/branches/

Edited March 8, 2015 by repeat_offender

[JakeSAFC]

Surprising there isn't one in Glasgow or Edinburgh tbh

[Glasgow Loon]

A good read by Simon O'Rouke of 2900miles.com.

Rumours are rife about a takeover of Leeds United. We take a look at the parties involved, and rate their probability.

Since the financial implosion in the early noughties, a running theme at Leeds United has been whispers of takeover talk. From Sebastien Sainsbury who almost took over the club in late 2004, to the Sheikh dubbed “Sheikh Rubadub” by Ken Bates, to the most recent rumours of Genting Group, Red Bull and others, Leeds United has more turns on the takeover merry-go-round than many fans realise.

The reasoning many point to for the constant interest in Leeds United should not surprise many football fans. Leeds is a one-club City, with a rich footballing history and a fan base that follows the team no matter what the league position. As recently as 2014, Leeds United replica shirt sales exceeded those of fourteen premier league clubs, including two who were active in European competition. From an investment standpoint, Leeds United offers a pathway to deity status for the person(s) brave enough to take the risk.

October 2014, and Cellino’s last stand
In late October of 2014, Massimo Cellino effectively gave up trying to own Leeds United. He was told in no uncertain terms that if a “dishonest” verdict was attached to his conviction, he would face a long-term ban and constant opposition from The Football League. While Cellino continued with the party line of “Leeds United are not for sale”, he took his second meeting with Red Bull with the express purpose of securing their investment. It is not clear whether Cellino had the intention of selling his entire holdings at that time, but the calculated leaks of information regarding the meetings strongly suggest that Cellino was open to a public bidding war.

The club denied these meetings took place (then later back-pedalled on that denial only to reiterate it a week later) but as we reported in early November, the talks did indeed take place and Red Bull were furious that information about the talks had made their way to the press. Massimo Cellino had recently returned to Leeds from Miami and a final round of talks with American financiers about securing funding for the purchase of Elland Road. We reported those talks broke down due to The Football League refusing to vouch for Massimo’s long-term future at Leeds United, and it is believed this was when Cellino made the decision to pull the plug on his investment.

Andrew Umbers, Mr. Eight Percent
While Red Bull were said to be furious with Cellino, Dietrich Mateschitz, CEO of Red Bull, was said to be intrigued by the possibility of owning Leeds United without the stigma of Red Bull attached to a bid. I was told on January 13th that he told Chairman Andrew Umbers in the first week of January that he would match any legitimate offer for Cellino’s holdings up to the figure of £32million. Massimo Cellino had placed a price tag on his Leeds United holdings of a staggering £50million.

In talks with another prospective buyer and long time chief LUFC Flirt, Genting Group, Andrew Umbers allegedly quoted the £50million figure and it was immediately rebuffed. Umbers returned to the talks with Genting Group in early February, stating that Cellino was willing to start talking at £32million though an alleged leaked email suggests this figure was £27million, the reported sum of his current and long term commitments to Leeds United and Gulf Finance House (“GFH”). Cellino’s actual monetary investment into Leeds United currently stands at a reported £16million, suggesting the remaining eleven million is a commitment to GFH. It is understood that Andrew Umbers, who stands to make up to eight percent on any takeover, favours a third option, the same consortium that Cellino was talking to in The United States. Quite why Umbers prefers this option is anyone’s guess, though the suggestion that the bid would be partly funded by Peak 6 Investments may offer a bit more insight.

The front-runners
While many fans refuse to believe that Cellino will be heading for the exits, too much actual evidence points to a sale in the near future. At 2900Miles.com, we have been predicting a sale by June 1st 2015 for almost six months, as this is the date given to us by six independent parties.

At the time of writing, both Dietrich Mateschitz and Genting Group are understood to have started extensive Due Diligence separately, but neither party currently enjoys any exclusivity with their bids potentially subject to change depending on the outcome of Due Diligence. These reports are said to come from inside the club but I have been unable to get a response, as have the actual Leeds United press

Below, I take a brief look at each of the three potential bidders. We will revisit this topic on Monday of next week at which point further information should be publishable.

