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So here we go again, the eve of another season for Leeds United, our 10th outside the top league, since relegation from the Premiership on May 2nd 2004 following a horrible campaign.
Anyway I better introduce myself. My name is Andrew Dalton and I am 28 years old and have followed Leeds since I was 7 years, with my first game being in April 1992, when we beat Chelsea 3-0, with the goals coming from Rod Wallace, Lee Chapman and a certain Frenchman who crossed the Pennies before the year was out!
Anyway since then I have been hooked on the club and especially any stats relating the club! Last November I had a book published with Jon Howe, called Leeds United TOP 100, Jon did all the hard work, I did all the stats!. I also have the twitter name @lufcstats. What I will doing each Leeds game, home or away, league or cup, is providing stats, whether it will be on the opposition, previous matches, or something out of the ordinary!
This weeks stats
Since relegation from the Premiership in 2004, we have only beaten Brighton once at Elland Road, in seven meetings, coming in October 2008, in a 3-1 win with goals from Jermaine Beckford and one from Luciano Becchio.
As everyone is aware our record on the opening day of new league season (including Everton in season 2000-01 not 1860 Munich) is pretty impressive but what about our first home league game since 1992. Well we have only lost 4 out of 21 games winning 14 and drawing the other three. The defeats came in Season 96-97 2-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday, 2008-09 2-0 again to Oldham this time, 2-1 against Derby in 2010 and 1-0 against Middlesbrough in 2011.
If a new captain is announced tomorrow he will be 13th different captain to lead the side (excluding David Norris in a cup tie v Shrewsbury last season) on the opening day since August 1992. The others are Gary McAllister, Ian Rush, David Hopkin, Lucas Radebe, Rio Ferdinand, Dominic Matteo, Paul Butler, Alan Thompson, Frazer Richardson, Jonny Howson, Richard Naylor and Lee Peltier
Finally from me, tomorrow could see a first since 2008! The same goalkeeper starting back to back seasons in goal! Casper Ankergren was the most recent to do this. If you go back through the years, Paul Robinson did it in 2002, 2003, and Neil Sullivan in 2004 and 2005. Tony Warner lined up in 2006, Shane Higgs in 2009, Kasper Schmeichal in 2010 and Andy Lonergan in 2011.
That’s all from until Chesterfield on Tuesday.