2005–06 Leeds United A.F.C. season

Leeds United
2005-06 season
Chairman Ken Bates
Manager Kevin Blackwell
Stadium Elland Road
The Championship 5th (qualified for play-offs)
Play-offs Runners-up
FA Cup Third round
League Cup Third round
Top goalscorer League: Rob Hulse (13)
All: Rob Hulse (14)
Highest home attendance 27,843 vs Sheffield Wednesday
(21 Jan 2006, The Championship)
Lowest home attendance 14,970 vs Oldham Athletic
(23 Aug 2005, League Cup)
Average home league attendance 22,355

During the 2005–06 English football season, Leeds United A.F.C. competed in the Football League Championship, their second consecutive season at this level.

Season summary

With new players brought in over the summer, the club's goal during the 2005-06 season was promotion. Blackwell's shrewd tactics away from Elland Road and attacking style at home proved highly effective, and by the end of February, Leeds were third in the Championship. However from that point onwards Leeds slumped, gaining just 4 points from a possible 18, and eventually had to settle for a play-off place. In the first round of the play-offs, against Preston North End, Leeds drew 1-1 at Elland Road, but won the return leg 2-0 to advance to the final, played on 21 May at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. However, in a dismal performance, Leeds crashed to a 3-0 defeat to Watford.[1] While some fans predicted that Leeds would go one better and finally return to the Premier League the following year, others were concerned by the fact that, with the exception of the bottom four teams, Leeds's form going into the play-offs was the worst of any team in the Championship, their only two wins in the final months of the campaign being the play-off victory against Preston and a narrow 1-0 victory against relegated Crewe Alexandra.

Final league table

PWDLFAGDPts
C1Reading46311329932+67106
P2Sheffield United46261287646+3090
P3Watford46221597753+2481
 4Preston North End46202065930+2980
 5Leeds United462115105738+1978
 6Crystal Palace462112136748+1975
 7Wolverhampton Wanderers461619115042+867
 8Coventry City461615156265363
 9Norwich City46188205665962
 10Luton Town461710196667161
 11Cardiff City461612185859160
 12Southampton461319144950158
 13Stoke City46177225463958
 14Plymouth Argyle461317163946756
 15Ipswich Town4614141853661356
 16Leicester City461315185159854
 17Burnley461412204654854
 18Hull City461216184955652
 19Sheffield Wednesday4613132039521352
 20Derby County4610201653671450
 21Queens Park Rangers4612142050651550
R22Crewe Alexandra469 152257862942
R23Millwall468162235622740
R24Brighton & Hove Albion467172239713238

Results

Leeds United's score comes first[2]

