Went to The Tempest Arms in Elslack just beyond Skipton today for Charlotte's Mum's Birthday. It's the same place we're staying at next year when Rebecca gets married.
Have to say that the food on offer was bloody beautiful.
Anyone who knows the area should definitely get there for a meal.
Here's the link to their site if you're bothered :
http://www.tempestarms.co.uk/food1.asp
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Leeds United 2-1 Exeter City
LEEDS UNITED 2 (Beckford 13, 89), EXETER 1 (Russell 73)
United: Higgs, Crowe, Kisnorbo, Marques, Parker (Hughes 28), Snodgrass, Howson, Doyle, Johnson (Robinson 74), Becchio (Showunmi 84), Beckford. Subs: Ankergren, Prutton, Grella, Michalik.
Exeter: Jones, Duffy, Russell, Seabourne, Taylor, Harley, Golbourne, Corr, Cork (Sercombe 90), Edwards (McAllster 60), Stewart (Norwood 70). Subs: Marriott, Tully, Burnell, A-Henville.
Referee: N Miller
Booked: Showunmi (Leeds), Edwards (Exeter).
Sent-off: Corr (Exeter)
Att: 27,681
Leeds United just don't lose on the first day of the season, that is a fact. It's been 20 years since we lost on the opening day and indeed, the streak of wins at Elland Road now stands at 12 without loss at home.
Leeds gave league debuts to Higgs, Crowe, Kisnorbo and this week's season-long loanee Michael Doyle.
The match was a very mixed affair. Leeds certainly started the brightest. Becchio had a good header that just went over the bar and Beckford had a couple of efforts stopped by Jones in the Exeter goal.
13 minutes into the new season was all it took for Leeds to gain the advantage though when Ben Parker picked up the ball close to the halfway line and made a decisive dart around a few players before slotting the ball through to Jermaine Beckford who made no mistake, putting the ball out of the reach of the keeper in the bottom left hand corner.
Not long afterwards, Beckford also hit the bar with a header and Doyle failed to hit the target with the followup.
Leeds lost Ben Parker soon after though when he pulled up with what looked to be a painful leg injury and he was replaced by Andy Hughes.
Exeter finished the first half on top with a couple of chances but nothing that really challenged Higgs at all.
At half time, we were treated to the new halftime game where someone randomly from the crowd has to try to score from the halfway line to win a DAB radio...they also get free pizza...but the guy didn't do it so only went back into the stand with his pizza!
The second half started well, but a clash of heads slowed everything down whilst Kisnorbo was treated for a head wound, only to come back on the pitch sporting a huge bandage wrapped around his noggin!
Beckford had a couple of chances that he tried to lift over the keeper but he saw them both miss the goal.
Bizarrely, the Exeter striker Barry Corr was red-carded for an incident which no-one really had a clue about. Everyone seemed as shocked as he did when we walked.
Crowe missed an absolute sitter as he was put clean through and then he turned villain after giving away a free kick just outside the area which was converted sweetly by Exeter to make it 1-1.
Becchio had another good chance but couldn't scramble the ball into the net. He was substituted for Showumni who made a huge impact as he played a great ball out to the right for Crowe who lifted a ball into the area which met the head of Beckford who made the game 2-1 with a minute of normal time to go.
Beckford almost got a hattrick when his injury-time effort was saved by the Keeper.
It was by no means convincing...but the three points are in the bag and that is all that matters.
Next match : Darlington on Monday in the Carling Cup up in Darlington. I am heading up there for the game and will report back on my return.
Thursday, 6 August 2009
The Leeds United Jinx?
Am I a Jinx on Leeds United?
I started supporting Leeds in the season AFTER they won the title. I had been to a couple of games in the title winning season but didn't become a "fan" until the season after.
I had season tickets for a good few years when I was a kid, but when I reached adulthood, I couldn't afford a season ticket so I stopped going...
...whilst I wasn't going, we were getting great positions in the league and getting into Europe and getting to Semi-Finals and all that Jazz.
When I eventually decided to get a season ticket again and come back to Leeds, it was the season that we were relegated from the Premiership and I've been going ever since.
Away games I have attended in the past :
Sheffield Wednesday a couple of seasons back...we lost 1-0.
Blackburn in the cup in the same season...we lost 3-0.
Last season I only went to MK Dons away...we lost 3-0 and the next day our manager, Gary McAllister was sacked.
