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'Miserable' – Leeds chief launches attack on rivals and delivers verdict on Whites return
Angus Kinnear has delivered a brilliant set of programme notes ahead of one of the biggest games Leeds United have seen in recent years.
Writing in the Leeds programme for the Fulham game, as quoted in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Kinnear launched an attack on clubs who put self-interest ahead of the game during lockdown.
And he also said his first experience of Leeds without fans was a “miserable” one.
“We have always believed that, for the future of the industry and the integrity of the sport, the right place was to complete the season where we started it – on the pitch,” Kinnear said.
“The leadership of the Premier League and the EFL deserve credit for achieving this objective in the face of a number of parties who were, completely understandably, putting the interests of their own club before those of the broader game.
“From teams not wanting to play matches because they might lose them, to clubs channelling the spirit of Stephen Hawking to come up with league curtailment formula that confounded the basic principles of mathematics, pragmatism has ultimately prevailed.
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“The next challenge facing the game is the return of crowds.
“The current situation is economically untenable for all but the Premier League and my first miserable crowd-less experience at Cardiff reinforced the axiom that the game is truly nothing without the fans.”
The game at Elland Road today is going to be an odd one without fans.
There are 15,0000 crowdies in the stands – way more than any other club has managed – and it looks pretty impressive.
But it’s obviously no substitute for the real thing and Leeds fans everywhere will be glued to Sky Sports or LUTV instead today as the new normal really sets in.
It’s interesting to hear Kinnear describe the Cardiff experience as “miserable” and it must be very different being in the stadium and hearing the players rattle around in what would normally be a very hostile environment for Leeds.
Getting fans back is the next big step and we’re really hoping that at least some supporters can be at Elland Road when the side (hopefully) lines up for its first game back in the Premier League for 16 years.
We’d also like to pay tribute to Leeds and Kinnear for how they handled the Coronavirus outbreak. They’ve come out of a tricky period with their heads held high – which you can’t say about all clubs.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Tense and tight’ – Jeff Stelling & Matt Le Tissier predict score in huge Leeds v Fulham clash