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Championship

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
7 August 2005 MillwallH2-120,440Healy (2, 1 pen)
9 August 2005 Cardiff CityA1-215,231Blake
13 August 2005 Luton TownA0-010,102
20 August 2005 Wolverhampton WanderersH2-021,229Lewis, Hulse
27 August 2005 Norwich CityA1-025,015Hulse
10 September 2005 Brighton & Hove AlbionH3-321,212Healy (2), Douglas
13 September 2005 Sheffield WednesdayA0-129,986
17 September 2005 Queens Park RangersA1-015,523Hulse
24 September 2005 Ipswich TownH0-221,676
28 September 2005 Derby CountyH3-118,353Hulse (3)
1 October 2005 WatfordA0-016,050
15 October 2005 BurnleyA2-116,174Lewis, Hulse
18 October 2005 SouthamptonH2-118,881Hulse, Blake
21 October 2005 Sheffield UnitedH1-123,600Richardson
29 October 2005 ReadingA1-122,012Healy
1 November 2005 Crewe AlexandraA0-17,220
5 November 2005 Preston North EndH0-022,289
19 November 2005 SouthamptonA4-330,173Butler, Blake, Healy (pen), Miller
22 November 2005 BurnleyH2-021,318Healy (pen), Blake
26 November 2005 MillwallA1-08,134May (own goal)
3 December 2005 Leicester CityH2-121,402Healy, Kilgallon
10 December 2005 Cardiff CityH0-120,597
17 December 2005 Wolverhampton WanderersA0-126,821
26 December 2005 Coventry CityH3-124,291Douglas, Blake, Cresswell
28 December 2005 Stoke CityA1-020,408Lewis
31 December 2005 Hull CityH2-026,387Douglas (2)
2 January 2006 Plymouth ArgyleA3-017,726Cresswell, Blake, Hulse (pen)
14 January 2006 Brighton & Hove AlbionA1-27,415Blake (pen)
21 January 2006 Sheffield WednesdayH3-027,843Butler, Cresswell (2)
31 January 2006 Ipswich TownA1-125,845Healy (pen)
4 February 2006 Queens Park RangersH2-021,807Cresswell, Butler
11 February 2006 Derby CountyA0-027,000
14 February 2006 WatfordH2-17,187Blake (2, 1 pen)
18 February 2006 Leicester CityA1-125,497Blake (pen)
25 February 2006 Luton TownH2-123,644Douglas, Lewis
4 March 2006 Crystal PalaceA2-123,843Blake, Hulse
11 March 2006 Norwich CityH2-224,993Hulse, Lewis
18 March 2006 Coventry CityA1-126,643Healy (pen)
21 March 2006 Crystal PalaceH0-124,507
25 March 2006 Stoke CityH0-021,452
1 April 2006 Hull CityA0-123,486
8 April 2006 Plymouth ArgyleH0-020,650
15 April 2006 ReadingH1-124,535Hulse
18 April 2006 Sheffield UnitedA1-129,329Healy
22 April 2006 Crewe AlexandraH1-021,046Healy
30 April 2006 Preston North EndA0-220,383

Championship play-offs

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
SF 1st Leg5 May 2006 Preston North EndA1-135,239Lewis
SF 2nd Leg8 May 2006 Preston North EndH2-020,283Hulse, Richardson
F21 May 2006 WatfordN0-364,736

Top Scorers

FA Cup

Main article: 2005–06 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R37 January 2006 Wigan AthleticA1-110,980Hulse
R3R17 January 2006 Wigan AthleticH3-3 (lost 2-4 on pens)15,243Healy (2, 1 pen), Kelly

Top Scorers

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R123 August 2005 Oldham AthleticH2-014,970Ricketts, Richardson
R220 September 2005 Rotherham UnitedA2-05,445Cresswell (2)
R325 October 2005 Blackburn RoversA0-315,631

Top Scorers

First-team squad

Squad at end of season[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Scotland GK Neil Sullivan
2 Republic of Ireland DF Gary Kelly
3 Scotland DF Stephen Crainey
6 Republic of Ireland DF Paul Butler
7 England MF Jermaine Wright
8 England MF Sean Gregan
9 Northern Ireland FW David Healy
10 England FW Rob Hulse
11 United States MF Eddie Lewis
12 England MF Danny Pugh
13 England GK Ian Bennett
14 England MF Steve Stone
15 England DF Frazer Richardson
16 Iceland MF Gylfi Einarsson
17 Republic of Ireland MF Liam Miller (on loan from Manchester United)
No. Position Player
18 England MF Simon Walton
19 Norway MF Eirik Bakke
20 Republic of Ireland MF Jonathan Douglas
21 England MF Shaun Derry
22 England FW Ian Moore
23 England DF Dan Harding
24 Angola DF Rui Marques
25 England FW Richard Cresswell
26 England DF Matthew Kilgallon
27 Australia MF Joel Griffiths
28 England FW Robbie Blake
30 England FW Michael Ricketts
32 England FW Jermaine Beckford

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
17 England MF Matthew Spring (to Watford)
32 England FW Justin Bowler (to Halifax Town)
34 England DF Brenton Leister (to Halifax Town)
No. Position Player
34 England FW Danny Graham (on loan from Middlesbrough)
35 Scotland FW Kevin Smith (to Sunderland)

Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
29 Republic of Ireland MF Ian Morris
31 Scotland DF Steven McKeown
33 England MF Nick Gray
No. Position Player
36 England GK Mark Wilberforce
40 England FW Jamie Winter

References

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