Goodbye to a true Leeds United legend

This Sunday Leeds United lost one of their true greats, football lost a great ambassador of the game, and worst of all a family lost their son, husband and father.
Gary Speed chose to cut his life short, the reason is unknown and actually not that important, no matter the reason why we won't ever get Gary Speed back.

I began following English football when I was about 10-11 years old (90/91) but didn't manage to find a favorite team before around 1994, the team I chose wore white and came from the north, the team was Leeds United, they weren't really that good and didn't really win that much - but they had a few players I thought were cool when they were shown on TV in Denmark. The coolest of the bunch was the flashy left winger Gary Speed (when Yeboah started playing the fascination grew even more). One of my earliest defeats as a Leeds fan came on the day when I learned that Gary Speed had been sold to Everton (certainly didn't help my sadness that we spend the transfer money on Lee Sharpe!) - I had read books and been told stories by older Leeds fans about the pride of playing with home grown players so I felt we had lost a great deal when Speedo left us, however nothing compared to how I felt on Sunday when he left us all for real.

I was sitting on my couch in Denmark yesterday listening to the live coverage of the away game in Nottingham, and I must say that I have never been more proud of the team I chose to support all those years ago, to hear the Leeds fans sing tributes to Gary Speed was so moving and the fact that the team, staff and club responded so brilliantly was fantastic. The way Simon Grayson and our players and fans have behaved since learning the tragic news on Sunday makes me even more aware that we have a fantastic club and the best fans in the land.

I hope Gary Speed have now found the peace he couldn't find here and that everyone associated with him in any way will always cherish the many great memories he gave us - Rest in Peace Speedo, You will never be forgotten! M.O.T

Nottingham Forest - Leeds United 29th of November 2011

Leeds United will play an extremely emotionel game tomorrow, just two days after learning that club legend Gary Speed had taken his own life, the whites are on the road in Nottingham.

I must admit that I actually can't find my usual desire to write this game blog, football seems so unimportant when a young life is cut short, so I won't get into to much details about our opponents, our squad or anything else. The thing I want the most tomorrow is for the fans to give Gary Speed a tribute and salute him throughout the 90+ mins.

Leeds will win 1-0 tomorrow and Lloyd Sam, wearing Speeds number 11 will score the winner!

Rest in peace Speed! We will remember and miss you forever! MOT

Burnley - Leeds United 19th of November 2011

After my week long trip to Leeds followed by an international break Leeds are back in action on Saturday.

Leeds return to the place we celebrated one of our biggest successes last season, the 2-0 to 2-3 second half turnaround.
Burnley have lost their two November games so far and find themselves in disappointing 18th in the league, their away form is horrible and their home form not much better actually, so I am ready to put my money on Leeds tomorrow.
Burnley still have a pretty decent squad, so no one really knows why they are doing so bad, and no one really cares, all that matters is that we give them another knock in the head come Saturday.

Leeds gave a great team response to the 0-5 defeat against Blackpool, by beating big spending Leicester 1-0 away, and Simon Grayson will be keen to see his team get another great win on the road. He will have an almost fit team to choose from, only Andy Lonergan and Mika Varynen is injured, and Paul Rachubka was last seen in Siberia. I am still waiting for SG to give Becchio the chance, and hopefully he will have impressed during the break and be able to start alongside McCormack tomorrow. Tom Lees also return after suspension, and Andy O'Brien who did ever so well against Leicester is also ready to try and make the starting spot his own, so once again SG will have a luxury "problem" in his defence. The midfield will probably still hold Howson and Clayton in centre and Pugh and Snoddy on the wings. Some LUFC "fans" have been making noise about the fact that SG should drop Howson, I have to say I don't understand these people. Jonny is playing a deeper play making role this season, so for people to expect him scoring 15+ goals is unrealistic, especially since he has got Clayton next to him, a guy who really likes to get forward, so haters, get of Howsons back!

I'll be ready on my local pub for the game, and predict a 2-0 Leeds win, with goals from McCormack and Adam Clayton (the 2nd best looking guy on the photo)

The Leeds pub guide! Part two

This time in the pub I will focus on the "Leeds United" pub in town! ENJOY!

Billy's Bar Elland Rd LS11 8 Leeds

Let's start the guide at Elland Road, the club legend Billy Bremner have given name to the clubs bar/meeting point before and after games.
Always filled with Leeds on game day, but also worth a visit if you are just out in the shop getting new stuff.

The are many beers avaiable and the cost around £3.10 for a pint, so actually quite cheap when you consider the it is Ken Bates who owns the bar! There is also a good food selection, I am always pleased to find a place that serves all day breakfast, and you can choose two meals for £10 among them lasagne, pastas and the great breakfast plus more.
Billy's is also the place where John McClelland gathers people before the great stadium tour (£15), that is also worth a go!

My rating (out of ten)

Beer selection: ******
Food: *********
Service: ********
Atmosphere: **********
Prices: *******
Jukebox/music played: ****

The Old Peacock 251 Elland Road, Churwell, Leeds LS11 8TU

Next up is a place with so much LUFC history that I can't even begin to describe it - The old peacock just across from Elland Road.

If you have read books about LUFC from the 60's and 70's you will no doubt have heard about this pub, a place where Leeds fans gathered to hear/see the games and to this day a place where Leeds fans gather before and after games.

There is a big beer selection, and pint are a just £3, on game day they are only served in plastic glasses or bottles, apparently we would start throwing them around otherwise? (If Millwall came along, yes surely)
There is not that much else to say about this place, I can only recommend that you give it a visit when in Leeds.

