retired_smuasher

As I sat down with my coaching staff (Yes! Lucas had assembled a team of six, but more of them later) on Saturday morning we actually had a selection problem for Monday’s fixture at Alloa. Everyone had spent the last 10 days on the phone, email and road trying to tap up new talent and I now had 26 players available for the trip. We had signed 11 new players to a full-time contract to bring the number of senior players to 16 while we had two on season long loans and eight more players on a month’s trial.

These are the 11 new signings

Adam Fedzin

The 22 yr-old Polish keeper is on his 1st pro contract. He's good in the air with safe hands and quick off his line but often punches too often and isn't the most consistent performer.

Brendon Moloney

This 18 year old right back is a £26,000 capture from Notts Forest. He's a brave, hard tackling player with pace and good decision making skills.

Ciaran Lyng

Ciaran is a 21 yr-old Irish left back free signing. He started at Preston but failed to make a start before moving to Shrewsbury where he made 5 League Two appearances.

Luca Santonocito

A 16 yr-old left back / left winger who could prove an absolute bargain at £9,000 from Celtic. He came from the Inter Milan school program and has all the tools to be a real star. Quick, determined and hard working, Lucas is a good crosser and has a powerful long throw.

David Ogilby

21 yr-old David is a left sided defender who cost £14,000 from Northern Ireland side Institute. An influential solid all round defender.

Alan Lithgow

This 19 year old Scottish central defender was a £6,000 capture from Hearts. Strong in the air Alan is a determined team player.

Stephen Napier

Experienced 34 yr-old Irish centre back who's made 270 appearances for Cork and Dundalk scoring ten times. An influential determined strong player who arrived on a free in the twilight of his career.

Scott Donnelly

A 19 yr-old right sided midfielder who signed after being released by QPR where he made five Championship appearances. Scott's a creative, slick passing all rounder with an eye for a free kick.

Ashley Parillon

19 yr-old English right winger released without an appearance by Preston. Good all round winger with some pace, dribbling skills and a reasonable crosser.

Guy Last

A 24 yr-old Welsh attacking midfielder without a pro club since being released by Peterborough back in 2002.

Curtis Allen

19 yr-old Northern Irish striker who arrived on a free from Bournemouth. He failed to made an appearance for the Cherries but scored five in 15 appearances last season on loan to Ryman Premier League side Leyton.

retired_smuasher

These are our two loan players

Stephen Gleeson

18 yr-old Irish left or right winger on a season loan from Wolves. He has only 3 starts for the midland club but scored twice in 14 appearances last season on loan at Stockport.

Hogan Ephraim

A good capture on a season loan from West Ham. 19 yr-old English striker whose only starts came on loan at Colchester where he scored once in 21 appearances. Pacy with a good first touch.

And finally our eight trialists, mainly raw talent who the scouts have passed by but who knows what they could do

Lukasz Krymowski

23 yr-old Polish keeper

Gavin Johnston

23 yr-old Northern Irish right midfielder

Graham Hopkins

19 yr-old English left midfielder

John Harris

23 yr-old Welsh midfielder

Jason Mycoe

18 yr-old English attacking midfielder

Arkadiusz Kidrycki

21 yr-old Polish attacking midfielder / forward

Tomasz Zuchowski

23 yr-old Polish attacking midfielder / forward

Piotr Bajdziak

23 yr-old Polish striker.

retired_smuasher

From the Yorkshire Evening Post, Monday 19th 2007

City head to Scotland for first ever game

Leeds City A.F.C. are heading north of the border for their friendly at Recreation Park, home of Alloa Athletic for their first ever game. Manager Tak Pivo has confirmed that he will be playing a 4-4-2 formation and he has taken a full squad of 23 north with him, leaving just three behind. The Post understands these are third keeper Jonny Lund, midfielder Bruce Hogg and trialist John Harris. The squad are in confident mood and Assistant Manager Lucas Radebe said as he left “ Despite the Squad having only just come together we are confident that we will have enough to overcome our opponents”. Alloa compete in the Scottish Second Division where they finished 7th out of ten last season.

retired_smuasher

From the Yorkshire Evening Post, Monday 19th 2007

City go nap in first ever game

Leeds City A.F.C. secured just the result they were looking for in their first ever game. They had the perfect start as trialist Piotr Bajdziak broke clear down the left with barely two minutes on the clock and cut into the box unchallenged before powering the ball home past the exposed Alloa keeper. City had the better of the opening 20 minutes and both Bajdziak and fellow striker Hogan Ephraim had good chance to extend the lead.

