matthefish2002 Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Strange now then that another born and bred Sheffielder is at the helm, in a similar position to that of when Wilko took over. History repeating itself??? If Neil Warnock won the Premier League with Leeds I would my bare arse on the Town Hall Steps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
York_Owl Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Strange now then that another born and bred Sheffielder is at the helm, in a similar position to that of when Wilko took over. History repeating itself??? that's a very tenuous link. Warnock has never managed Wednesday for a start and for Leeds to win the title with Warnock in charge they would need to find a chairman with more cash to spend than Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd and for that chairman to somehow think that Warnock would be the best manager money can buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfmanjack Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Does anyone know the circumstances around this as it’s a bit before my time. I assume this was contrversial at the time as he a Sheffielder and former player. We were approached by Leeds, and according to the Chairman at the time, who I think was Bert McGee, we "had to let him have his chance at a club as ambitious as Leeds United", to paraphrase him. We were a top six side in the old first division and Leeds were a struggling second division side, so the Chairman's comments were always a bit of a mystery. However I don't think that anybody was disappointed when he left, because the football was shocking and was reflected in average gates of between fourten and fifteen thousand. You could come out of Hillsborough after scoring five against the opposition, and all you'd hear would be the fans complaining about the dire football we'd just seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just visiting Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 that's a very tenuous link. Warnock has never managed Wednesday for a start and for Leeds to win the title with Warnock in charge they would need to find a chairman with more cash to spend than Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd and for that chairman to somehow think that Warnock would be the best manager money can buy. I was thinking more about getting Leeds into the top league in his first full season. Winning the Premier League, that'll never happen like it happened back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animis Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 We were approached by Leeds, and according to the Chairman at the time, who I think was Bert McGee, we "had to let him have his chance at a club as ambitious as Leeds United", to paraphrase him. We were a top six side in the old first division and Leeds were a struggling second division side, so the Chairman's comments were always a bit of a mystery. However I don't think that anybody was disappointed when he left, because the football was shocking and was reflected in average gates of between fourten and fifteen thousand. You could come out of Hillsborough after scoring five against the opposition, and all you'd hear would be the fans complaining about the dire football we'd just seen. That's about it - shame really as the period 84-86 were truely exicitng times - we simply never moved on and evolved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozzieowlpelvicthrust Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 By the time Wilko left we were not a top 6 side and things had gone very stale indeed. The reason attendances had dipped down to the mid teens was because we had sold most of our entertaining players such as Marwood and effectively become a team that ground out results. Why he ever decided to pair Chapman and Colin West upfront was beyond me, no real mobility there. By the start of his last season we were struggling in the league and had Mel Sterland up front having sold Chapman. Yes he could have achieved more with the financial backing, but if he had not gone we would never have had Big Ron. It was like a breath of fresh air when he came in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prendo's boots Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Wasn't it boring finishing 7-8th every year in the top division!!!.. . Remember being really pissed off when he left as im sure he wanted the club to make more of a plan that involved higher investment to push us on....the football wasn't the 'most entertaining' mind towards the end !!! He certainly did a brilliant job very quickly at Leeds!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Royds Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 As mentioned earlier the football towards the end of Wilko's tenure was truly dire, unimaginative and a real labour to watch. From Wilko going came Eustace and then the halcyon years of Big Ron and his exciting brand of football and glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfmanjack Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 By the time Wilko left we were not a top 6 side and things had gone very stale indeed. The reason attendances had dipped down to the mid teens was because we had sold most of our entertaining players such as Marwood and effectively become a team that ground out results. Why he ever decided to pair Chapman and Colin West upfront was beyond me, no real mobility there. By the start of his last season we were struggling in the league and had Mel Sterland up front having sold Chapman. Yes he could have achieved more with the financial backing, but if he had not gone we would never have had Big Ron. It was like a breath of fresh air when he came in. It's not like me to argue, but check yer league tables at the time Wilko left. We were a top six side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dumboldowl Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 However I don't think that anybody was disappointed when he left, because the football was shocking and was reflected in average gates of between fourten and fifteen thousand. You could come out of Hillsborough after scoring five against the opposition, and all you'd hear would be the fans complaining about the dire football we'd just seen. Wolfman you were obviously not a great admirer of HW, and I appreciate that memories tend to become a little muddled after quarter of a century, however I think that you have applied a liberal dose of artistic licence to your comments, and as an admitted admirer of HW I feel compelled to make a few corrections to your statement. First and foremost, there were many supporters who were dissappointed at both his leaving, and the manner of his depature. Secondly, you quote average gates of between fourteen and fifteen thousand. Allow me to present the average league attendences during HW's tenure. 