By Matt Smith
April 21 2015

Leeds United Football Club was formed out of the ashes of Leeds City F.C. in 1919 following the disbanding of the latter by the FA. LUFC won the right to play in the Football League of the 31st May 1920 and began to consolidate their position within the Second Division and eventually won promotion to the top flight in 1924 wearing blue and white strips not disimilar to those of Huddersfield Town. LUFC changed colours to yellow and blue and proceeded to become a bit of a yo-yo club up until World War II, being relegated twice but each time returning to the First Division the following season.

After being relegated again in 1947, the club remained in the Second Division until 1956 when they were promoted due to the inspiring all-rounder John Charles, who was subsequently sold to Juventus for a world record fee of £65,000 in 1957. Leeds, unable to cope without Charles, were sent back to the Second Division in 1960.

1961 saw the beginning of the famous Don Revie era. However not all was plain sailing at first. Only a win on the final day of the 1961-2 season saw the club avoid relegation to Division Three. Revie then implemented a youth policy and changed the kit to the imperious all white associated with Real Madrid that is still in use today. Leeds then won promotion to the First Division and unprecedented levels of success were to follow. In thirteen years Revie secured 10 top four finishes, won 2 First Division titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, one Community Shield and the Second Divison title. The Don Revie side were voted in the top 50 football teams of all time by Total Sport Magazine. In 1974 Don Revie left the club to take up the England job and Brian Clough came to the helm, although his reign lasted on 44 days.

The club then had a succession of managers with the most successful being Jimmy Armfield who took the club to the European Cup Final were they were defeated by Bayern Munich in controversial circumstances. However, despite a string of top ten finishes the board grew impatient and sacked Armfield. The decline continued and in 1982 the club was relegated under Allan Clarke. The club remained in the Second Division until Howard Wilkinson replaced Billy Bremner at the helm in 1988. Wilkinson achieved promotion in 1990 and won the long awaited third league title in 1991-2 following a fourth place finish in 1990-1. Wilkinson is credited with developing the academy system at the club which has produced many great talents over the years. However after a slow decline, Wilkinson was sacked in 1996-7 following a 4-0 home defeat the arch-rivals Manchester United. 

George Graham and David O'Leary oversaw relative success for Leeds United. They continued to challenge in the league and Europe and never finished outside the top five under O'Leary and assistant Eddie Gray. However the UEFA Cup run of 2000 ended in disaster when two Leeds fans were stabbed to death before the away leg of their tie against Galatasaray in Istanbul. 

2001 to 2007 saw rapid decline and the financial implosion of Leeds United. The club has failed to return to its top flight status since falling into administration and facing points deductions. Leeds almost returned to the top flight in 2006 under Kevin Blackwell, but were defeated in the Play Off Final by Watford. The club then fell into the Third Divison/League One for the first time in history and were stuck there until 2010 following a string of unsuccessful Play Off campaigns. Leeds returned to the Championship under Simon Grayson in 2010 and have remained there ever since, hovering around the mid-table mark whilst continually trying to stabilise the financial situation of the club. 2010 also saw a sole Jermaine Beckford goal give Leeds a famous victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup Third Round.

The club was taken over by Massimo Cellino in 2014 and has enjoyed a controversial season, avoiding relegation but facing off the field controversy with managerial changes, player 'strikes' and the banning of Cellino himself.