hampshire-whites

Hampshire Whites Member Remembered

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:15:00 GMT

In Memory of John Gorman (April 1964 – May 2025)

John would have been 62 today but unfortunately his life was cut short in May last year. We were shocked and saddened when we heard of his passing last year as he had always seemed such a fit person.

A lifelong Leeds United supporter, John found his tribe with the Hampshire Whites. John was only with us a couple of years but in that time we got to know him as a quiet but funny and sociable man. He drove all the way from Fleet to Port Solent or South Wonston to join us for our monthly meetings, contributing quietly and enjoying drinks with us. He travelled on the transport to Elland Road on numerous occasions and met us at Elland Rd when he wasn't travelling with us.

We were pleased that he was able to join us for a cheque presentation at Elland Rd.

We had a moment's silence and remembrance when his name was displayed at Elland Rd as part of LUFC's memorial match.

He is missed but the memory of his warmth, humour and friendship remains. MOT

This is the tribute paid to him by his family.

In Memory of John Gorman (April 1964 – May 2025)

John Gorman was a Leeds United supporter all his life. From childhood, he proudly. wore the No. 8 on his jersey, inspired by his hero Allan Clarke, who often wore that number during Leeds’ glory years, alongside the legendary Billy Bremner.

Supporting Leeds was never just a pastime for John; it was part of his identity, and he carried that passion with him throughout his life.

John was loved by everyone who knew him. A kind, quiet, and gentle man, he had a wonderful sense of humour and a smile that could light up any room. Gifted with his hands, John worked as an electrician by trade, but his talents extended far beyond; he could turn his skills to almost any DIY challenge.

In March 2021, John moved to Fleet, Hampshire, where he bought his dream home. He delighted in sharing stories with his family and friends about the area and all it had to offer. Hampshire quickly became a place he cherished, from its rolling countryside to the community he found there. Fate seemed to smile on him when he

discovered his new door number was No. 8 - the same number he had cherished since childhood. Soon after, he joined the Hampshire Whites, and in doing so, John

truly found his tribe. He embraced many memorable trips to Elland Road with fellow members, cheering on his beloved Leeds United.

John was also immensely proud of his Irish heritage, which was a central part of his identity. He carried that pride with him throughout his life, sharing stories and

traditions with warmth and joy.

Tragically, John passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in May 2025. The loss was a devastating shock to his family and friends, as he was the fittest man we knew - a keen long-distance walker who loved the great outdoors, always seeking out the toughest hills and highest mountains.

John’s memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved him, in the Hampshire countryside he adored, and in the stands of Elland Road where his spirit will forever

march on.

Rest in Peace, John – Marching On Together.

FSA Nomination for Hampshire Whites Member

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:00:59 GMT

LUSN propose our Jacqui for the Jacqui Forster Memorial Award

This annual award was created to celebrate and recognise women like Jacqui who give their spare time to promote the values and principles of the supporters’ trust movement.

Nomination for the FSA Jacqui Forster Memorial Award

Nominee: Jacqui Greethurst

It is with immense pride and absolute conviction that we nominate Jacqui Greethurst for the FSA Jacqui Forster Award.

Jacqui Greethurst embodies everything this award represents: unwavering loyalty, tireless dedication, principled advocacy, and a deep-rooted commitment to improving the experience, safety, and voice of football supporters.

An early member of Hampshire Whites, a regional supporters’ group of Leeds United, Jacqui has been instrumental in continuing to build a thriving, inclusive community of Leeds fans on the south coast. She is a founder member of the Leeds United Supporters Network (LUSN), helping to establish a structured, representative platform through which fans’ concerns and ideas can be heard at club level.

Her personal commitment is extraordinary. As a season ticket holder, Jacqui undertakes an eight-hour, 470-mile round trip for every home fixture at Elland Road. She also attends away matches across the country - whether that means local travel from her south-coast home or midweek journeys to Newcastle, Blackpool, London or Norwich, wherever Leeds United play she is there. This is not occasional dedication; it is sustained, year-after-year commitment.

But what truly distinguishes Jacqui is that her efforts extend far beyond her own attendance.

For many years she has:

Organised match tickets and coordinated travel logistics for Hampshire Whites members.
Personally supported elderly and disabled supporters, ensuring they can attend matches safely and with dignity.
Arranged accessible transport solutions and navigated ticketing systems to secure appropriate seating and access provisions.
Chaired and attended LUSN committee meetings, ensuring regional groups have representation and a unified voice.
Met regularly with club representatives and executives to advocate on behalf of supporters.

Her work with club officials has covered critical and complex themes including:

Policing and stewarding practices at home and away fixtures.
Ticketing allocation, pricing transparency and fairness.
Health and Safety improvements at Elland Road and away grounds.
Promotion and visibility of defibrillators and other life-saving equipment.
Accessibility provision for disabled supporters.
Communication standards between the club and its fanbase.
Travel coordination challenges affecting long-distance supporters.

Jacqui does not simply attend meetings - she prepares, consults, gathers feedback from her members, and presents considered, constructive proposals. She is respected not only for her passion, but for her professionalism, fairness and solutions-focused approach.

Her contribution now extends even further. Through her involvement within the Premier League group committee of the Football Supporters' Association, she is contributing at a national level to discussions that shape the supporter experience across the game. She brings with her years of grassroots fan experience, ensuring policy conversations remain grounded in the lived realities of travelling fans.

As someone who has worked alongside both Jacqui Greethurst and Jacqui Forster, I see striking parallels. The same determination. The same courage to challenge when necessary. The same tireless focus on “what is right for supporters.” The same instinct to prioritise others before self.

Jacqui Greethurst’s loyalty is unquestionable.
Her dedication is absolute.
Her impact is measurable.
Her influence is widely respected.

She has devoted countless hours — unseen and uncelebrated — to improving the matchday experience, safeguarding supporter welfare, strengthening representation structures, and ensuring that fans’ voices are heard at every level of the game.

The Jacqui Forster Award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to supporters’ rights and representation. In every sense — in spirit, in action, and in values — Jacqui Greethurst reflects the very essence of that honour.

We feel there could be no more fitting tribute than to recognise another Jacqui whose work, over many years, has quietly and consistently made football better for others.

Hampshire Whites Jacqui says "The nomination was not successful but I was very honoured to be recognised by the LUSN committee and Hampshire Whites and to be nominated for this award. I have worked hard over many years to ensure Leeds fans, whoever they are, feel they are a part of the Leeds community and that their match day experience is as enjoyable as it can be!

Our congratulations go to the winners of the award.

The Jacqui Forster Memorial Award has returned for 2026 and after receiving a strong list of candidates we are pleased to announce this year’s winners.

The award is named after Jacqui Forster, who worked for Supporters Direct, one of the FSA’s predecessor organisations from 2003 until 2018, when she sadly passed away following a long battle with cancer.

And the joint winners of this year’s Jacqui Forster Memorial Award are Kiki Christofi and Hina Shafi, founders of the SupportHERS Collective.

SupporterHERS Collective is a women-led supporter group that launched in London last July – aided by our Fans for Diversity fund – with a special watch party of England Women’s Euro 2025 warm-up game against Jamaica.

Hampshire Whites Support Andy's Man Club

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 22:01:26 GMT

Hampshire Whites present cheque to Andy's Man Club

Harry, Jacqui Chris and Scott present a cheque to Lee and Paul from Andy's Man Club.

The money was raised by raffling a signed shirt to Hampshire Whites members. We would also like to thank Leeds United for their significant support in this venture.

We were very pleased to offer our support to such a worthwhile support group and hope that our contribution can make a difference in some small way.

ANDYSMANCLUB

We are a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free to attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. We want to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.

Now Serving the Whole UK

We operate a network of face-to-face groups nationwide, stretching from the South-West of England, into Wales and up to the North of Scotland, and online groups for people who are further afield.

Our groups are free of charges and bookings, completely confidential and a place that is free of any judgement – you can simply turn up, and talk as much or as little as you desire with no pressure.

My Leeds United Memories -Vol 1

dajdavies77@gmail.com (David Davies) — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:53:28 GMT

My First Game

My first game at Elland Road was back in October 1989 when I was 12 years old. Leeds were then playing in the old English division 2 and were up against Wolves.

I remember before the game started the players were warming up when Vinnie Jones decided to playfully slide tackle the mascot. The moment got a mixed reaction but I think the majority knew he was just playing up to his hard man, tough tackling character.

The game finished with a 1-0 victory with the only goal coming from striker Bobby Davison. A headed goal following a corner from captain Gordon Strachan. I have fond memories of this win as we went on to gain promotion to division 1 that season, going up as champions.

Some of my favourite Leeds players are part of this team including captain Gordon Strachan, Chris Fairclough, David Batty and Gary Speed.

Another memory of this game is a track that was playing over the tannoy during the pre match warm up. It’s not even a particularly good song but I think it just reminds me of this day so is still part of my regular playlist now. The track in question is For America by 80’s group Red Box.

