The 2010–11 season was Leeds United's first season back in the Championship following promotion the previous season.
Season summary
In the league the club just missed out on the play-offs, after being in contention for the majority of the season. In other competitions, the club performed poorly in the League Cup, going out in their first match, however made it to the third round of the FA Cup forcing Premier League giants Arsenal to a replay in the process.
For the first time since 1990–91, Simon Grayson's team saw four players, Becchio (20), Gradel (18), Somma (12) and Howson (11), make it in to double figures in the scoring charts. After a disastrous
end to the previous season, Gradel rejuvenated himself and picked up both the Fans' and Players' Player of the Year with Young Player going to the much improved Howson.[1] Off the field, Chairman Ken Bates consolidated his ownership of the club by purchasing a majority shareholding in the club.[2]
Events
This is a list of the significant events to occur at the club during the 2010–11 season, presented in chronological order (starting from 14 May 2010 and ending on the final day of the club's final match in the 2010–11 season. Results of any disclipinaries etc. relevant to this season are also listed.) This list does not include transfers or new contracts, which are listed in the transfers section below, or match results, which are in the matches section.
May
14 May: The club release a "released and retained" list with eight players being released, two players being offered new contracts and four players – Trésor Kandol, Ľubomír Michalík, Andy Robinson and Alan Sheehan – being placed on the transfer list.[3]
8 July: Manager Simon Grayson confirms that Richard Naylor will remain club captain for the new season.[6]
10 July: The squad depart to Slovakia for their pre-season tour. The travelling squad includes all first teamers except transfer listed Kandol, Michalik, Robinson and Sheehan, injured Naylor and Parker and youngsters Darville, Elliott and Hatfield.[7]
13 July:Simon Grayson signs a new three-year contract as club manager.[8]
29 July: The squad numbers for the new season are announced with no. 2 Crowe being demoted to no. 20 in favour of Connolly. Meanwhile, Gradel is promoted to no. 7 from no. 28 and the four transfer listed players, plus Elliott and Hatfield, are demoted to higher numbers. Paynter takes over the no. 9 shirt from last season's top scorer Jermaine Beckford while Schmeichel is made no. 1 with Collins, Sam and Bessone being handed numbers 5, 11 and 21 respectively.[9]
August
17 August: The club are charged for failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion after a mass brawl with the opposition players during the 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest on 15 August.[10] Forest are also charged with a three match ban being handed to their player Chris Gunter whose stamp on Leeds striker Sanchez Watt started the brawl.[11]
18 August: Club chairman Ken Bates slams the charge on the club by The FA in regard to the Forest game, stating that the club will defend themselves and back up Watt.[12] Meanwhile, it is revealed that the club spent £335,723 on agents fees during the 2009–10 season – the third highest in League One.[13]
24 August: Leeds are fined £7,500 and Nottingham Forest £12,500 after the mass brawl during the match nine days ago.[14]
November
18 November: Midfielder Bradley Johnson is put on the transfer list after rejecting a new contract.[15]
December
10 December: Defender Jason Crowe is put on the transfer list after declining several loan offers from other clubs.[16]
April
4 April: The club announce they have made a profit of £2.072 million in the 2009–10 financial year. It is also disclosed that the club's turnover increased by 16% to £27.446 million. In addition, it is noted that gate receipts totalled £11.732 million, rising 30.8% with merchandising increasing by 12% to £5.509 million. In their statement, it is revealed that the total wage bill of the playing and football management staff in the relevant financial year was £7.706 million with the value of the entire squad estimated at £6.667 million.[17]
May
3 May: The club announce that on 26 April 2011, chairman Ken Bates became the controlling shareholder of the club after his company Outro Limited purchased Forward Sports Fund Limited, the company who own 72.85% (102,000,000 shares) of the shares in Leeds City Holdings Limited (L.C.H.) – the parent company of Leeds United Football Club Limited (the company that holds the share in the Football League, is a member of the West Riding County Football Association and an Associate Member of the FA) for an undisclosed fee. It is noted that the remaining 27.15% (approx. 38,013,727 shares) of shares in L.C.H. are owned by four unconnected shareholders, with none of them holding more than 10% of the shares.[2]
6 May: The club plead guilty to the FA charge of "failing to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour" in regard to the mass brawl against Burnley six days ago[18]
7 May: The club finish The Championship season in 7th place, thus missing out on the play-offs.[19]
10 May:The FA fine both Leeds and Burnley £5,000 in relation to the brawl between their players in the April match. Leeds are fined an additional £7,500 as they had recently been found guilty of a separate improper conduct charge.[20]
Updated to match(es) played on 7 May 2011. Source: The Football League Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Last updated: 30 April 2011 Source: BBC Sport Only competitive matches = Number of bookings; = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card; = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.
Note: Bessone is EU national as he holds an Italian passport.
1Contract includes an optional one-year extension clause.[71][24] 2Although officially undisclosed, it was reported by Vital Football that the fee was £400,000.[72] 3Player joined the club on a non-contract basis with selection eligibility for the reserve team only. Warner only played one game before moving on to Scunthorpe United. It was rumoured that Warner rejected a six-month contract with the club.[68]
Sources: For loan start source see "Start source". For loan end source see "End source". EU = if holds or not a European Union passport; Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth; No. = number on jersey; P = Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation); Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name); In/Out = In: The player came in on loan, Out: The player went out on loan; Loan club = the club that the player moved on loan to or the club that the player came from on loan; Started = the date when the player's loan started; Ended = the date when the player's loan ended.
1Manager Simon Grayson confirmed in an interview with LUTV that Alnwick returned to Tottenham Hotspur after the behind-closed-doors match against Sunderland due to a thigh strain.
Sources: For loan start source see "Start source". For loan end source see "End source". EU = if holds or not a European Union passport; Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth; No. = number on jersey; P = Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation); Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name); In/Out = In: The player came in on loan, Out: The player went out on loan; Loan club = the club that the player moved on loan to or the club that the player came from on loan; Started = the date when the player's loan started; Ended = the date when the player's loan ended.
1The player returned to the club on 1 January following his first loan spell and returned to Oldham Athletic on 27 January with a deal lasting until the end of the season.
EU = if holds or not a European Union passport; Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth; N = number on jersey; P = Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation); Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name); Age = age on the day of the signing; Moving from = only indicate the club the player was playing before start playing for this club in this season, for the type of the moving see Status column; Moving to = only indicates the club the player is going to play next, for the type of the moving see Status column; Ends = when the player's current contract ends; n/a = Not applicable.
1Kandol finished the 2009–10 season with the shirt number 20, however was absent during the 2010–11 season shirt number announcement with Jason Crowe taking his number. Kandol was last seen wearing the number 33 shirt during pre-season training.
2It has been confirmed that the fee paid by Sheffield United was higher than the £500k that Leeds paid for Collins in the summer to Preston.
