Whatever division Leeds United find themselves in, it always seems like they are fighting either at the top or bottom of the table. While avoiding relegation is the aim this season, the objective has often been securing promotion in years gone by.
That was the case 32 years ago today as the Whites took a huge step towards the Second Division title with a 4-0 win against Sheffield United at Elland Road. A brace from Gordon Strachan along with goals from Lee Chapman and Gary Speed were more than enough to see off their Yorkshire (and promotion) rivals on April 16, 1990.
Up until the final sixteen minutes, it was a close game with just one goal the difference but Howard Wilkinson’s side scored three goals in the latter stages to take the game away from the Blades. We have taken a look at the 11 players who started that game for Leeds and looked into where they are now.
Read more: Where are they now? The Leeds United XI on the day Kalvin Phillips made his debut seven years ago
Mervyn Day
The sight of Mervyn Day stood between the posts will have been a very familiar sight for Leeds fans during the late 1980s and early 90s. He only played on more season after leaving the Whites aged 38 before moving into coaching.
He operated in several different roles during his post-playing career starting with the manager’s job at Carlisle before serving as Alan Curbishley’s assistant at Charlton and West Ham. He then worked back at Leeds where he took on the role of chief scout before joining the recruitment teams at Brighton and then West Brom, a job he left after a year in 2016, his last job in football.
Mel Sterland
Similarly to the goalkeeper behind him, Mel Sterland didn’t play for much longer after leaving Leeds. Following retirement, he starred in the film ‘When Saturday Comes’ and released his autobiography ‘Boozing, Betting and Brawling’ in 2008 which featured a foreword written by Wilkinson.
His involvement in football remains largely as a supporter nowadays as he still enjoys watching Sheffield Wednesday, the club he grew up supporting and represented for 11 years, but he can also be spotted at Elland Road as part of pre-match corporate entertainment.
Chris Fairclough
Making more appearances for Leeds than any other club in his career, Chris Fairclough was a well-loved part of one of the club’s most successful teams. After hanging up his boots, he stayed in football by coaching at Nottingham Forest as part of their development squad before becoming a first-team coach.
Most recently, he took on a role within the youth set-up at Charlton in 2012.
John McClelland
As far as players in this team go, John McClelland didn’t play too many games for Leeds but he could always be relied on when called upon. After playing for the Whites, he dropped down the divisions before calling it a day five years later.
He worked at Elland Road helping with stadium tours afterwards and he now works as a postman in Wakefield.
Jim Beglin
Despite finishing his career with a quite impressive set of winners’ medals, Jim Beglin’s career was one ravaged by injuries and a recurrence of his knee injury whilst still on the books at Leeds forced him to retire at the age of 27. Since then, he has carved out a successful career in the media where he has formed quite the commentary partnership with Peter Drury.
As a co-commentator, he has covered many of the biggest games in world football and has even featured on the Pro Evolution Soccer video games. He continues to co-commentate on Premier League matches for Premier League Productions as well as other broadcasters outside of the UK.
Vinnie Jones
As a player, Vinnie Jones was known for being one of English football’s hardest men and he often played roles that were befitting of that description during his post-playing acting career. In the last few years, he has often spoken of the grief he has had to deal with following the death of his wife, Tanya, who passed away in 2019 after a battle with cancer.
He wrote a book titled ‘Lost Without You: Loving and Losing Tanya’ in 2021 and continues to contribute to a weekly column with EasyOdds where he discusses the Premier League and predicts the results - usually give his former side the benefit of any doubts.
Chris Kamara
Since retiring from football, Chris Kamara has become even more of a household name in the UK and is regarded by many as something of a national treasure. Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, Goals on Sunday and Steph’s Packed Lunch are just a few of the programmes he has regularly appeared on.
He revealed that, after people had become worried that he didn’t seem his usual bubbly self when talking on TV, he is suffering from apraxia of speech. Kammy confirmed that he will be stepping down from his role on Soccer Saturday at the end of the season.
Gary Speed
A true legend of Leeds United, and of football as a whole, was taken far too soon when his passing was announced more than 10 years ago on November 27, 2011. The outpouring of emotion for Gary Speed from all corners of England and Wales showed just how much of an effect he had on everyone involved in football on these shores.
Gordon Strachan
Out of everyone in this team, Gordon Strachan had the longest post-playing career as his life as a coach lasted more than two decades. He managed Coventry, Southampton, Celtic and Middlesbrough before taking the top job for his native Scotland in 2013, a job he held for over four years.
He stepped down from that particular role in 2017 after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. More recently than that, Strachan was appointed technical director at Dundee where he is still employed.
Lee Chapman
Since calling time on an extremely prolific footballing career, Lee Chapman went into the restaurant business with his wife, Leslie Ash. They owned the restaurant formerly called Teatro in Leeds as well as a couple of others in London.
Bobby Davison
Like plenty of his former team mates, Bobby Davison went into coaching after his playing career and it took him down the rather strange path of managing Budapest-based Ferencvaros back in 2008. He then returned to Leeds to help with the coaching in the club’s development squad and, most recently, managed Eccleshill United between 2012 and 2013.
