Another new dawn

By Rab Laverty

Well, August again, the new season is upon us and like thousands of Leeds United fans the world over, I am waiting expectantly wondering will this year we break free of lower league football and roll back into the big time.

Surely the premier league and all its riches, is where we truly belong, certainly with our fan base and our history, that should be our destiny, sadly though with the past decade of mis- management and financial discrepancy we are exactly where we deserve to be.

Ken Bates came into view, as a knight in shining armour when he rode to our rescue only to turn out to be like the angel of death to all our hopes and dreams. So until we get our cloudy ownership issue sorted it would appear that we will still have to deal among the bargain basement and loan markets for has been and never will be players. My only hope, in reality, for this season is in a man who never disguised his contempt for all things Leeds, when in charge of other clubs, but who has now strode into view as possibly the man for the job.

Yes, Neil Warnock, that experienced old war horse of seven successful promotion campaigns has turned his significantly experienced hand to working his magic at our beloved club. When Neil first got the job I liked his attitude straight away when he basically gave Bates a back me or lose me ultimatum. As this seems to be Neil's last port of call as a manager he won't take no nonsense from old Ebenezer himself and certainly in the early stages of the close season it looked likely that he would walk out due to lack of backing in the transfer market.

Then when our mysterious new owners seemed as if they were about to take control, all of a sudden, Neil has magically signed 10 new players seemingly with their financial clout behind him. I, for one, am reasonably impressed with his dealings during the summer, he has a good eye for a player especially at championship level and I am very hopeful if we get a good start, especially with our home form, after last season, then we do have a good chance of being involved in the big shake up next May. If and when our mysterious new owners, do take control of our club hopefully January could see us making a couple of good signings that might get us towards the finish line and this is what we will all look to if August finishes with the club still owned by master Bates. We all live in hope...

So in closing, please let us all get behind our team, yes even Neil Warnock and El Hadji Diouf. Remember if they wear that white shirt they deserve our support, nothing will encourage opposition more than the sound of us booing and abusing our own players and staff, let us cheer our team on towards our premier league goal.

Roll on Saturday 18th August so as when the great Leeds bandwagon begins our climb to grace we are fully behind every single player and staff member in a Leeds kit. Our name is Leeds UNITED and let's all show the world we will support our team through thick and thin. MOT.

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