My Favourite Moment

I have may fond memories of my trips to watch Leeds over the years but one that sticks with me as it still makes me laugh, is the game away to Southampton back in 2005. I was going to the game with my dad and brother but we were unable to get tickets in the away end, although parts of the home end could have been mistaken for the away end on that day, so the 3 of us were sat quietly amongst the home fans.

We didn’t get off to a great start and were 3-0 down at the break. My dad, who is Leeds mad had a face like thunder and I thought for the first time he was going to say we were leaving, but we didn’t, thankfully!

With only 20mins of the game remaining it looked like it was going to be a bad day at the office when it all turned on it’s head. Goals from Paul Butler, Robbie Blake, David Healy and a 86 ^th minute winner from the late Liam Miller saw Leeds win 3-4. There were sections around us going absolutely mental but we did our best to stay sat on our hands.

The final whistle went and the 3 of us had the biggest smiles on our faces amongst some very unhappy Saints fans. We were leaving the ground when my dad did his normal thing and ask to borrow my phone so he could ring our mum. My mum answered and completely forgetting what end we were just leaving he says in a loud voice “Janet, we did it, we won”. Luckily for us there was a lot of noise around us so nobody heard my dads announcement. It still makes me laugh that my dad was so happy with the result that he completely forgot about being in the wrong end.

There are many more memories I can think of but although it would have been amazing to be in amongst the Leeds fans that day it was a great family day out to watch the club we all follow and love.

My Favourite Player

Picking a favourite player for me is hard as I’ve had many favourites over the years, including Rod Wallace, Olivier Dacourt, Mark Viduka and more recently Raphinia…the list goes on. But, there is one player who I always enjoyed watching play for Leeds and that is Gary Speed.

I loved his directness and effort that he put in to playing for the club and he would have to go down as my all time favourite. The number 11 would be the shirt that I always wanted to go for playing local football myself back in the day as a nod to my favourite player.

A Special Birthday

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:30:03 GMT

Hampshire Whites present cheque to Piam Brown Ward

The Piam Brown Ward

This a children's ward at Southampton General which is for children suffering from cancer - often terminal. The money we have raised will be used in a very special way as explained by Abi Haines in her letter of thanks:

" It was great meet you all for the cheque presentation last week. I am pleased that your fundraised money will go towards our Christmas campaign which is focusing on getting children home for Christmas.

Once again, thank you for your incredible commitment. Fundraisers like you are at the heart of what we do, and we couldn't help improve care, comfort, and experiences for every patient and staff member across our hospitals if it wasn't for people like you so THANK YOU!"

How Did We Choose Piam Brown Ward?

Hampshire Whites members were asked to nominate a charity and Glen's was chosen. The story that accompanies the donation is sad, has a Leeds connection but ultimately ends well!

Glen's Story

Myron was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in the spring of 1997. It’s a cancer that is rare in children and he was 1 of 8 children in the country with it out of 40,000 plus people with it .

He spent over 6 months going back and forth to Piam Brown for treatment. It was the only children’s cancer ward in the south coast area at the time.

14th November 1998

Myron had been in hospital for 3 or 4 days when I went to see Liverpool play Leeds. Alan Smith made his debut for us and scored in our 3-1 win. After the match I got a phone call to say that he wasn't in a good way. My mate (a Liverpool fan), who was driving , got me back to Southampton General by 9pm so I could see Myron.

14th November 1998 was a very surreal day for me; the high of winning at Anfield, Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink and Alan Smith scoring – us winning. Then an hour later I was being told that my boy had a 50-50 chance in the next 48-72 hours.

Myron spent his 8th birthday in hospital during an 8 day hospital stay where he was really poorly. Luckily with the Chemo and the fantastic staff that looked after him he pulled through.

The Good News

Myron now works with his dad, Glen and is celebrating his 35th birthday on 17th November 2025.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY , MYRON

Glen and his family have done some charity walks and raised enough money to buy the ward a computer and some games for the children as it’s a really hard place to be for both parents and children, but the staff really are special, and the children are resilient, and the parents tough it out mostly. Just a fantastic ward which means a lot to me, my family and 100’s of families in the south coast area.

Hampshire Whites are proud to support this charity.

A Tale of Two Cities

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:31:32 GMT

Paris 1975 - 50th Anniversary

PARIS 1975 50th Anniversary, A Tale of Two Cities

The build up to the final was electric and it was with a high sense of excitement that I began making travel plans. I wasn’t well off as I was in the second year of an apprenticeship. I had never had a passport in my life so found myself in need of one!! Things were different in those days and besides the full normal passport you are all familiar with now, you also had what was known as the British Visitors Passport (BVP).

This was only valid for a year, it was obtained from the Post Office and only required production of a photo and birth certificate, was handwritten and made of cardboard and issued straight away. It was the most misused document of all time and was the most forged!!

I was travelling with a friend who lived in the Portsmouth area and hailed from Wakefield. He had only just become a Leeds fan and in fact his first match was the Charity Shield at Wembley v Liverpool (the Keegan/Bremner one) at the beginning of the season. There were 2 others but sadly I don't remember names. As I've mentioned money was tight so there were no plans to book accommodation. I judicially borrowed a knee length sheepskin coat from a friend to keep me warm at night sleeping rough. Which it did but by heck I sweated in the daytime as the weather was glorious.

We took a train from Portsmouth to London where we the connected to Dover. There were so many Leeds fans in London, the atmosphere was magnificent. The crossing to Calais was without incident, but noisy!

We took the train to Gare du Nord Paris. On leaving the station we witnessed our first spot of bother; a few Leeds fans were approached by a French ticket tout who seemed to have a wallet full of tickets for the match. He was asked to show them which he did and immediately wished he hadn't, he was struck a hefty blow by one of the lads and fell to the ground, the group grabbed the tickets and ran off. For context the tickets were priced at 30 F (Francs not Euros as the world hadn’t yet gone mad!). It was also an offence in France to sell tickets on the black market. (remember this point).

Anyway, onwards to Gay Paris itself. We experienced the sights during the day, as you can imagine there were Leeds fans everywhere, it was incredible, no sign of the trouble to come. We set about finding somewhere to sleep for the night (we had no money), having wandered the streets for what seemed an eternity we came across a pair of those huge oak doors the French are keen on. Must have been built prior to 1805 as we sunk most their Oak off the coast of Trafalgar by then. The door was unlocked so we crept in to find it was the entrance to a large apartment block. It was all in darkness and quiet, so we settled down for some sleep on the ornately tiled floor of the magnificent hallway. After only 2 or 3 hours we were woken by a mad French woman brandishing a broom (the kind most mother in laws used for transport). She was aghast at discovering 4 English lads bedecked in yellow, white and blue. I didn’t speak much French but enough to know she was very angry! She then chased us for our blood as we scarpered down the street.

It was still dark, so we wandered back to the Eiffel Tower and got us heads down under it to continue our slumbers.

We had travelled on the Monday overnight, so it was now the morning of match day, Wednesday. In those days European Finals were played midweek (the world hadn’t yet gone mad).

I should have mentioned back home we couldn’t get tickets for the match, so had travelled without. We travelled to the area of the venue on the Metro. The venue was the Parc des Princes it was the third incarnation of the stadium and was just about brand new. It was and still is the home of PSG. This was the first major event to be staged there. Until the Stade de France was built this was also the home of the French national teams for Rugby and Football. Capacity about 49 thousand still the same now, I think?

We arrived in the general area of the stadium during the morning, Leeds fans were everywhere, it was obvious that a great many had slept there, several were in tents on grassed roundabouts. Now what we didn’t know was that the French Police in all its guises, that is, Gendarmerie, Police Nationale and the Paris Police Prefecture, had a cunning plan. Obviously one Force is nowhere near enough for Leeds fans.

So, their plan on match day was to enforce an exclusion zone around the stadium this was quite deep and spread many streets away from the stadium. This was completed with roadblocks manned by police. Supporters were to show their tickets before passing.

The problem for the Police was that the area was already saturated with Leeds fans. However, they had another cunning plan! For that they deployed their riot teams and what followed was a disgrace. They physically forced fans out of the area with no airs and graces and weren't wearing kid gloves! I personally witnessed a couple of lads that had camped on a roundabout being dragged from their tent and given a hell of a beating by the Police with their riot sticks, it was a grim watch. The tone was set here I believe for violence instigated by the Police.

We were eventually all moved out of the sterile area and started giving some thought to purchasing tickets, we met up with another group so now numbered about 30. It wasn’t long before we were approached by a French tout, I don’t remember how much he was asking for the tickets but obviously they were more than face value. Some backwards and forwards went on which became a bit heated, I do remember he was shoved a couple of times and then he ran off. Now we were conscious that tickets could be hard to come by the closer we got to Kick Off, so we chased him, he went round a corner where he ran into the arms of 2 French Old Bill. He was talking to them clearly explaining what had just happened, they presumably recognised him as a tout and cleared him off.

