The first of those two play-off finals will take place today as Brentford and Yeovil Town face-off at Wembley, both teams hoping to secure a place in the Championship. Unibet have Brenford as favourites for this one, but from a Leeds United perspective, Yeovil Town could be the preferred victors.

It’ll come as no surprise to hear that The Whites have a good record over both teams. Our last defeat against Brentford came in a 1953 FA Cup match, while Yeovil Town have never beaten us – a stat which could provide a slight psychological edge should Yeovil be our opponents next season.

Leeds and Yeovil Town had never faced each other before Leeds were relegated to League One in 2007. In the three seasons that followed, we played Yeovil six times, winning five of those fixtures and drawing the other.

Preferred winners of the Championship play-off final is a tougher one to call. Once again, Leeds United have the better record against both teams, but Watford recorded a humiliating 6-1 win over us this season and ghosts of the 2006 play-off final still give us nightmares.

Crystal Palace meanwhile have only beaten Leeds once in their last eight attempts and our record against them throughout history is vastly superior.

The sensible choice would therefore be Watford to go up. But our victory over them on the final day of last season, an ultimately meaningless match for Leeds, but one which would have sent Watford up had they beaten us, was seen as revenge for both the 6-1 hammering we took earlier in the season and the 2006 play-off final.

If Watford were to succeed at securing promotion via the play-offs a couple of tricky encounters would be removed from our fixture list, but it’d also mean Leeds United didn’t succeed in ruining Watford’s promotion party.

It’s quite a petty reason to back Crystal Palace for promotion, but half the fun of football is getting one over on other teams. Had Leeds succeeded in the 2006 play-off final, League One would never have happened, we’d probably be moaning about the “lack of ambition” we were showing in the Premier League by failing to sign £30m strikers and pushing for a Champions League finish (well, maybe not…)

Leeds United know better than most how big play-off finals are. No one could have predicted how bad things were about to get when we failed to secure promotion in 2006. Defeating Watford on the final day of this season was our chance to return the favour. Let’s hope Crystal Palace finish the job.

Six years since the government first announced plans for Las Vegas style casinos to be built across the UK, Leeds City Council has now reached the final decision stage with meetings scheduled to take place Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th of May. A final decision is expected to be announced when the council reconvenes on Friday.

Several parties have pulled out of the running since applications were made last year, leaving only two remaining bidders.

The remaining bidders are Leeds United Football Club, who will integrate the new casino into a redeveloped West Stand, and Global Gaming Ventures, who plan to build the casino as the centrepiece of a new city centre development.

A spokesman for Leeds United Football Club gave a brief statement to the Yorkshire Evening Post;

 “We await with interest the outcome of the council’s decision in relation to the award of the licence after what has been a detailed and lengthy process.

“It goes without saying that if we were successful it would deliver significant benefits for both the club and the community.”

If successful, Leeds United say the casino will be operated by a specialist partner and that its construction will be central to the redevelopment of Elland Road’s West Stand. A second tier will be added to the West Stand, improving facilities, adding new executive boxes and also increasing Elland Road’s capacity.

The casino will be spread across two floors within the West Stand itself. The supercasino license will allow Leeds United to install gaming machines with jackpots of up to £4,000, along with poker, black-jack and other casino games.

Full details of Leeds United’s plans, including an artist’s impression of how the redeveloped stand will look, are available here.

The new supercasino is expected to create around 700 jobs in the city, bringing up to 1,000,000 additional tourists to Leeds each year.

The F.A. recently introduced new guidelines for all levels of youth football, governing the sizes of balls, teams, pitches and goalposts. Designed to graduate the process of learning the game and improve safety, these regulations have been collated by equipment retailer The Soccer Store into a handy infographic guide we thought we’d share…

Two years on, and Billy Paynter had been dubbed “barn door” by Leeds fans due to the fact he couldn’t hit one from six yards.

Then came Steve Morison, a striker who I, along with many other Leeds United fans, rated highly during his time at Millwall. The second he donned the famous white shirt of Leeds United however, he suddenly seemed clumsy and useless.

It doesn’t just happen to Leeds though. You only have to take a look at accomplished strikers who have left Elland Road to see that.

