Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

2014–15 Leeds United F.C. season

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Stadium
  
Elland Road

Championship
  
15th

President
  
Massimo Cellino (until 23 January 2015) Andrew Umbers

Head Coach
  
David Hockaday (until 28 August 2014) Neil Redfearn (c) (until 23 September) Darko Milanič (until 25 October 2014) Neil Redfearn (until 30 June 2015)

FA Cup
  
Third round (knocked out by Sunderland)

League Cup
  
Second round (knocked out by Bradford City)

The 2014–15 season will be Leeds United A.F.C.'s 5th season back in the second tier of English football. The season began in August 2014 and finished in May 2015.

Contents

Events

This is a list of the significant events to occur at the club during the 2014–15 season, presented in chronological order, starting on 3 May 2014 and ending on the final day of the club's final match in the 2014–15 season. This list does not include transfers or new contracts, which are listed in the transfers section below, or match results, which are in the results section.

May

  • 7 May: Former managing director David Haigh's company, Sport Capital issue a winding-up petition for a fee owed of around £1m.
  • 30 May: Brian McDermott and Leeds United come to the mutual decision for the Leeds United manager to depart from his position.

    • June

  • 10 June: The winding-up petition issued to Leeds by Sport Capital was adjourned but the case remained live and the club were ordered to pay back £958,000 by 23 June.
  • 19 June: Dave Hockaday is appointed head coach of Leeds United, with Junior Lewis as his assistant coach.
  • 23 June: The winding-up petition issued to Leeds by David Haigh's Sport Capital was dismissed by the High Court, resulting in the club's bank account being unfrozen.

    • July

  • 1 July: Transfer embargo is lifted days after club's bank account is unfrozen

    • August

  • 28 August: David Hockaday and Junior Lewis's contract as head coach and assistant coach are terminated with immediate effect, with Neil Redfearn taking over as caretaker head coach.

    • September

  • 23 September: Darko Milanič announced as the new head coach after signing a two-year contract, with Neil Redfearn returning to his role of Academy manager and head of coaching, and Novica Nikčević joining as assistant coach.
  • 26 September: Consultant Graham Bean is sacked over a fixture dispute, relating to the rearrangement of the home fixture vs. Reading.

    • October

  • 25 October: The club part company with Darko Milanič, after failing to win in six games.

    • November

  • 1 November: Academy manager Neil Redfearn is appointed as head coach on a one-year rolling contract, with the contract including the option to return to the club's Academy.
  • 7 November: Leeds United have been served with a winding-up petition by law firm Ford & Warren Solicitors over unpaid fees of £150,000, that date back to when Ken Bates owned the club. The club issued a statement confirming the receiving of the winding-up petition. However, due to the illegal the winding-up order to the media within seven days of its service, the club's lawyers demanded that the petition be immediately withdrawn, and a full apology made else the club will ask the court to dismiss the petition on Monday morning.
  • 12 November: The winding up petition presented by Melvyn Levi is dismissed on agreed terms.
  • 27 November: Companies House confirm that David Haigh and Salah Nooruddin have resigned from Leeds United’s board - several months after the two men actually quit as directors. Salem Patel remains as a director and GFH revealed that Jinesh Patel, the CEO of Dubai-based GFH Capital, joined him on the Leeds’ board earlier this year.