We followed him and round the next corner was an army of Police. They were more sympathetic to him as he was talking and gesticulating, arms and hands all over the place, as is the want of a Frenchie in conversation. We were quickly surrounded by the Police. I was one of six that were identified as having pushed the tout (I hadn’t). We were all arrested and placed in a mobile cell unit.

My thoughts were twofold, in that I imagined spending the next 25 years in the Bastille probably wearing an Iron mask and making friends with rats! More importantly was the inevitability of missing the match and our crowning glory (for at this point of course the world still hadn’t gone mad). As all the conversation around us was in French we had no idea what was happening.

The time must have been late afternoon and having been locked up in the mobile cell block for somewhile a senior officer arrived who spoke English. He explained what the tout alleged which we all denied, he was keen I think to get rid of us and lined us all up. You will remember I told you it was illegal to sell tickets overpriced, so the tout was in a difficult position, he handed over on instruction 6 tickets to the officer who took 30F form each in turn and gave each a ticket. I was last in the line.

The master stroke!!!! While the officer was handing out tickets I came up with my own cunning plan, so when he asked me for 30F, I replied that before the tout ran away from us, I'd already paid him, but he hadn’t given me a ticket. To my surprise the officer didn’t question it and gave me my ticket for free!!! The Tout looked on incredulously, he wasn’t in a position to challenge bearing in mind what his profession was. I was absolutely made up that I had conned the French, as we were released and walked away the others couldn’t believe it.

I was then feeling quite smug as I presented my bargain ticket at the checkpoint. I had been separated from Wakey Steve because of my unjust incarceration but later found out he had got a ticket himself.

So, finally I was in the stadium and what a sight, the huge bank of Leeds fans behind the goal was incredible to see. I’m not going to go into match details as you all know what happened. I don’t remember when the violence started to be honest, but it was brutal to witness. You may have noticed from film footage the fully grown ball boys around the pitch who apparently were specially trained Police Officers (this has been refuted in recent years) they repelled any attempts at pitch invasion with extreme force. To be fair to them they had suffered missiles mostly seats being ripped out and rained down on them. Somewhere in a central position of our stand behind the goal there was a camera man, who I witnessed being violently assaulted and his camera was wrecked. He suffered a broken arm and lost an eye. The violence was widespread. I had also witnessed a German flag and scarf seller who had positioned his stall on a roadway bridge leading to the ground, being surrounded by Leeds fans who set fire to the stall and then pushed it off the bridge.

After the match I thought it prudent to escape the carnage and made my way back to Gare du Nord. On arrival there we found that due to French seamen striking there were no Ferries running from France to England!!! This must have been a real headache for the French authorities, who I'm sure would have wanted to say a swift 'Au revoir' to the thousands of Leeds fans 'toute suite'!!

The station was full of Leeds, I studied the destination and time boards and noticed an imminent train departure to Ostend in Belgium whose seamen weren’t on strike. So legged it to the platform caught the train and then Ferry home.

I hadn't seen Wakey Steve since my arrest, so it was a surprise a few days after getting home, to receive a phone call from his mother worried sick and demanding to know what I’d done with her son!! He’d got stuck in France because of the strikes. Now Steve had some difficulty communicating in English never mind French, so I think he did bloody well to get home within a week!!

So, there you have it my first trip abroad as an adult and first to see Leeds in Europe. I've kept it as brief as I could and hope you've enjoyed the read.

Footnote

A documentary of the event has just been made which is released now and will be showing in private cinemas around the country but mostly Yorkshire. The match is of huge significance to our club and is part of our Lore and DNA. This is why the WACCOE chant is still sung by our fans, and I hope always will be. I am currently in negotiation with the film maker and hopefully we can get it screened in Hampshire. If you would like to see it please get in touch with me or another committee member to express an interest. It is likely to be late November early December.

Thanks to Derek Dye for Leeds Town Hall Photo

HW Between Seasons - Part 2

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 17:36:48 GMT

Holidays and Friendlies

Many of the HW continued their holidays while others started the football season early by going to some of the friendlies.

Steve Lunn and the Hampshire Whites flag on board Sky Princess and meeting the 'locals' in Vatican City.

There were the behind closed doors friendlies and the rest. The most amazing turnout for Leeds was the match versus AC Milan in Dublin. In addition to the thousands of Irish supporters there were thousands more from England, Scotland, Wales and countries far and wide! And a few Hampshire Whites.

The Shaun Batley family had a great time and met up with some legends. Meanwhile Jacqui and Mick made hte most of being in Dublin.

HW Between Seasons-Part 1

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:10:16 GMT

What do HW members do when there are no Leeds matches? (That's publishable)

The committee organise the AGM/BBQ (see more) or set off to find new venues for next season's meetings!

The younger members give up their time to compete in a tournament in memory of Kev and Chris!

Or they make life changing decisions - at last!!

Lots of members spend their time speculating about next season's kit - with loads of " my source says it will look like this!" comments. Lots of members spend their time speculating about players we are going to buy, being disappointed when we don't and debating the abilities of those we have bought. Then there's the fixture list - what a waste of publishing that is but at least we know roughly when we are playing other teams. Whether we will all be able to get to the matches when they can give such short notice of changes - who knows?

Mostly they go out and about - meeting other Leeds fans and enjoying themselves.

The Lanzarote branch of Hampshire Whites - recruited by Stu, Di, and Shaun!!

Or visit Disneyland!

Spreading the word in Thailand - and finding at least one fan who's dressed for the part! Where there are Leeds fans there are police!!!

Part 2 to follow - friendlies and other travels.

BBQ and AGM

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 13:51:10 GMT

Hampshire Whites AGM and BBQ - June 8th 2025

Over 70 members and their families gathered for Hampshire Whites annual BBQ and AGM. Kindly hosted by Jeff and Paula Borg. The atmosphere was cheerful, the food was excellent and everyone was looking forward to next season in the Premier League - with some nerves!

We were delighted to welcome back Alan Sutton and his wife Shirley who were holidaying in the area and were able to join us. Alan came as a speaker last year and Shirley and he have since become very good friends of Hampshire Whites.

While waiting for the AGM to start there was the opportunity to eat! To enter ideas for next year's Hampshire Whites badge! To sell stickers! To decide on next year's team and chat about life in general!

AGM

Steve, as vice chair led the AGM and delivered the chair's report and the ticket secretary's report as both Trevor and Geoff were on their hols.

Trevor thanked all who keep HW running with a special mention for Jacqui for her help over the years as she is now stepping back. HW is a very active group - probably one of the most active of all LUFC groups and only runs well because of the work of so many people.

We had over 200 members by the end of the season with an age range from 3 years old to over 80 years old.

Chris reported that the finances are in a healthy state and we are able to meet our commitments easily.

Geoff managed to allocate a ticket to every one who asked for a home ticket , thanks to ticket buyers (we still need more help with this), season ticket holders, priority members - and LUFC whose system allows us to buy tickets and forward them to other members. Away tickets were pretty impossible and only a few season ticket holders were able to get tickets for most matches.

Kelvin and Steve organised transport for every match - home and away - and made sure that everyone who asked us and had a ticket got to a match. We could not do this without our drivers - who drive the minibuses and /or their own cars! We made a loss on the transport this season which was caused by a number of factors - mainly not being able to fill a minibus because of lack of tickets or so many midweek matches and also because the cost of the minibus varied considerably. This is expected to be less of a problem next season!

Leroy explained that he had now moved into his role of secretary and would be taking over fully next season.

Jacqui was pleased to say HW have donated to a lot of causes this year and a few of our members have raised money for different causes. This is great for the charities and has been noticed by staff at ER which helps raise our profile in other areas.

Candlelighters - to support a child in Alan Suttons village – as a thankyou to Alan for giving his time to us last year.

St Michael’s Hospice, Harrogate - as a mark of respect for Eddie Gray

Candlelighters – the charity for the LUSN Kev and Chris football tournament

Portsmouth Aid for Ukraine – we sold Phil Jones programmes and raised money for aid that he took out to Ukraine himself

Piam Brown Children’s cancer ward at Southampton General – requested by HW member Glen Whiter. To be presented later this year.

We had a good turnout at U18s match against Portsmouth, the U21s against Aldershot and Sutton and for the presentation of the cheque to St Michaels Hospice where Eddie Gray joined us.

David reported that the website is going well and is slowly increasing in its usage. More contributions from HW membes would be appreciated. He is keeping Instagram relevant. Twitter/X has increased its following slightly.

Peter Rowling, on behalf of HW members, thanked all HW committee members for all their hard work and said how impressed he was with the organisation.

Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Chair will be the same people as last year. Committee members covering vital roles will be the same as last year. We are still looking for members to help out with various roles so please contact Leroy if you are able to help.

Last but not least the raffle!

Thanks to Simon, David W, Roy, Paul F-N and Lee who have donated raffle prizes to us this year.

The signed items are always appreciated by members and we were able to run 2 raffles - a signed England shirt and a general raffle. Thanks to all of you who bought tickets - the amounts raised will be in the official summary.

The signed England shirt was donated by David and won by Chloe Bryant.

