1905-1906

The ever growing popularity of Association Football and the serious financial plight of many Northern Union Clubs led to a great deal of close season activity on the part of the administrators.

Eventually a bold scheme of reconstruction was proposed: the merging of the two divisions into one main league, the championship going to the club with the best percentage of points; the Institution of County Cup Competitions to be played during the first half of the season; and the continuance of the N.U. Cup Competition. The scheme failed to gain the necessary three-fourths majority, but the situation was so critical that another special meeting was convened in order to amend the bye-law, substituting ?two thirds majority? for? three-fourths. This amendment was carried and the new scheme was then put into immediate operation.

The Headingley officials were to feel only to soon the serious effects of competition from ?soccer? as this was the season in which Leeds City started their Association career. Membership dropped alarmingly from 2,335 to 535, and the average attendance from 9,022 to 5,632. This must surely have been heartbreaking to the management as the players were displaying sparkling football, and the team held third place in the League table at the end of the season. It has often been said, ?Get a winning team and don?t worry about support?. No doubt that is normally sound, but Leeds certainly provided an exception on this occasion as the team wound up the season playing magnificent football, winning their last twelve matches, and yet the support was lacking. For all the efforts of the officials and players, there was a loss of ?572 on the season?s work.

There were two notable additions to the playing strength during the season: J. Hughes, winger, from Widnes, and W. F. Young, full back. Coupled with the welcome return of J. P. Jenkins there was a wealth of talent at the disposal of the selectors. Many Leeds followers think that the strength of the side of these days was greater than anything there has been at Headingley since, and there are many good judges who firmly believe that this 1906 team was the best that ever wore the Leeds jersey: Young; Jenkins, T. Llewellyn, Thomas, Hughes; Ward, Brayshaw; Hewlett, Stead, Lunn, Watts, Webster, Wainwright, Wormald, Birch. It may be that the passage of time lends enchantment, but it is certainly no exaggeration to say that manyofthe players in that team are still revered at Headingley: memory holding them dear. But, like so many Leeds teams which had gone before, and were to come after, it lacked the steadiness which must be allied to skill and strength to make greatness.

Frank ?Bucket? Young certainly has a place all his own in the hearts of the old Leeds followers. He came to Leeds Simply because of the stupidity of the Welsh R.U. who suspended him sine die because he migrated to Tredegar following a disagreement with the Cardiff Club. The Leeds management acted promptly as soon as they heard from an agent that Young was willing to It turn ?. A telegram was despatched asking him to come to Headingley immediately. He was interviewed on Thursday, January 27th, and Signed the following day for a fee of ?70, with match terms of ?2 for a win and 30/- for a draw or a loss. Within a few hours it had also been decided to transfer H. Littlewood to Dewsbury at a fee of ?30. One day later Young made his debut against Bradford Northern and settled in the game as quickly as any man who ever came North. Indeed his first kick at Headingley so turned defence into attack as to enable Mosley to pave the way for a Leeds try.

Good as our League record was there was great disappointment over our showing in the Cup competitions. We had the luck of the draw, but Halifax, in the 1st Round of the Yorkshire Cup, and Broughton Rangers, in the 2nd Round of the Northern Union Cup, scored victories at Headingley. Home defeats are a disaster at any time, particularly so in the case of Cup ties.