City suffered a blow after 28 mins when the impressive Bajdziak was forced off with what looked like a strain or hamstring injury to be replaced with another trialist Tomasz Zuchowski. They soon shrugged that off and doubled their lead on 36 mins when loanee Stephen Gleeson hit a rocket of a free kick from the edge of the box straight into the top corner of the home net and that’s how in was at the break.

Lukasz Krymowski replaced Fedzin in the City net for the second half and Jonny Howson replaced Scott Donnelly who had a slight knock. It was a more even second half but Leeds stuck the killer blow on the hour, Zuchowski picked the ball up in the middle of the Alloa half, chipped it over the advancing centre back to Gleeson who held off two defenders before planting it into the net from 20 yards out. Eight minutes later the game was all over when Rothery’s superb pass opened up the defence and Ephraim slipped in behind them all to collect the ball before firing home from close range.

City made wholesale changes in the last 20 mins and the game petered out but there was one last goal to come. Two minutes into injury time substitute Curtis Allen caught the defence pushing out and slipped the ball through to Zuchowski who outpaced the last defender and slid it under the onrushing keeper. A brilliant start to the long road to recovery for Leeds football!

Result : Alloa 0 Leeds City A.F.C. 5 (Bajdziak, Gleeson 2, Ephraim, Zuchowski)

Manager Tak Pivo said afterwards that he was delighted with the performance given that he had had such a short time to assemble the squad. He singled out M.O.M. Gleeson and captain David Ogilby for special mention “ Gleeson showed a willingness to work and an eye for goal out there today while ‘Ogy’ was commanding at the back, not allowing a thing past him”. Unfortunately, Pivo said that it looks quite a bad thigh strain for Bajdziak which might keep him out for a while.

City now head south to Milton Keynes on Thursday to take on the League Two side.

retired_smuasher

The only change to the 23 that travelled south to Milton Keynes was trialist John Harris got to make the trip in place of the injured Bajdziak. I felt that most of the starting eleven had earned the chance to show what they could do against league opposition but with the enforced change up front I decided to pair our two Polish trialists, Zuchowski and Kidrycki, together up front as well as slotting Harris into midfield. If we could come up with a result against the Dons then I felt we would possibly be right on course for having what it would take to storm the Blue Square North.

retired_smuasher

From the Yorkshire Evening Post, Friday July 20th 2007

City continue fine form

It was difficult to tell who was the league team last night at the Stadium MK. Almost 6,000 witnessed a tight defensive duel in which City more than held their own. There was precious few chances in the first half with the home side just about shading the possession but the best opportunity fell to City’s Arkadiusz Kidrycki who blazed over from nine yards out.

City made five substitutions at half time but the defences were still on top in the second half. At least we did get a few more openings; most of them going to Leeds who failed to hit the target with all but one of their five second half shots. The match eventually ended in a goalless stalemate but the City fans would have left in far higher spirits than their opposite numbers.

Final Score : MK Dons 0 Leeds City A.F.C. 0 (att: 5707)

Afterwards City manager Pivo declared himself happy with the result. “ We have come away for our second game in a week, all the lads played their hearts out. The defence limited a side that is two divisions higher than them to just one shot on target and on another day I’m sure our attack wouldn’t have been so wasteful with our chances. John Swift did really well when he came on at half time and Scott Donnelly was solid in midfield threading a few nice balls through.”

City’s next fixture is on Monday at Shrewsbury’s new ground, New Meadow at 19.30.

retired_smuasher

From the Yorkshire Evening Post, Tuesday July 24th 2007

City continue fine form

Shrewsbury opened the game brightly and deservedly went a goal up after 12 mins. The movement of the home sides forwards bemused the City centre back pairing of Ogilby and Napier and Nicholson slipped in behind them to drill the ball under Krymowski. Shrewsbury continued in that vain all half pinning City back for long periods but the Leeds defence coped bravely and kept the home side from adding to their tally before halftime. The best City chance came after 37 minutes when Hogan picked up a loose ball out of defence and found a yard of space to hit a screamer of a shot that cannoned off the crossbar.