    • December

  • 1 December: The Football League disqualify Massimo Cellino from being a director of Leeds United Football Club until 18 March 2015.
  • 4 December: Massimo Cellino and GFH Capital signed an agreement on 1 December to inject up to a further £20m of equity capital into the club.
  • 12 December: Matt Child is appointed as the club's new Chief Operating Officer.
  • 15 December: An initial analysis of the Championship Financial Fair Play for the Season 2013/14 Submissions indicated that Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers failed to meet the Fair Play Requirement under the division’s Financial Fair Play rules. Consequently, all three were subject to an ‘FFP embargo’ under Football League regulations from 1 January 2015 for the remainder of the 2014/15 campaign.
  • 18 December: Steve Thompson appointed assistant coach, arriving from Huddersfield Town.
  • 22 December: Giuseppe Bellusci is charged by the FA for misconduct for a breach of FA Rule E3 for an incident alleged to have occurred during the fixture between Norwich City and Leeds United on 21 October 2014. It is alleged Bellusci used abusive and/or insulting words towards Cameron Jerome, of Norwich City, contrary to Rule E3(1). It is further alleged that this breach of Rule E3(1) is an "Aggravated Breach" as defined in Rule E3(2), as it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race.Bellusci has until 2 January 2014 to respond. there Due to there being no third party evidence supporting Jerome’s allegation, Bellusci will be contesting the charge.
  • 23 December: The Football League and the legal representatives of Leeds United President Massimo Cellino have agreed the process and date of Mr. Cellino’s appeal against the decision by The Football League Board that he is subject to a disqualifying condition under its Owners’ and Directors’ Test, with it being heard by a Professional Conduct Committee chaired by Tim Kerr QC on 15 January. The original decision required Mr. Cellino to resign as a director of Leeds United and cease acting as a ‘relevant person’ in line with Football League regulations by 29 December. The League has agreed to defer that deadline until two days after the handing down of the final decision of the PCC. As a consequence, the parties have agreed that if Mr Cellino is unsuccessful in his appeal, any disqualification period will be extended by an amount equivalent to the length of time between 29 December and the deferred deadline.
  • 31 December: Financier Andrew Umbers joins the board as a club director.

    • January

  • 19 January: A Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) chaired by Tim Kerr QC rejected an appeal by Leeds United President Massimo Cellino against the decision by the Board of The Football League that he is subject to a disqualifying condition under its Owners' and Directors' Test. The PCC found that the reasoned judgment of the Italian Court, once it had become available, was for an act involving dishonesty as determined by the Board in its original ruling in March 2014. As a result of this decision, Massimo Cellino is disqualified from acting as a ‘Relevant Person’, as defined by Football League regulations until 10 April 2015.
  • 23 January: Massimo Cellino has resigned from his post at Leeds United, abiding by the Football League's ruling, with the plan of returning to his position in April. Board director Andrew Umbers is appointed interim Leeds United chairman in the absence of Massimo Cellino.

    • February

  • 6 February: Giuseppe Bellusci is cleared of all charges of racism made against him during the away game against Norwich City on 21 October 2014, by the FA disciplinary panel.
  • 24 February: Club president Massimo Cellino announces he will not return to the club when his Football League ban ends in April in order to clear his name as an independent citizen. Cellino intends to appeal against the legality of his ban through arbitration with the FA (rule K). Cellino also disclosed that he has sold a minority stake to an unnamed buyer in order to comply with his Football League ban.

    • March

  • 5 March: The Football League, Leeds United and Massimo Cellino settled the outstanding disciplinary proceedings relating to the club's non disclosure of the Italian Court's judgement regarding Cellino as required under League regulations. As a result, Cellino's period of disqualification as a 'relevant person', as defined by the regulations, has been extended from 10 April until 3 May.
  • 23 March: Matt Child resigns as Chief Operating Officer at Leeds United.

    • April

  • 2 April: Director of Football, Nicola Salerno, suspends assistant coach Steve Thompson from his duties at the club, over an internal issue.
  • 19 April: Lewis Cook crowned the Sky Bet Championship’s LFE Apprentice of the Year 2014/15.

    • First team squad information

    Appearances (starts and substitute appearances) and goals include those in the Championship (and playoffs), League One (and playoffs), FA Cup, League Cup and Football League Trophy.

    Loans in

    Sources: For loan start source see "Start source". For loan end source see "End source".
    EU = if holds or not a European Union passport; Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth; No. = number on jersey; P = Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation); Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name); In/Out = In: The player came in on loan, Out: The player went out on loan; Loan club = the club that the player moved on loan to or the club that the player came from on loan; Started = the date when the player's loan started; Ended = the date when the player's loan ended.

    Loans out

    Sources: For loan start source see "Start source". For loan end source see "End source".
    EU = if holds or not a European Union passport; Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth; No. = number on jersey; P = Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation); Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name); In/Out = In: The player came in on loan, Out: The player went out on loan; Loan club = the club that the player moved on loan to or the club that the player came from on loan; Started = the date when the player's loan started; Ended = the date when the player's loan ended.