The general raffle was made more interesting with a 'promotion ' shirt signed by Tony Dorigo and Jermaine Beckford. Donated by Lee Mawson and won by Jeff Borg

Supporting Ukraine

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:16:07 GMT

Phil Jones, HW member, is doing his bit in Ukraine.

I recently had a clear out of my footie programmes, many of which are Leeds, home and away, dating back to the 60s when I first started following the Mighty Whites. Some of them brought back great and in some cases painful memories of certain matches that I attended - and much nostalgia. My first thought was that I should ensure the programmes went to a good home where they would be treasured, as I had (even if they were in the loft!) and what better than to see if members of the Hampshire Whites would be interested.

I also wanted to raise some cash for a great cause close to my heart....Ukraine....a place that I have lived and worked for many years and where I have countless friends and happy memories. Though I don't live there now I am trying to do my bit to support a great nation and some of this is through purchasing items necessary for everyday life ranging from medicines through to nappies and toys for kids affected by the war.

Jacqui stepped (thanks Jacqui really appreciated!) in and as some of you will know has sold a lot of my programmes and the money raised has gone to buying some of these items which have then found their way to Portsmouth Helps Ukraine which does what is says on the tin and gets them transported east

If you'd like to know more they are on Facebook - http://bit.ly/3FH1kFn

So to all those that bought programmes, taken them off my hands and contributed to a good cause - thanks. Phil ��

Charity Presentation to St Michael's Hospice, Harrogate

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 15:06:34 GMT

HW present cheque in memory of Eddie's son Stuart

Thanks to Malcolm, photographer of Leeds United for the above photo.

Before the Leeds v Sunderland match on Monday 17th February HW met up with Eddie Gray and Alan Sutton to present a cheque for £300 to St Michael's Hospice in Harrogate. The hospice had been selected as our Yorkshire based charity on the advice of Alan Sutton and we were happy to contribute to their funds. This is the hospice where Eddie's son, Stuart, spent his final days. The help and support given to the family was excellent.

The presentation had been organised by Leonie Houching from St Michael's and Dominique helped us out at Leeds. Unfortunately Leonie, despite setting off very early, was unable to make the presentation due to the large volume of traffic in Leeds. Undeterred our friend, Alan, was able to step in and receive the cheque on their behalf.

The next day I took some biscuits for the people who work at the Hospice as a thanks for trying to get to us and for the work they do!!

Leonie and the others I met at the hospice were very enthusiastic about the donation and said all amounts make a considerable difference to them.

She has sent us an official message of thanks.

"On behalf of all at Saint Michael’s Hospice, thank you so much for raising an incredible £300, and the lovely biscuits which our IPU staff were very grateful for!

Please know that the amount you have raised will help to make a great difference at Saint Michael’s Hospice.

As you know, we rely on the generosity of our community to keep providing our specialist care and support, both at Crimple House and in people’s homes, and we truly couldn’t do what we do without the help of incredible people like you and the Hampshire Whites.

Best Wishes

Leonie "

Back to Monday night

Some of us arrived early and had to wait until the players had arrived before we were allowed round to the West Stand reception where the presentation was due to take place. They let us in early so we didn't freeze to death.

Eddie popped by to say thanks and kindly agreed to do a photo shoot, despite being on his way to meet up with Peter Lowry!

Dan Butler has another Leeds United memory to add to his growing list!

Dan and Simon got into the mood with Lucas, the Kop cat and the rest of us went in to the ground for food and drink!

We , then, moved on to the nerve-wracking match. Will we, as Leeds supporters ever feel confident going into a match? Even when we have faith in the manager and players!

And so on to the match!

The match itself was close but there was a slight belief amongst the crowd that we might actually win this - not too strong as we are Leeds! The masterstroke of substitutions - Struijk and Rothwell particularly - sealed it for us. In all my years of going to Elland Rd there have been very few 'ordinary league' matches when only a few people left before the end and the stadium has erupted at -slightly before - the final whistle!

The face of a fan whose team have scored a very important winning goal just on the whistle!

A Night to Remember for us all - young and old. It began with helping the hospice and ended with a fantastic win. It's what being a Leeds fan and part of Hampshire Whites is all about!

Life as a Hampshire Whites Youth Member

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:06:57 GMT

In January 2024 my dad took me to see my first ever Leeds United game. I liked it so much I asked if we could go again. But my Dad said we would have to see as it cost too much for travel. We kept watching on the TV and I kept on at my Dad about going to Elland Road again.

Then in July time we met this man in the Range in Andover, I later found out he was Simon the Pie man. We got talking about Leeds United because of his tattoos and he told us about the Hampshire Whites.

That night my Dad filled in some forms online and signed us up to the Hampshire Whites. Before long we got our badges in the post and we were members.

We got up really early for my first league game which was Burnley at Elland Road and we were travelling with the HW’s on the minibus, well we were supposed to but there was a problem and the minibus wasn’t there. So, we all had to travel up in cars. We shared with Chris, my Dad and him spoke all way up there because they are both from Barnsley. But it was really nice of him to drive us.

We got to the game early and I wanted a bucket hat so we went and got one and had a look round the club shop. I have never seen so much Leeds stuff.

When we got in to the ground it was great, we were in different seats to my first ever game. It was a lot louder than I remembered and my dad said it was bercause we were in the Kop.He also said I hope you don't want to sit down for the game because no-one sits down in this end. I didn't believe him but he was right and we stood for the whole game. It was great apart from the score and losing.

I didn't know when my next game was going to be but as it happened it was the very next week away at Cardiff. This time we went on the train. My dad said there was a lot of history with Cardiff so to be safe we wouldn't travel in club colours. I didn't know what he meant but I didn't wear my shirt to travel. We got to the ground really early and had to wait to meet Chris. There was lots of traffic and we only met Chris 15 minutes before kick-off. When we got in the ground it was completley different being in the away end but it was just as loud.

It was a bit worrying at first because someone was in my dads’ seat and we weren’t sat together, but we found my seat and the one next to it was empty so everything was ok. We went 1 nil up in the first half but I was worried in the 2 ^nd half that Cardiff would get a goal because we had lots of chances and couldn’t score. But I shouldn’t have worried because Piroe scored and we all had a party, the man next to me hugged me and we ended up about six seats away.

My next Game was Bristol city away, we went on the train again and walked to the ground. I even found the team bus, I thought we played really well but we just didn’t score.

The next game that I went to was Plymouth at Elland Road, it was a great game to watch and was the biggest win I had seen so far, because we scored 3 in the first half it was like being at a party and I thought some of the songs that were sung to Wayne Rooney were funny.

As a treat for Christmas my Dad got tickets for the Oxford home game and booked us a tour of Elland road the day after the game. We travelled up on the minibus with the HW’s. Jacqui had made us all mince pies for the journey. It was a really cold day but the players were on fire on the pitch and we won 4 nil.

We stayed over night ready for a tour of Elland Road the following day, On the tour I met Leeds legend Dominic Matteo, got to go in the dressing room before going to the press room to ask Dom some questions. I learnt a lot about the club and I know now why I love being a Leeds fan.

The last game I went to was at home to Blackburn on New Years Day, this was a special day because I got to take my older sister to the game. It was the first time she had ever been to a Leeds game. She loved it and can’t wait to go again. Having her there made the 1 – 1 draw feel not too bad.

Its been a crazy 6 months and I can’t wait to travel to more games with the HW’s and seeing Super Leeds get promoted to the Premier League.

Banner Photo by Samuel Ryde on Unsplash

Local Evening Out for Hampshire Whites

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 15:19:46 GMT

Leeds U18s beat Portsmouth U18s at Fratton Park

Over 100 members of Hampshire Whites and other Leeds fans were at Fratton Park on December 16th to see our U18s against Portsmouth. It was great to have a local match which we were able to get tickets for!! The pies at Fratton Park were delicious and received a lot of praise!

Leeds: Kenyon (GK), Firth (Thompson 57’), Bird, Pickles, Billett, Cresswell, Vincent (White 84’), Chadwick (C), Render (Watson 119’), Morris (Whitehead 84’), McDonald (Mills 120’). Subs not used: Wood (GK), Philpott.

The enthusiasm and skill of the players and the noise from the crowd made for a very exciting match.

Leeds started well and were rewarded with a goal after 4minutes (Render). Portsmouth scored after a mistake at the back but Leeds went in at half-time 2-1 up.

(More pies consumed by Hampshire Whites and others.)

The second half was as hardworking as the first with Leeds having the upper hand - however Portsmouth managed to score in stoppage time to take the game in to extra time.

At the beginning of extra time Bird was shown a yellow card, which as it was his second meant he had to go. The Leeds crowd showed their displeasure to the referee and even on looking at replays the consensus was a yellow was unfair. It is assumed it was for kicking the ball away but as he stated to put in the cross as the whistle went the feeling is yet again Leeds were victims of a bad decision by the ref.

The Leeds players looked even more determined to play hard although the crowd thought they showed some signs of tiring - the support did its best to lift the players. Substitute White scored a calm, confident goal to put us in the lead.