Rumoured bidder: Genting Group
Genting Group have been a permanent fixture on the rumour mill for the last fourteen months. It is believed they held off on their original takeover bid in January 2014 primarily due to demands by Gulf Finance House that GFH would retain ownership and management of 25% of the club. With Cellino willing to sign the same deal with GFH, Genting are said to have left a standing offer with Cellino and Umbers should the need to sell Leeds United arise in the future.

Genting are rich. Richie Rich rich, and while this is important for any prospective owner it’s actually Genting’s commercial clout that may prove to be the biggest weapon in Leeds United’s arsenal. Genting are a financial behemoth with over sixty casinos and resorts worldwide. Genting CEO, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay (63) has owned a private residence in London for over forty years and oversaw the introduction of over forty casinos in the United Kingdom. His personal fortune is estimated by Forbes at $5.5Billion. Genting Group’s combined market capitalisation is over US$29 billion as of 28 February 2015.

Lim Kok Thay has three sons and it’s one of those sons, Lim Keong Hui, who is said to be responsible for the original interest. Despite social media tomfoolery suggesting the family had barely even seen The UK, Lim Keong Hui (31) followed in his fathers footsteps by attending University in London. It has often been reported that his following of Leeds United started in the late nineties, a starting point for many new fans as the revolution under O’Leary marched on.

No matter the media outlet profiling the Lim family, there is a constant opinion that the continued success of Genting is due primarily to Lim Kok Thay’s ability to put the right people in the right positions. He demanded that his sons earned their place in the Genting empire and only awarded them a place on the various associated Boards Of Directors once they had proven themselves to be worthy. It is also reported that Lim Kok Thay is eager to establish a foothold in the sports world to further the Genting Group expansion in The United Kingdom and Europe as a whole.

Probability: 6/10

Potential bidder: Dietrich Mateschitz (Red Bull)
As posited above, Red Bull have been lurking around Leeds United for nearly six months. With the talks between the parties said to have gone as far as tentative due diligence in 2014, Red Bull then backed away from the deal as details went public. While the club did a great job initially of putting distance between Leeds United and the Red Bull rumours, those rumours refused to go away especially when Cellino let slip that he had infact spoken to Red Bull about sponsorship, which is something Red Bull have long stated they are not interested in.

As reported back in November of last year, Red Bull advisors were said to want to be willing to revisit the idea of acquiring Leeds United once Massimo Cellino’s appeal was turned down. It is believed that in late December, Red Bull CEO Mateschitz decided that in order to avoid the reaction to “Red Bull buys Leeds” and all that comes with it, this would become a personal venture at least in the short term. He is said to have approached Chairman Andrew Umbers with the afore-mentioned offer of meeting any bid up to £32million. As recently as ten days ago I was told that Mateschitz had at least spoken to the club within “the last few days” to start the formal process of an official offer. This no doubt came as a reaction to the Genting Group’s alleged approach.

Dietrich Mateschitz is worth $10.8Billion according to Forbes, though my personal opinion is that while the initial takeover bid may be in his name, it would soon be switched to the Red Bull banner. What that could mean for Leeds United is anyone’s guess, but the thought of “Red Bull Leeds” rightly strikes fear in the heart of many football fans.

Ignoring the Red Bull issues for a moment, a bid in the name of Mateschitz could be a great thing for the club, but only if Red Bull were kept on the outskirts. I’d welcome “Thorp Arch by Red Bull” and other similar naming schemes, but the club would need to keep its identity as a whole, and I’m not sure Mateschitz would be able to resist the lure of a Premier League team bearing his company’s name and brand. If Red Bull were to be involved in Leeds United on a sponsorship basis only, then Mateschitz would need to own the club. It’s the only way it could possibly work.

Probability: 7/10

Potential bidder: American consortium
When Massimo Cellino spoke with the American financiers in October 2014 about financing the acquisition of Elland Road, he was taking direction from confidant (and now Chairman) Andrew Umbers. Umbers has ties with the reported group, financed in part by Peak 6 Investments, and it is believed he stands to make a nice chunk of change from any dealings with them.

