Simon Grayson reflects on 'memorable' Man Utd FA Cup win as Leeds United turning point identified

Simon Grayson still holds fond memories of taking his Leeds United side to Old Trafford and beating Manchester United in the FA Cup third round more than 14 years ago.

Leeds were given little chance of avoiding defeat against their one-time fierce rivals, having fallen down to League One two-and-a-half-years beforehand, but produced a memorable 1-0 victory with Jermaine Beckford the hero at Old Trafford. The striker latched onto Jonny Howson’s long ball before squeezing the ball past goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, sending 9,000 away supporters into rapture.

The third-tier Whites fell deeper and deeper in an attempt to hold on, with a few slices of luck and some last-ditch defending to thank. And they were eventually able to keep Manchester United out on a famous day in the club’s otherwise pretty dismal 16-year stay outside the Premier League.

“Yeah, look, it was such a memorable day, and everybody who’s connected with Leeds still has memories of it all happening,” Grayson told World Football Index. “We went there as a League One team. We were doing well in the league; I think we were top of the division.

“Manchester United were the reigning Premier League champions, and they had a strong team out. Sir Alex never liked getting beaten by anybody, but he certainly didn’t want to lose to Leeds, and he didn’t want to lose to a League One team as well. We went there full of confidence and belief, got an early goal, and as a manager, you’re thinking, ‘Have we scored too early against them?’

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“Even when it was going into the last minutes of extra time, you’re thinking something’s going to happen in Fergie time where they’re going to come back and equalise. But we held on, and it’s such a memorable feeling. I’ve seen 9,000 Leeds fans in the corner, buzzing around the place, singing your names, singing the players’ names. Again, it only seems like yesterday, but it’s, what, over 14 years ago.”

Leeds followed that victory up with promotion from League One at the third time of asking, with Beckford on hand again to ensure a dramatic 2-1 final-day win over Bristol Rovers with 10 men. Grayson then led his side into the Championship play-off places by mid-December but an inconsistent end to the campaign saw them fall off the pace.

Grayson didn’t manage to see out the 2011/12 campaign at Elland Road and looks back on that crucial January transfer window in the previous season as a possible sliding doors moment, with much-needed signings not forthcoming.

“I look back at that time and think we achieved something, and then we needed to work out where we were going and what we were going to do in the Championship,” the former Whites boss added. “The following year, I think up to the last few games of the season, we were within a sniff of the playoffs and just fell away. Maybe if we’d recruited a little bit in January, when I needed maybe a defender, we could have got back-to-back promotions.

“That is all ifs, buts and maybes although we had a really good team. After that, the following year didn’t pan out how we wanted it to. Players left and were sold. We were only five or six points off the playoffs when I got sacked, which was a bit of a surprise but also a sad moment but proud as well of what I achieved for the football club.”