Flashback: How Wembley heartache was beginning of the end for former Leeds United manager Gary McAllister

The surprise departure of Dennis Wise to an office job at Newcastle came with the club a reasonably positioned sixth in the League One table despite that controversial 15-point deduction. The side were ticking over reasonably nicely.

But it also served as the break-up of a volatile relationship. The combination of Ken Bates, Dennis Wise and his number two Gus Poyet was just too Chelsea for many Leeds supporters.

With the exits of Poyet and then Wise, Bates was handed the opportunity to heal those wounds with the appointment of Leeds legend McAllister.

It felt like the best possible fit at the time. With attendances down and fans growing increasingly restless under Bates’ tenure, putting one of the famous ‘Last Champions’ at the helm was a savvy move.

In terms of management experience, however, McAllister wasn’t the most obvious choice.

An indifferent spell as manager of another of his former sides, Coventry, had ended in emotional circumstances as he resigned to spend time with his terminally ill wife.

Links with the Scotland job came to nothing and aside from punditry work, McAllister had been inactive in the game for four years before Leeds. Despite this, something about the appointment felt right.

It took time for him to get going and after three 1-1 draws on the spin, McAllister’s first win as manager of Leeds United came at the fifth attempt in a gritty 1-0 win at Swindon.

And then they were away. The remaining dozen league games saw just one defeat for the Scotsman’s revitalised side, a purple-patch run that led them to a fifth-placed finish and McAllister to a new contract.

Had the points deduction not been enforced the Whites would have finished second. In understated style, McAllister had not only built on Wise’s success but bettered it, in doing so bringing a little harmony to a club in some turmoil.

A famous comeback in the play-off semi-final against Carlisle will remain the highlight of the McAllister era of course, with a last-minute Jonny Howson goal securing Leeds fans a long-awaited trip to Wembley.

All of a sudden, at the first time of asking, despite points deductions, ownership issues and ship-jumping managers, Leeds United were within 90 minutes of promotion with a club legend steering the way. Doncaster Rovers were the opposition.

Over 75,000 migrated south from Yorkshire that day, with a real sense that victory was in Leeds’ destiny.

It wasn’t to be. James Hayter’s goal just after half-time sent Doncaster to the Championship despite an all-out assault on the Rovers’ goal as time ticked on.

As turning points in the career of a football manager go, it was colossal. McAllister’s reign was over before the year was out, sacked four days before Christmas with the club in ninth place.

Leeds had been favourites to win the division and in many respects the Scot had become a victim of his own success. But the bottom line was that Leeds were showing no sign of reversing their fading fortunes and after a shocking FA Cup defeat to part-time Histon, the writing was on the wall.

It proved an inspired move. Simon Grayson moved from Blackpool and shot Leeds up the table to a fourth-placed finish and whilst play-off disaster against Millwall followed, it was the start of a period of success for the club.

Gary McAllister still lives locally. A string of coaching roles at Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Liverpool followed and he now works as a club ambassador for the Anfield club. A sorry end to his stint as manager did little to diminish his status as one of the true Leeds United legends.