The group were turned away by The Football League when looking for assurances on Massimo’s future, and it has been suggested to me by several unattached parties that this sparked the opening of a discussion that would lead to the eventual takeover by the group, who would then retain Andrew Umbers as Chairman and instill Massimo Cellino as honorary President, something The Football League would permit only if proper assurances were made that Cellino and his family are in no way financing the operations of Leeds United.

While the group appears to be made up of strong businessmen, the Peak 6 involvement is a worry. See: Leaks: Item #30.

This potential bid is the apparent backup option being presented by Andrew Umbers. The worry is that information leaking out about the other bids may be a smokescreen to allow this group, by far the weakest of the three, to complete a takeover.

Probability: 8/10



Final thoughts and Poll Results (I know, I ramble..)
I have long held the belief that Leeds United will be sold by June 1st of this year, allowing Cellino an emotional farewell after the Rotherham game. It is my understanding that he is to meet with at least one of the three bidders early next week at his Miami home, before heading to Leeds in mid April.

At least two people who have spoken with Massimo Cellino recently have described his mood as “furious” with Andrew Umbers, and he made a point to demand that Umbers cease commenting so publicly and freely on Leeds United. Each word from the mouth of Umbers seems so calculated, so scripted, and often includes the odd slant against Cellino in his own clever way.

I ran a quick poll on social media to see which of the discussed takeover options would be most welcome. Genting Group led the poll, gathering 80% of the vote. I ran a simultaneous vote to gauge support for Leeds Fans LLP, a group that will hope the eventual new owners are open to fan involvement. The support for Leeds Fans LLP was 98% in favour of the fan led initiative.

I’ll follow up on this article within the next ten days, but no matter what happens with present or future owners, make no mistake that Leeds United is a project that screams “Big time”. Leeds United may have suffered kick after kick in the last decade, but to deny the club is anything but The Last Big Club not to be in The Premier League is to deny football history.

[Glasgow Loon]

Fulham game highlights:-

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2jybr6_fulham-0-v-3-leeds-united-highlights-lufc_sport

[Glasgow Loon]

Leeds’ Neil Redfearn says club’s young talent is ‘tip of the iceberg’
Coach speaks with passion about ‘massive assets’: young players breaking into Leeds United first team and further talent emerging in academy




One year on from Massimo Cellino’s Leeds United takeover and for the first time in a while, there is an opportunity to draw breath at Elland Road. It may not last long but for Neil Redfearn and his young side it is certainly well deserved – chaos exchanged for calm at a club that has provided more than a fair share of drama in recent times.

Such are the circumstances that Redfearn has been able to spend some of the international break tuning Leeds’ pre-season plans. They cannot possibly be any more slapdash than last year’s, when the players made their own packed lunches in northern Italy and won one game 16-0 against opponents more accustomed to waiting on tables.

In many ways it is remarkable Leeds have achieved mid-table security in the Championship with seven games remaining. Pre-season set a precedent for a turbulent few months, with Dave Hockaday sacked and replaced by Darko Milanic, the Slovene who lasted 30 days in the job. In January the team slipped to 21st and remained dangerously close to the bottom three for a number of weeks as the Football League banned Cellino as owner – after failing to pay import duty on a yacht was deemed a dishonest offence – and relegation loomed.

Those worrying days were littered with distractions but on a quiet afternoon at Leeds’ training ground the only disturbance comes from a lorry delivering crates of water. The club’s apprentices are tasked with lugging bottles up the stairs at Thorp Arch and as Redfearn casts his eye over them, he says: “You think the lads now are good, you should see these play.”

It comes as little surprise that Redfearn speaks with such passion about Leeds’ young players. The head coach has been at the club for six years, mostly with the academy, a period that is now bearing fruit for the first team. This season the midfield pair of Alex Mowatt and Lewis Cook – both called up for England youth duty last week – have emerged as burgeoning talents, while the wide players Charlie Taylor and Sam Byram have also progressed.

Redfearn has seen them all develop from prospects to regular starters. The 49-year-old from Dewsbury, who used to watch Leeds from the west stand as a seven-year-old, wrote United’s academy philosophy and coaching programme for the elite-player performance plan. He had been caretaker manager three times before Cellino entrusted him with the job in November, and his side have dragged themselves from the depths while the Italian has been exiled in Miami.