Leeds defended gallantly as Portsmouth pushed hard to get the equaliser. However on the night Leeds came out victorious!

However a good night was had by all and we hope the young players appreciated our support. Hopefully having travelled this far they will also appreciate the journey many of us do to Elland Rd on a regular basis.

River Blackman - Match Day Mascot

dajdavies77@gmail.com (David Davies) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 21:19:16 GMT

River Blackman Leeds mascot for Leeds V Plymouth 2/11/24.

We made our way to Elland Road to meet up with the people who were in charge of the mascots, they were very friendly and welcoming and made us all feel relaxed and made River feel very important and special.

River got given a full Leeds home kit as well as a bag of goodies too, then off he went to meet the Leeds players, he was very excited to meet Gnonto as he is his favourite player! He took his away kit shirt with him and they all signed it for him.

He then walked out onto the pitch infront of 36,000 fans holding Tanakas hand and was super excited! He then was escorted back to our seats and we watched Leeds win 3-0!

We really couldn’t have asked for a better day and will cherish that for the rest of our lives!

MOT !!

Hampshire Whites Support Diabetes UK

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:14:00 GMT

In memory of Steve's wife, Carol

Hampshire Whties raised money via their raffle and were able to present £300 to Diabetes UK in memory of Steve's wife, Carol.

Chris, Kelvin, Stu, Diane, Mick and Jacqui joined Steve, Carol's sister Sue and nephew Adrian to meet up with Louise from Diabetes UK at Eastleigh Football Club to present her with the cheque. After the presentation we went to Sherwood's restaurant at the Silverlake stadium where we had a very good lunch and were made very welcome.

Carol had Type 1 diabetes from the age of 7 and managed it very well all her life. Unfortunately she died unexpectedly in May 2023, which was a real shock for Steve, their son, Peter, daughter, Tracey and other members of the family.

She supported Steve in his passion for Leeds United - even though she wasn't a football fan. Carol became friends with many Hampshire Whites members and supported us at the cheque presentation at Naomi House. She was full of life and is sadly missed by those who knew her.

Barbecue and AGM

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:03:44 GMT

A day filled with cheer and a 60th Birthday!

It was a beautiful day in the Hampshire countryside as over 50 Hampshire Whites gathered for our annual AGM and family barbecue. This year it also included a special milestone birthday for one of our key members. Jeff , who drives the transport for us frequently, and who runs the barbecue, along with Paula, has reached the grand old age of 60. Paula organised a wonderful cake, presented to Jeff by his son, Josh, and 'Happy Birthday' , sung as only a football crowd can, rang out across the garden.

Before the business part ofthe afternoon started everyone enjoyed the food, had a few drinks, admired Jeff's LUFC 'shed' and caught up on the season just gone with much discussion on next season.

Then the business part of the meeting. Click here for summary of AGM . The secretary, Jacqui and treasurer, Chris giving their information and the new chair, Trevor eagerly awaiting his turn. Members, of course, hanging on their every word - finding out how much it was going to cost them!

A wonderful afternoon was rouunded off with a very entertaining 'question and answer' session from Alan Sutton. He gave a really good insight into his time from Billy Bremner's management until he left in 2013. He told us stories about the players and avoided certain questions with humour and lightheartedness - we still don't know the truth regarding Eric Cantona's leaving Leeds! It was great to hear stories about players we admire but also to understand how many of us have misjudged players in the past - and probably now!

Some left with souvenirs of the day!

From Hope to Disappointment

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Wed, 29 May 2024 16:08:27 GMT

A rare trip to Wembley for Hampshire Whites!

There was an air of excitement the morning of Sunday May 26th. Everyone preparing for the journey to Wembley!

Those that didn't get tickets showing the Leeds spirit and making the best of it.

Pete and grandson, Jack at work, The White hart, Gosport, Paul's House, The Clark house, Andy and grandson

Alan, Daniel and Simon and friends, without a ticket, decided to watch at Wembley with the fans.

On the way to Wembley! Via a few trains and pubs. The inevitable meeting with other supporters!

HW join the other 40000 Leeds fans at Wembley

Although it started well it wasn't to be!

WE WILL GO AGAIN NEXT SEASON! MARCHING ON TOGETHER

The Lottery of the Playoffs

Mon, 06 May 2024 18:08:21 GMT

To be so close to clinching automatic promotion back to the premier league and then fall away at the end was disappointing to see. But, looking at the overall picture and the mass exodus of players leaving or wanting to leave during pre-season the team have done incredibly well under the management of Daniel Farke.

At the start of 2024, the football that Leeds were playing was incredible, winning game after game and the team full of confidence. From the unbreakable defence, through the midfield to the forward line, everything was in place and working. These performances saw Leeds close the gap on the top teams and put themselves in contention of automatic promotion.

Cue the March international break. Leeds boss Daniel Farke commented “We had the worst possible international break. For us three players came back injured (Gruev, Gnonto and Roberts) and three Welsh players had the disappointment of not being allowed to go to the Euros. We had not one first team training session as a team.”

Some bad form and lack of confidence seem to set in and Leeds United ended the season in the playoffs, losing four of their final six matches to miss out on a top-two finish. Ninety points would have been enough for Leeds to have been promoted automatically in 13 of the past 20 seasons but it just wasn’t to be.

Attentions now turn to the playoffs with Leeds will contest Farkes former club Norwich City over 2 legs, starting with the away fixture on 12th May, followed by the home fixture on the evening of the 16th. The winner will be set for a trip to Wembley to face either Southampton or West Brom in the playoff final on 26th May.

Leeds have never won promotion via the play-offs in five attempts, so they will be hoping to change that record this time around. Farke joked “You know how my record is in the play-offs? I never lost a game – because I’ve never played in the play-offs by the way.

He added, “It doesn’t matter. Leeds have lost in the play-offs before, but it was a completely different group, I was not in charge, so it doesn’t matter. Obviously we are here to change it. That’s the reason why I’m here.”

The young Leeds team now need to use the next week to prepare for potentially 3 of the biggest games of their careers to date. We’ve seen how they can play and what they are capable of so let’s hope the heads are high and they give it their all for 1 final push towards premier league football next season.

Daniel and Sebastian - Mascots for the Day

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 19:21:48 GMT

Daniel and Sebastian (HW Juniors) are mascots for the Blackburn match.

Hampshire Whites were delighted when Dominique from Leeds United confirmed that a promise made to Daniel and Sebastian in September would be honoured.

They could be mascots for the Blackburn game. After much secrecy between Leeds, parents and Jacqui, HW secretary it was finally all organised. When the boys found out the excitement could be felt from Hampshire to Yorkshire.

The dad's were thrilled to be part of it as well.

The boys describe the day in their own words.

SEBASTIAN: AGE 9 3/4

''It was quite unbelievable to do something like this and it is very hard to arrange because everyone wants to do it at some point in their life and it was brilliant that Leeds did this for us.

For me this is like a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I hope someone saw me on the television! My favourite part was going on to the pitch even though it was spitting with rain out there, but the best part was when I got to keep the kit after the match.''

''I even got interviewed by LUTV, I told them what my name was, how old I was, they asked me if I played for a football team and my football team is Locks Heath Lions or LHL for short. I also told them who my favourite player was who is Ethan Ampadu-du-du, and finally, they asked me what I thought the score would be. I said 2-0 or 3-0 to Leeds but I think I was wrong.

I got autographs from some of the players not all of them, but some of them ... but at least I got one from Ampadu. ''

''Do you want to know who I walked out onto the pitch with? I’ll give you a clue all right? OK. Here it is. He wears the number 3, and he is from the Dominican Republic. If you said Crysencio Summerville, you’re wrong! It was Junior Firpo, the Full-Back!

Speaking of going out onto the pitch, it was sooooo loud out there! I mean SERIOUSLY!!! It sounded like there was 5 Elland Roads there!!!

Leeds should have won the game by about 5-1, but no mercy shown by the ref!''

''I really hope that I get to do this again sometime but for now this has been one of the best days of my life so far.

For the awards ceremony, I chose Dan James for goal of the season with that halfway liner from 45 yards out! I chose Archie Gray for player of the season and for young player of the season.

Oh! In a few weeks time, I’m going up to Leeds to see the mighty whites take on Southampton, and I’m never calling Southampton “The Saints” again! You know what, I really shouldn’t because all my friends support Pompey instead! Anyways, I hope Leeds finish in the automatic promotion places and get a result against Southampton but we need to keep an eye on Ipswich Town because they are putting up a fight! '

Also we’ve beaten Leicester and Ipswich both at Home and Away so there’s no reason why we can’t beat Southampton. Right, that’s it from me, I hope someone else has opportunity like this and most importantly, they have a great time!''

DANIEL: AGE 11

''On 13th April 2024, I was a mascot for the Leeds v Blackburn match and it was amazing!

I arrived at Elland Road, 2 hours before kick off and went straight into the ground. I was so excited to find out which player I would be walking out of the tunnel with.''

''I was greeted by the Leeds mascot guardians who gave me a massive goodie bag, full of Leeds merchandise and a new kit for me to wear. I met the other mascots too and had some photos taken.

We lined up to see the players arrive and get their autographs, I met Beckford as his son was also being a mascot and Stuart Dallas was there as well. I was standing right next to him when he was being interviewed for Sky TV.

While the players were training, we were allowed to go pitch side and stand in the Technical Area, it was so cool to see the stands filling up with fans and see find out what it's like to be Daniel Farke.''

''It was soon only a few minutes till kickoff and we waited in the tunnel for the players to come out of the dressing room and stand next to us. I kept thinking what Daniel Farke would be saying to them.

And then, I was thrilled when Joe Rodon stood next me! Wow. He held my hand and we walked out on to the pitch in front of 36,000 fans! Singing 'Marching on Together' it was an absolutely incredible experience.

We shook hands with the Blackburn players and the referees and then I met up with my Dad and we found our seats just in time for kick off.''

Leeds dominated the game and the amount of shots was unbelievable but so was the amount of time wasting from Blackburn.

After the first half of frustration, the second half was the same, except Blackburn scored a goal in the last few minutes and that was our unbeaten home record gone.

After the game, Dad took me for a drink in the Luke Ale Inn.

''This was a great day and one of the coolest memories ever.''

The following photo gallery of the boys special day has been added with kind permission of Heidi Haigh - followmeandleedsunited.co.uk

Hampshire Whites would like to thank Dominique, Sophie, the players and everyone else at Leeds United who made the boys' day one that they will remember for the rest of their lives!

My Top 10 - Volume 8

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 16:58:15 GMT

This 'My Top Ten' has been compiled by Hampshire Whites member Martin Curr, aged 57

1. Billy Bremner

Side Before Self

2. Eddie Gray

Style, Skill, Leeds

3. Allan Clarke

Everyone wants one

4. Gary Speed

Beautiful player and person

5. Lucas Radebe

The Chief on and off the pitch

6. Luke Ayling

Courage, Leeds

7. Micky Bridges

Class, could have been one of the best

8. Olivier Dacourt

Engine, never gave up

9. Andy Ritchie

Scored the first goal I ever saw at Elland Road

10. Pablo Hernandez

Need I Say More?

My Top 10 - Volume 7

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 16:58:17 GMT

This 'My Top Ten' has been compiled by Fred Carter, aged 56

1. Eddie Gray

Club legend! Probably the most skilful player we've had, and a lovely bloke too.

2. Billy Bremner

Obviously!

3. Gordon Strachan

Got us promoted then won the title!

4. Jack Charlton

...and

5. Norman Hunter

Uncompromising centre back pairing, they weren't just hard they were awesome.

6. Tony Yeboah

Dynamite in his boots!

7. David Batty

The steel in the title winning team of '92.

8. Paul Madeley

Rolls Royce of a player.

9. Pablo Hernandez

The best Leeds player in the last 10 years.

10. Peter Lorimer

90 miles an hour, club record goal scorer.

Stuart Dallas - Thank You!

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 12:38:51 GMT

Stuart Dallas joined Leeds United in August 2015 from Brentford. In his time at Leeds he made 266 appearances and scored 25 goals.

He gave 100% every time he pulled on the shirt and played in several positions during his time at the club. He quickly became a fan favourite, gaining the nickname of the Cookstown Cafu by the Leeds United fans.

He scored his first goal for the club in December 2015 against Wolves and went on to win the clubs players player of the year award that same season.

Dallas was a key part of the Leeds United team that won the 2019/20 EFL Championship and promotion to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa.

He made his premier league debut on 12th September 2020 against the then reigning champions Liverpool which finished in a narrow 4-3 defeat. A highlight of Dallas’s time in the premier league would be on April 10th 2021 when Leeds United overcome a very strong Manchester City team to win 2-1 away with Stuart scoring both goals.

In the following season, Stuart suffered a serious knee injury whlist playing against Manchester City which would see him miss the rest of the season during which would unfortunately see Leeds United relegated to the Championship. With the severity of the injury Dallas has also missed the entirety of the current 2023/24 season.

On 11th April 2024, Stuart Dallas met with the current squad to announce that he would be retiring at the end of the season. A very emotional moment for him and his team mates was given a positive spin when Dallas shared a message with his team mates…

”I’m not here to do a team talk but you’ve got yourselves into an incredible position boys so don’t give it up now. You’ve 4 games to go so just give it absolutely everything and embrace the challenge, enjoy it and I’m pretty sure you’ll end up where we want to be and where you set out to be at the start of the season. I’m continuing on until the end of the season and I hope that’s the start of May and not the end of May but I wish you all the best going forward.”

Hopefully his message hit home and the team can go out and get the job done.

Hampshire Whites would like to thank Stuart Dallas for his time as a player for Leeds United and for all the fond memories he has given us.

My Top 10 - Volume 6

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:52:57 GMT

This 'My Top Ten' has been compiled by Jacqui Greethurst, aged 70

Being the age i am the first thing I have to do is get past the Don Revie teams of the late 60s/early 70s as they were responsible for the expecations that we all have today and it is usually difficult to pick out 1 or 2 of them. However here goes! My picks include players who may not be the most skilful we've had but have understood what it is to be Leeds and played with their hearts!

1. Allan Clarke

When all my friends had pop star posters all over their bedroom walls - mine were Allan Clarke. He was a superb finisher and could play the ball with one foot and stop a man with the other!

2. Eddie Gray

Watching him waltz down the wing, however muddy the pitch was and whoever was marking him, is something that I haven't seen bettered in all my years of watching Leeds United.

3. Norman Hunter

His reputation as a 'hard' man took away from how skilful a footballer he actually was. He was exciting to watch and created controversy everywhere. I had the pleasure to meet him a few times while he was still playing and he was kind and quietly spoken with an excellent sense of humour. I was delighted to get the chance to speak to him at the end of season dinner.

4. Andy Hughes

Andy played his heart out for Leeds, playing in a range of positions and aving us on numerous occasions. He probably stopped a 'fan' ban at Gillingham by challenging their goalkeeper who was winding up our crowd and inciting them to come on the pitch.

5. Ian Harte

One of the best at set pieces. Another who played his heartout for Leeds and put up with undeserved grief from certain sections of our fan base.

6. Gary Kelly

Stayed with us when things were falling apart. Solid down the wing and in defence.

7. David Batty

The quiet, hard man. I always considered him to be a LEEDS player, whichever team he was playing for.

8. Kalvin Phillips

Developed before our eyes into a true professional. He stayed with us to help us get promoted when he could have gone to PL teams. He took a gamble which would have been hard not to - I hope he gets the success he deserves. Leeds through and through.

9. Stuart Dallas

A player who played anywhere for us and always gave his best. A significant influence on our promotion and a brilliant player to watch - especially the goal against Manchester City!

10. Liam Cooper

Liam has set an excellent example to players and fans. He has been a brilliant club captain and worked tirelessly with fans , players and the community. Some of his blocks on the pitch have been magnificent and he has saved us on many occasions. When he has been on the bench he has supported the players and he has had consdierable influence on our younger players. He was the captain who took us back to the Premier League and could be the club captain who leads us back again.

My Top 10 - Volume 5

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:45:44 GMT

This 'My Top 10' has been compiled by Hampshire Whites member Lucas Clark - age 11

1 Kalvin Phillips

One of the best players I've seen for Leeds and he's Leeds through and through.

2 Luke Ayling

Scored the best goal (v Huddersfield) I've ever seen live

3 Pablo Hernandez

World class player. My favourite in the Championship.

4 Gaetano Berardi

Great player who put his body on the line.

5 Raphinha

Technically gifted and the best player i've seen live.

6 Hadi Sacko

Scored the first live Leeds goal I saw, even though we lost 2-1 to Birmingham that day!

7 Ezgjan Alioski

Dependable and with an engine to cover the whole pitch.....and crazy!

8 Chris Wood

My favourite striker for Leeds.

9 Stuart Dallas

Brilliant utility player who can be relied on in any position. And also that goal v Man City

10 Ronaldo Vieira

Underrated but always played well and worked hard.

Leeds win in Hampshire Whites territory - at last

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:25:07 GMT

Under 21s beat Bournemouth at Eastleigh

Hampshire Whites were able to watch Leeds United win on local turf for the first time in many years, as the U21s came out on top against a highly rated Bournemouth team.

We only had a couple of days notice regarding the match but messages flew backwards and forwards and we managed to get a fair number of Hampshire Whites there. We were delighted to see other Leeds fans from further afield, as well. We estimate there were about 200 Leeds fans and we are pleased to say we outnumbered the Bournemouth fans. Quite a few of our HW members were in Plymouth for the league game the next day and were unable to attend.

Eastleigh is a good non-league ground and is where most of Hampshire Whites organised transport begins it journey!!

Good to see fans and flags around the grouond.

The Butler family, the Dennis family and the Kneller family (now Lanzarote Whites from their holidays) were there loudly supporting the team and enjoying the fact they didn'thave a 5 hour trip home after the match.