Our most recent departure, Luciano Becchio, has done nothing at all noteworthy for Norwich City, while former hero Jermaine Beckford failed to replicate his Elland Road form at Everton and Leicester City.

Is it just a case of certain players being over-hyped by a particular fanbase, or is there more to it?

For me, it’s a case of strikers fitting systems. Luciano Becchio for example was the perfect hoofball striker, it’s no coincidence his most prolific spell at Leeds came during Neil Warnock’s tenure. It’s also no surprise that he’s already out-of-favour at Norwich.

Jermaine Beckford meanwhile benefited from the Snodgrass and Gradel partnership, two wingers who could cut inside and lay the ball on for Beckford to capitalise on with his blistering pace. Stick Beckford in a Warnock team, he’d probably have similar success to what Billy Paynter had in Simon Grayson’s side.

Billy Paynter, Steve Morison, Jermaine Beckford, Luciano Becchio – none of these players are bad footballers, they didn’t “fluke” their way to the upper echelons of English football. But if the team isn’t suited to their style of play, you won’t get the best out of them.

The exact same thing happened when Fernando Torres moved to Chelsea. The undeniably talented Spanish striker suddenly seemed incapable of playing football. He looked like an imposter.

It wasn’t that Torres had been “found out” or had forgotten how to play football, he’d just moved to a club whose system didn’t suit him. From the short passing, quick attacking style of Liverpool to the direct and clinical approach of Chelsea – a style they’d developed to suit Drogba – Torres might as well have changed sport, never mind team.

At Elland Road, we’ve spent so many years patching a team together from odds and ends, we’ve ended up with a mismatch of players who don’t suit any particular system.

Billy Paynter was never Simon Grayson’s first choice, the man wasn’t an idiot, Paynter was just an option which suited Ken Bates’ budget. Whether he suited our style of play or not was irrelevant to Ken, he was more concerned with cream-cladding the East Stand.

Grayson ended up signing several players who didn’t suit the style of team he’d created/inherited, but they were always options forced by a lack of funds. Ross McCormack and Max Gradel is what happened when Grayson got to spend money, the Billy Paynter’s came when he didn’t.

And it was no different for Warnock. I hated his style of play, it didn’t suit my idea of Leeds United, but had he been given the money to build an entire team capable of playing the Warnock way, he’d have probably succeeded.

So when you’re considering transfer targets this summer, especially strikers, it’s no good looking at the amount of goals they’ve scored unless you consider the style of team they played in. Billy Sharp, a striker I rate highly, was prolific for Scunthorpe and Doncaster, but you have to question whether he’d suit a Brian McDermott team?

Early indications suggest McDermott wants to build a short passing team, one more suited to a Ross McCormack than a Luciano Becchio, a Jermaine Beckford than a Billy Paynter, or a Fernando Torres than a Didier Drogba. Every player linked with Leeds United this summer has to be assessed along similar lines.

There’s no point signing good players if they don’t suit the system we intend to play. We need a footballing philosophy. Then we need to sign players who suit it.

Following another disappointing season for Leeds United, The Scratching Shed welcomes Tom Stevens whose guest post delves back through our 45 fixtures (to date) to see where the 2012/13 campaign went so horribly wrong.

Blackpool 2 – Leeds United 1 Tuesday 21^st August

Blackpool under Ian Holloway were still one of the favourites for promotion in the early weeks of the season so this was always going to be a tough test for Neil Warnock’s team. Tom Lees gave Leeds an early lead, which they held onto until 15 minutes from time when Blackpool scored two inside five minutes. Nouha Dicko and Matt Phillips settled the contest in Blackpool’s favour, but naïve defending cost Leeds at least one of the goals conceded, with Sam Byram and Luke Varney, as well as the entire forward line, being singled out by Warnock as the main culprits.

Lost points: 1

Leeds United 3 – Blackburn Rovers 3 Saturday 1^st September

A horrendous start to this game saw Leeds down 2-0 inside half an hour. Diouf got us back into the game just before half time, and superb strikes from McCormack and Becchio seemed to have been enough to complete a magnificent turnaround. But a Ruben Rochina back heeled effort six minutes from time led to the spoils being shared. The goal was easily avoidable as Leeds failed to clear their lines defensively, costing us a second league win of the season.