    Out

    EU = if holds or not a European Union passport; Country: when 2 flags, 1st flag = country that plays for internationally, 2nd flag = country of birth; N = number on jersey; P = Position (for position name, pause mouse pointer on abbreviation); Name = Name on jersey (for more extensive name, pause mouse pointer on name); Age = age on the day of the signing; Moving from = only indicate the club the player was playing before start playing for this club in this season, for the type of the moving see Status column; Moving to = only indicates the club the player is going to play next, for the type of the moving see Status column; Ends = when the player's current contract ends; n/a = Not applicable.

    New contracts

    Last updated:

    Kit

    Supplier: Macron
    Sponsor(s): Enterprise Insurance

    Source: Home, Away, Third

    Club officials

    Last updated: 2 May 2013
    Source: Leeds United Season Official Handbook 2012/13
     Includes staff currently registered with club only.

    Other information

    Last updated: 28 April 2012
    Source: Leeds United

    Overall summary

    Last updated: 2 May 2015
    Source: Competitions

    Results summary

    Last updated: 2 May 2015.
    Source: The Football League

    Results by matchday

    Last updated: 2 May 2015.
    Source: Competitive Matches
    Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

    Results

      Win   Draw   Loss   Void

    Pre-Season

    Pre season games against Guiseley and Chesterfield were confirmed by the club on 27 June.
    A pre season game against Glenavon was confirmed by the club on 29 June. The Glevavon game forms part of the contract that saw Robbie McDaid sign for United in March. The club also confirmed a Leeds XI will face Corby Town.
    Two pre season games in Italy were confirmed on 2 July, against local team FC Gherdëina and Romanian team FC Viitorul Constanța. However, the Viitorul Constanța was called off after the Romanian side failed to show up.
    A pre season game against Swindon Town was confirmed on 7 July.
    A pre season game against Mansfield Town was confirmed on 8 July, whilst the Glenavon game was confirmed as being for a Leeds XI.
    The club confirmed a home game against Dundee United will complete the team's pre season schedule on 9 July.

    Championship

    The fixtures for the 2014/15 season were revealed on 18 June 2014 at 9am.

    FA Cup

    The draw for the first round was made on 8 December 2014 at 7pm. Leeds United were drawn away to Sunderland. The date of the tie was confirmed on 12 December, with the game set for 4 January 2015.

    League Cup

    The draw for the first round was made on 17 June 2014 at 10am. Leeds United were drawn at home to Accrington Stanley. The date of the tie was confirmed on 30 June, with the game set for 12 August 2014.
    The draw for the second round was made on 13 August 2014 after the final game of the first round. Leeds United were drawn away to Bradford City. The date of the tie was confirmed on 14 August, with the game set for 27 August 2014.

    Championship line-ups

    1 1st Substitution, 2 2nd Substitution, 3 3rd Substitution.

    FA Cup line-ups

    1 1st Substitution, 2 2nd Substitution, 3 3rd Substitution.

    League Cup line-ups

    1 1st Substitution, 2 2nd Substitution, 3 3rd Substitution.

    Appearances and goals

    As of 2 May 2015

    Source: Sky Sports

    Top scorers


    1Player joined Fulham on 1 September 2014
    2Player joined Derby County on 15 January 2015

    Disciplinary record

    Last Updated: 2 May 2015


    1Player joined Wigan Athletic on 30 January 2015
    2Player joined Millwall on loan on 2 February 2015
    2Player joined Derby County on 15 January 2015

    Suspensions served

    As of 4 April 2015

    Formations

    Last Updated: 2 May 2015

    Captains

    Last updated: 2 May 2015
    Source: Competitive match reports.
    Competitive matches only
    Matches started as captain only
    Country: FIFA nationality; No.: Squad number; P: Position; Name: Player name; No. Games: Number of games started as captain.

    Official Player of the Year Awards

    The results of the 2014-15 Leeds United F.C. Player of the Year Awards were announced at a dinner on 2 May 2015 at Elland Road.

  • Fans' Player of the Year: Alex Mowatt
  • Young Player of the Year: Lewis Cook
  • Players' Player of the Year: Alex Mowatt
  • Goal of the Season: Rodolph Austin (vs Watford, 28 February 2015)

    • References

    2014–15 Leeds United F.C. season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA