When Jack Charlton helped Leeds United out of Division Two in breakthrough year

United’s first promotion – from Division Two to Division One – came in 1924 as Division Two champions.

Relegation followed three seasons later before Leeds bounced back at the first attempt as Division Two runners-up in 1928.

Three more seasons in Division One followed before United were again relegated only to once again immediately seal a return to the top flight as Division Two runners up in 1932.

This time, United’s stay in the top flight was rather longer with the Whites enjoying eight consecutive seasons in Division One until relegation in 1947.

Unlike in previous times, though, after another case of the drop, there was no quick fix with United facing up to their ninth consecutive season in English football’s second tier as the 1955-56 season started.

But Leeds’s stay in Division Two was not required to reach double figures as a 20-year-old Jack Charlton shone in helping United seal promotion as Division Two runners up under boss Raich Carter as Leeds returned to the country’s top flight for the fourth time in 1956.

Charlton would go on to become a Whites and England legend and United’s record appearance holder –yet the 1955-56 season began with the young defender returning to Leeds after two years of national service.

Charlton had made his Leeds debut towards the end of the 1952-53 season before the teen had to serve two years’ national service.

The national service also meant Charlton only made one appearance in the 1954-55 campaign in which United went close to sealing promotion when finishing fourth.

But Charlton was back to be fully involved for the 1955-56 campaign and began a run of appearances in the no 5 jersey in a 4-1 victory at home to Rotherham United on September 24 following an injury to Archie Gibson.

With Charlton going on to excel in defence, boss Raich Carter eventually decided to push John Charles back upfront and Charles bagged the only goal in a 1-0 victory at home to Stoke City on Bonfire Night to ignite an explosive run of nine goals in six games.

By the end of the season, Charles had netted 29 goals with Charlton playing the final 34 games in his breakthrough season at Elland Road.

Charles, Roy Wood, Jimmy Dunn and Eric Kerfoot also only missed one game between them as United sealed the division’s second automatic promotion spot.

United were back yet four seasons later Leeds were once again relegated. Another four years in Division Two followed but the fifth promotion of United’s history in 1964 had rather longer lasting effects with Don Revie now in charge.

Just five years later, United were crowned champions of England for the first time in their history as part of the glorious Revie era that featured two First Division titles, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Charity Shield with Charlton present for every honour apart from the 1974 title triumph by which point he had retired.

Revie, meanwhile, left to take the England job after guiding Leeds to what would prove their last honour for 16 years in the First Division title of ‘74 but United kept their top flight status until their relegation of 1982.

The club’s sixth promotion was then sealed by Howard Wilkinson’s side as Division Two champions in 1990 and another 14 years of top flight status followed before relegation of 2004.

Which takes us to today with Marcelo Bielsa’s side this week sealing the seventh promotion of United’s history in the week after club legend Charlton’s death aged 85.

“He will help us from the sky” said modern day great Pablo Hernandez of Charlton this week, and Charlton knew exactly how to get out of English football’s second tier, not once but twice.

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Thank you Laura Collins