Lost points: 2

Bolton Wanderers 2 – Leeds United 2 Tuesday 2^nd October

A tricky away tie on paper but Leeds very nearly claimed all three points at the Reebok Stadium this season. Newly relegated Bolton, still under Owen Coyle, were struggling to find their feet back in the second tier, and having again come from behind courtesy of goals from Byram and Becchio, Kevin Davies was again left unchallenged in the penalty box to level the game again ten minutes from time. Warnock blamed himself for the lost points, well partly at least. Rodolph Austin was in charge of marking Kevin Davies, which is something Warnock made perfectly clear in the post-match interview.

Lost points: 2

Leeds United 1 – Charlton Athletic 1 Tuesday 23^rd October

Probably one of the poorest home displays of the season, but having taken the lead shortly before the interval through a David Norris strike, there was every opportunity to push on against a Charlton side who were not in the greatest shape in the early stages of the season. Instead Dorian Dervite equalized early in the second half, and Leeds were lucky to hold onto the solitary point in the end.

Lost points: 2

Leeds United 0 – Birmingham City 1 Saturday 27^th October

The home performances were not improving, and days after the tepid performance served up against Charlton, Leeds came unstuck at home again. Birmingham City were on a poor run of form, and were there for the taking, but in truth this was a game between two poor sides lacking any sort of flair or creativity. And just when it looked like ending in a deadlock, Leroy Lita grabbed the win for Birmingham. Another terrible result, and one wonders whether it was after this game outgoing chairman Ken Bates was keen to remove Warnock from his managerial duties.

Lost points: 1

Burnley 1 – Leeds United 0 Tuesday 6^th November

You always felt Leeds would come unstuck at Turf Moor sooner or later. A great Jonny Howson inspired comeback win in the 2012 season, and a rather fortuitous Robert Snodgrass inspired turnaround last season had both been smash and grabs in their way, but there was no such luck this time around. But we should have drawn this game, and having done so well defensively for 83 minutes it was a catastrophe to see substitute Danny Pugh fail to cut out a Burnley cross and Charlie Austin did the rest with a close range header.

Lost points: 1

Millwall 1 – Leeds United 0 Sunday 18^th November

One can’t argue that Leeds were guilty of throwing points away in the game against Watford, we were thoroughly outplayed in a 6-1 home debacle. But despite losing Luke Varney to an innocuous red card early in the second half at Millwall, another game of low quality was decided by yet another late searching cross being met by Chris Wood five minutes from time.

Lost points: 1

Leeds United 0 – Cardiff City 1 Saturday 2^nd February

This was the start of a barren spell where Leeds were throwing away points left, right and centre according to Neil Warnock. And you have to agree. Buoyed by an excellent cup triumph against Spurs the week before, high-flying Cardiff certainly had a game on their hands here. And a rare mistake from Byram proved costly as Frazier Campbell settled matters with a second half strike. Lots of spurned opportunities for Leeds proved costly, and the introduction of new striker Habib Habibou did little in terms of trying to get back into the game. Leeds had more than enough chances to win this, but certainly shouldn’t have lost it.

Lost points: 1

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 – Leeds United 2 Saturday 9^th February

This was a devastating late blow for Leeds. Having come from behind through a Luke Varney striker and a Ross McCormack penalty, this game should have been signed and sealed long before Danny Batth rose the highest two minutes into injury time to head home an equalizer, which might still keep Wolves up. The corner prior to the equalizer should have been prevented, and an away win should have been recorded.

Lost points: 2

Middlesbrough 1 – Leeds United 0 Tuesday 12^th February

Another frustrating midweek away day for The Whites, and to come away with nothing from The Riverside was tough to take considering the chances that had again been misplaced. Young Middlesbrough striker Curtis Main settled this one late on, leaving Warnock fuming and Leeds fans disgruntled. New striker Steve Morison wasn’t having the desired impact as Leeds were missing their top scorer Becchio who was by now playing reserve team football with Norwich. Once again it was a case of not having enough to win the game, but one that we definitely shouldn’t have lost.

Lost points: 1

Leicester City 1 – Leeds United 1 Tuesday 5^th March

Heartbreak and frustration late on at The King Power Stadium, where Leeds had looked to record a great away win over big spending Leicester City. Sam Byram had put Leeds in front, and with just one more set piece to defend Michael Keane leveled the game four minutes into injury time, leaving Leeds to look on as Kasper Schmeichel joined in the late celebrations for the home side. A dreadful blow to the play off plans, and one that should have been avoided.

