During the 2004–05 English football season, Leeds United competed in the Football League Championship, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the previous season after 14 years in the top flight. With debts of over £100 million, Leeds were not expected to make a push for an automatic return to the Premiership, with preventing a second successive relegation the priority.
In 2004–05 season, Leeds began signing players prepared to accept lower wages. The club were eventually forced to sell both their training ground, for £4.2m, and their Elland Road stadium in the autumn of 2004.
On 21 January 2005, Krasner announced the sale of a 50% stake to Ken Bates for £10m and Bates became the club's new chairman, replacing Krasner. This investment effectively saved Leeds United from going into administration. Bates had previously headed three other league football clubs, most famously Chelsea.
Blackwell was forced to sell most of the remaining players, including Aaron Lennon; somehow he managed to build a team using loan players and experienced professionals nearing the end of their careers. Despite a promising opening day win against Derby County, Leeds's form at the start of the 2004-05 Coca-Cola Championship was little better than in the previous season, and they spent the first half of the campaign looking in serious danger of a second successive relegation. Their form gradually picked up after the club was taken over by Bates and Leeds finished in a relatively safe 14th place.
Leeds United's home kit was manufactured by Diadora.
Leeds United's score comes first
David Healy 7
Brian Deane 6
Rob Hulse 6
Danny Pugh 5
Clarke Carlisle 4
Simon Walton 3
Jermaine Wright 3
Julian Joachim 2
Shaun Derry 2
Frazer Richardson 1
Steve Guppy 1
John Oster 1
Aaron Lennon 1
Nathan Blake 1
Gylfi Einarsson 1
Seth Johnson 1
Matthew Spring 1
Danny Pugh 1
Michael Ricketts 1
Brian Deane 1
Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Considering starts in all competitions
GK: #1, Neil Sullivan, 50
RB: #2, Gary Kelly, 47
CB: #6, Paul Butler, 41
CB: #4, Clarke Carlisle, 32
LB: #15, Frazer Richardson, 31
RM: #18, Simon Walton, 25
CM: #8, Sean Gregan, 37
CM: #7, Jermaine Wright, 35
LM: #12, Danny Pugh, 36
CF: #9, David Healy, 28
CF: #30, Brian Deane, 24 (Matthew Kilgallon has 28 starts as a centre-back)
Julian Joachim - Coventry City, 14 June, free
Michael Ricketts - Middlesbrough, 23 June, free
Jermaine Wright - Ipswich Town, 30 June, free
Matthew Spring - Luton Town, 1 July, undisclosed
Brian Deane - West Ham United, 22 July, free
Neil Sullivan - Chelsea, 31 July, free
Stephen Crainey - Southampton, 10 August, £200,000
Serge Branco - Stuttgart, 20 August, free
Sean Gregan - West Bromwich Albion, 16 September, £750,000
Shaun Derry - Crystal Palace, 18 February, undisclosed
Kevin Pressman - Leicester City, 25 February, free
Ian Moore - Burnley, 23 March, £50,000
Paul Butler - Wolverhampton Wanderers, free
Gylfi Einarsson - Lillestrøm, January
Craig Hignett - Leicester City
Steve Guppy - Leicester City
Danny Cadamarteri - Bradford City
Clarke Carlisle - Queens Park Rangers
David Healy - Preston North End
Danny Pugh - Manchester United
Saša Ilić
Paul Robinson - Tottenham Hotspur, 14 May, £1,500,000
James Milner - Newcastle United, 2 July, £5,000,000
Stephen McPhail - Barnsley, 2 July, undisclosed
Ian Harte - Levante, 3 July, undisclosed
Nick Barmby - Hull City, 6 July, free
Dominic Matteo - Blackburn Rovers, 7 July, free
Danny Mills - Manchester City, 13 July, free
Craig Hignett - released, 8 September (later joined Darlington on 8 September)
Steve Guppy - released, 8 September (later joined Stoke City)
Danny Cadamarteri - Sheffield United, 30 September, £50,000
Scott Carson - Liverpool, 21 January, £1,000,000
Andy Keogh - Scunthorpe United, 14 February, undisclosed
Brian Deane - Sunderland, 24 March, free
Barry Corr - released (later joined Sheffield Wednesday on 19 April)
Alan Smith - Manchester United, May, £7,000,000
Mark Viduka - Middlesbrough, July, £4,000,000
Kevin Pressman - Coventry City, March
Jason Wilcox - Leicester City, free
Danny Milosevic - Celtic, free
Michael Bridges - free
David Batty - retired
Serge Branco - Queens Park Rangers
Henry McStay - Halifax Town
Jamie Winter - Aberdeen
Shaun Allaway
Brett Ormerod - Southampton, 19 September, one month
John Oster - Sunderland, 5 November, one month
Shaun Derry - Crystal Palace, 23 November
Nathan Blake - Leicester City, 31 December, one month
Leandre Griffit - Southampton, 6 January, one month
Michael Gray - Blackburn Rovers, 3 February, three months
Rob Hulse - West Bromwich Albion, 9 February, season-long
Marlon King - Nottingham Forest, 4 March
Paul Harrison - Liverpool
Michael Duberry - Stoke City, 15 October, three months
Harpal Singh - Stockport County, 18 February, one month
Jamie McMaster - Chesterfield, 7 January, season