Riley was thrilled when Leeds goalie Harry Christy gave him his shirt. There was some concern that he might get in to trouble but they think he was given a thumbs up from the bench! A big thanks to Harry. it will be framed - unwashed!! Sebastian was pleased to meet Cian Coleman.

The final result was an 2-3 to Leeds - with Leeds laving it very late in the game for Sonny Perkins to score! A fantastic goal as you can see from Daniel's footage below.

My Birthday

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:46:21 GMT

A Wonderful 11th Birthday!

It was the day before my 11th birthday and my family and I made the trip up to Elland Road for our fixture against Preston North End.

Thank you to the Hampshire Whites for sorting the tickets and to Jacqui who gave me an idea, to make a poster, asking one of the players for a shirt.

I decided that I would like to try and get Archie Gray's shirt because I was pleased that he had signed a new contract and because he loves Leeds as much as I do.

Disaster nearly struck when we realised we had left the poster in the car. James, my big super brother, dashed back to the car in the rain to get it, just before kick off!

We made it to our amazing seats and had a great view of the goal and corner.

After only 6 minutes, it was already 1-1 and I wondered what might happen next. After no more goals but plenty of tackles, yellow cards and time wasting, it was added time.

Leeds tried their hardest and managed to get a penalty given in the 90+4th minute.

I was as nervous as ever, Bamford passed the ball to Piroe. But, there was no need to be nervous anymore, Piroe smashed the ball in the back of the net!

I was over the moon with the 2-1 win for Leeds.

As soon as the full time whistle blew, I ran down to the touch line with my poster.

I waited patiently as the players celebrated and walked around the pitch.

I could see Daniel Farke talking to Archie and he pointed in my direction. That was the moment ...Archie took off his shirt and smiled as he walked towards me.

He handed me his shirt and even stopped for a photo!

I was absolutely buzzing (according to my Dad). I held on tightly to the shirt, all the way home. I can't wait to get it framed.

A BRILLIANT BIRTHDAY!

My Top 10 - Volume 4

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:12:27 GMT

This 'My Top 10' has been compiled by Hampshire Whites member Simon Hoyle - age 42

1 Gary Speed

Grew up wanting to be him!!

2 Harry Kewell

Magical and could do some special things with them predators on his feet.

3 Ian Harte

Lit up the stadium with that left foot of his.

4 Olivier Dacourt

Gritty and wore the badge with pride.

5 Gordon Strachan

I’m sure Messi watched videos of Strachan growing up.

6 Rod Wallace

Skilful, clever, quick and could score from anywhere.

7 Lee Bowyer

Naughty and underrated.

8 Robbie Keane

Just a natural goal scorer, wish we had him longer at the club.

9 Pablo Hernandez

MAJESTIC!

10 Robert Snodgrass

Top player, humble and did so much for us on that pitch.

My Top 10 - Volume 3

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:09:02 GMT

This 'My Top 10' has been compiled by Hampshire Whites member Toby Short - Age 18

1 Ross McCormack

Loved watching him as a kid.

2 Pontus Jansson

Use to play Centre half and tried to play like him, also had his haircut because of him when I was younger.

3 Kalvin Phillips

Just watched a Leeds lad thrive like that was amazing.

4 Pablo Hernandez

Magician, visionary there will never be another like him.

5 Raphinha

Best player ability wise I’ve seen in my lifetime could take people on like they weren’t there.

6 Liam Cooper

Loyalty, a rarity in football these days

7 Luciano Becchio

Got him on my shirt when I was younger, hero for us.

8 Chris Wood

Just a machine at Leeds thought he was brilliant.

9 Gaetano Berardi

Warrior, got what it meant to be Leeds.

10 Ethan Ampadu

Just think he’s absolutely class for us and is far too good for the championship.

My Top 10 - Volume 2

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:07:31 GMT

This 'My Top 10' has been compiled by Hampshire Whites member Elliot Chilton - age 22

1 Kalvin Phillips

True Leeds lad on and off the pitch. Icon of the Bielsa era .

2 Pablo Hernandez

Bielsa’s prodigy and brought the magic to that promotion team.

3 Luke Ayling

Player who came from outside and understood what it means to be Leeds. Best right back in the league at his best.

4 Mateusz Klich

Brought some of the old “Dirty Leeds” to the Bielsa side; Klich-housery! Very likeable player who passes the “pint test”. His antics on promotion day will live long in the memory. Vocal criticism of Jesse Marsch helps….

5 Jermaine Beckford

Lit up the league in very dark times, and has become a lifelong Leeds supporter as a result of his stint at the club

6 Liam Coooper

Not always the best centre half at the club, but a fantastic leader and representative of the club, on and off the pitch through thick and thin. Served the club from its darkest era into the Bielsa PL days. Epitomises side before self.

7 Raphinha

Brings to mind the joy of 20/21, bringing a level of quality to Leeds not seen for 20+ years. Gave his all to keep the club up in 21/22 despite having his dream Barcelona move lined up.

8 Gaetano Berardi

Humble hard man, who, like Beckford, has maintained links with the fan base (Square Ball writer) since leaving.

9 Jonny Howson

Leeds lad and great guy. Met him as mascot at Southampton in 2011 and was incredibly kind. Not forgetting his play off goal vs Carlisle.

10 Stuart Dallas

Classic Bielsa rags to riches story, brought many happy memories, not least Man City away which lit up a dark lockdown period.

My Top 10

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 17:02:00 GMT

This 'My Top 10' has been compiled by Hampshire Whites member David Davies.

Whilst choosing his top 10 David commented "The more you think about it, the more you could be popping back in and updating as there are so many players that have left an impact or memory ...but this is the 10 that I have settled on". This compilation spans the years that David has been a fan of Leeds United, from a young boy to present day.

1 Tommy Wright

My first experience of Leeds United was in the 1980s. I would have been about 5 or 6 and my dad had some VHS tapes with match highlights on them. One name that stuck out for me when watching those tapes was Tommy Wright as an exciting young player so he goes in first on my list.

2 Rodney Wallace

Another exciting player to watch with his skill and speed and one stand out moment would be his goal against Tottenham in 1994.

3 Gary Speed

One of my Leeds heroes and favourite player as a kid. The energy he showed in games was fantastic and I loved the commentary moment ‘go on Gary Speed, get one yourself son’ back in 1990 as he scored the 4th goal of a 4-0 win over Sheffield United.

4 Chris Fairclough

Great defender in the heart of the Leeds defence who helped get the club promoted from division 2 in his first year at the club and would be part of the division 1 champions team just 2 years later.

5 Gordon Strachan

Brilliant player for Leeds and captain of the team that won the league in 91-92 season.

6 Lee Bowyer

One of my favourites from our first time around in the premier league. He could create and score but also had a lot of fight in the midfield.

7 Alan Smith

Another one of my favourites and as a local Leeds lad showed passion every time he put on the shirt. Shame to see him leave after relegation from the premier league but I think the club was in a bit of a financial pickle back then and we lost a lot of players.

8 Pablo Hernandez

The little magician. He has a lot of stand out moments in a Leeds shirt. Not always as consistent as we would have liked but when he did produce it was usually pretty special.

9 Raphinha

He had to go in to my 10 just for his ability to turn a game around. Such an exciting player to watch in his short time with the club.

10 Crysencio Summerville

Not quite the finished article but similarly to Raphinha, when he has the ball you know something can happen. I love how he runs at defences and at the time of writing this he has 12 goals and 7 assists to his name which is not a bad return at all.

Football Caves Vol. 3

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:55:35 GMT

Another Leeds United shrine/cave goes up in Hampshire

Long time Hampshire Whites member Jeff decided that he had a garden that was just crying out for a Leeds United tribute - and somewhere where he and others could watch the football in a suitable environment!

First came the size and the design of the building, then the construction of it.

When it was finished the real fun of kitting it out began, displaying his collection of Leeds United memorabilia.

It made its first public appearance at the Hampshire Whites Barbecue and AGM in June 2023 where all in attendance took time to have a good look around at all the Leeds United memories on display.

Bamford Wonder Goal

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 12:56:05 GMT

Was Patrick Bamford’s wonder goal against Peterborough United one of the best FA Cup goals in recent history?

It was certainly impressive and hopefully just what Paddy needed for a boost of confidence. Controlling the ball on his chest, he swivelled and struck a perfect volley that rose and then dipped, leaving goalkeeper Fynn Talley with no chance.

There have been numerous outstanding goals in the history of the FA Cup so it's a matter of personal assessment and viewpoint but surely it has to be up amongst them.

Chatting on the podcast ‘My Mates A Footballer’ with Joe Wilkinson, the striker said:

"As a striker you always know where the goal is from wherever you are on the pitch. As soon as the ball came over I wasn't thinking 'oh I'm going to chest this down and smack it'. As it came to my chest and I chested it, it was in a perfect position and when it was there I thought 'I'm hitting it'.

"It goes so quickly because it is in a split second you make that decision. You just know when you connect with it, you know straight away. It was such a good connection I thought 'that's going in'.