Lost points: 2

Crystal Palace 2 – Leeds United 2 Saturday 9^th March

This was always going to be a tough place to go and get something, as Palace were looking good for promotion at this point. But having cancelled out Glenn Murray’s first half goal with two great Morison strikes, Leeds should have hung onto all three points, and the inability to hold onto a lead was yet again displayed for all to see. This time Stephen Warnock was half asleep as Murray snuck away from him to gain an extra yard on the defender which helped him finish off from a long ball into the penalty area six minutes from time.

Lost points: 2

Leeds United 1 – Peterborough 1 Tuesday 12^th March

Losing late goals and points away to Leicester and Crystal Palace in the space of a week was frustrating, but the away displays gave Leeds something to build on for the two home games coming up. The first of them was Peterborough, and once again Leeds failed at home in a midweek game. We looked uninspired for most of it, and the tough away fictures had been more draining than anticipated. With Sam Byram canceling out Dwight Gayle’s early effort, Leeds had most of the second half to try and go for the winner. But it proved elusive, and more home points were dropped.

Lost points: 2

Leeds United 1 – Huddersfield Town 2 Saturday 16^th March

Injuries to both Moriosn and McCormack meant Habibou lead the line for the first time. And this was the game when the play off push finally unraveled, but a point should have been secured after Aidy White had pulled Leeds level midway in the second half. Instead Leeds allowed James Vaughan all the time and space in the world to settle the game in Huddersfield’s favour late on.

Lost points: 1

Leeds United 1 – Derby County 2 Monday 1^st April

The last game under Neil Warncok, and again points were simply thrown away. A wonder strike by McCormack seemed to have settled the nerves in the second half, until Jason Pearce clumsily gave away the clearest of penalties, and poor marking allowed Jake Buxton to head home from a corner two minutes from time. A dismal display overall, but Leeds should have got something out of this game.

Lost points: 1

Charlton Athletic 2 – Leeds United 1 Saturday 6^th April

This defeat sent a freefalling Leeds spiraling towards the relegation places. The caretaker duo of Redfern and Naylor did their utmost to get something against a Charlton side who had found some late season form. And having played poorly for most of it, a point looked secured through Luke Varney’s late deflected striker only for more appalling defending to spoil the day as Jonathan Obika headed home completely unmarked in the sixth minute of injury time.

Lost points: 1

Leeds United 1 – Brighton 2 Saturday 27^th April

Leeds have performed a bit better under the guise of Brian McDermott, but slipping to a single goal defeat at Birmingham was disappointing if not predictable. But the defeat against Brighton last Saturday was even more disappointing. The last home game of the season against a free passing Brighton team, and we matched them for most of the game, even when we were losing players. And had Diouf stayed on the pitch instead of winding up the Brighton fans and the touch linesman, there would surely be at least one point staying in West Yorkshire at the end of the game. Instead the nine men could not hold on, as Peltier let a Brighton player cross the ball into the box for Jose Ulloa to finish comprehensively with a headed effort. Another unnecessary goal conceded.

Lost points: 1

With the games described above I make that 24 points dropped this season unnecessarily. This is not counting the games where Leeds have been thoroughly outplayed, nor of course the ones were the margins went in our favour. But the common denominator in the 17 fixtures above is that these were games where Leeds were either in front for long periods and should have held on, or games where Leeds were equally as dismal as their opposition and lost the game because of shocking defending. With those 24 points, Leeds would have been currently second and dreaming of better things. Even half the points dropped this season would see us in the play off mix. Brian McDermott has some job on his hands if he wants to make Leeds United promotion challengers, as dropping so many points throughout the season can’t happen again if the challenge is to become a reality.

Following two days of Leeds United posting teaser shots to Twitter – none of which gave much away – today finally saw the new kit unveiled.

An enormous blue and yellow racing stripe down the centre wouldn’t have been a design recommendation I’d have lobbied for, but for reasons I can’t explain, I actually quite like Macron’s latest effort.