I've got a ticket for Darlington (A) on Monday night and Walsall (A) on the 18th....should I go?
I started supporting Leeds in the season AFTER they won the title. I had been to a couple of games in the title winning season but didn't become a "fan" until the season after.
I had season tickets for a good few years when I was a kid, but when I reached adulthood, I couldn't afford a season ticket so I stopped going...
...whilst I wasn't going, we were getting great positions in the league and getting into Europe and getting to Semi-Finals and all that Jazz.
When I eventually decided to get a season ticket again and come back to Leeds, it was the season that we were relegated from the Premiership and I've been going ever since.
Away games I have attended in the past :
Sheffield Wednesday a couple of seasons back...we lost 1-0.
Blackburn in the cup in the same season...we lost 3-0.
Last season I only went to MK Dons away...we lost 3-0 and the next day our manager, Gary McAllister was sacked.
I've got a ticket for Darlington (A) on Monday night and Walsall (A) on the 18th....should I go?
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
New Beginnings! Old League!
As the 2009/10 season fast approaches, what is in store for Leeds United. To say the last few years have had, as the chant goes, "ups and downs", is a complete understatement. The last ten years have seen :
- 2 Relegations
- 3 Playoff losses (2 finals and 1 semi final)
- 2 Champions League Semi-Finals
What other club can say they have has such a turbulent time as that? None that I know.
This season, Leeds United simply HAVE to be promoted. And we must avoid the playoffs at all cost. League One does not deserve to have us in their midst. We belong in a higher division, playing better teams and attracting more players to our lineup. I honestly believe we have what it takes to do it automatically, and do it in style this season. From what I have seen in the last three Pre-Season matches, we're in a great position to get to the stop and stay there right through until the end of the season.
This week we look set to lose the services of Fabian Delph who is looking likely to be running out in the Premier League for Aston Villa in the coming season, but our performance on Saturday against Burnley without his services proved to the fans that Delph is by no means the be all and end all of the team.
Last season's goal-hero Beckford who bagged and amazing 43 goals for us will be a key man in the squad again this year for sure. Backed up by Becchio and youngster Mike Grella, I'm confident that when we need them, the goals will be there.
Losing Delph will be a blow to the midfield, but David Prutton and Jonny Howson are more than capable of stepping up to the plate and making their name as permanent first-teamers. Flank those two with Snodgrass and Andy Robinson who are both goal-grabbers in their own right and we're on the right track going forward.
Coming backwards though is another matter. We've always conceded plenty of goals which makes the forwards' jobs harder as they're having to double their tally to pick up the three points. Simon Grayson has named Richard Naylor as his captain for the season and going by what we saw when he was brought into the team in the second half of last season, we have a lot of good defending to look forward to. Rui Marques and new-boy Australian Patrick Kisnorbo will be a solid partnership too. We're spoilt for choice for Left Backs with Ben Parker and Aidy White being the two obvious choices, with Alan Sheehan there as backup too...although his performances can sometimes leave a lot to be desired!
In goal, Leeds will probably stick with Casper Ankergren as the number one, although Shane Higgs, brought in from Watford has shown in pre-season that he is top notch and will be tough competition for the goalkeeper's jersey.
So just who will Grayson pick in his starting eleven on Saturday as we open up the season against Exeter?
My selection would be : Higgs, Parker, Kisnorbo, Marques, Crowe, Johnson, Prutton, Howson, Snodgrass, Beckford & Becchio with subs likely to be Ankergren, Grella, Robinson, White & Hughes.
Monday, 3 August 2009
Burnley 1-2 Leeds United
It's been a while since Leeds United have visited a Premier League ground. We did go to Newcastle on Wednesday, but as we all know, they're on the verge of "doing a Leeds" and as such will be wallowing in the Championship for at least a year.
So it was a nice surprise that we were set to have a pre-season match against a great Premiership team. Who would it be against? The mighty Liverpool with Anfield awaiting us? Would the beautiful Emirates Stadium in North London play host to an Arsenal Vs Leeds friendly?
Nope!