The second half was much more open with both sides having their chances. Unfortunately City’s shooting was wayward again with only two out of twelve shots making the keeper work. Leeds thought they had snatched a draw with eight minutes left when Shrewsbury scrambled the ball away but only as far as substitute Jonny Howson but his 25 yard snapshot clipped the base of the post and bounced wide. Straight away the home fans thought they had the game safe as Shrewsbury stormed clear and Asamoah netted but he was well offside. He was not to be denied though and on the stroke of 90 minutes, Davey’s 30 yard pass allowed Asamoah to outpace the Leeds defence and crash home the insurance goal.

[b] Final Score : Shrewsbury 2 Leeds City A.F.C. 0 (att: 5,083)

When we talked to Tak Pivo after the game he was surprisingly upbeat. “ I know this is our second game without scoring but the chance are coming, we hit the woodwork twice and don’t forget these last two games have been at the home of League Two sides, we won’t face anything like this in the Blue Square North. Stephen Napier belied his advancing years and gave a commanding performance, Jonny Howson was a good sub and five of our players had two or more shots. You should all have confidence, the fans have! We’ve sold almost 8,000 season tickets already, we’re going to break attendance records all over the Blue Square North, and for most sides we’re going to be their cup final – that’s the pressure we’ll have to live with. Are this side man enough to cope with that? I think they are and so do the fans who have bought all those season tickets”

retired_smuasher

During the week before our trip to League One side Millwall I have managed to add one full time signing and three season long signings to the squad
Cedric Avinel a 20 yr-old French centre back arrived from Watford, 19 yr-old English midfielder Adam Lallana has come from Southampton while the most exciting of the loanees is 20 yr-old Icelandic attacking midfielder Teddy Bjarnason who has come from Celtic. Our one permanent signing came from Celtic as well, 20 yr old Scottish defensive midfielder Charlie Grant who cost £18,000 and will add a bit of steel to our flamboyant midfield.

Reading the paper on the way to South London I noticed that the bookies aren’t as optimistic about our title charge as our board and fans. Kettering have been installed as the Evens favourites while Hinckley and Boston are 6/4, we trail in behind them at 7/4 with Workington.

retired_smuasher

[I] From the Yorkshire Evening Post, Monday 30th July 2007

10-man City not disgraced

City manager Tak Pivo went with a strong line-up to play League One Millwall at the New Den, trialist Krymowski in goal, Santonocito, Ogilby, Avinel and Moloney in defence, Gleeson, Bjarnason, Lallana and Donnelly across the middle and Ephraim and Zuchowski up front.

Hardly had we started than Millwall’s Neil Harris latched onto a through ball and drilled it home with just two minutes on the clock. City took that early set back in their stride and hit back six minutes later, Zuchowski stepped over Glesson’s searching pass, the home defence were wrong footed and Bjarnason ghosted in behind to whip the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Millwall came forward relentlessly then and pushed City back but the game changed on a rare City attack on 36 minutes. Zuchowski just about broke through the defence and as he shrugged off the last defender the Referee awarded a free kick against him and issued a straight red for use of the elbow by Zuchowski. City left Ephraim all alone up front and bravely held on against waves of Millwall attacks. Just as we entered the final seconds of the half Millwall finally took the lead again, Sendos broke down the right and his cross along the line of the defence was met with power by Harris to net his second of the game.

The second half saw City come back into the game but as the myriad of substitutions broke the flow of the game neither side really came near to altering the score. Another defeat for City but they showed some fighting spirit and we must not forget these sides that City are facing are far away stronger than they will face in the Blue Square North.

Final Score : Millwall 2 Leeds City A.F.C. 1

retired_amrains

Hi - good luck with this, it is interesting so far! But you should know that Leeds City existed up until 1919 and then Leeds U was formed after it's demise.

So you are completing the circle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds_City_F.C.