“Leeds United’s home kit should be entirely white” argue many fans, and I do agree our best kits (like the ’72 Cup final shirt) have been entirely white. But if people want to make this a purist argument based on club colours and history, Leeds United’s home kit should really be blue and yellow, as per the city’s crest and the club badge. Don Revie introduced the white to copy Real Madrid in a move not dissimilar to the one Cardiff City’s owners pulled last season.

We’re probably more associated with white than blue and yellow these days, but the trouble with an entirely white kit is there’s absolutely nothing you can do from a design perspective. The only thing that would ever change is the sponsors, no one is going to pay £43 to keep up with the new sponsors each season.

And it’s not as if the entire fanbase despise the new kit. Seems to me that the latest kit is no different to the reception every kit gets – some like it, some don’t. I doubt there’s ever been a Leeds United kit which pleased everyone.

If nothing else, the go-faster stripes should at least improve Michael Brown’s speed.

The train up consisted of copious amounts of alcohol being drunk and football stories being relayed to travellers and fans alike, another positive of the away days we venture on is the friendly nature (most of the time) that us fans participate in, rivalries put aside to talk about our mutual love for the beautiful game. Our travelling contingency arrived into Birmingham with the sun on our backs and beers in our bellies. Meeting up with the London whites in the Warwick arms, more beer was drunk, more stories relayed, and then the walk to the ground commenced, more beers, lovely sunshine, if we had anything to play for this would have been the perfect footballing day.

It was gone 2:40pm by the time St. Andrews came into view, the two thousand travelling Leeds fans had made their way into the ground and the beer and chanting was flowing. My friend Raul turned to me aghast, saying “I have followed Madrid for 20 years, never have I experienced an atmosphere like this” and right on cue, a 20 stone beer soaked Leeds fan went sliding through the sodden floor on his bare chest. The Leeds fans responded, “let’s go f****ng mental.” So much for nothing to play for. The team sheet was read out through the medium of twitter, hardly a surprise in the line-up, RossCo continuing to play behind the two strikers and Morison relegated to the bench. We entered into a sparsely populated stadium; even Leeds had only sold 2,100, some 900 short of the capacity.

The game began, the Leeds fans as vocal as ever, “Marching on Together” echoed around the ground with about as much resistance as the French to the Germans in both World Wars combined. Leeds were playing in the 4-1-2-1-2 system that had served them two home victories last week and then something dawned on me, something that I had almost forgotten happened in football, this thing began to happen lots, one player in white took the ball and kicked it directly to another player. This motion was repeated numerous times before I turned to Raul (the Spanish version of Mourinho) and asked him what on earth was going on. He replied “It would appear you are passing”. Maybe it was the heat, or the beer, or both combined. But at this point I almost fainted, Leeds United have learnt how to pass. All hail Brian McDermott.

The first half was, in all fairness completely boring, the highlights were as thus, Nathan Redmond hit the crossbar with a lobbed attempt, Morrison had a shot blocked, Leeds passed the ball, Birmingham’s Morrison shot wide, Leeds passed the ball and nearly created a McCormack goal but Great Britain’s international number 1 Jack Butland was on fine form. The first half fizzled out without much of a serious chance arising, the Leeds fans were clearly enjoying the sun, creating a new ‘Sam Byram’ chant (I will spare you the indignity of hearing it again) and in general having a wonderful penultimate away day.

Half time was the day’s highlight, walking down into the tunnels to queue for a beer, the menace was back, sliding on his front for the amusement of the hundreds of much enlightened Leeds fans; it’s never a boring away day with the whites, that’s a guarantee.

After the beer, the game started again, Leeds United had once more not scored in the first half (21 and counting I believe) but the optimism was still there, in a game providing so little, it was only a matter of one goal to secure an away win. Leeds almost grabbed that goal, McCormack fired a free kick which hit the crossbar before heading out of play for a Brum goal kick, another story of ‘so close but yet so far’. Leeds continued to exert the pressure, McCormack was central to everything, he is impressing McDermott no doubt (we all pray) and seems a new player now that his old nemesis Colin has disappeared.

For all the Leeds pressure though, nothing would go in, and it was the epitome of the season that in an open game Birmingham would get the goal, Kenny flapped at a shot and Hayden Mullins was perfectly placed to smash home, 1-0 to Birmingham and effectively game over. Cue the Birmingham fans to create some ‘noise’ but to be quickly drowned out by the never die attitude of the travelling Leeds fans. The game, much like our season, fizzled out and 1-0 was the end result. A great away day but another wait until an away win. McDermott has a lot to do, but he is a well grounded gentleman, he’s aware of the task ahead and all we can do is say, good luck.