“These kids are massive assets at a time when the club doesn’t have many assets,” Redfearn says. “It doesn’t own the stadium, it doesn’t own the training ground. This is the bit they’ve got to protect, big style, because this is they way the club is going to get out of the shit.

“This club has sold its assets, sold its soul, when Leeds United has always been about youth. The Revie era, that great time, was about young, homegrown players. What you can’t do is sell your soul; you’ve got to protect that with your life.

“They’ve shown such strength of character and togetherness, not to mention ability, to get themselves out of this situation. Playing for Leeds United, there is a pressure and expectation anyway. They’re heavy shirts and it can wear you down if you don’t have that strength of character, but the kids have shown just that. These lads are the tip of the iceberg. It’s a really good time for this football club if there can just be some patience, some foresight and planning for the future.”

Patience, though, is a commodity rarely afforded to managers who work under Cellino, the owner who went through 36 head coaches in 22 years at Cagliari. He is expected to make a comeback to England in the coming weeks, returning to a club that has steadied of late, whether because of his absence or not.

The Italian’s future at Leeds is far from certain. There remain tax allegations against him regarding a boat and a car in Sardinia – similar to the case which resulted in a Football League ban until the end of the season – and an investigation into alleged misuse of public funds relating to Cagliari’s Quartu Sant’Elena stadium. He denies wrongdoing.

The last few months have provided welcome relief from such topics. Cellino has divided opinion within supporters of a club relegated from the Premier League in 2004, having invested in Leeds significantly but having also made some perplexing decisions.

Undoubtedly, though, the galvanising effect of the side’s renaissance has been fuelled by the emerging youngsters, with Redfearn drawing parallels between his crop and the famous Leeds side which twice won the league under Revie.

“If you look back to probably the greatest Leeds side ever under Don Revie, when he started and the club were in the Second Division without much money, they brought in Madeley and Reaney and Bremner, they had this group of experienced pros with them, but he basically took a big chance,” Redfearn says.

“In some respects we were in such a position where we had to change things. I knew that as the caretaker when I came in and I remember the first game, Bolton at home, when I put in Cook and Mowatt and everybody went: ‘What’s happening? You can’t do anything with kids.’ But you can.

“There is a whole load of people who have put years and years of work into this academy and all of a sudden you’re starting to see the fruits of it in the first team. For the sake of English football, you can’t look past the academies.

“I think the Premier League is the best league in the world, but I think it’s a monster. I think it’s run away with everything; the Football League has got no teeth, the FA has got no teeth. Our international sides are now losing their identity, wrongly. There’s got to be some way where our FA gets our identity back and it’s got to be through the youth.”

Redfearn is on a rolling 12-month contract. Other clubs have shown interest in the former Barnsley midfielder but he has no intention of leaving his project at Leeds. He was told by Cellino to keep the club in the Championship, yet plans for next year remain on hold because communication between the two is limited during the owner’s ban.

It remains to be seen how much stomach Cellino has for the fight when he returns. He has accepted his enforced hiatus, although is understood to be frustrated at the League ban and feeling like an outsider who will never be accepted into English football.

“I first met him properly was when I was invited down to Elland Road just before pre-season started,” Redfearn says. “He looked stressed and I just said to him: ‘Do you need some help?’ He smiled and just went: ‘Yeh.’ Rather than me going to judge, it was me going to help. I think that was needed at that time – it needed the people of Leeds to rally round.

“He thinks the kids are great, that things are young and vibrant. When I told him about Charlie Taylor the first thing he did was put him on a three-year contract, without actually seeing Charlie play. He backed me on that.

“The bit he loves is the football bit. When he speaks to me it’s always with passion about the football. He picks your brains and finds out about you, learns about you as a person; he likes to know about the person he is dealing with. He likes to know that he can trust you. He’s a vastly experienced football person.

“It’s written in my contract that I have got sole right to picking the starting XI and who plays in the side. Obviously I’ll talk football with him and I’ll talk players but he never tells me who to pick. I think he realises that he’s potentially got his hands on something really big.”

