It's not often I'm speechless...

[The Mighty Brian Rowe]

but...

Just been browsing around HMV in Frenchgate, and couldn't believe my eyes as I walked past the tills.

There in prime position was an (admittedly pretty small) Leeds Utd display where you could buy Shirts (£30 btw), scarves etc. etc.

Thankfully I'd recently stocked up on bog rolls so wasn't tempted myself.

Obviuosly, we can't control what Leeds do marketing wise, but it makes you think what's possible when you compare this with the recent closure of the Town Centre shop.

Hopefully the Nike involvement will finally allow our stuff to be stocked in the Borough's sports shops, as most other teams seem to be.

[inSODwetrust]

Yep unfortunatley they've been there a few months now!  

But with nike coming in and revamping the clubshop I hope your right about merchandise been stocked in Doncaster's sports shops!  

[not on facebook]

might be som'ert to do with fact that leeds were champions of europe once

[washyrover]

Sorry but when were leeds champions of europe.

[Filo]

washyrover wrote:

Sorry but when were leeds champions of europe.

They must have been, or they would n`t keep telling everyone they were would they?  

[washyrover]

Sure one of are friends from leeds could tell us the year they won it if ever?

[not on facebook]

well thats what they sing at ER 'leeds united champions of europe'

maybe me olde mucker wellington vaults can let us in onto
this with an explanation.

at a guess were leeds delt abad hand in a european cup game at the hands of some real bad ref?

maybe the song started from there as a piss take

[MrFrost]

I believe Leeds will have to pay a fee to have their goods on display at HMV. End of the day, HMV would be silly to turn it down.

[FuzzyDuck]

Leeds have never been champions of Europe.  Closest they got was 2005 when they lost 2:0 in the final to Bayern Munich.

I do hope Donny fans are Boycotting HMV as long as this abomination remains in place! :angry:

[VikingJames]

Leeds were in the Championship in 2005 :|

[Wellington Vaults]

oslorovers wrote:

well thats what they sing at ER 'leeds united champions of europe'

maybe me olde mucker wellington vaults can let us in onto
this with an explanation.

at a guess were leeds delt abad hand in a european cup game at the hands of some real bad ref?

maybe the song started from there as a piss take

Well spotted Oslo.

This chant started following the defeat in the European Cup Final against Bayern in Paris in 1975, when at 0-0, Peter Lorimer had a goal controversially ruled out for off-side.  Leeds fans were suitably aggreived and a riot ensued in the Parc des Princes with the French Police.

This followed on from an earlier notorious defeat against AC Milan in the Cup-Winners Cup Final in Salonika which defied belief.  The ref was later found guilty of bribery I believe and he was certainly banned from refereeing again.

In the 1975/76 season, at away games, a well known \"face\" would stand on a stanchion in the middle of the terracing and organise the crowd into two halves, one singing \"We are the Champions\" (also technically incorrect at the time), the other singing \"Champions of Europe\".  The competition to be the loudest \"half\" was intense and the chant could go on for bloody ages (I can remember a complete second-half at Ipswich) and it still occurs to this day.

We were never \"Champions of Europe\" but it's only a daft song and since when have football chants been awarded points for factual accuracy?

[Sheepskin Stu]

Excuse my impertinence, but I wouldn't have thought irony was a staple ingredient of West Yorkshire life.

[RoversAlias]

FuzzyDuck wrote:

Leeds have never been champions of Europe.  Closest they got was 2005 when they lost 2:0 in the final to Bayern Munich.

I do hope Donny fans are Boycotting HMV as long as this abomination remains in place! :angry:

Actually that was 1975, but close in 2005 they were, as James said, in the Championship. IIRC that was the year that James Chambers and Neil Sullivan combined to lead Watford to a 3-0 play-off final victory over them.

And I definitely won't be boycotting HMV at all...I get a discount there and they sell many DVDs, CDs and games etc. that I often wish to buy.

[NickDRFC]

Wellington Vaults wrote:

oslorovers wrote:

well thats what they sing at ER 'leeds united champions of europe'

maybe me olde mucker wellington vaults can let us in onto
this with an explanation.

at a guess were leeds delt abad hand in a european cup game at the hands of some real bad ref?

maybe the song started from there as a piss take

Well spotted Oslo.

This chant started following the defeat in the European Cup Final against Bayern in Paris in 1975, when at 0-0, Peter Lorimer had a goal controversially ruled out for off-side.  Leeds fans were suitably aggreived and a riot ensued in the Parc des Princes with the French Police.

This followed on from an earlier notorious defeat against AC Milan in the Cup-Winners Cup Final in Salonika which defied belief.  The ref was later found guilty of bribery I believe and he was certainly banned from refereeing again.

In the 1975/76 season, at away games, a well known \"face\" would stand on a stanchion in the middle of the terracing and organise the crowd into two halves, one singing \"We are the Champions\" (also technically incorrect at the time), the other singing \"Champions of Europe\".  The competition to be the loudest \"half\" was intense and the chant could go on for bloody ages (I can remember a complete second-half at Ipswich) and it still occurs to this day.