1983-84 Division 2 22,150 1984-85 Division 1 27,747 1985-86 Division 1 23,057 1986-87 Division 1 23,157 1987-88 Division 1 18,852 Overall average attendance for the five year was 19,225. Div 1 average attendance for the four years was 23,203. Jack Charlton, for whom I have the greatest respect, had just failed in three successive seasons to gain promotion from the Second Division. HW achieved it at the first attempt. During the Owls four seasons in Div.1 under HW, they finished 8th, 5th, 13th, and 11th. HW left in October of the following season (1988-89) and under Peter Eustace / Ron Atkinson the Owls finished 15th. The following season (1989-90) under Big Ron, another manager for whom I have the highest regard, we finished in 18th place and were relegated. In my humble opinion Howard Wilkinson's record as the Owls manager would stand comparison with most, and if, as you suggest, that all the fans left disgruntled every week, then they have been leaving in purgatory for the last quarter of a century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torryowl Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 my take on it .....he came in after jack and did well and got us promoted ,the momentum carried on for 2 more seasons finishing 7th and 5th ,wilkinson wanted the club to invest and move forward bert mcgee having lived thru the 70s wasnt so keen to spend money the club didnt have and wilkinson got frustrated as did the fans .when leeds came a courting he went and most wednesdayites were not unhappy to see him go and of course we were all delighted when he won the league with leeds 2 years later ......imo 2nd best manager in my time after big jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailand owl Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 It's not like me to argue, but check yer league tables at the time Wilko left. We were a top six side. 9th actually, the day he left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middlewood Owl Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 I was one of those glad to see the back of him at the time, things had gone stale and the change was probably best for both him and the club. Overall he did a very good job and would have qualified for europe had the ban on english clubs not been in place and he was unlucky not to get to a cup final after several good cup runs, narrowly losing to an outstanding everton side in 86 was an absolute sickener at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kernow_Blu Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Lets be honest .... Wednesday and HW had become stale . We needed a change and so did Howard . Howard's impact at LUFC was unbelievable , for 2 seasons they were tremendous ..... then it went ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozzieowlpelvicthrust Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 It's not like me to argue, but check yer league tables at the time Wilko left. We were a top six side. Depends which table you are reffering to, start of October = 10th, mid October = 5th, end October = 10th. If only the season was decided after 7 games! We finished 15th the season he left, 13th and 11th the two previous seasons. Not top six since 1985/86 season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatzooma Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Pretty much agree with what everyone one has said.. I remember us lingering about trying and then failing to sign the likes of Mark Wright. Very frustrating times. Wilkinson was getting 'out' chants from the Kop when really it wasn't his fault...But then would we have had the 'Big Ron' era? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dumboldowl Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Depends which table you are reffering to, start of October = 10th, mid October = 5th, end October = 10th. If only the season was decided after 7 games! We finished 15th the season he left, 13th and 11th the two previous seasons. Not top six since 1985/86 season. When Wilkinson left on the 10th October we were 7th in the league, hardly stale. The following season we were relegated while Leeds were promoted. They then went on to win the title with several of our ex-players in their squad. Who is to say what we could have achieved if our directors had shown the same foresight and ambition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lincs Owl Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Thats a big assumtion, bearing in mind they were 18th in the old second division when he left a first division Wednesday to go there. That's one ambitious business plan. And it worked. He joined them in(I think) early 88-9 season. They were League Champions in 91-2. Could have been us, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ever the pessimist Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I seem to remember the story being that he was sobbing in the dressing rooms when he was leaving, saying something like 'if it wasn't for those bar stewards in the board room I would still be here'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozzieowlpelvicthrust Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 When Wilkinson left on the 10th October we were 7th in the league, hardly stale. The following season we were relegated while Leeds were promoted. They then went on to win the title with several of our ex-players in their squad. Who is to say what we could have achieved if our directors had shown the same foresight and ambition? Possibly he could have. In my opinion Leeds got lucky in their championsip season in that alot of their players had their peak season such as Chapman, Strachan, Sterland, Chris Whyte, Lukic, Fairclough. Credit must go to Wilko for signing these players. It was also a time when the title was wide open with Liverpool on a downward spiral and Man United on the way up. If Tricky Trev had had a bit more financial backing it could have weel have been us that year. You have to remember the season after Leeds finished something like 14th, didn't win away all season and were put out of the European Cup by Rangers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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