"I've made the run with the idea in my head that I'm going to receive it running through on goal, take it down to my feet or whatever, but I'm already passing defenders so I've already ruled them out of the equation, which is the ideal scenario for a ball like that.

"At the time of bringing it down, I knew I had to get across the defender, who actually ended up slipping and I didn't realise until I'd hit the ball that he was on the floor. So I had to jump because I thought he was going to challenge me for the ball.

"It's really hard to explain. I can't pinpoint the exact moment I decided to shoot."

The strike was Leeds' second of the game, giving them a bit of breathing space against their opponents and seeing them on their way to victory.

"It was alright," joked Daniel Farke when asked about the quality of Bamford's goal.

"The whole world will praise this goal as being world-class. There are no other words for it".

"Goals are always priceless for the confidence of offensive players and I'm sure he would take a rebound from two yards but, of course, to score in this fantastic manner is even better and he is on the right path".

Highlights of the win against Peterborough including Bamford’s goal can be seen here: https://youtu.be/OtKQD3EObGg?si=JKWwkE-3Ba2mM4hM

Junior Members

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 20:47:46 GMT

HW Welcome Junior Members

Hampshire Whites have a long history of involving their younger members in the club. This involves helping them with transport and helping them take part in events. This often involves an adult HW member acting as carer when family members are unable to attend.

At a recent event attended by Hampshire Whites members the young members had the chance to create their Leeds United crests ...all for a bit of fun.

We then had them computerised so they could see there designs come to life.

If you are a Leeds United fan or have a child under 18 who you think would like to join the Hampshire Whites, visit our membership page to apply.

Football Caves Vol.2

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 13:25:05 GMT

Another Football Cave in Hampshire

I moved in to a new bungalow with Di and Shaun , knowing it needed a lot of work to make it the home we really wanted. However what it needed more than anything else was a Leeds United room. With support from Di and Shaun we organised a 'shed' in the garden. The garden had to be flattened before they could start work but soon it was on its way.

Gradually it began to look like a 'football' bar.

Finally we had a Leeds United bar ...enjoyed by all.

Leeds on the Road

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 07:31:35 GMT

An excellent evening at Fleming Park Bowling Club with Tony Dorigo, Angus Kinnear and Gretar Steinsson with over 75 Hampshire Whites.

All photos provided by Simon Davis at LUFC - thank you.

On September 29th 2023 a quiet part of Eastleigh, Fleming Park Bowling Club, was invaded by over 75 Leeds United Supporters. They were there to welcome Tony Dorigo, Angus Kinnear and Gretar Steinsson for a Question and Answer session.

The event had been organised by James Mooney and the committee of Hampshire Whites.

The evening began with the arrival of Hampshire Whites members, young and old.

Tony Dorigo began the evening by chatting with members and patiently posing for many photos.

A Q&A session with Tony telling us stories of his playing days and giving his opinions about Leeds United lasted for over an hour! Everyone was thoroughly entertained by his light-hearted but also serious approach - and could have gone for longer but we took pity on his voice!

Angus, Gretar and James arrived and Angus began their Q&A session. He fielded a variety of questions amid a lot of light hearted banter - thanking HW for inviting them - he did refuse to sing despite the requests from some 'merry' members!! Everyone was impressed by his honesty and openness.

Gretar answered questions regarding players, recruitment and his role. He was very enthusiatic about Leeds United, having been a lifelong fan, and came across as very knowledeable and down to earth. The evening concluded with informal discussions but with a high level of respect and a better degree of understanding between supporters and Leeds United.

The evening was completed by our raffle with Gretar and Tony staying til the end!

We had some lovely prizes which James very kindly brought along including a signed football and 3 signed shirts. A Hampshire Whties raffle is never the same without the gnomes and we were very lucky that the 2 we had were in Tony Dorigo kit!!!

Thanks to Jeff for providing a sumptuous buffet and for organising a brilliant venue.

Marching on together! Hampshire Whites and Leeds United!

LUFC On The Beach

secretary@hampshirewhites.com (Jacqui Greethurst) — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 14:10:53 GMT

Young Leeds Fan Shows His Support For Leeds

Daniel Butler, one of our young Hampshire Whites enjoyed a holiday with his family on the Isle of Wight. He decided that a flag from the balcony was not enough to show his support and wanted to do more.

Taking time to make sure his support could be read from a distance on land and sea and even from the air!

Proudly showing his family his hard work

It even looked good in the dark - which reminds us of a time when being Leeds United meant we glowed in the dark! (for the older members)

Well done, Daniel! We are delighted to know that the next generation of Leeds United Supporters are 'proud to be Leeds'

The 2023/24 Season - What Lies Ahead?

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:54:26 GMT

The FSA outlines the law regarding Football Supporters...

We know that many fans who use pyro have positive intentions, to liven things up and help the atmosphere but UK law doesn’t care, the law says you are committing a criminal offence if you're in possession of any pyro (ignited or not) at any time during the match.

Away from the stands

Also an offence is if you're “entering or trying to enter” a football match with pyro. Fans have been arrested well before the turnstiles. We do think there’s a lack of understanding around pyro and the law and the media in general doesn't help.

@Alamy

Pyro & music festivals

We see their use framed in a positive context at Glastonbury / festivals etc, and even occasionally in club social media / matchday programmes, so it’s understandable that some people might think their use is allowed at football. But it definitely isn’t.

Pitch invasions

Pitch invasions have been a regular occurrence towards the end of season in recent times – although worth saying that most supporters stay in the stands as they want to see the players celebrating, not fellow fans wandering about taking poorly framed selfies.

There was a tradition of celebratory incursions in decades past but many of those took place before it was a criminal offence to enter the pitch.

Except in the case of emergency, we don’t think there’s any reason for supporters to enter the field of play. Here’s 3 reasons why...

1. It’s illegal and punishments can be very severe – many over the years have entered the pitch with nothing but good intentions but it is illegal and the law doesn’t discriminate. Club bans, a criminal record and a Football Banning Order (legally very serious) can follow,

2. It’s not fair on players. We’ve talked to the PFA and they understand 99.99% of fans have nothing but good intentions but are worried about that 1 idiot getting to them. Players, managers, refs have a fundamental right to leave the pitch without being attacked or antagonised,

3. Wider consequences. Stay off the pitch and crowd management will be lighter touch. If that pact breaks down football will be worse for us all as rules will tighten. Capacity reductions, alcohol bans, netting or even worse options (stadium closures, points deductions etc)

What is a Football Banning Order?

All of this leads us to FBOs. Important distinction to be made between clubs bans and FBOs. FBOs are much more serious and can be imposed by a court following conviction for violence, pyro use, pitch invasions, drug possession in stadiums, etc. If you get a Football Banning Order you must surrender your passport when England/Wales or your club play abroad. Most FBOs restrict freedom of movement on matchdays and you can be banned from your team’s city centre. That’s how severely a FBO can impact your life.

Specialist legal advice

Sometimes specialist legal advice will be required, such as when a supporter is arrested, and we refer those cases to solicitors who have a track record going back many years, having represented hundreds of supporters during the time they have worked with the FSA.

Football Law Associates have had a long standing working relationship with the FSA since 2008, assisting countless supporters over the years. Football Law Associates specialises in representing football supporters who require advice and assistance at the police station or court. Representation at the police station is free under the Legal Aid Advice & Assistance Scheme and some supporters will be eligible for free representation at court. They offer free initial phone consultations so fans can get advice on their case, with no obligation. If you would like a confidential and free call with one of their solicitors please call 0333 939 0063 or contact via Football Law Associates .

See the original Article - HERE

Football Caves!

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:07:39 GMT

Football Caves / Sheds appearing in Hampshire Whites!

It has come to my notice as secretary of Hampshire Whites that we have a lot of ‘designated spaces’ springing up in members’ houses and gardens.

This first one belongs to a new Hampshire Whites member, Alex.

I moved house last year in October to Totton, and wanted a space to watch the football without the Mrs claiming I was hogging the TV.

Wherever possible, my main aim was to try and use materials that would otherwise be thrown away. My feature wall is made of pallets I’ve collected from sites that I work on, and a lot of the wood on the bar was made from wood from my mother- in- laws old shed.

MORE ...

The bar still needs some more LUFC memorabilia, but the posters I’ve got on the wall are celebrating the best year of football I’ve ever witnessed as a Leeds fan (the 2019/20 promotion season). I’ve been a Leeds fan since the late 90s/early 00s (born in 1991) so haven’t had many opportunities to see us where I’d like us to be, but hang on to memories like the Bielsa era, and even before in League One. My Leeds heroes of my generation are players like Jermaine Beckford, Pablo Hernandez and my childhood idol Lucas Radebe.

When the bar is completely finished it will be called ‘The Radebe Inn’ featuring some Leeds and Kaiser Chiefs artwork in honour of Lucas Radebe, who’s testimonial I went to when he retired.

Looking forward to (hopefully) another session similar to the 19/20 season with Farke steering the ship, and although it’s not got a patch of Jeff Borg’s man cave it’ll do for a start!

Alex Richards