LULeeds United

Club history

Leeds United was formed on 17 October 1919 after the Football League expelled its predecessor, Leeds City, over allegations of illegal wartime payments to players. The new club acquired Elland Road, previously a rugby ground known locally by the "Old Peacock" pub nearby (giving rise to an early nickname, "the Peacocks"), for 250 pounds, aided by a loan from Huddersfield Town's chairman. Elland Road has remained Leeds's only home ever since. The now-familiar all-white strip, and the nickname "the Whites," were introduced by manager Don Revie in 1961, modelled deliberately on Real Madrid.

Revie's side of the 1960s and early 1970s became one of English football's most feared and controversial teams, winning the First Division title in 1968-69 and 1973-74, the FA Cup in 1972, the League Cup in 1968, and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, while also suffering repeated near-misses in multiple competitions. A further title arrived in 1991-92 under Howard Wilkinson, the last champions before the Premier League era. A Champions League semi-final run in 2001 preceded financial catastrophe: chairman Peter Ridsdale's borrowing against anticipated European revenue backfired when qualification was twice missed, precipitating relegation in 2004 and administration in 2007, which sent Leeds to League One, the lowest tier in its history.

Recovery came slowly, culminating in promotion back to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 after 16 years away, though relegation soon followed. Leeds returned to the top flight again in 2025 under Daniel Farke. The club's fiercest rivalries are with Manchester United, rooted in the Revie-Busby era, and Chelsea, dating to the bitter 1970 FA Cup final.

Sources

• Wikipedia
• sportsteamhistory.com

English Top-Flight Champions won (3)

• 1968-69
• 1973-74
• 1991-92

Runner-up finishes (5)

• 1964-65
• 1965-66
• 1969-70
• 1970-71
• 1971-72

See the full english top-flight champions list for the winner each of these years.