“ooooooonneeeee Brian McDermott”

I will be in Rome (fashion and forza hunting) for the Watford game, so I suppose I’ll see you all next season! Keep the faith, Marching on Together.

Follow me on twitter @adamgeary1

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds after their 1-0 victory at Burnley, McDermott told reporters that he had spoken to the squad and told them that a clean sheet did not just involve the back four, praising the blocking towards the end of the match.

“The most important thing is that we learn to win and we get the details right.”

It’s been a poor season for The Whites, mid-table in the league with nothing left to play for, Neil Warnock’s only real success came in the League and William Hill sponsored FA Cup cup runs, where the Whites beat Premier League opposition including Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Neil Warnock’s departure came after just 14 months with the club. The team was on a three game losing streak and seven games without a victory when he departed earlier this month, leaving Leeds just 5 points clear of relegation with six games left. At that time he said.

“I have given it my best shot, but, being honest, we haven’t been good enough in the final third of the pitch.”

McDermott’s next challenge will be an away trip to Birmingham City, opponents Leeds last met in the FA Cup, drawing 1-1 at Elland Road before a 2-1 win at St. Andrews earned the Whites a fifth round tie against Manchester City.

There’ll be much less to play for this time however, Leeds United and Birmingham City city sit 11th and 12th respectively, separated by only one point. With no realistic chance of making the play-offs and no danger of being relegation, both teams may use this opportunity to experiment with youth and fringe players.

Leeds’ new manager Brian McDermott has emphasised the importance of the club’s development squad, appointing Academy Chief Neil Redfearn to a first team coaching position which he hopes will help bridge the gap between Leeds United’s development and first team squad.

With only three games remaining before McDermott begins his summer overhaul of Neil Warnock’s squad, both youth and senior players will be looking to impress the new manager and stake their claims for a position in the 2013/14 team.

I put this question to fans on Twitter and the response was predictably mixed. ‘Limited yet hard-working’ was a common theme, with examples such as Andy Hughes and David “Jesus” Prutton given as examples.

It’s certainly a trait many cult heroes share, but not one that’s entirely universal. Take Dominic Matteo for example, a man who continues to draw admiration from fans long after his retirement, one of the most popular cult heroes we’ve ever had. Sure, he was no Patrick Viera, but to call him “limited” would be to do him a huge disservice. Playing alongside and against some exceptionally talented footballers, Dom Matteo never looked out-of-place.

Hard-working seemed to cover everyone until Eric Cantona’s name was dropped, another player you couldn’t describe as “limited”. The Frenchman wasn’t lazy, but he was so naturally gifted, football looked almost effortless to him. Cantona was the 90′s answer to Lionel Messi, he performed feats of footballing genius without breaking a sweat.

One thing a lot of our cult heroes seem to have in common is that they didn’t spend the majority of their career at Elland Road. Ian Baird, Chris Kamara, Vinnie Jones, the other names listed so far and a few more besides, all had relatively short spells at Elland Road that belies the level of hero-worship they still receive.

Chris Kamara, the ultimate football journeyman, played only 20 games for Leeds yet still remains popular. Howard Wilkinson lost the plot and shipped Eric Cantona off to Manchester United after less than a year at the club, Vinnie Jones lasted only a season and half, Andy Hughes and David Prutton spent just three years at Elland Road while Ian Baird and Dom Matteo had four years each.

Duration of spell may be one of the things that separates cult hero from outright hero, but it can’t be the only factor or Leeds United fans would have a hundred cult heroes from the last two decades alone. It has to be combined with something else, the thing that makes fans remember these figures more fondly than other players.

The best response I received from anyone on Twitter was personality. Whether they’re a slightly unhinged madman like Vinnie Jones, a bit of a joker like David Prutton and Chris Kamara or the fans just find them easy to relate to like Dom Matteo and Andy Hughes, all cult heroes have very distinctive personalities which make them stand-out from the crowd.

