My Leeds United - Sweeping aside Swindon, beating 'that lot' and passing on the tradition

The YEP's My Leeds United series brings to life the stories of the everyday rank and file of the Whites' support.
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Jamie Smith is a quality assurance analyst, who lives in Leeds.

"Being a Leeds United fan, isn’t just supporting a football team, it’s a family affair.

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My love for the club began in the early 1990’s, when my Dad took my to my first game and I can still remember it like it was yesterday.

Swindon Town on a wet Saturday afternoon in late November of 1993, sat in the West Stand paddock – our usual spot for a few years after that – with Brian Deane, Rod Wallace and Gary Speed bagging the goals, all inside the last 10 minutes for a 3-0 win.

To be fair to the visitors, it was a scoreline that probably flattered us that day, as they made it tough for us, until our late flurry of goals.

But, we won and that’s all that mattered.

That being said, from the moment I first stepped inside Elland Road and heard the crowd singing ‘Marching On Together’, I was hooked and constantly bugging my Dad to take me to the next game.

TRADITION - Jamie Smith and his daughter Ellie at Elland Road supporting their beloved Leeds UnitedTRADITION - Jamie Smith and his daughter Ellie at Elland Road supporting their beloved Leeds United
TRADITION - Jamie Smith and his daughter Ellie at Elland Road supporting their beloved Leeds United
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Over the years, we got to experience plenty of highs such as European nights against some of the best club sides on the planet, beating that lot from across the Pennines (on numerous occasions may I add too) and finally getting back into the Championship.

Then there have been the lows of losing in multiple finals together with relegations from the Premier League (we will be back!) and the Championship.

But as the famous song says, “we’ve been through it all together, and we’ve had our ups and downs” and we certainly wouldn’t have it any other way.

Fast forward to 2006 and I got to follow in my Dad’s footsteps and pass on the Leeds United tradition to my daughter when I took her to her first game, the 2006-2007 season opener against Norwich City, with us winning 1-0, courtesy of a David Healy penalty.

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She has been hooked ever since. It’s just what Leeds United does to you.

Nowadays, we go to the games in a big group, with more of our family members and friends, but when you’re in and around Elland Road on a game day, you don’t just feel like you’re there in your own group, you feel like you’re there with your extended family.

From doing the Leeds salute to fellow fans as you make your way to the stadium, having a chat about the previous game and what to expect from the game with someone in the pub, while having a pre-match pint or hugging a complete stranger after a goal, it all adds to the magic of being part of this crazy football family at our crazy club.

Let’s face it: we wouldn’t change it for the world."