Leeds United News & Rumour Mill

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Blackpool have signed defender Stephen Crainey who was released by Leeds in May.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Leeds set for friendly

The Football Association has given Leeds the go-ahead to play York in a pre-season friendly at KitKat Crescent on Friday night.

The Football League has yet to sanction the decision by Leeds' administrators KPMG to re-sell the club to Ken Bates and so have not handed back their share.

But the FA will allow Leeds to play against York after certain assurances were made.

"We have informed the club we are happy for the game to go ahead as long as it's being played by the old club - Leeds United in administration," an FA spokesman said.

"As long as players and trialists are registered to the old entity we have no objections and Leeds have assured us this is the case."

Leeds United 2007 Ltd remain confident the Football League will hand back its share soon.

The League still has some queries with KPMG regarding the resale of Leeds to Bates before it returns the share.

A Leeds statement read: "Leeds United (the club) have received confirmation that the documentation outstanding from the administrators (KPMG), in relation to the Football League board meeting on Thursday, has now been forwarded to them for their consideration.

"The club are concerned that any issues the League board may have with the conduct of the administration process by KPMG should not affect the decision-making process as to the return of our share in the League and are seeking assurances from them at this point.

"The club, as well as KPMG, have been asked to provide additional information, the last of these requests was received at 10am on Thursday morning.

"These have been answered in full to support our application for the transfer of the share.

"The club remain confident that any further questions that the League may have in this regard will be answered in full by return."

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Lee rules out Michalik sale

Sammy Lee has dismissed reports linking Leeds with a bid to sign Lubomir Michalik.

The Bolton defender had a spell on loan at Elland Road last season before returning to The Trotters towards the end of the campaign.

Dennis Wise was rumoured to be considering trying to take the Slovakian stopper back to Leeds but Lee says he is going nowhere.

"The reason Lubomir went out on loan was to gain experience of football in this country," he told the Bolton News.

"He is part of my plans for the coming season."

Meanwhile, Bolton have been successful in their appeal to have Nicky Hunt's red card at the Peace Cup overturned.

Hunt was shown a straight red card following an altercation with Brazilian striker Itamar in the 1-1 draw with Seongnam.

The right-back is now available for the remainder of Bolton's Peace Cup campaign.

"We got the call from the organising committee to say Nicky's red card had been nullified," Lee told the club's official website.

"We all felt after the game that he was going to miss at least one match. It means he can play the rest of the tournament, which is important at this stage of pre-season."

Bolton have had to pay a £500 fine, which will be donated to youth football projects in Korea.

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Leeds look at trialists

Leeds have named five trialists in a 20-man squad for a mini pre-season tour of Germany.

Watford's Scott Loach and Chelsea's Nick Hamman are two goalkeeper trialists who will be hoping to impress United boss Dennis Wise.

Former Southampton midfielder David Prutton, Curtis Weston and Leon Constantine will also be hoping to shine during the three-match trip.

Jonathan Howson, Ben Parker, Fabian Delph, Tom Elliott and Rob Bayly will also be on the plane along with the vastly experienced Alan Thompson.

"This is a good opportunity to put them together and bind them," Wise told the club's official website.

"They're going to be difficult games and they'll work hard."

Leeds kick-off their tour with a friendly against Union Berlin on Wednesday night (8pm) before taking on Dresden (Saturday 3pm) and then Energie Cottbus (Monday 8pm).

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Wild rumours have popped up that one of the rivals to Ken Bates takeover plans is looking to bring in ex-Wigan manager Paul Jewell should their bid be eventually successful.

[skeeta]

KMPG were appointed by Astor?

This gets more bizarre by the minute. Perhaps the single most important 'judgement' that KPMG have made in the whole sorry affair is the finding that Astor are not affiliated with Bates. And now we find out that they are hopelessly conflicted on that question.

KPMG don't have to answer, but they have always been the party in the whole fiasco who are most subject to influence. Bates doesn't give a penny in the shit pound; Astor and the rest are still successfully hiding. KPMG is a billion euro plus firm dependent on its reputation and the custom of its clients for its continued existence. The message that needs to be conveyed to the very highest levels of the firm is that the actions of these administrators have put both that reputation and that custom at risk. Let's see companies with Leeds-mad managing directors start pulling mandates from KPMG.

[Sven]

Nick Hamman lol, he's so bad. He has left Chelsea, but Chelsea have a policy they try find a club for players they release.

Chelsea have signed Ben Gordon of Leeds btw, 16 year old lb has joined on a professionally deal, joins up with the others we brought in last year, now only Rose.... to join.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Adkins unsure on Beckford

Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adkins says discussions have taken place with Leeds over Jermaine Beckford's future, but admits he still has no idea when he will be able to complete a deal for the player.

