The unexpected Leeds United fall of the late 1980s that preceded the long-awaited rise

After a five-year absence, the Whites were finally heading back to the country’s top flight until Peter Shirtliff’s quickfire late double salvo for Charlton Athletic in May’s play-off final replay at St Andrew’s.

Nevertheless, following a season in which Billy Bremner’s side had also reached the FA Cup semi-final, hopes were high that Leeds would finally get it right the following term.

Yet a United side seriously short on goals paid the price for an uninspiring start and even a run of five-straight wins around Christmas were to no long term avail.

In the bigger picture, the season proved the beginning of the end for Bremner who would be sacked the following season and replaced by Howard Wilkinson who then famously took the club back up in 1990.

Bremner, though, had sown the seed with United’s fine 86-87 season, even if the campaign ended in a double dose of heartache.

Looking to add extra strength to the following season’s promotion push, Bremner then raided Sheffield Wednesday for Glynn Snodin and Aston Villa for Gary Williams.

Yet strikers Ian Baird and Andy Ritchie left for Portsmouth and Oldham Athletic respectively and a lack of goals cost Leeds dear in their first nine games.

At the other end of the pitch, Bremner was not helped by being without captain and defensive rock Brendan Ormsby who was out for the season with a cartilage issue meaning Mark Aizlewood skippered the Whites instead.

Yet Leeds netted just three goals in their opening nine league games which yielded just ten points, three of which were achieved through goalless draws.

John Sheridan netted two of those three goals as part of another productive season for the midfielder who finished as top scorer with 12 goals.

Other transfer activity during the season saw Keith Edwards depart for Aberdeen and Jim Melrose arrive from Charlton Athletic only to then depart for Shrewsbury Town later in the same campaign.

It was a similar tale with Ken De Mange who joined from Liverpool only to then leave during the same season for Hull City. Bremner also tried pushing back-up defender Peter Swan upfront in his search for goals.

But United failed to hit their stride until December by which point Leeds had found their answer with the recruitment of Bobby Davison from Derby County.

With Davison, Sheridan and Swan all among the goals, Leeds recorded five wins on the bounce from December until New Year’s Day against Reading, Huddersfield Town, Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Bradford City.

Yet a return of just two wins from their subsequent next seven games knocked the stuffing back out of the Whites as part of a campaign which featured a third round FA Cup exit to Aston Villa after an earlier League Cup departure to Oldham Athletic.

The newly named Simod Cup, formerly the Full-Members Cup, also failed to bring any joy as Leeds went out to eventual Division Two champions Millwall and even the re-signing of Baird from Portsmouth could not propel the Whites back into the promotion mix.

Despite winning five of their last ten including a 5-0 romp at home to Sheffield United in which John Pearson bagged a rare hat-trick, United had to make do with a seventh-placed finish, only two places off the play-offs but eight points adrift.

For Leeds, the wait for a return to the top flight continued but the potential was clearly there, especially with a young player emerging by the name of David Batty.

The Leeds-born midfielder made his debut aged just 18 in the 4-2 win against Swindon Town in November and the teen quickly amassed 30 appearances in his first campaign.

United had a homegrown gem on their hand and despite a season of frustration, seriously good times were just around the corner.

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Thank you Laura Collins