My First Game with Adam Pope

Legendary commentator and all round good egg Adam Pope talks about his first ever Leeds game in our feature 'My First Game'.

Weird one this for me as the first game I went to at Elland Road was, I think, December 27, 1977.

Leeds United 3-1 Everton

All I remember was that it was freezing. I was ten and spending Christmas in Hull with my family and my step father, who was with Everton, took me to the match.

I think we sat in the nice seats in the west stand and I can sort of remember the railings that I think remain to this day whenever I walk past them to reach the tunnel after a commentary.

I can't remember hardly a thing about the match other than United were far better than Everton on the day.

Peter Lorimer apparently scorched home a freekick and I can vaguely recollect Martin Dobson scoring a late consolation goal once Leeds were 3-0 up.

More than 45,000 were in the ground that day but I suppose the overriding memory is one of being bitterly cold and quite intimidated!

It's strange thinking that every time I went back after that Everton would invariably lose. In the FA Cup on a school night West Ham won an FA Cup semi 2-1 in extra time despite a dramatic late equaliser from Bob Latchford for the Blues. 15 years later I was at a glorious 4-1 FA Cup semi final victory over Spurs in 95.

To think that 10 years later I would be doing my first Leeds United commentary 30 feet above my head that day on the gantry as United beat Millwall on the opening weekend of the 05/06 campaign.

By Adam Pope
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