Leeds are at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. United sit 17 points above Wigan, who are 22nd, and 15 points behind sixth-placed Ipswich Town but a strong finish could provide them with momentum to start next season on the front foot, something they missed last season.

The future, according to Redfearn, looks bright, providing his youngsters are allowed to flourish. “It’s vitally important that they stay, because they are top players. I don’t think we realise how good they are. Sometimes you don’t realise what you’ve got until it’s not there any more.

“My remit was to keep Leeds United in the Championship, so he [Cellino] must have realised we were in trouble. He must have done. He realised it was a mess. We’ve done that and some. I haven’t done myself any harm. But this has been six years in the making, not knowing that being head coach would be the end goal. The last thing I want to do is walk away now.”

[JakeSAFC]

He's needs to be given a new contract

[Glasgow Loon]

Which seem very unlikely after this happened today:-

The Director of Football, Nicola Salerno, has today (April 2) suspended the assistant coach Steve Thompson from his duties at the club.

This is an internal matter and the club will make no further comment on this internal issue.

Seems Redders is considering his next move

Edited April 2, 2015 by Glasgow Loon

[Glasgow Loon]

Twitter accounts of NR press conference this afternoon:-

James Gregg @jamesgregg7 · 14m 14 minutes ago
'Don't know a great deal about it. Don't understand why he's been suspended. Bitterly disappointed.' #LUFC
'Its a difficult one to take, I can't think for one minute why someone who's been a part of this success has been sacked' says NR #LUFC
On his own future: 'it becomes difficult for me, it's not ideal timing. It's not helped, I've got to have a good think about my future now'
Redfearn cont..: 'it undermines everything. We've put things together me and Steve. Before it was a no-brainier to say on. Not so much now'
'Me and Steve were the ideal partnership, he's been great for me, and I'm bitterly disappointed that he's not here.' Neil Redfearn #LUFC
'I love this club, I've been brought up on Leeds United. But this situation is a difficult one for me.' Neil Redfearn looks pensive.
My feeling from speaking to NR is that he doesn't want to let the fans down. Genuine love for the club and focused on Saturday's game. #LUFC
Remains unclear whether Neil Redfearn will have an assistant in the dugout on Saturday for Blackburn game.
'Its very rare that people lose their jobs when they are doing it well' - subdued, sombre but frank and honest press conference.
And that is that. I think that's the last time I'll be seeing Neil Redfearn in a #LUFC press conference.

Adam Pope @APOPEY · 12m 12 minutes ago
#lufc NR on Steve Thompson suspension :"I have to have a,good hard think now.... It's disappointing. It's under mining."
#lufc NR :"I would have liked to have known about it beforehand. "
#lufc NR on Thompson :"It's the ideal partnership. We bounce off eachother."
#lufc NR :"I love this football club. But this is difficult."
#lufc Lewis Cook has ankle strain which may not be as bad as feared.
#lufc That was the worst position I've ever seen a manager put in. Well done Neil Redfearn for fronting up.

Thom Kirwin @Thomkirwin · 15m 15 minutes ago
Redfearn tells the media he doesn't know why Steve Thompson has been suspended, says he can't think of any reason why it's happened. #lufc
Redfearn says Thompson received a letter this morning to tell him. Thompson didn't take training, says players were disappointed. #lufc
Redfearn says it undermines the work they have been doing, described the decision as 'strange'. #lufc
When asked if he'd thought about quitting, Redfearn says it makes things difficult with regard to his own future. #lufc
Redfearn 'if you want to deflate things you start taking things away from the team' He doesn't know who, if anyone, will assist him on Sat
Redfearn confirms the letter was signed by Nicola Salerno. 'It's very rare people lose their jobs when they are being successful' #lufc

Phil Hay @PhilHayYEP · 8m 8 minutes ago
Redfearn presser has just finished. "Steve's been suspended. For what, I don't know. I don't understand it." #lufc
Redfearn: "It seems a really strange decision and I'm bitterly disappointed."
Redfearn: "It's unbalancing the stability that we had. It goes against everything we're doing."
Redfearn on his own future: "I've got to have a real hard think. Where before it was a no brainer (to stay) I've got have a think."
Redfearn: "It is undermining. You're trying to put something together in the belief that you're getting the backing."