My rating (out of ten)

Beer selection: *******
Food: N/A
Service: *******
Atmosphere: **********
Prices: *******
Jukebox/music played: ******* (best on game day with fans singing **********)

The Commercial Inn Sweet St West Leeds

Last recomendation this week is Peter Lorimer's pub, where else would you go to meet a true Leeds United legend!
It is a wonderful place, great dart board, great pints and always filled with Scandinavians in a great mood.
You can choose between 10 different beers and a pint of Carling will cost you £3, when living in the centre of Leeds there is no reason not to drop by Lorimers on your way to Elland Road.

My rating (out of ten)

Beer selection: *******
Food: N/A
Service: *******
Atmosphere: *******
Prices: ********
Jukebox/music played: *****

The next guide will feature my new favorite pub in Leeds, a little place called Grove Inn plus a few more, until then M.O.T

The Leeds pub guide! Part one

The Ship 71a Briggate City Centre Leeds

http://www.theshipleeds.co.uk/

This cozy little pub is located in the middle of the city, squezzed in between shops and actually a bit hard to find, but certainly worth a visit of three.

The beers are cheap (£3.20 for a pint of Carling) and the selection is good, there are nine different beers and several more if you prefer bottled beer. The are also known for their great selection a cask beer, cask is not that known in Denmark but I can recommend that you try it out if going to UK or Ireland.

There is also a chef working so if the beers can't fill you up, you can get a bite to eat in there as well.

My rating (out of ten)
Beer selection: *******
Food: N/A
Service: *******
Atmosphere: ********
Prices: ******
Jukebox/music played: **********

O'Neill's Leeds 26 Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3D
http://www.oneills.co.uk/oneillsleeds/

A great pub just behind the Henry Moore museum, the first times I was in Leeds I came here alot, but this time we did not spend that much time down here, mainly because the no longer showed football on saturday and sunday.

O'Neill's have a big selection of beer aswell and offer the great Smithwicks at just around £2, Carling cost £3.30 a pint, so as every other franchise pub they are a bit on the expensive side. The food is cheap, quickly delívered and wonderful, so certainly worth a visit if you want a good steak or a good homemade burger.
Saturdays they often have a live band which is always good fun.

My rating (out of ten)

Beer selection: *******
Food: *********
Service: *******
Atmosphere: ******
Prices: ******
Jukebox/music played: *******

Nicholson's (BelowScarbrough Hotel) Bishopsgate Street, Leeds, LS1 5DY
http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/thescarbroughhotelbishopsgatestreetleeds/

Another great Leeds pub (aren't they all?), this seems to be a place people who don't go clubbing go out, loads of people and full steam all night long - this was the place that had the latest opening hours of the pubs we visited.

They have a selection of 18 diffenrent beers and quite a few of them are cask, which I again recommend that you try out. Prices in here were very reasonable, Carling costing £2.75 which is cheap when you look at location and customer flow. They also had a good food card, eventhough we only came in for the beer.

Best thing about this place was the fact that the bartender below looked exactly like a friend of mine though!

My rating (out of ten)

Beer selection: ********
Food: N/A
Service: ****
Atmosphere: *******
Prices: *******
Jukebox/music played: ******

So this concludes part one of my Leeds pub guide, next one will feature among other Lorimer's Commercial inn & The old peacock beside Elland Road! Until then M.O.T

Leicester - Leeds United 6th of November 2011

Sundays game against Leicester will be a strange one for Leeds fans and also for Leeds manager Simon Grayson, this is the club that gave him his breaktrough in football and he is known to hold the club in high regard. For us fans the strange thing will be seeing former players Schmeichel & Beckford, the latter especially holds big place in LUFC hearts after scoring loads of goals, including the promotion one in our three years in league one. I for one had no problems with Beckford wanting to give his talent a shot in the Premier League, but I do however find it a bit patethic that he gave it one season and then went a league down and clearly choose the club that would pay him the most money.

Despite spending millions during the summer Leicester have enjoyed a bad season so far, a season which have already cost Sven Goran Eriksson his job, they find themselfes in 8th with 22 points, just like Leeds. So currently managerless but starting to find their form and they will provide another stern test for out of form Leeds United.

Leeds went out and signed a loan goalkeeper on friday when England U21 keeper Alex McCarthy joined, he is starting Sundays game ahead of Alex Cairns - Paul Rachubka have been dropped (he knows the meaning of that) and is given a few weeks away from the spotlight after numurous errors, in my opinion he has probably cost us six or seven goals in the four games he has played. I was fortunate or unlucky enough to be on ER on wednesday, and I have never ever seen a keeper look so nervous and later terrible as PR was - Credit to the LUFC crowd for cheering the team on for 90+ minuttes.

I expect Simon Grayson to make a few changes, Lees is out with suspension and a few other players looked bad on both Sunday and Wednesday - I would prefer Leeds start 11 to look like this: McCarthy, Conolly, Bruce, Kisnorbo, White, Snoddy, Pugh, Varynen, McCormack, Howson & Becchio kind of a 4-4-1-1 with McC wide on the left, this is clearly the style of play to get the most out of Howson and since he is one of my fav players I want us to get that! 

I acknowlegde that it will be a tough game and would actually seetle for a point, but since I always try to be positive I will say 1-0 Leeds goal from Ross McCormack - He needs to get going again!

MOT