Conversely, the corresponding view would be to say that Wise's reluctance to move from the capital meant his involvement with Leeds was never likely to last for much longer than it did.

Whichever of the two hypotheses was ultimately the more accurate, the commute he undertook regularly from one end of the country to the other cannot have been conducive to job satisfaction.

Wise is said to have struggled to cope with the amount of time he spent away from his family and it is no secret that a slice of his motivation in accepting a somewhat ambiguous position with Newcastle United came from his desire to be less nomadic.

There is no saying how much ambition lay behind his resignation from Leeds in January, but devoting more of his time to his wife and children was hardly dishonourable.

It was simply his call. By all accounts, Wise is very content with the demands that Newcastle are making of him.

The world, they say, is getting smaller by the day, but there is something paradoxical about a Leeds United manager who lives in excess of 200 miles away from the city.

It is not necessarily indicative of a lack of commitment, but it does depict someone who has not quite allowed the job to encapsulate them in all its glory.

The key announcement from Elland Road yesterday was that of the new contract given to Gary McAllister, but an interesting footnote to the story – one which implies that United's faith is well-placed – was his admission that he is already in the market for a permanent residence in Yorkshire.

McAllister's decision is not a token gesture. In leaving the Midlands, he has the interests of his children to consider and, no doubt, much to leave behind.

But his decision to uproot is an example of how highly he regards and values the position he should hold for at least another 12 months. McAllister might see the alternative as something of an insult to his employers and their supporters.

It appears that there will also be an insistence from him that his players and staff live within a sensible travelling distance of the club's training ground and stadium, though not to the point where the squad will become neighbours on the same cul-de-sac.

It is entirely reasonable to expect that players with long-term contracts should be tangibly connected to the area in which they play, as it is with managers.

In the case of Leeds, Greater Manchester is fine; inside the moat of the M25 is taking the proverbial. A strong presence in a club's home city is a good step towards facilitating and protecting a healthy reputation with their fanbase.

United's squad is already high on commitment and when McAllister comes to decide which players are no longer required at the end of this season – a decision which will have been deeply considered already – he should not be required to take issue with the effort made by those he declares dispensable.

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The Leeds United Supporters Club's annual dinner brought four of the club's former players back to the city last weekend.

Gary Kelly made his first appearance as the organisation's new president and Dominic Matteo, Richard Cresswell and Robbie Blake all made the effort to attend the function at the Royal Armouries last Saturday.

Blake was apparently so keen to be present that he phoned to invite himself.

The player of the year award for the 2006-07 season was shared by Ian Moore and Eddie Lewis, pictured, whose names were added to a prestigious list of former winners which caught the eye of guest speaker Ian St John.

"It's a Hall of Fame that I'd have wanted to have my name in if I'd played for Leeds," St John said. "Every player should be desperate to be on that list."