My First Game with Neville Whittingham

We continue our feature 'My First Game' with Neville Whittingham, a Leeds fan for over 40 years.

My first Leeds game was against Aston Villa on 11th December 1976 (my12th birthday). Leeds lost 3-1, David McNiven scored for us and Andy Gray (whatever happened to him?) scored 2 for them.

I can't remember much about the game, but I do remember the goal popping up on a video years later. '100 of the Greatest Leeds Goals'.

It was memorable because, the week before, my parents announced I wasn't going to school one day because my dad had arranged to go and watch Leeds train at Fullerton Park and I was going to meet the players. Wow!! (You'd be fined for doing that now).

The day was a bit of a disappointment as the training session was cancelled due to snow and only 4 players turned up, Frank Gray, Gordon McQueen, Paul Reeney and club captain, Trevor Cherry. I got their autographs and Trevor generously offered to take the book and get all the players to autograph it the following week, which he did.

I was going to the game with my dad, also, called Neville, now sadly departed. His workmate, Bob, who was a regular, knew the ropes.

As it turned out, one of my mates got me a cracking birthday (Scrabble!) present so, as a treat, my dad gave up his ticket for him so he could go instead with me. I didn't go to another game until 1980 when I started going with my mates on the train, 50p for a Day Rover, 50p for the Boys' Pen, a cheap day out.

I got my first season ticket in 1981and have had one every year since. Plenty of ups and downs, unfortunately, more downs than ups of late.

MOT

By Neville Whittingham

If you'd like to tell us your first game as a Leeds fan, or even your first memory of our great club, get in touch via the contact us page and your story could be up here next week!