For one reason or another, all cult heroes are likeable. We hated seeing Eric Cantona propel Manchester United to a new era of dominance, but no one ever blamed the Frenchman for that. We were grateful for the short spell he had in White, for the awe-inspiring performances he put in. Leeds fans loved Eric Cantona.

I’ve had this conversation with other Leeds fans many times, and everyone seems to remember where they were when his sale was announced. For me, it was halfway to the Yorkshire Dales en route to my Aunt’s house when news broke over the radio. The world seemed to stop for a minute as my Uncle stared blankly at the radio, perhaps waiting for the presenter to retract the statement. I was very young at the time and didn’t really understand what was happening, but a player who made only 28 appearances for Leeds had reduced my Uncle to silence, too devastated for words.

It was my Uncle’s reaction that makes the moment so memorable. I’d only just started attending games at Elland Road around that time and had never experienced the raw emotions the sale of a popular player can produce. I’d go on to experience it many times of course, Alan Smith’s sale is one example, but Cantona’s sale came at a time when we were Champions. It didn’t make sense.

Maybe then, the mark of a cult hero is the emotions they make us feel and the stories they leave behind. Dom Matteo’s San Siro goal, David Prutton’s farewell letter, Andy Hughes’ dancing, the two goals Ian Baird scored against promotion rivals Newcastle United AFTER we’d sold him, every cult hero made their mark, leaving behind memories which stir emotions of great joy, celebration and sadness, memories we still discuss many years after the player departs.

Separated from outright heroes like Lucas Radebe and Billy Bremner by ability, success and/or duration of stay, cult heroes still have a special place in the hearts of every Leeds United fan, but who was your favourite? Those featured above have been added to our poll, but feel free to share your own personal cult heroes and thoughts on what makes a cult hero in the comments below.

The Whites dominated most of the game, playing short measured passes, retaining possession and patiently trying to create openings.

A far cry from the hoofball days of Neil Warnock, Burnley manager Sean Dyche summed up the change;

“That group of players weren’t playing like that two weeks ago. I know because I saw them.”

Despite all the changes, Leeds United extended a run of games without scoring in the first half to 19. The Whites best chance had fallen to Luke Varney who somehow managed to head over the bar from 4 yards when it looked easier to score.

Varney missed another good chance at the start of the second half, but his overall performance can’t be faulted. He looks a player transformed in his new centre-forward role, a tirelessly hard-working individual whose aerial dominance is something Leeds United have missed since the departure of Luciano Becchio.

Meanwhile, Rodolph Austin was playing an absolute blinder. While always strong in the tackle, the Jamaican has taken some criticism in recent weeks for his wayward passing and careless pot-shots, but last night, he looked like the Rudy of old.

The strong tackles and surging runs forward remained, but gone were the forty yard potshots and misplaced passes. Austin’s 63rd minute goal, a well-taken volley which came via an exquisite chip from El-Hadji Diouf, was just reward for his man of the match performance and the perfect finish to an excellent passage of play from the Whites.

Rudy wasn’t alone in upping his game, the entire team did. As a unit they looked cohesive and more comfortable playing the style Brian McDermott has adopted. Every player wanted the ball and was working hard to create space for themselves, giving their team-mates options when in possession. There was no moaning when someone lost the ball either, they simply re-organised and fought to get it back.

Joyfully, the absence of moaning on the pitch seemed to transfer to the stands too where the 16,788 who had bothered to turn up were enjoying the new style of football Brian McDermott was directing. “We’re Leeds United, we’re passing the ball” was sang with so much enthusiasm, the players must surely have taken encouragement from it.

The match wasn’t entirely one-way traffic though, Burnley did enjoy brief spells of sustained pressure towards the end of each half, but this was as comfortable a 1-0 victory as Leeds United have produced in some time.

Changes to personnel and the style of play certainly helped matters, but the biggest contributing factor to this win was Leeds United’s togetherness. In five short days, Brian McDermott has replaced hunched shoulders, frustrated sighs and dropped heads with an enthusiasm and self-belief we’ve lacked in recent months. The players looked to be enjoying themselves, and most importantly, the crowd was too.

There’s work to be done of course. We still lack creativity, width and could use a heavy-hitter upfront. But these are areas to be addressed in the summer, for now, you have to applaud Brian McDermott for getting the best out of the players at his disposal.

On and on…