Instead, we were set to visit the run down Turf Moor, home of Burnley FC for our last pre-season match before the league got going. To say Turf Moor is a little run-down is an understatement. We'll get to the ground in a little while. Firstly we parked up, as a lot of Away supporters do, in the Cricket club car park around the back of the stadium. After a quick drink and a laugh at how dense the barmaid was in the cricket club (lets just hope she doesn't double as the team's score-board operator) we made our way around the corner and through the turnstiles into the ground. As you pass through the turnstiles (and pay the ludicrous £15 for the match) you are greeted by a large hole in the wall which passes as the entrance into the "concourse"...a corridor of concrete with almost Zero lighting. The only light seemed to be coming from the few entrances up to the seating area.
We made our way to our unallocated seats and found that we would be spending the match on wooden seats...lets just say it's a good job we don't sit down at away matches! It also sparked off the rendition of "Wooden seats? Ya havin' a laugh!" chant that was sung by almost every Leeds fan in the ground.
The new Burnley mascot was introduced to the fans for the first time this season. Something called Bertie Bee which, to be perfectly honest, looked more like a wasp than a Bee! Naturally it was greeted well by the Leeds fans : "What the f*cking hell is THAT?"
Then it was time for the match.
Leeds were without the services of Fabian Delph, strongly rumoured to be on his travels across the pennines to the Moneybags City. Whether the rumours are true or not remain to be seen. Jermaine Beckford had been penned in to starting the game too but didn't make the runout for the first half, leaving everyone a little bemused.
So Leeds lined up with a team of Ankergren, Crowe, Marques, Kisnorbo, Parker, Hughes, Howson, Prutton, Johnson, Grella and Showunmi (who was comically introduced as Enoch Showuminimini).
On paper we were a weakened team and Burnley were feeling an almost full strength team that included the likes of Chris Eagles (instantly disliked for his affiliation with Scum) and Robbie Blake, a Leeds United old-boy.
The premiership team were on the back foot from the beginning with Grella and Howson both going close. About halfway through the first half, following a bad tackle on Jason Crowe, Bradley Johnson stepped up and hammered his freekick into the post. Leeds were well and truly taking the game to Burnley. Showunmi missed an absolute sitter too when a ball came in low from the right hand side and he failed to hit the target with his tap in.
On 37 minutes however, the deadlock was broken when a slip by Burnley defender (and ex Leeds player) Caldwell, let in young American/Italian Mike Grella who curled a beautiful ball past The Beast Jensen and into the back of the Burnley net. Grella's relief was clear to see as he bagged his first senior goal for the club, one that the fans have been looking forward to for a long time too.
The Burnley fans were poor. I don't know whether it was a mixture of the fact that their team played rubbish, or whether the fact that we started chanting "Blackburn, give us a song, Blackburn Blackburn give us a sing" followed by "Preston, give us a song..." etc etc that really upset them.
As half time approached, Leeds United remained on top of the game, having another couple of chances but failing to add to their lead. Chris Eagles for Burnley had a golden opportunity to equalise in the final seconds of the first half but directed his shot wide of Ankergren's goal.
In the second half, Leeds picked up where they had left off and still pressed the sorry-looking Burnley who certainly did not seem to be performing like a Premier League outfit.
A few substitutions slowed the second half down and made it a slightly more sloppy affair than the first...but it was one of those substitutions, Andy Robinson for Leeds who stepped up to the mark again. A cross from the right and Robinson was there to blast the ball past Jensen's bottom left.
Burnley made a flurry of substitutions after the second goal went in and around the 76th minute, they managed to pull a goal back following a low corner which was slid into the net past Ankergren.
The game stayed 2-1 to Leeds who delighted in taking the scalp of a Premier League opponent.
I can honestly say that if Burnley continue to perform like they did on Saturday against us, they will end up being whipping boys in the Premiership.
As the Leeds fans sung :
Blackburn will murder you, Blackburn will murder you!
Portsmouth will murder you, Portsmouth will murder you!
Tottenham will murder you, Tottenham will murder you!
Hull will draw with you, Hull will draw with you!
Saturday 8th August, Leeds will play host to Exeter as the League One season gets underway and I cannot wait to be stood in N8 at Elland Road, cheering the boys on to victory on the first step to promotion!
Current Paddy Power odds of Outright League Win : 3/1
So it was a nice surprise that we were set to have a pre-season match against a great Premiership team. Who would it be against? The mighty Liverpool with Anfield awaiting us? Would the beautiful Emirates Stadium in North London play host to an Arsenal Vs Leeds friendly?
Nope!