We were never \"Champions of Europe\" but it's only a daft song and since when have football chants been awarded points for factual accuracy?

I'm not sure the phrase \"What goes around comes around\" has ever been more appropriate.

[podrover73]

On Sunday BBC2 they are showing the very good film if you aren't a Leeds fan (Damned United)

Brian Clough telling the players to chuck all the medals they won in the bin cos they won them all by cheating.

Brilliant

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Someone from Rovers Commercial dept should be having a word with HMV and just finding out how and why they are peddling contraband !

Seriously though, Rovers could do with trying to keep ahead of the game when it comes to marketing like this.

[mushRTID]

podrover73 wrote:

On Sunday BBC2 they are showing the very good film if you aren't a Leeds fan (Damned United)

Brian Clough telling the players to chuck all the medals they won in the bin cos they won them all by cheating.

Brilliant

I went to watch this at the pics, very good film. Enjoyed it.

[SPRover]

DonnyBazR0ver wrote:

Someone from Rovers Commercial dept should be having a word with HMV and just finding out how and why they are peddling contraband !

Seriously though, Rovers could do with trying to keep ahead of the game when it comes to marketing like this.

It just shpws how poor the marketing team we have really have, I mean what is there in Doncaster Town Centre that is a reminder that the town actually is behind club? Okay, we cannot stop the sale of Leeds shirts in Doncaster, but we should at least be trying to rival them.

[BobG]

I remember watching that final in Paris on tv. It was an abomination. Leeds were the only team ever lilely to win that match - until a bent, bent, bent ref took over. It doesn't matter whether you like Leeds or not, the fact is they were cheated out of winning that night. Just as they really were cheated out of the victory in the Cup winners Cup against AC Milan. (And as an aside, Forest were cheated out of a victory over a Belgian side (Antwerp?) by a totally corrupt ref too. He ended up admitting it not too many years ago).

That Leeds side of the 70's, for all their cynical fouling, were a fantastic team. They had all the talents, they had all the skills. And they couldn't half play. They are one of the two or three best sides I have ever seen. In fact, although I may get a few raspberries for this, I can still name the entire team. And I can't say that about any Liverpool side, or Man Utd or Forest. Johnny Giles was simply a prodigy. Billy Bremner was, well, Billy. Eddie Gray.... The only 'weak' link they had for ages was Gary Sprake. I bet Welligogs could tell a story about the time he attempted to throw the ball out at Anfield....

Cheers

BobG

[vaya]

The Leeds side that won the last First Division title weren't too shabby either, although perhaps even more workmanlike than the Blackburn side from a couple of years later.

It all started going downhill when Wilkinson thought paying £4.5 million for Lee Sharpe was a good idea though.

[hoolahoop]

I don't want to 'gush' about them but they were despite suggestions to the contrary a very  very good team and yes they were cheated out of a win.
Funnily enough I can name the whole of this team, as well as the Chelsea team of the 70's and many a Manure team despite Bob's attempt at senility re. Manure ...........I'm sure he can too.
Funnily enough I too struggle to name a full Bindippers team despite their dominance for many years, very strange that.

[BobG]

Rumbled!

BobG

[Barmby Rover]

Sprake
Reaney
Cooper
Bremner
Charlton
Hunter
Lorimer
Clarke
Jones
Giles
Gray

They were a great team at the time, and like a lot of kids then I had two teams, one to watch on telly, and Rovers to see if I could. It is great that at last Rovers are able to do both for me, and I dropped Leeds a long time ago, it will be good to see them suffer at our hands again this season!

[neil grainger]

Wellington Vaults wrote:

oslorovers wrote:

well thats what they sing at ER 'leeds united champions of europe'

maybe me olde mucker wellington vaults can let us in onto
this with an explanation.

  Leeds fans were suitably aggreived and a riot ensued in the Parc des Princes with the French Police.

Good old Leeds fans, that's the way to air your grievances!

[neil grainger]

mushRTID wrote:

podrover73 wrote:

On Sunday BBC2 they are showing the very good film if you aren't a Leeds fan (Damned United)

Brian Clough telling the players to chuck all the medals they won in the bin cos they won them all by cheating.

Brilliant

I went to watch this at the pics, very good film. Enjoyed it.

I recorded this and have just watched it tonight.
What an excellent film.

And even allowing for 'poetic licence' what a poignant reminder of how dirty and cynical that Leeds team of Don Revie really was.
If only the club had been less arrogant and had been humble enough to give Cloughie a chance, there is little doubt they would have won the European Cup which they laughably and embarrassingly lay claim to in the sad chant their fans continue to blurt out at every opportunity.

You have to feel sorry for them.  

And as for the film - what a masterly acting performance by Michael Sheen, incredibly evocative of the unique man that was Brian Clough.

[RobTheRover]

neil grainger wrote:

And as for the film - what a masterly acting performance by Michael Sheen, incredibly evocative of the unique man that was Brian Clough.

Rumour has it that he is going to play Sean O'Driscoll in \"Trying to do the right things, sniff, you know\", the story of how a lower league manager came good whilst sticking to his principles.  Sounds a bit far-fetched to me, much prefer Lethal Weapon 2.