Newly-promoted Scunthorpe have made a bid for Beckford - thought to be around £250,000 - and Leeds are now able to buy and sell players again following Ken Bates' takeover last week.

However, the bid has yet to be accepted and, with Leeds believed to be holding out for more money, Adkins concedes the saga could rumble on until the end of the transfer window.

"We believe we have got a very good bid on the table and there has been discussions with Leeds United," he told the Scunthorpe Telegraph.

"We just have to see where that takes us. They hold the cards in that they have got him, so it might be a bit drawn out.

"The top and bottom of it is he is a Leeds player. We have put in a bid for him and would like him to come to us.

"I don't know if he will be here for the start of the season. I will wait until the last day of the transfer window if I have to."

23-year-old Beckford had a successful loan spell with Scunthorpe last season as the side ended the season as League One champions.

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Leeds players hoping for resolution to pay crisis

Leeds United's players said on Friday they hoped to be paid overdue wages by the time they return to England from a pre-season training camp in Germany.

The players of the debt-ridden club have not received salary payments for June and a report in the Guardian newspaper on Friday said they would be free to break their contracts if the money did not arrive by a set date, which was not far off.

"We're hoping the club, PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) and the Football League can resolve the situation," the players said in a statement on the club Web site (www.lufc.co.uk).

"We're hoping the situation can be resolved by the time we return next week."
Leeds responded by issuing a separate statement on the Web site saying that the deferral was in accordance with agreements with the club's administrators.
"June's wages are due to be paid when the Football League/Football Association return the shares," the club said.

Leeds need their Football Share to play in the third division next season but the Football League declined the new owners' request to have their share returned on July 12.

Club chairman Ken Bates had won his battle to regain control of Leeds 24 hours previously when his group of investors bought the club back from administrators KPMG.

However, the League refused to transfer the Leeds share to the new regime after KPMG failed to attend a meeting, leaving the authorities seeking various documents and assurances from the administrators.
A Football League spokesman told Reuters on Friday there had been "no further update" on the matter since last week.

Source: football.guardian.co.uk

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Derry to miss big kick-off

Leeds midfielder Shaun Derry is set to miss the start of the new season through injury.

Derry is still recovering from an Achilles problem which forced him to miss the final few months of last season.

Former Crystal Palace ace Derry is back in light training, but Leeds are unlikely to rush him back.

Derry admits he is unlikely to be back in action until October at the earliest.

"I haven't set a date because you become disappointed if you don't make it," Derry told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

"Realistically, I'm looking at October."

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Leeds make first signing

Leeds have made their first signing of the summer in the shape of Casper Ankergren.

Goalkeeper Ankergren is the first new arrival at Elland Road after the League finally agreed to lift its transfer embargo on the troubled League One outfit.

Ankergren, who spent four months on loan at United last season, has arrived from Brondby for an undisclosed fee.

The Dane has signed a three-year deal at Elland Road.

Ankergren is set to be the first of several new faces at Elland Road with Dennis Wise keen to bring in new players before the close of the transfer window.

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Thompson back with Leeds

Leeds United have completed the signing of experienced midfielder Alan Thompson.

The League One club have brought in Thompson on a permanent basis following his loan spell at Elland Road last season.

He scored two goals in 11 appearances as Leeds slipped out of the Championship and has been training with the club in pre-season.

With The Whites' transfer embargo recently lifted, Dennis Wise has been able to finalise his squad for the new season.

The Leeds boss has given Thompson a one-year contract, along with the captain's armband.

Thompson returns to English football after spending almost seven years with Scottish champions Celtic.

Source: Skysports

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Hughes seals Whites switch

Leeds United have completed the capture of Norwich City utility man Andy Hughes for an undisclosed fee.

Hughes, who can play anywhere across the midfield and also at right-back, has penned a two-year deal with Dennis Wise's side.

The 29-year-old began his career with Oldham before playing for Notts County and Reading ahead of joining The Canaries in the summer of 2005.

Hughes is likely to go straight into Leeds' squad to play Tranmere this weekend with defender Frazer Richardson struggling with a hamstring injury.

Norwich boss Peter Grant was against losing Hughes' services, but felt his chances were going to be hindered following Jon Otsemobor's arrival.

"Andy did exceptionally well for us last season. He is a fantastic person who we're sad to lose," Grant told the club's official website.

"Leeds were able to offer him a longer deal which I didn't feel able to do.

"His quality of character shone through last season and it was therefore not right to stand in his way."

Source: Skysports

[Huckerbys right foot]

He's crap!

all he does is back pass the ball


glad hes gone!