The Reloaded Matchday Programme: Manchester United vs Leeds United

Hello and welcome back to Football Reloaded, your home of retro football from 1990 to 2010. 

It's the best time of the year here at Reloaded Towers as of course we await the start of the new football season and what better way to whet our appetite for the next nine months of action than by starting off with a titanic Roses clash between Manchester United and Leeds Untied at Old Trafford. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at clashes between the Trans-Pennine rivals from days gone by. 

First And Last

First: Leeds United 0-0 Manchester United. August 28th 1990, Football League Division One

After a number of years in the Second Division, Leeds crowned their return to the top flight by hosting their arch-rivals at Elland Road for their first home game in the First Division since 1982. 

In the end, Leeds' first home game back in the big time ended in a largely uneventful goalless draw as they begun a season in which they would finish two places and five points ahead of Manchester United in fourth place although Alex Ferguson's side would taste European glory as they went on to win the European Cup Winners' Cup. 

Last: Manchester United 0-1 Leeds United. January 3rd 2010, FA Cup Third Round

Since their relegation from the Premier League in 2004, Leeds had suffered a miserable existence by the time they travelled to Old Trafford for the cup clash and had sunk as low as the third tier after many years of mismanagement off the field had caught up with the Yorkshire club. 

Scenes of jubilation were sparked in the away end at Old Trafford when Jermaine Beckford's 19th minute goal trickled past Tomasz Kuczczak to give Simon Grayson's side an unlikely lead and despite Manchester United's best efforts, Leeds hung on to record a memorable victory that formed part of a classic campaign as they ended the 2009-10 campaign 2nd in League One, earning promotion back to the Championship. 

Jermaine Beckford scores what proves to be the winner as Leeds defeat Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup in 2010.

Played For Both

Leeds to Manchester United: In one of football's all time bargain transfers, Manchester United prised French international Eric Cantona away from Elland Road in a shockingly low £1 million deal. The Frenchman became something of a talisman at Old Trafford as he helped his new club win the Premier League four times as well as two FA Cups. Rio Ferdinand had gained a string of plaudits for his impressive performances before and during the 2002 World Cup and he duly became the most expensive defender in the world when Manchester United shattered the British transfer record to bring him across the Pennines prior to the 2002-03 season. Perhaps most heartbreakingly for Leeds fans, Alan Smith swapped Yorkshire for Greater Manchester in the summer of 2004 after The Whites had been relegated from the Premier League despite vowing to never play for Manchester United. The striker-turned-midfielder managed to win the title in 2007 while at Old Trafford in a spell sadly remembered for the shocking injury sustained in an FA Cup defeat away at Liverpool. 

Rio Ferdinand won nine major trophies between 2002 and 2014 at Manchester United following his British record transfer from Leeds.

Manchester United to Leeds: After never quite living up to his potential and one too many run-ins with Alex Ferguson regarding off the field activity, Lee Sharpe joined Leeds in a £4,500,000 transfer in the summer of 1996. Injuries plagued the former England midfielder which led to him only making 30 appearances during his three year spell at Elland Road. After their relegation from the Premier League in 2004 and Kevin Blackwell's appointment as manager, midfielder Danny Pugh moved to Leeds as a makeweight in the deal that took Alan Smith to Manchester United and was joined the following year by the late Liam Miller who signed for Leeds on loan in November 2005 and helped The Whites reach the Championship Play-Off final at the end of the 2005-06 season.

Liam Miller made 28 appearances for Leeds on loan from Manchester United during the 2005-06 season. The former Republic of Ireland midfielder sadly passed away in 2018 through pancreatic cancer at the tragically early age of 36.

Classic Clashes

The two sides served up a memorable encounter in March 2002 as Manchester United gave their flagging hopes of a fourth consecutive Premier League title a boost with a 4-3 win over Leeds at Elland Road. Despite Mark Viduka equalising Paul Scholes' eighth minute strike, Alex Ferguson's side raced into a commanding 4-1 lead early in the second period thanks to a first half brace from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and a Ryan Giggs goal ten minutes into the second half. After Ian Harte resuscitated Leeds' chances with a fine free-kick, Lee Bowyer headed a further goal with ten minutes left to set up a nervy finish although Manchester United just about hung on to claim all three points. 

Manchester United players celebrate during their 4-3 win over Leeds in March 2002

In September of the same year, Rio Ferdinand endured a hostile welcome back to Elland Road following his move from Leeds to Manchester United earlier in the summer and the afternoon went from bad to worse for the England international when Harry Kewell rose unmarked and headed Ian Harte's swinging cross beyond a static Fabien Barthez to give Terry Venables' side a 1-0 to consign Manchester United to their worst start to a Premier League season. 

Harry Kewell heads home the winner to help Leeds defeat Manchester United 1-0 in September 2002.

Head To Head Record (All competitions, 1990-2010)

Manchester United: 19

Draws: 11

Leeds United: 5

Manchester United may have had their share of the battles but it was Leeds who won the footballing war of the roses as the two sides battled for the final old First Division title in 1992. 

Memorable Moment

A moment of infamy as Roy Keane suffered a season-ending cruciate ligament injury during Leeds' 1-0 win over Manchester United at Elland Road. As Keane lay on the ground receiving medical attention, Whites defender Alf-Inge Haaland barracked the Irishman, accusing him of feigning injury. The incident would be revisited when Haaland (by now playing for Manchester City) was on the receiving end of a shocking challenge from Keane during a derby clash in 2001. 

Alf-Inge Haaland remonstrates with an injured Roy Keane during Leeds' 1-0 win over Manchester United in 1997.

That brings to a close our Football Reloaded matchday programme, hopefully you've enjoyed reading this and the memories have got you in the mood for tomorrow's clash. 

We'll be back next week with another retro matchday programme ahead of another massive televised match. 

Until then, thanks for reading and take care. 

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