Leeds United are on course to win promotion back to the Premier League this season and if they manage to do that, it will end their 16-year stay outside the top-flight.
In truth, for much of their time in the Football League, the Whites haven’t come close to returning to the elite and they even had a spell in the third-tier. However, one big opportunity did come their way in 2006, when Kevin Blackwell’s side finished fifth in the Championship and overcame Preston over two legs to reach the play-off final in Cardiff against Watford.
Unfortunately for all connected to the Yorkshire outfit, it was a nightmare performance from the team in the big game. The Hornets ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in Wales and they had condemned Leeds to another year in the second division.
14 years ago today. A calamitous day in Cardiff 😑 #LUFC pic.twitter.com/hjfcAgNznh
— LUFCMOT (@LUFCMOTcom) May 21, 2020
With that game coming 14 years ago today, many fans reflected on the day and as you would expect there were plenty of sad memories. Here we look at some of the reaction…
Numbed
— ChimayBielsa (@rgandy2_gandy) May 21, 2020
@flatbeatlufc bad day out pal, long ride home wasn’t it lol
— Scott (@ScottPeo86) May 21, 2020
One of our worst ever 😱😱😱
— Trant (@Trant05) May 21, 2020
I was there. I still to this day can’t understand what happened
— Jon Grey Davies #LUFC #FBPE #RejoinEU 🇪🇺 (@jongreydavies) May 21, 2020
Agonising day with long term consequences. Bates no longer had an interest in promotion & settled instead for reallocation of club funds to Monaco.
— Gary Darren (@ravadarren) May 21, 2020
Yes, calamitous is the right word. One of the biggest lows in my years of following the mighty whites. #mot
— Tony McQuaid (@mcquat) May 21, 2020
Oh how life could have been so different🤷🏼♂️
— OMcHuddsWhite (@HuddsMc) May 21, 2020