Instead, we were set to visit the run down Turf Moor, home of Burnley FC for our last pre-season match before the league got going. To say Turf Moor is a little run-down is an understatement. We'll get to the ground in a little while. Firstly we parked up, as a lot of Away supporters do, in the Cricket club car park around the back of the stadium. After a quick drink and a laugh at how dense the barmaid was in the cricket club (lets just hope she doesn't double as the team's score-board operator) we made our way around the corner and through the turnstiles into the ground. As you pass through the turnstiles (and pay the ludicrous £15 for the match) you are greeted by a large hole in the wall which passes as the entrance into the "concourse"...a corridor of concrete with almost Zero lighting. The only light seemed to be coming from the few entrances up to the seating area.
We made our way to our unallocated seats and found that we would be spending the match on wooden seats...lets just say it's a good job we don't sit down at away matches! It also sparked off the rendition of "Wooden seats? Ya havin' a laugh!" chant that was sung by almost every Leeds fan in the ground.
The new Burnley mascot was introduced to the fans for the first time this season. Something called Bertie Bee which, to be perfectly honest, looked more like a wasp than a Bee! Naturally it was greeted well by the Leeds fans : "What the f*cking hell is THAT?"
Then it was time for the match.
Leeds were without the services of Fabian Delph, strongly rumoured to be on his travels across the pennines to the Moneybags City. Whether the rumours are true or not remain to be seen. Jermaine Beckford had been penned in to starting the game too but didn't make the runout for the first half, leaving everyone a little bemused.
So Leeds lined up with a team of Ankergren, Crowe, Marques, Kisnorbo, Parker, Hughes, Howson, Prutton, Johnson, Grella and Showunmi (who was comically introduced as Enoch Showuminimini).
On paper we were a weakened team and Burnley were feeling an almost full strength team that included the likes of Chris Eagles (instantly disliked for his affiliation with Scum) and Robbie Blake, a Leeds United old-boy.
The premiership team were on the back foot from the beginning with Grella and Howson both going close. About halfway through the first half, following a bad tackle on Jason Crowe, Bradley Johnson stepped up and hammered his freekick into the post. Leeds were well and truly taking the game to Burnley. Showunmi missed an absolute sitter too when a ball came in low from the right hand side and he failed to hit the target with his tap in.
On 37 minutes however, the deadlock was broken when a slip by Burnley defender (and ex Leeds player) Caldwell, let in young American/Italian Mike Grella who curled a beautiful ball past The Beast Jensen and into the back of the Burnley net. Grella's relief was clear to see as he bagged his first senior goal for the club, one that the fans have been looking forward to for a long time too.
The Burnley fans were poor. I don't know whether it was a mixture of the fact that their team played rubbish, or whether the fact that we started chanting "Blackburn, give us a song, Blackburn Blackburn give us a sing" followed by "Preston, give us a song..." etc etc that really upset them.
As half time approached, Leeds United remained on top of the game, having another couple of chances but failing to add to their lead. Chris Eagles for Burnley had a golden opportunity to equalise in the final seconds of the first half but directed his shot wide of Ankergren's goal.
In the second half, Leeds picked up where they had left off and still pressed the sorry-looking Burnley who certainly did not seem to be performing like a Premier League outfit.
A few substitutions slowed the second half down and made it a slightly more sloppy affair than the first...but it was one of those substitutions, Andy Robinson for Leeds who stepped up to the mark again. A cross from the right and Robinson was there to blast the ball past Jensen's bottom left.
Burnley made a flurry of substitutions after the second goal went in and around the 76th minute, they managed to pull a goal back following a low corner which was slid into the net past Ankergren.
The game stayed 2-1 to Leeds who delighted in taking the scalp of a Premier League opponent.
I can honestly say that if Burnley continue to perform like they did on Saturday against us, they will end up being whipping boys in the Premiership.
As the Leeds fans sung :
Blackburn will murder you, Blackburn will murder you!
Portsmouth will murder you, Portsmouth will murder you!
Tottenham will murder you, Tottenham will murder you!
Hull will draw with you, Hull will draw with you!
Saturday 8th August, Leeds will play host to Exeter as the League One season gets underway and I cannot wait to be stood in N8 at Elland Road, cheering the boys on to victory on the first step to promotion!
Current Paddy Power odds of Outright League Win : 3/1
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